Customer Reviews

Testament

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I am a fan of Mr. Van Lustbader and I hate writing a bad review for this book, but I just was so surprised at how much I didn't like it, I thought it only fair to other book buyers to share my opinion.

The story felt forced, the characters were cardboard cutouts, I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of the conversations, scenes and instances as they unfolded. I am not sure if Mr. Van Lustbader felt the need to jump into the mass of "Da Vinci Code" books or really felt like he had a story he wanted to tell, but this book is awful. The premise seemed so interesting, and if done well, maybe would have been a good book.

I gave it two instead of one, just for the fact that, well, I don't know why, I just gave an extra star for effort I guess, after all it is Eric Van Lustbader, but if you have to read it, wait for paper. My apologies to the author.

The bad news about Eric Van Lustbader's novel The Testament is that there's nothing that's really good about it. The good news - if you could call it that - is it could be worse. As it is, it's a by-the-numbers thriller that has been done better many times.

The hero of the Testament is Braverman "Bravo" Shaw, who, as the story begins, is about to be told an important secret by his father Dexter. Bravo opts to wait a few hours, during which time Dexter's killed and Bravo's sister Emma is injured. Dexter, however, has left behind a series of puzzles that will reveal his secrets. Early on, this leads him to Jenny Logan who clues Bravo in what's going on.

It turns out that Dexter had a key role in a centuries-old group called the Order of the Gnostic Observatines, a group that split from the Catholic Church and is now considered heretical. The Church has its own organization, the Knights of St. Clement, which is out to destroy the Order. Dexter has passed on his title of Keeper to Bravo, which will give the son access to some important, arcane texts that could negatively affect the Church. Jenny is a Guardian, part of the security wing of the Order.

Both together and separately, Jenny and Bravo solve Dexter's puzzles and dash around the U.S. and Europe closing in on the hidden documents, while members of both groups pursue them (the Order happens to have some bad guys in it too), leading to an inevitable showdown between the heroes and the villains.

On the one hand, this is a competently written thriller, but there's a definite been-there-done-that feel to the whole thing. Lustbader doesn't even seem to be trying to write a good novel here. The plot is an obvious reworking of The Da Vinci Code, but it's a pale shadow of that best-selling novel. There isn't a plot twist that can't be seen a mile off: as soon as Jenny is introduced, you know she's going to be the love interest, and I could tell that Bravo's best friend was going to secretly be the head bad guy (I'm not spoiling anything here; it is revealed relatively early in the book). The characters are cookie-cutter, and Lustbader doesn't even seem to care enough to get basic facts correct: for example, at one point, he can't even do math correctly, having 54 - 42 equaling 8.

The best I can say about the Testament is that it is a testament to my fortitude to stick through a completely formulaic book, one which was a page turner only because I wanted it over with. If this was a minor, no-name author, I'd probably give the book two stars, but Lustbader is an established author who should put forth a better effort. Instead of reading this one-star fare, you're better off re-reading The Da Vinci Code or some classic Ludlum novel.

Dexter Shaw dies in an explosion that injures his son Bravo and his daughter Emma. When Bravo awakens and recovers somewhat, Jenny visits him to inform him she is his Guardian assigned by his father to watch over him as he seeks a secret cache of documents. Bravo is shocked to learn that his dad lived a double life as a member of the ruling cabal, the Order of Gnostic Observatines, an organization that has influenced world events for centuries.

The group's enemy The Knights of St. Clement want that cache too because it contains something that will heal the dying Pope, enhancing their secret behind the scenes power in the shadows of the Vatican. Another item the group wants in the cache is the Testament of Jesus Christ that contains explosive information that could destroy Christianity if revealed. Bravo realizes a traitor amidst the order is providing information to the Knights. He trusts no one especially friends, family, or his guardian.

Readers who enjoyed the Da Vinci Code and the Brethren will defiantly want to read THE TESTAMENT, a highly sophisticated fresh religious conspiracy thriller whose fast-paced storyline will leave the audience breathless. The protagonist is an interesting person who does not quite grasp how or why his father was involved like he was or why he puts his life on the line to keep the cache out of the hands of the wrong people. Still like a true hero he does what he believes is right and if nothing else has the audience rooting for him.

Harriet Klausner

First of all, I like Eric Van Lustbader's Ninja novels. They have a historic sense as well as fully fleshed out characters. It seems with The Testament the author felt compelled to make some money off the DaVinci Code phenomenon. I never once believed that this Braverman is a Scholar and a martial arts expert. Same goes for Jenny. She seemed too much of a girl next door to be a guardian. Then there is Camille, typical type cast hollywood villainess. Boy! the catholic church sure has been lying about many things, haven't they? What next? Jesus was really not crucified? It was a stunt double on the cross? He happily lived in south of france with Mary and his brood of children? It is tiresome. I am about 3/4 of the way through and I find it hard to believe how bad the writing is and how contrived the plot. I normally finish the books that I start, but this book is making it very tough to do so. Thank god I borrowed it from the library. It would be a waste of money to pay for it. I give it 1 star because 0 is not an option.

Painfully bad, that's the only way to describe it. Secret tunnels in absurd places, embarassingly bad language, an even more embarassing initation... I actually cringed at times, feeling bad for Mr. van Lustbader. This is the sort of story and writing (or rather --and writing--) you'd expect from a tewlve-year-old who's watched too many episodes of Relic Hunter. Too bad; the idea was good.

THis is the first review I've written, and I am sorry it is a negative one. The Testament is badly written, poorly plotted, and the action scenes are almost cartoonish. The characters are cliche's, the alleged secret societies are, apparently, also responsible for World Wars I and II, and have been able to be this influential, and fighting each other during the past 600 years, without anyone else finding out about either of them (the good and the bad guys). Poor takeoff on the "DaVinci Code" Genre of books. Check this book out from the library if you feel compelled to read it. Don't spend your money on this one.

It's strange, looking at the diversity of the reviews, going from 1 to 5 stars on this book. Many believe it's a "Da Vinci Code" wannabe. Stranger still, I preferred Angels And Demons over the "Da Vinci Code" (who some say was quasi-ripped off from "The Blood And The Chalice", if I get my title correct). But I digress...

I confess to approaching this as another author jumping on the "Da Vinci" bandwagon. However, I read the author's "Ninja" series, and love his writing style and attention to detail. True, the main character (Braverman "Bravo" Shaw) is an expert cryptologist and historian, and with the aid of a woman must uncover a cache of secrets which could tear Christianity apart. However, that is where the similarities end.

Bravo's father was head of a secret society called the Order of Gnostic Observantines, who have been charged with defending this cache against their foes, the Knights of St. Clement. The Knights are the "strong arm" of the Vatican, bent on destroying the Order and their cache, to end the threat to the Church, and further expand their own power. For their part, the Order uses their cache of secrets to further the betterment of mankind. However, when Bravo's father, the only person who knows where the cache is located, is assassinated it falls to Bravo to unravel the set of clues his father left behind as a safeguard against this very event, to recover the cache and restore the ability of the Order to work for good of mankind, for without it, the Knights will be a force unchecked in their quest for greater power.

Van Lustbader creates a taut thriller set in the modern world, yet delves deeply into history, and gives us pause to consider that it is not improbable that two secret groups would be engaged in a centuries-old war undetected. Of the history, the author has done his own research, and the main character is one of action...and there is plenty of action in this book. True, certain key characters are revealed to be Bravo's enemies, and don't really come as too much of a surprise...however, it is the manner in which Bravo learns of their betrayal, the understanding of how his world is understandably skewed - this, then, is the proverbial fire through which the main character must pass, to emerge stronger at the end.

That is not to say all betrayals were clear-cut...one in particular took me (and certainly the main character) by surprise.

So go right ahead and lambast it as another "Da Vinci", but the truth is, The Testament is a superior thriller, gripping, well-written, with enough twists to keep your head spinning, and with the research to make it seem vaugely plausible. The "Da Vinci Code" may have come first, but in this instance, coming first does not equate to being better.

A first-rate thriller which I highly recommend.

"The testament" is a suspenseful thriller that brings you on a wild ride from the start to its finish. I had trouble putting the book down. Mr. Lustbader's research into medieval history lends credence to the storyline. I would love to see a sequel written.

If you haven't read Lustbaders "the Bourne Betrayal" don't miss it. It brings renewed life to the Bourne series, (Ludlum would be proud).

The Testament is a confounding thriller by Eric Van Lustbader. The plot centers around the search for the hidden secrets of the Order of Gnostic Observatines. Braverman "Bravo" Shaw must follow a trail of clues left for him by his deceased father, who trained Bravo to be his reluctant successor. Bravo is joined on his adventure by the obligatory love interest, Observatine agent Jenny Logan. They are pursued throughout the book by agents of the Knights of St. Clement, continuing an age-0ld enmity between the two orders.

There is much to like in this book. Lustbader's prose is superior to most writers in the genre, and his style is highly accessible. Also, there were several occasions upon which I found myself questioning what seemed to be a foolish action by a particular character, only to turn the page and discover the reasoning behind the decision. The search is fast-paced and the resolution satisfying.

The greatest strength, though, is Lustbader's ability to keep the reader guessing as to who are the good guys and bad guys. The reader wonders right along with Bravo, whose own suspicions and misunderstandings affect the critical decisions he makes. The tangled, confused identities and relationships balance out a story line that does not have as many twists and turns as I would have liked.

On the negative side of the ledger is the fact that this is yet another thriller in the style of the DaVinci Code. Bravo's clues involve complicated numerical ciphers, but beyond that there is not much to set this story apart. The historical back-story is paper-thin, and not much detail is given regarding the respective orders, or the secrets themselves. The European setting of the story is not truly done justice, the locales coming across like a painted backdrop on a theatre stage.

There is also no gradual unveiling of the mystery of what the secrets are. For one hundred-fifty pages or so we are in the dark, then suddenly a character says, "Oh, by the way, this is what you're looking for." Also, one of the critical plot points is that the Knights must obtain the secrets in order to save the dying pope. The author offers no explanation as to why it is critical that this particular pope live. Won't they just elect a new one?

Overall, this book is an average read if you like religious-historical action thrillers. The Testament is weak on the research and historical background, but strong on action and entertainment.

Borne series meets The Da Vinci Code - if you like those, you will probably like this. I didn't like either, and thus I should have known from reading the synopsis that it was not for me. It was not the religious or political implications that bothered me, but the relentless repetitiveness. The so-called action is practically the same seen over and over again where the main character is constantly being chased through similar scenery. There doesn't seem to be much variation in these scenes other than his companions. I somehow fought the urge to skim through page after page of similar fight scenes, running scenes, the world history of ciphers, and irrelevant flash backs, and forced myself to read the book in its entirety. I wouldn't have missed anything important if I had read every fifth page and skipped the rest.