Invasion

by Roxanne Bland

In an alternate Seattle, Kurt, vampire regent, Garrett Larkin, a mage, and Parker Berenson, alpha werewolf, are in a world of trouble. Already divided by love and jealousy, the three discover their auras are inextricably bound, the result of a spellcasting gone terribly wrong. Each one's aura has been invaded by the auras of the others, and the consequences are both frightening and deadly. Worse yet, Shen'zae Melera, interstellar assassin and Parker's love, has returned to Earth with dire news: she didn't return alone. She'd been followed by her nemesis, Mag Beloc, and his fleet of warships. Even if Beloc recaptures her, Melera knows that Earth will suit his purposes, and that his presence may well become permanent. Drawn together by choice and fate while doing what they had to do, can Kurt, Garrett, and Parker now find a way to undo the magick that binds them, and with Melera, stop an alien invasion before it begins?

Warning: Profanity, Violence, Graphic Sex

Genres: Vampires

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2019

About the author

Award-winning author Roxanne Bland grew up in Washington, D.C., where she discovered strange and wonderful new worlds through her local public library and bookstores. These and other life experiences have convinced her that reality is highly overrated. To escape, she writes fantasy, science fiction, romance, and a few other genres, sometimes all rolled into the same book. She was named IAOTP's Top Fantasy & Science Fiction Author of the Year for 2019.

Reviews

[The Book Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invasion was such a fun book for me to read! This book is set in a fun world. The book follows Peter who is the alpha leader of the werewolves. The underground which is located in Seattle is where we meet our cast of characters. There is also the master of the vampires, Kurt. As well as Garrett, who is the Mage of the witches. If that doesn't get you excited about this book, then I don't know what will!

They are all really struggling with the same thing: which is keeping their individual pack or groups together. There is so much animosity and hostility between the group. They are growing frustrated, and it is ripping them apart. There is a significant movement against the humans. For better or worse they are trying to stay together and keep things as normal as they can be.

This book had a fascinating overall theme. This theme was power and its positive and negative effects. It shows that the choices that leaders make really affect people in their groups or people under their control. It reminds us that leadership is challenging role and not one to be taken lightly.

Overall this book is super unique and different than what is out their right now in the market. I am unsure that there is a category or genre of this individual book. The writer is witty and has a way with words that really impressed me. There is also a crazy vivid imagination which is needed in this world of over saturation of books. I believe this is the type of book you really need to enjoy organically without a ton of information or spoilers. I really hope you will check out this fun and quirky book!

[Penelope Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succinctly, Invasion was a thrill ride of a tale where our werewolf, vampire and mage trio are forced to fight their way through their worldly life-threatening perils, while realizing that their interconnectedness created by a spell to bring peace, might actually result in their demise. I enjoyed the story, and the characters and plot were engaging. But I hungered for more of the thirsty werewolf/alien ship that we saw in The Underground The Underground, the first book of series. -4 Stars!

*SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS*

*SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS*

All right, I read Invasion not too long after I read The Underground... which I REALLY enjoyed. In this, the sequel we travel with our spell-crossed heroes to undo the damage done by the well-intended spell to quell unrest between the exotics ("zots") and humankind. Though it is an ensemble piece I felt that Invasion (and The Undergound, if I am to be frank) focused on the werewolf Pack leader, Parker. This would be great except in Invasion, his developmental journey excised a huge portion of the development of my favorite character, Melera. Moments that should have been hers (specifically entering the code that she had worked so feverishly on to find the fleet) were given to Parker, moving my favorite alien badass into the role of (Oh no!) damsel in distress. Piloting the ship and the knowledge she had accumulated over who knows how long, he just picks up in a few weeks, further diminishing her badassery. Also I missed the sexy-interactions between Parker, Melera and Parker's wolf which was a wonderful part of The Underground.

Now, plot-wise there is a lot going on. The intrigue between Kurt and Li Ann was suspenseful. I actually feared that they would discover how powerless he was and move in for the kill. I also liked the fact that I wasn't sure about Garrett's romance. Was it one of those sniffers; or something worse?! It took me a minute to figure it out. I liked that. I loved the vampire hierarchy and the alien hunt and the fact that zots by and large didn't believe in aliens (ROTFL!!). Mandy's jealousy and the tenterhooks of wondering if any spell would ever work and the consequences if they didn't - all created a fast-moving and engaging plot.

