Take Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan, H. Rider Haggard's Lost Civilizations and John Norman's Gor and as your heroine a princess raised to believe she's divine and men are extinct and you have the world of the Atlan Saga. This book, The Dragon isn't so much a sequel to the first book, The Serpent, as the second half--they were designed to be one book. Cija, who can be, well stupid (but almost forgivable given her background) does grow on you, which given these are supposed to be her diaries is important. Sometimes I'm embarrassed to admit I've read these, let alone these are favorites that have been on my bookshelves since my teens, but there you are. Addictive like crack. Or just crack pot. ( )

These books are also about the devastation of a beautiful country by an occupying power, and are environmentally aware in advance of their time (1960s).

Oh god, oh god, hideous Boris Vallejo cover!