As civil war breaks out in New Zealand, Maggie arrives on it's shores, homesick and haunted. The eerie gift she possesses frightens her and she is abused if she fails to hide it. Soon she is on the run from her bleak home life, plunged into a world of dangerous men. Initially terrified of the fearsome Māori warriors, fighting for their land, she becomes fascinated when she meets Rei, a young warrior with a ghostly past of his own.
Kahus' way of life and her family have been torn apart by relentless waves of British immigrants, and now by muskets and cannons. With her survival at stake, she finds an unlikely ally wearing a tattered uniform in Matthew, the deserting bugle-boy. However, there is something uncanny about her new friend. Can he really be trusted?
The young women's paths cross and then intertwine in a landscape filled with terror, as they fight for their lives, their freedom, and love.
A glossary of Māori words has been provided at the end of the book.