Remember the good old days when your parents would read you a fantastical book before bedtime? They’d even do all the voices! Good times. The only downside was that they would eventually decide to stop reading—something about it being a “school night.” Whatever, man. Audiobooks are even better than that display of parental love because now, as a full-fledged adult, YOU decide when you want to stop listening. Do you want to stay up until 4 AM on a Monday listening to a magical tale? You can do whatever you want with these 10 best fantasy audiobooks of all time.
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
Narrated by Christopher Buehlman
From the author of the modern dark fantasy classic Between Two Fires comes The Blacktongue Thief, the story of professional thief Kinch Na Shannack. No, literally. He has a degree (sort of). He went to college (kind of). He paid for his education from a thieving guild, and now he has legitimate student loans he needs to pay back. If that wasn’t hard enough, he made the mistake of trying to rip off a veteran knight on a first-name basis with the goddess of death. Narrated by the author, Christopher Buehlman himself (just as he did with Between Two Fires), The Blacktongue Thief is a twisty tale of larceny gone wrong. It’s like Grand Theft Auto in a Dungeons & Dragons world, and the author knocks the audiobook out of the park.
The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
Narrated by Robin Miles
The Broken Earth Trilogy is a delightfully weird series from N.K. Jemisin. The audiobook is narrated by Robin Miles. Set in a post-apocalyptic supercontinent known as The Stillness, the story depicts a society that has been divided into a strict caste system. At the bottom of the social ladder are the orogenes, people who are hated and feared for their supernatural ability to control energy. After a particularly powerful orogene plunges the continent into a climate catastrophe in the trilogy’s first book, The Fifth Season, three orogene women across The Stillness grapple with the consequences of global upheaval in their lives. The world-building, the characters, and the tone of Robin Miles’s voice are richer than a slice of red velvet cake.
The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee
Narrated by Andrew Kishino
Fonda Lee’s The Green Bone Saga is a sweeping urban fantasy series set in a city inspired by the metropolises of East Asia. Narrated by Andrew Kishino of Stephen Universe and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the trilogy’s first novel, Jade City, tells the tale of two rival crime families at war. On the island of Kekon, jade is a hot commodity. The stone has supernatural powers that grant magical abilities to warriors trained to wield them and has historically been guarded by the Kaul family. As their bustling home city experiences a post-war economic boom, a rival family attempts to seize control of the jade trade. The Kauls aren’t going to let go of those precious stones so easily, though.
The Witcher: Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski
Narrated by Peter Kenny
Before it was adapted into a universally beloved game series and a somewhat divisive live-action Netflix adaptation, the story of The Witcher universe was told through a series of banger books. Penned by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher details the exploits of genetically mutated monster hunter extraordinaire Geralt of Rivia and his quest to kill anything with (and often without) a pulse. Narrated by Peter Kenny, the voice actor gives Doug Cockle’s Golden Joystick Award-winning performance of Geralt in the Witcher game series a run for his money. Sword of Destiny cuts deep.
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Narrated by David Tennant
How did a children’s book about riding dragons end up on the 10 best fantasy audiobooks of all time list? 1) Because Cressida Cowell’s novels are legitimately awesome, and 2) because they’re narrated by DAVID FREAKING TENNANT. The story follows a sensitive young Viking named Hiccup, who must complete a rite of passage of taming a dragon or be exiled from his home island of Berk. He catches a feisty little dragon sans fangs, which he names Toothless, and an adorable and heartwarming “boy and his dragon” tale emerges from there. Naturally, David Tennant shines as the story’s narrator, as How to Train Your Dragon takes flight on wings of sheer whimsy. Also, if you haven’t seen the Dreamworks animated movie adaption, do yourself a favor and rectify that.
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Narrated by James Marsters
Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files is a long-running series set in a world where, despite what the powers that be would have you believe, magic is very real. The conspiracy theorists were half right: the world is run by not one, but MANY shadowy cabals of vampires, fairies, werewolves, demons, and more magical creatures than this list can handle. With so many supernatural personalities afoot, humanity has had to rely on wizards to keep the things in the night from going bump. One such wizard, Harry Dresden, makes a living in Chicago helping human and non-human clients. The series is narrated by one of TV’s most famous vampires, James Marsters, who played the leather jacket-clad heartthrob Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you had a crush on Spike (who didn’t) and want to listen to him talk in your ear for 40+ hours (who doesn’t), then you must consult The Dresden Files series for … research purposes.
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
Narrated by Rosamund Pike
Authored by Robert Jordan (with some help from high fantasy veteran Brian Sanderson), The Wheel of Time is a decade-spanning masterwork of 14 books. The series is a sweeping, epic, lore-drenched series that I can’t possibly begin to describe in all its detail here, but it’s essentially a tale of history doomed (or blessed) to repeat itself forever. As the title suggests, time in this universe is cyclical, with events of the past repeating themselves in the future forevermore. In the first book, The Eye of The World, a young farm boy named Rand al’Thor is told by a mystic that he is the Dragon Reborn, a mythical figure destined to fight against the Dark One throughout the ages of the world. Now adapted into a Prime Video TV series starring Rosmund Pike, Pike has been putting out audiobook narrations of the series, and they’re to die for (hopefully, you can reincarnate Rand-style and listen all over again).
The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
Narrated by Steven Pacey
Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy is a formidable addition to the world of fantasy, but some say that the talent of its narrator, Steven Pacey, outshines the tale itself. Regarded by many as the GOAT fantasy audiobook narrator, Steven Pacey’s retelling of the trilogy is an experience. Centered around a down-on-his-luck barbarian, a selfish nobleman, a ruthless inquisitor, and a cantankerous old wizard, this quartet of anti-heroes bounce off each other in a Breaking Bad-style battle of the egos in the first novel, The Blade Itself. It’s said that the epic poem Beowulf owes its survival to the skill of the bards who sang it in mead halls in the Dark Ages, and Steven Pacey’s performance of First Law could certainly make this series last the test of time.
The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix
Narrated by Tim Curry
The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix is one of the most famous fantasy series ever penned, which is probably how they got TIM CURRY to narrate the audiobooks. I mean, I don’t even have to sell you on these books, do I? We’ve all seen Rocky Horror. But if you’re not convinced, I’ll do it anyway. Beginning with Sabriel, the series centers around the titular young girl who experiences the Hamlet-esque misfortune of being contacted by her dead father. A prisoner of the realm of Death, Sabriel’s father awaits rescue, and his dutiful daughter is coming to his aid. Accompanied by a talking wooden statue that you’d see on the bow of a ship (long story), she has to engage in a magical battle over her father’s soul with a powerful spirit of the dead. It’s a heck of a tale and a great excuse to listen to Tim Curry sass his way through the pages of a book.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Narrated by Andy Serkis
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings is already a modern-day legend, and the audiobooks narrated by none other than Andy Serkis take this series to the lofty heights of Myth. One of the most underrated actors of the modern era, Serkis retells the familiar tale of the hairy footed ring-bearers with incendiary flourish. While his performance as Golum will forever be hallowed in the halls of cinematic history, Serkis compounds on his legendary role by breathing extraordinary life into the story’s characters. Seriously, Peter Jackson could have just cast Serkis in all the roles and CGI’d his performance together, and the Lord of the Rings movies would have been just as good. It’s truly magic; Gandalf would have been proud (and maybe even a little jealous).
Published: Mar 2, 2025 06:41 am