Audiobooks have the power to make fantasy reads all the more immersive, especially when enhanced with compelling narration and sound effects. They call to mind the bedtime stories we were told as children, or the legends passed down within our own families.
We’ve curated a list of our picks for epic fantasy audiobooks, including bookseller recommended reads, trending fantasy sub-genres, and fantasy books showcasing new audio formats and narrative techniques.
Top Fantasy, As Recommended by Libro.fm Booksellers
Parable of the Sower
“Heartbreaking, disturbing, inspiring, and powerful, Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower is the OG young adult dystopian lit, written before the genre even came into being. This book will make you stay up all night reading, and it is full of big ideas that will give you tools to face the challenges that face our world and country today and tomorrow.”
— Megan, Underground Books
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A Sorceress Comes to Call
“Even though I’m not familiar with the Goose Girl fairy tale, I really enjoyed this story! The author did an excellent job of mixing a horror-tinged fantasy tale with just a dab of high-society Bridgerton vibes. I loved both POV characters, and I really loved that they each got their own narrator. Both narrators did an excellent job embodying their characters, and I was sad when the book was over.”
— Stefani, The Book Nook
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The City We Became
“Part of falling in love with this book was the listening experience, to be certain. The narration was stellar. The production was on point. But the story itself is sublime. N.K. Jemisin has written a love letter to New York City—but not the one in bright, bold letters on the silver screen—the real city, and the real people who inhabit it and call it home, even if only temporarily. And it was beyond my wildest dreams (and nightmares). The City We Became is so incredibly layered and nuanced—diving into discussions of racism and sexism and the fallacy of good vs evil.”
— Britt, Second Star to the Right
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The Book Eaters
“This is a fantasy novel that I think readers of all genres will enjoy. It is rare that a book with this compelling of a premise pulls it off so well – but The Book Eaters did just that, and more! I loved listening to this dark fairy tale. Sunyi Dean filled the book with wonderfully complex characters and impeccable world building. The neurodiverse themes and characters are highlighted by a fascinating discussion at the end of the audiobook between Sunyi Dean and the narrator, Katie Erich (who does such a great job narrating). Now I wish every audiobook ended with a discussion like that!”
— Nadine, Birchbark Books
View the audiobookHistorical Fantasy
Black Sun
“Inspired by pre-Columbian Americas, Black Sun is lush, lived in, and full of political intrigue and magical mystery. When I think about Black Sun, I find myself sighing nostalgically for the time l’ve spent reading it. Xiala and Serapio are such rich characters, the kinds of book characters that you do anything for. All I want for them is happiness, and trust me, you’ll want the same after reading this book! […] A must-read for epic fantasy fans and those who love long journeys and all the kinds of people one meets on the way.”
— Sarah, Anderson’s Bookshop
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Mexican Gothic
“Mexican Gothic is a fairytale turned nightmare, perhaps with a nod to Jordan Peele’s Get Out. In 1950’s Mexico, glamorous debutante Noemi receives a mysterious letter from her newlywed cousin Catalina. In frantic prose, she pleads for Noemi to visit her at High Place, the family residence of her husband, an English expat whom she has grown to distrust. Upon her arrival, Noemi finds a dilapidated, mold-ridden mansion on the grounds of a former silver mine with a sickly past, upheld by a eugenicist patriarch whose suffocating surveillance would drive anyone away, if only they could leave. Woven together like a mycelial network, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest features feminist heroism and commentary on colonialism, with language and culture as secret weapons. It’s absolutely delectable.”
— Mary, Raven Book Store
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The Poppy War
“The first in a brilliant trilogy, The Poppy War is easily one of the best books I have ever read. Kuang illuminates the brutal realities of war via a fantasy world which resembles China during the twentieth century. Her characters are morally gray with a host of complex motivations and world views—and that makes them all the more compelling. Truly, this is a book that is impossible to put down.”
— Sara, Paragraphs Bookstore
View the audiobookDive into more historical fantasy in this playlist!
