Flight to Opar

Flight to Opar is the second installment in Philip José Farmer's fantasy series set in ancient Africa, 12,000 years ago. The novel continues the story of Hadon as he races to protect the High Priestess and his unborn child from dark forces pursuing them. The story takes place across a rich backdrop of fictional prehistoric African kingdoms, cities, and waterways. The chase narrative moves through multiple locations as Hadon attempts to reach his home city of Opar while evading cultists who serve a tyrannical king. Farmer builds upon Edgar Rice Burroughs' lost city of Opar, expanding its mythology and ancient origins. The novel bridges multiple literary universes, connecting to both Burroughs' Tarzan series and laying groundwork for connections to H. Rider Haggard's She. The work explores themes of destiny, power, and civilization's cyclical nature, set against the twilight of an ancient African empire moving inexorably toward its prophesied doom. Within this epic scope, it maintains focus on personal stakes and individual choice.

Most readers view Flight to Opar as an inferior sequel to Hadon of Ancient Opar. Reviews note that while it continues the adventure storyline, it loses the depth and world-building that made the first book compelling. Readers appreciated: - The action sequences and combat scenes - References to Edgar Rice Burroughs' original Opar - The ancient African setting - Fast-paced narrative style Common criticisms: - Plot feels rushed and less developed than the first book - Characters lack complexity compared to Hadon of Ancient Opar - Resolution comes too quickly - Less exploration of the ancient civilization Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (87 ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (12 reviews) As one Goodreads reviewer noted: "The story moves along at a good clip but lacks the rich detail and sense of discovery found in the first volume." Multiple readers described it as "readable but forgettable."

At the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs The story follows a man's journey through a prehistoric world at Earth's core, featuring primal civilizations and savage creatures in the same pulp adventure style as Flight to Opar.

The Worm Ouroboros by E. R. Eddison This tale of warring nations on Mercury combines heroic fantasy with baroque language and mythological elements that mirror the lost-world elements found in Opar.

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs The first John Carter novel presents a warrior transported to Mars who encounters ancient civilizations and exotic creatures in the same sword-and-planet tradition.

Lost Horizon by James Hilton The discovery of the hidden valley of Shangri-La presents a lost civilization narrative with philosophical undertones that connects to the hidden city themes in Opar.

The People of the Mist by Sir H. Rider Haggard This adventure into an unknown African region reveals a lost white civilization with elements of mysticism and primitive survival that parallel the Opar setting.

🔹 The book is a sequel to "Hadon of Ancient Opar" (1974) and part of Farmer's larger Khokarsa series, which reimagines the origins of Tarzan's lost city. 🔹 Opar first appeared in Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar" (1916), but Farmer's version explores its history 12,000 years before Tarzan's time. 🔹 Philip José Farmer won both the Hugo and World Fantasy Life Achievement Awards and was famous for creating intricate connections between different literary universes. 🔹 The ancient civilization of Khokarsa depicted in the book was inspired by both archaeological findings and literary sources, including H. Rider Haggard's "She" and "King Solomon's Mines." 🔹 The novel draws heavily from anthropological research about prehistoric African civilizations, particularly those around the great lakes region where Farmer places his fictional empire.