Guardsman of Gor (Gorean Saga) [Paperback]

John Norman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gorean Saga | Publication Date: June 30, 2007

Thrust into a life full of woeful twists and turns, Jason Marshall has contended with the prehistoric customs and immeasurable power of the Goreans. His struggles on Gor, a planet resembling Earth, included escaping imprisonment, enslavement, and redeeming lost land. Jason has fought to regain control of his life. Having ascended to a position of power in the Gorean army, Jason must prevail in a battle that seems destined to destroy Gor. Jason has a lot riding on his success as a war leader: prestige, wealth, and an Earth girl of goddesslike beauty. Will Jason be able to win the war and avoid a fate worse than death? Will he be able to find the girl who holds his affections? Will he be able to live as a free man on Earth's counterpart and rise to a still higher position of power and respect? Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: e-reads.com; 40 Anv edition (June 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0759213682
• ISBN-13: 978-0759213685
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,040,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Last of the Fighting Slave trilogy, March 27, 2007

By 

The Old Philosopher "The Old Philosopher" (WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Guardsman of Gor (No. 16 in Gor Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

Guardsman of Gor continues the story of Jason and Beverly, both from New Your City who were captured and transported to Gor in Fighting Slave. Guardsman begins with a naval battle on the Vosk river between pirate fleets and a loose confederation of river cities. Norman spends the first several chapters on three days of the battle during which time the battle is almost lost and the remaining 3 confederation ships make and escape. In a dramatic turn around things get better from there. While the river battle has been going on the men of the cities have formed a fighting alliance on land and wait in ambush for the remaining pirate vessels. Victory over the pirates is complete with Jason earning considerable wealth, including female slaves, captured from the pirate fortress. The last part of the book describes Jason as a dominant man of Gor, no longer the Earth wuss who had been controlled by feminist women in a feminist dominated culture. Jason plays match maker, distributing appropriate female love slaves to the heroes of the pirate battle who are now his friends. Because they are slaves, the females fall deeply in love with strong manly men who control and dominate them, much more so than Earth feminist women. Finally, Jason completes his complete enslavement and domination of the former Beverly of New York City, now transformed into a submissive Gorian love slave. Jason gives her a good whipping and makes her grovel at his feet. Miss. Beverly, now transformed into Norman's vision of true femininity, loves her life as Jason's salve and vows to serve him fully and well.

I found the book tedious in many places with slow action and long repetitive conversations that could be skipped, especially in the last half. If you're reading the whole Gor series you might enjoy it and it wraps up the 3 Jason books. Tarl Cabot of Port Kar is not mentioned, nor are the Priest Kings or other space aliens, nor the war between Cos and Ar. The Fighting Slave trilogy stands by itself set on Gor as a commentary on Earth men and women. John Norman's commentaries on human sexual instincts and personalities is interesting, though some would disagree with his assessments.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Happiness is A Great Book, January 6, 2009

By 

FaeJay "Wielding The Pen" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guardsman of Gor (Jason Marshall Trilogy, Bk. 3) (Chronicles of Counter-Earth, Vol. 16) (Paperback)

My first recommendation would be to start at the beginning of the series. While you can figure out what is going on; and each book is a story unto itself - the climax which builds in knowing the full history of Gor, the characters and emotions driving the plot line, is critical in my opinion. As any who have encountered Norman's undertakings knows, there are aspects of his writing style that are dry; redundant and so explicitly technical it borders on dullness. However, this also denotes a seeming trademark, something you come to expect and almost relish as you submerse yourself into the world he has created for us to escape to. Holding true to form, there are twists and turns that leave you cheering for the hero and celebrating a clearly ingenious mind! I highly recommend picking this up, whether you are a long time follower of Gor or if you are just beginning .. you'll get hooked I promise!

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting New Yarn, December 12, 2009

By 

Anathaniel Wallace "Nosidino" (Wash, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guardsman of Gor (Gorean Saga) (Paperback)

Guardsman of Gor culminates the trilogy centered on the new character of Jason Marshall, an everyday man who was abducted to Gor and forced into slavery. In the first two books Jason was bewildered at his circomstances, but his coming of age came when he escaped from slavery and gained his freedom.

Like the great Fredrick Douglass (Read My Bondage My Freedom), Jason escapes and forces his former owners and tormenters to learn the error of their ways. Then he becomes a guardsman who fights against the pirates who are opressing the river towns of the Vosk River.

This book was one of the few books where Norman went into detail concerning pirates, who had previously only been alluded to. Here we see pirates and a massive naval battle (A Rarity In The Gor Books). This was what enthralled me-and why I give it Four Stars. Seeing the fighting aboard vessels and the tactics that were used. I wish that Norman had gone into more details like these in his later books instead of boring us with verbose and pedantic ideas on the "superiority" of one gennder over another. I felt like saying: "OK, I get the idea and I heard it all before 100 times. Now I want adventure and action with the principle characters!"

Ironic, because there is actually very little sex in any of these Gor books. Just theoretical discussions about what can and will and should be done, etc. If you want to read a really good book trilogy with lots of sex but with plenty of thick plot, I highly reccomend The Seer King, The Demon King and The Warrior King by the late Chris Bunch. See my review concening the Seer King. It was great! The character Damastes Cimabue would give Tarl Cabot a serious run for his money.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.