Only the wicked are offered,” says the priest—and Captain Cook believes him. But when painted warriors hurl spears at his crew on a nameless reef island, even that belief is shaken.
As HMS Resolution sails away from Tahiti in May 1774, the cannon fire masks more than just ritual—it conceals heartache, temptation, and unresolved tensions. Onboard, a sailor dreams of paradise and dives for it. Onshore in Huaheine, Cook’s crew finds not only coconuts and courtesies but theft, ambush, and a mocking dance that wounds more deeply than any weapon.