David Fitz-Gerald
Frontier & Pioneer Western Fiction
Rathuun: King of the Prairie
A Western Frontier Adventure
There's an army of barking rifles...
and they're all pointed at Rathuun.
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Reading Rathuun?
Moments from the Prairie
A cliff edge crumbles beneath pounding hooves at Tongue Creek Canyon.
The herd surges forward, driven toward the brink of a buffalo jump at the Big Hole River.
With a whistle and a scream, a train chugs toward him at Sherman Hill.
Two bulls collide, fighting for dominance at the foot of the Grand Tetons.
A buffalo assassin stalks them. Hide hunters loom with knives in hand.
Rathuun: King of the Prairie delivers action and adventure from the tip of one horn to the other.
Rathuun: King of the Prairie is an emotionally immersive, cinematic frontier story, combining the sweep of Dances with Wolves with the mythic depth of Watership Down.
The chapters are packed with danger and thunder past like a stampede.
Book Trailer
Book Description
With all the swagger of a classic western, a legendary buffalo claims his rightful place among the genre's most iconic heroes.
Meet Rathuun. Born in an idyllic canyon, tragedy strikes on his first day. A grizzly bear scatters the herd, devours his twin, and leaves him to shiver and die. But the buffalo calf survives.
The plains are changing fast. Wagons roll west in endless streams. Telegraph wires stretch across the horizon. Locomotives scream down polished rails, slicing through the earth. Extinction seems imminent when everyone wants to kill the biggest buffalo on the prairie. Native people shoot arrows and drive herds over cliffs. Hide hunters slaughter millions. An obsessed buffalo assassin is determined to wipe them all out and change the world forever. There's an army of barking rifles, and they're all pointed at Rathuun.
Will the hunters take Rathuun's head and leave his carcass to rot on the prairie?
This sweeping epic thunders across the American West, taking readers to unforgettable western landmarks. If you like classic westerns, thrilling action, and high-stakes historical adventures, grab your copy now.
Welcome to the Prairie!
Praise for Rathuun:
Editorial Review
"A sweeping saga of the transformation of the American West from a never-before-seen point of view... Readers will be astonished at how compelling and compulsively readable Rathuun's story is. Fitz-Gerald has created an easy path for readers to slip inside the skin of this majestic creature. Those with fond memories of James A. Michener's historical sagas like Centennial will see a resemblance to Rathuun's journey."
—Chanticleer Book Reviews ★★★★★ Highly Recommended
Editorial Review
"...an absolutely gorgeous story that follows the life of a buffalo and his pursuit of survival. This is an extremely thoughtful novel and unique..."
"Well written and immersive, I desperately want to read more of this type of inventive storytelling. I am now a true fan. This is the best book I have read all year."
—Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite ★★★★★ Very Highly Recommended
Editorial Review
"...a powerful, beautifully rendered frontier epic. Fitz-Gerald gives voice to the true spirit of the American West. [Fitz-Gerald] successfully avoids the trap of overly sentimentalized animal stories by embedding the narrative with a gritty, uncompromising realism. Highly recommended for fans of sweeping survival stories and historical adventure."
—Printed Word Reviews
Honors
Semi-Finalist — 2025 Laramie Book Awards for Westerns & Americana Fiction
Publicist's Synopsis
"David Fitz-Gerald delivers an unforgettable frontier adventure in Rathuun, a novel that offers a fresh perspective on the American West through the eyes of one extraordinary buffalo. Equal parts historical fiction, survival story, and sweeping epic, this is a book that will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page.
"From the moment Rathuun is born into a dangerous world, the story grips your attention. As settlers push westward, railroads carve through the prairie, and hide hunters relentlessly pursue the great buffalo herds, Rathuun's struggle for survival becomes a powerful reflection of one of the most transformative--and tragic--periods in American history. Rather than simply telling history, Fitz-Gerald immerses readers in it, making the changing frontier feel immediate and deeply personal.
"One of the novel's greatest strengths is its vivid storytelling. The action is constant, yet never overshadows the emotional depth of the narrative. Rathuun is more than an animal protagonist; he becomes a symbol of resilience, courage, and the enduring spirit of the American prairie. The supporting cast--both human and animal--adds richness to the story while highlighting the complex relationship between nature and civilization.
"Fitz-Gerald's passion for the American West shines through on every page. His meticulous historical research blends seamlessly with cinematic storytelling, creating breathtaking scenes that transport readers to towering mountain ranges, sprawling grasslands, buffalo jumps, and the ever-expanding frontier. The result is a novel that is as educational as it is entertaining.
"Whether you're a fan of historical fiction, westerns, wildlife stories, or epic adventures, Rathuun offers something special. it is a thrilling, emotional, and thought-provoking journey that celebrates the majesty of the American buffalo while reminding us of the fragile balance between progress and preservation. David Fitz-Gerald has crafted a remarkable story that deserves a place on every historical fiction and western reader's bookshelf."
— Krista Rolfzen Soukup
Blogger and Reader Reviews
"Delivers everything I enjoy in frontier adventure fiction. We get sweeping landscapes, danger, and a main character whose determination keeps the story moving at a brisk pace."
- My Reading Addiction ★★★★★
"I was immediately drawn into the rugged world of Rathuun: King of the Prairie"
- Novel News Network ★★★★★
"The author combines the historical elements of frontier survival and Western action while bringing authenticity."
- Texas Book Nook ★★★★★
"...the storyline hooked me and I couldn't put it down." ★★★★★
"I've never read a story like this, but it is an adventure I'll never forget..." ★★★★★
"I very much enjoyed following Rathuun on his journeys as he tangles with humans, other animals, and with other buffalo and finds a few allies along the way..." ★★★★
Excerpt
From Chapter 1, opening scene
Rathuun heard a fierce roar that rattled between his ears.
He had just finished nursing for the first time since he was born a thrum, hours earlier. His mother’s warm breath had tickled his flank just moments ago.
It was a peaceful morning on the prairie, but in a flash, everything had changed.
The thunderous roar boomed again. The entire brum was on the move.
In his haste to lead his followers away from danger, Drumm sounded the alarm and leapt forward. The old bull crashed into Rathuun, sending the thrum sprawling.
Rathuun’s legs wobbled as he tried to stand. It was a miracle that the collision hadn’t broken him. There was an instinctive pull to follow the brum, and it was centered beneath his chin, between his front legs.
He blinked rapidly, whipping his head from side to side, searching for his mother. Moments ago, she had been beside him. “Hathah!” he bleated, searching for the young cow who was his whole world.
But he knew she was gone. Gone with all the others. Why had she left him behind?
He shivered at the realization that he was all alone. His heart throbbed against his ribs. It was a struggle to make sense of what had happened.
Everything turned upside down and sideways. The panicked brum quickly vanished as the plains swallowed the pounding hooves and flashing tails, leaving nothing but a faint echo of their distant bellows.
It was eerily silent in the wake of the wild scatter of the buffalos’ frenzied exodus. Rathuun took a tentative step forward, not knowing what to do or which way to go.
Dust choked the air. His third, translucent eyelid swept sideways across his eye, clearing away the grit kicked up by the fleeing brum. He stood, dazed and completely alone.
Or so he thought. The silence quickly gave way to horrible sounds.
Rathuun turned his head. Twenty feet away, something moved. A dark, hulking monster hunched over something. Rathuun’s blood pounded with fear. There was a heavy thump in his chest. Then he saw the creature.
It was a rumbler.