Play the game. Murder the innocent. Don’t let them see you sweat. Commander Boone’s treacherous secret could save thousands of lives—if he could only escape from the murderous warlord who employs him. He wears his game face while following orders to destroy enemy fleets and handles a reckless assassin with elemental powers. Behind the scenes, he is undermining the warlord’s pursuit of an innocent rival. The duplicity and the horrors are taking their toll. Boone wants out. In a bold gambit, he crafts a plan to escape. But his superiors might be catching on, and the plan is not without its own horrors. With everything working against him, including the woman he thought was his salvation, he may not live long enough to execute it. BOOKFEST AWARD WINNER 2024. READERS’ FAVORITE 5-STAR x3. “One of the best space opera stories I’ve read all year.” — P. Deka, Reader’s Favorite “A fresh take on the classic themes of rebellion and redemption.” —Demetria H., Reader’s Favorite “Loved it! Perfect for fans of Ender's Game, Handler's Gambit contains intricate worldbuilding and gripping action scenes.” — Jodi F., Reedsy Discovery “A stellar piece of science fiction that left me utterly captivated.” — Dustin L., Amazon Space Battles | Biological “Magic” | Ground Assaults Reckless Assassins | Betrayal | Unlikely Allies The Handler's Gambit is a dark, character-driven thrill ride across the galaxy, where the sacrifices made for freedom clash with the indomitable human spirit.

A fleet for hire. A mysterious client. A weapon of mass destruction. No longer a commander, Turner Boone will come to the rescue of any fleet that will pay him. However, he has done his job too well, and his clients have no need to call. His fleet-for-hire is running out of funds—and options.  Things look up when he is hired to retrieve the wreckage of an ancient terraforming machine. He soon realizes the device can be turned into a devastating weapon, and he has no idea who his well-paying client is. Caught between delivering the artifact to the client, whose methods to collect it are ruthless, and hiding his fleet from the Coalition Navy, who hunts him as a traitor, Boone faces the most difficult decision of his life.   In discovering the client's secret, his investigation goes too deep, propelling himself and the assassin, Elyon, into a Coalition trap—one that will require untenable sacrifices to avoid execution. Epic Space Battles, Biological “Magic,” Found Family, Galactic Empire, Pirates, A Rebellious Assassin, Daring Pilots and more! The Warrior's Shade is a desperate chase across the galaxy, where a young man discovers his fatal flaw, and an assassin learns the meaning of sacrifice.