Raiders of Gor

Another strong novel in this sword-and-planet series. It's not Tolstoy, obviously, but within the limitations of the genre it offers solid action, wordbuilding and, in this case, even character development.

Of course, the series is infamous for the inclusion of the spicy themes of sexual slavery. We are not quite yet at the point where that theme dominates the story, but this novel prepares the terrain for that.

Regarding the character development, at some point of this story the until now untouchable, James-Bond-like main character Tarl Cabot chooses humiliation and dishonor over death. This shakes him completely and demolishes his self-image. Therefore he abandons his old ideas of honor and basically turns into a rogue without show more principles (or at least that's what he repeatedly tells us, although in reality he does not go all the way to villainy).

Other reviewers have complained, quite rightly, that this is out of character for Tarl as the character had been established. He always laughs and is defiant in the face of death, so why not this time, except because the story required it? Even in this same book, he is back acting in the davil-may-care way he always does, and insults his enemies when they have him captured and seem about to kill him. So are we to believe that he did the complete opposite thing when threatened by a bunch of rural bumpkins? I can't really buy it, but I accept it because it brings about welcome character development, making Tarl more interesting than he had been.

I suspect this is going to pave the way for more slavegirl eroticism, unfortunately. Nothing against eroticism, but Norman's interpretation often tends toward dull, extensive lectures on how it's the natural way of things. Anyway, we'll see what happens, but for the moment this gives Tarl more depth and makes him more interesting.

I would give this book five stars (understanding that I judge it within the standards and conventions of the genre), but I'm taking one away for the weary habit of the author to give us long worldbuilding infodumps. The worldbuilding is actually interesting, but these infodumps slow down the story too much. show less

Unexpectedly the best book in the series thus far. Tarl Cabot, on a mission for the Priest Kings, is captured by Ricers and as a result suffers from PTSD, which makes him a more interesting character. When pirates attack the Ricer base, Cabot (or Bosk as he becomes known) escapes and flees to Port Kar, where most of the book's action takes place.

Port Kar is clearly the most interesting city on Gor and Bosk carves a niche for himself in the city of lawless malcontents. The politics of Pot Kar are quite interesting and the armed struggle that ensues with the forces of Cos and Tyros is exciting.

Of course all the female characters are slaves or soon-to-be slaves but that is sadly how Gor works.

**SOME MINOR SPOILERS, THOUGH NOT MANY AND I CAN'T BE ARSED TO GO THROUGH AND SEEK THEM OUT INDIVIDUALLY SO I'M TACKING THIS ON THE FRONT HERE INSTEAD!**

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Volume 6 of The Gor Chronicles and we see Tarl Cabot the great warrior originally of Earth becoming first a slave, then a pirate and a captain, and finally an admiral. It's all rather exciting stuff as Tarl assumes an alter ego, namely Bosk of Port Ka, which apparently is much like Mos Isley(from Star Wars) in that it is a veritable hive of villany and scum and pirates and so on. Oh, and it's also home to those great and respected slavers who 'know well how to treat their slave girls'. Well, you can't argue with that then can you really?

So Bosk, as he now is chooses slavery show more over death and mopes about it a good deal afterwards and generally goes around feeling sorry for himself. Meanwhile he enslaves the woman who originally made a slave of him and then proceeds to treat her like less than nothing until, of course, he falls in love with her. He does that a lot it seems, almost to the point of falling for a different slave girl in each book. What gets me more than anything about this is that he was originally supposed to be searching for and rescuing his very first lover who's name I now forget due to him being so prolific in the treating-them-like-the-lowly-slaves-they-are-then-falling-for-them-department. Nobody's expecting him to become a monk while he searches for her of course but you'd think he might think upon her from time to time. In fact the only time he seems to think about her or even mention her at all is generally as an afterthought appended to end of the book, usually in the last page of so.

Anyway, I expected this one to be very heavy on the mistreatment of slaves since that's basically what the cover blurb hints at, and also because a number of the reviews I've read seem to have been complaining about just that. I can't say I felt it to be particularly harsh with reagards to slaves, certainly no more so than almost any of the other books in this series so far, and in fact a good deal less than one or two.

So, another rollicking good adventure on Gor. I liked it well enough, although it's not my favourite so far by quite a margin. I think that honour is still held by the first book in fact.

Very enjoyable, though not quite so much as the others. Still very good though. show less

See Tarnsman of Gor.