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The Ghostkiller Trilogy #1
Scattered Leaves: The Legend of Ghostkiller
On the day after Christmas in 1862, thirty-eight innocent Dakota Sioux Indians were hanged in the largest mass execution in United States history. One hundred and fifty years later, Kyle Ghostkiller has the chance to go back and save them.
Kyle has just returned to town to accept a medicine bundle he has inherited from his ancestor, a man named Ghostkiller who was unjustly hanged in 1862. The ancient bundle contains tools giving Kyle the power to time travel. Arriving into town just after four teenagers are found brutally murdered, Kyle becomes a prime suspect; especially when the town gossip blames the Ghostkiller family curse during questioning by the FBI.
With Special Agent Lee Tarkington hot on his trail and a jilted, childhood sweetheart sabotaging his every move, Kyle escapes into the past where he must confront dark forces responsible for the murderous curse, or risk losing the "38" to the hangman's noose. It's a fierce battle between good and evil that Kyle must win.
Only the sacred ceremonies of his ancestors and Kyle's sheer determination will save his grandfather, but can he change history for the Great Sioux Nation?
Kyle has just returned to town to accept a medicine bundle he has inherited from his ancestor, a man named Ghostkiller who was unjustly hanged in 1862. The ancient bundle contains tools giving Kyle the power to time travel. Arriving into town just after four teenagers are found brutally murdered, Kyle becomes a prime suspect; especially when the town gossip blames the Ghostkiller family curse during questioning by the FBI.
With Special Agent Lee Tarkington hot on his trail and a jilted, childhood sweetheart sabotaging his every move, Kyle escapes into the past where he must confront dark forces responsible for the murderous curse, or risk losing the "38" to the hangman's noose. It's a fierce battle between good and evil that Kyle must win.
Only the sacred ceremonies of his ancestors and Kyle's sheer determination will save his grandfather, but can he change history for the Great Sioux Nation?
350 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2008
18 people are currently reading
838 people want to read
About the author
Lynny Prince
10 books14 followersLynny Prince is an award-winning producer, author, and musician who hails from the midwest. Please visit www.lynnyprince.org to learn more.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 26, 2012
SPOILER ALERT!
This review contains an examination of the book's ending.
This book tells the story of Kyle Ghostkiller and a group he leads into the past to attempt to right a wrong that led to death, destruction and misery in the present time. The premise of this story is fascinating and the author writes in an engaging style. The story flows pretty well and the characters are likable. I especially like the way this author handles spooky scenes. There are some real shiver-worthy ones in this story.
All that being said, this is a book in dire need of a professional edit. There exist some technical flaws that impede full enjoyment. There are typographical errors and frequent jumps between present- and past-tense narrative when referring to the same point in time, forcing the reader to work a little too hard to sort out what's being conveyed. Of greater concern are issues related to plot points. At one point, a lance--a pivotal item--is left behind. It reappears later in a character's hands with no explanation. I found it a little bizarre that Kyle was able to resist even talking to Nina for years but, now that the fate of his people hangs in the balance, he repeatedly takes time out from his mission to woo her. It's understandable he's afraid he might die but that prospect isn't even given consideration until late in the book, after he's already gone off the rails several times.
The most serious issue I have is with the ending of the book. The characters presumably have altered history, creating a new world in which the Indian Nation exists independently of the White Nation. In fact, in the world they helped create in the past, the ability of Whites to even travel onto Indian lands was severely restricted.
So how is it that these protagonists--all of whom are mixed-blood or White--even exist in the new present-day world they helped make?
I don't get it. Seriously.
All along, I thought something was going to HAPPEN.
I was surprised by the characters' thoughts that they--White and Indian alike--would still be themselves, even if they managed to change the past and keep Whites off the Indian lands. A past such as that couldn't have led to a future in which they knew each other as they did based on the original past.
The author spends no time on examination of that possibility and, in fact, the characters talk about all they'll do when they've accomplished their mission so it seems the possibility of being strangers never crosses their minds. That's an odd flaw to find in a story focused on time travel and the related potential for altering the present by changing the past. Even with a fantasy-based story, some laws of cause-and-effect would apply far beyond the protagonists' primary goal.
I thought the characters might be missing that point so the author could surprise them with... well, some surprises... after they changed the past. I figured they'd all end up in completely different circumstances, by the end of the book. But, no, they leave the past and return to the present and their relationships still exist, all based on the past they just eradicated.
