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The Bone Tiki

- Winner: Best First Book, 2009 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards
- Storylines Notable Books YA Fiction List, 2010 

What do you do when you meet a tohunga makutu? You run.

When reality dissolves and myths and legends come alive? You run faster.

And when the dead come to life and blood debts have to be paid, will you have the courage to do what must be done?

Matiu Douglas has a bone tiki he stole from a tangi. His father’s important new client wants it. Badly. And he has some very nasty friends. When Mat is forced to flee for his life, an unexpected meeting with a girl called Pania sets his world spinning. Suddenly he’s running through the bush with a girl-clown, a dog who is way too human, and a long-dead warrior. Fearful creatures from legend are rising up around him, and Mat faces a terrifying ordeal.

And there is nowhere left to hide . . . not even in another world.

Reviews for The Bone Tiki

“A debut novel of unusual interest, specifically the blend of Maori mythology with a fast-paced fantasy thriller… I look forward to his next book.”
– Tessa Duder, Australian Women’s Weekly

“Maori myth and modern life combine in this ambitious fantasy debut… There’s plenty of action (some violent) and excitement along the way.”
– New Zealand Herald 

 “A first rate fantasy adventure… A fun read.”
– New Zealand Listener

The ghost world – referred to in text as Aotearoa – is a brilliant concept, an amazing blend of magic and New Zealand’s history, and that historical presence made what would have been a very boring and short journey part of a quest – it takes a lot longer to get somewhere if you’re stuck in a time where your mode of transport is horse and carriage, not a car.

If you are looking for something that is a little bit different from the current trends of YA fantasy, and if you can get your hands on a copy, definitely check out The Bone Tiki. It’s fun, it’s fresh, and it earns itself four and a half stars from me.
– Reviewed by Catherine Haines 

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