Warlord of Ghandor [Paperback]

Del Dowdell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: DAW (August 16, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879973153
• ISBN-13: 978-0879973155
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,361,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A readable pastiche of 'A Princess of Mars', January 27, 2010

By 

James Higgins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warlord of Ghandor (Paperback)

'Warlord of Ghandor' (1977) is DAW book No. 253 and features a cover illustration by Don Maitz.

Robert Dowdall is an Irish soldier of fortune and adventurer who finds himself elected to lead the army of his homeland in its effort to repel the invasion of Oliver Cromwell's army in August of 1649. The eve of the invasion finds Dowdall wandering the countryside in contemplation of the coming battle; he chances upon a strange portal in the mist, and steps through it. Dowdall finds himself transported to the surface of a planet called Ghandor, which orbits the Sun at the exact opposite point of the Earth (somewhat like the 'Counter-Earth' of John Norman's 'Gor' novels).

Dowdall finds that the lesser gravity of Ghandor bestows him with superhuman physical powers, which are most useful, as the planet teems with hostile humans, humanoids, and animals.

Much as John Carter did in 'A Princess of Mars', Dowdall encounters a beautiful girl under threat from various malevolent creatures, and soon our hero embarks on a series of adventures to free her from captivity.

'Warlord' adheres closely to the pacing and storytelling style of Burroughs's books; thus it is perhaps best read by a younger audience rather than older fans of heroic fantasy, who may find the novel's prose style a bit tiring (as when the action is placed on hold to allow Dowdall, as the first-person narrator, to expound on some aspect of Ghandorian society and technology).

All in all, 'Warlord of Ghandor' is a decent pastiche of 'A Princess of Mars' and the other 'Barsoom' novels by E. R. Burroughs. Readers fond of the Barsoom titles may want to investigate Del Dowdell's book.

(note: this is an abbreviated review of one originally posted at 'The PorPor Books' blog in January 2010).