Author’s Note

These events take place north of Lake Superior in Canada. Although Thunder City and Strongarm are based on real places, some features have been altered to suit the story. The rugged wilderness north of Lake Superior includes vast forests, countless lakes, moss-covered rocks, and the towering remains of ancient mountains. The Sleeping Giant stretches into Lake Superior with the ruins of a flooded silver mine at his feet on Silver Islet. Boulders lie in pine forests as if thrown, rock formations look strangely like craggy old trolls, and large unexplained footprints appear in muddy riverbanks. These features have sparked stories about trolls and giants, like the Ojibway legend of the Sleeping Giant, which I have respectfully adapted. The tale of Ymir, Odin, and the origin of the world is based on Norse mythology.