Victory Harben: Fires of Halos

Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe #4

by Christopher Paul Carey, Mike Wolfer (Contributor)

Hurled by a mysterious force across time and space, young inventor Victory Harben is transported at dizzying speed from one strange world to another. Soon Victory begins to wonder whether her unexpected tour of the cosmos is the result of a natural phenomenon...or an ominous entity intent on using her to achieve its own malevolent ends.

Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fiction

408 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2022

About the author

Christopher Paul Carey is the coauthor with Philip José Farmer of The Song of Kwasin, and the author of Exiles of Kho, Hadon, King of Opar, and Blood of Ancient Opar, all works set in Farmer’s Khokarsa series. He is the author of Swords Against the Moon Men, an authorized sequel to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic science fantasy novel The Moon Maid, as well as the forthcoming ERB Universe novel Victory Harben: Fires of Halos. He has scripted several comic books set in Burroughs’ worlds, including Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond, Pellucidar: Dark of the Sun, and Pathfinder Worldscape: Dejah Thoris. His short fiction may be found in various anthologies. He is Director of Publishing at Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the corporation founded by Burroughs in 1923, and he has edited more than 60 novels, anthologies, and collections for a variety of publishers. He lives in Southern California.

Reviews

[Chuck Loridans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victory Harben: Fires of Halos is a dream come true for this long time Edgar Rice Burroughs fan!!

It checks all the boxes for me! Complete faithfulness to the original cannon, whilst not going into the uncomfortable baggage that unfortunately accompanies the original stories that are products of their times.

Victory Harben, a new character firmly rooted in the original mythos, shines brightly in this saga.Victory is brave, intrepid, brilliant and everything you need in an action/adventure hero. Add to that, she's a woman of color, in a genre that needs all the representation it can get, makes her even cooler.

Tolkien and Howard were the fathers of Sword and Sorcery.

Lovecraft, the father of Cosmic Horror.

Wells, Verne and Mary Shelley the parents of Science Fiction.

Every other Action/Adventure fantasy genre, we owe to Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the new caretakers of his creations are in excellent hands!

Fires of Halos is a magnificent tour of the Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and done so in a grand adventure!!

I can't wait to see where author Christopher Paul Carey takes us next!

This, and other recent Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe books are, as I said, a dream come true for me! The me of today, and the me who first discovered this literary universe as a wide eyed kid!!

There's a bonus story by Mike Wolfer "Beyond the Farthest Star: Rescue on Zandar" which picks up a thread from the main novel and leads directly into the first Victory Harben comic book mini series "Beyond the Farthest Star: Warriors of Zandar"!

It's a rollicking outer space, jungle adventure that adds even more to the ERB mythos!!

What a feast!!!

[Atom Bezecny · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This review is based on reading an advance reader's copy.)

Christopher Paul Carey's exciting novel Victory Harben: The Fires of Halos is the conclusion to the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe's Swords of Eternity Super-Arc, which has seen a circle of talented writers tell new stories starring Carson of Venus, Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars, and others as those heroes are joined together by massive timespace-spanning events. Beyond finishing out this astounding world-hopping adventure, Carey's novel also serves as a worthy expansion and unification of many of the diverse and mysterious story threads which Edgar Rice Burroughs scattered throughout his shared universe. Edgar Rice Burroughs himself already joined together his various adventure series within his lifetime, often connecting them via his character of Jason Gridley. Appropriate, then, that the star of this novel, and one of the new stars of the Burroughs Universe as a whole, is Jason's goddaughter, the fantastic Victory Harben of Pellucidar.

We've already seen glimpses of young Victory's adventures in other ERB Inc. stories, including the other Swords of Eternity books, but this book finally allows us to see the whole picture. Her basic story is this: while trying to solve the mystery of why the Gridley Wave, the unique wave which allows her and Jason Gridley to commune with their friends and families across the universe, has ceased functioning, Victory ends up instilled with a strange energy that teleports her around the universe and catapults her into various adventures. As she tries to gain control of her jumps, she slowly begins to glimpse the reasons behind her journey, and as it happens, these reasons have big implications for the very foundations of the ERB Universe. I won't reveal exactly how deep these roots go, but let me just say that I made quite a few surprised exclamations while reading this book. The book weaves together Burroughsian science with modern quantum psychics to create a bold new perspective on ERB's sci-fi. This is not a revamp, or even a reimagining—the seeds Carey calls upon were always there in Burroughs' book. But it takes a remarkably imaginative gardener to grow these seeds to fruition, and Carey performs this task with the utmost creativity.

There are two really smart decisions that were made for this book, and I'd like to talk about them separately. The first is that Victory's teleportation conundrum is a great way to literally revisit the worlds of the ERB Universe and (re)acquaint the reader with the scale of Burroughs' creations. Throughout her journey Victory explores Pellucidar, Barsoom, Amtor, Caspak, and worlds Beyond the Farthest Star. No Burroughsian sci-fi rock is left unturned. None of these worlds are exhausted or used up—rather, one ends the book with an even clearer vision of all of them, and in my case at least I found myself wanting to see what happens next on each of them. Having Victory as the focus of the journey only increased that excitement—she starts the book more than worthy of standing besides other Burroughsian heroes like Tarzan and John Carter, and she ends the book as perhaps the most knowledgeable human being in their universe.

I will comment briefly but glowingly upon the fact that Victory is a female scientist of color. In her is a repudiation of the unfortunate truth of Burroughs' original works: that the books are racist and sexist. If the ERB Universe stood any chance of continuing beyond the problematic nature of its early 20th Century point of origin, it needed a character like Victory. But Victory isn't just a symbol—Carey flawlessly makes her into a living, breathing person, with a variety of human feelings, ambitions, and interests. As a scientist and as a genuinely cool and funny person, I can easily foresee her entertaining the children of the present as her fellow ERB heroes entertained the children of the past. That's where representation matters the most I think, is in letting kids see themselves in the sort of stories they'd love to live out.

In-universe, Victory is also an ideal protagonist for this shared setting. Her backstory combines elements of the Tarzan and Pellucidar books, and her aforementioned link with Jason Gridley opens up yet stranger frontiers to her. She is fully part of this universe and a huge part of synchronizing these vastly different worlds. Her natural scientific curiosity makes her a born explorer, and her compassion gives her some of the best insight into the worlds she explores. I'm looking forward to all her future adventures.

I do have to admit, this book may be a bit of a tough read for one who is not at least somewhat familiar with Burroughs' main series, but Carey helpfully provides footnotes telling readers where they can catch up. This complexity is also easily excused by the fact that it's the fourth book in a series, and by the fact that the richly-tiered Burroughs lore is hugely rewarding for those who are knowledgeable about his works.

Victory Harben: The Fires of Halos is a fantastic epic of a novel, and a truly unique and exciting read. Its mythology is vast, complicated, beautiful, and terrifying. And its protagonist is a marvelous hero. If you like incredible and vividly-realized sci-fi worlds, this will be a great addition to your collection.

[Bill Wormstedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This review is based on reading an advance reader's copy)

The new book “Victory Harben – Fires of Halos” by Christopher Paul Carey, is part of the new “Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe”, or ERBU. It is the fourth and final book of the “Swords of Eternity Super Arc”. Each of these books, one each for Carson of Venus, Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, and now the new character Victory Harben, has each been written to be read as stand alone stories, but reading the entire four gives the reader a much fuller story.

Victory is not a character created by Burroughs, but is related to characters that ERB wrote about, the Von Harben family. She appears in cameos in the three earlier books in this series, and is the main character in this book, and has also appeared in a several comic book mini-series from American Mythology.

The basic plot is the Gridley Wave, used to communicate between Earth and Pellucidar (inside the hollow Earth), has stopped working and Victory is working with Jason Gridley to try to get it working again. Victory, though born in Pellucidar, has been studying quantum mechanics in England, and is very qualified to help Jason, the inventor of the device. Somehow, Victory has been sucked into a portal, and is being transported willy-nilly around the galaxy, with no control of where she is going, how long she stays, or what might happen at each spot. She meets a number of people from ERB’s original books, such as Tarzan, Dejah Thoris(!), Tangor, and more. And all she wants to do is figure out how this is happening, and find her way home. And also find and rescue Jason, who had followed her into the portal. Much of the later part of the book occurs on the planet Zandar, which is 450,000 light years away from Earth, Beyond the Farthest Star.

This book ties up many of the loose threads from the three previous books, as you would expect – and even explains some details from the original Burroughs stories themselves. I really liked that Carey uses quantum theory and some pseudo-science to explain things, which gives the book more of a scientific feel than Burroughs himself did, or could have done, 100 years ago.

The whole story is exciting and well worth the read. I think it could be read without a background in Burroughs, but having that background just ups the fun! There were three times during the novel where certain events just surprised the heck out of me – I didn’t see them coming at all!

The bonus feature “Beyond the Farthest Star: Rescue on Zandar” by Mike Wolfer, stars a new Zandarian character, Tii-laa. Tii-laa is trying to rescue a mentor of hers who has went looking for a new location for her tribe, and encounters a number of trials in her search. Tii-laa, along with Victory, both carry on into the comic book series “Beyond the Farthest Star: Warriors of Zandar”. Wolfer has also done a good job with this story, and gives us more background on Zandar, which may be an ongoing location for more stories.

And Christopher has told us there is more Victory Harben to come! I’m looking forward to it!

[Win Scott Eckert · Rating 5 out of 5]

(The following review is based on an advanced reader’s copy, provided in exchange for an honest review.)

The mysteries left behind by the Master of Adventure, Edgar Rice Burroughs…

Why can’t modern aircraft flying over the North Pole find the arctic entrance to Pellucidar, the hollow world existing a mere 500 miles below Earth’s crust? And how can an inner world even exist when modern science has established that it cannot, based on our current knowledge of physics and geology?

What the heck was going on when John Carter died in that Arizona cave—and then woke up on Mars? And then later mastered the ability to transport himself back and forth between Mars and Earth at will? How come John Carter’s Mars (“Barsoom” in the language the planet’s natives), and Carson Napier’s Venus (called “Amtor” by its inhabitants) don’t resemble what we know about our two closest planetary neighbors? And what was up with a lady named Betty Callwell of Brooklyn, NY, showing up on Amtor? Did her Earthly body need to perish in order to travel the Cosmos—just as the man only known as “Tangor” died before waking up on the distant planet Poloda in BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR?

If the mysterious “Gridley Wave” really exists, allowing those who access it to communicate across vast distances and through any barriers, how come it is not widely utilized by everyone today? What was the deal with the Gorbuses in Pellucidar somehow hazily remembering past lives on Earth’s surface?

What makes Barsoomian airships float? Why, in ERB’s Moon series, did the Great War continue until 1967?

These and other questions, along with other “loose ends,” have intrigued fans of Burroughs’ many works for decades. Christopher Paul Carey’s latest novel, VICTORY HARBEN: FIRES OF HALOS (Book 4 of the “Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe – Swords of Eternity Super-Arc”), tackles these and other fascinating matters raised by the Master’s original works (including ERB’s unpublished fragment, “The Ghostly Script”), revealing a cosmology that is surprisingly integrated and logical. Or perhaps not so surprising, as Burroughs himself returned time and again to several themes, including resurrection and immortality, mind vs. body, and the perception of time.

Carey does not address these mysteries with pedantic exposition. Far from it. We, and new protagonist Victory Harben, go on a scintillating journey through Burroughs’ various worlds as she—and we—try to figure out what’s happening to her, and why. Along the journey, she pieces together the evidence, putting her Oxford education in theoretical physics to good use. The fun is in the voyage, and the revelations are for those who have been paying attention; Carey does not beat the reader over the head with black-and-white “definitive answers,” thankfully opting instead to trust the reader to put it all together, just as Victory has.

Speaking of Victory, some may ask why not send one of ERB’s pre-existing characters on this revelatory journey? The new Edgar Rice Burroughs – Swords of Eternity books are about moving the saga of this universe and its plethora of protagonists forward. ERB was always adding new characters and worlds to his oeuvre, and the “ERBU expanded canon” books do the same. Victory is a member of the von Harben family, various other members of which were seen in several books in the original Tarzan canon: Victory’s grandfather, Dr. Karl von Harben; her uncle, Erich von Harben; and her mother, Gretchen von Harben. She is firmly rooted in ERB’s original canon. Yet ERB wrote as a man of his time; reflecting social mores of the period in which he wrote, it was almost unthinkable to have a main protagonist who was not a white male. Moving forward with the ERBU, it is absolutely thinkable, and is reflective of today’s society, and modern readers, that the protagonist of this extraordinary novel is a woman of color.

Does “moving the saga forward” mean that the reader must have read the three prior novels in the Swords of Eternity Super-Arc (CARSON OF VENUS: THE EDGE OF ALL WORLDS, TARZAN: BATTLE FOR PELLUCIDAR and JOHN CARTER: GODS OF THE FORGOTTEN), as well as the various bonus novelettes included in the novels, and the associated comic series? Not at all. Carey does an admirable job of recapping the story and clues thus far—sometimes from different characters’ points of view—to ensure the reader of his novel is not lost. As with the prior three books, this truly is a standalone novel.

That said, diving into the other three books, the novelettes, and the comics **will** provide the reader with an even richer experience, as well as demonstrate how tightly and accurately all the entries hang together with each other, and with ERB’s original canon of marvelous tales.

Mike Wolfer’s bonus novelette, “Beyond the Farthest Star: Rescue on Zandar,” is a fine addition, engagingly introducing a whole new alien species on one of the planets in ERB’s Omos System, Zandar (ERB’s Poloda is one of the other planets in this unique system), and setting up the comic series “Beyond the Farthest Star: Warriors of Zandar.”

Two important notes. 1. Readers should be sure to look for the “Quantum Coda” featurettes at the back of every Swords of Eternity novel. These short pieces are akin to the mid-credits or end-credits features seen in many modern adventure film sagas, and chock full of teaser “Easter eggs.” 2. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. is leaving money on the table if they don’t put out plush toys of Victory’s stalwart companion, Hucklebuck.

In sum, VICTORY HARBEN: FIRES OF HALOS is a love letter to longtime ERB fans and an open door, welcoming new readers to the adventure with open arms.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This review is based on reading an advance reader's copy.)

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel. As an endless fan of Jane Porter, I was excited to see the story open with a cameo of my favorite character. I appreciated a number of science (primarily physics) references that were made throughout the book, appropriately dated to its setting. Speaking of setting, Victory feels thoroughly a product of the 40s and 50s, which I loved. Both in her mannerisms and catch-phrases, I believe she was authentically written appropriate to her time period.

In relation to historical context, I appreciated the novel’s observance of some of the colonialist actions taken by characters of the book series through the eyes of Victory. While of course I’ll always push for more acknowledgment of colonialism in Burrough’s work, this was the first of the newer novels to address the issue so directly, and it would be at odds with my morals not to give kudos here where they are so vitally due. I also appreciated that Victory’s struggle to make sense of her biracial identity was also depicted in the novel- something also quite important to the time period of the setting. Victory’s struggle to find her place in a vast universe has interesting connotations and allegorical lessons about our protagonist grappling with her identity. I was glad to see this investigated in the novel as well. I loved that Victory was able to brush shoulders with a number of ERB’s most famous heroines, and really enjoyed her interactions with Dejah Thoris- their shop talk was very fun.

To me, Christopher’s novel feels more reminiscent of ERB’s Mars (excuse me, Barsoom!) series than of the Tarzan mythos. Though I feel the early introductions of the novel remind me more of the Pellucidar novels- and rightly so. Interestingly enough, I felt there was an Oz-like element to the story as well, and I appreciated the nod towards Alice in Wonderland as it too seems quite similar. Much Like Bett’s recent novel, the plot of the story was also very cinematic, and at times quite comical. I feel like in many ways, the book would be appreciated by a middle-grade audience the most in combination with fans of the original canon. As such, I think the novel is almost a great sampler to the world of ERB, particularly to younger viewers. The story does introduce notions and ideas that are commonplace to established fans of the canon, but they also introduce these concepts to readers coming into the story blind. Finally, educational footnotes were also quite appreciated.

And additional note, but be warned for in the last paragraph I discuss *SPOILERS!*

Christopher’s official distinction of two separate worlds in the ERB mythos was definitely quite interesting, and I feel it has strong connotations for how the canon will operate in the future. I look forward to seeing how new stories coming out of the estate take this idea into account. Furthermore, I also liked the author’s use of coincidences or uncertainty as a science-inspired plot point- an idea I know we enjoyed playing with in Freshly Squeezed Pulp’s Tarzan series. Taking some of the pulp-thrilled-absurdity of the original novels and turning it into an actually working mechanism of the literary universe is an idea I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of thinking about.

[Chuck Loridans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victory Harben: Fires of Halos is a dream come true for this long time Edgar Rice Burroughs fan!!

It checks all the boxes for me! Complete faithfulness to the original cannon, whilst not going into the uncomfortable baggage that unfortunately accompanies the original stories that are products of their times.

Victory Harben, a new character firmly rooted in the original mythos, shines brightly in this saga.

Victory is brave, intrepid, brilliant and everything you need in an action/adventure hero. Add to that, she's a woman of color, in a genre that needs all the representation it can get, makes her even cooler.

Tolkien and Howard were the fathers of Sword and Sorcery.

Lovecraft, the father of Cosmic Horror.

Wells, Verne and Mary Shelley the parents of Science Fiction.

Every other Action/Adventure fantasy genre, we owe to Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the new caretakers of his creations are in excellent hands!

Fires of Halos is a magnificent tour of the Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and done so in a grand adventure!!

I can't wait to see where author Christopher Paul Carey takes us next!

This, and other recent Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe books are, as I said, a dream come true for me! The me of today, and the me who first discovered this literary universe as a wife eyed kid!!

[Win Scott Eckert · Rating 5 out of 5]

(The following review is based on an advanced reader’s copy, provided in exchange for an honest review.)

The mysteries left behind by the Master of Adventure, Edgar Rice Burroughs…

Why can’t modern aircraft flying over the North Pole find the arctic entrance to Pellucidar, the hollow world existing a mere 500 miles below Earth’s crust? And how can an inner world even exist when modern science has established that it cannot, based on our current knowledge of physics and geology?

What the heck was going on when John Carter died in that Arizona cave—and then woke up on Mars? And then later mastered the ability to transport himself back and forth between Mars and Earth at will? How come John Carter’s Mars (“Barsoom” in the language the planet’s natives), and Carson Napier’s Venus (called “Amtor” by its inhabitants) don’t resemble what we know about our two closest planetary neighbors? And what was up with a lady named Betty Callwell of Brooklyn, NY, showing up on Amtor? Did her Earthly body need to perish in order to travel the Cosmos—just as the man only known as “Tangor” died before waking up on the distant planet Poloda in BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR?

If the mysterious “Gridley Wave” really exists, allowing those who access it to communicate across vast distances and through any barriers, how come it is not widely utilized by everyone today? What was the deal with the Gorbuses in Pellucidar somehow hazily remembering past lives on Earth’s surface?

What makes Barsoomian airships float? Why, in ERB’s Moon series, did the Great War continue until 1967?

