It's nice to read about the history of places. It's also interesting to know the history of places like Hawaii, some times so close but yet so far, like this archipelago.

I just couldn’t get on with fictionalised history of Hawaiian King Kamehameha. For one thing there were just too many multisyllabic names all beginning with K. Not the author’s fault, admittedly, but it made for some very confusing reading. And although learning about Hawaii’s history in the 18th and 19th centuries with the encroachment of the modern world is of course a worthwhile activity, endless battles, political machinations and predictable encounters with foreigners and the subsequent conflict between tradition and the new soon became tedious. The book is interesting as a historical document, but I didn’t find it an entertaining or engaging novel and I failed to relate to any of the characters. In the end I simply gave up.

Interesting historical fiction story of Hawaii. I've never been to Hawaii, but have read many books on the state. This one has lots of info, tho' as it's not a scholarly work, the facts in it may or may not be correct. i am hoping they are as they sound like they should be. Mr. Shendor seems to have done his homework! it's a good solid read for anyone wanting to learn more about Hawaii's history.

I teach world literature, and we were recently discussing Polynesia and the effects of European colonization activities on the native cultures. This book came at the perfect time, and I have discussed it in class and recommended it.

Life moves in cycles and in this cycle I find myself immersed in historical fiction.  Not the sort of story that uses (loosely) the manners and mores of an era to bring an extra bit of piquancy to a romance but the type that tries to share with you the lives and times of its cast and inform and enlarge your knowledge of the past.  "Real" history, fictionalized, such as this well-researched biography of King Kamehameha and history of the Hawaiian Islands.  I can hear the island lilt in the dialogue as the ways and practices of the times before the invasion by the haoles are described.  Despite being at a neolithic stage of development (largely, I would imagine, due to lack of available metals), the society was diverse, multi-layered and as nuanced as the iron age James Cook's; a complete and complex civilization.  The story itself moves along well despite confusion caused by so many similar musically multisyllabic names (abbreviated for our convenience wherever possible--and quite probably by the people at the time, in the manner of nicknames, despite a certain formality required by court etiquette and very strict laws).

	I've been to Hawaii and enjoyed its beauty and became intrigued by its people and history so when I saw this listed in the Netgalley offerings I requested a copy.  Many hours later (this is a large, meaty book!) I am feeling enriched by my selection.

Very slow moving but interesting in it's information about Hawaii

Visitors think of Hawaii as a place of surf, sand, and flowing lava, but Stephen Shender's new book is a keen reminder that 'once there was fire'--the fire of culture that had grown for 1400 years prior to its first encounter with Europeans, and one which reached its apogee in the reign of King Kamehameha (I) the Great (1758-1819).   The central figure in <i>Once There Was Fire</i>, Kamehameha, would unify the islands under his rule, but he would also sow the seeds that brought native culture there to the brink of destruction.

The first half of the book describes Kamehameha's youth. A "golden child" of sorts, he is initially hidden from the <i>ali'i</i> or chief of the island in response to a prophesy that he--not the chief's lineage--would unify the Hawaiian Islands. Another portentous event, Kamehameha's overturning of a stone, also bodes him well. It is in this section that Shender describes the chiefly rivalries and disunity among the nobles of the Big Island, Hawaii, as well as the various <i>kapus</i> or traditions, which regulated relations between women and men, and between commoners and the chiefly/priestly class.

The book really takes off, though, with the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1798, a time when Kamehameha has risen to the role of priest under his uncle, Kalaniopu'u. The Hawaiians are amazed by tools and items made of iron, but Kamehameha recognizes the superior English technology. While his countrymen are dazzled by nails and pots, Kamehameha is laying plans to get his hands on muskets and cannon. Once he does--with the help of a stolen ship and a couple of kidnapped English sailors--conquest will be his.

The book rightfully focuses on the lives of native Hawaiians, resisting any temptation to shift to European perspectives once the <i>haole</i> arrive. Shender has used the voice of a Hawaiian noble to tell the tale, which helps him to stay focused on the Hawaiian court. A final chapter, set in the days after Kamehameha's death, shows European/Christian values moving in and overthrowing long-held Hawaiian traditions.

At 524 pages, this book won't be read on the plane ride to Honolulu, but it is a great book for those whose visit to the islands will take in native culture and who wish for some background. Readers fascinated by other great Native Americans like Crazy Horse or Chochice will want to make room in their libraries for Kamehameha.

I fit into the latter category. I have never been to Hawaii, but every year I teach about <a href="http://speak.bisonscribe.com/2017/01/writer-cited-richard-kurin.html">the incredible feathered cape</a> of Kamehameha's son, who took on the name, Kamehameha III. When I spotted this title on NetGalley, I couldn't resist the chance to learn more.  It was a great choice for me. I learned a lot.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is the best biography of Kamehameha the Great you could find. Granted, this is not a historiographer's biography; even the subtitle is up-front on identifying this book as a "novel." Stephen Shender invents dialogue, massages drama, and fills in the blanks between big events related in more "official" biographies to smooth the narrative.

But let's face it. Most "old Hawaiian" history comes to us by means of oral tradition. And following the story in this book is like sitting around campfire listening to someone passing on the tradition to us. The actual conceit of the novel is that it consists of the memories of Kamehameha's nephew Namakeha, who as an old man decides to set his testimony down for the record. Who's to say that anyone passing on his memories--or a culture's memories--isn't bound to embellish them some and "fill in the blanks" with invented dialogue, etc.?

The reason I say I'm "going out on a limb" in offering my praise is that I assume Mr. Shender has gotten all his basic facts right. I am not a Kamehameha scholar myself, though I have studied some basic Hawaiian history. The novel certainly seems well-researched, and I myself was only able to catch Mr. Shender in one error (from Kawaihae Bay he has the sun setting behind Mt. Kohala, when the mountain is actually situated east of the bay). I'm assuming that error is not indicative of more widespread errors I didn't have the expertise to detect. Secondly, as I am a mere haole--as Mr. Shender himself is--I can only assume that he got all his details of native Hawaiian language, culture, and customs correct. That would have to be vetted by someone else.

That being said, Kamehameha's story is quite a compelling one. Old Hawaiian culture could be a violent one--even involving at times human sacrifice--and with the intrigues and power-plays characterizing the relationships between the various chieftains, it reads at times like "Game of Thrones." With all the shifting alliances, both between clans and within them (hard sometimes to distinguish the two, since there was so much inter-clan marriage), there is constant human drama.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone interested in Hawaiian history.

I believe there will always be controversy on the History of the Hawaiian people. Mainly as most of us know a lot of the History was passed on verbally and never written. Which is ironic considering a lot of written history have been in question for decades, with its many versions the Holy Bible for example, or a time when someone's word was as good as a business contract of today. In respect to Mr. Namakeha his bloodline alone in my opinion gives his story "Mo'olelo" legitimacy. He speaks only of a time and place of his family as it was told to him. He has his own opinions but manages to keep them separate from the Mo'olelo and states from the very begining accuracy may not be consistent but the main idea of life and beliefs of the people then, is what matters. As with all other cultures from around the world, their beliefs and way of life may seem odd or straight out barbaric but it doesn't make it any less true. My belief of Kamehameha's "reuniting the islands" is the only reason this is a 4 star review. My opinion on that, is for another book.

Once There Was Fire: A Novel of Old Hawaii by Stephen Shender is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late December.

Though it wasn't immediately apparent, the author researched Hawaiian myth and history and created a spurious character who writes of his family and culture before the year 1840. Fictional sentiments aside, it comes off like a Lancelot tale and The Odyssey all rolled into one.