She
When Leo Vincey's father dies, he is left in the care of his father's confidant Professor Horace Holly with one parting gift—a strange casket that he is to open on his 25th birthday. The years pass and when the day arrives to open it, Leo and Horace discover the ancient and mysterious "Sherd of Amenartas" detailing the history of Leo's ancestors. Following the instructions on the Sherd they journey to Eastern Africa to uncover hidden family secrets...
Traveling across hazardous terrain, they make their way to the kingdom of Kôr, where She awaits them. Ayesha is She—the immortal white Queen of the Amahagger. Eternally beautiful and fiercely cruel, she can cast her spell upon any man and ensnare them. But she is only after one. For 2,000 years she has been waiting for the return of the man she once loved, a man she herself killed in a fit of jealous rage, and she believes that Leo Vincey is that man.
About the Ayesha Series
Books in series order
- 1.She
- 2.Ayesha: The Return of She(1905)
- 3.She and Allan(1920)
- 4.Wisdom's Daughter(1923)
Reading age: 12+ years
This series should be read in order.
Drawing on his knowledge of Africa and of ancient legends, literary adventure writer Henry Rider Haggard weaves this disturbing tale of Ayesha, the mysterious and immortal white queen of a Central African tribe. She, or "She-who-must-be-obeyed," is the embodiment of the mythological female figure who is monstrous, desirable, and deadly. These thrilling Victorian novels feature all the best elements of the "Lost World" genre: a lost African kingdom and their mysterious, implacable queen; menacing cannibals; ferocious wildlife and yawning abysses; and an eerie love story that spans two thousand years.
The Ayesha series is a pioneering work of its genre and will appeal to fans of action, adventure & mythology. See also the Allan Quatermain series by H. Rider Haggard.