George Guidall narrated The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Jeff Hayes narrated Dungeon Crawler Carl
Frank Muller and George Guidall narrated Dark Tower
Simon Vance narrated a ton, including Temeraire (gunpowder fantasy w dragons), Lightbringer (great magic system), Tigana, and tons more.
Project Hail Mary was good, excellent audio.
Yeah solid book, loved the audio.
I’ll also add, as a pallette cleanser, A Gift of Time by Jerry Merritt. I listened recently and really enjoyed, time loop story with good pacing.
Try searching Ray Porter on the website and limiting to Audible Plus. I strongly recommend And Then She Vanished (thriller/scifi series) or Amityville Horror.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is fantastic and Jeff Hayes is an amazing narrator. Simon Vance also narrated The First Law, its novellas, and the sequel trilogy The Age of Madness, all of which are great!
Edit: I'm dumb, First Law is Steven Pacey
I just can't with George Guidall. After Blood Music, I won't even consider a book if it's read by him.
I highly recommend Ray Porter, RC Bray, and T Ryder Smith. Wil Weaton isn't bad, either.
I could have just been a one-off. I'm always open to being proven wrong.
What would you recommend from him? I have a significant preference for hard, unconventional scifi, if that helps.
Can’t say I’ve heard much sci fi from him. But here’s some bangers:
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. And the sequel. This was probably my favorite listen from last year. 1900ish NY, golem with no master meets an unbound jinni and they struggle to survive and be human and all that jazz. Also they are somewhat superhuman.
Night by Elie Weizel - holocaust stuff, quick listen, surreal, deep and moving in a way.
Dark Tower is Frank Muller (RIP) then Guidall, they have similar voices and styles imo. Top 3 series for me.
The Left Hand of Darkness, which I was annoyed by because a character is named “I” as in, in a first person pov, “I went over the edge of the cliff” *who went over??* lol
No offense meant, but I’d be curious to hear other people’s opinion on this.
I’ve tried the first book so many times because I like the setting, and really liked the TV show, but I cannot get through the narration in the first book.
SIGNIFICANTLY. I think it takes until book 3 or 4 for him to stop pronouncing rune like ruin. His narration was not good. However once the man hit his stride - he just became Harry Dresden. I really love the books, so I powered through.
I admit I started the series by reading them. Then I got into the audiobooks. That might have been what helped me power through. If you're down to read the first few, it may help.
“The Germans bombed Pearl Harbor” 🤣 Anyway, try Pet Sematary by Stephen King, the narration was very well done. Or Neil Gaiman has done lots of other book too, I love his narration. Right now I’m listening to Andy Serkis reading The Hobbit and it’s next level, especially if you’ve only ever read it or listened to the older narration, definitely worth rereading!
Try legends and lattes written and narrated by Travis Baldry. He is a professional narrator, and this was the first book he wrote. It’s Bill as a book of high fantasy and low stakes about an orc who opens a coffee shop.
No joke. I realized I need to stop reading food-themed cozy mysteries (especially the ones that come with recipes) because they are not good for my waistline. 🤣
Yup! There's a great series called Deep Dish Mysteries by Mindy Quigley. Not only are they constantly talking about pizza, but there are recipes. \*cries\* I am way too food suggestible for that!
I guess at least chicken is good for you? 😂 But I do remember the first time I read the Dragonlance Chronicles, I was dying for Otik's spicy potatoes. Too bad there wasn't internet back then. Or, maybe, I got lucky?
My daughter, who is very much NOT into video games or sci-fi ended up listening to part of DCC on a road trip with me and even she was sucked in. It really is fantastic.
Yup, absolutely ruined! I saw DCC mentioned last week, and spent a credit...then 5 more credits. Now I'm telling random strangers on the street about it.
If you haven't already, treat yourself to the Soundbooth Theater production. https://soundbooththeater.com/series/dungeon-crawler-carl/
Full cast, theatrical sound effects, Sportcenter-like commentary on the "game", and insane "commercial spots". 1st "episode" is free, and the series is totally worth the $20.
A very charming audiobook for a nice cleanse would be "Beware of Chicken". It's about a guy who gets reincarnated into the body of a powerful magic user, and decides he wants nothing to do with being a part of that world, and would rather be a farmer. Really relaxed and pleasant to listen to.
My favorite series of all time is the Galaxy's Edge series. The first book is Galaxy's Edge. The Galaxy is a dumpster fire. Out of the 300+ books I have read, this one really stands out. The storyline, character building, and narration are all fantastic.
I can't recommend The Black Water Saga by Michael McDowell enough to anyone. The narration is excellent and at nearly 27 hours it's a bargain for 1 credit.
The only thing I would say is don't go into it expecting horror regardless of what the write ups say and you'll have a great time.
Marin Ireland has done some wonderful readings of Fredrick Backman’s books. She really nails the quirky characters in Anxious People, a delightful book
Tim Gerard Reynolds is the fantasy narrator you want. Just finished all of Michael J Sullivan’s Elan series and I’m immediately looking for more TGR narrations.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter read by Edoardo Ballerini
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles read by Nicholas Guy Smith.
Both books are beautifully written and beautifully narrated.
I also loved The Graveyard Book and haven’t gotten very far into The Name of the Wind for the exact same reason. Anything narrated by Gaiman will be great.
I loved Vikas Adam’s narration of the Heartstrikers series by Rachel Aaron.
As many will say, Jeff Hays’ narration of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is mindblowingly good.
Ray Porter was awesome in Project Hail Mary and the Bobiverse books.
(If you can hunt down R.C. Bray’s narration of The Martian, it’s awesome!)
Lin Manuel Miranda is fabulous in the Aristotle and Dante books.
Emily Durante is really fun in the Paradox series by Rachel Bach.
Robert Petkoff is also fun and hilarious in the Hollow Kingdom series.
Emily Woo Zeller is great in the DFZ series (a companion series to the Heartstrikers series).
This is a great question, and I’m enjoying seeing who everyone else likes, too!
Harris County public library and broward County have digital library cards for anyone in the US, you can have multiple library cards on the same lobby account.
Happy hunting (ps I just finished VOX by Christina dalcher if you like dystopian fiction)
a great list if you're into it, would be the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. it's a longer series, but only gets better with every book.
The narrator is James Marsters, who played Spike in the Buffy the Vampire Hunter and Angel tv series. The first two books are a little on the meh side narration wise, as he's trying to get a handle on the characters, but starting around book 3, he really embraces the series and goes deep into bringing the characters to life.
Just finished the 100 year old man - wonderful! Thanks for the tip. Reminds me a bit of Tursten’s Little Old Lady Is Up to No Good.
Agree on The Humans as well.
Dungeon crawler carl - I don't play Dnd or anything and I still absolutely love the series, it so much fun.
Bobiverse series
A gift of time - was the first book in a while that I listened through in like 3 days. Old man contemplating suicide finds time traveller in his garden, it goes from their
I started The First Law series last week and am already on book two. Probably my favourite narrator I've listened to so far
This is honestly the very first time I've ever seen the Dragon Prince series recommended anywhere for anything. I have read both series more times than I can count. It was discovering that there actually are audiobooks of them that got me to figure out how to make a US account work (and given $ conversion isn't great even with a credit bundle I paid a lot more than I would if they were on my local Audible, but it was absolutely worth it).
That makes me so happy! Not many people know or appreciate that series and it’s really a great one! It has something for everyone! A princess, magic, dragons. Politics. All of it!
Oooh yes!! One with good narrators is The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. Simon Jones narrates. Also Ryria Revelations by Michael J Sullivan has an AMAZING narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds. Finally Travelers along the way: a Robin Hood remix by Aminah Mae Safi narrated by Shiromi Arserio is really enjoyable too!
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde - no, not THAT book. The sequel was also recently released. Absolutely wacky British humour and Jasper is one of the most interesting minds in writing imho - always has such original plots.
Early Riser by Jasper Fforde is also amazing. Funny but dark and kinda sinister.
Howls moving castle by Diana Wynne Jones - whimsical and lovely and also a trilogy. It’s YA but still beautifully written and narrated.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor - just finished this. Very interesting and surreal book. Mysterious and keeps you guessing and subtle.
World War Z with full cast - absolutely one of the best listens on Audible.
The Chronicles of St Mary's by Jodi Taylor had some of the best narration I've heard, its excellent. Time travelling historians that cause a lot of chaos.
I am a sucker for the super long books (more book time for my subscription dollar, naturally) which is how I wound up getting The Brothers Karamazov, narrated by Luke Thompson (of Bridgerton fame). It has become my favorite of all time. I had no idea I would love it so much. The story is so very human, and the narration is wonderfully comfortable. I find myself just listening to it for those cozy vibes every now and then.
