The Dawn of Fire series has followed dozens of heroes and villains as the Indomitus Crusade powers across a benighted galaxy, but few have experienced as meteoric a rise as Ferren Areios – the former Unnumbered Son who now leads the Ultramarines Sixth Company. Ferren’s tale began all the way back in the first novel Avenging Son, and he is finally getting his own full-length story: Master of Rites by Rob Young.
Ferren saw action investigating the plight of Crusade Fleet Quintus and the subsequent destruction of the Chaos command ship Blood King. After many triumphs and tribulations, and despite his preference for joining the White Consuls once the Unnumbered Sons were disbanded, Roboute Guilliman personally requested his service in the Ultramarines. The then-Lieutenant Areios was soon promoted to Captain – as we saw in the short story Solemnity by Nick Kyme.
Master of Rites takes place beyond the scope of the Dawn of Fire series, so you don’t need to worry about reading the previous books before you pick this one up. Captain Areios is dispatched to the far reaches of Ultramar to retake worlds long since lost to the Death Guard, where proximity to the Great Rift means Chaos forces surge with power, and it doesn’t take long for his resilient foe to dig in for a grim attritional war.
Casualties soon mount and the campaign tests Ferren to his limit. With his fleet isolated and the corruption of the Plague God eating away at his humanity, can the experienced leader rally his troops and break Nurgle’s grip on Ultramar’s rightful worlds?
Master of Rites will be available later this year.
