Some fantasy is best experienced as a marathon, hundreds of hours in a single world, narrated by a voice you come to love. These eight fantasy series audiobooks are the best to binge, from Middle-earth to the storm-swept world of the Stormlight Archive to the dragon-riding war college that is the biggest fantasy of the moment. Clear your schedule.
Quick picks:
- Best overall: The Lord of the Rings, narrated by Andy Serkis. Find the audiobook
- Best epic: The Way of Kings, narrated by Kramer & Reading. Find the audiobook
- Most bingeable: Fourth Wing, narrated by Soler & Hamilton. Find the audiobook
The great epics
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. 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 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. 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 AmazonBinge-worthy worlds
5. 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 Amazon6. 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 Amazon7. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Narrated by Liyah Summers
A standalone epic of queens, dragons and divided faiths. Summers commands its enormous scope.
→ Find the audiobook on Amazon8. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by Michael Kramer
A heist crew tries to topple a god-emperor. The cleanest entry point to Sanderson's Cosmere on audio.
→ 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.
