A war veteran's family is taken, and his world is in the grip of a hostile alien race. He must bond with phantoms of the dead to seek the truth and save the world from meeting the same fate before the last of his sanity slips away. I will be the shield for those who have fallen. Cade Elegy’s mind is tearing itself apart, crowded with the phantoms of the dead, and he must carry the burdens they could not. This bond lends him their experience and allows him to bend the laws of the physical world — a power he desperately needs if he is to discover the truth of what happened to his missing family. The trail has gone cold, but he is given one last chance when he is recruited by a princess to solve a murder. They soon uncover proof that their war with the Wraiths, a hostile alien race dominating their planet, never really ended. Together with the princess, an overzealous archaeologist, and an ancient computer intelligence, Cade must stop the Wraiths before they annihilate the last remaining cities of Chalice and before the phantoms he bears destroy what’s left of his mind. "An entertaining adventure with complex characters and downright cool concepts for advanced technology and metaphysical abilities." "...the narrative "encodes" different genres effortlessly, drawing on elements of traditional sci-fi, steampunk fantasy, westerns, and political dramas." "Each character is a delight to follow, motivated by distinct drives and desires." - Kirkus Reviews "... PHANTOM PACT is a funny, pleasant, and harrowing tale that is simultaneously both lyrical and entertaining." "One part medieval fantasy, one part eccentric sci-fi dystopia, PHANTOM PACT is a plot-bending, inventive, and slightly quirky narrative, which flirts with conventional formulas only to abandon them later." - Indie Reader