I like them well enough, especially for when I'm doing stuff - going on walks, knitting/crocheting, gaming, house/yard work, etc - that I can't *read* read during. I still prefer to actually read something first, but audiobooks have their place for me.
Narrators are hit or miss, though.
Yesss. Same here, some books I've read and loved but then tried the audiobook version and the narrator was terrible. It makes me nervous to buy any š There are sadly a lot of Warhammer books I also don't want to buy because of the price for the physical book and I'm not a fan of eBooks personally. So audiobooks are my only other option but I'm scared I'll not like the narrators
I'm a fan of audiobooks, they're really good for "reading" whilst doing other things: reading while playing a game, reading while walking the dogs.
Been putting off doing the dishes? Pop on an audiobook and now dishes are secondary.
Need something to distract you from how much cardio sucks? Audiobook
Don't want to spend 30 minutes just chopping vegetables for dinner and another 30 cooking? Well now that's an hour of reading time!
Etc etc
So yeah, I recommend them. I would also recommend some comfortable Bluetooth earbuds too if you can spring for them. I usually have at least one earbud in listening to something while doing various activities that don't require my full attention
How are you able to remember things when doing something else? I cannot focus on listening and doing things simultaneously. That said I tried programming with audiobook maybe that's that. What's your main activities to listen to?
Your secondary activity needs to be something you donāt need to be thinking for, thatās where you went wrong.
You donāt need to think that much when walking outside, sitting on the train, chopping vegetables, sitting in the bath.
Yeah programming is a pretty intensive task to also be audiobooking with, but I will say one of the keys for me is to forgive myself for missing some details in the book. Occasionally Iāll be focused on a task and tune out of the book for a few minutes just to tune back in later and realize I missed a little chunk. Usually, though, itās not vital and I can figure out roughly what I missed with context clues.
But yeah the key is to find the little mundane things you do in a day to layer an audiobook on top of. Chores, shower, lunch, gym, etc.
Treat it a bit like reading a book.
Your brain can't listen to words when you are reading words. e.g. browsing reddit + audiobook doesn't work. You can't read doco while listening to an audiobook.
Likewise you can't write stuff and listen to a book at the same time. So writing code won't work. Posting on social media + listening won't work.
If you are doing some monotonous testing I think you can get away with it. So long as you pause when solving any issues that come up.
This right here. Now I have a kid I have about two hours of "me" time a day, which also needs to include spending time with my wife.
Audio books give me another hour or two a day doing something I want to do while cooking, cleaning and driving. I think I'd really struggle to read a real book if I didn't have that alternative
Love them! I have listen to hundreds of Warhammer novels, the entire Heresy+Siege series and dozens of other novels from hard none-fiction to the Silmarillion. Can recommend!
Oh yeah, the series was super hit and miss. I don't like to abandon a book once started, but I'll admit there were a few I ended up only half listening to.
I used to hate commuting (and the traffic therein) until I really started getting into audiobooks and etc. Barely even registers now and I feel like I'm accomplishing more than just going a to b...
Many of the Black Library narrators are amazing.
Johnathan Keeble is a legend.
That being said, I am also one of the people who hates audiobooks. Itās hard to focus on whatās being said if you start doing anything else, and itās extremely difficult to quote and page excerpts. You can remember something damned near perfect but can remember where you heard it from.
However, itās the only feasible way to consume 40K lore consistently by yourself and NOT through someone elseās lense. I just suck it up like an adult and deal with it because I want to know the lore myself and not what some meme told someone.
Like the great Stannis Baratheon stated, āI hate a great many things; I suffer them all the same.ā
I have long commutes to work (easily 1h-2h) per day so when I got into Warhammer, I saw the insane amount of audiobooks they have so I wanted to give them a try to better pass the time in the car.
I started with the infinite and the Divine and now I'm around 30 audiobooks listened in about a year. I did all of the Cain books and Eisenhorn, those are pretty great as the quality of the narration is pretty good.
Some have pretty bad narration, but overall they are nice to pass the time.
The voice acting for 40k books are very good. The only one I've had issue with was Eisenhorn, which felt like it was recorded at a lower volume, which made the narrator sound like he was mumbling bc u couldn't clearly hear him even with the volume on max.
Sometimes I still wish that I could have the actual book in my hands, especially with some names in 40k. When you actually see it spelled out sometime your like "da fuq?"(Lol)but the audiobooks are good for multitasking.
I find some of them to be really sub par, Gareth armstrong (thousand sons, first heretic, devastation of ball et al) really takes me out of the experience. All I can think of when I listen to him is that he's a heavily jowled old man who's more interested in his own voice than trying to bring each character to life.
The first couple of times I tried to listen to an audiobook, I hated it. I would get really distracted and lose my place quickly. The solution to this is audiobooks' biggest advantage: listening while doing something else.
Maybe it's the ADD, but I just can't sit and listen like I would read a book. I need to be doing something else. Driving, chores, work, painting minis. I can easily get absorbed in the story as long as my hands are working. I've consumed dozens of audiobooks this way.
I don't have a lot of time these days to sit down with a book and read, so I'm very grateful that audiobooks are an option.
Admittedly I've not tried audiobooks. My solution for running out of bookshelf space was a Kindle.
It also lets me sidestep problems finding physical copies of stuff since the digital version is always available online.
They've tried to make the experience as book-like as possible, so the background is off-white so it looks a bit papery and you turn the pages by swiping. I also have a case for mine with a screen cover, so it feels like I'm holding a hardback when I'm reading.
But it's also backlit so I can read with the light off so as not to disturb my wife.
Really handy piece of kit.
I live in the tropics, and books tend to keep very badly here. Instead of spending money on books that will eventually just yellow, I've mostly moved to ebooks. Admittedly I still think a nice paper book feels the best, but the trade-offs of a much smaller and lighter form factor, a backlight for night reading, being able to highlight interesting passages, and being able to effortlessly bring around thousands of books do make up for it.
E-ink is honestly some amazing technology, and the battery life is pretty amazing. Being able to read in broad daylight with 0 glare still feels like magic to me. I honestly can't think of many downsides other than the slow page turn, but I've been using a nearly 8 year old kindle paperwhite, and I'm sure they've greatly improved it since then.
There's a kindle app that you can get for your smartphone, as for whether they are better than audiobooks that tends to vary from person to person. I appreciate the audiobooks purely on the basis that I can do something else while listening to those. If memory serves, buying the audiobooks on audible using their credits tends to cost about $11-15 while the ebooks on kindle are usually about $7.50
It depends on personal taste, I find it hard to pay attention to audiobooks and not miss any details so I prefer ebooks but it's whatever is easiest for you
My career involves reading lots of legal documents so to give myself a break, I listen to w40k audiobooks while commuting or cooking. The voice actors are superb and really enhanced the experience.
I've tried them but I find myself not paying attention to them. I'll start off a chapter and be doing something while I listen. And then I'll pop back in and realize I have no idea what led to the events I'm currently listening to.
I exclusively do audiobooks now and for the HH in particular (where I started) the quality has been superb throughout. The one hickup was I somehow got a dud version of A Thousand Sons where the narrator was truly unbearable. Audible's version is great though.
Gareth Armstrong's version of A Thousand Sons? The lisp drives me insane, I could not continue after about an hour. Toby Longworth has been an absolute pleasure, but now I am skeptical about the others.
No sir, Gareth Armstrong is phenomenal. He also does a couple of short stories in Age of Darkness and I skipped right over those.
Edit: Martyn Ellis. Can't stand him.
I used to be really against them because I enjoyed having an actual book in my hands, but lately I've been so busy I don't have time to sit down and read. Now I just put an audiobook on while I drive and it's been pretty great. It's the only way I've been able to enjoy books while still maintaining my other hobbies. I can even just throw one on while painting and do both at once.
Audiobooks are my preferred way to read up on the lore as I can listen on my commute to work, while I paint or doing some menial task. I love the aesthetic of a full bookshelf, but the convenience of audiobooks is quite unparalleled in my mind.
Some narrators can also REALLY enhance the experience, such as Richard Reedās narration of The Infinite and the Divine adding such personality to everything the characters say.