Cozy Fantasy
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
“A cozy fantasy full of found family and warm and fuzzy feels, with a grumpy/sunshine romance and the perfect pinch of spice, starring an own-voices lead supported by a diverse and lovable cast of characters-this book’s got all the (potion) ingredients for a read as spellbinding as it is mood-elevating. A must-read for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and especially those who wished it had better representation! “
— Megan, Underground Books
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Bookshops & Bonedust
“Lightning in a bottle really can happen twice. Travis Baldree’s prequel to the perfectly cozy Legends & Lattes is a sensational love letter to storytelling, bookstores, and the beautiful, inherent wackiness that is Dungeons & Dragons. Where else would you find a scholarly homunculus that loves interior design and bodice-ripper romance novels? A laugh-out-loud delight that wears its bittersweet, achingly tender heart on its sleeve.“
— Kelcie, Skylark Bookshop
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The Spellshop
“Cottagecore meets fantasy romance? AND a sassy talking plant? Yes, please! This book is simply delightful and perfect if you need an escape. This book is jam-packed (haha – literally) with the perfect combination of literary love, magical creatures, a sentient spider plant, a cozy cottage, a sweet romance, small-town vibes, found family, and a little splash of illegal spellcraft. The Spellshop has the best balance of a welcoming, low-stress fantasy and excitement/engaging plot of any cozy romantasy l’ve read so far this year.I also loved the audiobook! It is read by one of my favorite narrators, Caitlin Davies.”
— Anna Rose, The Well-Read Moose
View the audiobookExplore more cozy fantasy in this playlist!
Romantasy
Fourth Wing
“It’s hot dragon school summertime! This wild fantasy delivers with deadly dragons, bitter rivalries, treachery, and steamy interludes! If you want engaging escapism, give this first novel in the Empyrean trilogy a ride, then [order] the next novel in the series, Iron Flame”
— Mike, A Great Good Place for Books
View the audiobookAlso check out the dramatized version adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music:
- Fourth Wing (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]
- Fourth Wing (2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]
Legendborn
“The reader, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, completely transported me to the Southern Gothic world of a secret society on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill (down to the hot sauce on hash browns). With a complex magic system intricately tied to ancestry and world history, Arthurian legend, demon battles, and just enough romance, this was one of those books that I thought about when I couldn’t have it playing in my headphones! Deonn is a master, bringing Brianna, the main character, to name and disrupt white male supremacy while working through the grief of her own story and that of her mothers before her. I also loved the queer representation in secondary characters, including a squire with they/them pronouns.”
— Kim, Lark & Owl
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An Ember in the Ashes
Set in a brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is a fantasy debut that follows Laia, an orphan fighting for her brother’s life, and Elias, a soldier seeking freedom. Their intertwined destinies will reshape their empire’s future. With its masterful duo narration, the audiobook was AudioFile’s Earphones Award Winner.
View the audiobookCheck out our guide to must-listen romantasy audiobooks.
Iconic and Innovative Narration in Fantasy Audiobooks
From Blood and Ash
“In From Blood and Ash, Poppy, a chosen Maiden, grapples with her duty to usher in a new era while yearning for freedom. As she encounters a new guard, Hawke, desire complicates her fate amidst a kingdom facing rising darkness. Highly praised by AudioFile, the narrator “Nielsen employs a wide range of inflections, from the warm, breathless tone of the heroine to the appealing accent of Hawke, the love interest, combining them in the sensual scenes they share.”
View the audiobookAlso check out the dramatized version adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music:
- From Blood and Ash (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]
- From Blood and Ash (2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]
The Fellowship of the Ring
The first audiobook in the bestselling Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy, this unabridged recording is narrated by the award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the film adaptation. His narration adds another layer of authenticity and brings characters of Middle-earth to life.
View the audiobookLoved it? Check out The Hobbit, also narrated by Serkis.
The Way of Kings
“I have a love of hefty fantasy, partnered with a lack of the time usually needed to invest into the genre. The Way of Kings is the peak of everything that has made fantasy my go-to genre for enjoyment, and my ability to proclaim it as such lay directly with the audiobook. Reading and Kramer deliver the world with a clear poise, and give shape to the phenomenon Sanderson evokes within his description. A masterful novel by itself, The Way of Kings and its audiobook reading are perfect examples of literary mutualism.”
— Rayne, The Liberty Book Company
View the audiobook
Listen to Libro.fm’s selection of the best fantasy audiobooks
Getting to immerse yourself in an entirely new world is one of the great pleasures of being a reader, and fantasy novels provide the ultimate escape. Reading fantasy on audio is all the better. It heightens the experience of adventure and escape, and intensifies that unbeatable feeling of being swept into another world. Here are some fantasy novels to add to your Libro.fm queue now!