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The Last Living Cannibal
Muru is not revenge. Muru is about balance. You put your hands on one of theirs and they had every right to take from you and yours whatever they meant to take, short of a life.
Aotearoa in the 1940s, and the Māori men of Taranaki have refused to join the Māori battalion because of the severity of their land confiscations. Koko is the oldest man in the village, a legend within his community - he's lived through the land wars, Parihaka, imprisonment in Dunedin, and they whisper of him as the Last Living Cannibal. Koko dotes on his grandson Blackie, who has lived with him ever since Blackie's mum left in troubling circumstances years earlier.
But the ghosts of the past are bound to come calling, and when they do, they come with muru in mind.
Richly set in Taranaki during the 1940s, The Last Living Cannibal is the epitome of a classic Aotearoa novel, from one of this generation's most promising writers.
Aotearoa in the 1940s, and the Māori men of Taranaki have refused to join the Māori battalion because of the severity of their land confiscations. Koko is the oldest man in the village, a legend within his community - he's lived through the land wars, Parihaka, imprisonment in Dunedin, and they whisper of him as the Last Living Cannibal. Koko dotes on his grandson Blackie, who has lived with him ever since Blackie's mum left in troubling circumstances years earlier.
But the ghosts of the past are bound to come calling, and when they do, they come with muru in mind.
Richly set in Taranaki during the 1940s, The Last Living Cannibal is the epitome of a classic Aotearoa novel, from one of this generation's most promising writers.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 28, 2025
Thanks to Poppies Bookshop New Plymouth, I was able to read this before booklaunch. What an incredible read. I'm feeling all kinds of emotions—in the best possible way. Airana Ngarewa has beautifully peeled back the layers of life on a pā, allowing us a deeply moving, almost voyeuristic glimpse into a powerful moment between iwi, set against the backdrop of World War II.
The story revolves around the concept of muru—a practice of plunder, confiscation, or ritual compensation that serves as a form of social control, restorative justice, and redistribution of wealth within whānau. This concept is the emotional and cultural core of the narrative, and it had me both laughing and in tears.
What resonated most with me is that Taranaki is telling its own stories—on its own terms.
The story revolves around the concept of muru—a practice of plunder, confiscation, or ritual compensation that serves as a form of social control, restorative justice, and redistribution of wealth within whānau. This concept is the emotional and cultural core of the narrative, and it had me both laughing and in tears.
What resonated most with me is that Taranaki is telling its own stories—on its own terms.
January 8, 2026
4.75 ⭐️
January 2, 2026
From the title I expected this to be quite a different book - and even the blurb had me expecting something different. Set in 1940, told from the perspective of a 90-year-old Māori grandfather of the Taranaki iwi, this book is a family story at heart. It's slow-paced initially but picks up quite a bit of steam towards the end. And you feel you could spend hours listening to Koko, the narrator, spin tales and describe life on the pā.
I've been sleeping on Ngarewa I think; need to go back and read his other works.
I've been sleeping on Ngarewa I think; need to go back and read his other works.
April 20, 2026
This was a struggle for me, unfortunately. I was under the impression this would be a lot more about the Māori history of the time it's set in (the author's note further supported this), but it's more a slice of life on a pā that is very casual, if not comedic. The writing just really wasn't for me beyond a few sentences here and there, and I found myself not any more invested as the story went on. I can see others enjoying this for the casualness and chaos that ensues from a whānau/iwi gathering, but it lacked a lot of emotional beats that would make this nicely rounded and full. And any time it felt like we got into more serious territory, it didn't stay there for long. The fact there was a bull wrangling scene that lasted around 30 pages I feel says a lot about the pacing and breadth of the novel. There's also a really interesting perspective shift in here that doesn't get utilized at all. That felt like a complete loss and left me wondering what was even the point of that happening in the first place.
In ways I wish this focused on the characters like Nanny Foreshore or Lamb. The epilogue featuring Lamb's POV was the only bit I found myself somewhat wanting to read more. Oh well.
In ways I wish this focused on the characters like Nanny Foreshore or Lamb. The epilogue featuring Lamb's POV was the only bit I found myself somewhat wanting to read more. Oh well.
December 29, 2025
This book has lingered in my memory possibly because it was much better than I expected.
Set in the 1940s in Taranaki, it is the story of an old Koro Koko and his grandson Blackie but much more than that. It’s about muru and the restoration of balance when a group arrive at Koko’s tangi from the Waikato and claim both the body and the grandchild.
There’s much to think about. A good one for the book club.
Set in the 1940s in Taranaki, it is the story of an old Koro Koko and his grandson Blackie but much more than that. It’s about muru and the restoration of balance when a group arrive at Koko’s tangi from the Waikato and claim both the body and the grandchild.
There’s much to think about. A good one for the book club.
February 6, 2026
Well, Airana Ngarewa’s The Last Living Cannibal certainly has an attention-getting title. Longlisted for the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, it’s Ngarewa’s third work of fiction. The brief bio at the back of the book tells me that his first novel The Bone Tree (2023) was a bestseller in NZ but I abandoned it in frustration, and his short story collection Patea Boys (2024) is uniquely designed to be read one way in English and the other in te Reo Māori.
So I may as well say at the outset that The last Living Cannibal is full of Māori words and dialogue and there isn’t a glossary. Most of the time, a reader like me who doesn’t know Māori can make sense of it from paraphrasing in English, but sometimes it’s a case of press on without understanding words that are perhaps common knowledge in NZ but not elsewhere. Just something to bear in mind.
The story is mostly narrated by Koko, who at 90, is the oldest man in the community, and he takes pride in the warrior culture of his people. (Mercifully, there is not much about his epithet, but what there was, was nauseating.) By the 1940s, the days of warfare between tribes and against the British are over, but resentment still festers, so much so that unlike 16,000 other Māori who served with distinction, these Taranaki Māori refuse to fight in WW2.
When Koko’s grandson Blackie gets into trouble at school, Koko’s ire is roused and he rides to confront the teacher on an irascible horse called North. He dies on the return journey when the horse throws him, and from then on the story is (mostly) narrated by his ghost, which remains unsettled until the elaborate funeral rites are completed.
Māori communities have strict protocols for entering their spaces, and when these are violated by one of the tribes that attends, it’s not to pay respect to the dead but to exact muru, a concept not listed at NZ History but I found an explanation at Wikipedia.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/02/06/t...
So I may as well say at the outset that The last Living Cannibal is full of Māori words and dialogue and there isn’t a glossary. Most of the time, a reader like me who doesn’t know Māori can make sense of it from paraphrasing in English, but sometimes it’s a case of press on without understanding words that are perhaps common knowledge in NZ but not elsewhere. Just something to bear in mind.
The story is mostly narrated by Koko, who at 90, is the oldest man in the community, and he takes pride in the warrior culture of his people. (Mercifully, there is not much about his epithet, but what there was, was nauseating.) By the 1940s, the days of warfare between tribes and against the British are over, but resentment still festers, so much so that unlike 16,000 other Māori who served with distinction, these Taranaki Māori refuse to fight in WW2.
When Koko’s grandson Blackie gets into trouble at school, Koko’s ire is roused and he rides to confront the teacher on an irascible horse called North. He dies on the return journey when the horse throws him, and from then on the story is (mostly) narrated by his ghost, which remains unsettled until the elaborate funeral rites are completed.
Māori communities have strict protocols for entering their spaces, and when these are violated by one of the tribes that attends, it’s not to pay respect to the dead but to exact muru, a concept not listed at NZ History but I found an explanation at Wikipedia.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/02/06/t...
November 3, 2025
Airana Ngarewa, author of The Bone Tree and Pātea Boys once again brings the people of Taranaki vividly to life. Narrated largely from the afterlife by William (aka Koko), the titular 'last living cannibal' who can remember being sentenced to hard labour in Otago as a teenager during the Land Wars. Koko mourns his beloved lost to TB, and helps his son Joe, a pastor, raise his six year old son Blackie on the pā. When Koko dies suddenly, the tribe, mostly farmers and fisherman, old grannies and young children circle around to mourn. But when another tribe, from the mighty river in the north arrive with shocking claims and revelations, the peace of the tangi is disrupted.
Ngarewa's writing is striking, he brings the characters to full realisation, the children and Nanny Foreshore especially, as well as Koko from beyond the grave. Life on the pā is shown as straddling two worlds, the old Māori one, and the newer, Western one the elders understand will be the reality for their mokopuna. The unique setting of rural Māori New Zealand during WWII is almost unique in fiction in our country and makes this book one to cherish.
Ngarewa's writing is striking, he brings the characters to full realisation, the children and Nanny Foreshore especially, as well as Koko from beyond the grave. Life on the pā is shown as straddling two worlds, the old Māori one, and the newer, Western one the elders understand will be the reality for their mokopuna. The unique setting of rural Māori New Zealand during WWII is almost unique in fiction in our country and makes this book one to cherish.
March 27, 2026
Another 5 🌟 read and just a couple of months ago I was declaring I rarely give such high praise.
I expected something quite different, given the title, but I was not disappointed. This story is small but perfectly formed. It’s lean but never mean, there’s no fat or flab in it. Like Koko, the narrator, it’s full of love and great good humour.
Koko’s voice is utterly authentic. I knew men just like him once, old men of great mana, quiet, acute observers, who’d lived full and satisfying lives. The strong, practical, intelligent women of Koko’s whanau and village; I knew women like them too. And the children, especially those mischief, loyal little boys… I knew them all.
I loved this glimpse back into a way of life I once lived which so many of us are not privileged to know let alone understand.
I will now read Ngarewa’s two previous novels; this is a writer with much to say and the skill to say it very well indeed.
I expected something quite different, given the title, but I was not disappointed. This story is small but perfectly formed. It’s lean but never mean, there’s no fat or flab in it. Like Koko, the narrator, it’s full of love and great good humour.
Koko’s voice is utterly authentic. I knew men just like him once, old men of great mana, quiet, acute observers, who’d lived full and satisfying lives. The strong, practical, intelligent women of Koko’s whanau and village; I knew women like them too. And the children, especially those mischief, loyal little boys… I knew them all.
I loved this glimpse back into a way of life I once lived which so many of us are not privileged to know let alone understand.
I will now read Ngarewa’s two previous novels; this is a writer with much to say and the skill to say it very well indeed.
August 29, 2026
Well written and easy to read, although it would have worked better either as a short story, or - and more interestingly - explored Koko's life in greater depth.
I felt he had a bigger story to tell, to reflect back on as he lay there in his coffin. What change he must have seen in his 90 years until 1940. I wanted to know more about the experiences he had as a youth, as a prisoner from Taranaki taken south to Dunedin, and afterwards.
Instead there were over-long passages of fighting and fending off a trio of marauding bulls which might have gone down OK in a film but I ended up skimming over.
The future of mokopuna Blackie, and the conflict over the burial were important, but overall I felt a psychic distance from the characters; the closest insights being into Koko. This novel had the potential for much greater depth and power.
I felt he had a bigger story to tell, to reflect back on as he lay there in his coffin. What change he must have seen in his 90 years until 1940. I wanted to know more about the experiences he had as a youth, as a prisoner from Taranaki taken south to Dunedin, and afterwards.
Instead there were over-long passages of fighting and fending off a trio of marauding bulls which might have gone down OK in a film but I ended up skimming over.
The future of mokopuna Blackie, and the conflict over the burial were important, but overall I felt a psychic distance from the characters; the closest insights being into Koko. This novel had the potential for much greater depth and power.
December 2, 2025
Set in the 1940s, the tale revolves mainly around Koko and his whanau, his relationships, his marae, and his ancestors.
I was pleasantly surprised by the relaxed dialogue within the story. Told mainly from Koko’s point of view, he admonishes his whanau for being idiots and calls them “spoons”. You almost feel like you're on the marae with the eye rolls and banters.
Part of the story that I found fascinating is that another tribe comes on to Koko’s marae to seek muru, they are intentionally disrespectful, and I thought it gave a little bit more insight into Māori culture, their customs, the respect, and their protocols.
Such a fabulous story.
I was sent this book by the publisher and all opinions are my own.
I was pleasantly surprised by the relaxed dialogue within the story. Told mainly from Koko’s point of view, he admonishes his whanau for being idiots and calls them “spoons”. You almost feel like you're on the marae with the eye rolls and banters.
Part of the story that I found fascinating is that another tribe comes on to Koko’s marae to seek muru, they are intentionally disrespectful, and I thought it gave a little bit more insight into Māori culture, their customs, the respect, and their protocols.
Such a fabulous story.
I was sent this book by the publisher and all opinions are my own.
October 26, 2025
Nz authors have really been delivering this year and this was another fantastic book by @airanangarewa ❤️
Koko is the oldest man on the Pā, and has the nickname ‘the last living cannibal’ (for reasons that become clear but I won’t spoil!). He adores his grandson Blackie who has lived with him since his mum left. But it’s the 1940s, and relations between pākehā and Māori aren’t the best, nor are relations between different iwi. When the past comes calling, it’s with muru in mind.
This didn’t feel like it was set in the 1940s for me - obviously there was the backdrop of WWII in which Taranaki Māori and Waikato-Tainui Māori refused to fight in, and clearly relations weren’t the best, but it doesn’t read like a historical fiction novel. I don’t want to say too much about the actual plot because I think it’s best experienced while reading but I will say that Airana always does such an amazing job with his settings. The Pā felt like as much of a character as the actual characters, and I could so clearly see and hear the kids running around making mayhem and the nannies whispering in the corners (truly reminds me of my own childhood lol). I absolutely adored Koko - what an amazing grandfather to Blackie! The mirroring of events happening in the book to events in Koko’s past was so clever, and I really loved how this story was told. I also loved seeing Waikato-Tainui as that’s my own iwi! I wouldn’t have liked to be at the Pā when they came to heads with Taranaki though hahaha. This book also reminded me how scary bulls are 😅 A fantastic story that I really enjoyed! Huge thanks to @moapress & @hachettenz for sending this my way!
Koko is the oldest man on the Pā, and has the nickname ‘the last living cannibal’ (for reasons that become clear but I won’t spoil!). He adores his grandson Blackie who has lived with him since his mum left. But it’s the 1940s, and relations between pākehā and Māori aren’t the best, nor are relations between different iwi. When the past comes calling, it’s with muru in mind.
This didn’t feel like it was set in the 1940s for me - obviously there was the backdrop of WWII in which Taranaki Māori and Waikato-Tainui Māori refused to fight in, and clearly relations weren’t the best, but it doesn’t read like a historical fiction novel. I don’t want to say too much about the actual plot because I think it’s best experienced while reading but I will say that Airana always does such an amazing job with his settings. The Pā felt like as much of a character as the actual characters, and I could so clearly see and hear the kids running around making mayhem and the nannies whispering in the corners (truly reminds me of my own childhood lol). I absolutely adored Koko - what an amazing grandfather to Blackie! The mirroring of events happening in the book to events in Koko’s past was so clever, and I really loved how this story was told. I also loved seeing Waikato-Tainui as that’s my own iwi! I wouldn’t have liked to be at the Pā when they came to heads with Taranaki though hahaha. This book also reminded me how scary bulls are 😅 A fantastic story that I really enjoyed! Huge thanks to @moapress & @hachettenz for sending this my way!
January 23, 2026
Excellent insights into historical life on a marae
Airana Ngarewa is a skilled writer. His previous two books and now this publication show an author who is able to bring us into the heart of Māori life. As a Pākēhā I have found Airana’s writing has brought me into a deeper place of understanding about Māori thinking and living. I hope this book will be read by many in Aotearoa New Zealand and that Airana will be inspired to continue to write from a Māori perspective and share his love of his iwi, hapū, tikanga and te reo with us all. He is a writer with a great future and is a taonga of our whenua.
Airana Ngarewa is a skilled writer. His previous two books and now this publication show an author who is able to bring us into the heart of Māori life. As a Pākēhā I have found Airana’s writing has brought me into a deeper place of understanding about Māori thinking and living. I hope this book will be read by many in Aotearoa New Zealand and that Airana will be inspired to continue to write from a Māori perspective and share his love of his iwi, hapū, tikanga and te reo with us all. He is a writer with a great future and is a taonga of our whenua.
June 5, 2026
This book offers a glimpse into the interaction between two Maori iwi or tribes in Aotearoa in the 1940s. After a slow start, I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down. It made me laugh in parts; my favorite was when the two tribes ended up banding together against a band of angry bulls. I loved how the characters, primarily the ever-wise nannies and the women of the iwi, steer their tribes towards their version of peace with lots of wisdom and humor. Would highly recommend this and look forward to exploring more of the author’s other work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2026
Tino pai he pukapuka tēnei.
Really enjoyed reading this novel set in 1940s Taranaki. Ngarewa gives an interesting perspective on tangihanga through the eyes of the tupāpakū (deceased). If you have experience of attending tangi, or just being on the marae for whaikōrero, you will probably find all the little nuances delightful. If not, then you're in for some learning.
Really enjoyed reading this novel set in 1940s Taranaki. Ngarewa gives an interesting perspective on tangihanga through the eyes of the tupāpakū (deceased). If you have experience of attending tangi, or just being on the marae for whaikōrero, you will probably find all the little nuances delightful. If not, then you're in for some learning.
May 31, 2026
Probably a funeral is supposed to be quiet serious, especially when it someone with as much mana as Koko, but I found myself laughing more then not, the kids in particular are so cheeky. Koko made is presence felt despite watching on from the other side and I loved the paralell between the bull headedness of two iwi going head to head and then combining forces against actual bulls. What a laugh!
June 20, 2026
Excellent historical novel set mainly at Parirua Pa, Patea, South Taranaki during the 1940s.
I learned a bit of Taranaki history I never knew about before from it, like the Taranaki and Waikato Maori not go to fight in the Second World War because of the land confiscations they suffered, and broken promises of the veriuos governments.
All-in-all an excellent read.
Highly recommended!
I learned a bit of Taranaki history I never knew about before from it, like the Taranaki and Waikato Maori not go to fight in the Second World War because of the land confiscations they suffered, and broken promises of the veriuos governments.
All-in-all an excellent read.
Highly recommended!
September 4, 2026
I really loved the perspective and humorous tone. A lovely and relatable depiction of some important historical events. I found the protracted bull fight a bit bizarre, though the story remains rather charming for all its cheeky, clever and fearsome characters.
Written with a great deal of respect for the elders of these parts, a beautiful insight.
Written with a great deal of respect for the elders of these parts, a beautiful insight.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2025
From a gentle pā morning to full on riri! This was surprisingly good - I don't usually enjoy historical fiction but the clever dialogue made the novel feel immersive. It was fun despite the subject matter, and the characters were great. I appreciated t
March 30, 2026
Christmas reading #2 - Thanks mum!!!!
Genuinely such an experience and such a beautiful novel. I will be keeping an eye out for more books from Ngarewa. Have never read books from this time period either, and the WW2 backdrop was so interesting.
Genuinely such an experience and such a beautiful novel. I will be keeping an eye out for more books from Ngarewa. Have never read books from this time period either, and the WW2 backdrop was so interesting.
August 16, 2026
A slow burn, in a good way, but utterly compelling. A dramatic finish which may have been unrealistic in another setting but totally convincing in this one. Read it from start to finish, couldn’t put it down!
December 20, 2025
Amazing! Beautiful! Best book I have read all year! Could not put it down. Read it in 2 days, which is unheard of for me.
January 1, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
February 23, 2026
Ngarewa's writing transports you to North Island New Zealand and a Maori pā in the 1940's. This story is woven with humor, despite some very heavy themes.
March 7, 2026
A wonderful read. I recommend adding a glossary of Maori words to help make this charming, clever story a hit with overseas readers.
March 10, 2026
Beautiful novel.
April 26, 2026
This wasn’t what I was expecting it to be, and I’m so glad for that. Many tears were wept.
May 27, 2026
A slow start which made more sense when I reread it after finishing. Written in the voice of Koko, it has lessons amongst the story. Something to cry and laugh about. And much to take to heart.
June 5, 2026
Classic Aotearoa novel, enjoyable, realistic, that is excluding the after-death state (sort-of Christian).
July 1, 2026
Really enjoy this author’s voice and telling of stories
July 19, 2026
I did not enjoy the style of writing in this book at all! Very slow moving, overly descriptive & lacking of an actual storyline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews