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Khokarsa #3
Flight to Opar: Khokarsa Series #2 - Restored Edition
Flight to Opar is a fantasy novel by Philip José Farmer, first published in paperback by DAW Books in June 1976, and reprinted twice through 1983. The first British edition was published by Magnum in 1977.[1] The novel is a sequel to Farmer's earlier novel Hadon of Ancient Opar. Both books purport to fill in some of the ancient history of the lost city of Opar, created by Edgar Rice Burroughs as a setting for his Tarzan series.
364 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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About the author
Philip José Farmer
603 books895 followersPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, but spent much of his life in Peoria, Illinois.
Farmer is best known for his Riverworld series and the earlier World of Tiers series. He is noted for his use of sexual and religious themes in his work, his fascination for and reworking of the lore of legendary pulp heroes, and occasional tongue-in-cheek pseudonymous works written as if by fictional characters.
Farmer is best known for his Riverworld series and the earlier World of Tiers series. He is noted for his use of sexual and religious themes in his work, his fascination for and reworking of the lore of legendary pulp heroes, and occasional tongue-in-cheek pseudonymous works written as if by fictional characters.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 15, 2020
I had never considered Hadon of Ancient Opar to be more than a pulpy confection, so it's peculiar to see the editor discuss long-ago DAW edits, the placement of the story into Farmer's worldbuilding, and especially the lengthy appendices on language. There's deep fandom here that I don't share.
Farmer does substantially upgrade the Burroughs formula, in that the usual love story becomes a triangle: Hadon is associated with the priestess-queen Awineth but loves another, and Awineth is quite determined to make his life miserable for that. They are forced to work together to preserve their way of life and quash the civil war now raging through the empire, and Hadon is in a delicate balancing act between supporting her and eliminating a threat to his wife and unborn child.
But like Burroughs this becomes a long wilderness chase as Hadon eludes the emperor's forces and later eludes Awineth, eventually arriving in Opar. And it felt like the story only really starts once Hadon is there and takes an active role in dealing with the strife within the city, quelling the rebellion of that city's king. Escapades in the undercity are quite compelling.
Farmer does substantially upgrade the Burroughs formula, in that the usual love story becomes a triangle: Hadon is associated with the priestess-queen Awineth but loves another, and Awineth is quite determined to make his life miserable for that. They are forced to work together to preserve their way of life and quash the civil war now raging through the empire, and Hadon is in a delicate balancing act between supporting her and eliminating a threat to his wife and unborn child.
But like Burroughs this becomes a long wilderness chase as Hadon eludes the emperor's forces and later eludes Awineth, eventually arriving in Opar. And it felt like the story only really starts once Hadon is there and takes an active role in dealing with the strife within the city, quelling the rebellion of that city's king. Escapades in the undercity are quite compelling.
February 4, 2025
Decent pulp adventure novel. Farmer had a particular love of Burroughs and this is right up the same alley.
Opar might sound familiar to Tarzan fans, but this story takes place several millennia before the Ape Man’s time.
A solid actioner and worth a look if you’re a big pulp fan.
The illustration on page 5 has boobs.
Opar might sound familiar to Tarzan fans, but this story takes place several millennia before the Ape Man’s time.
A solid actioner and worth a look if you’re a big pulp fan.
The illustration on page 5 has boobs.
July 21, 2023
It’s a shame Farmer didn’t compete this series. A ton of groundwork, society, and lore were perfectly set up in the first 2 volumes. Hadon really has quite an adventure making his way back to his home city of Opar. We get s very brief visit from the time traveler Tarzan, and we get to witness the birth of La. I’m looking forward to reading the third book finished by Christopher Paul Carey. Carey also wrote two additional novels himself.
August 26, 2025
Flight to Opar is the second of three adventures that Farmer planned set many thousands of years prior to Tarzan's adventures in that lost city-colony of Atlantis. It's preceded by the equally enjoyable Hadon of Ancient Opar, and this one continues the story that began there fairly closely; he had not finished the third book at the time of his death, and it was completed by another writer and published posthumously by a different publisher. It's a pretty good pastiche of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and also serves as an homage to many of H. Rider Haggard's African adventures. Farmer adopted the Burroughs style and formula, though the character of Hadon is not as likable as Burroughs'. (The book is copyrighted by Farmer, not the Burroughs folks.) The DAW first printing of Flight to Opar had a vibrant cover by Roy G. Krenkel, but they put one by Ken Kelly on the reprint. They did keep the several nice interior illustrations that Krenkel drew.
August 6, 2015
Abandonado no porque sea mucho pero que su anterior de la saga, sino porque no aporta nada nuevo y ya me he quitado la morriña del estilo "clasico" de aventuras con el anterior, "Hadon de la antigua Opar".
La nota se debe a eso, a que no está peor escrito pero la trama es mucho más aburrida.
La nota se debe a eso, a que no está peor escrito pero la trama es mucho más aburrida.
July 24, 2008
Another good entry in this two book series. I wish Farmer had written more.
March 8, 2026
Philip Jose Farmer's 1976 Flight to Opar picks up where Hadon of Ancient Opar, which bootstrapped from the notion of a lost city in Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan series, left off.