My frustration with the book's flaws can be blamed on one thing: I REALLY LIKED THIS STORY!!! It's unique. It's memorable. Overall, it's pretty well-written. If not for those flaws, it could have been not just a really good book, but a great book, the kind for which a 5-star review system just doesn't go high enough.
If you're looking for a book that offers a serious examination of issues related to time travel, this isn't it.
If, however, you're interested in Sioux history and what might have been, and if you want to read about likable characters coming together to achieve a common goal, you likely will very much enjoy this tale. I did.
The most important factor in a book's worth? The reader misses it when it's done.
I miss this story. I miss these characters. Lynny Prince moved me as few authors do.
This review contains an examination of the book's ending.
This book tells the story of Kyle Ghostkiller and a group he leads into the past to attempt to right a wrong that led to death, destruction and misery in the present time. The premise of this story is fascinating and the author writes in an engaging style. The story flows pretty well and the characters are likable. I especially like the way this author handles spooky scenes. There are some real shiver-worthy ones in this story.
All that being said, this is a book in dire need of a professional edit. There exist some technical flaws that impede full enjoyment. There are typographical errors and frequent jumps between present- and past-tense narrative when referring to the same point in time, forcing the reader to work a little too hard to sort out what's being conveyed. Of greater concern are issues related to plot points. At one point, a lance--a pivotal item--is left behind. It reappears later in a character's hands with no explanation. I found it a little bizarre that Kyle was able to resist even talking to Nina for years but, now that the fate of his people hangs in the balance, he repeatedly takes time out from his mission to woo her. It's understandable he's afraid he might die but that prospect isn't even given consideration until late in the book, after he's already gone off the rails several times.
The most serious issue I have is with the ending of the book. The characters presumably have altered history, creating a new world in which the Indian Nation exists independently of the White Nation. In fact, in the world they helped create in the past, the ability of Whites to even travel onto Indian lands was severely restricted.
So how is it that these protagonists--all of whom are mixed-blood or White--even exist in the new present-day world they helped make?
I don't get it. Seriously.
All along, I thought something was going to HAPPEN.
I was surprised by the characters' thoughts that they--White and Indian alike--would still be themselves, even if they managed to change the past and keep Whites off the Indian lands. A past such as that couldn't have led to a future in which they knew each other as they did based on the original past.
The author spends no time on examination of that possibility and, in fact, the characters talk about all they'll do when they've accomplished their mission so it seems the possibility of being strangers never crosses their minds. That's an odd flaw to find in a story focused on time travel and the related potential for altering the present by changing the past. Even with a fantasy-based story, some laws of cause-and-effect would apply far beyond the protagonists' primary goal.
I thought the characters might be missing that point so the author could surprise them with... well, some surprises... after they changed the past. I figured they'd all end up in completely different circumstances, by the end of the book. But, no, they leave the past and return to the present and their relationships still exist, all based on the past they just eradicated.
My frustration with the book's flaws can be blamed on one thing: I REALLY LIKED THIS STORY!!! It's unique. It's memorable. Overall, it's pretty well-written. If not for those flaws, it could have been not just a really good book, but a great book, the kind for which a 5-star review system just doesn't go high enough.
If you're looking for a book that offers a serious examination of issues related to time travel, this isn't it.
If, however, you're interested in Sioux history and what might have been, and if you want to read about likable characters coming together to achieve a common goal, you likely will very much enjoy this tale. I did.
The most important factor in a book's worth? The reader misses it when it's done.
I miss this story. I miss these characters. Lynny Prince moved me as few authors do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced paperback supernatural type story that I received as a part of Goodread's first reads program. The book had a historical Indian base that I was strongly attracted to because of my own distant Indian heritage that I, like the characters in the book, was cheated out of. The book has a lot of action, a little history, a lot of suspense, a little love story, murder, curse, & even time travel. I was a little skeptical going in because I thought "Indians & time travel to prevent a murdering curse that is terrorizing a community" ?? The writer pulled it off beautifully & it just left me wishing it was possible to actually change the past. I found it presented in a way that was both entertaining and believable. There was enough history to inform without boring the reader & to bring you into what was happening & why.
The book begins with describing the Legend of Ghostkiller. Ghostkiller was the name of an Indian man who was hanged with other Indians despite the fact that president Abraham Lincoln had pardoned him for crimes some Indians committed against citizens after the Indians had been cheated, starved, & mistreated. Ghostkiller foretold that gruesome murders would befall the community until his grandson (several generations into the future) corrected the unfair treatment. The killings do occur as foretold & Kyle Ghostkiller is raised and trained to use a special power to travel back in time, after his 25th birthday, to correct the unfair treatment to the Indians. A few different people are to accompany him on his journey to complete his destiny as prejudice FBI agents try to capture them for the most recent murders that have taken place.
