SOME REGENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 233, 26 June 1920, Page 11

SOME REGENT FICTION

""'••> Gods'of Mars.", A.r. Edgar Eice Burroughs, ithe American novelist, whose Tarzan stories have become so popular, both with readers and with patrons .'of the kinema drama, must be cre<lited with great gifts.of imagination. In his late s'rory, "The Gods of Mare" (Chicago, A. C. M'Clurg Co., per Whitcomlje and Tombs), he gives us a second serres of the astounding experi-. ences which befall tho'Wturdv Virginian,'

JoKn.Carteri whoso, first adventures on the nearest planet-to the earth are set forth in "A Princess of Mars." How the doughty hunter recovers his long lost wife arid 60n,,h0w he fights the great, white apes, nnd the hideous "plant men" —ferocious creatures with sucking-mouths, in the palms of their hands, with single l eyes in the centres of their heads, and mth "six-feet lomr tails." plus two others' which "dangle from their ,-firm-pits-"— luiw •he defies the awful' Goddess of D">nth, the terrib'o Iss-us herself, whom all Martians worship and revere—and dr-snd; how he wi'tesses a Martian air fight, compared with which the most wonderful exploits ever- dreamed of, by a member of the K.A.F. pale into insiepifieance; how ]i« loves and nrbtoct" njiil. alas, loses his beauteous princess, Dejah Thoris (not tfl the Martians are of the tailed and "pla.nt men" type); alii these 'arid many other "gripning ep ! eodes"—an expression I borrow from a ."nvihlifsher's note" appended to the story—are de"•vibed in Mr. Burroughs''; latest' story. .The Bin-roughs idea of,lifeon Mars in rr>rr different'from that of Mr. K.' G. Wells, but; what it'lacks, in the way. of sc'ifiitifio .i>robabil'ty is compensated. for bv its'quite bewilderim? wealth of romantic arid, exciting incident. ■-. .'.- -. "Peter the; Brazen;"/ - A- refreshingly original story is "Peter the Brazen," by. George E. Worts (Lippineotts: per Whitcoinbe and Tombs). Tlio .scene is laid in China, where the hero, a clever and' resourceful young, American, 'wireless- 1 opera tor, becomes Involved in a, series of-political plots, in which a prominent part is played by a mysterious secret society, severely lim-

ited in membership but a. widespread-and malignant power both in politics and conimorce, named "The Big Six." Mr. Worts"has evidently a close acquaintance 'with''-'-'China - and the political and commercial life of the Par East,'and'his local colour, -which jis 'occasionally quite vividly picturesque,. is liberally spread over a series of dramatic $nd highly sensational incidents. The daring with which (toe hero engages in the most dangerous the ingenuity and courage which win him a safe escape from so many "tight cor.hers/' cannot fail to arouse the reader's admiration.' As a story, of phonal venture, "Peter the Brazen" is a decided success.' lovers-of.-"thrills" have here a rich feast at their disposal. ' V The Latest' Le Queux, .;-■■' The'latest, the very latest, le Queux novel is "The Heart .of a, Princess" (Ward,, lock' and Co.; per Whitconibe and Tombs). The daughter of a Balkan prince,. King Alexander of Herzegovina-, theMioroine.is brought up in England in ignorance of Jier -royal birth. Hor guardian dies, and her royal father, tor State reasons, suddenly decides that she must return and marry a wealthy Italian prince. , The young lady, however, loves ; a handsome and wealthy young Englishman, and i 3 naturally not anxious.to rush off to join a father,-tfho for over twenty years .has ignorcd'.-her existence... .Upon "this motif Mr. le Queux weaves a tangled 'plot, in which the ; TisuaU foreign .spies and adventurers, male and female, and unscrupulous Ministers _of State, play 'prominent parts. The_ denounement ■ will amply satisfy lovers of-sentiment, but-before it is reached . the reader • is afforded that generous supply of sensation which is always to be found in a le Queux novel.