The Apparition Trail [Paperback]

Lisa Smedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2004

Steampunk meets the supernatural in a Canada that might have been....

The year is 1884, and Corporal Marmaduke Grayburn of the North West Mounted Police always gets his man. But when he is assigned to the secretive Qdivision - an elite unit of paranormal investigators founded by legendary Mountie Sam Steele - Grayburn discovers that his own psychic powers might lead to more than he bargained for.

With the aid of the eccentric paranormal researcher Arthur Chambers, Grayburn sets out in search of a missing minister and a magical Native artifact known only as the Manitou Stone. But in a land where perpetual motion machines and locomotives meet ancient sorcery, can Grayburn discover the secret of the stone and maintain the uneasy peace between the scattered Indian tribes and settlers? Or will his own buried secrets lead him towards the dark fate that waits at the end of the Apparition Trail?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Apparition Trail, is a heady combination of both historical fantasy and science fiction ... a truly ripping tale of adventure ... a fun, fast paced yarn with several unexpected twists." - Arinn Dembo, Vancouver Courier -

About the Author

Lisa Smedman is an author and a game designer. She has done ­extensive work on various role playing games for Wizards of the Coast, TSR and the ­extremely popular game - Deadlands! She is the author of five best ­selling Shadowrun novels - including The Lucifer Deck, Blood Sport, Psychotrope, The ­Forever Drug and Tails You Lose. In addition, Lisa has authored two novels and contributed numerous short stories for anthologies set in the ­Forgotten Realms world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Tesseract Books; 1 edition (May 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894063228
• ISBN-13: 978-1894063227
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,146,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good alternate history, September 11, 2004

By 

Paul Lappen (Manchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Apparition Trail (Paperback)

This book is set in 1880s Canada, eh? But, in this world, the moon has acquired a slow orbit on its axis, due to being struck by a comet several years previously. Also, the secret of perpetual motion machines and magnetic locomotives have been discovered and put to practical use.

Corporal Marmaduke Grayburn of the Northwest Mounted Police is one of those building the western frontier. For most of his life, he has been plagued by prophetic dreams and "hunches," one of which saved his life. He is assigned to the secretive Q Division, a unit of paranormal investigators.

With help from an eccentric psychic researcher named Arthur Chambers, Grayburn investigates the sudden disappearance of a Methodist missionary and his family. Also gone is an Indian artifact of great power called the Manitou Stone.

These are hard times for the local Indian tribes. The buffalo, on which they depend, are almost gone. A Cree sorcerer, Wandering Spirit, plans to use the power of the Stone to bring about the long-prophecied Day of Changes, when the natives of western Canada will reclaim their stolen lands. Also included in this story are underground tunnels where time and distance work very differently than aboveground, and the spirit of a white buffalo forced into the body of a newborn child too early.

This novel is really good. Much of it is based on actual history. It's just weird enough to be interesting, the characters are real people, and it's very well done. It is well worth reading.