In a mythic Africa of 10,000 B.C., Hadon had won the Great Games and hence should have become the Emperor of Khokarsa, and husband to the beautiful and imperious black-haired Awineth. The girl's father, however--he who wanted to reverse the politico-religious order of things by elevating the god Resu over the ruling goddess Kho, and incidentally marrying his own daughter--had arranged for the oracle to send the hero on a near-impossible quest of thousands of miles across the perilous continent. At the end of the first novel, Hadon, encumbered by the sprained ankle of his new love, golden-haired Lalila, stood rearguard against pursuing soldiers at a narrow pass in the mountains, while his friends helped Awineth escape her father's clutches. He expected to go down fighting.
Naturally, however, he does not--for then there wouldn't have been a sequel with Hadon as central character again, would there? No, the first line of this novel is "Hadon leaned on his sword and waited for death" (1976 DAW paperback, page 1), but in classic Burroughs-hero fashion, the swordsman through quick-thinking and near-superhuman effort and ruthlessness outwits the baddies and thus starts his mate and himself on the run again...hoping to join up with his vengeful former mate-to be.
Really, however, I guess I simply won't say anything at all about the plot itself. The overhanging threat of torture and death, exotic locations and strange cultures, camaraderie and struggle, bloody violence and loss-- You know, the expected for this type of book. But it's good, with plenty of unexpected twists and hairsbreadth escapes, along with, despite Hadon's pious awe of the supreme goddess Kho and his horror at the blaspheming father of Awineth, a sly authorial questioning of religion.
Like its prequel, Philip Jose Farmer's Flight to Opar is not necessarily deep and profound, but as prehistoric adventure of the sword-wielding variety it is a colorful and entertaining tale of right around 5 stars.
In a mythic Africa of 10,000 B.C., Hadon had won the Great Games and hence should have become the Emperor of Khokarsa, and husband to the beautiful and imperious black-haired Awineth. The girl's father, however--he who wanted to reverse the politico-religious order of things by elevating the god Resu over the ruling goddess Kho, and incidentally marrying his own daughter--had arranged for the oracle to send the hero on a near-impossible quest of thousands of miles across the perilous continent. At the end of the first novel, Hadon, encumbered by the sprained ankle of his new love, golden-haired Lalila, stood rearguard against pursuing soldiers at a narrow pass in the mountains, while his friends helped Awineth escape her father's clutches. He expected to go down fighting.
Naturally, however, he does not--for then there wouldn't have been a sequel with Hadon as central character again, would there? No, the first line of this novel is "Hadon leaned on his sword and waited for death" (1976 DAW paperback, page 1), but in classic Burroughs-hero fashion, the swordsman through quick-thinking and near-superhuman effort and ruthlessness outwits the baddies and thus starts his mate and himself on the run again...hoping to join up with his vengeful former mate-to be.
Really, however, I guess I simply won't say anything at all about the plot itself. The overhanging threat of torture and death, exotic locations and strange cultures, camaraderie and struggle, bloody violence and loss-- You know, the expected for this type of book. But it's good, with plenty of unexpected twists and hairsbreadth escapes, along with, despite Hadon's pious awe of the supreme goddess Kho and his horror at the blaspheming father of Awineth, a sly authorial questioning of religion.
Like its prequel, Philip Jose Farmer's Flight to Opar is not necessarily deep and profound, but as prehistoric adventure of the sword-wielding variety it is a colorful and entertaining tale of right around 5 stars.
March 22, 2026
This book picks up exactly where the first book - Hadon of Ancient Opar - leaves off, which was expected as that book ended in a cliff-hanger.
Farmer did a lot of world building in this novel - we get a lot of information on the Khokarsan empire and on the history of Opar. This indicates that he was likely planning several more books in the series, and he did have a plot outline for a third book, but died before he finished it - it was completed by another, with the blessing of Farmer's estate.
This book is essentially a pulp-style jungle adventure, with a bit more politics than would be usual for that style. The ending is very abrupt - for most of the last chapter I was sure this would end in another cliff-hanger, but no, Farmer wraps up the story in the last 2 1/2 pages.
Farmer did a lot of world building in this novel - we get a lot of information on the Khokarsan empire and on the history of Opar. This indicates that he was likely planning several more books in the series, and he did have a plot outline for a third book, but died before he finished it - it was completed by another, with the blessing of Farmer's estate.
This book is essentially a pulp-style jungle adventure, with a bit more politics than would be usual for that style. The ending is very abrupt - for most of the last chapter I was sure this would end in another cliff-hanger, but no, Farmer wraps up the story in the last 2 1/2 pages.
October 10, 2022
Ok. Got better near the end.
January 4, 2026
Farmer is always entertaining! This is pulp fiction at is best. No more, no less, just fun!
July 6, 2019
Bold adventure story set in the days when Opar ( the lost city from the Tarzan novels) was a colony of Atlantis.
Lots of swordplay, intrigue and adventure.
Farmer captures a nice Robert E Howard vibe.
Lots of swordplay, intrigue and adventure.
Farmer captures a nice Robert E Howard vibe.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews