Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Thuvia, Maid of Mars is the fourth book in his beloved Barsoom series — a swashbuckling adventure of a princess caught between empires and the warrior who will cross a dying world to save her. First published in 1920, it captures everything readers love about Burroughs: breakneck pacing, exotic alien civilizations, and pure pulp glory.
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Thuvia, Maid of Mars
A Barsoomian princess caught between empires — and the warrior who will cross a dying world to save her. Book 4 of Burroughs's legendary Mars series.
| Author | Edgar Rice Burroughs |
| Published | 1920 |
| Genre | Science fantasy, swashbuckling adventure |
| Series | Barsoom (Book 4) |
| Chapters | 14 |
| Setting | Barsoom (Mars) — Helium, Ptarth, the dead sea bottoms, the Valley of Hohr, the city of Lothar |
| Legacy | A classic of planetary romance; influenced generations of science fiction and fantasy |
🔴 The Story
Carthoris, son of John Carter and Dejah Thoris, is Prince of Helium — the greatest empire on Barsoom. He loves Thuvia, Princess of Ptarth, but their kingdoms are uneasy allies, and Thuvia is betrothed to another.
When Thuvia is kidnapped amid a conspiracy to ignite war between Helium and Ptarth, all evidence points to Carthoris as the culprit. To clear his name and save the woman he loves, he must track her across the dead sea bottoms of Barsoom — vast, dried-up ocean beds that stretch across the dying planet.
His journey takes him through the treacherous Valley of Hohr, a desolate canyon haunted by strange creatures, and into the hands of the Lotharians — a mysterious race of warrior-phantoms who can materialize their thoughts into flesh. The Lotharians are the remnants of a once-great civilization, now reduced to living in a city of illusions, projecting phantom armies to defend their ancient secrets.
Thuvia, meanwhile, proves herself no passive damsel. She escapes her captors, navigates the alien landscape, and makes her own choices about her fate. When Carthoris finally reaches her, they must fight together against the forces that seek to destroy them both.
🎭 Key Characters
Carthoris
The son of John Carter and Dejah Thoris, Carthoris is every inch his father’s son — brave, honorable, and nearly unstoppable in combat. But he is also his mother’s son, with a diplomatic sensitivity that John Carter never possessed. His journey is both a rescue mission and a proving ground.
Thuvia
Thuvia is one of Burroughs’s strongest heroines. She is a princess of Ptarth, but she refuses to be a pawn. She escapes her kidnappers, outwits her captors, and makes her own choices about her heart. Her intelligence and courage make her a worthy partner for Carthoris.
The Lotharians
A strange and tragic race — the Lotharians were once the masters of Barsoom, but their civilization has dwindled to a single city where they live as virtual phantoms. They can project thoughts into tangible form, creating phantom warriors, phantom cities, and phantom armies. They are among the most imaginative creations in the Barsoom series.
📖 Literary Significance
Thuvia, Maid of Mars is a classic of planetary romance — a subgenre that blends science fiction with swashbuckling adventure. Burroughs’s Barsoom series was tremendously influential, inspiring everyone from Ray Bradbury (whose Martian Chronicles owe a clear debt) to George Lucas (whose Star Wars uses the same template of exotic worlds, princesses, and daring rescues).
The book is notable for shifting focus from John Carter to his son Carthoris, giving the series fresh energy while maintaining the pulpy thrills readers loved. Thuvia herself is a more fully realized character than many of Burroughs’s heroines, with agency and intelligence that feel ahead of their time.
Burroughs wrote at breakneck speed and it shows — the novel races from set piece to set piece, each chapter ending with a cliffhanger that compels the reader to continue. It is pure entertainment, unapologetically so, and more than a century after its publication, it still delivers the thrill of escape to another world.
✨ What Makes the DodaBooks Edition Special
This is the original 1920 text, carefully prepared for modern readers without distractions or clutter.
Zero Distractions
No ads, no license pages, no project boilerplate — just the original novel, clean and uninterrupted.
Smart Typography
Curly quotes, em-dashes, proper ellipsis — typeset with care for a premium reading experience.
Chapter Navigation
Full table of contents with back-to-chapter links in every section — jump between all 14 chapters effortlessly.
Cleaned & Polished
All Gutenberg boilerplate stripped, consistent formatting throughout the text.
No DRM
You own your copy — read on any device, anytime, forever.
Instant Download
EPUB format included, delivered instantly after purchase.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read the first three Barsoom books first?
Not necessarily. The story stands alone, and Burroughs provides enough context for new readers. However, reading A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars, and The Warlord of Mars first will enrich your understanding of the world and characters.
Is this John Carter's story?
No — John Carter appears only in passing. The hero is his son, Carthoris, and the focus is on his romance with Thuvia. This shift to a new generation gives the series fresh energy while maintaining the same pulpy adventure style.
How long does it take to read?
At 157 pages, most readers finish in 3-5 hours. It’s a brisk, fast-paced read — perfect for an afternoon of escapist adventure.
What makes the Lotharians special?
The Lotharians are one of Burroughs’s most creative inventions — a race that has lost the ability to physically reproduce and now projects phantom warriors from their collective imagination. The concept of materialized thought is both philosophically interesting and visually spectacular.
Is this part of the public domain?
Thuvia, Maid of Mars was published in 1920 and is in the public domain in the United States. The DodaBooks edition is a clean, professionally formatted version of the original text.
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🔴 Read the Classic Barsoom Adventure
Thuvia, Maid of Mars is pure pulp glory — a swashbuckling adventure of romance, rescue, and a dying world. The DodaBooks edition preserves the complete 1920 text in a clean, distraction-free format:
- ✅ Complete 14-chapter novel — every word of the 1920 edition
- ✒️ Smart typography — curly quotes, em-dashes, proper ellipsis
- 📜 Full table of contents with chapter navigation
- 🔒 DRM-free — read on any device, anytime
- 📥 Instant download — EPUB format