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The Testament Series #1
The Testament: A Novel
The hit international thriller from Eric Van Lustbader, the New York Times bestselling author of The Bourne Legacy For centuries, a hidden splinter sect of the Franciscans has guarded secrets that could transform the world. Now the safety of those secrets―and much more―depends on one man. Braverman “Bravo” Shaw always knew his father had secrets. But not until Dexter Shaw dies mysteriously does Bravo discover the enormity of his father's life as a high-ranking member of the Order of Gnostic Observatines. For more than eight hundred years, the Order has preserved an ancient cache of documents that could shake Christianity to its foundations. But the rival Knights of St. Clement will stop at nothing to obtain the treasure, and now Bravo is a target and a pawn in an ongoing war far larger and more deadly than any he could have imagined. From New York City to Washington, D.C., to Paris, to Venice, and beyond, the race is on for the quintessential prize...the Testament.
480 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 5, 2006
436 people are currently reading
1152 people want to read
About the author
Eric Van Lustbader
167 books1,227 followersEric Van Lustbader was born and raised in Greenwich Village. He is the author of more than twenty-five best-selling novels, including The Ninja, in which he introduced Nicholas Linnear, one of modern fiction's most beloved and enduring heroes. The Ninja was sold to 20th CenturyFox, to be made into a major motion picture. His novels have been translated into over twenty languages.
Mr. Lustbader is a graduate of Columbia College, with a degree in Sociology. Before turning to writing full time, he enjoyed highly successful careers in the New York City public school system, where he holds licenses in both elementary and early childhood education, and in the music business, where he worked for Elektra Records and CBS Records, among other companies.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ericva...
Mr. Lustbader is a graduate of Columbia College, with a degree in Sociology. Before turning to writing full time, he enjoyed highly successful careers in the New York City public school system, where he holds licenses in both elementary and early childhood education, and in the music business, where he worked for Elektra Records and CBS Records, among other companies.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ericva...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
July 14, 2017
not going to edit my rating upon reread. solid 4 star read; especially if you are a dan brown fan
January 13, 2009
Warning: Potential spoilers and kinetic bad attitude follow.
When will I learn? I'm a sucker for this type of book, and, in keeping with the metaphor, this type of book usually ends up sucking. Big time. I hoped that someone with the bibliographic chops of Eric Van Lustbader might actually be able to write a tense, action-packed conspiracy thriller. Maybe I should have thought for a few minutes about why he's been writing Jason Bourne (Robert Ludlum's creation) books for the past five years. Running out of original ideas much?
So. If you're going to rip off The Da Vinci Code take the time to do a better job. The bar really isn't that high. Let's compare:
Da Vinci Code: Professor with a background in art history/symbology meets up with the granddaughter of a museum curator during the investigation of said curator's murder. While dying from a bullet to the belly, the curator, who also just happened to be a high-ranking member of a secret society and one of the last guardians of a big hoo-hah church secret, managed to leave clues around parts of the Louvre and elsewhere to guide his granddaughter and her compatriot in their search to uncover the secret (which is being sought after by a rival faction). It is revealed during the story that grandfather (who raised the granddaughter) constantly trained granddaughter in solving complex codes & puzzles, hence her life as a code-breaker. Repeated use of flashbacks to explain why the characters know everything about everything, ever (but take forever to figure to hold a mirror up to an 'unknown language' which is actually English written backward).
Testament: Adult son is injured in explosion that kills his father. His father, who just happened to be a high-ranking member of a secret society and one of the last guardians of a big hoo-hah church secret, managed to leave clues all over creation leading son to a young woman (who is trained to protect members of said secret society) and to guide his son and his compatriot in their search to uncover the secret (which is being sought after by a rival faction). It is revealed during the story that father constantly trained son in solving of complex codes & puzzles, as well as medieval history, church history, and martial arts bad-assery, hence his life as a merchant banker or some such thing because he was absolutely clueless about what his father actually did. Repeated use of flashbacks to explain...hell, they really don't seem to have much of a point other than to show how much son misses dad and how swell dad was.
Also offensive: the bad guys are basically waiting for the protagonist to solve the puzzles and lead them to the not-so-mysterious treasure (it's revealed early on what it is; the where is the mystery that blowed up with dad). They always seem to be three steps ahead of him, yet he never stops to think that maybe his friends aren't what they seem. He has the infallible ability to believe the wrong thing immediately about almost everyone he meets, i.e., violently rejecting someone who he believes to be a traitor (who is actually trying to help him) while openly embracing those who are using him and mean to eventually cause him harm. He may be Mr. Smartypants Cryptanalyst, but he also manages to be a colossal knuckle-headed douche.
The most annoying thing of all however, is on page 34. Pre-explody Dad, on his way to meet pre-explody son, has just survived an attack by the opposition:
"So, despite all his precautions, they knew his location. Perhaps not so surprising, considering the meticulous planning behind the concerted attacks of the past two weeks...."
A mere two paragraphs later, he arrives at the café where he is to meet his son:
"His son hadn't arrived as yet so he asked the pale question mark of a woman at the podium for an outdoor table. At the tiny metal table, he sat in the sun...."
