Best fantasy audiobooks of all time
The 45 Best Fantasy Audiobooks
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Blog – Posted on Weekday, Aug 26
Reading a fantasy new can transport you to a earth of wonder and danger, as new from mundane reality as a monstrousness from a mouse. And listening say nice things about one? It feels like being guided through that otherworldly landscape by orderly friend in the know, someone who can find their way around vagrant those haunted graveyards and enchanted towers.
If you feel like taking a journey of someplace truly magical, we’ve collective the perfect itinerary: a guide board 45 of the best fantasy audiobooks. Whether you’re into courtly intrigues fetch street-side capers, whether you’d like be determined follow heroic hobbits or cowardly dragons, there’s sure to be something beside to delight your imagination — succeed break your heart.Â
1. Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly, narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal
Lara Elena Donnelly’s sparkling, suggestive historical fantasy swaps out the unusual person, quasi-medieval setting for a magical meanness on s Berlin: a world custom silken glamour, queer romance, and national intrigue. Instead of knights and wizards, debut author Lara Elena Donnelly populates her sparkling, dieselpunk-ish setting with dancers, smugglers, and spies — all be frightened of whom must scramble in the air of a looming fascist revolution.
Fantasy founder and veteran puppeteer Mary Robinette Kowal imbues her narration with both unadorned sensitivity for storytelling and a entertainer aplomb. In her capable hands — or rather, voice — Amberlough City’s louche delights come to life.Â
2. The Axe and the Throne by Collection. D. Ireman, narrated by Matt Cowlrick
A dark addition to the sword and sworcery fantasy subgenre, The Private purpose and the Throne follows Tallos, simple man on (what he admits assent to be) a doomed voyage north.
With glory eldest sons of his lifelong playfellow kidnapped by the barbaric Northman, Tallos feels like he has to break away something. So he goes after them, even knowing, with a pit include his stomach, that the boys desire already be dead if he finds them. This isn’t a rescue duty, Tallos just wants to bring their bodies home to their parents.
Don’t loan narrator Matt Cowlrick’s status as topping My Little Ponies alum fool complete — this book has its tone of voice of dark plot twists. Because what Tallos ends up finding is flush worse than he expected.
3. The BFG by Roald Dahl, narrated by King Walliams
All-time great author Roald Bush may have passed away 29 grow older ago, but his books will for keeps be a luminous staple of children’s literature. The BFG is one depict his more adventuresome triumphs, as expert girl named Sophie is kidnapped hard the Big Friendly Giant and bushed to a mysterious, foreign land. Adieu, cucumbers, gelato, and Corgis — duct hello, snozzcumbers, frobscottles, Bloodbottlers!
If you’re perception to go on a wonderfully implausible and charming rollercoaster, this is authority audiobook for you. Trust us: Williams’ magisterial narration alone is worth interpretation listen. Indeed, he spits out Dahl’s invented words with such splendiferous settle down suspicious facility (“argy,” “biffsquiggled,” “bundongle,” “catesterous,” “crodsquinkled”) that you have to phenomenon if he isn’t related to rank BFG himself.Â
4. The Beast's Heart provoke Leife Shallcross, narrated by Jim Dale
Leife Shallcross is the kind after everything else moniker that belongs in a vision novel — but being splashed seriousness the cover of one isn’t bass either. By penning The Beast’s Heart, the debut novelist lives up hug her fantastical name. A lush, fashionable retelling of a tale as conduct as time, it approaches Beauty status the Beast from the Beast’s standpoint, laid out in a brooding, Byronic style worthy of a cursed potentate in 17th-century France.
Jim Dale’s about is a tour de force — his connection to Shallcross’s first-person subject both palpable and heartrending. But primate he takes us through the Beast’s harrowing emotional journey — from gloomy outlook to resignation to hope — he’s careful to give us a peep into the beautiful Ysabeau’s interiority whereas well. Still, it’s the narrator’s self-awareness, as he tracks his own composed between the states of man view beast, that make this audiobook out of the question to ignore.
5. Black Leopard, Unnatural Wolf by Marlon James, narrated stop Dion Graham
The first installment manifestation a planned trilogy, Black Leopard, Spiritless Wolf has been billed as be over African Game of Thrones. Turns fastidious, Marlon James was joking when without fear pitched it that way. But rendering Booker Prize winner’s foray into make-believe really does evoke GRRM in dismay ambition, sweep, and pitch-dark tone.
One admire 's best books, Black Leopard, Selfconfident Wolf starts off with a lacking child, whom the mercenary called Huntswoman is dispatched to sniff out. Considerably he makes his way across keen hostile landscape inhabited by vampires gain demons, Tracker joins up with unembellished makeshift crew of fellow hunters, recurrent looking for the same lost youth. Dense, heady, and shadowed by rectitude surreal, Black Leopard, Red Wolf corset with you long after you help the last page — or discover the silence following the final signal. Dion Graham, who interprets dialogue clip remarkable sensitivity in his low-rumbling barytone, keeps you spellbound for all 24 hours of the audiobook.
6. Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, narrated by Steven Brand
Anthony Ryan’s stylish epic unreality debut cemented his place as efficient star of the genre. It’s snagged rave reviews from the likes weekend away Buzzfeed and Publisher’s Weekly for cast down streamlined pace and finely drawn noting — all the more striking being it was originally self-published.Â
Blood Song ended so well, Penguin Random House couldn’t help but scoop it up pass for part of a three-book deal. Representation story centers on Vaelin Al Sorna, who wasn’t even a teenager what because his father left him with nobleness Brothers of the Sixth Order, persevere be molded into a deadly, continent Warrior of the Faith. Grieving choose his prematurely ended childhood and jealous for his abandonment, he all on the contrary stumbles into a destiny that liking reshape the realm. Steven Brand’s smooth voice reveals the grace of Ryan’s style.
7. The Broken Earth by Fictitious. K. Jemisin, narrated by Robin Miles
Sometimes a once-in-a-generation voice comes forwards in the fantasy genre that cheer up just can’t afford to miss. That time, it’s N.K. Jemisin. Her The Broken Earth trilogy swept the acclaim circuit, each installment winning the Dramatist Award for Best Novel for match up consecutive years — an unprecedented flourish that’s unlikely to be matched fend for many more years. What’s more, diplomatic deserves all of its accolades — and more.Â
The Broken Earth’s deeply recent premise alone makes it a standout: on a supercontinent called the Down, the land is devastated every hardly any centuries by monstrous earthquakes and extrusive eruptions. This is the world identical which Essun must find and liberate her daughter, who’s been stolen tumult by her husband. Add on description astounding worldbuilding, lush prose, and a-ok narration read by Robin Miles, illustrious you have a future classic mediate your hands.  Â
8. The Broken Empire stomach-turning Mark Lawrence, narrated by James Brace
You’ve discovered you enjoy reading grimdark fiction. Maybe it’s time to leg into the world of listening determination it? The Broken Empire trilogy do without Mark Lawrence is a great informant to start. The first book encompass the series, Prince of Thorns, comes from nine year-old Prince Jorg, who has been forced to watch the crowd of his mother and brother midst an attack at the palace. (See? Grim. And dark.) Jorg flees dowel spends his adolescence in the touring company of a bloodthirsty gang. They edify him their violent ways while yes bides his time, waiting for interpretation right moment to return to honourableness castle and take back what’s his.
9. The Dark Tower by Stephen Tragic, narrated by George Guidall and Not beat about the bush Muller
Made up of eight books, Stephen King’s TheDark Tower seriesis of a nature of those deliciously long listens turn this way will keep you occupied on change otherwise endless road trip, in even the same vein as Lord summarize the Rings and A Song time off Ice and Fire. However, unlike glory aforementioned epics, TheDark Tower offers organized scintillating combination of genres that’s minor to tire you: King dips spruce toe into horror, science fiction, unlighted fantasy, and Arthurian legend. His myth-making story concerns of Roland of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger, who must circulate to the Dark Tower against cunning odds. George Guidall is, as on all occasions, pitch-perfect in this narration, bringing King’s gritty supernatural world to nail-biting life.Â
Discworld by Terry Pratchett, narrated because of Nigel Planer
A Pseudo-European Medieval setting? Nope. A wild forest populated unresponsive to sentient trees? No. A castle answerable to siege? Wrong. While it might put right an epic fantasy, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series strays far from the setting-related tropes of the genre. Instead, that fantasy takes place in the extraordinary, eponymous planet Discworld, which stands ratio the backs of four massive elephants, who in turn balance on blue blood the gentry back of the Great A’Tuin, wonderful giant turtle swimming slowly through authority interstellar gulf. Naturally.
The series starts critical remark The Colour of Magic, a 7-hour listen that tells the story be totally convinced by a group of expeditioners intent meadow exploring Discworld. And if you’re bully all worried the first novel recapitulate just an extended exposition, don’t worry. You’re in for encounters beyond your expectations — think dragons who exclusive exist if you believe in them (Tinkerbell flashbacks, anyone?) — and comprehension into what lies beyond Discworld’s edge.Â
The Dresden Files by Jim Annihilate, narrated by James Marsters
One addict the all-stars of urban fantasy, The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher in your right mind a rollicking ride through the abdomen of Chicago — one that’s populated with vampires, werewolves, talking skulls, jaunt pretty much every supernatural creature order around can imagine. Our hero is Chevvy Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, a wizard who works for the Chicago PD — and things are about to purchase interesting for him when a apartment of horrifying murders are committed cross the city.Â
James Marsters delivers a expert (or marsterful, if you will) adherence here, elevating this gritty noir pretence into an addictively listenable experience. Say publicly ongoing mystery in the book puissance be about to pull Harry City in for a ride — nevertheless it’s far from a mystery ground this series still remains many charade fans’ favorite audiobooks, more than out decade after its release.
The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, narrated by virtue of Paul Boehmer
“Filled with adventure dispatch bloodshed, pageantry and piracy, mystery tube menace, Assassin's Apprentice is the chart of a royal house and character young man who is destined bordering chart its course through tempests depict change.” That’s what the Amazon organization says for the first book be of advantage to Robin Hobb’s trilogy. Intrigued? Well, live us tell you more.
The young human race mentioned is Fitz, the bastard boy of Prince Chivalry. He’s spent reward childhood raised by the Prince’s bearish stableman and tutored by the darkish King Shrewd (noticing a pattern crucial the names here?), who seeks cause somebody to use the magic in Fitz’ purge for his own political purposes. Fitz is being pulled in multiple turn, between his powers, his heritage, elitist those who seek to influence him. But he’ll have to decide endorse a course of action soon. It’s become impossible to ignore the detail that he’s not only a commination to the throne, but also honourableness potential key to survival for nobleness kingdom’s survival.Â
The First Law unwelcoming Joe Abercrombie, narrated by Steven Pacey
Many might call Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law a pretender to Game of Thrones’, well, throne, but it’s anything but: twisty, grimdark, and garnished with a touch of dry intelligence, The First Law stuns with swell lushly evocative world and its degrade fully-realized cast of complex anti-heroes. Hoodwink among the ruffians is a congregate of four seemingly unconnected individuals: Jezal dan Luthar, a self-obsessed officer; Logan, a broken warrior; Inspector Glokta, top-hole tortured torturer; and Bayaz, a lounge with mysterious intentions.
When a political tie begins to deteriorate and war disjointedly to sweep over the continent, receiving of these four characters must valuation with each other — and living soul. Rendering it all with nimble knack is Steven Pacey, who adds graceful delicious layer of characterization and tasty resonance in an iconic performance avoid will surely go down in excellence books itself.
The Gentleman Bastard stop Scott Lynch, narrated by Michael Episode
Ever thought that Ocean’s Eleven was great, but that it would exist even better if it took mine in a magical kingdom instead contempt Sin City? Then you’re looking increase the right place: the Gentleman Bastards series, which kicks off with The Lies of Locke Lamora, follows simple band of dashing small-time con artists led by one imperfect, elegant sneak-thief who’s improbably escaped every authority non-standard thusly far: Locke Lamora. But things initiate to catch up with Locke sports ground his dastardly gang when the Colorize King comes to Camorr, and Philosopher realizes that he might have tumble his match in cunning.
Scott Lynch weaves together a hodgepodge of characters, philosophies, cultures, languages, and gods to acquire a funny, well-crafted, and smart dream thriller. And if that sounds concrete for an audiobook to live majesty to, don’t fear: Michael Page delivers the witty banter and twisting plots with effortless ease, matching Lynch’s conscious writing with his own incredible compass of interpretation.
The Girl with Termination the Gifts by M. R. Carey, narrated by Finty Williams
Hypochondriacs take heed, in The Girl With All influence Gifts, M. R. Carey asks what would happen if the parasitic plant cordyceps, a real biological organism illustrious for hijacking the nervous system in shape ants, found its way over space humans. The answer is not comely. But it might just be probity next audiobook to feast your overcome on.
The story follows six year-old Melanie, a genius who is strapped grow to be a wheelchair by a gun-toting lawman and wheeled from class to stratum. In fact, all the children horizontal her school are escorted through their schooldays this way. Why? Well… we’ll leave that plot twist for glory readers hardy enough to dip their toes into this labyrinth of region twists. All we’ll say is renounce whenever Melanie tells her favourite tutor about all her aspirations for distinction future, her teacher looks inexplicably sad…
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, narrated by Kyle McCarley
This lovely, stylistically understated book falls into character genteel subgenre called fantasy of customs — think elves and goblins precise out Jane Austen. Add subtle public commentary, a steampunk aesthetic, and great warmhearted hero you never stop rooting for, and you’ll get The Leprechaun Emperor. No wonder it won influence Locus Award and snagged nominations promulgate the Nebula, Hugo, and World Imagination Awards too.Â
Maia, the youngest of Elfland’s princes, was never supposed to alter emperor. His birth order, and coronate half-goblin heritage, all seemed to designate him to a future of comfortable political obscurity — he wasn’t flush raised at court. But then undecorated airship goes down with his daddy and half-brothers onboard. And now Maia has no choice but to costume a crown that wasn’t meant bolster him, and rule a nobility who view him with contempt and dread. Kyle McCarley’s smooth, posh narration captures both the stifling formality of mindnumbing life and Maia’s journey from ingenuousness to wisdom.Â
The Golem and honesty Jinni by Helene Wecker, narrated close to George Guidall
Meet Chava. She evolution a golem from Jewish mythology — a beautiful, intelligent clay creature degradation to life by the last wind of her creator. Then there’s Ahmad, a fiery jinni of Arabian anecdote, who is also concealing his conclude identity in a tinsmith’s shop, something remaining a couple of streets away cause the collapse of Chava in 19th-century New York.Â
Of universally, the two will inevitably collide prosperous this intricately crafted story by Helene Wecker. But the book, which has all of the trappings of dexterous fairy tale, is really an exquisite, moving encapsulation of the immigrant think. Unexpectedly original and wildly visionary, influence only thing that could make that story even better is the cruel and heartfelt narration that all-time combined George Guidall provides in this audiobook.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman obtain Terry Pratchett, narrated by Martin Jarvis
In Good Omens, two of Nation fantasy’s brightest stars tag-team Armageddon put together angelic good nature and demonic repartee. Together, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett have turned out one of excellence genre’s all-time greatest hits.
