Quatermain: the Complete Adventures: 3-Child of Storm & Allan and the Holy Flower

Allan Quatermain #6-7

by H. Rider Haggard

The great man of Africa strides out with two more adventures This is the third volume of the collected adventures of Allan Quatermain-hunter, trader, explorer and adventurer-set once again in the exotic landscape of nineteenth century South East Africa at a time when the continent was still truly 'dark'. Quatermain here ventures once more into the ever perilous lands of the mighty Zulu nation and there in 'The Child of the Storm', the first tale in this book he finds himself embroiled with a femme fatale, intrigue, treachery, sorcery and a battle for the throne of the kingship of the Zulu nation which erupts in into full scale civil war. In the second story 'Allan and the Holy Flower', our hero finds himself on the potentially more gentle activity of the quest for a rare orchid. Perhaps predictably that also involves conflict with slavers, abductions, fierce tribes, cannibalism and a demon god in the form of a giant gorilla.

Genres: Fiction

484 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1915

About the author

Sir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and the creator of the Lost World literary genre. His stories, situated at the lighter end of the scale of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential. He was also involved in agricultural reform and improvement in the British Empire.

His breakout novel was King Solomon's Mines (1885), which was to be the first in a series telling of the multitudinous adventures of its protagonist, Allan Quatermain.

Haggard was made a Knight Bachelor in 1912 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate for the Eastern division of Norfolk in 1895. The locality of Rider, British Columbia, was named in his memory.

Reviews

[Rob Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of how times have changed and how certain terminology has become profanity, H Rider Haggard is an incredible wordsmith and has created the genre of adventure, writing whereby many have adapted his technique of suspense and developing characters and their foibles. I am impressed at however the title may sound uninspiring, uninteresting, the story wrapped around it always is incredibly well crafted and entertaining, and keeps me involved. That’s the true magic of a writer. To keep the reader engaged.