Oden

The Invasion Trilogy #3

by Jessica Frances

Mattie:
A war is coming.
It will not be an Earth bound battle yet humans will have to fight for their survival.
This is no longer about fighting to take our planet back, this is a fight for our society, our way of life.
However I will not be fighting in this war, I have another I must battle against, to stop him and keep myself, Marduke and our child safe and out of his clutches. I will do anything to protect my family from this evil maniac.
Jeprow doesn't know of human’s strengths. He doesn't know how resourceful we are. How brave and cunning and smart we can be.
He thinks he’s already won and the battle between us is over, but he has no idea who he’s messing with.

Marduke:
Oden is under attack and suddenly there is more at risk than just my own life. Mattie and our baby now rely on me and I can’t let them down
My new family is trapped in a warzone and I must protect them.
But I must still protect my people, my family’s legacy and the leadership that holds it all together.
If we lose this war, then the humans lose as well.
We are in this fight together and the losses on both sides will be many.
Never before have I been under such pressure, never before has the risk of failure been so high.


What happens when they end up sacrificing more than they ever intended, if they lose who they are and what they are fighting for?
Can they move on from all they have lost, forgive each other for what they have been forced to do?
Most importantly, can they ever learn to forgive themselves?
Who will win the war and who loses everything?

Genres: Science Fiction

355 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Reader. Author. Book Hoarder. I’m asexual. I believe in human rights. That means BIPOC and LGBT+ people matter and deserve respect and protection. Trans people exist and they deserve every right given to cis people. I believe Palestine should be free and that what is happening to them is genocide. Books are political and if you don’t like hearing that, then you’re likely on the wrong side of history. Sit in your discomfort. Banning books is barbaric and pointless. Strict gun laws save lives. Amplify important and minority voices. Keep reading. Keep learning. Keep trying to do better.

I only have facebook (which I rarely use) and instagram (which I use only slightly more). Any other social media platforms with me on them are impostors.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oden is the third and final book in The Invasion Trilogy by Jessica Frances. This series is heart stopping, heart breaking, intense, crazy and even sweet. In one word, it is AMAZING!

“I am nineteen-years-old, and as of right now, I feel like I have lived a hundred years.”

Mattie has lost everything. Her parents were killed. Her planet has been invaded and there is so much destruction she doesn’t know if it can ever be rebuilt. But she did gain something, Marduke. She is in love with Marduke. And she is pregnant. She will do whatever is needed to protect her unborn child.



Mattie, Logan, Marduke, Hannah, Lisa and the little girls have all found their way to Oden and eventually find each other. The joy of their reunion is short lived, though, when they finally discover what Marduke really is, one of the race of aliens that started this whole mess by invading earth. When they discover that Mattie is also pregnant, she doesn’t know if they will ever forgive her.

Marduke is experiencing more and more human emotions. The depth of his love for Mattie and their unborn child consumes him. But he is constantly torn between his love for Mattie and compassion for the humans and the loyalty to his brother Ival and to his own race.



In the first book of this series, our characters were attacked by hinemas, the giant machines that invaded earth. In the second book, they were attacked by the claws but soon learned that the person that put the claws on the planets to attack was Jeprow that wanted revenge against Marduke and Ival’s family. So now, in this final book, the war is full on. The claws are attacking the planets, the hinemas are trying to kill the claws, and Jeprow is trying to kill Marduke and Ival and anyone that is important to either of them, namely Mattie.

“How can everything be so unfair? Why can’t we simply catch a break?”



This book is told by two points of view, alternating between Mattie and Marduke. Each page holds a new danger for these characters. They get out of one dangerous situation and enter right into a new one. You are constantly left wondering if they could ever make it out of this alive.

Jeprow proves himself to be even more dangerous than the hinemas or the claws because he is flat out crazy. His life has had one goal and that is revenge and I believe the darkness he has inside him has slowly made him crazy. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The pain he causes Mattie and Marduke is unbelievable.

“Now there is nothing left. We’ve lost this fight. I’ve lost everything.”

The humans are forced to fight alongside the race that initially invaded earth to fight the horrible claw creatures. But can they really beat them. Is Jeprow’s evil more than they can battle? Is Mattie strong enough to survive everything that has happened to her?

There were so many times I thought they couldn’t go on. That they just couldn’t take any more. Or maybe it was me that couldn’t take it! I was right there with them the whole time, trying to win, trying to survive. I fell in love with little five year old Logan and ached for all that Mattie lost.