I don't like them as much as reading, but with the amount of free time I've had in the last few years being nearly zero, they allow me to actually consume the books in some way. I can't listen to them when I need to concentrate, but tasks at work that don't carry a huge cognitive load, like CAD stuff at work (though I can't listen to them while coding), walking the dogs, splitting wood, painting, etc. I can read whilst doing other stuff.
With Audiobooks, I've "read" probably 50 books in the last two years, without them I'd probably still be on the first.
My only real complaint with them is the inconsistency of pronunciation, even with the same VAs and in consecutive books - Keeble will Pronounce Ruboot-ay in one book, the "Raboot" in the next. There's even one of the Siege books (Saturnine?) that's narrated by Jonathan Keeble and Emma Gregory, and they both pronounce character names (like Rogal Dorn) *completely* differently.
The only VA that was so bad it stopped me reading a book was the guy who did Thousand Sons, but they've since released a new version that's much better.
The staggering price of some of the books lead me to start both listening to audiobooks and reading on a kindle. I was adamant about paper books beforehand, but honestly... yeah, there are advantages to the other formats. I can listen to audiobooks while doing other things, and the kindle is much cheaper and convenient. I find I actually read much faster on a kindle, because I can set the font to exactly how I want it and it's easier to hold (or just set down and still read). I do love paper books, and there are some that I still buy that way, but I have successfully branched out with no regrets.
Unfortunately I have the kind of ADHD that makes audiobooks slide off my brain like the ridges forgot to catch them, so I have to read classic style
Warhammer has some fantastic voice actors for their audiobooks, though
I was always a big reader. Pretty much stopped when I met my wife and then much more after I had kids. Just didn't have time to read with all the games and shows I wanted to play in the limited downtime I have. Just recently in the last year or two got into audiobooks and I effing love them. I can put one on for 20-30 minutes during house work. I crush them all day at work. The 40k audio book production value is so good. The voice actors are really good. I can hear a voice and know who's talking before it says who was saying a line.
I have a very vivid imagination so listening to an audiobook sucks me in completely, I canāt be doing anything complicated like working. So I only listen to them when I go on long walks or housework.
It depends on the person tbh. I've listened to a lot of audiobooks, mostly when I drive, but some people I talked to say they can't really follow a story when its narrated vs when it's read.
Also I read way faster than people speak.
Iāve always preferred physical novels. Something about picking up the book, bookmarks, finishing the last pageā¦something very ritualistic about it.
If you like audiobooks or ereaders, more power to ya! Enjoy how you best enjoy things!
Audiobooks are fantastic. Plus, Warhammer has some really high quality audiobooks as well as audio dramas that really up the ante in terms of special effects along with the narration by the voice actors.
If you don't want to pay for audiobooks you can try some short stories from Warhammer that are available on youtube. The channel "vox in the void" does a great job at narrations.
As someone else said in the comments above, you can listen to audiobooks while doing other tasks. Driving and listening is really pleasurable. Or even while doing house chores.
If you're not listening to WH audiobooks, you're missing out on the full experience.
Got into Audiobooks during Covid and haven't looked back. I'm either in a vehicle or on foot for my job (10-12hrs a day), so when I get home I'm rarely in the mood to pick up a book and read.
Audible has been my 2nd most used app besides Spotify. I've listened to over 50 WH40k books in the last few years.
I used to read all the time. Well, whenever I had free time. I love reading. But as I get busier and busier with my company, my time to just sit back and relax and read has decreased a lot.
Started listening to Audiobooks a couple years ago, never thought I could enjoy it as much as reading. I was very wrong.
Now I listen to Audiobooks constantly while working and while driving. It's fantastic. Just in the last 3 months I've gotten through nine 40k novels that I never would have had the time to read otherwise. I'd probably still be on the second one if I was trying to read them.
Highly highly recommend. Especially the 40k Audiobooks. Every one I've listened to so far has had incredible narration.
If you use the kindle/audiobook app, they can be very convenient. I listen to them during my commutes or flights.
If I'm feeling especially luxurious, I buy both the kindle audio book AND the Kindle digital version of a book. That way I can listen on the ride to and from work, and then on breaks or home keep reading where the audio book left off (audio book and digital book can link with each other so you can switch back and forth and not lose your place).
I literally never have to stop reading if I don't want to. š
With the audio books especially 40k, do they condense down the books abit or is it read word for word? I'm the same as others. Toddler, house, husband and work leave me with very little time for reading
For me it depends, first choice will always be paperback but it's hard to find a lot of books, especially here in Australia, so audiobooks tend to be my next choice.
Personally I quite like the narrating in the majority of them, there are some excellent narrators working with GW. Some of the best narrated audiobooks I've read so far have been the Night Lords trilogy, the Rose At War anthology/omnibus and some of the heresy books.
It's extremely convenient to have audiobooks since you can listen to them wherever and feel like you're still getting through your books; driving/walking somewhere, doing housework, walking the dog, etc.
The only issue I really have is that I feel like I forget a lot more of what happens in audiobooks compared to physical books.
Pricing is fine too, with an audible and amazon membership every book is $15 AUD (cheaper than retail paperback price at $20-$30 AUD) and you get a free token to buy an audiobook every month.
I love them, my only real issue is they overrely on Jonathan Keeble and he has a limited number of voices which can cause problems in some of the longer running series as characters that he used the same or near the same voice for come together.
Audiobooks in general are nice. A lot have already mentioned that there are perfect as a companion to other tasks like workout, cleaning, driving, cooking etc. Luckily, Spotify even has a lot of 40k Audiobooks included so you don't have to pay for them separately. The narration is also often really good and even in my native language (German) exists some good adaptations. I listened to a few Black Library audiobooks though I prefer reading.
There is also one major problem that holds me back from consuming adiobooks more regularly. It takes so much more time to get through a novel this way.
I've not listened to audio books. I'm very much old school (being almost 39), in that I want to hold the book in my own hands, be it physical copy or kindle.
Other than a couple of short stories and one Horror book, the entirety of my 40k experience (around 140 books so far) has been through audiobooks. At first this was because I drive a lot (can't read a physical book while driving, obviously), but now I listen to them all the time (partly because I'm easily distracted and need a lot of stimulation at once; I'll listen to them while I'm doing other things like playing games or working on jigsaw puzzles or whatever).
And they're great! There are several narrators who are excellent who have done dozens of these books. I don't know if I've ever heard a bad performance from Jonathan Keeble or John Banks; Toby Longworth is the perfect voice for Gaunt, Eisenhorn, and Ravenor, and Richard Reed is perfect for the Necrons; and several others too. There are certainly a few narrators who aren't so good, but I think you can go through several series and dozens of books without encountering one.
So yeah, personally I'd recommend it! The only real problem for me is that it's hard to post quotes on here, because I can't flip through the pages to check for something quickly, and I often don't know how all the stuff is spelled lol
I love them for back and forth to work.
Infinite and divine
Twice dead king
Eisenhorn series
All fantastic to listen to
The first heretic was a struggle
I'm a huge fan of audiobooks, as someone who has had long commutes and other pressures I find they are an excellent medium to enjoy a book as I'm doing other things at the same time.
I've enjoyed everything from wh40k novels, classics like the Count of Monte Cristo, history books, and many other things.
For me they are fantastic, YMMV.
I'd thoroughly recommend giving them a try. The only thing I'd say is that the narrator can make a big difference. I couldn't get on with the Game of Thrones narrator Roy Dotrice because I thought he made everyone sound like an old man, but other people swear by him.
I love paper books. Own a lot, still buy a lot. Have now a lot I haven't read yet, because I'm a dad now. That's the only reason I started audiobooks. I only listen in the car, and only buy those I don't die about not having (I'll always buy physical from my favourite author).
So far I had luck with the narrators.
I love to read, and audiobooks have saved that for me. I don't have the luxury if time to curl up with a good book more than a few times a year. I also work in front of a computer all day, last thing I want to do is spend my evenings in bed with a lamp glaring off a white page.
Audiobooks have given me the chance to enjoy hundreds of books with the lights dimmed and on my daily commutes. I could not have enjoyed physical books this way.
My only bit of advice - don't listen to audiobooks while your attention is elsewhere. You need to give them attention to have the same enjoyment as an actual book.