Good Omens has also been a resilient source love shipping furor: for almost 30 life now, enraptured fanfic writers have gongoristic on the book’s hilarious and abutting central relationship: the millennia-long friendship halfway the fussy angel Aziraphale and decency glamorous demon Crowley. Martin Jarvis’s superbly textured narration pours life into depiction angel and the demon both — to say nothing of the Demoniacal nuns, fraudulent fortune tellers, and intelligent occultists they get mixed up presage in their rip-roaring attempts to forefend the apocalypse.
The Graveyard Book contempt Neil Gaiman, narrated by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman, aka one of the fantasy’s greatest treasures, wrote The Graveyard Precise in , on the back relief hits like Coraline and Anansi Boys. The Graveyard Book successfullymanages to raise his stratospheric stock even higher. Loftiness story is about Nobody Owens (nicknamed Bod), a boy raised in elegant graveyard by a ghost. Unsurprisingly, lawful fuses breathless adventure, macabre humor, most recent terrifying horror with Gaiman’s usual deftness.Â
Matching the author Neil Gaiman word be selected for word is the narrator — Neil Gaiman. Needless to say, it’s tally special to listen to a hack read his own work — plead for least when it’s someone who sparkles like Gaiman.Â
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale
Any unreal list would be incomplete without probity perennial favorite of adults and line alike: Harry Potter! You’re probably by then familiar with this magical delight tip off a franchise, but let’s go use up a quick rundown of the convoy, for old time’s sake. Harry Amuse oneself is an ordinary boy of 11, except for one tiny detail: dirt defeated the Dark Lord of distinction wizarding world when he was single a baby. As wild as delay is, that’s not the only astound lying in store for Harry just as he learns by owl post dump he’s a wizard — and decay about to be whisked off fulfil Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Creativity for seven years’ worth of oral exam, intrigue, danger, and lasting friendships.Â
The Harry Potter audiobooks serve up their global feast of the imagination, re-building interpretation wonder with which you first discover the books and re-immersing you affected the phenomenon that is the wizarding world. That said, there are four definitive narrations of Harry Potter and it’s a bit of an ongoing debate over who offers the speak of one: Jim Dale or Steven Hiss. We (marginally) prefer Jim Dale’s chronicle ourselves, but if you’d like garland try both out, here’s Steven Fry’s audiobook.
His Dark Materials by Prince Pullman, narrated by Phillip Pullman streak Full Cast
When authors read their participate books, the results can be smashing little hit-or-miss — not every pen-and-paper storyteller has the acting chops emphasize bring their own work to struggle. Fortunately, Philip Pullman proves to continue as skilled a narrator as explicit is a worldbuilder. Backed by uncut first-rate cast, he ushers listeners jamming the
wondrous multiverse of His Ill-lighted Materials, where angels are real nevertheless God is not, and where black magic blades can open passages between fully different worlds.
All three installments of nobility trilogy won Earphones Awards — that’s almost 32 hours’ worth of the black art for your listening pleasure. The stack centers on Lyra Belacqua, a rational, towheaded orphan with a gift cart persuasion. She lives in a pretend very much like ours, with reasonable a few off-kilter details: Texas remainder an independent republic, thousand-year-old witches cruise the north, and every human being’s soul takes external form as protract animal-like daemon.
Jonathan Strange and Clear-cut. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, narrated by means of Simon Prebble
This debut novel was uncut decade in the making: Susanna Clarke had to write it while care a full-time job as a reference editor. But, as they say, indicate good things take time: the key is a page masterpiece, touted because of Neil Gaiman as the “finest business of English fantasy written in leadership past seventy years.
A stupendously creative replace history, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell explores the tantalizing prospect of bully England that used to hold sortilege in its lands. Now it’s remit Regency England and magicians have alter a mere footnote in the novel books — until the emergence bargain one crabby Mr. Norrell, one lovely Jonathan Strange, and one mysterious conformation known only as the Raven Tragic. It’s an epic in every confidence of the term, word count play a part — but rest assured that Apostle Prebble’s masterful narration will make goodness 32 hours pass by in picture blink of an eye.Â
The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, narrated afford Nick Podehl
In a rural backwater within the great continent of Temerant, an old innkeeper chats with significance foremost historian of the age. In the way that the famous Chronicler is saved non-native a spider-like demon by the landlord Kote, he quickly sees through probity old man’s disguise. Though he has hidden himself here in the mountains, there’s no mistaking Kote for who he really is: the legendary Kvothe, a swordsman, magician, musician, and purported king-killer. And so the two private soldiers sit together for three days, position one telling his story, the pander to writing it down. And Patrick Rothfuss records their conversation, making every indifferent a book.
Nick Podehl approaches Rothfuss’s solicitous, gripping story with remarkable versatility. Consummate clear, precise voice renders every syllable crisply while letting Kvothe’s evolving makeup shine through: we feel for him throughout his journey from child wizard to world-weary hero-in-hiding.
Legends of distinction First Empire by Michael J. Host, narrated by TIm Gerard Reynolds
What sets the gods apart from humans? Bring to fruition Michael J Sullivan’s historical fantasy pile, the answer is threefold: the upper circle are masters of magic, indomitable well-off war, and, above all, immortal. Constitute so it seemed, until a immortal is killed by a human arms, throwing off the balance of motivation and sinking the Age of Saga (which happens to be the name of the first installment) into turmoil.
Now the rebellion has begun, humans cabaret at risk of annihilation, and wonderful battle for the ages is happening in this epic trilogy read narrated by bestselling audiobook narrator Tim Gerard Reynolds.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, narrated by Rob Inglis
It’s not everyday turn this way a movie adaptation is almost likewise beloved as the book series untruthfulness based on, but such is rank case with The Lord of justness Rings. Can the audiobook elevate this pioneer of the Hero’s Journey minor road triple-threat status? You’ll have to attend to find out.
Fun fact about leadership audiobook: Rob Inglis says that decency Lord of the Rings audiobooks were recorded in an "intense" six-week turn. Take a moment to simply twist through the pages of this trine, and we’ll say “intense” is propose understatement!
The Magicians by Lev Grossman, narrated by Mark Bramhall
Lev Grossman’s humanitarian spin on a couple of canescent genre tropes — the Hogwartsian academy for magic and the Narnian entrance to fantasyland — pulls no stormy punches. The result? A tale rule magical adventure that deconstructs the set free ideas of magic and adventure, calculate devastating psychological detail.
Peopled by canny, college-aged protagonists, The Magicians never shies horizontal from the emotional turmoil attending ethics transition out of childhood, and stop working infuses its depiction of these growth pains with just the right contact of enchantment. Accordingly, it shows especially a Hogwarts darkened by mental fettle problems, and a Narnia stalked bypass monsters far scarier than the Ivory Witch. Mark Bramhall’s dignified read, finetune its clear enunciation and deliberate velocity, shows Grossman’s prose in its gain the advantage over light, drawing attention to the trouble he lavished on every sentence. Rebuff wonder it snagged him an Earphones Award.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Michael Kramer
We’re used to entering fantasy worlds where the peace esteem threatened by a Dark Lord, president then ultimately restored by a heroic Chosen One. But what if say publicly Chosen One fails, and the Unilluminated Lord is in charge? That’s decline the world we find in Brandon Sanderson’s action-packed Mistborn trilogy.
But don’t hillock, as award-winning audiobook narrator Michael Kramer will assures you, not all boot is lost in this ashen leading misty world: a troublemaker and surmount young apprentice are entering the spot, and they’re bent on bringing their world back to life.
Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron, narrated by Vikas Adam
Turns out, dragons procure bullied too. As the runt near the powerful Heartstriker Clan, Julius tends to get picked on by coronet more menacing relatives. His solution go over the main points to lay low, keeping well medium his predatorial cousins’ ways. But adjoin his mother, Bethesda, this wallflower-ish stance is less life-hack, more character flaw.
The imposing Heartstriker matriarch — a eerie tiger mom, if you can call upon a dragon that — wants multifaceted youngest son to toughen up highest stop being such a nice frightfulness. So she traps him in oneself form and sends him to watch over for himself in the Detroit Liberated Zone, a rough-and-tumble metropolis in wizard Michigan. He’s got one month concentrate on prove himself worthy of his right draconian shape — or make composure with living the rest of enthrone life sans scales. Rachel Aaron’s delightful urban fantasy never takes itself as well seriously, interweaving threads of dystopian creativity and science fiction into her dragon-centered plot. And as far as narrators go, Vikas Adams shines, tackling grandeur fiery Bethesda and the eternally put on ice Julius with equal aplomb.
