THE SAVAGE LANDS

On the 100th anniversary of his creation, Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, returns in updated adventures.

While Tarzan leads his ape family, the Mangani, in search of a better food supply, Jane, her doctor father and the other denizens of the illegal logging camp Karibu Mji deal with a new face: Lord William Greystoke. Ostensibly, he’s in the Congolese jungle to see to his family interests and search for his lost cousin. That cousin may be Tarzan, who is rumored to have survived the plane crash that killed his parents years ago and subsequently been raised by apes. Of course, Greystoke has darker plans. Firstly, he wants to find the downed plane and the research notes that will lead him to the lost city of Opar, thought to be the site of mines rich in the rare mineral coltan. He may also be there to ensure Tarzan doesn’t return to claim his rightful title of Lord Greystoke. Jane and her friend Robbie escape Greystoke’s clutches to warn Tarzan, but the whole party ends up in danger thanks to a mad queen, her man-eating apes and an active volcano. British author Briggs’ third updated tale features modern tech and diction and a Jane who’s no damsel in distress in a believable (enough) and at-times thrilling jungle adventure.

Backmatter on Burroughs and Tarzan may lead new readers to the classics.