There I was, listening to my sci-fi/fantasy audiobook, deep in space in an unknown galaxy, talking to the Necromancer God. Then among words like “thanergy”, “thalergy”, “mithraeum”, and “heptanary” was “Otago”. I cannot begin to describe the mental and physical whiplash I got while cooking dinner.
Nothing breaks your immersion quite like hearing the name of the couch-burning city I once considered moving to. But also, by this point, I was halfway through book two and wondering if I had missed any hints or outright confessions from book one.
But as you can expect, from this point on, anytime “God” spoke I stopped to pay extra attention to what he was saying just in case he had any more secrets about New Zealand tucked away in this book. And sure enough he begins to reveal book one wasn’t set in some made-up galaxy created by the author, but in the Milky Way.
Then you realise book one takes place on Pluto, then Earth. And not to mention the God of Necromancy is not only a Kiwi, but he’s Māori!
Naturally, after discovering the hidden Kiwis in this epic space series, Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb series has skyrocketed into one of my favourite book series. But what makes me laugh about these series of revelations, is I could have been in the know! Had I issued the book from the library, instead of listening to it on Libby.
I would have seen the New Zealand Author sticker stuck to the spine. I would have been looking for the clues, and I probably would have picked the book up off the shelf sooner, to see what cultural influences Muir might have used.
In the midst of exploring fantastical realms and distant galaxies, a surprising connection to our own slice of paradise emerges, revealing the delightful vanity and pride we New Zealanders hold for our nation. As avid readers, let us not overlook the hidden gems within our libraries, where tales intertwine with our cultural identity, offering both an escape and a celebration of the land we call home.
Top 10 books
Latest in Large Print
The 20th Victim by James Patterson
The Second Chance Hotel by Sierra Godfrey
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
Triple Cross by James Patterson
Anna O by Matthew Blake
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Fools’ Frontier by E. Jefferson Clay
An American Beauty by Shana Abe
Class : A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land
What You Are Looking For Is in The Library by Michiko Aoyama
What’s On
Heritage room:
Volunteers staff the Heritage rooms at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Tuesday to Saturday at the following times:
Tuesday, 10.00am -12.30pm
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10.00am – 12.30pm and 1.00pm- 3.00pm
Saturday 10.00am – 12.00pm
Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Heritage Room has the Research librarian available all day every Friday.
Friday 17 May:
Friday Live Concert, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm – 1pm
Jim Redmond Crib Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm
SeniorNet, Get help with your tablets, phones and laptops
Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10am – 12pm
Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 2pm – 3pm
Code Club, Shannon Library, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Saturday 18 May:
Wellington Community Choir Performance, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm – 12.30pm
Sunday 19 May:
Jazz Jam, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 2pm
Monday 20 May:
Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am – 2pm
Storytime, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 10.30am
Meet Street, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 11pm
Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm
H.U.G Horowhenua Ukulele Group, Main Space, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am – 12pm
Simply Meditation, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm – 1pm, koha
Digital Learning: Foundation Skills, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm
Knitting Workshop, Shannon Library, 1pm – 3pm
Youth Week, After School programme, The Youth Space, 3.30pm – 5.30pm
Tuesday 21 May:
Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am – 2pm
Digital Learning: Discovering Family History, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am – 1pm
Justice of the Peace, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11.30pm – 1.30pm
500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm, $2
Lego Hour, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Youth Week, After School programme, The Youth Space, 3.30pm – 5.30pm
Wednesday 22 May:
Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am – 2pm
Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm
Crochet & Coffee Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10.30am
Digital Learning: Smartphone Basics, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm
Code Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 4pm – 5pm
Youth Week, Laser Tag, The Youth Space, Ages 10+: 4pm – 6pm, Ages 12+: 6pm – 9pm
Pop Up Eats Horowhenua, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Carpark, 5pm – 8pm
Quiz Night, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 7pm – 9pm, $5
Thursday 23 May:
Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am – 2pm
Digital Drop-Ins Session, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm
Sewing Workshop, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am – 12pm
Digital Learning: eLibrary Discovery Session, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm
500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm – 3pm, $2
Youth Week, Rangatahi Space Jam, Levin vs Palmy, The Youth Space, 4.30pm – 9pm
Youth Week, Shannon Movie Night, Shannon Memorial Hall, 5pm – 7pm
