The novel begins with a description of the ancient geological past, before the islands of Hawaii had even formed. Millions of years pass, with island chains emerging through the surface of the ocean and later disappearing beneath it. Eventually, the volcanic islands of Hawaii form. While bird species and plant species eventually propagate themselves throughout Hawaii, nothing there can support human life. The narrator says, “In these islands there is no certainty. Bring your own food, your own gods, your own flowers and fruits and concepts. For if you come without resources to these islands you will perish [...] On these harsh terms the islands waited” (41).

In the year 817 CE, 2,400 miles south of Hawaii, inhabitants of the island of Bora Bora and its neighbors have established a thriving culture. It is a warlike society that depends on the observance of many taboos (kapu) and uses blood sacrifice to appease its many gods. The enslaved class is treated badly and frequently slaughtered for sacrifice. A new god named Oro is being foisted upon the people by the powerful priestly class. Among many other victims, the High Priest of Bora Bora is planning to sacrifice the king, Tamatoa, and his younger brother, a navigator named