Fantasy and audio are a perfect match: a great narrator gives every kingdom, creature and spell its own voice and the long runtimes mean you can live in a world for days. These ten are the best fantasy audiobooks, from the voice of Gollum reading all of Middle-earth to a witch's centuries of weary power. Settle in for the long, glorious haul.
Quick picks:
- Best overall: The Lord of the Rings, narrated by Andy Serkis. Find the audiobook
- Best performance: Circe, narrated by Perdita Weeks. Find the audiobook
- Fan favorite: The Name of the Wind, narrated by Nick Podehl. Find the audiobook
Modern classics
1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Narrated by Andy Serkis · Narrator steals the show
Gollum's own actor narrates the whole trilogy. Serkis gives Middle-earth every voice it deserves.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon2. Circe by Madeline Miller
Narrated by Perdita Weeks · Narrator steals the show
Weeks gives the witch of Aiaia centuries of weary power. A myth retold with a voice built for it.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon3. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Narrated by Nick Podehl · Narrator steals the show
Kvothe tells his own legend. Podehl's performance is a fan favorite for a reason: he becomes the character.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon4. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by Kramer & Reading
The Stormlight Archive opener. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are the definitive Sanderson duo.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Narrated by Full cast · Full cast
The anniversary full-cast edition gives old and new gods their own distinct voices across America.
→ Find the audiobook on AmazonMore great worlds
6. Good Omens by Gaiman & Pratchett
Narrated by Michael Sheen · Narrator steals the show
Sheen voices an angel, a demon and the apocalypse with obvious glee. Comic timing that never misses.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon7. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor · Narrator steals the show
A man alone in an endless house of statues and tides. Ejiofor's hushed wonder is spellbinding.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon8. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Narrated by Soler & Hamilton · Full cast
Dragon riders, deadly war college, enemies-to-lovers. The dual narration fuels the biggest fantasy of the moment.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon9. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda
A mortal huntress pulled into a court of faeries. Ikeda paces the slow burn and the danger expertly.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon10. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Narrated by Jim Dale · Comfort re-listen
Jim Dale voices 200-plus distinct characters across the series. The most re-listened audiobooks in the world.
→ Find the audiobook on AmazonHow we chose these
Audiobooks live or die on the performance, so we curated for the ear, not just the page. We looked for the editions listeners actually rave about: authors reading their own memoirs, full-cast productions that play like radio drama and narrators whose performances became definitive. Every narrator pairing here is a real, well-known edition. Our links go straight to each title's Amazon page, where the Audible, Kindle and print editions are all one tab away, so you can pick the format you want.
