TITLE: Tarzan and the Forest of Stone
Author: Jeffrey J. Mariotte
178 pages, Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc., (collectors edition hardcover, standard hardcover, trade paperback)
DESCRIPTION: (from the back cover): Part of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe series.
After Tarzan departs Southern California following a visit with a dear friend, bandits mysteriously dressed as cowboys straight out of the Old West waylay his train and make off with a precious Native American artifact—taking the daughter of relic’s owner hostage in the process. Now Tarzan must set off on foot from the wrecked and twisted ruins of the train in pursuit of the criminals, making his way across the American Southwest, a land as different from his beloved jungle homeland as can be imagined. But even as Tarzan closes in on his prey, a ruthless killer follows close at his heels, intent on bringing an end to the legendary Lord of the Jungle once and for all.
MY RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
MY THOUGHTS: Jeffrey J. Mariotte’s new novella Tarzan and the Forest of Stone puts the famous Lord of the Jungle into a decidedly different environment – the Arizona desert near the Petrified Forest – testing his vaunted brains and brawn in a tale that is part western, part gangster novel, and all classic Burroughs.
Mariotte clearly understand what makes Tarzan such a compelling character. He utilizes the “ape-man’s” respect for all life (human and animal), discomfort with the trappings of “civilization,” and willingness to accept the seemingly impossible as reality to propel the action as much as Tarzan’s physical prowess and analytical skills. Which is not to say there aren’t action sequences: there are, and they are as exciting and dynamic as a Burroughs fan would expect. But they are perfectly counter-pointed by chapters of Tarzan tracking his prey and reveling in the natural world around him – including his interactions with a puma and a wild stallion.
Of course, Tarzan isn’t the only character in the book. Mariotte adds another strong female character to the canon in Alexandra Concannon, who is no damsel in distress or love-sick unrequited love interest. She’s a smart and capable woman who faces each new crisis with an “I’ll find a way out of this” attitude. Mariotte also gives considerable depth to the main villain of the piece, about whom I will say no more because I think he’s a character that needs to be met and experienced without preconceptions. There are several interesting/intriguing secondary characters to round things out, including Alexandra’s grandfather, a mysterious Native American, and of course the “old friend” living north of Hollywood who Tarzan visits at the start of the novella.
Mariotte obviously loves the western/weird western genre and blends it well with the classic Burroughs structure, and the story he sets out to tell works very well at novella length. The pace is fast without glossing over any part of the characters’ journeys, detailed enough to keep the setting firmly in mind without slowing the book down. My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is that one question about the bad guy’s motivations seems to me to go unanswered: who hired him. His patron’s identity is hinted at, but if the clues are supposed to lead to a particular known character, I didn’t pick up on it.
Tarzan and the Valley of Stone will be available in hardcover, paperback, and collectors edition hardcover sometime in June.
I received an uncorrected proof 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.