APrinceofMarsisacomingofagetaleofPrinceDarusofHelium,thesecondsonoftheVirginiaCavalrymanJohnCarterandhisMartianwife,thePrincessDejahThoris.ThenobleprinceattemptstosettlearebellionfollowingagreatcivilwarfoughtbetweenHeliumandtheaggressorcity-stateofZodanga.ZodangalosesbutanarmyofZodanganholdoutswillnotsurrenderandthebattlegoesonforthirty-fivemoreyearsastheZodanganrebelscontinuetofightaguerillawaragainstHelium.PrinceDarushatchesaplantosurreptitiouslyimbedhimselfandhisZodanganadjutantintotherebelranks,commandedbytheirevilJeddak,orking,TeyosThan.Darusistobesurprisedbywhathediscoversthereandhowhisdiscoveriesalterthecourseofthewar,hisroyalfamilyandhisownlife.Therearegreatanddangerousbeaststoconquer,swordduelstobefoughtandnewrelationshipstonurture,allamongstthebizarrecreaturesandalienhordesoftheRedPlanet.Here,aPrinceofMarsdiscoversthat,likehisfather,hemightfindloveinthemostunexpectedofplaces.