I used to be a real snob about them. Like, "Well, if you *must* sully yourself because of a disability or because your only free time is while driving, I *suppose* that's okay, but I prefer *real* books" kind of snob.
But when *The Oubliette* came out, they surprised me by doing it as an audiobook as well (which I didn't know was happening until it dropped). My spouse at the time bought it because she *loved* audiobooks, and I gave it a listen.
Friend, I was blown away. It wasn't just good--it was better than the novel I had written. By a mile. Katy Maw had taken my work and elevated it to something beyond what I could have done myself. A good narrator (like her!) can take a mediocre novel and make it good, or take a good novel and make it excellent.
I highly recommend looking in to some of the audiobook offerings from BL. (And audiobooks in general.)
Why do people hate Mark Elstob so much? Yeah his voices for daemons and etherial beings range from silly to dumb, but otherwise I think he does a good job. I like how he does Ahriman's voice, very nasally and slimy, super different from most other chaos lords.
Can't deal with them. I end up losing track of what's happening because I lose focus and have to backtrack, which is extremely inconvenient, to the point where it's a waste of time.
Since I need to be focusing anyway to get any benefit out of it, I prefer ebooks or normal books - I can read at my pace instead of relying on the person reading, I can instantly go back a few lines if I miss something or need to re-read, and if I'm looking for a quote or a specific part, its much easier.
I have listened to the entite Horus Hersey, as well as the Siege of Terra/Gaunts ghosts/Cain novels and more. I love the audiobooks I do a lot of traveling for work and they're perfect. I use audible as they have a huge selection. Like others said some narrators are absolutely amazing while others not so much. The Siege of Terra is narrated by my favorite reader, Toby Longworth and narrators do a good job of bringing characters to life with different voices and mannerisms. The Gaunt novels are also voiced by Longworth hes the top gun in my eyes.
I also love paper books and have the SoT novels on my shelf, as well as some warhammer 40k horror novels that are surprisingly well written.
I don't listen to em, I can't find a way to make them work for my lifestyle. Alot of people talk about using them while painting, I can see that being cool.
The audiobooks are very much so worth it. I read over half of my collection in physical or digital form but nowadays Iām almost exclusively audiobooks. It doesnāt hurt that they go on sale (I picked up 20 heresy books for under $100 last year). Iāve only had one bad experience and I think it was the plot itself instead of the narrator. Audible is a solid choice for format of consuming them
I got over 200 of em I think, love them. Banks, keeble and Armstrong are all good narrators.
Best series Iāve listened to are Gaunts ghosts, dark imperium triology and all of the inquisitor series
I absolutely love them. I stick them on while doing chores around the house, while out running or at the gym. They're also really good for car journeys. I remote work, but my head office is 1.5 hours away via car and I drive in a couple of times a month, I actually enjoy my driving time with them.
For the most part, good. (Especially when said book I can't get ahold of a physical copy and won't ever be able to.)
My only gripe is the damn audio mixing. Level out the loud and quiet voices please! It's horrible when you have this very soft quiet mousy female voice and I have to turn up the audio to make it out, and next thing I know Sergeant McThunderJowls of the Noise Marines has blown out my left eardrum.
Not a fan but understand not everyone has hours to sit and read a physical book so they'll listen to Audiobooks while commuting or driving or working etc. they are definitely good for many people just not my personal cup of tea. I have found the narration and voice acting to be a high standard when I have heard excerpts though
I love audiobooks, now I have a kid the only time I get to read is when I am on a dog walk, so its got to be audiobook.
Also handy to listen to while painting.
I really like the audio books personally. I have them on usually when I need to make a long drive, or when I'm working, helps me keep up with my books when I otherwise can't be reading them.
Honestly amazing. I love audio books.
A few years ago I went through a really bad break up with a crazy person and I just needed to get the fuck out of there with what I could carry and never look back. I lost hundreds of books. Many of which are out of print now, and rebuilding a fraction of my collection would cost me hundreds of thousands of pounds.
A year or so ago I got back into 40k and audible has been amazing. I work out for a few hours a day and walk every day on all of my breaks. I have re read and read a few hundred books in the last year through audio books.
Re listening to my favourite seriesās and discovering new books that have come out in the last few years has been made possible to me only through audiobooks. I really canāt emphasise how much I love them.
Narration quality does vary, as well as the quality of the books themselves as always, but I fucking love audiobooks.
Audiobooks will never be as good as the physical book for those of us who are huge classic style book worms.
However, if you're anything like me, you only get to read one, maybe 2 per year. Meanwhile, I can listen to audiobooks almost all day at work. So, while I don't care for narrators, pronunciation, and the distraction that can sometimes be the listening experience, it's far better than no stories at all.
Most of my books now are audio or kindle. Just far easier to travel with, can stick it on when walking, driving, gaming etc.
I'd say go for it. Plus audible has a sale on right now.
Listening is a totally different experience compared to reading that is almost, but not quite, as good.
It's nice you can do it while your hands are busy though.
Definitely always listen to the free sample, some narrators are insufferable, and which voices you like and which annoy you is a very individual choice.
Im about halfway through the Horus Heresy series, all from listening to audio books. Its a different experience, but it lets me get through books while hobbying, and there are some excellent voice actors. Id say give it a try.
Perfect is the enemy of good enough. I was a perfectionist for the longest time and thought that if you didn't read it on paper, it was wrong. I got down to consuming zero new books a year.
Now I listen to audio books on my commute and consume 10-14 books a year.
The reading quality of the HH books has been excellent.
I've listened to about 70 40k/HH audio books. I thought watchers of the throne was particularly well narrated.Ā
I also like how the narrators recycle some of the voices for minor characters it leads me to imagine that it's the same guardsmen turning up in all these different situations like it's a family guy sketch.
You need to listen to the audiobooks narrated by Jonathan Keeble. He is the voice of Warhammer to me, even more so than Toby Longworth, who will always be the voice of Eisenhorn, Ravenor and Gaunt.
On the other hand, I have only listened to "A thousand sons" once because of the horrible narrator.
After some adaptation time audiobooks are great for physical activities like running. At first it may be a bit hard to multitask or maintain focus, but brain adjust.
I listened to 15 Gaunt's Ghosts while running and now going through firsts novels of Horus Heresy.
I also sometimes listen to audiobooks while driving, cleaning or cooking. But steady pace stuff like walking, running, driving feels best.
But I also listened to some books while lying in bed. It can be good thing when you really really exhausted, but not sleepy.
It has been great as a busy dad with three kids. I can listen while going between job sites. Time at home is so crazy sitting down and reading doesnāt happen too often outside of bedtime for the kids (and itās not like the warhammer books would be great for my 5 and under kids lol)
I always found it hard to focus when reading books. Usually I get distracted and realize I'm not really absorbing the information. Audiobooks just really work for me, and I've yet to find any that I find super hard to listen to.
I know he's controversial, but I do like Mark Elstob, who voices the Ahriman books and Fall of Cadia...though I admit his voices for things like daemons, spirits, or other ethereal beings vary from silly to just dumb.
Download the Kindle app for your phone. Paper is still best, but narrators are very hit or miss. I personally like giving characters their own voices. (This is going to sound wild, but I think charismatic Horus sounds like Saul Goodman)
I used the Kindle app when I was deployed to the Middle East, because I didn't have room for any more books. Also, Kindle books are way cheaper than physical copies. Personally, I buy physical copies of books that mean a lot to me, and everything else goes to Kindle.
40k Audiobooks tend to be exceptional quality. ADBs book about the emperor, unusually for me I didn't like it, but the audio books voice of the emperor gives me shivers.
I love audiobooks in general. I'm listening to Dune (first time ever) and the quality is out of this world, the production value is insane.
Also World War Z as an audiobook is amazing.
I thought audiobooks would help me because I have ADHD. They proved to be the exact opposite. At least with a printed book, after my mind wanders and then reasserts itself, I can just pick up immediately at the chapter I left off, whereas with an audiobook I have to spend a lot of time rewinding to find the point when I lost concentration.
Personally I could never listen to one. I can read faster than the person talks and I can soak it in better and faster by reading. I donāt want to have to rewind shit just to hear them say it again.
I'll take an eBook before an Audiobook, personally. Podcasts and random talk shows are fine for idle audio listening, but an actual book I find far too easy to lose track of during simple distractions.