I think the beauty of this book is the strength of the humans to do whatever they had to do to survive. And in their greatest time of need, they came together in peacefulness and love to rebuild their homes and lives. This series is amazing, intense, and fantastically wonderful. I highly recommend it. Jessica Frances, you are an awesome author and I am so happy you gave me the opportunity to read your books and trusted me with them. I will forever remember these characters.

“Mattie, my life mate, you have my heart now and always.”

[✿ℎazℯℓ - thℯ ℛock Cℎick ℱairy✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ODEN..

*sigh*

I can't believe it's over. I have followed Mattie's and Marduke's love, adventure and hardships from the start. It feels like they're real people to me. It's been a bitter sweet ride for me, but I wouldn't exchange it for the world.

Let's try to break it down...


THE STORY and what it did to THE CHARACTERS


In Oden, our characters experience, dark despair. Everything seemed hopeless and dire. We start off with a... DROP. I don't think this is a big spoiler, so yeah.. They pick up where we left off from the last book. Once Mattie and the other reaches Oden... BAM! ACTION STRAIGHT AWAY!! Their journey to being free of monsters started wayyyy more intense that I even expected. The way the author wrote such vivid descriptions of battle areas is very, very good. I wanted them all out of harm's way that I even shouted loudly at 3 A.M. in the morning. There were just some scenes wherein I couldn't hold it on... I believe my exact words were "Run, run, run, run!!! FASTTTEEERRR!!!" LOL. Anyway, from thereon, they dodge complications. Mind you, there were so many complications... bad creatures, uber bad villains, bad situations, bad treatment by friends. In short... it was a disaster. Our characters remained strong through it all. I daresay that the characters' attitude here are more realistic than ever.

As always, I love Mattie's back bone. She is THE HEROINE here. You will no doubt admire her strength and the way she uses her past trainings. Their adventure in Earth and Roth has left her with an iron clad will and it suits her. I still love how protective she is of Marduke and I love it more that she's thinking more of other people rather than just herself.

Fighting for their lives has left them being painfully honest. Everything was revealed. Marduke for one, his identity has been revealed to everyone here. I like how he handled it. I like that after everything, he still focuses on Mattie albeit, at some point, I doubted that he'd choose Mattie over his people. Marduke may not be the most alpha guy around, but he does have his priorities straight. He wants Mattie, that's it and that's that. I love how one tracked his mind is.

You also better watch out for the other characters. I still hate Marduke's brother with all my heart. Some would surprise you in a good way, some in bad, but no matter what... I think they are all an integral part of this story. I personally love Hannah because her reaction is that of a real sister. I felt like she's real and her actions are what a real person would do. She even made me cry at one point and I don't know why. I'm a tad disappointed in Lisa... but I guess her reactions are also that of a real human being. It's understandable. Hank on the other hand... didn't have much participation in this book, but I'm still glad to have seen a glimpse of him.

Mattie and Marduke both GREW MORE in this book. I am so frustrated that I can't tell you exactly what happened to them because that would spoil it all for you guys. Just trust me when I say, you'd be amazed with their resilience. You'd be shocked, heart broken and so happy for them in the end. I don't love what happened to them, but I like it that they were tested until the end. Of course, I love it more that they were still able to have their happily ever after. YES DARLINGS, THIS ENDS WITH A HAPPY ENDING, SO YOU BETTER READ THE WHOLE TRILOGY!!!


HOW IT ENDED AND AM I SATISFIED?


Dude. Of course I am satisfied with the way this book ended. It ended the way it has to. I didn't see it coming, but I think it's fitting. Once again, IT HAS A HAPPY ending. The entire ending is a blur of sad, battle-worn out emotions.. It's mingled with the victory they achieved because of our dear characters. The wait though... that was delicious. I swear.. It is. It really is. You'd understand once you read it. ^_^


WHAT I WANT AFTER THIS


I want even just a short glimpse of their future. SPOILER ALERT, HIGHLIGHT AT YOUR OWN RISK: I WANT TO SEE THEM HAVE A BABY... I WAS SO SAD FOR THEM... BUT I THINK I WOULD BE SUPER APPEASED IF I SEE THEM REALLY HAVE THEIR RILEY.
/end of spoiler

I want more alien books from this author. Since she's so good at creating her characters, I wish that she'd create a variety of them. I want hotter aliens, more alpha men and more kickass girls. I would also like some girly-girls. :)


All in all.. I am definitely giving this a 5. I recommend this series to those who'd like a new take on the ALIEN-HUMAN love. I recommend this to those who want lots of action, a tinge of drama and lots and lots of adventure!



