Book Description
A spell-binding follow-up to the renowned novel that began the Lost World literary genre, King Solomon's Mines. The genre may seem identical, but the story-line builds up at its own fast pace. The exciting and thrilling tale set in a previously unknown Africa, in some ways, is more intense than King Solomon's Mines. As Quatermain dies after a battle the last section of the book is purportedly "by another hand".
At the beginning, Quatermain has lost his only son and longs to get back into the wilderness. Having persuaded Sir Henry Curtis, Captain John Good, and the Zulu chief Umslopogaas to accompany him, they set out from the coast of east Africa into the territory of the Maasai. While staying with a Scottish missionary, Mr. Mackenzie, they are attacked by a Maasai group, whom they overcome heroically. They travel by canoe along an underground river to a lake (which turns out to be the sacred lake of Zu-Vendis) in the kingdom of Zu-Vendis beyond a range of mountains. The Zu-Vendi are a warlike white race isolated from other African races; their capital is called Milosis. At the time of the British party's arrival, they are ruled jointly by two sisters, Nyleptha and Sorais. The priests of the Zu-Vendi religion are hostile to the explorers as it is apparent they offended against the religion, but the queens protect them.
Both sisters fall passionately in love with Curtis; together with Nyleptha's rejection of the nobleman Nasta (lord of a highland domain), a civil war breaks out. (Sorais and Nasta's forces fight against those of Nyleptha, Curtis and Quatermain). After a battle (the Battle of the Pass) in which Queen Nyleptha's forces are outnumbered, she is victorious (the tactics described here are akin to those of the Zulu impi and Queen Nyleptha, Curtis and Quatermain are the commanders) but threatened by the treachery of the priests, who plan to murder her on her return to the palace. Umslopogaas and one loyal warrior manage to save her (defending the main doorway of the palace), while killing the attackers including Nasta and the chief priest Agon (both are mortally wounded and Umslopogaas destroys the sacred stone with his battle-axe Inkosikaas). Defeated and jealous, Sorais takes her own life (though the French cook Alphonse was one of her commanders his cowardice led him to hide in Queen Sorais's tent and then reveal her plans to the opposite side). Nyleptha and Curtis become queen and king (their marriage had been the cause of the war), and Quatermain dies from a wound suffered in the battle.
Book Details : | |
| Year: | 1887 |
| Pages: | 144 |
| Language: | English |
| File size: | 886 KB |
| File format: | |
eBook | |
| Download: | Allan Quatermain |
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