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The End Begins.

A meteor makes landfall in South Africa, carrying a strange substance that alters plants, soil—and humans.

Yet something much more dangerous is on a collision course with Earth—something that will change the future forever.

In a Hail Mary attempt to save the planet from certain doom, the government sends a ship and its crew directly into the path of the oncoming threat. The crew’s daring plan might be the only way to save humanity.

Meanwhile, a research station in orbit around Venus could hold the key to survival. The scientists on board have been studying an alien creature that may be connected to Earth’s imminent demise—if only they could make contact…

The events of Mission One and Deep Black culminate in this thrilling conclusion to the Titan Chronicles.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2021

219 people are currently reading
59 people want to read

About the author

Samuel Best

14 books96 followers
Born in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Samuel grew up a mile from the gates of Kennedy Space Center. His grandmother built space shuttles, his father designed scientific equipment that flew on them, and Samuel watched the launches from his rattling front porch, dreaming of the stars.

His best-selling novel Mission One, a near-future first contact odyssey, is the book that launched his career as a science fiction writer.

He recently spent three years traveling the world with his wife. They welcomed their son near the end of that journey and are now spending their days exploring the United States while Samuel works on his next book.

Want FREE Sci-Fi stories? Head on over to http://sam-best.com for a free introduction to Samuel's work.

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5 stars
264 (38%)
4 stars
267 (39%)
3 stars
121 (17%)
2 stars
20 (2%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Jen.
2,170 reviews155 followers
April 24, 2023
It's the mystery of the aliens in this book that does it for me. Jeff's a regular guy, Riley's a regular guy, Kate's a regular woman, etc. These very human, relatable people get thrown in this is situation that makes no sense. But more than that, an author whose writing pulls me in and keeps me engaged to the point where I forget that I'm listening to the story completely. I'm right there hanging in space with them.

Other reviews say that the book ended abruptly, but I didn't find that at all. It's more of an open ending, with lots of room to explain what that whole last part with Jeff was all about.

I like that the other books Best has written stay in this universe. I suspect the loose ends here will be wrapped up in the next series as it goes along.

And Jonathan Davis makes this book so good; I'd never have enjoyed it so much had I read it with my eyes and not my ears.

Profile Image for Arnis.
2,149 reviews177 followers
February 2, 2025
Tiekties pēc zvaigznēm, pēc Visuma plašākas izpētes ir ilgstoši bijis daudzu cilvēku sapnis. Kamēr vienmēr būs tādi, kuri ar pamatotību liks pretargumentus, ka noderīgāk izlietot līdzekļus un resursus dažādu problēmu risināšanai tepat uz Zemes, tad tiem pretim atkal var likt dažādus tehnoloģiju uzlabojumus un inovācijas, ko var sniegt vajadzība, tā teikt, izdomāt risinājumu, kas ļautu četru cilvēku komandai sasniegt, piemēram, Saturna pavadoni Titānu.

https://poseidons99.com/2025/02/02/sa...
Profile Image for Ed Tinkertoy.
281 reviews4 followers
November 9, 2022
The ONLY reason I read this book is because I read book one in the three-book series and liked book one. Then I bought books two and three. Just like in Book two this book in my opinion is very disjointed. The author names the chapters in the book after characters. The story has two lines going with people in two different places, on spaceships. The chapters alternate between the two places so its hard to follow the story. There is a LOT of detail about what the characters are doing, i.e., putting on space suits, using computers, going in and out of rooms and spacecraft. There is talk about a "tarus" and the there is talk about an "alien" but its not clear what these are and the differences.

At the end of the book, I did finish it (but by skimming pages) I did not know what had happened. I got the impression that one of the aliens was terraforming the planet Venus. Also at the end there is mention of another book in the series about 4 or 5 years later. I will NOT read it!!!!

Took me so long to finish the book because it did not hold my interest.
Profile Image for Irene.
1,553 reviews
January 16, 2024
3.8 It was a really nice finish with believable characters & great science

I generally lose interest in reading a book if chapters are dedicated to one character. In this case, individual attention worked because the science & technology were utilized differently. Incorporating recent astrophysics, quantum, and AI as teaching the reader was appreciated. Having an image of a difficult concept takes great skill, which is this author's gift to his readers.
I would score this sci-fi as a 3.5* for the series. Even though I enjoy sci-fi, I have a difficult time picking books. Also, I would recommend this series to a general audience. I would like to see this produced as a mini series because of the location - Saturn Moon Titan and the science.
118 reviews1 follower
September 3, 2021
Interesting title for #3 in the series. Since it is doubtful that it is the last contact. But, that is all I will say about that. Read the book to find out why. Read the series from the start. It takes a bit of patience to get into it, but once you do, you DO want to know what happens. It is more thriller than science fiction, although it uses space exploration and science fiction elements. So, if you like space exploration thrillers and first contact types of books, this one will keep your interest.
182 reviews
December 4, 2022
This is the third book of the Titan Chronicles. It ties up many of the threads that were out there. BUT there is one big thread hanging out. So there is a chance for another book.

That said, it was three good stories. I expected the book to end twice before it really did. The characters in the book were strong and did well in the situations they were put in. I felt that it wasn't as good as the other two books. If you have read the other two books, you need to read this one.

If you thinking about reading this book, read the other two first or you will be lost.
224 reviews1 follower
December 15, 2022
This is the third in the series, and I felt it was the least successful. It started out good, and then just sort of fizzled. It left the reader without really knowing what happened to Jeff Dolan or Kate Bishop, two of the main characters in the series. We can kind of figure out what happened to Jeff, but there are a lot of holes that I would have liked to see filled before the book ended that were sadly just left ignored or unanswered. It could have been really good, but it just kind of ended.
2 reviews1 follower
March 23, 2021
I am starting to get into more science fiction books so I do not have a lot of books that I have read in this genre to compare this book to. I enjoyed this trilogy more than I had expected.

The biggest criticism I have is that the third book ended abruptly. I would have expected one more chapter to wrap several storylines up. That being said,
I immediately checked for additional books by this author.
Profile Image for Thomas.
2,692 reviews
January 28, 2023
In Mission One, we contacted an alien artifact in orbit around Titan. In Deep Black, we found more alien funny business on Titan. Now in Samuel Best’s Last Contact, we find a big asteroid headed for Earth. If you have read the first two books, you might want to read this one just to see how the plot works out and find out whether Best manages to tie up loose ends. If you have not read the first two, don’t bother. 3 stars.
10 reviews
March 28, 2021
Another great read by Best

I just recently started reading his books, and quickly have become a huge fan. Found this one to be a great follow-up to the second book. I will say though that this book doesn't feel like there's enough closure at the end for it to actually be the end of a series, but I'm hoping her some answers in the other books in this universe he's writing.
Profile Image for Elyse.
651 reviews
March 28, 2021
Not my favorite of the series. Now has three story trajectories, with each one a little lightweight given the shorter length of the book.

I do like the overall story arc of the series, probing what "first contact" with a non-terrestrial species might look like. But lots of assumptions in this book go unprobed.
Profile Image for kevin stone.
56 reviews2 followers
March 14, 2022
Endings...

The story is phenominal. Realistic and likable characters flow well into the narrative. I enjoyed the style and content very much. The ending is... either a struggle to find a fourth novel or an intentionally open one. Still, it is very good. I would be very happy to read a fourth installment.
7 reviews
May 30, 2023
Not as good as the first two books

Kinda jumps around. Doesn't explain what's happening, but there's enough info for me to figure out that these 3 books are prequel to another set which includes Galena. Can't remember the name of the others. How did I not know? The first two didn't drop clues, but this one does.
27 reviews1 follower
March 5, 2021
Very good Read

Very good read, with vivid science fiction imagination and plenty of action. Enjoyed having two or three plots going at the same time, based on individual characters. Hard to put down. Great ending to the trilogy.
Profile Image for Glenn Polin.
6 reviews
April 17, 2021
Great characters although not drawn in depth.

Memorable characters. High drama on land and in space. There were times I barely understood what was going on and yet it was still very enjoyable reading. Start at the beginning and read all three books in the series.
3 reviews
September 4, 2021
Captivating

This is not philosophy or pseudoscience, but pure adventure in a dramatic sci-fi setting. I found it completely engaging, and not quite as apocalyptic as the ten o’clock news.
Profile Image for Valary Edwards.
18 reviews
November 4, 2021
Awesome!

I waited to review until I finished the 3rd book. The series is riviting! It really makes you question, what if. The possibility is there. Continue on with more to the series please! Good job!
19 reviews1 follower
November 15, 2021
What type of idiot allows psychopathic alien live?

This author allows a creature without the slightest concern destroy our planet and kill EVERYTHING on it and then lets it live. What a nice guy. Ridiculous! Then he captures it. I think I'm done reading Mr. Best.
13 reviews
November 29, 2022
Horribly boring 💤.

This guy writes more about the design of the ships than any character. The ending is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE.
What a waste of time. I'm NOT reading anything 400 years from now. What's the point!?
74 reviews3 followers
April 10, 2021
Great book

Once of the most exciting, edge of my seat book , I’ve read in a long time. Don’t start reading this if you have to work the next day.
18 reviews
April 30, 2021
Believable

Interesting story, realistic beginning,slow in the middle stages, finished strong. Good science fiction narrative,short chapters. I liked this story very much.
Profile Image for Nengi.
4 reviews
July 10, 2021
Nice read

Nice read, good pacing. Not an alien horror book but intriguing nonetheless. Would recommend the three series as a palette cleanser.
24 reviews
January 24, 2022
Great read !!

Great read and story line. I enjoyed all three books. Ever wonder what could happen with a first contact? Great story to open your mind.
12 reviews
February 24, 2022
A Good SF read

Good old fashioned Science fiction read. I really enjoyed the 3 books. Left you with questions that need answering. I am left wondering if there will be another.
103 reviews
March 16, 2022
Great read

OMG, what is next? You can't just leave the plot here! There has to be another book to answer all my questions.
Profile Image for S..
Author 1 book1 follower
April 4, 2022
This was good but some how I feel its not quite finished.
Profile Image for Ray Jacobs.
9 reviews2 followers
May 10, 2022
Next more realistic Star Wars film series was

Love to see this on the big screen. Great premise to approach science fiction with fact. Keep the books coming.
Profile Image for Jeff.
1,381 reviews7 followers
September 18, 2022
Great travel story: An alien attack is apparently immenent due to the actions recorded in prior novels… This is the resolution of the complex story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews

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