People are trying to assassinate him. So he sits outside in the sun. It's a wonder he lived long enough to spawn in the first place. Why is this the most annoying part? Because this is where I should have put the book down and started another. Learn from my mistakes, people.
When will I learn? I'm a sucker for this type of book, and, in keeping with the metaphor, this type of book usually ends up sucking. Big time. I hoped that someone with the bibliographic chops of Eric Van Lustbader might actually be able to write a tense, action-packed conspiracy thriller. Maybe I should have thought for a few minutes about why he's been writing Jason Bourne (Robert Ludlum's creation) books for the past five years. Running out of original ideas much?
So. If you're going to rip off The Da Vinci Code take the time to do a better job. The bar really isn't that high. Let's compare:
Da Vinci Code: Professor with a background in art history/symbology meets up with the granddaughter of a museum curator during the investigation of said curator's murder. While dying from a bullet to the belly, the curator, who also just happened to be a high-ranking member of a secret society and one of the last guardians of a big hoo-hah church secret, managed to leave clues around parts of the Louvre and elsewhere to guide his granddaughter and her compatriot in their search to uncover the secret (which is being sought after by a rival faction). It is revealed during the story that grandfather (who raised the granddaughter) constantly trained granddaughter in solving complex codes & puzzles, hence her life as a code-breaker. Repeated use of flashbacks to explain why the characters know everything about everything, ever (but take forever to figure to hold a mirror up to an 'unknown language' which is actually English written backward).
Testament: Adult son is injured in explosion that kills his father. His father, who just happened to be a high-ranking member of a secret society and one of the last guardians of a big hoo-hah church secret, managed to leave clues all over creation leading son to a young woman (who is trained to protect members of said secret society) and to guide his son and his compatriot in their search to uncover the secret (which is being sought after by a rival faction). It is revealed during the story that father constantly trained son in solving of complex codes & puzzles, as well as medieval history, church history, and martial arts bad-assery, hence his life as a merchant banker or some such thing because he was absolutely clueless about what his father actually did. Repeated use of flashbacks to explain...hell, they really don't seem to have much of a point other than to show how much son misses dad and how swell dad was.
Also offensive: the bad guys are basically waiting for the protagonist to solve the puzzles and lead them to the not-so-mysterious treasure (it's revealed early on what it is; the where is the mystery that blowed up with dad). They always seem to be three steps ahead of him, yet he never stops to think that maybe his friends aren't what they seem. He has the infallible ability to believe the wrong thing immediately about almost everyone he meets, i.e., violently rejecting someone who he believes to be a traitor (who is actually trying to help him) while openly embracing those who are using him and mean to eventually cause him harm. He may be Mr. Smartypants Cryptanalyst, but he also manages to be a colossal knuckle-headed douche.
The most annoying thing of all however, is on page 34. Pre-explody Dad, on his way to meet pre-explody son, has just survived an attack by the opposition:
"So, despite all his precautions, they knew his location. Perhaps not so surprising, considering the meticulous planning behind the concerted attacks of the past two weeks...."
A mere two paragraphs later, he arrives at the café where he is to meet his son:
"His son hadn't arrived as yet so he asked the pale question mark of a woman at the podium for an outdoor table. At the tiny metal table, he sat in the sun...."
People are trying to assassinate him. So he sits outside in the sun. It's a wonder he lived long enough to spawn in the first place. Why is this the most annoying part? Because this is where I should have put the book down and started another. Learn from my mistakes, people.
June 10, 2022
4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
In 2004 werd de schrijver door de nazaten van Robert Ludlum aangeduid om de onafgewerkte manuscripten van Ludlum in boekvorm om tezetten.
Braverman Shaw, student middeleeuwse godsdienst heeft altijd al geweten dat zijn vader geheimen had. Wanneer zijn vader, Dexter Shaw, bij een aanslag om het leven komt, ontdekt hij dat zijn vader lid was van de Haute Cour, de hoge raad van de Orde gnostische observanten en beschermers van het testament van Jezus van Nazareth.
In de loop van de eeuwen hebben veel pausen er hun levenswerk van gemaakt om het testament uit handen te krijgen van de Orde. Koningen zijn vermoord, regimes omvergeworpen, talloze mensen om het leven gebracht.
Het moment van slagen is nabij. Als het testament in handen valt van het Vaticaan beschikken ze meteen over ze er de middelen om sleutelfiguren binnen regeringen, en zelfs terroristische organisaties tot gehoorzaamheid te dwingen. Wie wil niet de ‘quinta essentia’ in zijn bezit hebben? Het Vaticaan wordt geholpen door de ridders van het oeroude genootschap Sint – Clemens, die ooit voor, tijdens en na de kruistochten actief waren bij de verspreiding van het pauselijke woord Gods in het Heilige Land,. Zij waren diens vuist, zowel tegen de islamitische ongelovigen als tegen godsdienstige sekten. Ook heden ten dagen zijn de ridders nog steeds actief, en ontzien niets of niemand.
Het is de taak van Braverman om het levenswerk van zijn vader voort te zetten. Hij wordt hierbij geholpen door Jenny Logan, doodsvijand van het genootschap en ook lid van de Orde. Braverman ontdekt algauw dat hij niemand kan vertrouwen. Zelfs Jenny niet…
In 2004 werd de schrijver door de nazaten van Robert Ludlum aangeduid om de onafgewerkte manuscripten van Ludlum in boekvorm om tezetten.
Braverman Shaw, student middeleeuwse godsdienst heeft altijd al geweten dat zijn vader geheimen had. Wanneer zijn vader, Dexter Shaw, bij een aanslag om het leven komt, ontdekt hij dat zijn vader lid was van de Haute Cour, de hoge raad van de Orde gnostische observanten en beschermers van het testament van Jezus van Nazareth.
In de loop van de eeuwen hebben veel pausen er hun levenswerk van gemaakt om het testament uit handen te krijgen van de Orde. Koningen zijn vermoord, regimes omvergeworpen, talloze mensen om het leven gebracht.
Het moment van slagen is nabij. Als het testament in handen valt van het Vaticaan beschikken ze meteen over ze er de middelen om sleutelfiguren binnen regeringen, en zelfs terroristische organisaties tot gehoorzaamheid te dwingen. Wie wil niet de ‘quinta essentia’ in zijn bezit hebben? Het Vaticaan wordt geholpen door de ridders van het oeroude genootschap Sint – Clemens, die ooit voor, tijdens en na de kruistochten actief waren bij de verspreiding van het pauselijke woord Gods in het Heilige Land,. Zij waren diens vuist, zowel tegen de islamitische ongelovigen als tegen godsdienstige sekten. Ook heden ten dagen zijn de ridders nog steeds actief, en ontzien niets of niemand.
Het is de taak van Braverman om het levenswerk van zijn vader voort te zetten. Hij wordt hierbij geholpen door Jenny Logan, doodsvijand van het genootschap en ook lid van de Orde. Braverman ontdekt algauw dat hij niemand kan vertrouwen. Zelfs Jenny niet…
January 21, 2015
I'm 75% of the way through, but I am pretty sure my opinion on this book won't change when I reach the end. Besides, the author gives away so much throughout the book that I doubt I will encounter any surprises in the last bit.
It's like the author wanted to mesh the Bourne-style story with the Da Vinci Code, and it just does not work. The book is neither psychologically thrilling (too much is given away too soon) nor are the action sequences fun or otherwise very entertaining. The story gets boring at times as the author provides details about Western religious history. He's trying to give context and depth, but fails at the depth part. The characters are flat, and, as the reader, I am completely uninvolved with the protagonist. There is just not much to this story that is redeemable.
It's like the author wanted to mesh the Bourne-style story with the Da Vinci Code, and it just does not work. The book is neither psychologically thrilling (too much is given away too soon) nor are the action sequences fun or otherwise very entertaining. The story gets boring at times as the author provides details about Western religious history. He's trying to give context and depth, but fails at the depth part. The characters are flat, and, as the reader, I am completely uninvolved with the protagonist. There is just not much to this story that is redeemable.
May 6, 2025
It's kind of like a Dan Brown novel, only more boring.
I just don't understand the audience for these books.
I just don't understand the audience for these books.
February 12, 2008
Always on the lookout for books in the "theological thriller" genre, I picked this one up ready for the "roller-coaster of a read" promised by one reviewer somewhere. Well, that it was, because the pace was so fast, but to be brutally honest, I just didn't like it. It started out well, with lots of promise and kept me interested, but when it takes me four days to read a novel like this, there's a reason. I kept picking it up, reading it, and putting it back down. Normally books in this vein might last overnight if they're really good.
brief synopsis; no spoilers:
The story opens back in the 15th century in a monastery which is under attack. It seems that a group known as the Knights of St. Clement (a Christian group under the auspices of the Vatican) is an enemy of and sworn to destroy the group known as the Gnostic Observatines, an order based on the monasticism of St. Francis of Assisi. Flash forward to the modern day, where a father is expecting to reunite with his son. The father, Dexter Shaw, tries to convince his son Braverman (Bravo) to use his training as a medieval scholar and work with him; Bravo already has a job in Europe and wants no part of his dad's work life. One thing leads to another, Dexter is killed and leaves Bravo a safety deposit box full of miscellaneous items -- all which serve as a cyper to unravel to guide Bravo to a "cache of secrets" which had been in Dexter's keeping. It turns out that the medieval war is not over quite yet; another group wants to lay their hands on this cache of secrets for sinister reasons.
Sounds right up my alley, but wait. I was looking for a good thriller -- you know...who's the traitor, that sort of thing but figured it all out very quickly. And I just hate when scholarly types become transformed into a lean, mean killing machine, out of keeping with their characters. The plot is a bit different than other books like this, and that made the book interesting. That was a plus here.
Would I recommend it? Well, I'd say give it a try if you like this sort of thing, but having read tons of this genre, it's not at the top of my list.
brief synopsis; no spoilers:
The story opens back in the 15th century in a monastery which is under attack. It seems that a group known as the Knights of St. Clement (a Christian group under the auspices of the Vatican) is an enemy of and sworn to destroy the group known as the Gnostic Observatines, an order based on the monasticism of St. Francis of Assisi. Flash forward to the modern day, where a father is expecting to reunite with his son. The father, Dexter Shaw, tries to convince his son Braverman (Bravo) to use his training as a medieval scholar and work with him; Bravo already has a job in Europe and wants no part of his dad's work life. One thing leads to another, Dexter is killed and leaves Bravo a safety deposit box full of miscellaneous items -- all which serve as a cyper to unravel to guide Bravo to a "cache of secrets" which had been in Dexter's keeping. It turns out that the medieval war is not over quite yet; another group wants to lay their hands on this cache of secrets for sinister reasons.
