To Kill a Priest

I’ll admit, I went into *To Kill a Priest* skeptical. The ‘vampires in space’ premise has been done, but Kincade flips the script by grounding the supernatural in cold, bureaucratic terror. Madelin isn’t fighting monsters—she’s outrunning a system that *made* her one, and the book’s genius lies in how it turns classic fantasy tropes into a spy thriller. The first act is a masterclass in slow-burn dread, with Schrader’s narration selling every line of dialogue like a threat wrapped in velvet. His pacing is deliberate, almost hypnotic, which works brilliantly for the book’s conspiratorial tone. That said, the middle act drags slightly when the lore dumps hit; Kincade’s world is fascinating, but there are moments where the exposition feels like a briefing rather than organic discovery. Where the audiobook *shines* is in its set pieces. A chase through a derelict space station had me gripping my phone—Schrader’s ability to voice panic, exhaustion, and ruthless efficiency in the same breath is chilling. The sound design is minimal but effective: a distant alarm here, a whisper of static there, all serving to pull you deeper into the paranoia. My only real critique? The ending, while satisfying, leans a bit too hard on sequel bait. Still, this is one of the few audiobooks I’ve immediately wanted to revisit, if only to catch the clues I missed the first time. If you love your fantasy with a side of *Bourne Identity* tension and a narrator who could sell you a timeshare in hell, don’t sleep on this.