Born to an ancient line of noble and courageous forebears, Dejah Thoris, young and headstrong princess of the mighty empire of Helium, longs for a life of excitement and purpose beyond the cloistered walls of her royal palace. When a foreign ambassador arrives with an invitation to visit his city-state in hopes of fostering diplomatic relations, the princess defies the protests of her father and jed, traveling to the shadowy metropolis of Zor as Helium's emissary. But Dejah Thoris soon finds her hosts are not like the gallant folk of Helium, and before she knows it, their nefarious machinations ensnare her in a tangled web of artifice, perfidy, and murder -- and a treacherous plot that portends tragedy not only for her own family, but for the entire Heliumetic empire.

Bonus Novella: "John Carter of Mars: Swords of the Mind" by Geary Gravel

John Carter is baffled when he encounters his son's badly damaged flier racing through the Martian skies with no one on board. The mystery only deepens when he traces the lost ship to its last port of call and finds himself battling for his life in a city of illusions -- where the peril is all too real!

(c) Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Trademarks A Princess of Mars(R), Dejah Thoris(R), John Carter(R), John Carter of Mars(R), Edgar Rice Burroughs(R), Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe(TM), and others owned by ERB, Inc.