I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a kindle copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Review is also posted on Let’s Say It’s A Blog.

This is me, on the last page of Oden, being torn between doing this…



and this…



So I settled with this one,



I got emotional a lot reading Oden, both because the story just got way more intense here and because of the fact that I was so close to the conclusion of The Invasion Trilogy. I said it before that I wished this series was a tetralogy instead of trilogy so I could have more chance to see my favorite couple fighting for their love. As much as I loved seeing them having bunches of beautiful, happy moments peacefully, I just fell in love with the way they fought their way through a lot of awful times relentlessly without ever backing down for once only to prove that their love always remained undamaged in the end.
I lost count of how many times I cried only to feel it dried itself and flowed again minutes later. In this book three, Ms. Frances ‘played’ in a whole deeper level of intensity of every aspect: drama, action, romance, and thrill. There were far worse danger, torture, loss, physical fight, mental breakdown, and internal issue happened to each characters. Mattie and Marduke received the worst test among the others. Even their arguments which never became a real further issue between them, it slowly shaped into trust issue this time.
After we were brought into a chaos situation while on Earth, then to a strange planet Roth filled with monsters combined with fire attack, it was Oden where the final adventure took place. Oden, as Marduke’s home-planet, were in no different state than the other planet under their possession. War happened endlessly, death could be seen just everywhere. Both humans and aliens were fighting for their life against the seemingly merciless evil power.
While both Earth and Roth were about survival, Oden was about fighting to the very last drop of blood to get every stolen thing back. I was so damn speechless at Mattie’s braveness. She’s the most kick-ass heroine I’ve ever found in a book. Her heroism was unquestionable. She was hurt mentally and physically worse than any other character, over and over, yet still managed to overlook her own wounds to try her best helping the others. My heart broke for her and Marduke thousand times. Saying they both were so strong was understatement.
If in Roth Marduke seemed to start picking a side of where he stood between Mattie and his people, he later confirmed his decision firmly here. Not only he ‘touched’ me by always putting Mattie as his top priority, but he also didn’t hesitate to fight Ival on Mattie’s behalf ―which he almost never did before. It made me so glad knowing in the end there was nothing Marduke feared anymore, not his brother, not even the baggage of keeping family’s trait looking down to human race. He even surprised me by ―not once, but many times of― confronting Ival about him and the rest of their people having no emotional feeling.

“Humans are too emotional. We aren’t like them, Marduke. Whatever… you’re feeling for the human, it’s not normal.”
“Just because we’ve been taught not to feel love our whole lives, doesn’t mean we’re not capable of it.”
(Chapter V, Oden)

It was so funny sometimes how sarcastic Ival to Marduke and Mattie. It cracked me a lot how Ival pointed out Mattie and Marduke’s relationship…

“You two are repulsive. You,” he points his finger at Mattie, “don’t speak to someone of Marduke’s… standing like that. And you,” now his attention changes to me, “should demand more respect. Why you… love a woman who treats you like garbage is beyond me.”
(Chapter II, Oden)

Lololol! Someone sounds bitter!

Marduke slowly showed a great understanding about human’s feeling by paying attention closely to Mattie’s behavior. It was a really huge step and very important progress in Marduke’s change of state from apathetic alien to alien with feelings like human. Oh God, I just loved loved loved this couple so damn much!

“You’re too forgiving. Why don’t you hate me?” I whisper, afraid to voice my question any louder in case it jolts something inside her and she realises she does hate me. I would deserve that, but I couldn’t live with it.
“Because I love you and I know you are kind and brave. You’re a good man, no matter your species or what your family is like.”
“I don’t deserve you,” I admit, knowing that is true more than ever.
“Well, too bad because you’re stuck with me.” She smiles and then leans in to kiss me.
(Marduke; Chapter II, Oden)

*meltingmeltingmeltingmelting*

That was one of many reasons Ms. Frances became my favorite author. She paid attention to everything on her books. Like… every single thing. She didn’t just focus on building the story plot, she concentrated on advancements in every aspect as well, such as the changes within the characters. She took progressive approach and slowly built them up to rational conclusions.
And HOLY GOD the ending!!!!
I loved it I loved it I LOVED IT!
Ms. Frances opted for a slow building-up ending. It was a happy one, don’t worry, but she led us around the phase of acceptance first before getting us there. It was such a painful moment trying to move on, accepting every loss, accepting the fact that so many happiness had been taken away forcefully, but in the end they realized that to win was not not losing any during the war but losing everything yet still working out a good life afterward.

‘My future with Mattie looks bright, and that is more than I could ever ask for. Everything is going to work out for us. As long as we have each other, we can face anything and survive it.’
(Marduke; Chapter XVII, Oden)

It felt bittersweet to close the last page of Oden. The Invasion Trilogy is the best fantasy trilogy I’ve ever read my whole life. This one is perfection. Every scene is vivid picture in my mind until now. I personally think everything in Earth, Roth, and Oden are materials worth to be made into movies because just by reading them I could feel such real feeling of suspenseful, scared, grief, and so on. Imagine what it’d feel like seeing them as moving-images. Jessica Frances might be a new author for me but she quickly becomes my best favorite author. I wish to read more sci-fi books from her in the future…
Ahh… how to end this without igniting melancholic situation? LOL!
Read this trilogy, people! Trust me: you don’t want to skip this trilogy. I’m serious, really. I’m not going to say anything anymore.
Just read the book and you can thank me later.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this highly anticipated conclusion to the epic trilogy, The Invasion, Oden is more intense, more action-packed and more heart-breaking than I ever thought possible. Just when I thought this trilogy couldn't possibly get any better, Jessica Frances showed that she did in fact save the best for last!

Oden is under attack by Jeprow, an evil, despicable being that I really grew to hate as I was reading. He is a harsh, brutal person who only wants one thing – control, and he will not stop until he achieves his goal.

Mattie once again really impressed me with her ability to remain strong, even when life took a turn for the worse. She took a stand and fought to take back what was lost even when she appeared to lose all hope.

And then there is Marduke. Gosh, I love that sexy alien man! Torn between his people and Mattie, he never gave up and did everything possible to please both sides.

The other supporting characters were great, but I don’t want to write too much about them because it might spoil it for future readers. The one thing though that made me laugh was when Mattie came across an alien machine that performed a sonogram and she took a look at her baby, Riley. This was a hilarious moment for me, and when you read it you will know what I am writing about.

There were some tough moments in this story, but with war, things can be far from pleasant and there are never any winners. Each side will experience death and destruction even when one sides claims victory. But is it really a victory when loved ones are ripped away from you, never to be held, loved or seen ever again?

Oden provoked so many feelings within me while I was reading. Ms. Frances really does have an amazing talent of giving the reader such vivid descriptions, that it is so easy to become totally engrossed in the story and ‘see’ the action unfold before your very eyes. At one point, I actually screamed with frustration and cried my eyes out. I almost contacted the author because I could not understand why she took that approach. (Yeah, I got pretty emotional with this one.) But in the end, I realized that this very sad and heart-wrenching part was essential to the story. That to me is the sign of a great story when you actually get that involved in the plot. And this one is a GREAT story! Overall though, despite my tears and sadness, this is one amazing story and the perfect ending to a superb trilogy.

I am so sad that this series is over, but I am also very excited to see what Ms. Frances releases next. Whatever it is, I know it will be amazing!

- See more at: The Avid Book Collector

[Kathryn Svendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oden is the third book in the Invasion Trilogy by Jessica Frances and it delivers all the punch and action of the first two. You won’t be disappointed in this installment. Jeprow and his claws have Oden under attack and Oden is losing and that means that the humans will lose everything too.

While Ival still can’t stand the sight of Mattie, knowing that she carries Marduke’s child, he knows he needs the help of his brother if there is any hope of winning this war against Jeprow. We learn a lot more about Ival’s character in this book.

I liked how Oden touched on a topic that we still have difficulty dealing with in our multicultural society today – racism. Whether it’s differences between cultures on different continents or different planets, racism is still racism.

When Mattie overhears Ival and Marduke heatedly discussing using the humans as a distraction/sacrifice so they can get to the aircraft, she becomes infuriated at Marduke for using innocent human lives in a fight they had nothing to do with. She wants nothing more to do with him.

This plot twist, along with several others, makes it look pretty unlikely that Mattie and her family will ever get back to Earth and highly improbable that Marduke will ever see Mattie again if they even survive this war. Add to that Mattie’s sister Hannah dislikes (hates?) Marduke and does not want to see them together.

Oden is written for adults, with adult language, profanity and some sexual content.

I think that the Invasion Trilogy is a great read overall for all apocalyptic fans. I rated Oden at 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

This review was published on my blog Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...

[Kristin Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Editorial Review.

Holy alien invasion! This series is intense! Gah!

The story continues with suspense and action abundant! Seriously, once you pick up this series, you will not be able to put it down!

