Master of Rites

John Banks nails this audiobook’s chaotic energy. His voice carries the weight of a man who’s seen too much and is done pretending he’s okay with it—perfect for a protagonist like Kael, a psyker whose power is both a curse and a weapon in a fight he never asked for. Banks modulates between gravel-voiced grit and eerie whispers with ease, making the more supernatural moments feel genuinely unsettling. The production is crisp, with no muffled dialogue or tinny effects, though I wished the ambient sounds (gunfire, warp storms) were a touch more layered to match the cinematic scale of the setting. Young’s worldbuilding shines in how it blends the familiar (Imperium bureaucracy, rogue traders) with the grotesque (contagions that rewrite DNA), but the middle act sags slightly—too many scenes of characters regrouping could’ve been trimmed for momentum. That said, the payoff is worth it. The climactic ritual sequence, where Kael’s powers surge in a burst of blood and sigils, is a masterclass in audiobook tension; you’ll feel the air go still as Banks switches to hushed tones. If you’re here for a military fantasy that leans into the occult, *Master of Rites* delivers—just be ready to suspend disbelief for a hero who’s as much a prophet as a soldier.