P.S. I would love to see what my favorite couple, Parker and Melera got themselves into during their six hundred year separation from "Dirt". Enjoy Invasion and other works by Roxanne Bland

[Infinity Sisters Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invasion by Roxanne Bland revolves around three different individuals: the alpha of a werewolf pack, Parker, Seattle's vampire master, Kurt, and mage Garrett. After failing at a tryst to stop Seattle's riots, the three start experiencing potentially damaging side effects when their auras start merging together. When Garrett wakes up covered in blood, she turns to her old mentor, Feodor, for guidance. Meanwhile, Kurt is experiencing a serious drain in his powers which, if discovered, could send others to challenge him. Parker struggles to mend his broken heart and a sudden thirst for blood when his love, Shen'zae Melera, returns to earth with the shocking news that her enemy, Mag Beloc, has followed her and will stop at nothing to get her back, even if it destroys the world. Despite tension and jealousy, the four are forced to work together to stop Beloc before it's too late.

The plot is layered and complicated, following Parker, Kurt, and Garrett's individual journeys dealing with their side effects, while also blending in Melera in space and a potential alien invasion. Roxanne Bland flawlessly weaves each thread together, building upon each one and bringing them together into one succinct story. The world is gritty and the core characters are forced into hiding, pretending to be human, for in this society any supernatural being is executed upon proof of what they are. They constantly live in fear of being discovered, but they're also dealing with supernatural politics. If Kurt shows weakness, he can be challenged and killed, with his position going to the winner.

Though they're powerful supernatural beings, Bland makes them realistic, emotional, and allows for you to form a real connection with them. They have so much at stake, due to their auras blending together, that it's easy to understand what they're feeling. This makes them a bit unpredictable because they're willing to do whatever they can to protect themselves. This makes them a little dangerous, but also sympathetic. They're all wonderfully flawed, but there's something good about each of them that makes them redeeming. The tension between them makes for an endearing plot, especially since they're literally connected to each other, and forced to rely on people they're not particularly fond of at the moment. Garrett lied to Kurt and Parker about the tryst, while Kurt also betrayed Parker, and then it's topped off with a dose of jealousy, making for a fun read. Invasion is a marvelous blend of science fiction action, magic, a gritty society, and romance.

[Leigh Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book for free from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review**

A vampire, a werewolf, and a mage walk into a spell. Chaos ensues.

This wacky romp through both fantasy and sci-fi covers a lot of territory, but fixing the effects of a spell gone wrong is the heart of the plot. Getting there involves a lot of side stories, though, and folks who haven't read "Underground" might find themselves either lost at sea or struggling to get attached to the characters. Technically you CAN read this series out of order, but my gut instinct is that you'll like this book better if you already have an attachment to the characters, their world, and their antics.

That being said, it's not hard to get up to speed on Kurt, Garrett, and Parker's problem, plus its unique resolutions. Bland has set up a really complex paranormal Seattle society, with vampires in charge of cities, werewolves doing their pack thing, and mages....doing whatever mages do (this part was not as well-described). There's enough going on here that Bland could write an entire series for each character, and given her excellent grasp of the genre's style and pacing, I hope she does.

The book flies by at a brisk clip, and is hampered only by the introduction of aliens, and a side romance plot that just didn't do it for me. Melera, the interstellar assassin who has won Parker's heart, speaks English in a pidgin that borders on stereotypical; it grates on the ear so much that I found myself skimming her passages, especially after some revelations that made me wonder how Parker could stand to be near her. I hope Melara cleans up her act a bit in future books, and learns to speak like an adult human being, not a caricature of "me no like" patois.

Melera's plot, however annoying to me personally, DOES make sense in the larger scheme of the story, and Bland should definitely get credit for weaving all the plot threads together seamlessly. Some readers may find it a bit over the top, but genre fiction is here to push envelopes, so just relax and have fun with it. Just...consider skipping passages where Melera says anything.

Library-wise, if you have a lot of sci-fi/fantasy buffs clamoring for more digital content, you should add this and "Underground" (which I have not read, but the two must go together, as indicated above). It's a fun story with minor wibbles, and I'd love to see what Bland can do with a focus on just ONE segment of paranormal society. Recommended, with minor caveats to any Asian / Asian-American readers.

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhapsody in paranormal SF action romance

Fantastic! Roxane Bland's Invasion is the craziest and most entertaining mash-up of paranormal/SF/urban fantasy/romance since Kim Harrison's The Hollows series. I'm absolutely hooked! Set in a future-world Seattle, where we are quickly introduced - no, overwhelmed - with a cast of genre-spanning characters: a vampire, a werewolf, a witch, and an extraterrestrial. Backstory connects the paranormal/magickal beings via a spell, Master vampire Kurt, Pack Alpha Parker, and Witch Garrett retain their spelled connection, and when the story begins the flawed and damaging nature of that connection soon becomes apparent. These three, the most powerful "zots" (exotics) in the city, become involved with a galactic war - in an other galaxy - when an escaped POW named Melara (with the cutest mangled "Ink-leesh" ever invented) falls in love with Parker, which upsets the wolf pack's jealous Freya, which leads to making trouble for the vampires, which leads to a very likely alien invasion of Dirt (Earth, in Melara-speak), which forces the spell-crippled "zot" leaders to defend the planet while they try to remove the pernicious spell that binds them... The convoluted path from cause to effect is the finely-wrought product of Bland's far-ranging imagination, coupled with excellent writing skills. This gal casually throws out the most outrageous and momentous plot developments like Huck Finn tells whoppers - indeed, her wry and disingenuous deadpan humor puts me in mind of Twain. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Invasion (thank you, eBook Discovery) and this independent, voluntary, and uncompensated review is my 5-star recommendation to read this book NOW.
P.S. There's another book already in the works. **Double fist pump**

[Bronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roxane Bland's Invasion is the most entertaining mix of paranormal, fantasy and sci fi. I haven’t read a book like this since I devoured The Hollows series by Kim Harrison.

In a futuristic Seattle, we find 3 vastly different individuals and they are all having a really bad day. We are introduced to Kurt: Seattle’s Master vampire; Garrett Larkin, an immensely powerful mage and Parker Berenson; the alpha of the werewolves. A spell that these three jointly cast was originally destined to create peace amidst the warring races, however something has gone horrible wrong and the result is that their auras have now become intertwined.

Wow ! A mage, a vampire and a werewolf... what else could you want! I loved this book. I admit I did not read the first book Underground so I was pleased that there were a couple of throw backs dotted through the books to bring me up to speed, but it didn’t take long to cotton on to what had happened.

The writing is clever, witty, the dialogue is sharp, and the world of Seattle is so vividly woven, that it comes alive. The individuals may each be leaders, but they too have their flaws which I believe makes them that much more tangible. There is even an underlying thread that shows us that who we are and what we become is a result of the decisions we make. Brilliant!

Roxanne Bland has created a world that is so detailed that I am sure a plethora of books could be written within this City of Seattle. I for one would love more. People, I was lucky enough to get a copy through Voracious Readers and what a hoot. If you want a wild ride of a book, you need to get your hands on this one. I guarantee you will want more.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this continuation of 'The Underground' and I would humbly suggest that you read that book first. If you don't, you will miss a lot of the beautiful intricacies of the storyline and the subtle changes to the characters as the story progresses.

Yes, the characters are MEGA-flawed, and this is what makes Roxanne Bland such a visually authentic and great author. If you haven't read anything by her yet, then please remedy that. I guarantee that you will never have read anything like it in your life. There are more twists and turns between these pages than you'll get on a rollercoaster ride.

I won't spoil the story for anyone, but if you're looking for something unusual yet believable (if you like magic, REAL vampires, weres and witches, that is), solid individual characterisations yet they bleed into each other's traits, and a story that you'll be thinking about long after you've read the final page. There's love, hate, longing, jealousy, plenty of humour, strong emotion (both from the characters and the reader), and such hurtful betrayal that you'll feel it in your own heart. It's a complex and dynamic tale and, when followed on from 'The Underground', flows perfectly.

I chose this book from a selection at Booksprout, which I then voluntarily read and honestly reviewed. All opinions are my own.

[Myra McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written story of characters drawn with backgrounds from the supernatural/fantasy and aliens coming together for an epic tale of good verses evil.
Each character in his own right is juggling their own lives and responsibilities as leaders in their communities. Action and reaction, the choices in life and so the Vampire, the Werewolf and the Mage are drawn together to stop a pogrom in their city.
The magic goes awry and in working through the consequences of that the Werewolf's alien lady/soulmate/lover is being pursued by the bad guys from her world. Along the way the alien leader sees earth as a planet to be conquered and exploited for minerals etc.
Manipulation of features for and time for the aliens. The power games in packs and covens and the impact on the war these characters are fighting adds to the page turning story written here.
A highly recommend read for something different from usual sci-fi, supernatural, fantasy reads
A free book from Voracious Readers thank you
Myra

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you find a book that can combine the vampire, werewolf, and alien genres in a way in which the reader's eyes don't become exhausted from near constant rolling towards the back of the head, bravo! Roxanne Bland seems to have cracked that elusive code with Invasion. If you - like me - read the summary and thought, "oh good lord, this can't go right", think again.

Suspend your sense of reality and feasibility for 300+ pages and fall into the world of the angst ridden Kurt (Vampire Master of Seattle), the tortured love story of Parker (Alpha werewolf) and Melera (intergalactic assassin), and the resourceful Garrett Larkin (super witch of the Balthus Coven) as they band together against the evil scheming of Mag Beloc and impending alien invasion of Earth. The story is dark and gritty, full of astonishingly well developed characters on a quest you probably never imagine. A for originality in Invasion, Bland!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, let’s get this part out of the way. Don’t judge a book by its cover. But some books just have awkward covers. This one just looked really low budget 80s and I think a new one would do wonders.

Onward. Invasion is a novel filled to the brim with fantastical sci-fi creatures and storyline. The story is set in Seattle which is interesting approach with so many creative creatures. There are vampires, werewolves, and aliens. Interesting combination. Despite the real world location and abundance of fantasy creatures, she does a great job at bringing the whole thing together. The author creates a world that is entirely one and consistent throughout the entire book.

If you consider yourself a lover of scifi then I would certainly recommend this book. It has intense characters drawn together and pulled apart by love, friendship, and revenge. There are epic fight scenes and journeys opening the book up to new and interesting characters.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be a hard read. I love both paranormal and sci-fi but struggled to get into this book. The author stated at the beginning of the book that paranormal beings were “exotics” but spent the rest of the book referring to them as “zots” took a few chapters to figure what was going on. This was not the only unexplained term of reference in the book. I still do know what a “pogrom” is and it’s mentioned throughout the story.
There is no background or lead up to why the tryst came to be, the characters themselves seem lacking in depth as they seem to have no backstory which makes the characters hard to relate to, we’ve just jumped into the middle of the story.
It wasn’t until the end when I found out that the book was the second in the series that it became clear that the author assumes we have read the book before it, which i find a little arrogant most other series authors clue you in to what happened previously.

[Rachel Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel by Roxanne Bland tells the story of how a mix of different people must work to fight against current problems plaguing them and the world. Kurt, Garrett, Parker, and Shen’zae Melera are a mix of werewolves, vampires, and other species that fight together to rid the world of the evil Mag Beloc before he overtakes it and allows a deadly alien invasion to occur.
Bland has a unique writing style which makes this science fiction novel a fun book to read. The characters she created are also well-developed and add an interesting element to the story. While the novel runs at 305 pages, there are so many creative twists and turns that the pages will just fly by.
If you’re a fan of the science fiction genre or are someone who is looking for a new and creative book to read, you’ll definitely want to check this story out.

[Bigbear Woolliscroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invasion is an interesting crossover between Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction and definitely not written for Young Adults. It has a very mature feel to it, both with the complexity of its relationships of the main characters and the way that it does not need to spell out things. Character traits were revealed through actions, rather than lengthy internal monologue and the style is comparative to thrillers or processual crime novels.
I had not read this author before and was wary of it being volume 2 in a series, but this book does not require you to read volume 1 (although I now will).

l can only recommend it.

I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review

[Archie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invasion is an interesting book that believes besides humans there are other existence in the world like vampires, werewolves, witches and of course aliens. Humans usually fear one and want to discover the others, but are they really different than humans – that’s the question this took tries to answer. This a series and I have not read any previous one, but I would like to read one previous version before this. Interesting characters and a touch of romance keeps you attached to the book.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my normal cup of tea,as it were, humans,monsters and aliens seems a bit much. Having said that, this book is well written,the characters actually fit together well in their separate and joint efforts to survive this chaotic world. It adds a bit of a tale of two cities twist with a vampire a werewolf and a mage coming together, with all their differences . There's a bit of romance journeys and fighting, something for everyone. She has a vivid imagination hope it continues.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mash of cross-genres and shear volume of characterless was so mind-boggling in the first few chapters, I almost put the book down. But Ms Bland's imaginative, twisting plot lines just wouldn't allow me. So glad I pushed through because by the time I got to The End, I didn't want it to end. I received this book from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the outline of this book (given to me for free by the author visa Voracious Readers) my curiosity was aroused. I've never come across an author who would think of mixing werewolves; vampires, mages and aliens, yes aliens! Not only that, turning them into an unlikely group of heroes. I will definitely be reading other books by this author, a fantastic read. I loved it!

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan, sorry!

Found the story difficult to get into and was quite confused a lot of the time. There was too much going on and it was really exhausting to try to keep up with - the terms, the plot, the characters, all the different creatures/races. It felt like the author threw me into the middle of her book with little to no expainations or backstories.

[C.L. Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was afraid this book would have too much going on to follow. It did not. I loved the blend of supernatural, sci-fi and romance. This is apparently a sequel to The Underground but I read it without reading The Underground and didn't have any problem following the story.

[Marika Charalambous · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting fantasy novel involving a werewolf, a vampire, a witch, and an alien.

Full review: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...

[Stephanie Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story
Read from cover to cover as fast as could
Highly recommend🙂♥️

[James Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a very interesting story. I really enjoyed that it wasn't just your typical vamp, wolf, witch story line and that the author added in a very unique twist with Melera.

[Fraida Weiskop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing new genre of Science Fiction combined with Paranormal. Never would have thought it would work, but it does. Thank you again for the free ARC.

[Lorraine Upton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing.It's really hard to put it down once you start reading. It has action, suspense, deception and romance.