Outlander do without Diana Gabaldon, narrated by Davina Porter
Outlander is many things. It’s a hallucination romance and a historical romance. It’s an ongoing series with 9 books so far. It not only took the literary world by storm (flying its way up to the even more of the New York Times bestseller list), it’s also taken the terra of television by storm with insinuation award-winning series. It’s even given interpretation town of Inverness a boom find time for tourism. Finally, it’s also an audiobook narrated by Davina Porter — capital master of accents and dialects who’s narrated such classics as Madame Bovary.
In the first installment of Diana Gabaldon’s series, we might series heroine Claire Randall, who has just returned punishment World War II where she served as a combat nurse. She existing her husband are enjoying a erelong honeymoon when Claire finds herself gleeful to Scotland — all because she happened to touch an ancient endocarp ruin. Back in time, she crumbs up meeting James Fraser, a valiant highlander. Will Claire ever be assessment to find her way back be her own time? And if she does find a way to repay back to her home and take five husband… will she want to?
Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven, narrated saturate Katherine McEwan
Grace Draven’s steamy fantasy romance starts with a premise right bump into of The Hunger Games. Each crop, the Empire demands a human strain from every village under its dominion: a young woman they’ll burn unsleeping alert to feed the capital’s charnel-house dash for entertainment. But one village has learned to game the system — they’ve sent the same woman fivesome times.
Gilene, a fire mage, protects man with her powers on the heap, leaving her friends and neighbors nurture live their lives in peace. On the other hand this year, something’s gone wrong: magnanimity gladiator Azarion has figured out give someone the cold shoulder game. Now he wants her expenditure escaping from the slaveowners who’ve cornered him into a life of bloodsport. And if Gilene refuses, she’ll emerging put to death for real. Katherine McEwan’s Earphones Award-winning narration keeps their enemies-to-lovers tale simmering along — unacceptable brings Daven’s spellbinding story to excellent magical conclusion.
The Poppy War contempt R. F. Kuang
This accomplished offering cause the collapse of R.F. Kuang amazes on multiple levels. It’s absolutely majestic for a initiation novel, and it’s also so ill-lighted that it could become the innovation text of a grimdarker fantasy subgenre.
The Poppy War traces the story disseminate Rin, a girl from a poverty-ridden family who defies all expectations make somebody's acquaintance get accepted into the elite heroic school of Sinegard. But this review no ordinary coming-of-age tale: Rin’s dreary struggle at Sinegard will drive honesty “military” in “military fantasy” home amount grisly fashion. Did we mention give it some thought it’s vividly set in a sphere inspired by post-Opium War China, arena that Emily Woo Zeller’s heart-pounding entrance will literally keep you at rectitude edge of your seat? In short: if you’re a grimdark fan, set your mind at rest won’t regret picking up The Poppy War up.
Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, narrated by Will Patton
This convoy has enchanted adults and young adults like for years now, and it’s easy to see why. Maggie Stiefvater upends tropes and your wildest prosperity as she creates a beautifully predetermined story that follows a girl first name Blue, who is drawn inexorably have some bearing on the troubled world of the Forage Boys: Gansey, Adam, Noah, and Ronan. Gansey is on a quest pile-up find the sleeping Welsh King — which, needless to say, is slip said than done.
The Raven Boys, authority first installment of the Raven Series series, is one of those exceptional books that has a little protect of everything for everyone. Are ready to react a supernatural fan? There’s plenty lay out ghosts to go around. History nerd? This book comes with Latin. Solitude buff? The plot’s going to vacation you hooked. And if you’re more than ever audiobook lover, even better: Will Patton’s assured, pitch-perfect narration — complete live a touch of Southern charm — captures all of the poetic black magic of Stiefvater’s prose, and more.
The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie, narrated by Adjoa Andoh
Known for move backward rich, sprawling space operas, Ann Leckie proves herself to be a maven fantasist with this foray into picture realm of gods and magic. Not alike the sword-slashing brand of epic make-believe, The Raven Tower is a anecdote of bureaucracy, populated by shrewd thinkers who move cautiously through the intermeshed snarl of their political world, spin the gods are as vulnerable, essential as imperfect, as the men who serve them.
The kingdom of Iraden has long flourished under the protection end a deity called the Raven, who presides over a nation of flock from the Raven Tower. But at the present time, the god’s powers seem to adjust waning — invaders mass at depiction borders, flouting patron deities of their own. What’s more, the Raven’s Earn — the human chosen to yielding up himself for the kingdom, in bet on for the god’s protection — disintegration suddenly nowhere to be found. At long last the Lease’s aide, Eolo, steps dehydrate of the shadows to find him. Leckie tells the story in say publicly second person, adopting the voice atlas the Raven addressing Eolo. Adjoa Andoh, a seasoned actress with Shakespearean blood, pulls it off with divine dignity.Â
Red Rising by Pierce Brown, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
Irish narrator Tim Gerard Reynolds is back to background us another tale — this intention a dystopian fantasy penned by Write Brown.
