Unmissible Audiobooks: 17 of the Best Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Historical Fiction Reads You Must Listen to
It’s always an impressive feat when a book transports you to another world. You become so immersed in the story and its characters, and suddenly hours have passed. Maybe it’s 3am. Maybe tears are streaming down your face while you’re folding laundry in the afternoon, or you pound your fist in the air when a battle is won. Audiobooks have the ability to sometimes bring the story to life even more than sitting down and reading a hardcopy. BUT it all depends on the narrator. A bad narrator can completely ruin a story too. While I’ve become a massive fan of audiobooks over the past several years, my favorite way to read has become an audiobook WITH the physical or digital copy, so I can sight read along with it. I’m assuming it’s because it allows my undiagnosed ADHD brain to focus solely on the story without distractions.
So in honor of my love for audiobooks, and in celebration of June being Audiobook Month, I've curated a list of some of the best (IMO) fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction audiobooks I’ve enjoyed in recent years. Each of these books has stellar performances by their narrators, so if you’re just getting into audiobook listening, one of these could be a great start. I don’t have any Graphic Audio books on this list, but I have enjoyed some of those as well (since they have a ton of sound effects, they can be a bit distracting, and I’ve also noticed they cut out quite a bit of the actual text, which bothers me). I usually only listen to those on rereads.
ProTip: I most-often get audiobooks for free from my local library through the Libby and Hoopla apps. And if it’s a title I know I’m absolutely going to be obsessed with, or I’ve already listened to it from the library and know I’ll want to listen again, I’ll grab it on Audible. I swear I hoard my monthly Audible credits and wait for their 2 for 1 sales, or a book I really, really love. They also have a pretty big Audible Plus catalog of audiobooks included. Occasionally, books are exclusively on Audible, so they won’t be available at the library (as is the case with one of my anticipated BAMTP Summer Reading Challenge TBR books: The Will of the Many by James Islington, which I keep hearing so many amazing things about. So I used one of my credits).
Whether you're commuting, working out, or just relaxing at home, audiobooks are a fantastic way to dive into new worlds and epic tales, so hopefully somet of these will also become your favorites:
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Narrators: Chris Lew Kum Hoi and Billie Fulford-Brown
Genre: Historical Fantasy
This is one of those five star reads for me where I tell people if they’re going to read it, they NEED to get the audiobook. Because of the importance language plays, and translation, it makes such a difference to the experience of the story, especially with all of the footnotes.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Narrators: Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk
Genre: Fantasy (but also historical fiction vibes)
One of my favorite reads this past year, and a gorgeously written rivals to lovers story. You can check my full review here, but I can’t sing its praises enough.
Mistborn: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Narrator: Michael Kramer
Genre: Epic Fantasy
I’m obsessed with this trilogy, and I loved the narration. As mentioned above, I tabbed my physical copies while listening along, and it was a wonderful way to experience this world of ash and mist. I SOBBED during The Hero of Ages and I will never be over this book.
The Shepherd King Duology: One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
Narrator: Lisa Cordileone
Genre: Fantasy (Gothic vibes)
There’s a reason you’re probably seeing this duology all over your social feeds. It’s such a unique magic system, and I absolutely loved the gothic vibes of this story. If you like a fantasy with a romantci subplot, and beautiful rhymes throughout, you might love listening to this series.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Narrator: Kevin R. Free
Genre: Sci-fi
If you’re looking for an audiobook with a lot of snark, this is the ONE! All Systems Red is the first novella in the series, and I completely became obsessed with this sarcastic robot.
The Aurora Cycle (Aurora Rising, Aurora Burning, and Aurora’s End) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Narrators: Kim Mai Guest, Johnathan McClain, Candice Moll, Lincoln Hoppe, Donnabella Mortel, Jonathan Todd Ross, Erin Spencer, Steve West
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Need even more snark and you love Guardians of the Galaxy? This is a must-listen trilogy. This definitely straddles sci-fi and fantasy, and I absolutely loved listening to these while reading along with my physical copies. It’s a full cast of characters and multi-POV. There’s definitely some cheesiness that feels like a CW show, but the payoff of the story is so worth it.
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
Narrator: Kitty Parker
Genre: Fantasy
You can check my full review here—this one might not be fore everyone as it’s written in a series of short vignettes, but it’s a gorgeously written portal fantasy.
Circe by Madeline Miller
Narrator: Perdita Weeks
Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Discover the story of Circe, the enchantress from Homer's Odyssey. Weeks’ somehow makes you feel like you’re right there with Circe, and this retelling is sublime and doesn’t seem to get as much airtime as Miller’s more well-known The Song of Achilles.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Narrator: Frazer Douglas
Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: The most achingly beautiful retelling of the Iliad, focusing on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Did I sob while listening to this? Yes. Even when you know the end is coming, I was not prepared for the emotional impact this narration would have.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Narrator: Andy Serkis
Genre: Fantasy
Sometimes Tolkien’s writing style can feel daunting, but Andy Serkis does the most superb job of bringing Middle-Earth to life. If you’ve been hesitating to finally read this, or it’s an old favorite of yours and you want to experience it in a new format, I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook version for all three installments.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Narrator: Jim Dale
Genre: Fantasy
One of my favorite books of all time, you can step into the magical world of Le Cirque des Rêves through Jim Dale’s enchanting voice for a truly mesmerizing listen.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Narrators include: Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills
Genre: Historical Fiction
I listened to this book while at a cozy Airbnb in the woods on a solo trip in Bend, OR after attending a friend’s wedding. Written in epistolary format, a full cast of narrators bring this gorgeous and heartfelt story to life.
Do you have any favorite audiobooks you’d recommend as a must listen?! Drop them in the comments and let people know why you love them!
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