Hine and the Tohunga Portal – Ataria Sharman (Huia, $25)
Reviewed by Louise Ward, Wardini Books
Hine and her brother Hōhepa have just finished kura for the day. Hōhepa is annoying his big sister by singing loudly and proudly. She gets cross and he runs off into the woods where they'rereally not supposed to be.
Exasperated, she follows to retrieve him and is flabbergasted to see her wee brother snatched by fierce Māori warriors with completely black eyes, sharpened teeth and the hypnotised stares of those under a tohunga's spell.
Hine follows and is spun through a portal that takes her to a spirit world inhabited by atua Māori (including the highly grumpy and comedic grandmother of Māui), an enchanted dog, a very sweet moa, a staunch tribe of kea and the legendary fairy folk patupaiarehe.
Hine's mission is to find her brother and get them out of this terrifying world and home to their parents. She doesn't know who to trust – everyone seems to have an agenda and to want her to do things the hard way. But the hard way is how she learns and Hine is about to find out more about herself than she ever knew.
Hine's chapters are interspersed with what's happening to Hōhepa. He has been captured by the dreaded tohunga, Kae, who needs the boy for nefarious world dominating means.
Kae has an army of enchanted warriors and animals bound to him and their liberation becomes tied up in Hine's search for little bro. Both children are in mortal peril at every step of the way and there are epic scenes of battle that young readers will find thrilling (the more robust) and deliciously terrifying (the more squeamish).
Hine and the Tohunga Portal is an absolute joy. The adventure bursts out of every page, the world building is incredible and legendary te ao Māori brought vividly to life. I could not put it down and wondered what might be lurking through the mists of Aotearoa's time and space. Recommended for readers of about 10 years and up.
