TARZAN: THE SAVAGE LANDS - Andy Briggs


 Tarzan is probably one of the best known figures to emerge from the pulps of the early 1900's. This is partly due to the films (the first, a silent Tarzan film in 1918), which brought the jungle hero to audiences that would never read a pulp magazine, and partly due to the unique aspects of the character and the tremendous storytelling of author Edgar Rice Burroughs (he was a better storyteller than writer). It's not surprising, then, that publishers and the Burroughs estate would want to see the adventures continue, beyond simply re-releasing the original books. Enter author Andy Briggs.

The Savage Lands is the third of three books (my knack for picking up a book late in a series continues) in a new Tarzan series, staying faithful to the original content but updating some of the components. To be fair, it's been a long time since I read the original Tarzan novel, and I don't think I've read any more than that first one, so it's hard for me to comment much on what Briggs has changed or updated, but I trust the Burroughs estate to keep the books 'honest'.

Lord Greystoke has arrived in Congo, looking for the ancient city of Opar, where word has it there are treasures to be had.  But first he wants to find and rid the world of his cousin, Tarzan. Meanwhile, Robbie Canler (who I believe readers may have first met in a previous book) and Jane Porter (Of "me Tarzan, you Jane" fame) are trying to find and warn Tarzan about his cousin, but end up trapped in Opar, where an evil queen is running an illegal mining operation. And just in case that's not enough danger, there's a volcano about to erupt in the area as well.

Despite being the later book in a series, I had a lot of fun with this read. Briggs really captured the spirit and energy of the classic, pulp Tarzan yet somehow made him more relevant to today's readers.  I'm not quite sure how he did that, but I'm not going to spend any time trying to figure it out - what's important is that it's still Tarzan and still exciting. 

I did feel I missed out on a bit of information, but with this kind of action-hero, who is so iconic that just the mention of his name most readers will immediately know what to expect, the bits I might have missed by not reading the first two books, I either picked up along the way, or they didn't really matter too much to the story.

This book is a bit older (it is the oldest book in my ARC queue) and I hope it helped turn on a few more readers to the original, Burroughs, creation.

Looking for a good book?  If you just want some fun, fast-paced action with a classic pulp hero, Tarzan: The Savage Lands by Andry Briggs fits the bill.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

* * * * * *

Tarzan: The Savage Lands

author: Andy Briggs

series: Tarzan #3

publisher: Faber Faber

ISBN: 9780571297320

paperback, 304 pages

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