Ten years after John Carter was transported back to Earth against his will, he returns to Mars. Having been sent back to Earth before the birth of his child, Carter is desperate to reunite with his wife, Dejah, and meet their child. However, the reunion is forced to be postponed when Carter realizes that he materialized in an unfamiliar part of the planet. Known as the Valley Dor, Carter has landed in the Barsoomian afterlife, where no one is allowed to depart. But, when Carter's old friend, a Tharkian named Tars, embarks on a journey of pilgrimage to find Carter in the Valley Dor, the two share a jovial reunion. As the two are eager to leave the Valley Dor, they stumble upon a shocking discovery. The pair of friends are shaken by the finding of a new Martian race, the Therns, who are self-proclaimed gods. The Therns had been deceiving the other Barsoomians for centuries, but are determined to cause even more damage. With run ins with armies, fierce battles, and valiant rescues, John Carter must once again overcome political turmoil to save his people and reunite with his family. Featuring heroic adventures and plot twists, The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs is a fun sequel to the classic pulp fiction novel, A Princess of Mars. With themes of race and religion, Burroughs' The Gods of Mars proves to be as thought-provoking as it is exciting and fantastical. Praised for its descriptive prose, The Gods of Mars is a perfect exhibit of the imagination and talent of Edgar Rice Burroughs.