Rathuun: King of the Prairie

A Western Frontier Adventure

COMING MARCH 20, 2026

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.

RATHUUN: King of the Prairie.

Characters/Cast

Protagonist

Rathuun (rah-thoon) - A bull, King of the Prairie

Lead Cast (Buffalo Characters)

Brakka-tha - A dominant queen, in charge of migration

Branneth (BRAN-neth) - A nurturing queen

Drekk - A rival bull

Drumm - Lead bull, a king (grath)

Garruum - Rathuun's uncle, mentor

Grolaan - The silent judge

Hathah - Rathuun's mother, she who knows the way

Huruuk (hoo-ROOK) - A thrum (calf)

Kruff - A lone bull in the desert

Murguun - A bull, from another herd (brum)

Saythaar (say-THAAR) - A doomsayer

Suurin (SOOR-in) - A steadfast queen

Wegg - A mystical queen

Zurrah (ZUR-rah) - A fierce queen

Supporting Cast (Buffalo Characters)

Ashuun - A thurm, Rathuun's sibling

Etuuway - A yearling cow, Wegg's daughter

Guur - A rival bull

Hoag (Hohg) - A rival bull

Jekkarn - A bull

Mourr - A thrum (calf)

Ohkekkah - A yearling cow, Brakka-tha's daughter

Tavvik - A cow

Thozz - A thrum

Vorraan - A bull, from another herd (brum)

Vrattak - A bull

Spiritual Characters

Druuvag - A legendary mammoth, the ancient pathmaker

Shaa-Luun - The Great Spirit

Non Buffalos

Bark, A buffalo assassin

Barrel, A hide hunter

Brindle, A cowhand (Seph Vermillion)

Na-Muh (nah-MOO) - A Kiowa (Lone Buffalo)

Puccoon - A captive

Tailwacker - A hide hunter

Twin men, young adults

Buffalo Language

Ah-kraath - to scratch

Ah-sha - to wallow

Ah-tumm - follow, to tail, to walk behind another

Brum - the herd

Glar - snow

Glar-ek - deep snow

Glar -tha - blinding snow

Glar-tok - good snow

Grath - lead bull, or king

Hruun - grass, life, the thing we follow

Hruun-ek - old grass, dry and bitter

Hruun-tha - hidden grass - the bite we seek

Hruun-tok - new grass, sweet shoots

Hruun-thurakk - the promised land, where the perfect bite of hruun grows

Tukk - river, creek, lake, pond, body of water

Thrum - a calf, little one

Buffalo Terminology

Buffalo see the world in terms of movement, behavior, and presence. Instead of focusing on what a creature is called in human language, the animals they experience are stated in buffalo terms.

Antelope/pronghorn/deer: Springers (leaping movement)

Bears: Rumblers (deep drowls, lumbering gait, occasional charge)

Birds: Flappers (constant movement, ever-present)

Cougars/mountain lions: Pouncers (attack with stealth)

Coyotes: Laughing shredders (high-pitched yips, not as feared as wolves)

Eagles/hawks/vultures and other birds of prey: Sky-shredders (predators from above)

Horses: Skyhoof, singular. Skyhoofs, plural (their hooves pound the earth, but they often appear to thunder across the plain without touching ground)

Humans: Striders (the way they move)

Insects: Zappers (constant motion, sometimes biting, like a spark)

Moose: Bog legs (habitat, and long legs)

Rabbits: Hoppers

Rodents: Burrowers (vanish into the ground)

Snakes: Slithers or ground-winders

Wolves: Shredders

Reading Group Guide

The Call of the Wild
In the opening chapter, Rathuun is tragically abandoned at birth and rescued by Na-Muh and Brun. How does this moment shape his journey? How does it set up the novel’s central themes of fate, faith, and survival?

The Great Migration
Buffalo instinctively follow the herd, yet Rathuun’s journey is defined by stepping away from that path. How does the tension between following and leading play out in his life? Does he ever truly reconcile these two instincts?

The Woolly Mammoth Legend
The ancient pathmaker, Druuvag, a Woolly Mammoth) leaves a legacy of ancient trails. What does this mythology add to the novel? How does it reflect real-life indigenous storytelling traditions?

The Buffalo Jump Tragedy
Rathuun experiences devastating losses at a buffalo jump. How does this experience alter his perception of danger, leadership, and survival? How do you think the story would have changed if this event had not happened?

Exile & The Search for Meaning
Rathuun wanders for years in self-imposed exile. What does his time at the Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, and Llano Estacado symbolize? How does it mirror the human quest for identity and purpose?

