Review: Black Amazon of Mars by Leigh Brackett
A journey to pay a dying man’s debt may unleash ancient horrors on the unsuspecting people of Mars!
Sequel to Queen of the Martian Catacombs (reviewed here), Eric John Stark returns to the Red Planet in Black Amazon of Mars. In his wandering mercenary life, Stark has made many friends, some he never meets again. Others he knows only a short time before they part.
That is the case now, as his latest friend forged in the heat of battle lies dying beside their campfire while a Martian snowstorm rages outside. A native of the decrepit city-state of Kushat, which is said to guard “the Gates of Death,” Stark’s companion bears a relic he stole from the municipality long before they met. He had hoped to return it as atonement for his sin before he expired but that will not happen now. His wound is too deep, the cold too close, and death has finally come to claim him.
He asks the Earthman to return the relic in his place, and Stark agrees. Anything for a friend, right? But maybe he should have been a touch more circumspect before striking such a dangerous bargain….
The Story
Stark inspects the relic, the Talisman of Ban Cruach, in the firelight after his friend dies. His companion made him vow not to lose it nor to give it to anyone else, claiming it would be disastrous in the wrong hands. Granted, the legends about the Talisman are enough to make admitting to possessing it dangerous. Stealing the relic in the first place carried a death sentence, one which Stark’s friend has paid, albeit not in the manner that Kushat would have preferred he did.
But in the dim night Stark cannot help himself. He succumbs to his natural curiosity and puts the Talisman to his forehead. A short time later, he recoils from it in horror. Ban Cruach’s Talisman is indeed a device of power and forebodes fell things for Mars. It shows what lies beyond the Gates of Death – what Ban Cruach died to stop!
Unfortunately, Stark’s vigil with the Talisman leaves him open to discovery. A war party from the Northern tribes has seen his fire. Coming out of the unconscious state induced by the Talisman, Stark is too late to escape and can only watch them arrive. They pilfer from the dead and take him captive to their warlord, who wears black armor and carries a great black war axe.
The warlord goes by the name Ciaran and desires to bargain with Stark, hoping that he will take part in the upcoming attack planned for Kushat so that the warlord may take the city and then seize the treasure which lies beyond the fabled Gates. For the warlord would rule all of Mars and to do that, one requires power, which the Gates of Death are whispered to promise to those willing to seize them. The Earth man refuses this offer and the warlord reluctantly orders his execution. But Stark escapes and, after a desperate race, arrives at Kushat just ahead of Ciaran’s army.
Having leapt from the frying pan into the fire, Stark’s only hope is to survive the siege, continue to protect the Talisman, and to prevent anyone from opening the Gates. For if those fell doors are opened, all of Mars may succumb to a fate worse than death!
The Characters
Once again, Stark impresses a reader with his tenacious refusal to give up. He is quite civilized until the fighting starts, and even then, he mostly manages to contain his savage nature. But when his survival instincts take over completely, he shows that his is as dangerous as a cornered panther, and he can kill more soldiers than any single man ought to be able to handle in this wild state. Yet for all his barbarity Stark is a man, first and foremost. Though he may forget himself in battle he never loses sight of that fact otherwise.
Ciaran – real name Ciara – is a barbarian queen to rival all others. Determined to have her own kingdom, she leads her Martian warriors against Kushat in the guise of a man to win control of the city and the Gates. When her true sex is discovered, she overcomes the complaints of any who stand before her by proving very capable of handling her enormous battle axe and her warriors. Even she, however, is not so hungry for power that she would see Mars destroyed, particularly given her desire to rule it!
The World
Last time Leigh Brackett introduced readers to the southern tribes and deserts of Mars. This time she brings them to the cold, snowy northern reaches of the planet and the secrets they keep. Kushat is a crumbling city-state divided between the poor in the slums and the decadent nobles in the upper-class palaces, while the northern territory is described in vividly harsh, chilling detail. This is Mars at her most unforgiving, and Brackett spares neither her characters nor her readers the trials of the deep winter cold.
Politics
Leigh Brackett kept her politics in the voting booth, where they belonged. There is nothing political in or about Black Amazon of Mars.
Content Warning
Stark is implied to sleep with at least two women in the narrative, and the horror that may destroy Mars is chilling. But the implications are not explicit nor spelled out, and the horror is quite mild. Immature as well as mature youngsters can enjoy this book and not be scandalized in the least.
Who is it for?
Anyone who loves science fiction, lost realms, and horror will like this book. It is a novel for all children and adults who want a rollicking good story full of adventure and daring escapades. Those who love exploring new worlds that are in fact quite old will find Black Amazon of Mars scratches that itch ably, while anyone who wants a good, implicit romance will have a fine time reading this novel.
Why buy it?
It is classic sci-fi written by one of the best names in the business. Who can turn that down?