Description: Reviewed By Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite -5-Stars Mad Kings of Mars by Rob Dorsey is another mesmerizing, well-crafted entry in The Barsoom Pentalogy series. In this fourth entry, the courageous Prince Darus of the Heliumite Empire and his wife, Princess Zurah, are almost getting comfortable with their life, loving each other, when disturbing news arrives -- Zurah's brother, Teyos Than, heir to the title of Jeddak (king) of Zodanga lives. He has been brought back to life from death through an arcane technology handed down through the Barsoom ancestry. As much as the Prince wants this news to be false, it is true, unfortunately, and the first act of ruthlessness Teyos commits is in sending a bomb that strikes Helium, destroying the Royal Palace of Darus's great-grandfather. Riding a frigate warship, Teyos is determined to unite the other Jeddaks against Helium --and they are convinced of his might and the incredible power of his technology. Helium, the beautiful pearl of Mars, could go down if Teyos is not stopped, but can Darus and the finest of his warriors halt an invasion of this magnitude? A work of great imagination, Mad Kings of Mars transports readers into an exciting universe embroiled in a phenomenal conflict of power. The story is told by Tokar Xat, the Chronicler, and in a tone that is lively and engaging. Rob Dorsey constructs a unique culture in an abstract universe and imbues it with laws and customs and a life of its own, creating names that have a magic to them. The narrative is deft and balanced and the author raises the stakes when it comes to the conflict. The villain of the story is well imagined and there is a lot of suspense built around this character. The prose is crisp and gorgeous and its charm hits the reader from the very first page and never breaks until they turn the last page. The narrative is action packed, and the conflict grows quickly to staggering proportions, with an ending that is as surprising as it is satisfying. Intrigue, back-stabbings, and fierce battles punctuate the narrative, leaving readers no moment to breathe. Rob Dorsey exhibits great skill when it comes to plot, complex and cunningly done, as well as the pacing and character development. The characters are extraordinary, three-dimensional, and likeable. The fact that the bad guy is brother to the wife of the hero adds depth to the plot lines and enriches the emotional components of the story. Mad Kings of Mars is engrossing, a powerful conjuration of images and life on a planet that, though fictitious, feels as real as Earth.

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