Sounds right up my alley, but wait. I was looking for a good thriller -- you know...who's the traitor, that sort of thing but figured it all out very quickly. And I just hate when scholarly types become transformed into a lean, mean killing machine, out of keeping with their characters. The plot is a bit different than other books like this, and that made the book interesting. That was a plus here.
Would I recommend it? Well, I'd say give it a try if you like this sort of thing, but having read tons of this genre, it's not at the top of my list.
October 9, 2020
This one hurts, and I say that as a reader who 1) likes a lot of Van Lustbader's work, although I mainly enjoy the Ninja series and 2) is not a literary snob by any means. I regularly read Clive Cussler "novels" for the sheer pleasure of their improbability.
This one manages to mix the triteness of a plot about missing information regarding the life of Christ that arise from a missing Gospel (of course) combined with a secret society of crazed ci-devant Franciscans who have been engaged in a millenial-long struggle with another crowd of medieval quasi-religious who are hellbent for leather on . . . I actually don't remember.
Bravo Shaw is the hero, surreptitiously trained by his father to take his place as a Franciscan Observantine. The dad buys the farm almost immediately. I defy anyone above a fourth-grade reading level not to spot the villains in the book equally quickly. The "reveals" of who they might be occur with thudding predictability throughout The Testament. There is no albino monk swanning around killing people, but Van Lustbader does sneak in a nod to James Hilton's Lost Horizon.
I'd like to say this was awful in the way that jumps off the page. There are one or two such leaps, but instead of guilty pleasures, the book is a slog through tedium: plot, characters and writing. A dull trifecta, fellow readers.
This one manages to mix the triteness of a plot about missing information regarding the life of Christ that arise from a missing Gospel (of course) combined with a secret society of crazed ci-devant Franciscans who have been engaged in a millenial-long struggle with another crowd of medieval quasi-religious who are hellbent for leather on . . . I actually don't remember.
Bravo Shaw is the hero, surreptitiously trained by his father to take his place as a Franciscan Observantine. The dad buys the farm almost immediately. I defy anyone above a fourth-grade reading level not to spot the villains in the book equally quickly. The "reveals" of who they might be occur with thudding predictability throughout The Testament. There is no albino monk swanning around killing people, but Van Lustbader does sneak in a nod to James Hilton's Lost Horizon.
I'd like to say this was awful in the way that jumps off the page. There are one or two such leaps, but instead of guilty pleasures, the book is a slog through tedium: plot, characters and writing. A dull trifecta, fellow readers.
May 27, 2017
Compelling
Starting out, I felt that I was submerged in an ecstatic world of mideval thrills of knights and exotic events, when suddenly I was plunged into a world of smog, electricity, and parental suffering. Prepared for disappointment, I grudgingly continued, keeping an open mind and discovered that I was enraptured by unpredictable events that compelled my interests, we're hard to put down, and amazingly rewarding. What a great read! I can hardly wait to continue my experiences with Braverman Shaw.
Starting out, I felt that I was submerged in an ecstatic world of mideval thrills of knights and exotic events, when suddenly I was plunged into a world of smog, electricity, and parental suffering. Prepared for disappointment, I grudgingly continued, keeping an open mind and discovered that I was enraptured by unpredictable events that compelled my interests, we're hard to put down, and amazingly rewarding. What a great read! I can hardly wait to continue my experiences with Braverman Shaw.
May 26, 2019
Wordy. Overly descriptive to the max. At over 460 pages this tale had a full life of it's own. Braverman "Bravo"Shaw the son of Dexter Shaw is a chosen man. An organization known as "Order Of the Gnostic Observation" a direct adversary of the Vatican's "Knights Of St. Clement". The Gnostic members have been guarding a sensitive and explosive secret from the Knights for over 800 years. Dexter Shaw now the leader of the Gnostics must now at this point in his life prepare Bravo to take over his position as guard of the Gnostics. Bravo is far more interested in other things like making money and doing odd types of research. When Dexter is blown up by the Knights Bravo is thrown into a whirlwind of an adventure to find the secret Testament and protect it from the Knights. In a sprawling plot that travels from NYC into Italy, France, and Washington D.C., "Testament" is a true action suspense novel. Way beyond the suspension of belief, "Testament", is a good old fashioned comic book novel of good guys against bad guys. I really enjoyed how the book opened up and introduced the primary characters. The middle however sagged quite a bit. I thought the conclusion was just plain bad. The Jenny Logan character was lost and left to twist for far too long. Bravo needed to be pitted with Jenny for this plot to work. Giving, "Testament", three stars out of a possible five stars. (2.66 Stars about right). Since this is a first book in series I'll read next installment before I judge series itself. At times this one had some really good portions, and at other times it was a drag. Check it out.
August 27, 2019
The Testament by Eric Van Lustbader is book one in the Bravo Shaw series and introduces us to the scholar/adventurer and his induction into the secret society of the Order of Gnostic Observatines. Bravo joins the war between the Observatines and the Knights of St. Clement, a splinter sect of the Catholic Church upon the death of his father.
