Black Amazon of Mars

I had forgotten how much I loved S&S before starting to read Brackett this week. Another terrific John Stark novel from Brackett, I've been on a Sword and Sorcery bender this past week and this story stands up to her others quite well, I particular liked the siege and the lead up to the battle.

Thoroughly enjoyable but not entirely predictable space opera. Action-oriented but with sufficient descriptive passages to persuade the reader that you are on a different world. This is really a novella, quickly read over the course of a weekend, with two short stories fleshing out the rest of the book.

Ah, the old pulps. :-) We have our Mighty Hero who binds himself by a promise to a dying friend, and then dares all and endures all in fulfillment of it (and to save his world as he knows it). Plus a pretty love interest to keep us occupied until the real love interest is revealed (and to be sad and wise about him near the end). The eponymous 'Amazon' is pretty cool but it's probably no real spoiler that it's Our Mighty Hero who wins the day.

A pretty good story, great looking book. "People of the Talisman" is a rewrite of this story, longer, similar beginning, totally different ending.