The Bearer's Burden: Phantom Pact

Chad Queen

Encoded Press, May 8, 2018 - Archaeologists - 378 pages

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.

What people are saying

User Review -

This is a very well written and detailed book about a man’s quest to find the lost, revenge, avenge, serve justice and help solve a murder brought to him by a princess. The extreme sci-fi nature of the book is sure to draw anyone in that genre in. The excitement and changes didn’t stop in any way and it kept you guessing with what would happen next.
SPOILER ALERT: Once the ancient technology connection with Eos was established the story got really interesting. The connections lead him to the right places and warned him of the surroundings. Along with the other ‘phantoms’ and the many things he could do with it. The encoding part of what Cade could do is a really cool aspect to the story. Cade is “the protector” who didn’t believe in himself but eventually did after he truly gained control of all the phantoms, knowing exactly who he was and what he needed to do.
It is refreshing to read a book like this that does not involve a love that is formed. What is formed here are new friendships and rekindled old friendships. He lost his wife and children but didn’t find new love which is a breath of fresh air. I was sure it would have something with him and the princess falling in love and I am so thankful it wasn’t that way at all. 

User Review -

War with the Wraiths has ended. Cade Elegy, Protector of the Realm, returns home excited to reunite with his family. Only, when he arrives, the whole town has mysteriously vanished.
A year later, addicted to ‘Nocturne’, a type of drug that helps Cade handle the many ‘phantoms’ (spirits guides) that exist within his mind, he is on a mission to find out what happened to his wife and two children.
Traveling to less than desirable places, he is careful not to get too close to the ‘The Thread’. An energy source controlled by the Wraith. A source that the people of Chalice are beholden to.
Finding her beloved Uncle Rolan dead in her quarters, Princess Ashlyn finally admits to herself that her father, King Liam, is not a good man. Kept away from him as well as her brother Elon, Ashlyn sets off to discover who killed the man who was more of a father to her.
Finding Cade, together they begin an epic journey to find answers. It seems the Ancients, the Chalician ancestors, left many underground tunnels and elaborate machines, much of which are not fully understood. They soon discover that the insect like Wraiths and their army of Skex, wanted the war to end. But why? Their quest results in more questions than answers. With an underground faction, The Foundation, aiding their mission, can Cade and Ashlyn find the separate answers they are searching for?
A novel brimming with, detail and drama, of fantastical notions that have an air being believed, Queen’s debut is rich with excitement, mystery and touches of humor. With well thought out plot lines, characters with depth and nods to shows such as ‘Stargate Atlantis’ or ‘Starship Troopers’ the beginning of this series starts on a high. A recommend read for all fans of this genre. 

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Bearer's Burden: Phantom Pact; Phantom Pact
• Author: Chad Queen
• Publisher: Encoded Press, 2018
• ISBN: 0999847414, 9780999847411
• Length: 378 pages