These and other questions, along with other “loose ends,” have intrigued fans of Burroughs’ many works for decades. Christopher Paul Carey’s latest novel, VICTORY HARBEN: FIRES OF HALOS (Book 4 of the “Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe – Swords of Eternity Super-Arc”), tackles these and other fascinating matters raised by the Master’s original works (including ERB’s unpublished fragment, “The Ghostly Script”), revealing a cosmology that is surprisingly integrated and logical. Or perhaps not so surprising, as Burroughs himself returned time and again to several themes, including resurrection and immortality, mind vs. body, and the perception of time.

Carey does not address these mysteries with pedantic exposition. Far from it. We, and new protagonist Victory Harben, go on a scintillating journey through Burroughs’ various worlds as she—and we—try to figure out what’s happening to her, and why. Along the journey, she pieces together the evidence, putting her Oxford education in theoretical physics to good use. The fun is in the voyage, and the revelations are for those who have been paying attention; Carey does not beat the reader over the head with black-and-white “definitive answers,” thankfully opting instead to trust the reader to put it all together, just as Victory has.

Speaking of Victory, some may ask why not send one of ERB’s pre-existing characters on this revelatory journey? The new Edgar Rice Burroughs – Swords of Eternity books are about moving the saga of this universe and its plethora of protagonists forward. ERB was always adding new characters and worlds to his oeuvre, and the “ERBU expanded canon” books do the same. Victory is a member of the von Harben family, various other members of which were seen in several books in the original Tarzan canon: Victory’s grandfather, Dr. Karl von Harben; her uncle, Erich von Harben; and her mother, Gretchen von Harben. She is firmly rooted in ERB’s original canon. Yet ERB wrote as a man of his time; reflecting social mores of the period in which he wrote, it was almost unthinkable to have a main protagonist who was not a white male. Moving forward with the ERBU, it is absolutely thinkable, and is reflective of today’s society, and modern readers, that the protagonist of this extraordinary novel is a woman of color.

Does “moving the saga forward” mean that the reader must have read the three prior novels in the Swords of Eternity Super-Arc (CARSON OF VENUS: THE EDGE OF ALL WORLDS, TARZAN: BATTLE FOR PELLUCIDAR and JOHN CARTER: GODS OF THE FORGOTTEN), as well as the various bonus novelettes included in the novels, and the associated comic series? Not at all. Carey does an admirable job of recapping the story and clues thus far—sometimes from different characters’ points of view—to ensure the reader of his novel is not lost. As with the prior three books, this truly is a standalone novel.

That said, diving into the other three books, the novelettes, and the comics **will** provide the reader with an even richer experience, as well as demonstrate how tightly and accurately all the entries hang together with each other, and with ERB’s original canon of marvelous tales.

Mike Wolfer’s bonus novelette, “Beyond the Farthest Star: Rescue on Zandar,” is a fine addition, engagingly introducing a whole new alien species on one of the planets in ERB’s Omos System, Zandar (ERB’s Poloda is one of the other planets in this unique system), and setting up the comic series “Beyond the Farthest Star: Warriors of Zandar.”

Two important notes. 1. Readers should be sure to look for the “Quantum Coda” featurettes at the back of every Swords of Eternity novel. These short pieces are akin to the mid-credits or end-credits features seen in many modern adventure film sagas, and chock full of teaser “Easter eggs.” 2. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. is leaving money on the table if they don’t put out plush toys of Victory’s stalwart companion, Hucklebuck.

In sum, VICTORY HARBEN: FIRES OF HALOS is a love letter to longtime ERB fans and an open door, welcoming new readers to the adventure with open arms.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHORT REVIEW: Victory Harben: Fires of Halos, written by Christopher Paul Carey, is classic Edgar Rice Burroughs interplanetary adventure from start to finish, a worthy continuation of the first true interconnected universe in fiction. Victory Harben is a new character in that universe, every bit as smart, sassy, resilient and strong as Burroughs’ own Jane Porter, Dejah Thoris and Duare, all of whom were easily a match for the men in whose books they appeared. The novel is non-stop action that takes our heroine from a setting most Burroughs fans are intimately familiar with, Pellucidar, to one fans may be less familiar with, the Omos star system of one of Burroughs’ final books, the short novel Beyond the Farthest Star. Carey’s facility with creating alien worlds, societies, and wildlife is wondrous and perfectly Burroughsian, as Victory navigates her way through as many near-death encounters as her forebears Carter and Carson. The interplanetary roller-coaster leads to a well-earned finale that wraps up the major threads of the novel nicely while leaving plenty of room for future Victory Harben novels. Burroughs fans both life-long and intermittent will not be disappointed.


LONGER REVIEW: Victory Harben: Fires of Halos is a landmark book in the history of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. for several reasons. First, it brings to a conclusion the first set of new officially canonical Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe books released since the Master of Adventure died in 1950 and the last of his original works was released (barring a Tarzan novel later completed by Joe Lansdale). Yes, there have been plenty of novels and comic books released in the decades since featuring Burroughs’ most well-known characters, many of them published in recent years by ERB Inc directly, but it is only in the past few years that the company has started declaring certain novels as official additions to the Canon, based on how closely those books hew not just to the timeline of Burroughs’ original works but also the style, pacing and intent. Tarzan novels by Fritz Lieber and Philip Jose Farmer released in the 1970s have been officially canonized, along with Pellucidar novels by John Eric Holmes – and of course the four novels that comprise the “Swords of Eternity Super-Arc,” of which Fires of Halos is the final installment.

Victory Harben: Fires of Halos, written by Christopher Paul Carey, is classic Burroughs interplanetary adventure from start to finish. It opens with the author, at work in the ERB offices in Tarzana, California, receiving a message sent across space and time by Victory Harben, ready to relate her latest adventure for his transcription and fictionalization (to cover up details the world isn’t ready to know or believe yet) – just the way Burroughs received such messages from John Carter and Carson Napier among others. Told in first person narration by Victory Harben after that brief introduction, the novel is non-stop action that takes our heroine from a setting most Burroughs fans are intimately familiar with, Pellucidar, to one fans may be less familiar with, the Omos star system of one of Burroughs’ final books, the short novel Beyond the Farthest Star. There are stops in locales familiar (Barsoom!) and new (Kjarna! Zandar! Both of which I hope we’ll see more of in future novels). Carey’s facility with creating alien worlds, societies, and wildlife is wondrous and perfectly Burroughsian, as Victory navigates her way through as many near-death encounters with wild animals and angry aliens as her forebears Carter and Carson. The interplanetary roller-coaster leads to a well-earned finale that wraps up the major threads of the novel nicely while leaving plenty of room for future Victory Harben novels.

