Tavia is a female Red Martian and the deuteragonist in A Fighting Man of Mars.
History[]
Barsoom[]
A Fighting Man of Mars[]
Tavia is a slave girl of Jahar who doesn't fancy becoming one of Tul Axtar's harem and disguising herself in male warrior trappings (which we must assume cover certain key areas) runs away. She is rescued from Green Martians by the noble, loyal and good looking if somewhat dense Tan Hadron, who in a demonstration of male obliviousness unparalleled in modern literature, not only fails to perceive that Tavia has fallen in love with him, but that he is deeply in love with her.
Tavia is more than worthy of any man's love. Her beauty is of a gamin rather than voluptuous character but she is clever, quick thinking, braver than many tried warriors and a deft hand with a sword. She is also, it turns out, no mere slave girl but a princess of Tjanath, granddaughter of a former Jed and daughter of Kal Tavan with whom she is happily reunited at the end of the book. Eventually, Tan Hadron realizes his love for her.
Llana of Gathol[]
Tavia is briefly mentioned when John Carter has infiltrated in the army of Hin Abtol and tries to gather a crew for the Dusar, Tan Hadron is one of the people that volunteers. He doesn't recognize John Carter at first, untill Carter asks him how Tavia's doing.