I’m a little late here, but Tarzan and the Forest of Stone was released on June 21! As a lifelong fan of the ape-man, being asked to write a new adventure–set within the existing canon as established by Edgar Rice Burroughs–was an enormous thrill, and not a little intimidating.
Early reaction is overwhelmingly favorable, though. Here are some snippets from reviews currently on Amazon.
• “Add to that, the tale is set squarely in continuity (aka the “expanded canon” which is the trademark of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe series), taking place immediately after Lord Greystoke’s visit to Hollywood at the tail end of Tarzan and the Lion Man, and readers are given a delightful lagniappe when Tarzan visits Burroughs himself at the Tarzana Ranch…all in all a fantastic 5-star read!”
• “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.”
• “Did I like the story? Yes. Did I feel that this was a story about the real Tarzan, as depicted by Burroughs? Yes. And do I feel this adventure fits Burroughs timeline? Again, yes! A very good read, and I’m glad I did.”
• “In Tarzan and the Forest of Stone, Mariotte proves himself to be every bit as worthy of following in Burroughs’ footsteps as such previous Greystoke scribes as Fritz Leiber, Philip José Farmer and Win Scott Eckert. Mariotte’s Tarzan is the Real Deal – the Lord of the Jungle as first imagined by his creator, as opposed to certain depictions by lesser writers that have attempted to recast the character as ‘Batman of the Apes.'”
See the book’s individual page for purchase links. It’s available in signed, limited edition hardcover (only from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.), hardcover, paperback, and ebook. An audiobook is in production and should be out later this summer.