The second reason Victory Harben: Fires of Halos is a landmark novel in the publisher’s history is that it is the first new canonical novel to headline a character not created by Burroughs himself. Part of ERB Inc’s current efforts to revitalize the ERB Universe includes expanding it to include new characters with connections to the classic Burroughs creations. In her previous novella and comic book appearances, we’ve seen Victory study under Tarzan, Jason Gridley, David Innes and Abner Perry as well as encounter Caspak (The Land That Time Forgot) and Carson of Venus. And of course her mother, uncle, and grandfather are all characters who first appeared in supporting roles in various Tarzan novels. The three previous novels in the “Swords of Eternity Super-Arc” featured Carson of Venus, Tarzan, and John Carter, but here Victory gets the spotlight. And make no mistake: she is a character in the classic Burroughs mold – as smart, sassy, resilient and strong as Burroughs’ own Jane Porter, Dejah Thoris and Duare, all of whom were easily a match for the men in whose books they appeared. Victory Harben as a character is a terrific addition to the ERB Universe, a character I am sure we’ll see taking the lead in many more novels.

The book is rounded out with “Rescue on Zandar,” a novella by Mike Wolfer that further expands the ERB Universe by giving us the back story of Tii-Laa, a native of Zandar who first appeared in the recent ERB comic mini-series Beyond the Farthest Star: Warriors of Zandar alongside Victory Harben. In the novella, we get a Tii-Laa who is only just starting to realize how different she is from the rest of her race. Her confusion about being different and not fitting in, her defiance of constrictive societal norms, and her self-acceptance infuse the story with a modern feel without detracting from the classic Burroughs pulp-adventure pace. (And again, the pace is rapid-fire, with several interesting new creatures to survive encounters with.)

I have tried to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible while still hopefully getting across the sheer fun, excitement, and yes, importance, of the book. Burroughs fans both life-long and intermittent will not be disappointed in Victory Harben: Fires of Halos.

I received an advance reading pdf of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Rob Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) is my favorite author of all time, going back to the late 1970s and early 1980s when I was a teenager. At that time, I searched for and read everything I could find by him. Between that time and 2014 very little new Burroughs related literature has been released. I am very glad to finally be getting many brand new, interconnected pastiche novels, novelettes, comic books and graphic novels of his creations. It’s very exciting for me. Victory Harben: Fires of Halos is the newest one of these. Thank you ERB Inc.

The Book:
I picked up Victory Harben: Fires of Halos on the release date, November 5, 2022, at the book launch event held at the historic ERB Inc. office in Tarzana, California. The book launch was fun. Charlotte, a young woman costumed up as Jane Porter, handed me my previously ordered collector's edition of this book. After a tour of the historic office by Cathy Wilbanks, Christopher Paul Carey and others gave presentations and signed their books. It was a fun event and I left excited for this new story. I started reading the novel the very next day and have subsequently enjoyed this return to the creations of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

I’ll mention three things about the book I liked most. Spoiler alert. I mention a little bit of what is in the stories so skip this if you are like me and don’t want any details or opinions revealed in a story before you read it.

First: Use of an unpublished and unfinished Burroughs novel.
At the book launch Christopher described details of and how he utilized Burroughs unpublished novel fragment, The Ghostly Script, in this novel and in the ERB Universe concept. This caught me by pleasant surprise. As a fan, I had heard of The Ghostly Script before but didn’t know much about it. Christopher uses it to try and explain Burroughs’ various mysteries of interplanetary travel and pseudo-science from the original stories. This is an example of how much care he put into this novel, the Swords of Eternity Super-Arc and the ERB Universe concept to keep it grounded in Burroughs’ lore and expand upon Burroughs’ canon.

Second: The story timeline.
Burroughs consistently portrayed himself as a character in his own stories, as the chronicler of true adventures he heard directly from the source. So obviously, upon his death in 1950, the stories ended. This story starts from that point in 1950. I like that, it feels like I’ve just had a long pause in hearing of the adventures that have been taking place for decades unbeknownst to me. It’s fun to envision the Burroughs universe as real, that Barsoom (Mars), Pellucidar (Earth’s core), Tarzan’s Africa, and Amtor (Venus) all still exist. We just haven’t heard from them in a long time. The communication link is back and there are stories to be recounted. Christopher introduces Victory Harben, the offspring of one of Burrough’s original characters, as the catalyst for getting us back to these fantastic places with heroic figures. The adventures never stopped after Burroughs death, and finally we are starting to get the stories through a different source.

Third: Mike Wolfer’s novelette, Beyond the Farthest Star: Rescue on Zandar, at the back of the book.
This is the second Mike Wolfer novelette I’ve read. I’ve also collected and read almost all his ERB work from American Mythology comic books. I really like his stories, characters, and writing style. I would like Mike to write a complete novel set either in Caspak or Pellucidar. His stories have a very good Burroughs pace and vibe.


Just because I have the floor and no one is stopping me I am also going to mention three things I like that Christopher Paul Carey, Director of Publishing at Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., has created or at least managed to get done. I’ve been a fan of his since before his advent at ERB, Inc. in 2019.

1. Brought the ERB Universe to the forefront.
In Burroughs’ original works published mostly between 1912 and 1950, he sometimes directly interconnected his worlds and characters. Christopher takes this concept further, he brings it to the forefront in the Swords of Eternity Super-Arc, in which Victory Harben: Fires of Halos is the final in that four volume series. He calls it the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe (ERBU). Was that term coined before Christopher? Not to my recollection, but I did not research it while writing this review. With the shared universe concept, Christopher makes it clear that all Burroughs’ creations have the potential to appear in the new stories. I think that is great. And yes, I liken it what Marvel and DC have done with their characters and worlds, but Burroughs was doing it long before they were. From my perspective Christopher and his team have worked very hard to develop a cohesive universe with a valid chronology, following canon as close possible. I am well aware that he and the others helping him have put in a huge effort with attention to every detail to these projects. To me it has been a success.

2. The publication of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Authorized Library. This is an ongoing project to print format matching new editions of all the original ERB books with new Joe Jusko cover art and tons of extra material. I love them. So far, the first sixteen Tarzan books are available for purchase with numbers seventeen through twenty available for pre-order. I can’t wait for the Mars series which are my favorites.

3. The creation of the character of Victory Harben. I think the character, Victory Harben, is a good one. She’s got a well-developed background tied to Burroughs original characters. She should appeal to young readers. To my knowledge the largest portion of the current reading public is primarily young adult women.

I am very appreciative of Christopher Paul Carey’s work at ERB, Inc.