I cried so much in this book. There were so many parts that I found myself holding my breath or cursing the author (which I did have to stop to write her and do just that) or even walking away a few times because the emotional toll became too much for me at the moment.

The ending was a beautiful conclusion, full of healing, dealing with the aftermath, accepting was is and never could be. It really made my heart soar and wrench at the same time.

Ms. Frances did a beautiful job in this series. It was non-stop action, full of so much suspense, a book about survival, sacrifice, love, war, and learning to cope with the hand dealt, even under bizarre circumstances.

France's character, Mattie was so strong. She fought as hard as she could, putting everyone else's life before her own, sacrificing so much, losing so much, but still doing what was right. At the end, she grew so much, regretting mistakes and choices she could have made better. However, at the time it was happening, I couldn't see it working out any other way.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Series was great...had everything from action packed to romance! Loved it!

[Chrystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic series!! I read the last 2 books in two days. I just couldn't put it down. I was on edge throughout the book but then there would be happy moments to please me, then the aggravation again! Lol. The fight scenes, danger around every bend was enough to raise my blood pressure! I would have never read these books based on the cover, but please let me assure you they're great! Loved the ending too, how it was all tied up nicely and answering all our questions. Spent several chapters letting us know how the humans were acclimating to getting back to earth and surviving. That was incredible. I felt so bad for all the lives lost. I can't tell you how many times I cried. I was still a bit upset that Jessica didn't have Marduke kick some ass but once again..and again he was used for a punching bag!! Argh!! And the baby... :( Gosh, talk about having to put the book down in order to stop crying! But the ending! Oh my gosh!! It was soooooo awesome, sweet, sexy and just adorable!

[Everything Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly floored! I cannot comprehend what just happened. This is an amazing series. I was just blown away!

I figured that this book would be a little slower and more calm than the previous two books in the series, but I was wrong! This book has more action, drama, and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat and finished this in 1 day.

I am still in awe of this story and will definitely re-read it because it was that good! I loved Mattie and Marduke and all of the secondary characters. Their true honesty and bravery to save each other and fight against everything evil was so compelling. I admired their commitment and humanity that they kept to maintain the balance. Their love story holds no bounds and is one of the best love stories I've read in a long time!

The author did such a wonderful job in creating this new world and I commend her because she has some serious skills!

I highly recommend this! Must read!!

[Amanda Shelley-Masters]

Amazing series! France's is a incredible writer and I loved every minute of this violent and heroic tale.

This part of Frances's story was the most violent the most heart-wrenching and the greatest ending! I cried several times through it and loved it immensely!

The defeating of all the bad guys ways awesome! The main character Mattie was brilliant and frances did an amazing job creating her and Marduke. I will miss reading their adventures but am glad I can go back and read them again and again!

Thanks so much Jessica Frances for creating such a fantastic world for in which to escape for awhile.

If you haven't read this series yet your missing out! Get you copies today!

[Jane | Shelf in Bloom♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly floored! I cannot comprehend what just happened. This is an amazing series. I was just blown away!

I figured that this book would be a little slower and more calm than the previous two books in the series, but I was wrong! This book has more action, drama, and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat and finished this in 1 day.

I am still in awe of this story and will definitely re-read it because it was that good! I loved Mattie and Marduke and all of the secondary characters. Their true honesty and bravery to save each other and fight against everything evil was so compelling. I admired their commitment and humanity that they kept to maintain the balance. Their love story holds no bounds and is one of the best love stories I've read in a long time!

The author did such a wonderful job in creating this new world and I commend her because she has some serious skills!

I highly recommend this! Must read!!

[Debbie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this trilogy but...Marduke's character was a little weak. A alien softie. Too mushy .

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Brief Ranting Stars

Wasn't exactly the end I hoped for. I expected the worst and got it but I also wanted Marduke's evil brother to pay. After so much human life was lost all for the greed of the alien species who just wanted to own a planet as unique as Earth. I hoped for so many things from Marduke killing his brother and leading his people maybe even help educating him into teaching and integrating his people with the humans. As it stands the aliens are only more powerful because they hide behind their superior technology and advanced skills. All the anatomy is the same, it's their lack of emotion or joy that makes them so evil and it's sad they just continue on like that. Even with a free Earth I wouldn't accept that. And then again why didn't the remaining humans fight back when they were given guns and fighting the Claws? Sure the aliens had their himenas (AKA death machines) but they didn't know much about human weapons and could still be killed by them. Whatever, I just feel a bit let down. So much death and I just didn't feel a HEA or conclusion.