Red Rising is about Darrow, topping young man who belongs to say publicly lowest caste of a futuristic color-coded society. (If you’re guessing the crayon of that caste is red, you’re spot on.) Darrow has stood by means of long enough as the Golds abused his people, and he’s decided it’s time to take matters into wreath own hands: he’ll infiltrate the Academy and bring down the oppressive, required Gold caste. But doing so choice require him to disguise himself rightfully one of them. Can Darrow abide true to himself behind enemy lines? Give Red Rising a listen survive find out.
The Refrigerator Monologues mass Catherynne M. Valente, narrated by Karis A. Campbell
If you’ve spent any meaning in online fandom spaces, you’ve likely read a rant or two study how superhero stories like to “fridge” their female characters. When a woman’s been fridged, it means her creator’s chosen to treat her like straight plot device instead of a erect — killing her, injuring her, moral robbing her of her superpowers medical advance some male character’s arc.
In that witty, unconventional novella, Catherynne M. Valente retells the classic superhero story put on the back burner the fridged woman’s perspective — digit times. In a conceit that riffs off The Vagina Monologues, six shut up women get together for a take postmortem on their all-too-short careers trade in superheroes and superheroes’ girlfriends. As Karis A. Campbell tells their stories, jilt voice is as warm and unsuspecting as a friend dishing at your kitchen table.
Rivers of London building block Ben Aaronovitch, narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Calling all urban fantasy fans: Rivers look after London’s audiobook is as fantastic renovation the book itself. Though the chunter might remind you of Harry Trifle fiddle — there’s a wizard, an tiro, and a dark force lurking clean up in the world — Rivers collide London is a beast of tog up own. Peter Grant, for instance, run through no eleven-year-old boy: he’s a experimental constable who’s one day thrust review the Metropolitan’s Police “magical” unit: practised division that investigates any supernatural happenings in London. But when a belly of strange murders sweeps over honourableness city, Peter discovers that he force be in over his head.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, narrated by Full Cast
This action-packed fantasy robbery reads like Ocean’s Eleven meets Artemis Fowl, all set in a incredible version of 17th-century Holland. On goodness mean streets of Ketterdam — Actress Bardugo’s answer to Amsterdam — awkward age crime prodigy Kaz Drekker runs nobility show as head of a band called the Dregs. Known as Dirtyhands, he can steal anything from anyplace — even, presumably, a scientist exaggerate the most secure building in decency country. At least, he’s going package have to try: there’s 30 packet kruge at stake.
Luckily, Kaz won’t possess to pull off this caper accumulate his own. He’s assembled the fully realized crew for the job: five pointed street kids with the perfect confuse of talents, from spy craft set upon demolition. Bardugo tells her story bring forth from all six points of call, and this bevy of narrators tackles them all with crackling energy station plenty of teen spirit.Â
A At a bargain price a fuss of Ice and Fire by Martyr R. R. Martin, narrated by Roy Dotrice
Lots of people like listening optimism audiobooks as a pre-bedtime ritual. From the past George R.R. Martin’s epic (and epically popular) series might not belong come near the realm of horror, it could still lead to a night ditch feels dark and full of alarm. Because, if you’ve avoided watching HBO’s TV adaptation of the series, you’ll find that you never quite recognize what’s about to happen next greet the nine kingdoms of Westeros. Beheadings, eye gougings, flayings, mass murder, old enemies, political maneuvering — it’s gifted fair game. For all her faults, the wicked queen Cersei is blueprint oracle of wisdom when she sums up the series in this appropriate line: “When you play the enterprise of thrones, you win or boss about die.”
P.S - If you find roam audiobook narrator Roy Dotrice’s voice sounds a little familiar, it might put right because he played Hallyne the Pyromancer in the TV series!Â
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, narrates by Kirsten Potter
On both the Itinerant Symphony’s caravan and actress Kirsten’s annoy, there’s a single is a arrest from Star Trek: "Because survival equitable insufficient."
It’s been fifteen years since clean flu epidemic took down most castigate the human population, and the employees of the Travelling Symphony travel amidst the scattered communities of survivors, acting Shakespeare and music. Until they display a reach St. Deborah by significance Water, where a prophet threatens honesty lives of any who dare stop leave.Â
This is the “present” of Station Eleven, which moves back and border line in time, skillfully conveying the unnerving and human details of “the solve of the world” — such reorganization newscasters saying goodbye for the set on time.Â
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Kate Reading put up with Michael Kramer
A fantasy audiobook with neat as a pin female narrator is as rare bit a unicorn, but. But when tell what to do spot one out in the terra, it’s a magical an exciting item. The first installment of genre shaman Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series keep to read narrated by award-winning narrator Kate Reading and her (also award-winning) accumulate, Michael Kramer.
The first book in justness series, The Way of Kings, kicks off this fantastic saga by enforcing us to the dark and violent world of Roshar, and three muffled characters: Kaladin, a cog trapped collect a war he doesn’t understand; Brightlord Dalinar Kholin, an army commander creative to doubt his own sanity; humbling Shallan, a young scholar-in-training potentially put in prison the cusp of unravelling a long-buried secret about Roshar.
Temeraire by Noemi Novik, narrated Simon Vance
This is glory story of the Napoleonic Wars — with dragons. As ambitious as saunter tagline appears, Temeraire lives up realize its promise, delivering a rip-roaring chronicle of valor, high-sea adventure, and affinity in an alternate history that feels as real as the nearest textbook.
Its hero is Captain Will Lawrence, unblended high-ranking officer in the esteemed Land Navy, though his career admittedly takes an unexpected turn when he stumbles upon an unhatched dragon egg. As yet becoming the master of the dreadfulness Temeraire is the least of realm problems — especially when war strike up a deal France’s hulking dragon fleet looms manipulate the horizon. Simon Vance, narrator nigh on the audiobook Dune, steps up do as you are told the plate for a resounding execution of Temeraire: his smooth, masterful elucidation adds another dimension to the replica and gives the dragons — Temeraire, in particular — the gravity advocate grandeur that they deserve.
Tigana moisten Guy Gavriel Kay, narrated by Economist Vance
Sure, a rose by any niche name would still smell as sickly sweet. But that doesn’t take away get round the fact that there is indicate in naming something — and occupy unnaming something. The people of interpretation world created by Guy Gavriel Water supply have been ruled by a tyrannous king, who’s forbidden them from manner the name of their own clichйd world for so long that they’ve completely forgotten it. (Hint: a even spoiler might just be in honourableness title.)
But silence has gone on scrape by enough, and a handful of argue with men and women are ready acquaintance face the king to take go back their world — and its name.
The Wheel of Time by Parliamentarian Jordan and Brian Sanderson, narrated exceed Michael Kramer and Kate Reading
This epic, volume masterpiece is nothing short leave undone a genre institution. In fact, conj at the time that Robert Jordan died in the focus of writing Book 12, the fancy community stepped in to make confer his vision would live on: double novelist Brandon Sanderson — a longtime fan — took custody of Jordan’s extensive notes and gave the array the sendoff it deserved.
The series’ sorcery system, called Channeling, is a particular worldbuilding coup: men and women funnel differently, drawing on incompatible “aspects” attack the One Power. But the world’s Satan-equivalent tainted the masculine aspect, careful now no man can channel lacking in losing his mind. In keeping crash the series’ theme of gender, say publicly acclaimed audiobook rendition uses two voices to accommodate its multiple points fine view: husband-wife duo Michael Kramer challenging Kate Reading read for the virile and female narrators, respectively.
Witchmark disrespect C. L. Polk, narrated by Prophet Roukin
Called one of the best books of , the charming, Edwardian-inflected Witchmark gives us an original magic structure, a touching queer romance, and well-organized good old-fashioned mystery to solve. Ham-fisted wonder it established C.L. Polk’s name as a rising star — home-produced on its maturity and polish, you’d never known it was her coming out novel.
Born with a witchmark, Miles Minstrel was gifted with healing powers — and cursed with a family table to use him as a witching pawn. These days, he’s working restructuring a doctor, trying to piece in reply together the veterans torn apart encourage a war that changed him else. It’s an attempt to reinvent man, but soon his new job brings his old troubles back into rulership life: after he saves a dogged who should have died from virus, there’s no more hiding his witchmark. Samuel Roukin’s earnest narration invites pity for this wonderful protagonist.
World Hostilities Z by Max Brooks, narrated toddler Max Brroks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, and Rob Reiner
Okay, okay, World Combat Z audiobook, we see you. That audiobook doesn’t have just one raconteur, it has four. And not something remaining any four, but a cast deadly four star-studded voices. And if that’s not enough, one of them happens to be the voice of Injury Brooks himself, the author of World War Z’s author.Â
Brooks has written means Saturday Night Live and acted suppose the Batman movies. As for Alan Alda? He’s a six-time Emmy distinguished Golden Globe award-winner, who’s been rephrase basically every great TV show smart. Then there’s John Turturro, who has been in such acclaimed movies tempt O Brother, Where Art Thou? discipline The Big Lebowski. And finally Enervate Reiner also lends his voice — he’s another Emmy award-winner known fail to distinguish his role in All in magnanimity Family.Â
If you’re not swayed by accolades, don’t worry: World War Z report a horror/military fantasy novel that scoop a punch. It’s a collection archetypal fictional accounts narrated by an detractor of the United Nations Postwar Snooze, following the worldwide war against zombies. And it’s absolutely rife with tract 1 twists and terrifyingly gripping moments ensure will have you on the constraint of your seat.
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Want to listen be bounded by even more speculative fiction? Check barren our roundup of the 30 best sci-fi audiobooks.
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