Raiders of Gor

Gorean Saga, Book 6

By: John Norman

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

In this sixth book in the Gorean series, former earthman Tarl Cabot finds himself in the most depraved city that Gor has to offer. Port Kar is a city of robbers, brigands and men without allegiance to any cause or kingdom where the weak are quickly consumed by the strong. However, Tarl Cabot is able to flourish in the cutthroat environment of the city, for he is a powerful Tarnsman, used to having his way. He finds that there is much to learn in Port Kar, where the people are celebrated for their skill of training their voluptuous slaves into utter obedience.

The saga continues: listen to more in the Gorean series.©2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.; 1973 John Norman

Gorean Saga

The Gorean series is basically Conan the barbarian meets a smut novel on another world. There's lots of violent battles and vicious giant man eaters with a dash BDSM. The series gets a little repetitive as the books go on but not to badly for a 20 plus book series. If you liked the John Carter in 'A Princess of Mars' series most likely you'll enjoy these books there very similar. I prefer the Gorean series myself, except the ones narrated by women which I haven't bought so don't know if there good or not I personal dislike women narrates.

Best and Worst of the Series in One Book

This book is wildly uneven but enjoyable at the same time. The Pirate motif fits well with Gor and the features some of the best writing since the character development of Nomads. However, it also delves deeper into the great flaws Norman has as a writer - poor logic, long passages of nothing, simplistic women.

Best:
Action - so much action. It's like watching an old pirate swashbuckler movie from the 40's.
World Building: Port Kar comes alive, but it's the "Rence Islands" that really builds Gor up. Fantastic creativity.
Character Interplay: Characters connect and provide story inside the tstory.

Wost:
Bad logic. For 5 books Tarl looks certain death in the eye and goes forward. A girl puts a sword to him and he's like "Please don't kill me I'll be slave. I have no honor. I am nothing." What??? This turn in his character is so shallow Norman might have just started by saying "I want Tarl to be someone different, so he is."
LONGGGGG passages of nothing. 30 minute descriptions of ships. 15 minute explanations of everyone at a feast even though only 2 characters matter. a 10 minute passage about what his new cloak and sword look like.
Simplistic Women. The relationships and development of male characters is natural. The women, like the books before, are a joke. A woman goes from Ubara (sort of a queen) to slave in 5 minutes. "You are now slave - she was singing in the kitchen." A woman goes from being completely humiliated by "Bosk" (tarl) to "I love you Bosk" in less than a chapter. Pretty much - women are thing creatures who magically do/say whatever they need to at the moment.

It's both a fun romp, and a dumb book. Welcome to Gor.

Fantastic

Norman's writing is so engaging, exciting and I am fascinated by this world. Lister's performance is magnificent and I feel these books would not be the same without him. This story in particular I felt started a tad bit off but all was revealed by then. Such planning by the Priest-Kings!

High Seas and Human Philosphy

While it follows the usual structure of Norman's series of slavery and the question of gender roles and traditions, the book surprised me in the way it moved me to despise and then sympathize with the characters. In the end, an interesting revelation to be delivered by the unlikely. All threads neatly tied up in a satisfying package. Another fantastic read by Mr. Lister.

Very entertaining

Fun and well described. The catch and release feels slightly overly convenient, but overall enjoyable getting sucked into a different world.

As good as it gets

Where does Raiders of Gor rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I am a big fan of Norman and fast becoming one of Lister. I was very apprehensive when I first stared listening to the books since I have read all of them, but each one I listen to gets better. I just hope they will continue publishing them.

Frustrating masterpiece. Might be Norman's best.

What a multi-faceted story. The last section (15 minutes) of this book is one of my favorite sections of all literature. Yet the first third of this book was extremely frustrating and I would not have continued had I not had such a love for the book series. I love Tarl Cabert. I love the blend of his rich courageous character, strong manhood and kindness. Across the series he has these little stupidities and miscommunications but he's always a very lovable character. However, and this book he goes to the dark side in a way. I know now this was a part of the authors plan. I guess I too am far too human like Tarl, wanting to keep believing the myths about myself...just like mist of us.

how a man finds himself

Would you consider the audio edition of Raiders of Gor to be better than the print version?

yes due to the fact you get a better sense of the action

What did you like best about this story?

the fact Tarl found himself not to be all he thought himself to be that he os just as human on Gor. as he is on earth not super hero

What does Ralph Lister bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

the different personality of each person

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

bring a city together

Any additional comments?

it also broght anger out in me for bosk and his getting drunk a lot

PORT KAR GAINS A HOME STONE!

I have a love hate mindset when it comes to this book. Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful story, so far all of them are, but Tarl thinks he loses his humanity within the pages, but he really doesn't. He feels he loses his honor as a warrior, but in truth, he doesn't. Although he chooses the life of a slave over ignominiosus death, I don't feel he's lost anything, for how could he help the Priest Kings if he is torn apart by tharlarion, never to be heard from again? No one wishes to be a slave, especially a man, but if he is a slave, he at least, when the opportunity presents itself, can he then regain his freedom. Which he does. He doesn't lose who he is when he seeks vengeance on those who killed a small boy who offered him food when he was staked out during a celebration, the only one, of all the Rencers, who showed him kindness. He still has his kindness. He isn't like those of Port Kar, who are hard, unkind, and not very friendly to anyone.

Here he meets Talima, a name that I remember well, and Ho-Hak, Turnock, Clitis, Tab, Fish (aka Henrius Severius)and many others that I remember after all these years, but one person who always stood out in my mind, was Samos the great captain, merchant, slaver, of Port Kar. He was one you cannot forget. It bothered me, and still does, how he treated a little girl, who he rescued, who thought of him as a father, who turned around, and cruelly, rejects her, makes her into a slave, and, although she begs to see him, wanting to ask what she had done to deserve being enslaved, when she does see him, he breaks her heart by his telling the guard to take the slave away. I'm still angry, after all these years, that this was done to an innocent girl who simply considered him her father. I know Gor is a harsh and cruel world, but somehow, I still find the treatment of her unbeliveibly cruel. It altered her thinking and made her hate men so much that Tarl was treated cruely. I think, one reason that it bothers me so much, is because I had a foster father who did not treat very me well as a child, and, though while he was sober, he was a good father, a kind man, when he was drunk, however, he was not "good" or "kind", I hated him, and in many ways it took me a very long time to trust the males of our species. Eventually I did and am married to a fine, kind, but strong man. Who, ironically, has red hair. LOL Just as Talima grew to care for Tarl or rather Bosk as he is known after this book. :)

It was much easier for me to hear about the ships, and how they function rather than reading about it because I found those passages rather lengthy and boring. I did understand that Norman was building this fantastic world with ships that were
used by the Greeks long ago. Having it read to me made it more interesting for some unknown reason. At least I wasn't bored, nor drift to sleep, like I did when read it. Does that make sense? I loved that he named his first ship Dorna after Dorna the Proud from Tharna, who illuded him at the end of Outlaw. I wonder if he ever saw her again?

I cannot help but mention Port Kar itself as well. A place of "scum and willany". LOL. When Tarl started telling the reader about the city, about the canals and gates, it made me think of Venice Italy, but not as a beautiful, magnifent, city, but squalid and filthy, dreary and dark, cold and heartless; a place you don't want to visit for a long time. Being surrounded by pirates, pick pockets and thieves isn't a good city in which to live. You'd want to leave as soon as your business is done. Port Kar is another city I've never forgotten about in the 51 years I've had one or more of these books. It's unforgettable to me. It fact Gor is an unforgettable world to me. :)

Until my review of Captive...

I wish you well.

skipping

another wonderful dive into for. the audio book though skips forward in a couple places losing a few sentences which tends to break the immersion.