Kamehameha: The Rise of a King

by David Kawika Eyre, Brook Kapukuniahi Parker (Illustrator)

The Rise of a King is a work of historical fiction about Kamehameha, the great hero of Hawai‘i. The stories highlight people, places and events that shaped Kamehameha’s life and led him to become Kana‘iaupuni, the Conqueror of the Islands. Signs and prophecies had predicted Kamehameha’s rise to power, but there was also fierce resistance to his leadership. The Rise of a King shows how Kamehameha overcame opposition and reached his destiny as father of the Hawaiian nation."Fearless and compassionate, intelligent and wise, resourceful and resilient, talented and expert—there is none better to model these attributes of our kūpuna than Kamehameha ‘Ekahi! He remains a beacon for all, and every Hawaiian must know his story!" —Michael Chun"Kamehameha's strength of character, deep sense of purpose, and ability to bring his people together around his mana and genealogy are all traits of leadership that can inspire young people today." —Nainoa Thompson"Like the great niuhi shark, this story is fierce and graceful, mysterious and wise. Each page offers new adventures and insights about the boy who became king and the king who became Kana‘iaupuni." —Winona Kaweheonālani Farias

Genres: Historical Fiction

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

David L. "Kawika" Eyre is a schoolteacher and author of books on Hawaii for children and adults.

Reviews

[Ayush Majumdar · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, 'Kamehameha: The Rise of a King' may seem like an extremely dull book to read. However, even if you are not a great fan of history, this may still be one of the few history books that you will ever find interesting. 'Kamehameha: The Rise of a King' is split into twelve chapters, each telling about an important part of Kamehameha's life, from his birth to his death. This book expresses the culture of the Hawaiians in great detail, and in an accurate format. The grammar in the book uses hundreds of Hawaiian words that give an exceptional visualization of Hawaii from about 200 years ago. All in all, I think that this book is a fun, yet knowledgeable piece of history that can easily capture one's attention.
'Kamehameha: The Rise of a King' starts before the birth of Kamehameha. In chapter one, Kamehameha's birth is explained, and how he became the victim of attempted murder because of the current chief's decision to kill him. According to the chief, Kamehameha was 'cursed'. Therefore, they thought that they needed to eliminate Kamehameha. However, they failed. Every chapter after this one explained about a highlight of Kamehameha's life, in the form of a timeline. For example, chapter two explained about the hard work of his early childhood, and chapter twelve told about his last actions and his death. Most of the chapters in the middle were about war and his most beloved wife Ka'ahumanu. The book mainly described Kamehameha's rise to becoming Kana‘iaupuni, the Conqueror of all of the Hawaiian Islands. All in all, 'Kamehameha: The Rise of a King' gives an accurate description of the life and lifestyle of the important Hawaiian ruler, Kamehameha.

[Dorothy Tonga · Rating 5 out of 5]

YA Nonfiction Lit Circle Book - ENG 420

It begins with complications and threats surrounding the birth of Kamehameha. He was a prophecy told by many Hawaiian 'kahuna.' It was promised he would be a great ruler who would unite the Hawaiian Islands and help all his people live in unity and prosperity. Hidden away from those who wanted him dead, Kamehameha was raised by a Hawaiian woman named Kaha. He grew up strong and fierce and began his journey to fulfill the prophecy told of him. That he did! I loved this book! It is now one of my favorites to read and I would recommend this to everyone. It was easy to follow and read. The details and description of the events were thrilling! Some even got me on edge as I read it. I even learned some Hawaiian words and culture with it. Great historical novel!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My YALO Lit circle book
This is a historical fiction novel that follows the life of Kamehemaha, the great hero of the Hawaiian islands. It tells of stories that highlight places, people, and events that occurred throughout this hero's life that all came together and led him to become The Conquerer of the Islands.
As someone who is actually a quarter Hawaiian, which isn't much but rare nonetheless, reading this and reading stories of Kamehemaha and learning about the Hawaiian culture and being able to read some Hawaiian words, was a very cool experience and made it very easy for me to enjoy this novel.
Ranking: ****

[Holly Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like historical fiction, then you will love this book. Read about Kamehameha's childhood and rise to King through this narrative. Learn about his obstacles and character traits. It is a quick and engaging read. This will put a new perspective on stories that you have probably already heard growing up in Hawaii.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an hula ʻōlapa (dancer of hula), it is my kuleana (responsibility) to have the ʻike (knowledge) of the aliʻi, ʻāina and all that encompasses the culture of Hawaiʻi. This book is a wonderful source to help collect the wisdom and build one’s knowledge of Kamehameha, his lineage and how the islands came to be united. A wonderful read.

[Charlene Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: YALO lit circle book.

This book starts with the prophecies of King Kamehameha. It continues to show throughout the book how those prophecies were fulfilled. Throughout the book there is the use of native Hawaiian. There is also many sources found at the end of the books gives the book a high merit. I enjoyed seeing the different illustrations throughout.

[MJ Dinong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up from the Ho'oka'a library just a little ways away from Waipi'o Valley and Lapahoehoe! There are signs detailing Kamehameha's history at those sites. Reading this felt like a kupuna telling me old stories of our first king and I loved every little bit of it.

[C.L. Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good exploration of what it might have been like at the time of King Kamehameha. A rich cast of characters and well written.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fictional account of the life of Kamehameha (1758-1819), the first king of Hawai’i. The narrative is poetic, lyrical, and descriptive, with Hawaiian phrases and chants. Eyre brings to life a Kamehameha who is thoughtful, reflective, innovative, and open to new ideas. Caught between chiefly law and godly kapu, Eyre depicts a philosophical and humble Kamehameha, one who reveals, “The sacred purpose of my life is to care for my people.” (page 141). Kamehameha’s life takes on some aspects of Hercules and King Arthur: After the shooting star that heralded his destiny, and living his childhood in secrecy, Kamehameha had to accomplish three tasks to conquer Hawai’i: kill a niuhi shark and eats its eye, taking its fierceness into himself; overturn the Naha Stone in Hilo, which only the highest ali’i can touch; and build Pu’ukohalā Heiau, to assure his favor with the gods. There is even an Oedipus-like revelation, that he fought his own father Kahekili, chief of O’ahu, and his brother Kalanikūpule. I enjoyed the story of the lumpy poi, when Eyre envisions Kamehameha as a child – Nae’ole tells him, “Eat all of it. Next time you work until there are no lumps left” (page 30).

There is a rational and balanced account of the interactions with Captain Cook, and the cultural misunderstands that led to his death. We see the Hawaiians’ confusion (Cook challenges their belief in Lono) and the Europeans’ desperation (they were in poor health and needed supplies).

[John Brissette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent history that's reads well

Firstly allow me to disclose my bias. Hawaii is "home" even if I'm not currently living there physically. Kamehameha I is a personal hero. So there's a lot of reasons for me to want to read this. Unlike many historical biographies however, this reads as an excellent hero/adventure story. The kupuna come to life through the words & even tho I've heard some of these events many many times, I've never had them recounted like this. Fresh, adventurous, entertaining and fun. A great read.

[Joseph-Asiata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading about places that I grew up visiting in context of King Kamehameha and his story. While the details between the historical events were sometimes sparse and character descriptions left me wanting more at times, I greatly appreciated how Eyre stayed true to native Hawaiian diction and metaphorical language. The importance of the Kanaka and their relationship to the 'Aina is a theme that shines through to the end and resonates with the Young Adults of Hawai'i today.