Return to the Herd
What changes when Rathuun reclaims his place among the buffalo? How does he challenge the status quo of leadership? Do you think he was right to take charge?

The Dark Years
Rathuun, at the height of his power, makes morally questionable choices—trampling an indigenous village and stampeding a town. Did these choices make him a villain? Did the story need this violent twist?

Faith and the Great Spirit
Throughout the novel, Rathuun hears the voice of Shaa-Luun only three times. Why do you think these moments were chosen? What is the significance of the final exchange, when Shaa-Luun says, “Come home?”

Hruun-thurakk and the Promised Land
The buffalo seek the perfect bite of grass—their promised land, Hruun-Thurakk—a place where they can be safe. How does this mirror human longing for purpose, safety, and a final resting place?

Survival vs. Legacy
Many of Rathuun’s choices can be viewed through the lens of survival, but by the end of the novel, it’s clear his greatest achievement is legacy. How does this novel redefine what it means to leave a lasting impact?

Symbolism & Takeaways
From the mammoth trails to the shifting herds, this novel is filled with symbolism. What resonated with you the most? Did any themes feel particularly relevant to our world today?

Final Thoughts
In the final moments, Shaa-Luun tells Rathuun:
"It is good you did these things. It was in your horns to do so."
What do you take away from this message? What does Rathuun’s story teach us about faith, fate, and the power of forging one’s own path?

Final Note for Book Clubs
This novel takes inspiration from indigenous storytelling, real historical events, and classic animal epics. Yet it was written as a classic western, full of action and adventure. How do you think it compares to other books in its genres? Would you consider Rathuun’s journey a triumph or a tragedy?

Ponderables

What animal do you think has the strongest sense of leadership?

Do you believe animals can feel a sense of destiny or purpose?

If you could follow a herd of animals on a great migration, which would you choose?

What comes to mind when you hear the words “King of the Prairie”?

What’s the wildest or most breathtaking place you’ve ever been?

What’s the most powerful animal legend you’ve ever heard?

If you were a buffalo, what would you want your name to be?

Which animal do you think would make the best storyteller?

Do you think animals have their own way of communicating deep emotions?

Have you ever felt like you were searching for something, but you weren’t sure what?

What does it mean to you to “leave a worthy path for those who follow”?

What is the most awe-inspiring wildlife encounter you’ve ever had?

If animals could pass down their own myths and legends, what kind of stories would they tell?

What place in the world feels the most sacred or untouched to you?

If you could live wild and free for a year, what landscape would you roam?

What do you think makes a great leader—strength, wisdom, or something else?

Do you think animals can have a spiritual connection to their land?

If you could ask your creator one question, what would it be?

What does the idea of “following a trail without seeing it” mean to you?

Why do you think humans are so drawn to stories about wild animals?

What does it mean to “follow” in this novel?

How does the buffalo concept of following differ from obedience or submission? Do you see a spiritual or societal wisdom in this way of life?

How does Rathuun’s journey reflect the path of a reluctant or evolving leader?

In what ways does he rise to the challenge—or resist it?

Which buffalo character did you relate to most—and why?

Did any of the rivals or queens surprise you? Did your opinion shift as the story progressed?

The spiritual legacies of Druuvag and Shaa-Luun are central to the buffalo worldview.

How does this mythology compare to human belief systems? What roles do these figures serve in the herd’s culture?

Much of the book centers around survival in the face of change.

What do the train, the hide hunters, and the disease-stricken herd symbolize about humanity’s impact on the natural world?

Discuss the concept of “Hoowahhubbaloo.” Was this celebration effective in deepening your emotional connection to the buffalo? How does it balance lightness with the story’s darker themes?

The novel never fully shifts to a human point of view, except through Na-Muh’s mystical connection. How did this choice affect your experience of the story? Did it deepen your immersion in buffalo consciousness?

The herd constantly searches for the “perfect bite” of grass. Is this just a survival instinct—or something more symbolic? How does this idea resonate with human longing or spiritual searching?

“The mammoth are gone, but the buffalo remain.” What does this final reflection say about legacy and resilience? Does it suggest hope—or just survival?

In what ways is this story similar to Watership Down—and how is it completely different? Is it helpful to compare animal-centered epics like this, or does it stand wholly apart?

What role does memory—both personal and ancestral—play in the buffalo worldview?

How do the buffalo hold on to the past, and how does that shape their movement toward the future?

Which moment hit you hardest emotionally—and why? Was it a death, a birth, a loss, or a lesson?

David Fitz-Gerald