This book, Beast Master’s Planet, is an omnibus which contains the first two stories, Beast Master and Lord of Thunder as written by Andre Norton. Andre Norton is actually a pen name for Alice Norton.
These original tellings are quite different from the Beast Master film from 1982 which used these books as a basis. From what I have read elsewhere, the movie studios had found success with the Conan film.
The Beast Master in the books is named Hosteen Storm. He is a futuristic former Navajo commando who had to flee earth (Terran) after it was destroyed by the Xiks. The Xiks were defeated but earth was lost.
With his homeworld destroyed, Hosteen is forced to emigrate to a planet called Arzor. He takes with him his team of animals, a dune cat, an eagle, and two meerkats. As part of his military service as a Beast Master, science has aided in telepathically attuning him to these animals. Together, they are a formidable weapon. But now there is no war to fight.
Soldiers who have left their homeworld have to be psychologically tested before being accepted into their new world settings. Many have been traumatized and suffer from the cruelty of the war and are not accepted but turned away.
Hosteen can’t let those that test him know that he didn’t pick Arzor by chance. He has come to this planet to pay a blood debt. He has a vendetta against a man named Brad Quade.
Once accepted, Hosteen uses his skills and animals to take on work in a world that is like a western frontier where, despite all the advances in technology, men still work ranches and farm, and work with indigenous people of this planet.
Hosteen, being Navajo, finds commonality in working with both the ranchers and the Norbies. His ancestral connections with the spirit world and beliefs in other inner voices that guide, help him deal with the Norbies and strike up partnerships.
His work almost immediately brings him in contact with Brad Quade, because Brad Quade is one of the more successful ranchers on Arzor.
But before Hosteen can act on his revenge against Quade, there is apparently a Xik’s holdout on Arzor, and the settlers need his help fighting them.
The second book finds Hosteen in the middle of an uprising of Norbies, as the tribes have been called away to organize mysteriously in the Blue, which has the ranchers and farmers highly concerned. Hosteen becomes part of an outsiders mission to get into the Blue, where a ship has crashed and the man’s son might still be alive. No outsiders are allowed in the Blue. And with the tribes possibly on a warpath, it is all the more dangerous.
I will say, I liked the first book more than the second book although both are good. And I loved the writing. The author is first rate and the reader is always engaged and understands where they are and what is happening.
The character of Hosteen is deeper than a heartless commando seeking revenge, and is also not a macho Rambo-style machine that can fight superior odds without suffering injuries and losing friends. He is very human and even with his connection with his animals, vulnerable.
At times, this felt a lot like the tv show Firefly, for any who have seen it. It has many cultural clashes that draw technology alongside primitive beliefs and western behaviors.
The books were originally written in the late 50s, and despite being authored by a woman, using the pen name of a man, there are no female characters or romantic interests. The terminology is dated as well which is not to be unexpected. Still I think it is worth a read, especially if you love sci-fi and westerns. And like I said, the writing is excellent. 4 stars.
You can read some of my other book reviews below.
Be sure to check out my books in The Crystal Crux Series : Betrayal, Blue Grotto, Cold Knight, Shimmer & Beautiful, as well as the novella Ares in Chains. Ares in Chains is also available as an Audiobook.
Author Allen M Werner 
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