I finished reading the book on November 21, 2022. I wrote most of this review shortly afterwards, in late November and early December 2022.

Rob Olsen, January 29, 2023.

[Tim Deforest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victory Harben is the daughter of a supporting character who appeared in one of the original Tarzan novels. Born in the hollow-Earth world of Pellucidar and later educated at Oxford, Victory is a brilliant physicist. And she'll need her brilliance to survive the events of the novel.

Over the course of the novel, Victory is teleported to many different worlds (including Mars, where she meets Dejah Thoris) and even to Earth at different points in history. She's sent on this journey against her will, but gradually begins to realize there is a purpose to all this.

The novel cleverly uses plot elements, locations and characters from several of Burroughs' books to tell a story about evil god-like beings who plan to harvest the souls of--well, pretty much everyone. Victory finds herself in a position to stop them. Doing so won't just require her brilliant scientific mind, but also enough courage to face dangers that include being pursued by a powerful fallen angel with a flaming sword that can suck out your soul.

Victory narrates the story, so the success of the novel depends on us finding her a likeable and believable protagonist. She is. Her narration carries along the story in a fast-paced manner, explains potentially complex plot elements clearly and presents us with a smart, brave lady who lives up to the standard of heroism has been built by Tarzan, John Carter and David Innes. "Victory Harben" is a fun book and a worthy edition to the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe.

[Ric · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Victory Harben: Fires of Halos, Christopher Paul Carey has delivered the capstone to the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe’s Swords of Eternity super-arc, and it’s quite a capper.

Readers of Burroughs, and in particular readers of the prior volumes of this “super-arc,” know that this universe is composed of a wild set of worlds populated by amazing inhabitants and visited by bold adventurers. Founded in the pulp age of publishing, series written by Burroughs were bombastic and rip-roaring adventures that led the way for much of what we see in fantasy and science fiction today. But of course, they were written in a different age; less sensitive and more judgmental, often stereotyping racial and sexual differences. While I love them I must admit that in some aspects they haven’t aged particularly well. This new series of stories rightly adjusts the general diversity of stories, moving the female characters out of the stale damsel in distress trope, and for many into the hero class themselves. It is a welcome move.

Victory Harben was introduced long before she got her own eponymous novel, having appeared in the prior novels as well as in comics. She was born at the Earth’s core in Pellucidar, educated in the finest schools, and is adept in several mad sciences born from the pen of ERB. Following three books set in some of Burrough’s more popular planetary settings, Harben’s adventures recap, extend, and further mystify the Swords of Eternity storyline. Having made guest appearances in each, this time the adventure is focused on Harben’s own adventures.

I was certainly reminded of the first line of the second chapter of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, in which we learn “Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time.” Surely, Carey could have similarly started with the line “Victory Harben became unstuck in space.” Through an accident (or is it?) we follow Harben pinballing around the literal ERB universe, which of course is composed of areas originally set into play by Burroughs himself and expanded upon by earlier SoE volumes.

It would not be unexpected that you’d be reminded of Gullivers Travels, Alice in Wonderland, or even Candide as our heroine pops into and out of interplanetary adventures, in lands both familiar and more than a few brand new. Carey’s obvious mastery of the entire scope of Burroughs works is evident as he both revisits and smoothly extends storylines already familiar to fans. He pays painstaking attention to detail, and unlike my experiences with some of Burroughs works, I was never unsure of where we were, what things were like “here,” and who was playing what role in the moment. This would be the only diversion, and a welcome one at that, from language that evokes much of Burroughs works. And when Carey’s pulp action starts to roll, you’re carried right along with it.

As I hinted at before, this series adds a welcome amount of updating to the ERB Universe. Carey avoids the stale stereotypes of even modern pulp-labeled storytelling. This is a divergent cast, both in gender and color. Harben herself is a young person of color, and a scientist, which is pleasantly compatible with her being a plucky adventurer. She’s thoughtful and self-questioning, certainly searching out the other side of conflicts. This is not a shoot fast and move on story, to be sure Harben’s gun doesn’t even (necessarily) kill when fired. As far as pulp fiction goes, she’s more along the lines of a Doc (or Pat) Savage character than a Spider or Shadow.

Finally, as a treat for long-term fans, this book is a wonderland of literary Easter eggs. My only mild complaint here is that several times as I was figuring one out for myself, Carey would footnote the reference confirming my assumptions before I could spring off to my bookshelf to search out the reference. I guess that’s a personal preference, and I can see where these references could lead readers to new, previously unexplored literary adventures. (I did figure out the mystery of the tattoo before it was totally exposed, which was a personal victory!)

Overall, Victory Harben: The Fires of Halos is a terrific romp through so many things Edgar Rice Burroughs. Recommended for older fans and curious new fans, the latter of which are likely in danger of coming away with an extended reading list of more wonderful stories.

Enjoy the ride.

(This review was made possible by access to an advance reader copy provided for an honest review. I eventually bought the Kindle version, and have the limited hardback edition on order. So yeah, I liked the book.)

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: I was given an Advanced Reader's .pdf of this book in exchange for an honest review)

I have been a fan of Christopher Paul Carey's work for many years now, and especially of his works building on Edgar Rice Burroughs, from his authorized works building on Philip Jose Farmer's novels set in ancient Opar to his novel SWORDS AGAINST THE MOON MEN. Carey's love for Burroughs is obvious in his work, and therefore it was no surprise when ERB, Inc. appointed him Director of Publishing. Carey has spearheaded a new Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe imprint of novels, which includes new novels featuring Burroughs' characters, as well as canonizing certain pastiches from years past, such as Farmer's TARZAN AND THE DARK HEART OF TIME (a personal favorite of mine) and Fritz Leiber's excellent novelization of the film TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF THE GOLD, which went to great lengths to fit into the continuity of the original novels. Running through many of the new books has been the so-called "Swords of Eternity Super-Arc," featuring Victory Harben, an original character but the daughter of Gretchen von Harben from Burroughs' TARZAN AND THE TARZAN TWINS and a Pellucidar native, and her godfather Jason Gridley, a character who appears in pretty much all of Burroughs' continuing series, as they are bounced across time and space. I have had a great time following this storyline, which reaches its culmination here. Victory is a great character, and it's extremely cool to see a well-written woman of color as the protagonist of an official novel in ERB's universe. As much as I love the man's writing, I do feel some of his views on gender and race as expressed in his work have not aged well. As someone who is obsessed with the idea of crossovers between fictional characters, I have always appreciated the shared universe Burroughs created for his work, and the ERB Universe novels have really run with it, with this book in particular featuring appearances by or references to characters and places from everything from BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR to THE GIRL FROM HOLLYWOOD. These Easter Eggs are not essential to recognize to enjoy the book, but certainly add to your appreciation if you're Burroughs-savvy. I also greatly enjoyed the backup story by Mike Wolfer, "Beyond the Farthest Star: Rescue on Zandar," which leads into the comic book miniseries BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR: WARRIORS OF ZANDAR, also written by Wolfer in which the protagonist meets Victory. I have not yet read this comic, but I will as soon as possible, as seeing these two cool ladies team up sounds too good to resist. I'm also looking forward to the graphic novel promised at the end of the book. If you consider yourself a Burroughs fan, you need this book!

[Derek McCaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Edgar Rice Burroughs Super Arc comes to a close -- and if one book will draw in a new generation of readers, it's this one. Though the novel starts in 1950, the character Victory Harben feels mostly 21st century. Her slang may be of her time, but as Fires of Halos unfolds, it's clear time won't be meaning much for this strong young woman.

Lost in time and space, Victory has made brief appearances in the previous three Swords of Eternity novels that focused on ERB's superstars. She herself connects directly to Pellucidar, but Christopher Paul Carey has set her up to be much more. To expand beyond hardcore ERB fans, he doesn't just go beyond the Farthest Star; Carey has created a character with the potential to be like Doctor Who.

Victory Harben doesn't just visit alien worlds; Carey gives quick glimpses of her spending time in various periods of history on Earth. Which Earth, of course, might be in question.

Along the way she picks up a pet of unknown species. Nicknamed Hucklebuck, it establishes itself and then goes offstage for most of Victory's adventure. Though the description so far seems pretty high concept, Carey continues some surprisingly deep examinations of how ERB's universe interconnects, including an afterlife concept.

Burroughs himself had started the explorations with both Beyond the Farthest Star (also available from the company) and an unfinished manuscript Carey had been fortunate enough to find years ago. Though all that is true, it also seems in keeping with Burroughs' narrative style, doesn't it?

That's where Carey distinguishes Victory Harben for the modern reader. Other writers in this arc captured the style of their respective series. With Victory, Carey has the freedom to establish a new voice, and though I'm an admirer of Tarzan, John Carter, and Carson Napier, they all can come off a bit stodgy. John Carter is downright florid. But Victory narrates in a much more direct manner, which should be more accessible to the teens who could be drawn into this adventure.

Though some of the plotting still feels a little pulpy -- it is meant to follow in Burroughs' footsteps -- it's a great launching point for a new era in the ERB Universe. If you aren't familiar with these characters, it might even make sense to start here. The other novels were enjoyable, but Victory's adventures -- and her voice -- are her own.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

(The following review is based on an advanced readers' copy.)

I have written in the past - numerous times, in fact, to the point that some people are probably good and tired of my bringing it up so often - of how my father introduced me to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs when I was a third grader and the impact those works have had upon my life.

One of the reasons ERB held such appeal for my youthful imagination was the way Burroughs weaved his characters and tales into a single vast tapestry. A century before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, decades before Dr. Mark Sloan met Matlock and Mannix or the Green Hornet and Batman teamed up (more or less) to outwit the nefarious Colonel Gumm, Burroughs created pop culture’s first truly cohesive universe: A universe in which Tarzan sets out on a quest to the inner world of Pellucidar… where Carson Napier ended up on Venus after attempting to reach Mars… where a pair of young American siblings - Barney Custer and his sister Victoria, of Beatrice, Nebraska - discovers that he is a dead ringer for the King of Lutha, while she is the reincarnation of the prehistoric mate of a caveman revived from suspended animation… and where a young neighbor of Burroughs’ named Jason Gridley invents a device that allows communications with many of the various exotic locales ERB introduced his readers to.

Anyone who enjoys modern “crossover” stories - whether it be in the movies, on television, or in books and comic books - owes an enormous debt of gratitude to the creator of Tarzan and John Carter of Mars, because he did it first.

One of the great joys I’ve experienced as a reader in recent years has been a series of new, authorized novels that have expanded the Burroughs universe and added to the adventures of the heroes he gave the world - heroes like Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars, Carson Napier and David Innes. And so far the real gem of these new adventures has been the four-volume “super arc” known collectively as Swords Of Eternity. I was fortunate enough to be among a handful of Burroughs aficionados given the opportunity to review the first three books in this series - and recently I was invited to review the fourth and final adventure in this epic science fiction-fantasy adventure.

The novel is question is Victory Harben: Fires of Halos by Christopher Paul Carey, the same author who previously penned a sequel to Burroughs’ Mood Maid novels as well as several sequels to Philip José Farmer’s tales of Ancient Opar. Carey is one of only a handful of writers uniquely qualified to follow in the footsteps of both Burroughs and Farmer, and in Fires of Halos he turns in his best work yet - one which adds to the ERB legacy by focusing on the adventures of an all-new character, one which ERB himself did not create but has definite ties to those which he did.

She is the title character, Victory Harben, the protagonist/narrator and a descendant of characters first seen in various Burroughs novels. Victory has been a presence throughout the Swords of Eternity series - indeed, she pretty much sets the story into motion in the first place - but in the first three books she is something of a secondary character who pops in and out of the action just long enough to make the reader (well, this reader, anyway) scratch his head and wonder where the story is going. In that respect she has provided a fun bit of anticipation for those of us who have enjoyed going along for the ride.

This time Victory is front and center, and she acquits herself quite nicely as a worthy addition to the pantheon of Burroughsian heroines that includes Dejan Thoris, Jane Porter Clayton and Princess Duare of Amtor - and in her own way the equal of Tarzan, John Carter, Tangor and so many other ERB heroes. Carey makes the most of this character’s unique backstory, using her as a conduit through which the reader’s eyes are awakened to the possibility of adventures that likely ERB himself might not have dared imagine.

One of my favorite aspects of Carey’s novel is the manner in which he incorporates not one but two versions of one of Burroughs’ greatest concepts. When I was a youngster discovering Burroughs, one of my favorite of his books was the science fiction novel “Beyond The Farthest Star,” which unfortunately concluded with an open ending that Burroughs never got around to following up on. Years later I learned that this novel was, in fact, a reworking by Burroughs of an earlier, unpublished fragment he entitled The Ghostly Script. Carey marvelously incorporates BOTH versions of Burroughs’ concept, and in doing so not only completes the original fragment but finally gives this aging fan the answer to the question that has nagged me since I first read “Beyond The Farthest Star”: “What happened next?”

To say too much specifically about the plot of Victory Harben: Fires of Halos will only serve to rob the readers of the joy of discovering this grand adventure for themselves. Suffice it to say that it works on several levels: as an incredibly exciting standalone adventure starring a wonderful new character; as the conclusion to one of the greatest multi-volume literary epics I have encountered since Terry Brooks’ “Shannara” novels and Phil Farmer’s “World of Tiers” series; and as an introduction to the Burroughs Universe for young readers who have yet to travel there themselves. Carey has promised more adventures for young Victory, and I for one can’t wait.

If you love good old fashioned adventure, you owe it to yourself to read not only Victory Harben: Fires of Halos but also the three preceding novels in the Swords of Eternity super-arc: Carson of Venus: The Edge of All Worlds, by Matt Betts; Tarzan: Battle for Pellucidar by Win Scott Eckert; and John Carter of Mars: Gods of the Forgotten by Geary Gravel. Do yourself a favor and seek them out. You won’t be sorry. And you can thank me later…

[Norman Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the first two-thirds of this audiobook as a passenger on a road trip, and although I'm sure I briefly nodded off at some points, I think I heard enough to gauge it honestly (and I listened to the final third while taking my daily walks, so I'm sure I heard all of those parts). Jaimee Draper does a very good job of narrating. I listened at 1-1/2 speed.

This is part of the "Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe – Swords of Eternity Super-Arc" wherein ERB, Inc. is attempting to resurrect and expand on the books written by Burroughs in the first half of the 20th Century. To a large extent they are succeeding--the books are told in the same breathless manner that Burroughs used. This volume, the fourth in the new series, is very concerned with rectifying many of the loose ends and seeming contradictions that Burroughs wrote, while unifying the Burroughs Universe with a crossover to end all crossovers. The protagonist, Victory Harben, a young woman born in Pellucidar (at the center of the Earth) but educated in modern physics at Oxford (modern in the sense that the book takes place in the 1950s when quantum mechanics and nuclear physics were still fairly new), takes a strange, metaphysical journey across most of the worlds created by Burroughs, while meeting several of the major characters such as Dejah Thoris of Barsoom (Mars) and Tarzan. The reason for this journey involves some McGuffins she is trying to find. In each location she faces tough challenges, including near-death battles and imprisonment. She also finds new friends and allies, along with some very dangerous opponents, both human and animal. As an action-adventure, it works pretty well, with Victory jumping from crisis to crisis, often barely escaping only to find new dangers. The exposition of a multiverse tends to drag down the action, but is necessary to finally explain, for example, why Barsoom is nothing like the Mars our spacecraft have viewed. Victory Harben has a lot of potential as a character, but we don't really get to see much of her personality on display in this book, other than she is a brilliant physicist and very athletic. It's nice to see a woman, especially a woman of color, as a central character in the Burroughs Universe. Let's hope that they continue to expand her role and make her as iconic as Tarzan or John Carter.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Victory Harben Fires of Halos by Christopher Paul Carley

Victory Harben is a child of Pellucidar. Her mother is Gretchen von Harben, and her father is a native Pellucidarian named Nadok. Her godfather is Jason Gridley himself. Victory is a prodigy, at 18 a Master's Degree in Theoretical Physics from Darkheath University, and in Pellucidar, well versed in the texts of the Mahars.

While helping to repair the Gridley wave, Victory and Jason manage to somehow put the inner world’s sun into an eclipse. An old-old Mahar that Victory knew as a girl returns—Tu-al-sa. The elderly Mahar makes some adjustments and Victory is swept into a swirling purple vortex.

Thus begins a world-hopping adventure that sends Victory all around the EBR universe and adds other worlds to the universe as it goes. If I have a complaint about some of the adventures, it is that they are too short and not dealt with enough.

But I do think the author does one thing he should not have done. Burroughs always had Pellucidar inside the Earth and then Barsoom was Mars and Amtor was Venus. The author has retconned that to be that Pellucidar does not exist inside THIS earth, nor are this earth’s sister planets to be considered Amtor and Barsoom. I didn’t think that was really his choice to make. Especially with Pellucidar.

The rest of the book is fine, (I’m not really into the reincarnation thing, but OK) it’s pulp. It’s space, creatures, races of weird beings, war, cities, landscapes, seascapes, adventure! But fit in, don’t change.

I give this one sadly a three.

Quoth the Raven…

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last book in a four book series which looks to bring the Edgar Rice Burroughs characters into a true shared universe. This last book brings a new character front and center to bring the series over the finish line.
This is an idea I've thought about for a long time, and was very excited to see, and I was disappointed. I read the first two, put down the John Carter volume, and forced myself to finish this one. The pacing is excruciating slow and the plot disconnected in the first two thirds of the book. There's a distance between reader and character that never really gets bridged. There's a romantic subplot that is barely there and maybe a seed for later books? I just didn't care about the quantum philosophy mind lord stuff by the time things that mattered actually started to happen. None of the old characters really held their own, so I can't blame this on a new character.
Christopher Paul Carey did a remarkably good job on the Opar series he continued, so it's not lack of talent. If all these new continuations had come out when I was in Jr. High, I would have been through the roof happy, but none of them really held the interest of 60 year old me.
ERB was, for me, about exotic locales, sword fights, love stories. None of these books have really delivered a good, straightforward, action story. The philosophy and social commentary was always there in ERB, but secondary. This put the pseudo science first and it doesn't work, for me at least.

[Clark Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more, but it just didn't sit right with me. I've been a Burroughs fan for 50 years and I really want his works to capture the imaginations of today's youth as it did for me as I was growing up. I was hoping that the new stories coming out in the ERB Universe by authors such as Mr. Carey would be the bridge that would introduce people to the worlds created by Burroughs. Unfortunately I don't think Victory Harben: Fires of Halos is one of those stories.
For me, the "scientific" explanations for Victory's travels through time and space and how Burrough's differing Universes could coexist took precedence over the action - exposition over action - the action almost took second place in the story.
Also I didn't feel any sense of real danger while reading, Ms Harben pretty much had a witty retort for every difficult situation she found herself in and was able to get through each pretty much unscathed. It felt more like a light-hearted romp through the ERB Universe than a dangerous adventure.
The book also lacked the romance that exists in many of Burrough's works: Tarzan-Jane, John Carter-Dejah Thoris, Carson Napier-Duare, David Innes-Dian the Beautiful, Billy Byrne-Barbara Harding, Barney Custer-Princess Emma Van Der Tan, et al. There is a hint of possible romance with Janson Gridley, but it's just a hint.