H. Rider Haggard

She (1887), an intoxicating mix of adventure, fantasy, and romance, is an underappreciated classic of English literature. Among his most successful works, She-which was inspired by Haggard's experience living in South Africa-helped the author establish his reputation as a leading writer of his generation and an invaluable pioneer of the lost world genre of fantasy fiction. Horace Holly, a young Cambridge professor, receives an unexpected opportunity...

In H. Rider Haggard's 1885 debut novel, King Solomon's Mines adventurer Allan Quatermain is approached by aristocrat Sir Henry Curtis and his friend Captain Good to join them on an expedition into the heart of Africa. In search of Sir Henry's brother who disappeared looking for King Solomon's lost mines, the trio overcome tremendous odds to stumble upon a lost civilization that holds the key to unimaginable treasure. Considered to be the first of...

When young Allan Quatermain, a boy who would later be known for his heroic adventures, saves a young girl named Stella from a fire, they become quick friends. However, when Stella's mother leaves her daughter and husband for a new life, Stella's father is so ashamed that he moves them away into the wilderness. Upset, but too young to contest it, Stella and Allan move on and lose touch. Growing up in both England and South Africa, Allan experiences...

This 1889 adventure novel, set during the Ptolemaic period of Ancient Egypt, involves a plot against Cleopatra instigated by a secret society organized by the Priesthood of Isis. Harmachis, a descendant of pharaohs, is charged by the priests to overthrow Cleopatra and restore the old order, but Harmachis' love for Cleopatra stands in the way.

When Brother John, a man known for wandering around Africa for years, tells Allan Quatermain about a rare and gorgeous orchid hidden in the wild flora of Africa, Quatermain is determined to find one. When he does, he travels to England and meets Stephen Somers, who collects special flowers. Somers was eager to buy the orchid, but after a mix up at an auction, he finds himself in trouble with his family. Nevertheless, Somers still desperately wants...

And now it appeared that there was a mysterious Queen clothed by rumor with dread and wonderful attributes, and commonly known by the impersonal but, to my mind, rather awesome title of She.With She, H. Rider Haggard polished the literary "lost world" odyssey. Coming upon an underground civilization more ancient than the world of pharaohs, a group of adventurers catch the attention of Ayesha, the sorceress queen.Gothic grotesqueries, penny dreadfuls,...

This is a story about the beautiful and immortal Ayesha. The expedition is sent to an unexplored part of Africa, where the group finds Ayesha, who claims the expedition's leader is the reincarnation of her long-dead beloved. Ayesha became ageless and absolutely beautiful over 2 thousand years ago, plunging into a magical fire. Her only desire is to reunite with her beloved man. She makes the expedition leader to immerse himself as well.

This classic debut novel is a dramatic Victorian-era family saga of love and greed from the author of the Allan Quatermain series. Brantham Abbey has been in the Caresfoot family since the reign of King Henry VIII, after a knight sold the property to one of their ancestors. The current head of the household is "Devil" Caresfoot, and through his fifty years of leadership, the family has come to live opulently. But all that can change . . . On...

In this Victorian adventure novel, a British missionary faces a perilous trial by fire when he is called to bring the Word of the Lord to Central Africa. Rev. Thomas Owen was committed to tending his flock in the English Midlands-that is until a visiting preacher recounted his harrowing experience in central Africa. A warlike tribe known as the Sons of Fire demanded proof of God's miracles, and failure to deliver proof meant death. Having barely...

Set in Africa the novel tells the story of three lions and the humans who encounter them. The first lion is called "Umslopogaas" and is a fierce warrior who is feared by all who know him. He is also known as the "Lion of the Zulu" and is said to have killed more lions than anyone else in Africa. He is a skilled hunter and fighter, and his reputation is such that even the mighty king of the Zulus, Cetewayo, fears him. "A Tale of Three Lions" is a thrilling...