Shadows Don’t Stay Buried: Book 1 of the Eirvan Chronicles (Shadows Don’t Stay Buried Book 1 of The Eirvan Chronicles)

Jake Torres died a pararescue jumper—burned out, alone, and lost in the VA system.
He woke up in a corrupted fantasy world with an impossible System interface and a gift no one should have: ten lives to spend.
But nothing in Eirvan is free. Magic requires sacrifice. Power demands a price. And the shadow growing inside his chest isn’t corruption—it’s a deal with something ancient that might be his only genuine ally.
Caught between a System designed to control him, Administrators orchestrating his every move, and a sentient forest that’s eaten everything in its path, Jake must navigate a world where every connection could destroy him, every choice could undo him, and the only path forward requires embracing the darkness he’s been running from his entire life.
In Greyhollow, a small tavern run by a woman who’s already lost everything, Jake discovers something worth fighting for—even if it costs him everything.
Perfect for readers of Brandon Sanderson, N.K. Jemisin, and Ryan J. Kavanaugh who want heroes that fight monsters and themselves.