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The Saga of the Nano Templar #2
Sanctified
Her new mysterious powers…
…could mean her people’s salvation.
With the world of Konsin II under Elorian control, Drin and Anais look to the stars for their next mission.
But the church moves slowly in its deliberations. Each moment wasted is another in which her people might die—or worse.
Anais has to grapple with the Elorian nanites living inside her, and what it means to have faith. Drin must once again leave his people to pursue a noble quest to liberate a people.
A shrewd Sekaran warlord and his legion stands in the way of liberty for Anais’ people. Can she inspire enough confidence in her people to spur them to rebellion?
Readers of Nick Cole and Jason Anspach’s Galaxy’s Edge and Michael Anderle’s Kurtherian Endgmae will love The Saga of the Nano Templar. Buy now!
…could mean her people’s salvation.
With the world of Konsin II under Elorian control, Drin and Anais look to the stars for their next mission.
But the church moves slowly in its deliberations. Each moment wasted is another in which her people might die—or worse.
Anais has to grapple with the Elorian nanites living inside her, and what it means to have faith. Drin must once again leave his people to pursue a noble quest to liberate a people.
A shrewd Sekaran warlord and his legion stands in the way of liberty for Anais’ people. Can she inspire enough confidence in her people to spur them to rebellion?
Readers of Nick Cole and Jason Anspach’s Galaxy’s Edge and Michael Anderle’s Kurtherian Endgmae will love The Saga of the Nano Templar. Buy now!
- GenresScience Fiction
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2019
About the author
Jon Del Arroz
87 books459 followersJon Del Arroz is a powerhouse in speculative fiction and comics, celebrated as "the leading Hispanic voice in science fiction" by PJ Media, and a #1 Amazon bestselling author whose works resonate with fans craving bold, unapologetic storytelling. His novels, like the swashbuckling steampunk adventure For Steam And Country and the space opera The Stars Entwined, have earned accolades for their fast-paced plots and richly drawn characters. He is a Dragon Award finalist and 2018 CLFA Book of the Year Award winner, as well as N3F Speculative Fiction winner for best graphic novel.
Beyond the page, Jon Del Arroz is a prolific journalist and cultural commentator, with incisive pieces in outlets like The Federalist and Fandom Pulse that tackle the intersections of pop culture, gaming, and politics with fearless clarity. His investigative work and YouTube livestreams have built a loyal following, offering a sharp alternative to mainstream narratives.
Beyond the page, Jon Del Arroz is a prolific journalist and cultural commentator, with incisive pieces in outlets like The Federalist and Fandom Pulse that tackle the intersections of pop culture, gaming, and politics with fearless clarity. His investigative work and YouTube livestreams have built a loyal following, offering a sharp alternative to mainstream narratives.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 19, 2026
I want to start off by saying this is in no way a bad book, don't let the stars give the impression of the content of the book. I give this critique in light of what I see as potential rather than what actually got written down.
The story follows right after book 1 which sets up the worlds and relations so that we can simply jump into the action. And I'd say this book is about 50/50 action to character work which is a decent balance. The pacing is good and doesn't drag (granted it is quite short by my standards so it doesn't really give the opportunity to drag).
Plotwise, it's a steady progressing, good guys do good things, bad guys do bad things, good guys face struggles and defeat the bad guys but not completely so as to set up a finale, I was surprised there wasn't a big betrayal moment, but that can still come in book 3 I guess. The story has been told a thousand different ways, and the take in this case was that it is largely focused on a religious context (loosely based in 10th C Christianity) where order and law are being established by the hand of the Templar Knights.
The issues I took with this book were two-fold, both character and plot-focused. The characters while moving along still feel rather dead to me, or rather they are very 2-d. We get a bit of internal conflict, but largely everything is focused on the next conflict/fight as that's all one can fit in such limited space. I get the two are attracted to each other but prevented with being with each other, but I don't feel it was ever established as to why. Is the entire emotional connection built on the understanding that two people just "click" and we must accept it?
