One of H. Rider Haggard's African novels, The Yellow God: An Idol of Africa features many fantastic elements, including fetish objects, magic masks, lost races, reincarnation and an immortal woman who preserves all of her past husbands as mummies. The hero of the story is Alan Vernon, a young retired army major, who, after undergoing financial ruin, decides to travel to Africa to make his fortune, in hopes of eventually winning the hand of beautiful Barbara Champers-Haswell. Vernon has heard of a mysterious kingdom ruled by the priestess and plans to help himself to the gold found there. Like most of Haggard's works, The Yellow God is a thrilling adventure novel.