The Breath of God: Faith, Fire, and the New Zealand Frontier
(Book #1 in the Moana Rangitira Series)
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Book Overview
New Zealand, 1863. The pristine, untamed Taranaki frontier is a pressure cooker ready to ignite. As the colonial British government aggressively tightens its grip on sovereign land, a complex, volatile Māori spiritual movement rises from the ashes of conflict-Pai Mārire. Driven by prophetic visions and a desperate desire for self-determination, a militant faction emerges, threatening to sweep the imperial forces back into the sea.
Enter Moana Rangitira, a battle-weary Māori veteran freshly returned from the brutal winter trenches of the Crimean War. He sought peace on his home shores alongside his friend Rupert Potter, but an explosive run-in with a newly formed volunteer force changes everything. As Rupert departs for the safety of Wellington, Moana is thrust right back into the mouth of the military meat-grinder.
Recruited into Major William Jackson's legendary, elite irregular unit-the Forest Rangers-Moana is paired alongside the flamboyant, lethal guerrilla tactician, Captain Gustavus Von Tempsky. Armed with modern breech-loading carbines and devastating twelve-inch Bowie knives, Company No. 2 is deployed deep into the dense, rain-soaked bush to track a phantom enemy.
But in this wilderness, traditional military doctrine is completely useless. As lines blur between righteous faith and fanatical violence, Moana finds himself caught in a devastating ideological crossfire between cold colonial autocrats, conflicted missionaries, and defensive Māori prophets. Standing on a frontier where every side claims to be guided by the Almighty, he must quickly learn that when empires clash, the line between salvation and slaughter is as thin as a whisper.
From the global top-ten historical fiction author Paul W. Feenstra comes a masterful, meticulously researched, and propulsive military adventure. Richly atmospheric and unflinchingly authentic, The Breath of God delivers a gripping, unputdownable look at the cultural and spiritual collision that forged a nation.
Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series, Simon Scarrow, Robert Harris, and Ken Follett.
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