"...Now you have your proof,' Fra Leoni said tersely. 'We have been betrayed again. Our citadel has been breached.'
Fra Prospero's eyes flickered with a tiny stirring of fear. His bearded face glistening, he drew himself back to the urgent conversation. In a lowered voice, he said, 'And what of the one secret-the one that dwarfs all others, the one even those who come, even he who sent them, are unaware of? Will it be safe with you?'
'It is why I was ordained Keeper. The trust is sacred; it can never be broken. I guard them all with my life, the one secret especially..."
Braverman Shaw had a strained relationship with his father, Dexter Shaw, but when his father is killed in an explosion, Braverman "Bravo" is thrust into a mystery that is centuries old. Dexter belong to a hidden sect known as the Order of Gnostic Observatines and not only did he belong to them, he was the Keeper. Now Bravo must follow in his father's footsteps and find the secrets he held and protect them from those who would kill to control them.
"...Jordon rubbed his chin, his face grave. He picked up his cell phone, dialed a number, spoke softly into it. 'His grace called. I'm afraid we've run out of time far sooner than we anticipated. A week, not a moment more, he told me. Luckily, Bravo holds the key, which is just how we planned it. But now we will be forced to take further risks.
'Risk is part of the game, my love,' the voice said on the other end of the line.
'Risk is what Ivo and Donatella took,' he said gloomily. 'and look where they ended up.'
'But I have a plan. Herd Braverman Shaw and his Guardian angel like cattle, separate them, make them desperate.'
Jordan sat straight, his throat tight. 'And then?'
'She is of no consequence,' the voice said, 'but when he has led us to the secret, he will die.'
Jordan faced the window, but his gaze had turned inward. 'Just as we planned,' he said 'from the beginning..."
With clues left behind by Dexter that only Bravo could interpret, the hunt is on to find the greatest secret of the Observatines and to keep it out of the hands of the Knights. But the secret is greater than anything Bravo could imagine and it has the power to bring down Christianity and shake the Church to the core.
"...In His Testament, Jesus describes it as an 'oil,' but that term may or may not bear a resemblance to what we think of as oil.' Rule leaned in, lowered his voice. 'What makes the fragment of the Testament so explosive, so potentially dangerous to the Church, is that in it Jesus writes that it is by means of the Quintessence that he resurrected Lazarus and the others..."
With his Guardian, Jenny, at his side, Bravo goes in search of the Testament of Jesus and the secret of the Quintessence. A substance that may have been the power behind all the miracles done in the New Testament by Jesus and his disciples. A substance that the Church would murder to keep secret. But there are betrayals and lies in the Order itself that Bravo no longer knows who he can believe and who he can trust. Time is running out and there are killers hunting him down.
The Testament is a thriller first and foremost and this is a genre that Lustbader excels at. Fans of Dan Brown will find this novel moves at a much faster clip and is not bogged down by the lectures of hidden society and ancient evils. No here, the adventure is far more of the story of than what the secrets of the Observatines. But don't worry, there is plenty of mystery of the old church and the conspiracies that are so intriguing. The truth of the Gnostics and the war and brutality the early Church waged on them is fact. The knowledge, which is what the Gnostic gospels were said to contain has been lost for centuries. In the Testament, Lustbader gives us a peek and tantalizing tale from this ancient religious battle.
A fun and great read!
"...Now you have your proof,' Fra Leoni said tersely. 'We have been betrayed again. Our citadel has been breached.'
Fra Prospero's eyes flickered with a tiny stirring of fear. His bearded face glistening, he drew himself back to the urgent conversation. In a lowered voice, he said, 'And what of the one secret-the one that dwarfs all others, the one even those who come, even he who sent them, are unaware of? Will it be safe with you?'
'It is why I was ordained Keeper. The trust is sacred; it can never be broken. I guard them all with my life, the one secret especially..."
Braverman Shaw had a strained relationship with his father, Dexter Shaw, but when his father is killed in an explosion, Braverman "Bravo" is thrust into a mystery that is centuries old. Dexter belong to a hidden sect known as the Order of Gnostic Observatines and not only did he belong to them, he was the Keeper. Now Bravo must follow in his father's footsteps and find the secrets he held and protect them from those who would kill to control them.
"...Jordon rubbed his chin, his face grave. He picked up his cell phone, dialed a number, spoke softly into it. 'His grace called. I'm afraid we've run out of time far sooner than we anticipated. A week, not a moment more, he told me. Luckily, Bravo holds the key, which is just how we planned it. But now we will be forced to take further risks.
'Risk is part of the game, my love,' the voice said on the other end of the line.
'Risk is what Ivo and Donatella took,' he said gloomily. 'and look where they ended up.'
'But I have a plan. Herd Braverman Shaw and his Guardian angel like cattle, separate them, make them desperate.'
Jordan sat straight, his throat tight. 'And then?'
'She is of no consequence,' the voice said, 'but when he has led us to the secret, he will die.'
Jordan faced the window, but his gaze had turned inward. 'Just as we planned,' he said 'from the beginning..."
With clues left behind by Dexter that only Bravo could interpret, the hunt is on to find the greatest secret of the Observatines and to keep it out of the hands of the Knights. But the secret is greater than anything Bravo could imagine and it has the power to bring down Christianity and shake the Church to the core.
"...In His Testament, Jesus describes it as an 'oil,' but that term may or may not bear a resemblance to what we think of as oil.' Rule leaned in, lowered his voice. 'What makes the fragment of the Testament so explosive, so potentially dangerous to the Church, is that in it Jesus writes that it is by means of the Quintessence that he resurrected Lazarus and the others..."
With his Guardian, Jenny, at his side, Bravo goes in search of the Testament of Jesus and the secret of the Quintessence. A substance that may have been the power behind all the miracles done in the New Testament by Jesus and his disciples. A substance that the Church would murder to keep secret. But there are betrayals and lies in the Order itself that Bravo no longer knows who he can believe and who he can trust. Time is running out and there are killers hunting him down.
The Testament is a thriller first and foremost and this is a genre that Lustbader excels at. Fans of Dan Brown will find this novel moves at a much faster clip and is not bogged down by the lectures of hidden society and ancient evils. No here, the adventure is far more of the story of than what the secrets of the Observatines. But don't worry, there is plenty of mystery of the old church and the conspiracies that are so intriguing. The truth of the Gnostics and the war and brutality the early Church waged on them is fact. The knowledge, which is what the Gnostic gospels were said to contain has been lost for centuries. In the Testament, Lustbader gives us a peek and tantalizing tale from this ancient religious battle.
A fun and great read!
November 1, 2020
Скоро не бях подхващала книга от такъв мащаб. От нея може да се направи цял сериал с много действие. Книгата е трилър, но в нея има и любов, екшън, приключения, тайни общества и шифри. Препускаш из действието и постоянно има някакви обрати.
Когато Декстър загива при трагични обстоятелства, неговият син Браво се оказва въвлечен в надпревара с убийци, жадни за кръв и търсещи изгубени реликви. Оказва се, че баща му е бил член на тайно общество и пазител на изгубеното Евангелие на Исус Христос, но и на квинтесенция, която може да направи човека безсмъртен. Много хора, включително и папата, който е на смъртно легло, желаят да се доберат до веществото и да получат вечен живот. Но Браво трябва да разшифрова кодовете, които неговият баща е оставил, и да намери сандъчето с драгоценните съкровища. Заедно с Джени, неговата пазителка, той предприема пътуване из цял свят. Само че в организацията съществува предател, който е по петите им и те трябва да се справят с всички, изпратени срещу тях, за да оцелеят. Надпреварата е голяма, но кой е предателят?
Не дадох пълна петичка, защото героите уж бяха умни и обучени, а не можаха да прозрат някои неща. Браво пък в един момент съвсем зацикли, вместо да се опита да разсъждава, както го е учил баща му. Убийствата и обратите бяха толкова много, че в един момент чувствах пренасищане и напрежение, затова трябваше да си почивам от книгата. Иначе е хубав трилър за любителите на загадки, шифри, история, приключения и екшън.
Когато Декстър загива при трагични обстоятелства, неговият син Браво се оказва въвлечен в надпревара с убийци, жадни за кръв и търсещи изгубени реликви. Оказва се, че баща му е бил член на тайно общество и пазител на изгубеното Евангелие на Исус Христос, но и на квинтесенция, която може да направи човека безсмъртен. Много хора, включително и папата, който е на смъртно легло, желаят да се доберат до веществото и да получат вечен живот. Но Браво трябва да разшифрова кодовете, които неговият баща е оставил, и да намери сандъчето с драгоценните съкровища. Заедно с Джени, неговата пазителка, той предприема пътуване из цял свят. Само че в организацията съществува предател, който е по петите им и те трябва да се справят с всички, изпратени срещу тях, за да оцелеят. Надпреварата е голяма, но кой е предателят?
Не дадох пълна петичка, защото героите уж бяха умни и обучени, а не можаха да прозрат някои неща. Браво пък в един момент съвсем зацикли, вместо да се опита да разсъждава, както го е учил баща му. Убийствата и обратите бяха толкова много, че в един момент чувствах пренасищане и напрежение, затова трябваше да си почивам от книгата. Иначе е хубав трилър за любителите на загадки, шифри, история, приключения и екшън.
April 16, 2017
It isn't that this was a bad book but there was so much killing and butchering that it was hard for me to read it. Enough said.
December 26, 2018
A good read, though often dragged a fair bit and was at times difficult to follow. Good solid ending.
July 1, 2024
Enjoyed the story and rather obvious but timely use of religious conflict to tie the past to the present. Has inspired an exploration of the Gnostic non -fiction material on my shelf.
June 28, 2007
This is one of the most exciting and compelling books I've ever read. Well, actually, I was listening to it on tape while driving 200 miles to a business conference. About 2/3 of the way there, I realized my brother-in-law (who loaned me the CD set) had left out the final CD! That night, after the obligatory business meetings and dinner, I drove all over town, with a map ripped from the yellow pages from the drawer in my hotel room, trying to find a Barnes and Noble. I found the B&N, but not the book! I drove miles and miles to another large chain store, where I finally found the hardcover for sale. I stayed up practically all night finishing the final chapters! It was that compelling to me.
May 1, 2014
Perhaps it was unfair to make comparisons between "The Testament" and Mr. Van Lustbader's previous novel, "The Bourne Legacy"; but I found myself unconciously doing so nearly the entire time I spent reading it.
At no point did I find "The Testament" as entertaining and exciting as "The Bourne Legacy", even though both made the New York Times Best Seller List and received the same high praise from most professional reviewers.
The primary characters in "The Testament" failed to intrigue or fascinate me. The main character, Braverman "Bravo" Shaw, was unconvincing and never came close to meriting either my admiration or sympathy. However, the storyline did contain enough twists, turns and complex plot development to keep me reading to the end.
At no point did I find "The Testament" as entertaining and exciting as "The Bourne Legacy", even though both made the New York Times Best Seller List and received the same high praise from most professional reviewers.
The primary characters in "The Testament" failed to intrigue or fascinate me. The main character, Braverman "Bravo" Shaw, was unconvincing and never came close to meriting either my admiration or sympathy. However, the storyline did contain enough twists, turns and complex plot development to keep me reading to the end.
August 26, 2017
My GOODREADS review
I discovered THE TESTAMENT and was fixated by the Catholic religion angle to the plot. (Yes I am a Catholic.) Would it be an Indiana Jones’ clone or a Dan Brown mutation? Proudly I can say that it is a healthy blend of the two and continues to be an original element within the plot. Historical references are evident and Lustbader provides an afterword acknowledging and explaining these same historical references for his fictional creations.
In concise terms, the plot focuses on a son who must assume the mantle of leadership of an ancient religious order which is being destroyed by another popular order. He is responsible for discovering the key treasures of his father’s order and keeping it all safe from the world. But, he also has deadly competitors chasing him for these same treasures as their reward.
Lustbader weaves a myriad web of international intrigue which slowly reveals itself to the reader and the characters. At times these historical references become slightly overwhelming. But the thrills carry import of a sort and a hook to keep the reader entranced.
This is very similar to a spy/espionage novel because secrets are the treasure among many international locales. Ordinary people are innocent and ignorant of these events, especially when they unfold about them. Braverman Shaw consults and enlists the help of other secret members of his father’s order unlike Jason Bourne who runs and relies on himself.
By the penultimate chapter, plotlines are ended quickly with an immediate satisfaction.
Lustbader has already completed the second novel and has promised a third and final novel for the series.
Fri, August 25, 2017
I discovered THE TESTAMENT and was fixated by the Catholic religion angle to the plot. (Yes I am a Catholic.) Would it be an Indiana Jones’ clone or a Dan Brown mutation? Proudly I can say that it is a healthy blend of the two and continues to be an original element within the plot. Historical references are evident and Lustbader provides an afterword acknowledging and explaining these same historical references for his fictional creations.
In concise terms, the plot focuses on a son who must assume the mantle of leadership of an ancient religious order which is being destroyed by another popular order. He is responsible for discovering the key treasures of his father’s order and keeping it all safe from the world. But, he also has deadly competitors chasing him for these same treasures as their reward.
Lustbader weaves a myriad web of international intrigue which slowly reveals itself to the reader and the characters. At times these historical references become slightly overwhelming. But the thrills carry import of a sort and a hook to keep the reader entranced.
This is very similar to a spy/espionage novel because secrets are the treasure among many international locales. Ordinary people are innocent and ignorant of these events, especially when they unfold about them. Braverman Shaw consults and enlists the help of other secret members of his father’s order unlike Jason Bourne who runs and relies on himself.
By the penultimate chapter, plotlines are ended quickly with an immediate satisfaction.
Lustbader has already completed the second novel and has promised a third and final novel for the series.
Fri, August 25, 2017
March 25, 2024
It's hilarious that on the cover of "The Testament" there is a quote saying that Van Lustbader is the master of the smart thriller because this book is dumb as... Well, super dumb. I could do a super long list of how stupid this book is but just say that: or that ... Well, this is so stupid it almost made me dumber than I already am. And makes me wonder about me twenty years ago, when I was enjoying some of Van Lustbader's novels from the 80s and 90s. Would I feel different about them now? I will have to re-read one of them some of these days. This one? Nope.
The best: Van Lustbader is not bad at creating pace and rhythm to the story
The worst: not that the story is rubbish and makes no sense whatsoever; it's that the characters' decisions and behaviors are super mega extra stupid, as if the author doesn't care about the reader at all
Alternative: "The Da Vinci Code" is also super silly but more fun than this
1/10
(English; original)
The best: Van Lustbader is not bad at creating pace and rhythm to the story
The worst: not that the story is rubbish and makes no sense whatsoever; it's that the characters' decisions and behaviors are super mega extra stupid, as if the author doesn't care about the reader at all
Alternative: "The Da Vinci Code" is also super silly but more fun than this
1/10
(English; original)
December 16, 2019
I was looking for a good historical fiction book. I wouldn't consider "The Testament" a true historical fiction book but the plot intrigued me. It starts with the introduction of the Obervantine order in 1422, in a remote convent in Trebizon, modern Turkey. A few pages later we fast forward to the present time New York where the main characters are introduced. From there it's a twisting plot with two orders fighting against each other for centuries. The Observantines want to preserve a cache of secrets dating from the time of Jesus, the archenemies, Knights of St. Clement, on the other hand, are constantly trying to find and exploit these secrets. The author for my taste is a little too descriptive and wordy, especially in certain sections of the book. Sometimes his digressions can take away from the story and make you wonder "where were we again?", I understand that he can use words like an artist uses a paintbrush, but I would have preferred a sense of measure. This said I believe that the first and third sections of the book are probably the best, the pace really picks up towards the end of the book. I would consider reading the remaining books of the series.
December 3, 2019
I picked this up without much expectations and still was disappointed with the way the story progressed. It has an outline that is interesting enough - an ancient secret that can destroy the world if revealed, which the hero is tasked with protecting at all costs, who is chased across countries and continents by the unscrupulous people desperate to possess the secret at any cost. But the execution is way too tortuous for my liking. There are many superfluous sequences, loose ends, and pointless killings which made me wanting to chuck it. But, I persevered until the end without getting rewarded, except for the morsels of history and the appealing descriptions of the locales. The Testament promises a lot and delivers very little - full of action and devoid of substance.
November 22, 2018
One and a half stars, rated two stars for effort and because I think the prologue, although lengthy for my tastes at 20-25 pages, was very well-written.
The problem with this book for me was it came across as a cheap attempt at suspense/thriller, and also because I simply didn't like the protagonist. The final blow for me was he kept remembering his father's last words, which I hate because it's being reminded of something over and over again that you read only two or three chapters before.
So... I was hoping to like it. First book by the author that I read. Probably won't read another. Just too flat.
The problem with this book for me was it came across as a cheap attempt at suspense/thriller, and also because I simply didn't like the protagonist. The final blow for me was he kept remembering his father's last words, which I hate because it's being reminded of something over and over again that you read only two or three chapters before.
So... I was hoping to like it. First book by the author that I read. Probably won't read another. Just too flat.
November 6, 2019
I suppose there's an interesting storyline in here, but the prose is bad enough that I'm not prepared to read any farther in hopes of finding it. I'm on page 139 and we're listening to a Frenchman in some unspecified espionage/state department senior capacity talking with our protagonist. His English is perfect except that for the simplest words, like bon or mon ami, he uses French. This is not the best example of the poor writing in this narrative, but it's the last one I'm going to look at.
I am officially giving up on Lee Child's blurb-on-the-dustjacket raves. This is the fourth book I've tried on his recommendation and I haven't found a good one yet.
I am officially giving up on Lee Child's blurb-on-the-dustjacket raves. This is the fourth book I've tried on his recommendation and I haven't found a good one yet.
April 29, 2021
2.5 out of 5 stars. The Testament blends the Da Vinci Code mystery with Jason Bourne actions. On paper, it should have been a match made in heaven. But the book did not deliver due to poor executions. The book's pacing is uneven. There are too many interludes and flash backs that distracted the flow. In the end, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. However, I have read the second book a few years back and it wasn't bad. I borrowed the whole series from the library so I will re-read the second book and move on to the rest of the series. Hopefully my reading experience will improve in the future installments.
August 21, 2017
In a galaxy far, far in the past, I read the author's Ninja series (Nicholas Linnear). The author writes very densely in terms of explaining each scene using flowering language. Sometimes that gets in the way of story. I believe I read this book in the past, but could just be the writer's method. However, I did enjoy the global intrigue and ancient religious sect wars up to the "present day" Vatican. There is a sequel which I will certainly read.
August 1, 2018
Ok...I have a confession to make. I didn’t read the middle of the book. I skipped part two. I’m familiar with Lustbader as I read a couple of the Jason Bourne books. So I had a pretty good idea what was going on. Lustbader needs to learn to give the reader a little down time occasionally. It’s grueling for the action to be at a fever pitch throughout the entire book. Otherwise it was pretty good.
January 17, 2020
I have to say I'm not a fan of this book. The main character is great at solving the puzzles, etc but he's not much good at anything else. The antagonists seem to always have the upper hand and he doesn't seem to have a clue. Lots of killing that didn't seem necessary to me. I don't know if I will try book number 2 or not. I liked the premise of the story but reading the book was really a struggle.
February 28, 2021
Great murder/mystery, with a DaVinci Code type theme. Bordered here and there in religion/faith, but not overly so. The author did a great job of making 90 degree turns and surprising the reader with new angles. It was interesting to read the twist of bad guys to good guys and good guys to bad guys. A book that became hard to put down. Lots of descriptions of Italian architecture, old monk/nun/religious beliefs and history. Good read!!
February 26, 2023
Couldn't finish. Trite, overworked plot. The villains twirl their moustaches while the clueless hero gets all the wrong people killed. Nobody has time for a nap. Guns, boat chases, car chases, shoot-outs in public places with not a law enforcement officer for miles, overt misogyny, manufactured conflict that could be resolved in a two minute conversation? This book has it all.
This is my first book by E.V.L. and it will probably be my last. What a waste of time.
This is my first book by E.V.L. and it will probably be my last. What a waste of time.
May 17, 2017
I really struggled through this one. I found the writing really bad in places, with characters behaving in ways that no human would behave and saying the most outlandish things. The plot should have been really compelling, but the execution was poor ensuring that I felt no excitement throughout.
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