Luke Titan. Esteemed collegiate professor. Genius scientist. Incisive psychiatrist. Brilliant FBI agent. He was all of these things, until he paralyzed one FBI partner and tried to gut another. After waging war on the US government and killing thousands, he's driven his ex-partner, Christian Windsor, to the brink of insanity. Now, Titan is on the run one final time, and Christian will stop at nothing to catch him. Then kill him. But is Luke actually running, or is he putting the final touches on his masterpiece? Is he luring Christian to him so he can finish what he started years ago? Turning Christian into a killer, one with no conscience. Can Christian find Luke and deliver death's justice? Or is Luke still a step ahead, always seeing further than everyone else? In the final book of the series, only one walks away alive. Who will it be?
I used to deliver pizza. I was pretty good at it, too. I mean, it's not that hard, but if I'm not going to brag, who is, right? Anyways, so I'm delivering pizza while I'm in college, and my boss has been in the pizza industry like six years. He's supposed to graduate from college this year, and I ask him, what are you going to do after college? We're all supposed to go out and conquer the world right after college, so this guy has to have some kind of plan.
He looked at me like I was delusional.
"I'm a writer, man."
Those four words changed my life more so than anything else ever spoken to me. I'd always written, since I was twelve participating in online-wrestling forums in which you acted out your character. I wrote because it came naturally. Never once, in the entirety of my nineteen years did I think that writing could be a career though, until a Pizza Sage said those four words to me.
So what did I do? I went home and wrote a short story and immediately understood that I was the greatest writer to ever touch a keyboard. I brought it to the Pizza Sage and he told me what anyone could have told me--it was horrible. I might be dumb, probably am, but I'm also tenacious.
I spent the next seven years writing almost every day. My first novel grew to the length of 40,000 words, then I threw it away. My second novel grew to 140,000 words. I didn't throw it away, but it was rejected about 50 times by agents. My next novel ended up at around 55,000 words, which I showed to a few friends and shelved. Then I wrote Dead Religion, which is the only reason I have an author page at Amazon.
I have had four short stories published, paid and unpaid. 'Effects May Vary' won an award that was voted on by readers, which was pretty cool.
I'm currently getting my Masters in Business at the University of Georgia's Terry School of Business. I'm doing this in order to not deliver pizzas but still keep the lights on. I have a girlfriend who will soon be my fiancé, and after ten years, I imagine she's ready for that title.
This Series as a whole.....perfection...5 Star Series.
This book....has me absolutely on the fence. This ending is nothing I was expecting but then again it was the perfect ending. My heart and brain want to love it but something is just holding me back a little.
Luke Titan is the psychopath that outshines all other psychopaths.
**I was provided with an advanced reader copy for my honest review**
**Contains minor spoilers**
I have so many thoughts on this book that I don’t even know where to start with this review. This is David Beers at his best. I thought John Hilt and Matthew Brand were psychopaths but Luke Titan takes it to a complete other level. I went into this novel with anticipation as to where the characters are. I’ve come to care about the welfare of them. I’m still upset about Tommy’s death. I want nothing more than Veronica to get the help she needs. I want Christian to piece his life back together and understand that he doesn’t have to give Luke everything he wants. And I want Luke to descend into the deepest pits of Hell. Which is kind of fitting seeing as his war with God is in full swing.
I took away three main themes in The Titan: God. Communion. Freedom.
Luke’s war with God is constant. He believes that God set the three of them up on a collision course and he would come to regret that. He is determined to dethrone God. He wants God to understand that what he wants does not matter. Then there’s Christian’s God. I feel as though Christian sees Luke as his God. His Father. That’s why he will give Luke anything he wants and feels as though he and Luke are destiny. I questioned at one point if the character was named Christian because of how the series would end or was it just a coincidence? Though I’ve found with talented authors, there are usually no happy coincidences.
The communion theme ties in with the God theme. While Christian is heading to Mexico, intent to kill Luke before he loses his mind completely, he goes to his mansion and sees Luke. He’s offering him communion – to take the body and blood. Only it’s not the blood of Jesus. It’s the blood of Luke. Christian went into his mansion to find a way to kill Luke but instead took communion with him. Later, when Christian was bringing everyone to Luke in the desert, Christian was very hesitant – particularly regarding his mother. But what did Luke promise him? Blood. Covenant. His Freedom.
In my opinion, freedom was the biggest theme in The Titan. Luke constantly promised Christian freedom. It was what he said he had and what he wanted to give to Christian. Christian feels the only path to freedom is to go to Luke and be with him – it will free him from the visions of the dead he’s having. They only disappear when he’s with Luke. Luke thought Tommy’s death would set Christian free. He now feels as though the death of his mother will be the act that will finally set Christian free because he wouldn’t have an allegiance to anyone. In the end, Christian did find his freedom. He found it within himself. He woke up and realized that he didn’t have to go through with Luke’s devious plans. His mother didn’t have to die. Veronica didn’t have to die.
The Titan did not end with Luke’s death, which at first, I was upset about. Luke deserves Hell. But Hell isn’t just the fiery pits below the depths of the Earth where Satan resides. David Beers saw that. Veronica saw that. She told Christian that Luke wanted to die when he realized that his plan to dethrone God and free Christian wasn’t going to come to fruition. She didn’t want him to get what he wanted in the end. Luke was saved so he could spend the rest of his life locked up.
Luke preferring death revealed to me that Luke really didn’t have the freedom that he was constantly offering Christian. Luke spent the better part of the series trying to convince Christian that he couldn’t live unless he was with him. And Christian believed him. Christian believed that he could not live unless he was with Luke. But the reality is, that wasn’t true. Once Christian woke up and realized that his salvation and freedom lied within himself, he was able to walk away from Luke. It’s then that Luke wanted to die. I think the truth is that Luke couldn’t live without Christian. That final letter from him to Christian proved that. It isn’t just that Luke isn’t free in the conventional standards – being locked up in a maximum security mental hospital. It’s Luke that isn’t free without Christian. It’s Luke that couldn’t live unless he was with Christian. And that is the type of Hell that Luke Titan deserves.
Now, I know this was the final installment in The Luke Titan Series but with Luke alive and still trying to taunt Christian, is it really? Knowing who Luke is and what he’s capable of? David Beers says it is and for Christian’s sake, I hope that’s true.
I like to put some quotes that stood out for me from the novel in my reviews. It was hard to narrow it down but I tried:
“How many times have you told me that, Christian? How many times have you said that what I want won’t happen? It always does, though, and you know it. It will this time, too. If you didn’t believe that, you wouldn’t have come. You don’t have any speeches for me, Christian. No grand declarations about how I’m going to die and you’ll be watching. You came because I asked, and that’s the only reason, is it not?”
“You realized, though, when Veronica held the knife to her neck, that you weren’t free yet. You still held onto some vestige of the constraints society throws upon you. Shake them off, Christian. You don’t need them anymore. You’re close, and that means I’m close. So come with me.”
“There is no freedom in any of this. There’s no salvation. There’s no covenant. There is only Titan. There is only his insane desires, brought on by childhood trauma. You need to see all of this clearly, before you step out of the truck. He is not fighting God and he isn’t bringing you to a path of glory. He’s fighting demons from his past.”
“Hear me, please. Just once, hear me, which is to say yourself. The part of you that was born perfect, before everything else in this f**ked up world got to you. Hear me. You can stop all of this. You can make the waves end, the sky close back up, and your mansion stand a million feet tall. This is your mind, Christian. There’s no reason you need to die in it.”
“Your salvation is you, Christian. You never needed the mansion. You never needed the field that sat outside. You most certainly never needed Luke. You only needed yourself, and the ability to recognize that.”
“You’re mad, Luke. A lunatic. All the intelligence in the world can’t change that, and for a while, you passed your insanity to me. I’m cured now, though. You … You never will be.”
Do you love to read intellectually stimulating books that truly do keep the reader in suspense? Then look no further from this series or any other of this talented author's works. I was very happy with the previous five Luke Titan books and was deeply intrigued as to how he would go forward. I read The Titan in one sitting and I am beyond impressed. This book is truly excellent and a credit to the author.
Luke Titan is a diabolically fascinating villain and one cannot wait to see what his genius will unleash in each moment. He is a master chess player, using people as pawns in his inscrutable games. He is a creation any author should be proud of.
Now, we come to Christian Windsor. He, too, is possessed of an immeasurable intellect. He is younger than Titan and he is considered "on the spectrum" of autism , which aids him in utilizing his gifts. I do not give spoilers, nor do I pick apart every aspect of a book in my reviews. I merely wish to impart my opinion of whether or not I think a book is worth reading.
However, I am going a bit more in-depth with this review, as I am very impressed by Mr. Beers and his excellent work he did on this book, not to mention the series. The only small critique, if it can even be called that, is I think the reader may have benefited from having the splices speak using red ink to distinguish (not that it is difficult) between who is speaking. I also think it would be apropos to the mood. But, whom am I to really be taken seriously in critique? David Beers is an absolute artist with a pen and I am a huge admirer of his work.
I think you will be, also, should you gift yourself with reading this series. It really does deserve the praise I give it. I rarely find an author with such a distinct gift for entertaining a reader. David Beers is such an author.
It is very hard to relate to the main characters because I don’t know anything about mental illness. I’m not even sure if the author did a good job of portraying what was happening in Christian mind to drive him crazy. One thing I do know is that the sane people are obligated to do the right thing; Allen Waverley and Patricia Windsor. They should have done everything in their power to stop the Christian who was about to kill them. Because of their decisions Waverley and the Senator lost their lives. They all knew where they were going. None of the arguments that Luke made made were persuasive. Waverley was right. When you kill people you are evil that’s the end of the story. The only thing that was amazing about Luke within the context of the story was that he didn’t fall for Christian’s truth. He should’ve committed suicide just like Lucy Speckle. This was written very well written and I couldn’t put it down.
"The final prayer." Readers who have followed this series of stories about FBI agent turned serial killer will already know the power of author David Beer's writhing, dark, visual and with the ability to hold his audience through the seemingly extreme. To have come this far and not continue would be impossible. But if new to the series, start at the beginning. The Titan, like it's predecessors, is compelling reading, swelling with extreme tension as it develops. Sometimes the thought sidles into one's consciousness that this is also total psychological babble rubbish - then, like the question, "What's behind the sky?", that is forgotten as everything expands again into sheer brilliance. A serial killer's murder spree, mental collapse and dominance, an obsession, an allegory ... ? Totally unmissable.
The Like Titan Chronicles which include the Surgeon, the Priest, the Lover, the General, the Animal and the Titan by David Needs are well deserving of a five star rating. The story line is original, believable and scary and The characters are well defined. I would recommend this series to all.of the serious mystery lovers out there. This series is the scariest series I have ever read. I would recommend not reading this series in a dark room. I am looking forward to the next book in the series The Demon. While I am waiting for the release I plan on reading David Beers three book series The Devils Dream
Very well written and a very good story. However, with the exception of more deceased supporting characters, the situation at the end of the book is the same as the beginning: Veronica institutionalized, Christian no longer at the FBI and facing legal issues his life being basically ruined, and Luke incarcerated. Christian said it best himself when he said as long as Luke is alive, he's got a chance. Again, although a very exciting read, I feel that not much was accomplished overall from the beginning of the book to the end. Were this not the final installment of the series, I would have been more content with such an ending. But I'm also a series finale snob so...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I have been an avid reader of all of David Beers books but this series The Luke Titan Chronicles is the most entertaining so far. The character development is amazing. The main characters Luke and Christian are complex geniuses who bring all your emotions up front. Can one mind really control another mind? Who will ultimately be the winner or loser in this battle of wills or is that even possible? The story will keep you on the edge of your seat. You must read this series, you will be mesmerized as the story develops and awed by the talent of this writer.
And that doesn't even come close to describing the Luke Titan Chronicles. There is nothing else to say but that you must read this series of books. I must ágree with a previous reviewer who thought the ending left an opening for an additional book to the series. David Beers is an exceptional writer.
Wow, what a ride! Reading this series on the edge of my seat for a few days. I have been thoroughly entertained by this series of books. I don't know what else to say except that it has been a page turning journey that I won't soon forget. I can't get enough of this authors works right now.
Beautifully written; very hard to put down. Fantasy adventure, mystery/thriller, horror, and supernatural all poured into one. His characters are absolutely painted. He explores the brilliant, savant, and tortured minds in a way that seems like scientific study as much as engaging fiction. David Beers is an incredibly imaginative and talented writer.
Quite unbelievable this series. In a way, I'm glad it's done. In many ways, it was an exhausting ride. Many, many books are described as being "psychological thrillers." But this series redefines that category. I'm altered and isn't that what happens when you read an outstanding story?
This was the best series i have read so far. I could not put it down. The interaction between Christian and Luke was unbelievable. Now I see there is another novel, I don't want to spoil it for anyone else, so I won't say anymore. Davis Beers is my new favorite author. What could he possibly come up with next!! I can't wait to see.....
BEERS is a great story teller. I believe he deserves to be included with the likes of King and Koontz when discussing the horror/thriller genre. There is no one I enjoy more.