The princess of Helium is kidnapped and taken to the underground cave hideaway of the brutal rogue Thark, Voro, who threatens to destroy the recent peace between the red-skinned Heliumites and the green-skinned Tharks. But Voro doesn't want a ransom. He's a butcher. For Tharks who never lost their taste for red meat, common Helium women are always in demand, but the incomparable Dejah Thoris will be the rarest of delicacies.