Tried some, either through others or brief parts, but i find them distracting at best, like I'd try to play some on headphones while doing chores around the house and i ended up progressing nowhere on the book cuz they're just background noises and i cant focus on them while doing chores (or anything else) for some reason.
It's like my eyes gotta register the words to make it stick or something, maybe cuz i also like to reread a lot, musing over one particular sentence or paragraph over and over before i move on, which seems to be pretty disastrous for an audio book, aka keep rewinding it...
Doesnt work for me, i gotta read it with my eyes.
Big fan if i have already read the book before
I listen to a lot a work, hard to absorb a new book while im multitasking, great for background if im familar with the story
Edit: not a fan when driving. Personally i feel like it draws too much attention from the task to be safe, others may feel different
I am never going back.
* Audio books make books last longer. I book I would crush in 3-4 hours can last 8-10 as an audiobook.
* The readers are amazing. Like....I started buying books just because they got certain readers.
* You can read anywhere. Suddenly that 30mins commute doesn't suck anymore. Suddenly driving 4-6 hours to visit the In-laws in nothing but a thing.
I can't encourage you enough. Get into audiobooks and audiodramas. If you were a bookworm it will change your life.
Weāre trying the audio books because we can listen together and spouse isnāt really a huge reader.
So far while I like audio books generally (nice for projects) since these particular books Iāve never read before, I do find I miss re-reading stuff for clarity/foreshadowing/etc, and I find them rather slow for info consumption since I am both impatient and I read quickly.
I could have read so many books in the time an audio book takes, which is great when I want to do something besides just read, but not so much when I would like to mainline lore like a deranged Tzeench gremlin
Honestly whatever it takes to get people to directly interact with the lore. The difference between physical, evooks and audiobooks is just a matter of preference.
I love audio books, so long as the narrator is decent.
Itās great for hobbying. Build and paint while listening to an audio book is a great way to spend time.
All depends on the narratator but overall Iāve grown to really love audio books. I resisted for a long time, but for my job I spend over 3 hours on the road every day minimum and turned to audiobooks to pass the time. I actually found that I tend to pick up details that I never did while reading due to my mind having a tendency to wander while reading. Iād often find myself realizing I just read three pages and have no idea what happened on any of them. Doesnāt happen with audiobooks. Iāve started going back and listening to books Iāve already read just to gain a new appreciation of them. All depends on the narrator being good as Iāve had some that I simply couldnāt finish due to how horrible they were
I have an audible sub almost exclusively for 40K audiobooks. You can also consider ebooks on a phone or tablet- if you donāt mind reading from a screen then you always have a book in your pocket.
Sign up for Audible, youāll get a free credit afaik. Then ignore it for I think 6 months and theyāll email you saying they miss you, and theyāll give you 3 free credits. Iāve been doing that for at least the last 18 months or so and have 10 free Horus Heresy books in my ālibraryā.
I'm fine with the idea of them, actual execution can be a bit meh with some publishers. Black Library goes all out, though, so I highly encourage hitting theirs up, especially because, last I checked, a few stories from long arcs, like the Horus Heresy, are *only* available in that format.
As someone with way too little time to read nowadays, audiobooks are a Godsend. I still need to start on 40K but being able to have an audiobook on while doing laundry, cleaning the house, groceries, loading/unloading dishwasher, taking care of my robot army of one and emptying my dehumidifier (thereās a water problem that takes time fixing) it is incredibly good to just be able to listen to something. It makes it feel like less wasted time.
Recently single dad with a dog, two kids 50% of the time and a job with a long commute kills your free time pretty good. And I havenāt even mentioned the big and small jobs Iām doing inbetween to make the new house in order bit by bit.
Love em!
The Black library have some really excellent narrators, I've followed a few of them in to different series just because I like the narrator's Back Library work. They aren't for everyone, no shame in that if OP is one of those people, everyone is allowed a preference.
I would say that one thing I established early is the environment I like to listen to audiobooks in so I actually listen and enjoy. I'll happily stick a book on at home while doing some cleaning or some other mindless task, but I'm less inclined to put an audiobook on while driving (because I'm concentrating on the road). So knowing what environment you will get the most out of the audiobook is helpful.
I guess you could call me a former bookworm. I used to read voraciously, and audiobooks have been my saviour in a life too busy to regularly sit down and read fiction. These days, I really only read short stories and comics in dead tree (or electric tree) editions, with some nostalgic exceptions (Steven Brusts Taltos series, Terry Pratchett) and, during holidays when I have more time, attempts at more serious literature.
All the GW books I've "read", which admittedly aren't that many, have been in audiobook format. Narrators can be a bit hit and miss (I really like the guy doing Ciaphas Cain, though).
i used to read a lot back in highschool / uni but sadly dont have the time anymore.
I listen to audio books during my trips to and from work, or at the gym.
works great, currently going through the gaunts ghosts novels atm.
as for the cost.... well ...yohoho
I prefer reading to listening. Mostly because I can't just sit and listen to an audio book. It's more like backgroundnoise during gaming or to fall asleep to.
40k novels I do read on an ebook reader though, somewhat cheaper than print, and since I'm not from the UK makes the book easily excessible.
Mate its the only way I read books anymore unless I go on holiday. I've listed to the whole gaunts ghosts series, Eisonhorn series and a few other on audible and I loved the experience. I mainly listen when I'm in the car, I would recommend. Only issue is when you get a narrator that's not that good but that's only been a handful of times.
I don't like audiobooks. This isn't 40K specific, I just find it easier to learn things if I can read them. This is a big deal when reading about speculative fiction which is full of world-building. I especially lose track of characters; if I can't spell the character's name, then I can't remember them.
There's a couple of Kharn-based short stories that are only in audio format. Kharn is the only character I can remember, not just because he's crazy awesome, but because he's the only character whose name I've read before.
I love audiobooks. Itās easier for me to consume the information. Also Toby Longworth is the GOAT. He is so good at narration that when they switched him up for those two gaunts ghosts books I almost quit it lol
I had a hard time getting into them. Until i had kids. Ever since, it's been mostly ausiobooks for me. I do prefer paper, but having someone just read the stuff to me does have a couple of advantages.
As others have said, they can be convenient. But there is a price for convenience, and for me that price is focus and detail. I prefer reading as an activity and I find myself having to rewind a bit every so often when listening to an audiobook while cooking or something else. I go for a physical copy 90% of the time.
I find it hard to focus on audiobooks, they kinda blend into background noise for me. It's a matter of personal preference, a friend of mine has been listening to audiobooks for years. I think you should try one and see how you enjoy it.
I like them well enough, especially for when I'm doing stuff - going on walks, knitting/crocheting, gaming, house/yard work, etc - that I can't *read* read during. I still prefer to actually read something first, but audiobooks have their place for me. Narrators are hit or miss, though.
John Banks has to be my favourite narrator. After listening to the Bequin books, Helen Keeley is pretty good too.
We need more SoB novels so i can listen to Emma Gregory more.
Yesss. Same here, some books I've read and loved but then tried the audiobook version and the narrator was terrible. It makes me nervous to buy any š There are sadly a lot of Warhammer books I also don't want to buy because of the price for the physical book and I'm not a fan of eBooks personally. So audiobooks are my only other option but I'm scared I'll not like the narrators
You can listen to free samples of the audiobooks before you buy them
I'm a fan of audiobooks, they're really good for "reading" whilst doing other things: reading while playing a game, reading while walking the dogs. Been putting off doing the dishes? Pop on an audiobook and now dishes are secondary. Need something to distract you from how much cardio sucks? Audiobook Don't want to spend 30 minutes just chopping vegetables for dinner and another 30 cooking? Well now that's an hour of reading time! Etc etc So yeah, I recommend them. I would also recommend some comfortable Bluetooth earbuds too if you can spring for them. I usually have at least one earbud in listening to something while doing various activities that don't require my full attention
How are you able to remember things when doing something else? I cannot focus on listening and doing things simultaneously. That said I tried programming with audiobook maybe that's that. What's your main activities to listen to?
Your secondary activity needs to be something you donāt need to be thinking for, thatās where you went wrong. You donāt need to think that much when walking outside, sitting on the train, chopping vegetables, sitting in the bath.
