Book Review: “The Templar Chronicles: The Heretic” by Joseph Nassise

I started listening to this audiobook on a Friday the 13th, and didn’t realize the synchronicity of my starting on that date and the subject matter until I had arrived at work. I work in radio, and on one of the newscasts the news announcer talked about the origins of the fear of Friday the 13th, one of the reasons listed was that on a Friday the 13th Pope Pious ordered the murder of all the Knights of the Templar due to rumors of dabbling in witchcraft and other acts of heresy. After starting this book and hearing that discussion, I knew I was listening to the right audiobook.

Other than the synchronicity of the date another reason I knew I was listening to the right audiobook was that it is published by GraphicAudio. GraphicAudio doesn’t put out mere audiobooks, the create what they call “A Movie in your Mind.” Every time I have listened to an audiobook from them I am amazed at the quality of their productions. They use top notch voice actors and their music and sound effects make all their books come to full 3D life. Previously from them I have listened to their audiobooks created from DC comics. Their bringing to life the otherworldly sounds and battles between superheroes and super-villains is just unreal. This book has a lot of characteristics of comic books including super-powers and otherworldly villains and GraphicAudio was the perfect choice for this audiobook, because GraphicAudio knows how to bring these subjects to life.

I say that this book has some superhero/comic book characteristics and after doing a bit of research on the book, I found that the author has turned this into a comic book series, which sadly is now out of print. Maybe they’ll print a trade-paperback. Either way I feel as though I have heard the full effect of the book by listening to this, yet another, mind-blowing special effects extravaganza that goes into every GraphicAudio production.

At the end of the First Crusade, the church created a monastic military order known as the Knights Templar. They were the official warriors for Christendom but when they were captured and tortured into false confessions, many were burned at the stake and the Pope disbanded the order. This only led to the knights becoming the stuff of legend. Now, rising up from the ashes of history, they are the Vatican’s last defense in the war between good and evil.

The desecration of Templar cemeteries has sparked a full-scale investigation. Leading this investigation is Cade Williams, who is no ordinary man. His ability to cross over to the other side and touch a person or item and see its past makes him uniquely qualified to command the Church’s special operations division. As a modern-day Knight, Cade can use the curse that has scarred his soul as a weapon against the forces of darkness, but this curse/power has also branded him as a heretic among some of the higher-ups in the Vatican.

Cade and his team soon discover that cabal of necromancers and sorcerers is behind it all. Their purpose: to claim the legendary powers of a lost holy relic, the Spear of Longinus, for their own ungodly campaign. Cade takes on a new member of his team who also has a special power of his own. Cade also has the ability to see special abilities and forces (both good and evil) and sees that the leader of the Knights Templar’s aid, Duncan, has the ability to heal with his hands. Combining powers they must battle demons, zombies, and sorcerers to protect the Spear, the world and all known reality.

In what is a cross between a Frank Miller comic book, an Indiana Jones adventure, and a Seal Team 6 mission, Joseph Nassise has written an excellent action adventure novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the superb audio production from GraphicAudio will push you off and right into the middle of the action. What is even better, is that this is only book one of a three book series, so that means more to come.