Corpus Christi

The Legacy Chronicles #1

by Luke Romyn

Haunted by the toxic memories of a torturous foster-father, Jacob Hope yearns to make a difference in a world gone awry, trying to accomplish some small scrap of good in an ocean of wrong. Tumbling through life with no true direction, Jake unwittingly reveals a nightmare.

The gates of Hell have been unlocked, and something long imprisoned has broken loose from its shackles to roam free upon the Earth. It cannot be bargained with, it cannot be defeated, and it exists with only desolation in its heart....

Longing to confront such evil but not knowing how, Jake must embark upon a journey not only of destination, but of self-discovery. In his attempts to thwart a fallen angel, Jake must also come to grips with his own part in this almighty drama.

For above it all haunts the legacy, a prophecy of who Jake truly is:

Christ reborn - the new messiah.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Angels, Thriller

470 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2013

About the author

A terrifying storm lashed Sydney’s North Shore on June 21st, 1975. Boats were swamped and jetties smashed in what some claim was the worst storm to hit the coast for four decades.

In the midst of the chaos, Luke Romyn’s parents battled to get to a hospital to birth their baby boy. Normally their idyllic island cottage was a near-paradise; on this night the journey to the mainland in their tiny boat seemed like a passage through Hell. Their son was born near midnight, but part of the storm never left him.

When Luke reached fifteen years of age his father was killed while working in Fiji, leaving Luke and his mother alone. At times, the only things to get Luke through his grief were the stories playing out in his head, endless fantastical tales of lands both distant and near, with characters who would protect him from any tragedy.

At eighteen, Luke began working in nightclubs as a bouncer. Unbeknownst to him, this was simply the first step on a trek which would dictate much of his life from that point on. For over two decades since, Luke has worked in the security industry; from bouncing in some of Australia's roughest pubs and nightclubs to protecting Mickey Mouse and the Disney crew from the overzealous jaws of tenacious toddlers. He's been bodyguard for celebrities internationally and chased feral pigs and snakes from jungle sets on Steven Spielberg productions. Luke has traveled the globe and spent time in some of the most amazing locations the world has to offer.

This experience fuels the Australian writer’s ever-expansive imagination, and he pours it into his novels, combining fact with fiction, history with fantasy, delivering engrossing action-thrillers which leave fans gasping for more. Luke’s quick wit has seen his social media following explode, and he is currently one of the most prolific social media celebrities in Australia, with several hundred thousand followers across the internet.

Publishing his first book, The Dark Path, in 2009 saw it voted in the top 10 horror novels of that year, even though Luke denies ever intending the novel to be classed as horror. Luke Romyn is now one of the most popular indie authors in the ever-growing eBook market and personally completes everything from cover art to final formatting, working tirelessly with editors so as to refine the best stories possible for his readers. The results are international bestsellers you’re certain to love diving into. Hundreds of thousands of readers can’t be wrong.

Reviews

[Clayton · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is most certainly the worst book I've ever completed and I cannot understand why it is rated so well. Its as if a 12-year-old watched an adult film and then tried writing his own synopsis of the events.

Do ebooks not go through the traditional (any?) editing stage before publishing?

The dialogue makes me want to gag, no character would say or think most of the things written in these contexts. I believe my count of Jake specifically saying "What do you mean?" (once it occurred twice on one page) was up to 25 before I gave up even caring.

The Vain character is so poorly cliche I literally blushed at the terrible lines he has. So bad:
- -
Do you believe in God?” asked Jake. “Believe?” said Vain. “No, I don’t believe. I know he exists , so I don’t have to believe. I wouldn’t say I like him – although he’s gotta be better than Lucifer – that guy just sucks.”
“You’ve met the Devil?”
“Yeah,” replied Vain calmly, “a couple of times – you could say we were close at one stage, but he’s a real asshole. I don’t know if this God of yours is any better, but I know enough to know all that shit is real. When you ask if I believe in Him… huh… I believe in me. That’s all. God can suck my dick.”-
--
Yep, typical conversation with Vain. I think it's safe to say that that excerpt would make devout Christians and atheists alike cringe in disgust.

I didn't even want to waste my time reviewing this, but figured I'd better balance the ratings a bit and hope to warn other suckers like me.

[J. Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the right book falls into your hands at just the right time. For me, Corpus Chrisit was such a book. And not only was it a book I needed to read, it was a fun one to read. If you enjoyed the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, you'll love what appears to by this new series from Luke Romyn. It contains the same historical depth and supernatural elements but isn't nearly as cumbersome a read. In fact, it would make a great movie without losing nearly as much in translation as Brown's work does.

Before we go any further, let me be clear on two points: first, courtesy my parochial school upbringing, and love of reading, I am perhaps better educated about the bible (yes, I've read it, more than once) and religious history than many people though i'm not particularly religious; second, Luke is one of my Twitter influencers and has been for years, I find his words entertaining and worthwhile in 140 characters or less, so chances were good I'd like them in book-length.

Having said that, I wasn't entirely sure this was a book I'd enjoy. I try to stay away from "Christian fiction" because it's often heavy-handed and preachy. Corpus Christi is neither. In fact, it reads more like a James Bond novel than anything, hopping from one exotic locale to the next with a fair amount of danger and threats to world-peace laced through it. It didn't hurt that one of my favorite cities, Chicago, made an appearance (I could have used more atmosphere there but still, great to see the Windy City in print, along with Venice, Washington, D.C. and Vancouver, cities I also enjoy). What was really exceptional about this story was how deftly Romyn weaves the occult into Christian and particularly Catholic mythology and history without the blanket condemnation so common in the genre. Sure, the Devil is the bad guy. But at least not everyone who doesn't walk the Christian or Catholic path is his minion. There are even a coup,e really bad guys who turn out to be on the side of the angels.

For a book with such intricate historical and theological details, Corpus Christi was a very fast read. It took me almost a week to finish it but that was due to repeated interruptions and the fact that sometimes truths disguised as fiction can be difficult to read. I have to put the book down and process them for a while. Don't get me wrong, I have no delusions of grandeur or of being, I don't know, some grand female figure in Catholic history. Not at all. I just agree with Richard Bach that you can find truth and words you need to hear in every book. I just didn't expect them here. So I'm going to wrap this up with a quote that sums up, better than I ever could, why I think anyone who writes for pleasure or professionally should read this book:
"You can look to others for advice and support, but the true transformation has to come from deep inside, and when you feel it, you can act upon your desires and create a better existence for yourself. Until that point it doesn't matter how much you want something, if you can't adjust the way you think about yourself, no amount of outside assistance will ever alter your life."

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to stumble upon this book through bookhub, for free. Never hearing of Mr. Luke Romyn, I was more interested by the cover art than the contents. So, in a nutshell, I had no clue what I was reading!

Corpus Christi (The Legacy Chronicles) is totally mind blowing. I always stayed away from religious themed books since I read "The Divinci Code." However, this book much like "30 Pieces of Silver" have swayed me to reconsider this genre.

Corpus Christi is your basic God vs Satan. Jacob Hope is struggling with what he is to do in life. Unhappy with the UN, he becomes a Red Cross coordinator in Uganda. Then literally hell breaks loose in his life. Nothing is ever going to be the same again.

Jacob is in a continual struggle of self-doubt. He can't grasp why he has been tasked with the burden of saving humanity. Oh, did I fail to mention, he's the second coming of Christ. Talk about burdens.

This wonderfully written book thrusts you into a world of what-if's. I don't know how the author intended for this book to be categorized, but it falls into several genres...fiction, paranormal, biblical, and down right good!

My only problem with the book was, I couldn't put it down. I'm already excited about starting the 2nd book in this series, Sins of the Father.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corpus Christi is a wide ride. I found myself tied up in knots as tightly as the main character. Jake is an ordinary man thrust into extra ordinary circumstances – appointed a role in a historic battle none of us would be prepared to undertake.

Mr. Romyn places you right in the thick of things with very graphic storytelling and gripping characters. I love his irreverent humor. I purchased the second in this series before I had finished the first. I only hope that Jake, Tony, Mikey, Michael, and Vain are back again to fight-the-good-fight.

[Liesbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather strange book about a man called Jake who slowly discovers he has the power of Christ in him, the new Jehovah.
He sets of on a journey to destroy an evil force, Abaddon.
This path leads him through various parts of the world, he meet a fair few Archangels, and gathers some unlikely followers.
It's not the sort of book I usually read, but parts of it did draw me in, and I wanted to know how it was going to end.
The middle part was a bit too drawn out for my liking, having said that,I did keep on reading it!

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As great as this book was, I am giving it four stars because I felt like there was something missing to it. I couldn't tell you what it is, though. Despite that, this book was pretty incredible and I wouldn't mind reading the sequel. The description of events, the character building, and everything that makes a novel great was here. If not for that small thing I felt was missing, this would've gotten five stars.

[Tina Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic piece of work from Luke, except this one appears to be his best yet. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like the story but found Jake to be a bit too doubtful and whiny. also slightly too religious for me.

[Pamela Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a seemingly normal guy who finds out that he's anything but normal .

This is quite and interesting take on what if Jesus was to be reborn in modern times how would he react to this revolution what would be do how would change the world as we know it join the journey and find out .

[Carolyn Haven · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read a bit rough to get through at times due to circumstances the character finds himself in or the content, though overall written well.

[Andy Peloquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Chapter 1, I was intrigued by the premise of the book. It's all about a normal guy who finds out that (tiny spoiler alert!) he's the Christ reborn. Now, this may sound a bit sacrilegious, but understand this: he's not JESUS Christ reborn. "Christ" is used more as a title than as a last name (sort of like "King"), so it's more of a mantle or a legacy (hence the name) than the actual reincarnation of Christ. An original twist on the "Second Coming"--loved it!
I didn't like the main character as much as I loved the supporting characters. The angelic players are about what you'd expect from "paragons of virtue", and the demons are sufficiently villainous. No, it's the human supporting characters that I liked best.
In most "good vs. evil" books, there are a team of good people helping the main character defeat the villains. Instead, most of the supporting characters are neither good nor evil, but all firmly in the "grey moral" zone. A few of them are actually downright bastardy (such as the assassin Vain), and I loved it.
I'm not going to spoil the ending, but I have to say that it came as a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting it, and that made me love the book all the more.
The writing style had a few flaws (overheavy sentences, perhaps a bit too much introspection), but overall it was a great book. Best of all, I got a signed copy from the author himself!

[Jan Mcclung-short · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book of epic topic and the characters! Oh my God! What was I thinking....this book is very deep. How could you even think of batteling the devil and his fallen angels! I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish this book. The topic of the end of the earth and the beginning of end of times where evil rules the earth.

Jake Hope is the last reincarnation of christ. He's not Jesus but the energy of christ that battles the evil fallen angel that battles the good of the earth. He was adopted into drunken heatrens family who would beat him sensless quoting scriptures from the Bible. So Jake doesn't believe in God but battles the earth to keep the good energy going. He decends to the depths of the earth to the garden of eden battling the fallen angel to Rome to all over the earth. He teams up with a motly crew that are to guard him. What they do and battle keeps you on the edge of your seat. I couldn't begin to imagine the ending. A great work of fiction. This is not my normal gangre but I really enjoyed this book. I want to read more of Mr Romyn's works. This was my first but not the last.

[Leah Speller · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first met the main character of this book I wondered if he had a backbone but at surprising times he would find it.

Luke grabbed me within the first two chapters. The twists and turns I was right with Jake stumbling blind when everyone around him seemed to know what he did not. Yet I also understood the trials he needed to go through and Luke did it in such a way that you felt it all along with him.

Some might say as Christians this series may cross the line. I feel that it does not. For one it is a work of fiction. Perhaps there is some sense of insight within the pages and that will be a personal thing between you and your own beliefs. But in no way is book saying this is Revelations. Please do not be misled.

I am excited and ready to move straight on to the next and also berating myself into wondering why I had not read this book yet as I had purchased it in January. Good thing I am making myself go through my purchased library before buying new ones...well...ya..know....I can't always...miss that deal where the book sounds so good.

So on to the next book!!

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Luke Romyn mind-bender that will keep you thinking long after you have finished reading the installment. Vain! So glad Vain made an appearance! Wondering to this day what transpired. This book is more than sci-fi action thrills and adventures with ample dusting of the "serial smarta**'s" well known sarcasm, humor and wit. I have noticed that there had been reviews mentioning a lot of religion. Hmm... Maybe it has to do with my Jesuit college instructors but they taught me to question everything especially anything demanding blind faith. (Go figure!) There was a good deal of balanced research and presentation of different theories, which include Universal Laws, Laws of Attraction, Christianity, all three of the Abrahamic religions, as well as, jumping the track of reality and delving into the Fallen, demons, Angels, Behemoth, cherubim, etc. Seriously, how would YOU react and what would YOU do if you found out that you were the Christ reborn?

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world desperately needs an infusion of hope. Jacob Hope. In this fantasy tale replete with compelling narrative, one man holds the key to earth's chances for survival. As if this mission wouldn't be daunting enough, it is made all the more difficult by Jake's reluctance to accept his true identity and take his place at the fore of the battle. At least one fallen angel has escaped the pit and mankind is powerless to resist, save for Hope. Will he be able to cast aside doubt and weakness in time? Will he be able to discern the nature and scope of his latent ethereal abilities so that he may offer battle to the forces of evil?

This is another gem of an offering from Luke Romyn. Action-packed, intriguing, and sprinkled with much of the author's trademark humor, Corpus Christi left me anxious to read the next installment. I loved it!

[Lisa P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with the title of "The Legacy ( the legacy chronicles book 1)", not as "Corpus Christi". The first few chapters, while interesting, didn't really hook me nor really give me a sense of what I had thought the story was supposed to be about. However, by chapter 5 it really clicked for me. After that point I read the book all the way through in one sitting. One of the things I really liked throughout the story was Jake's continuous questioning and doubts. Although the book has religious themes, it doesn't feel preachy. Vain is an unusual character, one that you don't know if you should like him but appreciate his perspective and sense of humor just the same. The author weaves a great story.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first one of Luke Romyn's books I've read. I am now a fan. His writing style is very visual,and the pictures he painted in my mind of the Garden of Eden and of Angels and Demons were masterpieces. His storytelling kept me engaged from page one. His level of research is obvious. What a ride! It is a compelling battle of good versus evil.

Romyn does an incredible job of world-building, and his character development is excellent. My favorite character? Hands down, Vain. I laughed out loud at some of the things he said.

I will be reading more of his books--and lucky for me, there is a Book 2 in this series. :-)

[Jenna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horribly unrealistic dialogue. The whole book was just "Oh, I can't do this." to "Oh look! I magically knew what to do at just the right time!" The main character also prides himself on caring for other people yet he hardly even mentions or even reflects on the fact that that person died. He's mentioned briefly when it happened and briefly at the very end of the book. I also was just waiting for the ending to come because I was so sure it was going to be epic and then it wasn't. At all.

When I start a book, I finish it. When I started this book, it almost became the first book I never finished.

[Ryan Mangrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much Deus Ex Machina. The character is magically transported around the world at random times, and every problem has a divine solution. I know Jake is supposed to be Christ Reborn, but there's no tension when the character CANNOT fail; he won't be in mortal danger until his purpose is fulfilled -- God won't let it happen.

The supporting characters are too quick to help him. So many take it on face value that is what he says he is. The entire thing was just too easy for Jake. He's not going through an ordeal to complete his quest so much as he's a passenger on cosmic train ride.

[TL Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I loved this book. I got It as one of my free books and the description intrigued me. I think it is defiantly worth the read. I know it's a work of fiction but it really makes you think. Religion is something a lot of people don't want to talk about but I believe this book would pull even the most non believer in and make them say huh. I already purchased book two. Will Jake beat the devil and stop Armageddon? Yeah I sure hope so.

[Judee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had already read and enjoyed his series on The Prometheus Wars, so I figured I'd try this series and see how it turns out. It was very interesting, and kept me enthralled right up until the end. It was well written and the character development is very good, so that I could almost picture in my mind what the characters looked like. The story flowed along nicely, and made we want to read just a little longer to see where things were headed. I looked forward to reading the next installment.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the first couple of chapters, I stopped and read some reviews. I thought it was going to be total crap (like many of the reviews said), but despite the fact that the main character really annoys me with his naivety of people and the world in general, I ended up liking this book. It has a very DaVinci Code feel to it, but ultimately, people have to believe in themselves to do right, not rely on everyone else to do right.

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down. Spiritual fiction at it's finest. Loved the characters, the dilemmas, the conflicts internal. It was part of a 9 book cheap thriller set I bought on amazon for my ipad. What a score! Deception, paradox, forgiveness, and plenty of action! I do not read spiritual fiction and this was a surprise and a definite winner in my shelves. Makes the " dead man " series I read seem weak. Spirotherapudic war on earth with the powers of Hell.

[Yvonne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luke Romyn NEVER disappoints!! He writes with such strong characters and even stronger story lines.
Jake Hope holds the key for all eternity. I was so drawn into this story and Jakes struggles to come to grips with who he was and what he had to do.
This was such an amazing read, and I am glad that there are other books in this series.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sorry but this is not my genre. This novel started with two or three very good chapters that made me hope for an absorbing thriller, but then angels and demons started to appear and I lost interest. Moreover the main character wasn't one I could care for. I get to the end just because I don't like to leave things half done.

[Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel, for me, wasn't up to par as Romyn's other novels. The dialogue seemed a bit rushed, and I just couldn't get into it. The novel was my first of Romyn's novels that I thought was mediocre at best. Its only saving grace were the action aspects.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read remembering it is a piece of fiction and not theologically sound. Action packed and unpredictable. I liked it a lot

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of series with man reborn as something similar to Jesus.

[Vykki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the best books I have read this year. It grab you by the throat and kept a tight hold and wouldn't let go. I loved it from beginning to end.