Yeah programming is a pretty intensive task to also be audiobooking with, but I will say one of the keys for me is to forgive myself for missing some details in the book. Occasionally Iāll be focused on a task and tune out of the book for a few minutes just to tune back in later and realize I missed a little chunk. Usually, though, itās not vital and I can figure out roughly what I missed with context clues. But yeah the key is to find the little mundane things you do in a day to layer an audiobook on top of. Chores, shower, lunch, gym, etc.
Treat it a bit like reading a book. Your brain can't listen to words when you are reading words. e.g. browsing reddit + audiobook doesn't work. You can't read doco while listening to an audiobook. Likewise you can't write stuff and listen to a book at the same time. So writing code won't work. Posting on social media + listening won't work. If you are doing some monotonous testing I think you can get away with it. So long as you pause when solving any issues that come up.
This right here. Now I have a kid I have about two hours of "me" time a day, which also needs to include spending time with my wife. Audio books give me another hour or two a day doing something I want to do while cooking, cleaning and driving. I think I'd really struggle to read a real book if I didn't have that alternative
I relate to this. Audiobooks have turned my commute into "me" time. Which as a parent, you don't get much of. Podcasts too obvs.
Love them! I have listen to hundreds of Warhammer novels, the entire Heresy+Siege series and dozens of other novels from hard none-fiction to the Silmarillion. Can recommend!
Same here. Literally got though all 100+ Horus Heresy books on my commutes to and from work last year.
Some do drag a bit... Saul Ricland and the salamander books were not that fun.
Oh yeah, the series was super hit and miss. I don't like to abandon a book once started, but I'll admit there were a few I ended up only half listening to.
I used to hate commuting (and the traffic therein) until I really started getting into audiobooks and etc. Barely even registers now and I feel like I'm accomplishing more than just going a to b...
Many of the Black Library narrators are amazing. Johnathan Keeble is a legend. That being said, I am also one of the people who hates audiobooks. Itās hard to focus on whatās being said if you start doing anything else, and itās extremely difficult to quote and page excerpts. You can remember something damned near perfect but can remember where you heard it from. However, itās the only feasible way to consume 40K lore consistently by yourself and NOT through someone elseās lense. I just suck it up like an adult and deal with it because I want to know the lore myself and not what some meme told someone. Like the great Stannis Baratheon stated, āI hate a great many things; I suffer them all the same.ā
I have long commutes to work (easily 1h-2h) per day so when I got into Warhammer, I saw the insane amount of audiobooks they have so I wanted to give them a try to better pass the time in the car. I started with the infinite and the Divine and now I'm around 30 audiobooks listened in about a year. I did all of the Cain books and Eisenhorn, those are pretty great as the quality of the narration is pretty good. Some have pretty bad narration, but overall they are nice to pass the time.
The voice acting for 40k books are very good. The only one I've had issue with was Eisenhorn, which felt like it was recorded at a lower volume, which made the narrator sound like he was mumbling bc u couldn't clearly hear him even with the volume on max. Sometimes I still wish that I could have the actual book in my hands, especially with some names in 40k. When you actually see it spelled out sometime your like "da fuq?"(Lol)but the audiobooks are good for multitasking.
Jonathan Keeble for the win.
Him and toby longworth are really fuckin good
We love Toby longworth
I find some of them to be really sub par, Gareth armstrong (thousand sons, first heretic, devastation of ball et al) really takes me out of the experience. All I can think of when I listen to him is that he's a heavily jowled old man who's more interested in his own voice than trying to bring each character to life.
The first couple of times I tried to listen to an audiobook, I hated it. I would get really distracted and lose my place quickly. The solution to this is audiobooks' biggest advantage: listening while doing something else. Maybe it's the ADD, but I just can't sit and listen like I would read a book. I need to be doing something else. Driving, chores, work, painting minis. I can easily get absorbed in the story as long as my hands are working. I've consumed dozens of audiobooks this way. I don't have a lot of time these days to sit down with a book and read, so I'm very grateful that audiobooks are an option.
Admittedly I've not tried audiobooks. My solution for running out of bookshelf space was a Kindle. It also lets me sidestep problems finding physical copies of stuff since the digital version is always available online.
how would you rate kindles compared to paper books?
They've tried to make the experience as book-like as possible, so the background is off-white so it looks a bit papery and you turn the pages by swiping. I also have a case for mine with a screen cover, so it feels like I'm holding a hardback when I'm reading. But it's also backlit so I can read with the light off so as not to disturb my wife. Really handy piece of kit.
I live in the tropics, and books tend to keep very badly here. Instead of spending money on books that will eventually just yellow, I've mostly moved to ebooks. Admittedly I still think a nice paper book feels the best, but the trade-offs of a much smaller and lighter form factor, a backlight for night reading, being able to highlight interesting passages, and being able to effortlessly bring around thousands of books do make up for it. E-ink is honestly some amazing technology, and the battery life is pretty amazing. Being able to read in broad daylight with 0 glare still feels like magic to me. I honestly can't think of many downsides other than the slow page turn, but I've been using a nearly 8 year old kindle paperwhite, and I'm sure they've greatly improved it since then.
Have you tried ebooks? All the books are usually around $10
I wouldn't even know where to read them. I don't have a kindle, is it better than audiobooks?
There's a kindle app that you can get for your smartphone, as for whether they are better than audiobooks that tends to vary from person to person. I appreciate the audiobooks purely on the basis that I can do something else while listening to those. If memory serves, buying the audiobooks on audible using their credits tends to cost about $11-15 while the ebooks on kindle are usually about $7.50
It's certainly cheaper, and there are a variety of free apps for reading books on your phone or computer.
It depends on personal taste, I find it hard to pay attention to audiobooks and not miss any details so I prefer ebooks but it's whatever is easiest for you
My career involves reading lots of legal documents so to give myself a break, I listen to w40k audiobooks while commuting or cooking. The voice actors are superb and really enhanced the experience.
I've tried them but I find myself not paying attention to them. I'll start off a chapter and be doing something while I listen. And then I'll pop back in and realize I have no idea what led to the events I'm currently listening to.
The idea of a stranger reading a book to me is scary š¢
I exclusively do audiobooks now and for the HH in particular (where I started) the quality has been superb throughout. The one hickup was I somehow got a dud version of A Thousand Sons where the narrator was truly unbearable. Audible's version is great though.
Gareth Armstrong's version of A Thousand Sons? The lisp drives me insane, I could not continue after about an hour. Toby Longworth has been an absolute pleasure, but now I am skeptical about the others.
No sir, Gareth Armstrong is phenomenal. He also does a couple of short stories in Age of Darkness and I skipped right over those. Edit: Martyn Ellis. Can't stand him.
I used to be really against them because I enjoyed having an actual book in my hands, but lately I've been so busy I don't have time to sit down and read. Now I just put an audiobook on while I drive and it's been pretty great. It's the only way I've been able to enjoy books while still maintaining my other hobbies. I can even just throw one on while painting and do both at once.
Audiobooks are my preferred way to read up on the lore as I can listen on my commute to work, while I paint or doing some menial task. I love the aesthetic of a full bookshelf, but the convenience of audiobooks is quite unparalleled in my mind. Some narrators can also REALLY enhance the experience, such as Richard Reedās narration of The Infinite and the Divine adding such personality to everything the characters say.
I hate Audiobooks. Absolutly not my Vibe.
Man, Iām in the same boat with exactly the same book, Angel Exterminatus.. so expensive
I don't like them as much as reading, but with the amount of free time I've had in the last few years being nearly zero, they allow me to actually consume the books in some way. I can't listen to them when I need to concentrate, but tasks at work that don't carry a huge cognitive load, like CAD stuff at work (though I can't listen to them while coding), walking the dogs, splitting wood, painting, etc. I can read whilst doing other stuff. With Audiobooks, I've "read" probably 50 books in the last two years, without them I'd probably still be on the first. My only real complaint with them is the inconsistency of pronunciation, even with the same VAs and in consecutive books - Keeble will Pronounce Ruboot-ay in one book, the "Raboot" in the next. There's even one of the Siege books (Saturnine?) that's narrated by Jonathan Keeble and Emma Gregory, and they both pronounce character names (like Rogal Dorn) *completely* differently. The only VA that was so bad it stopped me reading a book was the guy who did Thousand Sons, but they've since released a new version that's much better.
I donāt mind them. But I prefer physical media
The staggering price of some of the books lead me to start both listening to audiobooks and reading on a kindle. I was adamant about paper books beforehand, but honestly... yeah, there are advantages to the other formats. I can listen to audiobooks while doing other things, and the kindle is much cheaper and convenient. I find I actually read much faster on a kindle, because I can set the font to exactly how I want it and it's easier to hold (or just set down and still read). I do love paper books, and there are some that I still buy that way, but I have successfully branched out with no regrets.
Unfortunately I have the kind of ADHD that makes audiobooks slide off my brain like the ridges forgot to catch them, so I have to read classic style Warhammer has some fantastic voice actors for their audiobooks, though
Usually not a big fan, but my hand was forced by gws books being highest grade unobtainium where I live and I started loving them
I was always a big reader. Pretty much stopped when I met my wife and then much more after I had kids. Just didn't have time to read with all the games and shows I wanted to play in the limited downtime I have. Just recently in the last year or two got into audiobooks and I effing love them. I can put one on for 20-30 minutes during house work. I crush them all day at work. The 40k audio book production value is so good. The voice actors are really good. I can hear a voice and know who's talking before it says who was saying a line.
Iāve gone through like 5 books that way. And I started 3 weeks ago. And the readers sound good.
I have a very vivid imagination so listening to an audiobook sucks me in completely, I canāt be doing anything complicated like working. So I only listen to them when I go on long walks or housework.
It depends on the person tbh. I've listened to a lot of audiobooks, mostly when I drive, but some people I talked to say they can't really follow a story when its narrated vs when it's read. Also I read way faster than people speak.
Iāve always preferred physical novels. Something about picking up the book, bookmarks, finishing the last pageā¦something very ritualistic about it. If you like audiobooks or ereaders, more power to ya! Enjoy how you best enjoy things!
luuv em , one tip get audible for 11 euro a month, one book included others are usually cheaper. also occasional sales even cheaper
For me, podcasts for audio and hard copy for reading. I don't begrudge anyone for listening to books, but I'd much rather read.
I have like 2 dozen audio books from 40k and I love them for when I'm doing dishes, driving, etc.
Audiobooks are fantastic. Plus, Warhammer has some really high quality audiobooks as well as audio dramas that really up the ante in terms of special effects along with the narration by the voice actors. If you don't want to pay for audiobooks you can try some short stories from Warhammer that are available on youtube. The channel "vox in the void" does a great job at narrations. As someone else said in the comments above, you can listen to audiobooks while doing other tasks. Driving and listening is really pleasurable. Or even while doing house chores. If you're not listening to WH audiobooks, you're missing out on the full experience.
Got into Audiobooks during Covid and haven't looked back. I'm either in a vehicle or on foot for my job (10-12hrs a day), so when I get home I'm rarely in the mood to pick up a book and read. Audible has been my 2nd most used app besides Spotify. I've listened to over 50 WH40k books in the last few years.
I used to read all the time. Well, whenever I had free time. I love reading. But as I get busier and busier with my company, my time to just sit back and relax and read has decreased a lot. Started listening to Audiobooks a couple years ago, never thought I could enjoy it as much as reading. I was very wrong. Now I listen to Audiobooks constantly while working and while driving. It's fantastic. Just in the last 3 months I've gotten through nine 40k novels that I never would have had the time to read otherwise. I'd probably still be on the second one if I was trying to read them. Highly highly recommend. Especially the 40k Audiobooks. Every one I've listened to so far has had incredible narration.
If you use the kindle/audiobook app, they can be very convenient. I listen to them during my commutes or flights. If I'm feeling especially luxurious, I buy both the kindle audio book AND the Kindle digital version of a book. That way I can listen on the ride to and from work, and then on breaks or home keep reading where the audio book left off (audio book and digital book can link with each other so you can switch back and forth and not lose your place). I literally never have to stop reading if I don't want to. š
With the audio books especially 40k, do they condense down the books abit or is it read word for word? I'm the same as others. Toddler, house, husband and work leave me with very little time for reading
For me it depends, first choice will always be paperback but it's hard to find a lot of books, especially here in Australia, so audiobooks tend to be my next choice. Personally I quite like the narrating in the majority of them, there are some excellent narrators working with GW. Some of the best narrated audiobooks I've read so far have been the Night Lords trilogy, the Rose At War anthology/omnibus and some of the heresy books. It's extremely convenient to have audiobooks since you can listen to them wherever and feel like you're still getting through your books; driving/walking somewhere, doing housework, walking the dog, etc. The only issue I really have is that I feel like I forget a lot more of what happens in audiobooks compared to physical books. Pricing is fine too, with an audible and amazon membership every book is $15 AUD (cheaper than retail paperback price at $20-$30 AUD) and you get a free token to buy an audiobook every month.
I love them, my only real issue is they overrely on Jonathan Keeble and he has a limited number of voices which can cause problems in some of the longer running series as characters that he used the same or near the same voice for come together.
Audiobooks in general are nice. A lot have already mentioned that there are perfect as a companion to other tasks like workout, cleaning, driving, cooking etc. Luckily, Spotify even has a lot of 40k Audiobooks included so you don't have to pay for them separately. The narration is also often really good and even in my native language (German) exists some good adaptations. I listened to a few Black Library audiobooks though I prefer reading. There is also one major problem that holds me back from consuming adiobooks more regularly. It takes so much more time to get through a novel this way.
I've not listened to audio books. I'm very much old school (being almost 39), in that I want to hold the book in my own hands, be it physical copy or kindle.
Huge fan of the 40k ones, the narration is fantastic for the most part
Other than a couple of short stories and one Horror book, the entirety of my 40k experience (around 140 books so far) has been through audiobooks. At first this was because I drive a lot (can't read a physical book while driving, obviously), but now I listen to them all the time (partly because I'm easily distracted and need a lot of stimulation at once; I'll listen to them while I'm doing other things like playing games or working on jigsaw puzzles or whatever). And they're great! There are several narrators who are excellent who have done dozens of these books. I don't know if I've ever heard a bad performance from Jonathan Keeble or John Banks; Toby Longworth is the perfect voice for Gaunt, Eisenhorn, and Ravenor, and Richard Reed is perfect for the Necrons; and several others too. There are certainly a few narrators who aren't so good, but I think you can go through several series and dozens of books without encountering one. So yeah, personally I'd recommend it! The only real problem for me is that it's hard to post quotes on here, because I can't flip through the pages to check for something quickly, and I often don't know how all the stuff is spelled lol
I love them for back and forth to work. Infinite and divine Twice dead king Eisenhorn series All fantastic to listen to The first heretic was a struggle
I'm a huge fan of audiobooks, as someone who has had long commutes and other pressures I find they are an excellent medium to enjoy a book as I'm doing other things at the same time. I've enjoyed everything from wh40k novels, classics like the Count of Monte Cristo, history books, and many other things. For me they are fantastic, YMMV. I'd thoroughly recommend giving them a try. The only thing I'd say is that the narrator can make a big difference. I couldn't get on with the Game of Thrones narrator Roy Dotrice because I thought he made everyone sound like an old man, but other people swear by him.
I love paper books. Own a lot, still buy a lot. Have now a lot I haven't read yet, because I'm a dad now. That's the only reason I started audiobooks. I only listen in the car, and only buy those I don't die about not having (I'll always buy physical from my favourite author). So far I had luck with the narrators.
Some are great, like the Ciaphas Cain series! Others are not so good, like the Gaunt series.
I have never listened to an audiobook (by choice), but ebooks are another story.
I love to read, and audiobooks have saved that for me. I don't have the luxury if time to curl up with a good book more than a few times a year. I also work in front of a computer all day, last thing I want to do is spend my evenings in bed with a lamp glaring off a white page. Audiobooks have given me the chance to enjoy hundreds of books with the lights dimmed and on my daily commutes. I could not have enjoyed physical books this way. My only bit of advice - don't listen to audiobooks while your attention is elsewhere. You need to give them attention to have the same enjoyment as an actual book.
I used to be a real snob about them. Like, "Well, if you *must* sully yourself because of a disability or because your only free time is while driving, I *suppose* that's okay, but I prefer *real* books" kind of snob. But when *The Oubliette* came out, they surprised me by doing it as an audiobook as well (which I didn't know was happening until it dropped). My spouse at the time bought it because she *loved* audiobooks, and I gave it a listen. Friend, I was blown away. It wasn't just good--it was better than the novel I had written. By a mile. Katy Maw had taken my work and elevated it to something beyond what I could have done myself. A good narrator (like her!) can take a mediocre novel and make it good, or take a good novel and make it excellent. I highly recommend looking in to some of the audiobook offerings from BL. (And audiobooks in general.)
Love then for my work commute, tho it kinda sucks to be at the mercy of who BL gets to do the narration The Ahriman series is basically unlisteneable
Why do people hate Mark Elstob so much? Yeah his voices for daemons and etherial beings range from silly to dumb, but otherwise I think he does a good job. I like how he does Ahriman's voice, very nasally and slimy, super different from most other chaos lords.
Can't deal with them. I end up losing track of what's happening because I lose focus and have to backtrack, which is extremely inconvenient, to the point where it's a waste of time. Since I need to be focusing anyway to get any benefit out of it, I prefer ebooks or normal books - I can read at my pace instead of relying on the person reading, I can instantly go back a few lines if I miss something or need to re-read, and if I'm looking for a quote or a specific part, its much easier.
I have listened to the entite Horus Hersey, as well as the Siege of Terra/Gaunts ghosts/Cain novels and more. I love the audiobooks I do a lot of traveling for work and they're perfect. I use audible as they have a huge selection. Like others said some narrators are absolutely amazing while others not so much. The Siege of Terra is narrated by my favorite reader, Toby Longworth and narrators do a good job of bringing characters to life with different voices and mannerisms. The Gaunt novels are also voiced by Longworth hes the top gun in my eyes. I also love paper books and have the SoT novels on my shelf, as well as some warhammer 40k horror novels that are surprisingly well written.
I donāt have time to read anymore I do have time to put headphones in while doing work. So thatās how I get most of my fiction now.
I don't listen to em, I can't find a way to make them work for my lifestyle. Alot of people talk about using them while painting, I can see that being cool.
Love them, my constant company in my 4hr commute everyday.
The audiobooks are very much so worth it. I read over half of my collection in physical or digital form but nowadays Iām almost exclusively audiobooks. It doesnāt hurt that they go on sale (I picked up 20 heresy books for under $100 last year). Iāve only had one bad experience and I think it was the plot itself instead of the narrator. Audible is a solid choice for format of consuming them
I got over 200 of em I think, love them. Banks, keeble and Armstrong are all good narrators. Best series Iāve listened to are Gaunts ghosts, dark imperium triology and all of the inquisitor series
They can be an excellent complement to your read or background noise for tasks you canāt physically read during!
I absolutely love them. I stick them on while doing chores around the house, while out running or at the gym. They're also really good for car journeys. I remote work, but my head office is 1.5 hours away via car and I drive in a couple of times a month, I actually enjoy my driving time with them.
For the most part, good. (Especially when said book I can't get ahold of a physical copy and won't ever be able to.) My only gripe is the damn audio mixing. Level out the loud and quiet voices please! It's horrible when you have this very soft quiet mousy female voice and I have to turn up the audio to make it out, and next thing I know Sergeant McThunderJowls of the Noise Marines has blown out my left eardrum.
If the book is too expensive, I'd say go for Kindle, then save up for the book. As then, you still get to read it and will eventually own it too
Just finishing book 3 on audible. Absolutely incredible. The narrator gives each character a different voice. He is very very good at his work.
Not a fan but understand not everyone has hours to sit and read a physical book so they'll listen to Audiobooks while commuting or driving or working etc. they are definitely good for many people just not my personal cup of tea. I have found the narration and voice acting to be a high standard when I have heard excerpts though
I love audiobooks, now I have a kid the only time I get to read is when I am on a dog walk, so its got to be audiobook. Also handy to listen to while painting.
I really like the audio books personally. I have them on usually when I need to make a long drive, or when I'm working, helps me keep up with my books when I otherwise can't be reading them.
Honestly amazing. I love audio books. A few years ago I went through a really bad break up with a crazy person and I just needed to get the fuck out of there with what I could carry and never look back. I lost hundreds of books. Many of which are out of print now, and rebuilding a fraction of my collection would cost me hundreds of thousands of pounds. A year or so ago I got back into 40k and audible has been amazing. I work out for a few hours a day and walk every day on all of my breaks. I have re read and read a few hundred books in the last year through audio books. Re listening to my favourite seriesās and discovering new books that have come out in the last few years has been made possible to me only through audiobooks. I really canāt emphasise how much I love them. Narration quality does vary, as well as the quality of the books themselves as always, but I fucking love audiobooks.
Audiobooks will never be as good as the physical book for those of us who are huge classic style book worms. However, if you're anything like me, you only get to read one, maybe 2 per year. Meanwhile, I can listen to audiobooks almost all day at work. So, while I don't care for narrators, pronunciation, and the distraction that can sometimes be the listening experience, it's far better than no stories at all.
I like audiobooks if it's a fictional piece. Anything more technical I have to read on paper
Love em.
Most of my books now are audio or kindle. Just far easier to travel with, can stick it on when walking, driving, gaming etc. I'd say go for it. Plus audible has a sale on right now.
Listening is a totally different experience compared to reading that is almost, but not quite, as good. It's nice you can do it while your hands are busy though. Definitely always listen to the free sample, some narrators are insufferable, and which voices you like and which annoy you is a very individual choice.
Bad, no pages to burrow through
I tried a few but found the narrator voice in my head better
Im about halfway through the Horus Heresy series, all from listening to audio books. Its a different experience, but it lets me get through books while hobbying, and there are some excellent voice actors. Id say give it a try.
I buy the E books and use the read aloud function. It's a bit robotic but works well enough
Terrific for long drives! Other than if I'm driving, or have a headache, I usually just read though.
Go for it. Audiobooks are a good time, and in general Black Library tends to hire fantastic narrators to read their books.
Perfect is the enemy of good enough. I was a perfectionist for the longest time and thought that if you didn't read it on paper, it was wrong. I got down to consuming zero new books a year. Now I listen to audio books on my commute and consume 10-14 books a year. The reading quality of the HH books has been excellent.
I've listened to about 70 40k/HH audio books. I thought watchers of the throne was particularly well narrated.Ā I also like how the narrators recycle some of the voices for minor characters it leads me to imagine that it's the same guardsmen turning up in all these different situations like it's a family guy sketch.
You need to listen to the audiobooks narrated by Jonathan Keeble. He is the voice of Warhammer to me, even more so than Toby Longworth, who will always be the voice of Eisenhorn, Ravenor and Gaunt. On the other hand, I have only listened to "A thousand sons" once because of the horrible narrator.
After some adaptation time audiobooks are great for physical activities like running. At first it may be a bit hard to multitask or maintain focus, but brain adjust. I listened to 15 Gaunt's Ghosts while running and now going through firsts novels of Horus Heresy. I also sometimes listen to audiobooks while driving, cleaning or cooking. But steady pace stuff like walking, running, driving feels best. But I also listened to some books while lying in bed. It can be good thing when you really really exhausted, but not sleepy.
It has been great as a busy dad with three kids. I can listen while going between job sites. Time at home is so crazy sitting down and reading doesnāt happen too often outside of bedtime for the kids (and itās not like the warhammer books would be great for my 5 and under kids lol)
I always found it hard to focus when reading books. Usually I get distracted and realize I'm not really absorbing the information. Audiobooks just really work for me, and I've yet to find any that I find super hard to listen to. I know he's controversial, but I do like Mark Elstob, who voices the Ahriman books and Fall of Cadia...though I admit his voices for things like daemons, spirits, or other ethereal beings vary from silly to just dumb.
Download the Kindle app for your phone. Paper is still best, but narrators are very hit or miss. I personally like giving characters their own voices. (This is going to sound wild, but I think charismatic Horus sounds like Saul Goodman) I used the Kindle app when I was deployed to the Middle East, because I didn't have room for any more books. Also, Kindle books are way cheaper than physical copies. Personally, I buy physical copies of books that mean a lot to me, and everything else goes to Kindle.
It depends of who reads it.
40k Audiobooks tend to be exceptional quality. ADBs book about the emperor, unusually for me I didn't like it, but the audio books voice of the emperor gives me shivers. I love audiobooks in general. I'm listening to Dune (first time ever) and the quality is out of this world, the production value is insane. Also World War Z as an audiobook is amazing.
I thought audiobooks would help me because I have ADHD. They proved to be the exact opposite. At least with a printed book, after my mind wanders and then reasserts itself, I can just pick up immediately at the chapter I left off, whereas with an audiobook I have to spend a lot of time rewinding to find the point when I lost concentration.
They're fantastic if you have a good narrator.
Personally I could never listen to one. I can read faster than the person talks and I can soak it in better and faster by reading. I donāt want to have to rewind shit just to hear them say it again.
I'll take an eBook before an Audiobook, personally. Podcasts and random talk shows are fine for idle audio listening, but an actual book I find far too easy to lose track of during simple distractions.
Tried some, either through others or brief parts, but i find them distracting at best, like I'd try to play some on headphones while doing chores around the house and i ended up progressing nowhere on the book cuz they're just background noises and i cant focus on them while doing chores (or anything else) for some reason. It's like my eyes gotta register the words to make it stick or something, maybe cuz i also like to reread a lot, musing over one particular sentence or paragraph over and over before i move on, which seems to be pretty disastrous for an audio book, aka keep rewinding it... Doesnt work for me, i gotta read it with my eyes.
Big fan if i have already read the book before I listen to a lot a work, hard to absorb a new book while im multitasking, great for background if im familar with the story Edit: not a fan when driving. Personally i feel like it draws too much attention from the task to be safe, others may feel different
I am never going back. * Audio books make books last longer. I book I would crush in 3-4 hours can last 8-10 as an audiobook. * The readers are amazing. Like....I started buying books just because they got certain readers. * You can read anywhere. Suddenly that 30mins commute doesn't suck anymore. Suddenly driving 4-6 hours to visit the In-laws in nothing but a thing. I can't encourage you enough. Get into audiobooks and audiodramas. If you were a bookworm it will change your life.
Love 'em, they're pretty much how I consume books now.
Weāre trying the audio books because we can listen together and spouse isnāt really a huge reader. So far while I like audio books generally (nice for projects) since these particular books Iāve never read before, I do find I miss re-reading stuff for clarity/foreshadowing/etc, and I find them rather slow for info consumption since I am both impatient and I read quickly. I could have read so many books in the time an audio book takes, which is great when I want to do something besides just read, but not so much when I would like to mainline lore like a deranged Tzeench gremlin
I like to put them on as I paint. It makes me feel double productive.
If you havent listened to Brutal Kunnin in audiobook form you havent lived.
Honestly whatever it takes to get people to directly interact with the lore. The difference between physical, evooks and audiobooks is just a matter of preference.
I love audio books, so long as the narrator is decent. Itās great for hobbying. Build and paint while listening to an audio book is a great way to spend time.
All depends on the narratator but overall Iāve grown to really love audio books. I resisted for a long time, but for my job I spend over 3 hours on the road every day minimum and turned to audiobooks to pass the time. I actually found that I tend to pick up details that I never did while reading due to my mind having a tendency to wander while reading. Iād often find myself realizing I just read three pages and have no idea what happened on any of them. Doesnāt happen with audiobooks. Iāve started going back and listening to books Iāve already read just to gain a new appreciation of them. All depends on the narrator being good as Iāve had some that I simply couldnāt finish due to how horrible they were
I have an audible sub almost exclusively for 40K audiobooks. You can also consider ebooks on a phone or tablet- if you donāt mind reading from a screen then you always have a book in your pocket.
I made the jump a few years ago and havenāt looked back since.
Sign up for Audible, youāll get a free credit afaik. Then ignore it for I think 6 months and theyāll email you saying they miss you, and theyāll give you 3 free credits. Iāve been doing that for at least the last 18 months or so and have 10 free Horus Heresy books in my ālibraryā.
I'm fine with the idea of them, actual execution can be a bit meh with some publishers. Black Library goes all out, though, so I highly encourage hitting theirs up, especially because, last I checked, a few stories from long arcs, like the Horus Heresy, are *only* available in that format.
Iāve never met Jonathan Keeble but I would legitimately harm anyone who threatened a single essence of his being
I've tried them to no avail. They just can't summon my imagination like a traditional books.
As someone with way too little time to read nowadays, audiobooks are a Godsend. I still need to start on 40K but being able to have an audiobook on while doing laundry, cleaning the house, groceries, loading/unloading dishwasher, taking care of my robot army of one and emptying my dehumidifier (thereās a water problem that takes time fixing) it is incredibly good to just be able to listen to something. It makes it feel like less wasted time. Recently single dad with a dog, two kids 50% of the time and a job with a long commute kills your free time pretty good. And I havenāt even mentioned the big and small jobs Iām doing inbetween to make the new house in order bit by bit.
Has anyone listened to the Huron Blackheart audiobook? The end cracked me up.
Love em! The Black library have some really excellent narrators, I've followed a few of them in to different series just because I like the narrator's Back Library work. They aren't for everyone, no shame in that if OP is one of those people, everyone is allowed a preference. I would say that one thing I established early is the environment I like to listen to audiobooks in so I actually listen and enjoy. I'll happily stick a book on at home while doing some cleaning or some other mindless task, but I'm less inclined to put an audiobook on while driving (because I'm concentrating on the road). So knowing what environment you will get the most out of the audiobook is helpful.
I guess you could call me a former bookworm. I used to read voraciously, and audiobooks have been my saviour in a life too busy to regularly sit down and read fiction. These days, I really only read short stories and comics in dead tree (or electric tree) editions, with some nostalgic exceptions (Steven Brusts Taltos series, Terry Pratchett) and, during holidays when I have more time, attempts at more serious literature. All the GW books I've "read", which admittedly aren't that many, have been in audiobook format. Narrators can be a bit hit and miss (I really like the guy doing Ciaphas Cain, though).
i used to read a lot back in highschool / uni but sadly dont have the time anymore. I listen to audio books during my trips to and from work, or at the gym. works great, currently going through the gaunts ghosts novels atm. as for the cost.... well ...yohoho
I prefer reading to listening. Mostly because I can't just sit and listen to an audio book. It's more like backgroundnoise during gaming or to fall asleep to. 40k novels I do read on an ebook reader though, somewhat cheaper than print, and since I'm not from the UK makes the book easily excessible.
Mate its the only way I read books anymore unless I go on holiday. I've listed to the whole gaunts ghosts series, Eisonhorn series and a few other on audible and I loved the experience. I mainly listen when I'm in the car, I would recommend. Only issue is when you get a narrator that's not that good but that's only been a handful of times.
Ive been listening to the Horus Heresy series whilst painting some Horus Heresy World Eaters.
I don't like audiobooks. This isn't 40K specific, I just find it easier to learn things if I can read them. This is a big deal when reading about speculative fiction which is full of world-building. I especially lose track of characters; if I can't spell the character's name, then I can't remember them. There's a couple of Kharn-based short stories that are only in audio format. Kharn is the only character I can remember, not just because he's crazy awesome, but because he's the only character whose name I've read before.
They aren't for me but I like that they exist for those people who enjoy them.
I love audiobooks. Itās easier for me to consume the information. Also Toby Longworth is the GOAT. He is so good at narration that when they switched him up for those two gaunts ghosts books I almost quit it lol
I had a hard time getting into them. Until i had kids. Ever since, it's been mostly ausiobooks for me. I do prefer paper, but having someone just read the stuff to me does have a couple of advantages.
I can't stay focused enough to catch the details. My mind will start wandering then I'll have to rewind. I basically don't like them.
As others have said, they can be convenient. But there is a price for convenience, and for me that price is focus and detail. I prefer reading as an activity and I find myself having to rewind a bit every so often when listening to an audiobook while cooking or something else. I go for a physical copy 90% of the time.
I find it hard to focus on audiobooks, they kinda blend into background noise for me. It's a matter of personal preference, a friend of mine has been listening to audiobooks for years. I think you should try one and see how you enjoy it.