Many people in the book have special, mysterious powers which I find fascinating. The action keeps you on your toes as you read & truly makes me wonder "what if". What if the Indians had been treated fairly and not had their land taken away? What if treaties had been honored? What if better treaties had been drawn up & been honored? What if you could go back in time and make it all right?
It is kind of like Back To the Future meets something that actually mattered. I loved it! I hope the next book in the series does this one justice.
The book begins with describing the Legend of Ghostkiller. Ghostkiller was the name of an Indian man who was hanged with other Indians despite the fact that president Abraham Lincoln had pardoned him for crimes some Indians committed against citizens after the Indians had been cheated, starved, & mistreated. Ghostkiller foretold that gruesome murders would befall the community until his grandson (several generations into the future) corrected the unfair treatment. The killings do occur as foretold & Kyle Ghostkiller is raised and trained to use a special power to travel back in time, after his 25th birthday, to correct the unfair treatment to the Indians. A few different people are to accompany him on his journey to complete his destiny as prejudice FBI agents try to capture them for the most recent murders that have taken place.
Many people in the book have special, mysterious powers which I find fascinating. The action keeps you on your toes as you read & truly makes me wonder "what if". What if the Indians had been treated fairly and not had their land taken away? What if treaties had been honored? What if better treaties had been drawn up & been honored? What if you could go back in time and make it all right?
It is kind of like Back To the Future meets something that actually mattered. I loved it! I hope the next book in the series does this one justice.
January 22, 2013
Kyle Ghostkiller, a decendent of the Dakota 38 who were hung in 1862 after the Sioux Uprising, journeys into the past to break a curse that has haunted the small Minnesota town of Moccasin Flats since the day of the hanging.
I first read Scattered Leaves when it was published in 2011. It was such a fantastic read that I was compelled to read it again. Ms. Prince is a wonderful storyteller, weaving her characters through a web of history, romance, and fantasy that captivated me from the first page to the last. Two thumbs up. I am anxiously waiting for the sequel.
Terrie McClay
Author of Wind in the Grasses Dancing
I first read Scattered Leaves when it was published in 2011. It was such a fantastic read that I was compelled to read it again. Ms. Prince is a wonderful storyteller, weaving her characters through a web of history, romance, and fantasy that captivated me from the first page to the last. Two thumbs up. I am anxiously waiting for the sequel.
Terrie McClay
Author of Wind in the Grasses Dancing
October 29, 2019
Very intriguing
The story was very intriguing. Kept me reading and waiting to see what happens on the next page. It is such a terrible waste of energy to see so much hatred in the world. If we could only step back in time to change things, I am sure even that would be abused. Great story and such passion! Thank you Lynny!!
The story was very intriguing. Kept me reading and waiting to see what happens on the next page. It is such a terrible waste of energy to see so much hatred in the world. If we could only step back in time to change things, I am sure even that would be abused. Great story and such passion! Thank you Lynny!!
Read
December 12, 2020A spiritual insight into Indian Sioux heritage and time travel to change the past and therefore change the future. But at what cost? A great read indeed.
October 25, 2015
5 stars is not enough.
I am tempted to go back and downgrade every one of my reviews by 1 star just to make this book stand out as it deserves, but that really wouldn't convey the message correctly so let me just state that this book 'stands apart' and is well worth the 5 stars and then some. Never mind any editing flaws - the story is that good.
My ancestors on both sides were in the New Ulm region of Minnesota at the time of the Uprising and the infamous massacre that is central to the theme of this book. I grew up hearing the stories that passed down through my mother's family, from her grandmother who was a child at the time, to my grandmother, to my mother and then to myself and to my children as well.
However the stories that I heard always emphasized at the start that the Indians were dealt with unfairly by the Indian Agents, and that the Uprising was justified - yet the white settlers were no less terrified and terrorized for the justification.
It was a weighty and somber telling, of sadness and loss and despair on both sides, as I heard the stories told.
So the history behind this book is part of my history and my interest in the tale maybe more personal and deeper felt than another casual reader may find. Setting that personal interest factor aside, it's a well told tale, well written, fantastic characters who are fleshed out by the author and are not cardboard cutouts or caricatured clichés.
There is a uniquely rendered paranormal aspect woven throughout with an infusion, respectfully done, of the Native American ways and point of view.
My review won't tell you what the storyline is, plot details, or give any spoilers. The only thing you need to know about this book is - you should read it if anything I've said resonates with you at all.
I am tempted to go back and downgrade every one of my reviews by 1 star just to make this book stand out as it deserves, but that really wouldn't convey the message correctly so let me just state that this book 'stands apart' and is well worth the 5 stars and then some. Never mind any editing flaws - the story is that good.
My ancestors on both sides were in the New Ulm region of Minnesota at the time of the Uprising and the infamous massacre that is central to the theme of this book. I grew up hearing the stories that passed down through my mother's family, from her grandmother who was a child at the time, to my grandmother, to my mother and then to myself and to my children as well.
However the stories that I heard always emphasized at the start that the Indians were dealt with unfairly by the Indian Agents, and that the Uprising was justified - yet the white settlers were no less terrified and terrorized for the justification.
It was a weighty and somber telling, of sadness and loss and despair on both sides, as I heard the stories told.
So the history behind this book is part of my history and my interest in the tale maybe more personal and deeper felt than another casual reader may find. Setting that personal interest factor aside, it's a well told tale, well written, fantastic characters who are fleshed out by the author and are not cardboard cutouts or caricatured clichés.
There is a uniquely rendered paranormal aspect woven throughout with an infusion, respectfully done, of the Native American ways and point of view.
My review won't tell you what the storyline is, plot details, or give any spoilers. The only thing you need to know about this book is - you should read it if anything I've said resonates with you at all.
July 22, 2012
First sentences, "The bright moon did little to light the black leaves as they danced their dead dance in the brisk wind. Howling as it was, their faint murmurs could still be heard: Skittle, skittle scratch! Skittle, skittle scratch! A lone streetlight, a single beacon of life along the dark and deserted road, blew out as the leaves scampered past. It was as if the leaves needed a shroud of darkness for their mission; and though they could do little about the moon, the streetlight was but a nuisance.
CHAPTER 1 Father Wilson O’Rourke was locking the doors to St. Paul’s Catholic Church when he heard the familiar sound that had haunted him for so many years. The blustery winds of the impending fall season hummed around his ears sending a chill down his spine. He gave pause, straining to listen to the other unmistakable noise he heard."
Prince, Lynny (2011-12-10). Scattered Leaves: The Legend of Ghostkiller (The Ghostkiller Trilogy) (pp. 2-3). . Kindle Edition.
CHAPTER 1 Father Wilson O’Rourke was locking the doors to St. Paul’s Catholic Church when he heard the familiar sound that had haunted him for so many years. The blustery winds of the impending fall season hummed around his ears sending a chill down his spine. He gave pause, straining to listen to the other unmistakable noise he heard."
Prince, Lynny (2011-12-10). Scattered Leaves: The Legend of Ghostkiller (The Ghostkiller Trilogy) (pp. 2-3). . Kindle Edition.
May 20, 2012
Amazing, most riveting book I have red. The author has included all of what readers like: Native Am. History about a time not so long ago; Action, drama, romance, suspense, paranormal, and time travel on a what if.... A story among many that is long overdue to be written about by one whose heart and spirit lies tragically close to the innocent one. Once the book is taken into hand, one cannot put it sown until the last word has been read. two thumbs up on readability, as well as vivid pictures in ones mind on the characters and scenes. A book that can be read over and over; This will be a great Movie .
April 20, 2013
Interesting read. Brought back to my attention the disservice we had for the Indian people of the US. The greed and non caring attitude shown to our fellow man on earth. Love the thought of time travel and this book did not disappoint.
March 9, 2016
I enjoyed the culture, historical and spirituality aspect of this story - I loved the time-travel twist and wish that could have happened to save all the indigenous people of Turtle Island. I have high hopes for the rest of the series.
May 27, 2012
Amazing story of the past that draws me in for more and more. Really a great book, keep up the good work Lynny! Looking forward to the rest of the series. :)
December 16, 2012
Light reading, combining fantasy with mystery and history, It manages to capture one's attention from cover to cover
February 11, 2013
Couldn't get into it :-(
Want to Read
February 15, 2013Kindle freebie, 2/15/13
May 27, 2013
It was just ok. I think I will enjoy the next book(s) in the series more, because it did make me think about how the folks who went back in time changed their future.
July 22, 2015
Good story
It was a good story just a shame it was way too short could be expanded a lot with more back story and history change people places
It was a good story just a shame it was way too short could be expanded a lot with more back story and history change people places
December 22, 2017
I loved this book .
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews