Ayesha

“a convincing air of reality”

The Spectator, 18 December 1926

• Complete text of the 1905 first edition, checked against the page images
• Thirty-two plates reconstructed after Maurice Greiffenhagen’s originals
• Publisher’s note, author profile and afterword
• Every departure from the first edition listed at the end of the book

Eighteen years have passed since the immortal queen of Kôr vanished from the world of men. Kingdoms have risen and fallen, the living have grown older, and the ruins of her ancient dominion lie far beyond the reach of ordinary remembrance. Yet for Horace Holly and Leo Vincey, the memory of Ayesha has never faded, nor has the promise of her return ceased to govern their lives.

Guided by a mysterious vision, the two companions abandon the security of England and set forth upon an extraordinary quest across the vast interior of Asia, enduring years of privation, perilous mountain crossings and the terrible solitude of a search whose object lies beyond the boundaries of human knowledge.

At last their wandering leads them towards a forgotten kingdom among the immense mountains of Central Asia, where ancient priesthoods preserve the mysteries of forgotten gods, a formidable queen rules amid the intrigues of her court, and high above the inhabited valleys rises a sacred mountain crowned with everlasting fire.

There, behind the veil of an unknown sovereign, awaits a mystery older than the kingdoms of men.

Has Ayesha truly returned? Can the soul endure when beauty, memory and the mortal body have passed away? And what terrible powers must be confronted by those who would pursue a love beyond the appointed limits of earthly existence?

In Ayesha: The Return of She, H. Rider Haggard resumes one of the most magnificent romances of English literature, carrying the legend of She-who-must-be-obeyed into a world of towering mountains, ancient sanctuaries, rival sovereignties and supernatural splendour. First published in 1905, this extraordinary continuation of She unites the heroic endurance of exploration with a profound and mysterious vision of love, destiny and eternity.

This AETERNUS edition follows the first Ward, Lock & Co. book edition of 1905, with thirty-two illustrations newly reconstructed after the original plates by Maurice Greiffenhagen.

AMBER SERIES · AETERNUS

This edition follows the Ward, Lock first edition of 1905, with thirty-two plates reconstructed after Maurice Greiffenhagen.