The plot issues is where I felt a lot could be improved. The world and back-story are decently established, but I really felt more could be done. As mentioned, the book is tightly tied to a religious conquest connection, but there is effectively zero interaction with the god of the religion. We see a form of faith and conversion, and adherence to Yezuah, but any actual interaction of deity with characters are the connection to the nanites. The nanite technology does all the miraculous, and the faith and prayers and adherence seems to account for nothing as Yezuah remains entirely absent from any aspect of the book (apart from the unfailing adherence). We have this amazing technology that can do all sorts of amazing stuff, but apparently it's only allowed to be used by the religious class (even though it's not totally adhered to, and without recompense). To me this reads as a massive hole in the underlying structure of the story. Like a water truck driving through the desert refusing to give any to the people dying of thirst.
I also had a hard time accepting the planetary interactions and how whole planets are conquered and freed by a handful of people. The book treats a planet much like a feudal lord and his land rather than a collection of nations, or at least a population outside the one city where action is taking place. This is not a gripe specific to this book. We see the same thing with most inter-galactic stories because the reality of representing planetary nations is simply much too grand to be manageable, but I felt it needs be noted.
The biggest downer I felt was the lack of undertone that could have been used with relation to the religious system and Christian history. The connection is already there, it's no use hiding it. Why not draw out the relationship with identifiable connections apart from God exists, have faith, say the Lord's Prayer. If this book is supposed to be a semi-apologetic for the Christian faith, why not try to match the patterns touched on by Lewis and Tolkien. Granted that's a high standard, but certainly doable. Themes human depravity, sin, propitiatory sacrifice, salvation etc. Such grand themes creates a far greater connection than a surface level point of contact and would make re-reads more enjoyable.
The story follows right after book 1 which sets up the worlds and relations so that we can simply jump into the action. And I'd say this book is about 50/50 action to character work which is a decent balance. The pacing is good and doesn't drag (granted it is quite short by my standards so it doesn't really give the opportunity to drag).
Plotwise, it's a steady progressing, good guys do good things, bad guys do bad things, good guys face struggles and defeat the bad guys but not completely so as to set up a finale, I was surprised there wasn't a big betrayal moment, but that can still come in book 3 I guess. The story has been told a thousand different ways, and the take in this case was that it is largely focused on a religious context (loosely based in 10th C Christianity) where order and law are being established by the hand of the Templar Knights.
The issues I took with this book were two-fold, both character and plot-focused. The characters while moving along still feel rather dead to me, or rather they are very 2-d. We get a bit of internal conflict, but largely everything is focused on the next conflict/fight as that's all one can fit in such limited space. I get the two are attracted to each other but prevented with being with each other, but I don't feel it was ever established as to why. Is the entire emotional connection built on the understanding that two people just "click" and we must accept it?
The plot issues is where I felt a lot could be improved. The world and back-story are decently established, but I really felt more could be done. As mentioned, the book is tightly tied to a religious conquest connection, but there is effectively zero interaction with the god of the religion. We see a form of faith and conversion, and adherence to Yezuah, but any actual interaction of deity with characters are the connection to the nanites. The nanite technology does all the miraculous, and the faith and prayers and adherence seems to account for nothing as Yezuah remains entirely absent from any aspect of the book (apart from the unfailing adherence). We have this amazing technology that can do all sorts of amazing stuff, but apparently it's only allowed to be used by the religious class (even though it's not totally adhered to, and without recompense). To me this reads as a massive hole in the underlying structure of the story. Like a water truck driving through the desert refusing to give any to the people dying of thirst.
I also had a hard time accepting the planetary interactions and how whole planets are conquered and freed by a handful of people. The book treats a planet much like a feudal lord and his land rather than a collection of nations, or at least a population outside the one city where action is taking place. This is not a gripe specific to this book. We see the same thing with most inter-galactic stories because the reality of representing planetary nations is simply much too grand to be manageable, but I felt it needs be noted.
The biggest downer I felt was the lack of undertone that could have been used with relation to the religious system and Christian history. The connection is already there, it's no use hiding it. Why not draw out the relationship with identifiable connections apart from God exists, have faith, say the Lord's Prayer. If this book is supposed to be a semi-apologetic for the Christian faith, why not try to match the patterns touched on by Lewis and Tolkien. Granted that's a high standard, but certainly doable. Themes human depravity, sin, propitiatory sacrifice, salvation etc. Such grand themes creates a far greater connection than a surface level point of contact and would make re-reads more enjoyable.
January 23, 2026
This was a case of the slower pace, world building, and introduction of the characters in the first book paying off. First book was good. But this book was great. Character development and progression was wonderful. The action was nonstop. The stakes, much higher. Really enjoyed this book. Del Arroz definitely hit his stride with this book. Definitely looking forward to book three.
October 9, 2024
A very enjoyable read!
It is after midnight and I've sadly finished this book. I didn't want it to end. I love how each character is evolving. I'm not sure I can wait until morning before starting the next book.
It is after midnight and I've sadly finished this book. I didn't want it to end. I love how each character is evolving. I'm not sure I can wait until morning before starting the next book.
June 7, 2020
Fast, sun space war fantasy
October 9, 2021
Refreshing!
A Christian Sci Fi adventure - what a refreshing tale that is well crafted, as well as an enjoyable read. I hope part 3 is as good as 1 and 2 are.
A Christian Sci Fi adventure - what a refreshing tale that is well crafted, as well as an enjoyable read. I hope part 3 is as good as 1 and 2 are.
May 30, 2024
Great read
A great sequel to Justified. Good growth of the two protagonists. Fun and fast-paced action. Would definitely recommend for sci-fi junkies.
A great sequel to Justified. Good growth of the two protagonists. Fun and fast-paced action. Would definitely recommend for sci-fi junkies.
October 8, 2019
For the record, I received an Advanced Review Copy of this e-book with the request to leave an honest review for other potential readers. This review is my honest opinion and I am happy to give it (I try not to use any spilers in my reviews so you will find it safe to read). All of that having been said, the action and adventure in this second installment of the Saga of the Nano Templar Series does not in any way disappoint and lives up to the bar set by the first story and then blows it away. Drin and Anais have formed quite a remarkable working relationship for people from such disparate backgrounds and temperaments which stands up to scrutiny and trials from even their allies. The plot in this story continues forward from where the first book left off and managed to throw in even more twists and turns. I appreciate that the plot flows in so many different directions as to be totally unpredictable. As before, the story finishes with a minor cliffhanger which is to be expected in a series. With my passion for history and a study of the Templars (who's demise is the origin of Friday the 13th superstition), I can see how carefully crafted this story is and that the world building continues apace with the developing story line delivering information when it is needed. New characters have been introduced to join our hero and heroine in their various missions. Some of them (Admiral Domar for one and Commander Raydon for another) are really fun to have around. Father Cline remains my favorite of the supporting characters in the series. Several old friends from book one are still around and working hard to help the Elorians drive out their enemies. The Sekkaran villains succeed in continuing to show more of their evil and their utter contempt for other beings (if you have read the first book, this is not a spiler or surprise). Our author has written another compelling story and I cannot wait for the third book to come out. I will definitely be reviewing that one when it is available.
October 7, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
I got my wish. There is a follow-up to Justified, the first book in the Saga of the Nano Templar. And it is as good as the first book. Action, adventure, technology, drama, and belief in God, self and each other. This is an amazing series where the author is not afraid to write about religion and the love of more than self. It is filled with people both good and bad and all the ones in between. Like us.
This book tells the tale of Anais and Drin working together to help save her people from the destructive forces of the Secarans, a race of people who attack planets, take over, enslave and destroy worlds. Driven by the knowledge that survivors will suffer, Anais begs Drin to help her. While Drin must follow his dictum, he is encouraged to help by Father Cline, the leader of the Templars. Without enough information to make a proper recon of Anais’s world they run into one problem after another and Anais is captured. Drin is forced to flee and beg for more help. Can Drin return and save Anais and her people?
I love the characters and the worlds this author has created. His descriptions are realistic and believable. There are moments where the suspension of belief is prudent, but still believable in the worlds where they exist. Which is the art of story-telling; isn’t it? I highly recommend this exciting series.
I got my wish. There is a follow-up to Justified, the first book in the Saga of the Nano Templar. And it is as good as the first book. Action, adventure, technology, drama, and belief in God, self and each other. This is an amazing series where the author is not afraid to write about religion and the love of more than self. It is filled with people both good and bad and all the ones in between. Like us.
This book tells the tale of Anais and Drin working together to help save her people from the destructive forces of the Secarans, a race of people who attack planets, take over, enslave and destroy worlds. Driven by the knowledge that survivors will suffer, Anais begs Drin to help her. While Drin must follow his dictum, he is encouraged to help by Father Cline, the leader of the Templars. Without enough information to make a proper recon of Anais’s world they run into one problem after another and Anais is captured. Drin is forced to flee and beg for more help. Can Drin return and save Anais and her people?
I love the characters and the worlds this author has created. His descriptions are realistic and believable. There are moments where the suspension of belief is prudent, but still believable in the worlds where they exist. Which is the art of story-telling; isn’t it? I highly recommend this exciting series.
October 6, 2019
After Justified Drin expected to be excommunicated but instead he was forgiven though he had to perform a penance. His penance would be to act as vassal to the other Templar’s when he was not at his regular duties as a Templar, he would claim the latrines, prepare meals, and other ship maintenance duties. Drin did not consider this a harsh penalty because he liked to be busy. It was then brought up among the Templar’s were friends of Drin about the Pyus girl was supposed to have nanites her veins. Anais and Lyssa wanted to return home to Pyus Anaïs spoke with Father Cline about contacting Pyus which she said they could not do that they were able to contact Parthenon station where they discovered there was no trade with Pyus and that the Sekarans had captured Pyus two weeks after they had been kidnapped. To find out what happens next you need to read the book it's a very good book. It's well written and takes off for justified ended and I can't wait to get the next book in the series to find out what happens...
October 17, 2019
It just gets better
Unlike most middle books in a series, this one contains a full story with a definite end, and hints of what is to come rather than a full-on cliffhanger. That's the first thing. The second thing is that in this book Drin-- who was hard to understand in book 1-- truly comes alive thanks to the commentary by his co-protagonist Anais, who herself gains more agency and grows into better character right under your eyes-- an impressive writing feat. On top of this, the combat scenes are very exciting, and the action is continuous. All in all, everything is improved from the first book, and the first book was a major page-turner in it's own right. I am bracing myself for book 3!
Unlike most middle books in a series, this one contains a full story with a definite end, and hints of what is to come rather than a full-on cliffhanger. That's the first thing. The second thing is that in this book Drin-- who was hard to understand in book 1-- truly comes alive thanks to the commentary by his co-protagonist Anais, who herself gains more agency and grows into better character right under your eyes-- an impressive writing feat. On top of this, the combat scenes are very exciting, and the action is continuous. All in all, everything is improved from the first book, and the first book was a major page-turner in it's own right. I am bracing myself for book 3!
October 4, 2019
Even if you are not a person of faith, this novel will speak to you. How does a new convert learn faith? Where does patience fit into the scheme of things? Does the majesterium really understand the newly converted? Those are the questions that Anais struggles with as she comes to terms with her new faith, her new church, her need to find her family and her feelings for Drin. I understand Anai' struggles - faith is simultaneously the easiest and the most difficult thing I have ever achieved and I fall flat on my face more often than not.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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October 10, 2019Just as good as the first book. As with the first there was a strong religious theme running throughout the story but if you've read the first you'll come to accept this as an intergral part of the story. IFull of action and a little romance, t's great to see a 'love story' that is quite different to what we have come to expect. It was also good to see that characters on both sides of the story both 'good' and 'bad' displaying noble and ignoble traits which gives the characters some realistic depth. All up a pleasing read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews