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A Sky Full of Fire
Brief Description
Rotorua district, 1886. Englishman Cyprian Marsh has been despatched to the colonies in pursuit of his wayward half-brother. The only clue is the beautiful but mysterious Alice Bright, who has led him from the whorehouses of Melbourne to Te Wairoa, a tourist village near the Pink...
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A Sky Full of Fire
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A vivid and compelling historical novel set in 1886, recounting the final days of the Eighth Wonder of the World in Rotorua, New Zealand.
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Description
Rotorua district, 1886. Englishman Cyprian Marsh has been despatched to the colonies in pursuit of his wayward half-brother. The only clue is the beautiful but mysterious Alice Bright, who has led him from the whorehouses of Melbourne to Te Wairoa, a tourist village near the Pink and White Terraces, in the shadow of Mount Tarawera.
As the earth sends signs of impending doom, local Maori boy Mohi falls under the spell of the peculiar Reverend Lucius Steele. Torn between the beliefs of his people and Steele's apocalyptic prophecies, Mohi chooses to pursue vengeance when his friend is terribly wronged.
Blackly humorous and populated by complex and elusive characters, A Sky Full of Fire combines mystery, intrigue and vividly imagined history in the lead-up to the deadliest volcanic eruption in the history of Aotearoa.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781776891856
Publisher: David Bateman Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 October 2026
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: David Bateman Ltd
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 256
About the Author
SARAH ELL was born and raised on Auckland's North Shore and trained as a newspaper journalist before working in magazines and book publishing. She has a Bachelor of Arts in New Zealand history from Massey University and a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Auckland. She is the author of thirteen books for children and adults, including popular histories Lost Wonders (2020) and The Spirit of a Place (2025). She still lives on the North Shore, with her husband, yacht designer Rob Shaw, and their two children.
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