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Puppet Master
Oryan Jeckstadt is the empire’s perfect soldier—celebrated as a hero, crowned as Warlord, and feared as a weapon. But behind the glory lies a man shackled by secrets, haunted by betrayal, and desperate for the one thing war can never give him: peace.
When whispers of his father’s murder ignite a fire for vengeance, Oryan plunges into a shadow war where loyalty is a lie and survival means becoming the monster he swore he’d never be. As the bloodiest conflict in history rages, he faces enemies on every front—an empire pulling his strings, a phantom from his past bent on his destruction, and the darkness within himself.
Far from the battlefield, Celeste fights her own war. Once the woman who gave Oryan hope, she now struggles to protect their son from forces that would silence them forever. Her love is his last tether to humanity—but will he find her before the empire tears them apart?
From the brutal training grounds of the Elite Guard to covert missions in hostile territory, Puppet Master is a relentless ride of intrigue, betrayal, and heart-pounding action. When the smoke clears, one question remains: Can the empire’s greatest warrior escape the strings of the puppet master—or will vengeance consume everything he loves?
Perfect for fans of military thrillers, epic sci-fi, and emotionally charged drama, this second installment of The Last Archide series will leave you breathless and desperate for the next chapter.
When whispers of his father’s murder ignite a fire for vengeance, Oryan plunges into a shadow war where loyalty is a lie and survival means becoming the monster he swore he’d never be. As the bloodiest conflict in history rages, he faces enemies on every front—an empire pulling his strings, a phantom from his past bent on his destruction, and the darkness within himself.
Far from the battlefield, Celeste fights her own war. Once the woman who gave Oryan hope, she now struggles to protect their son from forces that would silence them forever. Her love is his last tether to humanity—but will he find her before the empire tears them apart?
From the brutal training grounds of the Elite Guard to covert missions in hostile territory, Puppet Master is a relentless ride of intrigue, betrayal, and heart-pounding action. When the smoke clears, one question remains: Can the empire’s greatest warrior escape the strings of the puppet master—or will vengeance consume everything he loves?
Perfect for fans of military thrillers, epic sci-fi, and emotionally charged drama, this second installment of The Last Archide series will leave you breathless and desperate for the next chapter.
- GenresScience Fiction
158 pages, ebook
Published September 11, 2018
22 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Chad R. Odom
14 books12 followersChad Odom was born in June 1982 in St. Charles, Missouri. He spent much of his childhood building Legos and watching all things science-fiction. At the age of 8, he read The Hobbit for the first time and was hooked on both reading and epic fantasy. For two decades after, he read The Lord of the Rings at least once every year.
His love of reading branched off into Star Wars fan fiction as well as science-fiction from Orson Scott Card, Phillip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, and others. Combined with Saturday morning cartoons, Chad developed a love for all things super hero, which spurred him onto his first experiences in character and world building.
Generally unpopular in school, he spent his time reading books, studying history and religion, and creating his own stories. He earned his Eagle Scout at fifteen, picked up wrestling while in high school, and went into the Army at seventeen.
From 2001-2003, Chad served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Las Vegas, Nevada. During that time, in a set of $.99 notebooks, he scratched notes, character names, and plot points for a fantasy story of his own. With accompanying sketches, this laid the foundation for what would become The Last Archide.
Chad began formally writing The Last Archide in 2006. The first book, Warlord of Navarus was published by Tate Publishing in 2010. By his own admission, it wasn’t a very strong start and failed to gain any traction amongst readers.
Chad reworked the entire series and completed it in 2015. Tate Publishing folded the following year before it could be released. He took to self-publishing in 2018.
When he’s not writing, Chad loves to watch and play sports. He enjoys board and card games. He’s still an avid reader and movie watcher. As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he volunteers his time in various activities in his local community.
In 2003, Chad met Kathrine Jones who he would marry in the same year. He adopted her daughter, Melissa in 2005, the same year that the twins Brandon and Lucas were born. The final addition to the family, Ethan, was born in 2006. The family currently lives outside St. Louis, Missouri.
His love of reading branched off into Star Wars fan fiction as well as science-fiction from Orson Scott Card, Phillip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, and others. Combined with Saturday morning cartoons, Chad developed a love for all things super hero, which spurred him onto his first experiences in character and world building.
Generally unpopular in school, he spent his time reading books, studying history and religion, and creating his own stories. He earned his Eagle Scout at fifteen, picked up wrestling while in high school, and went into the Army at seventeen.
From 2001-2003, Chad served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Las Vegas, Nevada. During that time, in a set of $.99 notebooks, he scratched notes, character names, and plot points for a fantasy story of his own. With accompanying sketches, this laid the foundation for what would become The Last Archide.
Chad began formally writing The Last Archide in 2006. The first book, Warlord of Navarus was published by Tate Publishing in 2010. By his own admission, it wasn’t a very strong start and failed to gain any traction amongst readers.
Chad reworked the entire series and completed it in 2015. Tate Publishing folded the following year before it could be released. He took to self-publishing in 2018.
When he’s not writing, Chad loves to watch and play sports. He enjoys board and card games. He’s still an avid reader and movie watcher. As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he volunteers his time in various activities in his local community.
In 2003, Chad met Kathrine Jones who he would marry in the same year. He adopted her daughter, Melissa in 2005, the same year that the twins Brandon and Lucas were born. The final addition to the family, Ethan, was born in 2006. The family currently lives outside St. Louis, Missouri.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 2, 2019
Celeste and Oryan get a few golden hours before he has to leave to be the Empire's Champion in the war between Navarus and Vollmar. The greatest Centauri now must prove himself as a soldier both in training and on the battlefront. While Oryan is trying to keep himself and his men alive, Celeste is at home facing her own battles and unexpected events.
This is a non-stop action-packed book with D-Day-like battles. The strategy and battle descriptions make you feel like you are part of the battalion. The writing is excellent. You can't keep from being caught up in Oryan's world. I have loved this boy from his first scene. His strength and determination are unmatched. The lessons he learned from his father have helped him become a man to be respected. I was in awe of him during the battle scenes. His brains and bravery kept his men alive. Even as he becomes more powerful, there is so much political intrigue surrounding him. He has no idea of the manipulations. Even so, I was disappointed in his actions later. Vengeance consumed him. He forgot who he was and what was important. I missed Oryan and Celeste and what could have been. I look forward to the next book so much. I have faith that Oryan will be the man he needs to be. Not for his country or the emperor or the troops but for himself and his love.
This is a non-stop action-packed book with D-Day-like battles. The strategy and battle descriptions make you feel like you are part of the battalion. The writing is excellent. You can't keep from being caught up in Oryan's world. I have loved this boy from his first scene. His strength and determination are unmatched. The lessons he learned from his father have helped him become a man to be respected. I was in awe of him during the battle scenes. His brains and bravery kept his men alive. Even as he becomes more powerful, there is so much political intrigue surrounding him. He has no idea of the manipulations. Even so, I was disappointed in his actions later. Vengeance consumed him. He forgot who he was and what was important. I missed Oryan and Celeste and what could have been. I look forward to the next book so much. I have faith that Oryan will be the man he needs to be. Not for his country or the emperor or the troops but for himself and his love.
April 27, 2020
And the hits keep coming
I loved the first book in this series and this far I am still amazed. Every time I think I know all the players, the author twists 're talents a little and what we think we know is not the whole picture.
I am now starting on the 3rd book and cannot wait to continue....
I loved the first book in this series and this far I am still amazed. Every time I think I know all the players, the author twists 're talents a little and what we think we know is not the whole picture.
I am now starting on the 3rd book and cannot wait to continue....
November 2, 2020
The series starts off slow but builds with a brutal force. My only criticism is no fault of the writer Chad Odam as it has to do with the narrator of the audio version.as I’m only on book 3, I will wait for my final review.
November 30, 2018
Action-packed and full of adventure. Loved reading this one. I was gripped to every page.
July 7, 2023
This is a really good story. On to the third book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews