Overview: The Warlord of Mars

Extra info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Warlord_of_Mars

  This book is the 3rd in the Martian series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  It starts off where John Carter of Mars is at the outer surface and has decided to go on a rescue for Dejah Thoris or princess of Mars, Thuvia of Ptarth and Phaidor, daughter of Matai Shang, all whom are trapped in the Temple of the Sun for one whole Martian year (630? days).  But he only brings his pet Woola (in cover picture above) for companionship and emergency support.
   While on his journey down to rescue Dejah Thoris, he discovers two men who hate John Carter, Thurid, black barsoomian in 2nd book and first-born as well, and Matai Shang, head of all therns (therns were holy men in 2nd book).  But after overhearing a part of their conversation, discovers that they know the way to the Temple of the Sun, as well as how to open it before the one year period, and decides to follow them.  While following these men to the Temple of the Sun, John Carter discovers men who try to lead him into a trap, but avoids it due to Woola's sense of danger, goes days without food/water and has to steathily manuever a water raft to avoid detection by the men whom he is following.
   While upon arriving at the Temple of the Sun, John Carter captured a thern disguise and was able to avoid much detection to the Temple.  But first he had to unlock a door with a 3-combination lock of Radium torches intensities (their equivalent to our flashlight) for desired time slots.  Once he picked the lock, he gained access to the Temple of the Sun but he was too late since Thurid and Matai Shang captured three women that John Carter tried to save (Dejah Thoris, Thuvia and Phaidor).  This lead him to the tower which caused him great misery.
   In this tower laid way to the evil men (Thurid and Matai Shang) whom held captive the three ladies (Dejah Thoris, Thuvia and Phaidor).  But to get in the tower John Carter had to try to solve an impassable door, climb the edge of the tower and reach the highest room where Thurid and Matai Shang were currently waiting.
   Once John Carter was in this room, he met not only the "evil men" but also over a dozen Thoats (big huge monsters that John Carter fought (in a cave with Tars Tarkas in "The Gods of Mars").  But then Thuvia reminded John Carter, with only a smile, that she could control the actions of these creatures and help John Carter escape this madness.  This allowed John Carter to fight off the men guarding these evil men but this only lead the evil men to be able to escape once more to a far away land in Koal.
   While trying to follow these "evil men", John Carter's ship lost control and he was forced to land in a thick, dense forest where many people roamed through.  But to his delight and surprise, he was able to fight off these men as well as a creature that was a very large bug that had stingers and was over 10 ft long.  After this fights John Carter meets a man named Tokkar Bar, Dwar (keeper/protector) of the Kaolian Road (road in forest but before Koal).  With Tokkar's help, John Carter is able to find his way to Koal as well as get a disguise that will allow him to blend in with the yellow men (thought to be extinct in book but fully alive and dangerous species of barsoomians (Mar's men like the red and green men discussed throughout).
  With this disguise, John Carter is able to go into the city, posing as a man who wants to gain membership into the royal guard of Koal, where the "evil men" have captive Dejah Thoris.  This is used to be able to give John Carter time to find Dejah Thoris and find a way to save her.  He tries to find information about her by going to local spas/baths and asking the servants/natives about her whereabouts, but also trying to be discrete.
   After many days, John Carter spots Dejah Thoris and the rest of the captives outside his temporary residence but she is unable to recognize him through his disguise.  But despite this when he saw one of the men holding her captive there squeezing the life of her, John Carter jumped from his place and choked the man who was doing the same to Dejah Thoris.  This only led to greater problems for John Carter such as the ruler, Salensus Oll, Jeddakk of Jeddakks, ruler of Okar, recognizing and desiring Dejah's hand in marriage and being thrown into the pit of plenty to suffer immeasureable toreture.
   But beng John Carter, he escapes from this torture with the help of a man who had the same kind of ring John Carter had (John Carter was given the ring when he got his yellow man disguise; the ring was one of only three in the world and would vibrate when another had the same type of ring, stating they were an ally) and helped him get out but making a path, with rope, that John Carter could climb to escape the city.  But upon his escape, John Carter had gone to the wrong path, rope had been severed off at 6-way crossing by enemy who found out about this rope, and thus led himself to a room full of men that he had to fight himself out of.  Once John Carter fought out of his mess, he was able to find the proper path designed.
   Surprisingly, along the path he discovered Tardos Mors and Mors Kajak (rulers of Helium that were deemed lost at beginning of book but that John Carter had wished to save along with Dejah Thoris and others, if he found them).  With this discovery he now had an army that he could use to go after Dejah Thoris and rescue her from the clutches of the "evil men".
   After many battles and having to hurdle many buildings and face Salnsus Oll himself, John Carter had rescued the fair hand of Dejah Thoris and won the war and title of Jeddakk of Jeddakks or WARLORD OF MARS.