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Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War
"Knowing who you are fighting is only half the battle."
Like every year, the summer brings new people to Tolaga Bay. It’s been a full year since Charlie saved his hometown from destruction at the hands of gods, warring sea creatures and natural disasters. Charlie and his younger brother, Robbie, are enjoying their normal lives – fishing off the wharf and helping out at their mum’s store – that is, until a visiting scientist is stabbed at the local campground, days before a meeting between local iwi and the government. So begins Charlie's quest to uncover a mystery taking place in the hills above the town.
Like every year, the summer brings new people to Tolaga Bay. It’s been a full year since Charlie saved his hometown from destruction at the hands of gods, warring sea creatures and natural disasters. Charlie and his younger brother, Robbie, are enjoying their normal lives – fishing off the wharf and helping out at their mum’s store – that is, until a visiting scientist is stabbed at the local campground, days before a meeting between local iwi and the government. So begins Charlie's quest to uncover a mystery taking place in the hills above the town.
- GenresFantasy
376 pages, Paperback
Published November 25, 2024
About the author
T.K. Roxborogh
17 books55 followersLibrarian Note: Also writes under the pen name Tania Roxborogh.
T. K. Roxborogh lives in New Zealand and has been a teacher since 1989. She is the author of over thirty-five published works across a range of genres: novels, plays for the classroom, Shakespearean texts, English grammar books and adult non-fiction. She teaches English at a secondary school, writes and reads at every opportunity and, with her husband, runs around after her family – both the two- and four-legged kind. Roxborogh loves watching movies and TV shows, and staying in her pyjamas for as long as possible.
T. K. Roxborogh lives in New Zealand and has been a teacher since 1989. She is the author of over thirty-five published works across a range of genres: novels, plays for the classroom, Shakespearean texts, English grammar books and adult non-fiction. She teaches English at a secondary school, writes and reads at every opportunity and, with her husband, runs around after her family – both the two- and four-legged kind. Roxborogh loves watching movies and TV shows, and staying in her pyjamas for as long as possible.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Want to Read
March 8, 2025It has been a real treat to return to the world of Charlie Tangaroa.
I had forgotten what an excellent read Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature From the Sea had been - so easy to read and action-packed.
Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War takes us back to Tolaga Bay, where Charlie, alongside his half brother Robbie and his grandfather, have to uncover a mystery which is unfolding in the hills above the town. As with its predecessor, this book is full of action, adventure and Maori mythology.
I am not exaggerating when I say I had read about half of the book before I realised there was a glossary - such is the deftness with which TK Roxborough weaves te Reo through the story.
An added bonus is that you don’t have to have read the first book in order to understand the second. - although it surely is worth reading them both!
Charlie Tangaroa really is a NZ taonga and I can’t recommend the books highly enough.
I had forgotten what an excellent read Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature From the Sea had been - so easy to read and action-packed.
Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War takes us back to Tolaga Bay, where Charlie, alongside his half brother Robbie and his grandfather, have to uncover a mystery which is unfolding in the hills above the town. As with its predecessor, this book is full of action, adventure and Maori mythology.
I am not exaggerating when I say I had read about half of the book before I realised there was a glossary - such is the deftness with which TK Roxborough weaves te Reo through the story.
An added bonus is that you don’t have to have read the first book in order to understand the second. - although it surely is worth reading them both!
Charlie Tangaroa really is a NZ taonga and I can’t recommend the books highly enough.
December 18, 2024
It’s not often that a sequel is even better than the first, especially when Charlie’s first adventure was so engaging. While I pre-read this book as a teacher I was hooked from the first few pages. I love the incorporation of Te Ao Māori as well as the love of Aotearoa’s flora and fauna.
I can’t wait for book three.
I can’t wait for book three.
March 21, 2026
It was my absolute privilege to introduce this novel at its book launch at the Australia-NZ Shakespeare Association Conference in Brisbane in July 2025. Some excerpt from my speech that day, are detailed below:
Set on the East Coast of New Zealand it follows the adventure of a teenage boy Charlie, who is half-human and half-sea creature. The story blends Māori ancestral knowledge and spiritual traditions into the narrative, with Charlie battling typical teenage issues, family drama, as well as supernatural elements.
However, it is not fair to label the novel as merely an adventure story. It is a coming-of-age narrative, that is also about exploring the indigenous identity in the modern world and puts environmental issues, family bonds and power of cultural knowledge at the epicentre of the narrative.
In short, Charlie is on a quest to recover sacred stones stolen from the sea god Tangaroa while simultaneously helping expose government corruption around a secret mining deal that’s cheating his tribe. When the god of darkness, Whiro, escapes from the underworld and begins manifesting as extremist protesters, environmental destruction, and community violence, Charlie must use ancient chants and supernatural abilities to restore balance.
What is really fascinating about the novel is how it blends modern issues like environment, and government corruption, with Māori cultural knowledge passed down from tīpuna, family relationships, and coming of age themes. The main character Charlie navigates his unique blended identity as someone caught between the human and divine worlds. It’s a fast-paced novel that explores cultural identity, environmental responsibility, and the power of sacred ancestral knowledge, in shaping contemporary identity.
Ms. Roxborogh’s novel stands out for me because it does not attempt to translate Māori culture for a Western audience. Rather, it writes from within that culture, for readers who may or may not fully understand it. The ancestral knowledge and spiritual beliefs are presented as Charlie’s lived reality. This creates a unique reading experience where non-Māori readers are invited into an indigenous world, rather than having it explained to them.
Obviously, speaking today at this Shakespeare Conference, the supernatural intervention in human affairs may make our mind wander to Prospero in Tempest or the three witches in Macbeth. The dysfunctional family dynamics in the novel mirrors the sibling rivalry in King Lear and even the complex relationship of Hamlet with his father’s ghost. Charlie in the novel and Hamlet in Shakespeare are both burdened with family legacies they didn’t choose. Iago’s manipulation through suggestion in Othello is mirrored in how Whiro the god of darkness doesn’t create evil but amplifies existing prejudices and weaknesses.
In short, what truly grabbed me in this novel is the linguistic and cultural revolution that Ms. Roxborogh has been able to bring about by blending two languages (English and Māori) as one and showcasing Māori spiritual knowledge as a living, guiding force.
Set on the East Coast of New Zealand it follows the adventure of a teenage boy Charlie, who is half-human and half-sea creature. The story blends Māori ancestral knowledge and spiritual traditions into the narrative, with Charlie battling typical teenage issues, family drama, as well as supernatural elements.
However, it is not fair to label the novel as merely an adventure story. It is a coming-of-age narrative, that is also about exploring the indigenous identity in the modern world and puts environmental issues, family bonds and power of cultural knowledge at the epicentre of the narrative.
In short, Charlie is on a quest to recover sacred stones stolen from the sea god Tangaroa while simultaneously helping expose government corruption around a secret mining deal that’s cheating his tribe. When the god of darkness, Whiro, escapes from the underworld and begins manifesting as extremist protesters, environmental destruction, and community violence, Charlie must use ancient chants and supernatural abilities to restore balance.
What is really fascinating about the novel is how it blends modern issues like environment, and government corruption, with Māori cultural knowledge passed down from tīpuna, family relationships, and coming of age themes. The main character Charlie navigates his unique blended identity as someone caught between the human and divine worlds. It’s a fast-paced novel that explores cultural identity, environmental responsibility, and the power of sacred ancestral knowledge, in shaping contemporary identity.
Ms. Roxborogh’s novel stands out for me because it does not attempt to translate Māori culture for a Western audience. Rather, it writes from within that culture, for readers who may or may not fully understand it. The ancestral knowledge and spiritual beliefs are presented as Charlie’s lived reality. This creates a unique reading experience where non-Māori readers are invited into an indigenous world, rather than having it explained to them.
Obviously, speaking today at this Shakespeare Conference, the supernatural intervention in human affairs may make our mind wander to Prospero in Tempest or the three witches in Macbeth. The dysfunctional family dynamics in the novel mirrors the sibling rivalry in King Lear and even the complex relationship of Hamlet with his father’s ghost. Charlie in the novel and Hamlet in Shakespeare are both burdened with family legacies they didn’t choose. Iago’s manipulation through suggestion in Othello is mirrored in how Whiro the god of darkness doesn’t create evil but amplifies existing prejudices and weaknesses.
In short, what truly grabbed me in this novel is the linguistic and cultural revolution that Ms. Roxborogh has been able to bring about by blending two languages (English and Māori) as one and showcasing Māori spiritual knowledge as a living, guiding force.
March 27, 2026
The tiny East Coast town of Tologa Bay becomes inundated with protestors as a conflict between locals, environmentalists and business over a new mining proposal, comes to a head. In the mix, beef between the Atua (Gods) is simmering, as digging has uncovered things hidden. The Patupaiarehe reach out to kōmitimiti boy Charlie for help.
What I liked: Charlie is a well developed character- brave, immersed in his Māori culture, kindhearted and living life with an artificial leg. Māori concepts/beliefs integrated into the story. Small town coastal setting.
What I wanted more of: development of secondary characters, suspenseful moments (I felt like things resolved to easily at times).
What I liked: Charlie is a well developed character- brave, immersed in his Māori culture, kindhearted and living life with an artificial leg. Māori concepts/beliefs integrated into the story. Small town coastal setting.
What I wanted more of: development of secondary characters, suspenseful moments (I felt like things resolved to easily at times).
February 6, 2025
Charlie is back with his family in a fast paced adventure introducing more Atua from the Māori world and bringing them alive in this story of climate action and conspiracy. Set on the East Cape of New Zealand following the damage of the cyclone it feels very real and current, despite the fantasy elements. Great read aloud for the classroom with multiple facets to unpack, discuss and explore.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews