Jeremy Logan
thriller
Series · thriller
The Testament
The Testament series by Eric Van Lustbader has 4 known books (4 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Testament (2006). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Four Dominions.
- Books
- 4 known books (4 novels)
- Published
- 4
- First published
- 2006
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Thriller
- Last checked
Start here: The Testament (2006) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Testament
The Testament, published September 5, 2006, opens the series with the murder of Dexter Shaw, whose son Bravo discovers their family's secret role guarding eight centuries of documents for the Order of Gnostic Observatines.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Testament - Book 2:
The Fallen
The Fallen didn't follow until May 2017 -- an eleven-year gap -- trimmed to 352 pages as Van Lustbader leaned further into supernatural and geopolitical territory.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Fallen - Book 3:
Four Dominions
Four Dominions (July 2018) matches The Fallen's 352 pages exactly, arriving just over a year later in Eric Van Lustbader's Testament series as Bravo Shaw's fight against the Knights of St. Clement widens into a larger war between ancient orders, angelic and demonic forces, and modern geopolitics. It's the third of four novels that move Van Lustbader's thriller instincts into Dan Brown-style religious-conspiracy territory, ahead of the series finale The Sum of All Shadows (2019).
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Four Dominions - Book 4:
The Sum of All Shadows
The Sum of All Shadows (2019) holds the same 352-page length for a third consecutive book and was marketed as the series finale, closing Bravo Shaw's quest.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Sum of All Shadows
About The Testament
Eric Van Lustbader's Testament novels move his thriller instincts into religious-conspiracy territory, in the tradition of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon books but with Van Lustbader's own taste for martial tradecraft and secret orders. The Testament (2006) opens with the murder of Dexter Shaw, whose son Braverman "Bravo" Shaw discovers his father was a senior member of the Order of Gnostic Observatines, guardians for eight centuries of a cache of documents that could upend Christianity's foundations. Hunted by the Knights of St. Clement -- the Vatican's own covert enforcers, determined to destroy the Order and its secret for good -- Bravo has to unravel his murdered father's trail of clues before the Knights get there first, aided (and possibly endangered) by a Guardian named Jenny Logan whose loyalties are never fully certain.
The three sequels -- The Fallen (2017), Four Dominions (2018) and The Sum of All Shadows (2019) -- arrived over a decade later and widen the scope considerably, pulling Bravo's world into a larger war between ancient orders, angelic and demonic forces, and modern geopolitics, escalating from historical-conspiracy thriller toward something closer to supernatural-tinged espionage. It's Van Lustbader in Dan Brown mode, but filtered through his usual density of secret societies, split loyalties and constant reversal.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in The Testament series?
Four: The Testament (2006), The Fallen (2017), Four Dominions (2018) and The Sum of All Shadows (2019).
What order should I read The Testament novels in?
Publication order, starting with The Testament. There's a decade-plus gap before the three sequels, which continue Bravo Shaw's story directly.
What is The Testament about?
Braverman Shaw discovers his murdered father was part of a secret order guarding a centuries-old cache of documents that could upend Christianity, and must outrace the Vatican's own covert enforcers to find it.
Does the series stay historical-conspiracy throughout?
No -- the three sequels published from 2017 onward broaden into more overtly supernatural and geopolitical territory than the first book's Dan Brown-style setup.
Is The Testament series finished?
Yes -- The Sum of All Shadows (2019) was written and marketed as the series finale, and no further installment has followed as of August 2026.
If you like The Testament
Reading order last verified .