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Templar of Archaea: A Military Sci-Fi Epic
Redemption is a costly commodity. It’s time to pay the price.Caleb Franklin blends high-stakes combat with sharp political intrigue and deeply human characters in his debut novel and first installment in The Doomed Empire Saga. Launching readers into a world on the brink of collapse, a once-unshakable civilization collides with rebellion, betrayal, and an enemy that threatens to end it all. With cinematic battles, raw emotion, and a relentless pace, Franklin delivers a story that will resonate with fans of classic and modern sci-fi alike.
Wars begin and empires end, and in the midst of it all, stand conflicted men. Not heroes. Not villains. Just souls torn between the blood oaths and the desire of broken hearts. History will carve their names in stone, but the truth of who they are lies in the cracks.
“Caleb Franklin's Templar of Archaea is an action-packed sci-fi novel that will grab your attention from the first page to the last. Archaea is a fascinating world that blends ancient traditions, religion, technology, augmented soldiers, large cities, war, and a rich culture into one intriguing melting pot. What gives this novel its dramatic impact is not only the battles and machines of war, but the focus on characters torn between their sense of duty and their personal challenges.” Ibrahim Aslan for Readers’ Favorite ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Golden Empire was built on conquest. Now it teeters on the edge of annihilation.
Rapid change and rising conflict grip the planet Archaea. As old powers fracture and new ideologies clash, the very fabric of society begins to tear at the seams. Through a volatile mix of fate and personal choice, Augen finds himself on the distant battlefield against a dangerous and cunning foe. Physically augmented and outfitted with the blessings and weapons of the Golden Empire, the young warrior seems well equipped to bring purpose to his own life and death to his enemies. Or is he?
Augen’s battles are not only against enemies on the front lines or his own arrogant commander, but with the remnants of his shattered past. Tossed into the fires of a bloody conflict from the wreckage of personal tragedy, he must learn to forgive himself and confront the darkness tormenting him within. If he cannot reconcile with the memories haunting him, they may lead him straight into the arms of death – a presence that lurks around every corner.
As the world unravels, what does redemption truly cost—and what decides who is worthy of it? Can an imperfect man rise to become a symbol of salvation, or will he become another casualty etched into the forgotten margins of history? When the smoke clears and the war ends, will there be anything left of a once-thriving empire or the Templar of Archaea who dared to fight for it?
"Templar of Archaea is a powerful, heavy, and at times unsettling story that will resonate with readers who enjoy gritty, morally complex fantasy. If you like your worlds grim and your heroes flawed, this book will be right up your alley. It’s not light reading, and it’s not meant to be. But for those who want to sink into a dark tale of loyalty, guilt, and the search for meaning in a broken world, it is more than worth the ride." Literary Titan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wars begin and empires end, and in the midst of it all, stand conflicted men. Not heroes. Not villains. Just souls torn between the blood oaths and the desire of broken hearts. History will carve their names in stone, but the truth of who they are lies in the cracks.
“Caleb Franklin's Templar of Archaea is an action-packed sci-fi novel that will grab your attention from the first page to the last. Archaea is a fascinating world that blends ancient traditions, religion, technology, augmented soldiers, large cities, war, and a rich culture into one intriguing melting pot. What gives this novel its dramatic impact is not only the battles and machines of war, but the focus on characters torn between their sense of duty and their personal challenges.” Ibrahim Aslan for Readers’ Favorite ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Golden Empire was built on conquest. Now it teeters on the edge of annihilation.
Rapid change and rising conflict grip the planet Archaea. As old powers fracture and new ideologies clash, the very fabric of society begins to tear at the seams. Through a volatile mix of fate and personal choice, Augen finds himself on the distant battlefield against a dangerous and cunning foe. Physically augmented and outfitted with the blessings and weapons of the Golden Empire, the young warrior seems well equipped to bring purpose to his own life and death to his enemies. Or is he?
Augen’s battles are not only against enemies on the front lines or his own arrogant commander, but with the remnants of his shattered past. Tossed into the fires of a bloody conflict from the wreckage of personal tragedy, he must learn to forgive himself and confront the darkness tormenting him within. If he cannot reconcile with the memories haunting him, they may lead him straight into the arms of death – a presence that lurks around every corner.
As the world unravels, what does redemption truly cost—and what decides who is worthy of it? Can an imperfect man rise to become a symbol of salvation, or will he become another casualty etched into the forgotten margins of history? When the smoke clears and the war ends, will there be anything left of a once-thriving empire or the Templar of Archaea who dared to fight for it?
"Templar of Archaea is a powerful, heavy, and at times unsettling story that will resonate with readers who enjoy gritty, morally complex fantasy. If you like your worlds grim and your heroes flawed, this book will be right up your alley. It’s not light reading, and it’s not meant to be. But for those who want to sink into a dark tale of loyalty, guilt, and the search for meaning in a broken world, it is more than worth the ride." Literary Titan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 1, 2026
A great story for at mental turmoil and guilt, but can drag at times. Templar of Archaea follows Augen, a Templar Knight of the Golden Empire in a futuristic cyberpunk/fall of an empire mashup. Augen is an augmented soldier driven by a holy to do what is right, but his entire belief structure crumbles when he kills a priest and friend to his past. The Empire is crumbling from within as leadership becomes incompetent and fatigued with ruling.
The Setting: I found the setting to be a bit strange. I expected more of a historical medieval setting rather than the augmented sci-fi super soldier setting. I knew going in this would cover planetary travel, but figured we’d focus more on the Templar Order as a whole since it was in the title. Instead, Augen is more of a Templar in name. He has the religious believes of the crusaders, but the narrative does not focus on the Brotherhood as a whole as much as I would have liked. I couldn’t really marry the two ideas of augmented soldiers and the crusaders cause as much I thought I could.
The Characters: Augen is deeply effected by the death of the priest, and this is his “losing faith” moment. However, this happens in the first chapter. We are not shown Augen as a religious zealot, or a devout warrior before this break in his character. The audience meets him only moments before this fracture in who he is. So for me, that break had no weight to it. I want to see more him within the Order, what he believes, what he’s willing to overlook/do for the greater good, and how far his believes will take him before he realizes it’s all for nothing.
The Plot: That being said, the plot now focuses on the sorrow that Augen carries, and goes from a very action-packed entrance to this book, to then shifting to an internal struggle of a man. We really drag at this part of the book, and for something that’s less than 300 pages, it felt a lot longer than it should. We don’t have any juxtaposition of comedic relief in the story, that this feels like I’m hurting myself to get through it. Don’t get me wrong, I love depressing works and character arcs, but if everyone in the book is sad and sees no hope at the end, it feels more like a self-flagellation.
This is a great story to see the inner workings of men who feel like they have lost everything and don’t know what to do with themselves. The representation of expectation and duty placed onto someone who is depressed is really well done here. To a point that it makes reading it a bit overwhelming. I think if we gave more action scenes and got out of Augen’s head a bit more, we could have had this reprieve. As well as the introduction of a sunshine character. The character work is there, we just need more diversity amongst the cast so that not everyone is woefully pessimistic.
The Setting: I found the setting to be a bit strange. I expected more of a historical medieval setting rather than the augmented sci-fi super soldier setting. I knew going in this would cover planetary travel, but figured we’d focus more on the Templar Order as a whole since it was in the title. Instead, Augen is more of a Templar in name. He has the religious believes of the crusaders, but the narrative does not focus on the Brotherhood as a whole as much as I would have liked. I couldn’t really marry the two ideas of augmented soldiers and the crusaders cause as much I thought I could.
The Characters: Augen is deeply effected by the death of the priest, and this is his “losing faith” moment. However, this happens in the first chapter. We are not shown Augen as a religious zealot, or a devout warrior before this break in his character. The audience meets him only moments before this fracture in who he is. So for me, that break had no weight to it. I want to see more him within the Order, what he believes, what he’s willing to overlook/do for the greater good, and how far his believes will take him before he realizes it’s all for nothing.
The Plot: That being said, the plot now focuses on the sorrow that Augen carries, and goes from a very action-packed entrance to this book, to then shifting to an internal struggle of a man. We really drag at this part of the book, and for something that’s less than 300 pages, it felt a lot longer than it should. We don’t have any juxtaposition of comedic relief in the story, that this feels like I’m hurting myself to get through it. Don’t get me wrong, I love depressing works and character arcs, but if everyone in the book is sad and sees no hope at the end, it feels more like a self-flagellation.
This is a great story to see the inner workings of men who feel like they have lost everything and don’t know what to do with themselves. The representation of expectation and duty placed onto someone who is depressed is really well done here. To a point that it makes reading it a bit overwhelming. I think if we gave more action scenes and got out of Augen’s head a bit more, we could have had this reprieve. As well as the introduction of a sunshine character. The character work is there, we just need more diversity amongst the cast so that not everyone is woefully pessimistic.
October 3, 2025
Templar of Archaea tells the story of Augen, a young initiate in the Templar Order, who quickly finds himself tangled in a brutal mission that spirals into violence, regret, and soul-crushing doubt. The world of Archaea is painted in storm-lashed skies, colossal cities, and shadowy orders that blur the line between protector and monster. The novel begins with a raid gone wrong, where Augen kills an innocent priest, one he once knew, and it sets him on a painful journey of guilt, loyalty, and questions about faith, power, and destiny. The book is a dark, sprawling tale about a man caught between his duty as a weapon and his humanity as a flawed soul.
I found myself pulled in by the sheer energy of the writing. The world feels alive, hostile, and dangerous, and the author has a gift for cinematic description. The opening storm over Pallerheim is one of the best scene-setters I’ve read in a while, and the pace rarely lets up after that. Augen is both compelling and frustrating, which is exactly what I want in a protagonist. He is powerful yet riddled with insecurity, and the way he wrestles with guilt over killing a childhood friend hit me hard. The conversations with Zhatka, his terrifying half-brother, stood out as some of the most gripping passages, with menace dripping off every page. There are moments where the prose is heavy, and the dialogue is densely packed with exposition, but I still enjoyed the story.
Emotionally, the book left me uneasy in a good way. Augen’s inner turmoil is brutal to witness. His doubts about Deos, his fractured relationship with Christine and her father, and his brushes with death all left me feeling that I was not reading a hero’s journey so much as watching a man crumble under the weight of impossible choices. I liked that. It felt honest. There’s no clean redemption arc here, at least not yet. Instead, we get blood, betrayal, and painful reminders of what happens when power is mixed with grief. It made me pause more than once and think about what I would have done in his place, and not many fantasy books make me do that.
Templar of Archaea is a powerful, heavy, and at times unsettling story that will resonate with readers who enjoy gritty, morally complex fantasy. If you like your worlds grim and your heroes flawed, this book will be right up your alley. It’s not light reading, and it’s not meant to be. But for those who want to sink into a dark tale of loyalty, guilt, and the search for meaning in a broken world, it is more than worth the ride.
I found myself pulled in by the sheer energy of the writing. The world feels alive, hostile, and dangerous, and the author has a gift for cinematic description. The opening storm over Pallerheim is one of the best scene-setters I’ve read in a while, and the pace rarely lets up after that. Augen is both compelling and frustrating, which is exactly what I want in a protagonist. He is powerful yet riddled with insecurity, and the way he wrestles with guilt over killing a childhood friend hit me hard. The conversations with Zhatka, his terrifying half-brother, stood out as some of the most gripping passages, with menace dripping off every page. There are moments where the prose is heavy, and the dialogue is densely packed with exposition, but I still enjoyed the story.
Emotionally, the book left me uneasy in a good way. Augen’s inner turmoil is brutal to witness. His doubts about Deos, his fractured relationship with Christine and her father, and his brushes with death all left me feeling that I was not reading a hero’s journey so much as watching a man crumble under the weight of impossible choices. I liked that. It felt honest. There’s no clean redemption arc here, at least not yet. Instead, we get blood, betrayal, and painful reminders of what happens when power is mixed with grief. It made me pause more than once and think about what I would have done in his place, and not many fantasy books make me do that.
Templar of Archaea is a powerful, heavy, and at times unsettling story that will resonate with readers who enjoy gritty, morally complex fantasy. If you like your worlds grim and your heroes flawed, this book will be right up your alley. It’s not light reading, and it’s not meant to be. But for those who want to sink into a dark tale of loyalty, guilt, and the search for meaning in a broken world, it is more than worth the ride.
October 6, 2025
I really like the concept of the super soldiers in this book. I was also intrigued by similarities of the deity/religion to Christianity while being unique to this world.
When I read, I create a visual image of the story in my head. I found some of the fighting scenes in this book hard to imagine, and therefore hard to follow for me personally. It was also hard for me to get a feel for the time period, for while I know it was based on a different planet, sometimes I felt like it could have been in more historical times, but the military equipment made it feel more modern too.
I really enjoyed the personality that he gave the main character. That while being a super soldier, he still had a heart and a conscience instead of just being a heartless warrior.
While there was nothing inappropriate, I would say that due to the psychology and violence of this book, I would recommend for mature teen and older.
Cautionary content: violence, war related content, drugs, domestic violence, death,
Notable quote: "No, I think it is good to have a conscience. Just don't let conviction become guilt. One is a motivator for improvement, and the other is a paralytic."
When I read, I create a visual image of the story in my head. I found some of the fighting scenes in this book hard to imagine, and therefore hard to follow for me personally. It was also hard for me to get a feel for the time period, for while I know it was based on a different planet, sometimes I felt like it could have been in more historical times, but the military equipment made it feel more modern too.
I really enjoyed the personality that he gave the main character. That while being a super soldier, he still had a heart and a conscience instead of just being a heartless warrior.
While there was nothing inappropriate, I would say that due to the psychology and violence of this book, I would recommend for mature teen and older.
Cautionary content: violence, war related content, drugs, domestic violence, death,
Notable quote: "No, I think it is good to have a conscience. Just don't let conviction become guilt. One is a motivator for improvement, and the other is a paralytic."
October 28, 2025
Caleb Franklin does a fantastic job in writing fantasy book and this was everything that I was hoping for. I really enjoyed the way the characters and world were presented and developed. It was everything that I wanted in a opening chapter and was glad it was everything that I was looking for and am excited for more in this world. This was a strong start to the series and left me wanting to read more in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Warrington Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Warrington Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews