‘So it was true ... All my life had I heard rumours of a white race that existed in the highlands of the interior of this vast continent, and longed to put them to the proof, and now here I saw it with my own eyes, and was dumbfounded.’

After an earlier adventure when Allan Quatermain and his two friends had discovered King Solomon’s mines, life back home in England seems very stale. Yearning for excitement, the three are drawn back to Africa, where they are joined by the resourceful warrior Umslopogaas and a cowardly French chef. After many dangers, both natural and human, they enter an unknown Paradise.

But Zu-Vendis is no haven of safety for the weary travellers. The country is ruled by two beautiful sisters who cause more than trouble and heartache for their unexpected visitors. For, as passions rise, it is clear they can be resolved only in a last great battle where victory will cost the highest price.