The Last Days of Atlantis, or Les Atlantes, Aventures des temps Legendaires, is a title few know about, primarily because it was only published in French. It was first serialized into thirteen parts for La Nouvelle Revue in 1904. The following year it was published in volume form by Editions de La Nouvelle Revue. In 2015, Brian Stableford translated the text into English and the book was published by Black Coat Press.

I'm a sucker for book covers. When I saw the painting for this title I knew I had to read this. I would have sworn that the cover was some work of Jeff Jones I had somehow overlooked. The artist is actually Mike Hoffman; an artist I am completely unfamiliar with. To me, his work looks like a blending of Jones and Frazetta, but injected with his own flavor. I'm quite taken with what I've seen.

Our story is framed much like a Burroughs adventure. The setting is the present. Dr. Gironde and his daughter, Annie, are accompanied by several colleagues of the good doctor. Caught in a storm, they take shelter on the nearest bit of land. They soon discover that this island isn't on any map. Exploring the island they discover many things, among which is a story written on golden sheets. Translated, this august group gathers to hear the story of Argall and Soroe...

With the death of their tribal leader, Argall and his brother Maghee decide to build a ship to seek their fortunes abroad. Southbound, they are seeking the storied Atlantis.

Meanwhile, on Atlantis:

The nobleman Illaz courts the Priest of Light, Ruslem. Illaz wants the backing to overthrow the Sorceress Queen Yerra and take Ruslem's granddaughter Soroe as his bride.

Queen Yerra wants the priest Ruslem to help free her from the power and influence of Nohor the priest of Gold and Iron.

The Priest Nohor holds the real power with human sacrifice. He also desires the virgin Soroe as his personal servant in the temple of Gold and Iron.

With the arrival of Argall and his crew, the status quo is upset. Argall it seems is the warrior of prophecy that will usher in a new era of peace. Human folly abounds.

A tale of love, a tale of betrayal and a tale of war on an island destined for destruction.

An enjoyable story, but quite long. The e-book clocks in at 662 pages! Much like Haggard's Eric Brighteyes, Argall is torn between two women. One fair, one dark. One whom he loves and one who tries to bewitch him. Neither are good for him.

The Last Days of Atlantis is available in paperback and e-book through Amazon.