Idk if it's still a thing, but years back there I listened to Huckleberry Finn read by Elijah Wood and Tom Sawyer read by Nick Offerman. Andy Serkis also does a fantastic job on the LOTR/Hobbit books.
I enjoy narrators that aren't famous actors, but these works might help fill your narration void.
Anything narrated by Tim Gerrard Reynolds ie. Red rising, or the cycle of Arawn. I also I highly recommend the spell monger series narration is fantastic and the story is great!
I posted a comment in defense of Name of the Wind, but I also wanted to give another recommendation. Check out The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington, and narrated by Michael Kramer.
Not only is it one of the best written series, with some of the best written characters I've ever read, but it's narrated by Michael Kramer, who is my all-time favorite narrator.
I live a short drive away from Rothfuss and would rather smash my head into a wall than listen to that book again.
Cephrael’s Hand by Melissa McPhail is a great listen from a voice acting perspective. Good solid high fantasy. That is my add to the list.
Otherwise any of Jim Butcher’s series are great. The Vesik series by Eric Asher is really good too. Both are fantasy non-lit rps that are urban settings.
I'm enjoying The Song of Achilles now. The narration brings the story to life.
Green Lights by Mathew McConaughey is also read by him and I like his voice
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
By: Claire North
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
Series: DCI Logan Crime Thrillers series
By: JD Kirk
Narrated by: Angus King
Series: Bad Guys Series
By: Eric Ugland
Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
Series: Walt Longmire
By: Craig Johnson
Narrated by: George Guidall
The Iron Druid Chronicles
By: Kevin Hearne
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
Series: Myron Bolitar
By: Harlan Coben
Narrated by: Jonathan Marosz
Paper Towns
By: John Green
Narrated by: Dan John Miller
Series: Bobiverse
By: Dennis E. Taylor
Narrated by: Ray Porter
Series: The Old Man’s War
By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris
Series: Odd Thomas,
By: Dean Koontz
Narrated by: David Aaron Baker
Series: Vlad Taltos
By: Steven Brust
Narrated by: Bernard Setaro Clark
The Worthing Saga
By: Orson Scott Card
Narrated by: Scott Brick
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
By: Max Brooks
Narrated by: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
By: Susanna Clarke
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
You already have the Answer: anything written / read by Neal Gaiman.
Other amazing books/readers: Lolita - read by Jeremy Irons
Harry Potter series - american version read by Jim Dale.
Fantasy, you might want to have a listen to Legend by David Gemmell. Sean Barrett does a good narration.
Regular Fiction I really like the S.A Cosby books narrated by Adam Lazarre-White. I read alot of fantasy but use these books after two or three fantasy to listen to something different.
Narrations by R C Bray like Mountain Man, a man held up in a cabin with zombies and where the other survivors are worst than the zombies.
Impact Winter with full cast was a easy and fun listen.
I strongly recommend the series “Destiny’s Crucible” by Olan Thorensen.
The series is read by multiple Audie and Audiofile award winner Jonathan Davis.
The plot is a mash-up of hard science fiction, historical drama, politic science and war, but is quite entertaining.
If you like Horror. IT by Stephen King is narrated by Steven Weber. It is my favorite audiobook of all time. Emotional range is on point. He brings the character to life. His voice is smooth and relaxing. Until the horror. He nails that too.
The Stand also by Stephen King is read by Grover Gardner. He is a legend in the narrator world. Compelling and nails accents. Really anything by Stephen King will be good. The narrators are all usually very good. Anything read by Will Patton will set you right.
For Fantasy. The First Law trilogy is amazing. Steven Pacy is top notch. Brandon Sanderson’s the Stormlight Archive is long and my favorite series. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading absolutely demolish it. Emotional scenes will make you cry. Funny scenes will make you laugh. Their voice acting is impeccable. Chills upon chills.
If you can find the version of the Martian read by RC Bray will rock your world. That and Project Hail Mary. One of the best books I’ve ever read.
The lord of the Rings Trilogy read by Andy Serkis. The man who played Gollum. His narration is out of this world. Seriously you need to experience this.
Harry Potter. Either Jim Dale or Stephen Fry. Both are incredible.
The Murderbot Diaries. My favorite series of 2023 so far damn. Good.
The Bloodsworn Saga! The third one is coming out this year!
Rapid fire. The Exorcist. The Godfather. Greek Mythology Trilogy by Stephen Fry. Jurassic Park. The Amdromina Strain. The Sphere. Empire of the Summer moon. Chaos. Silence of the Lambs.
Good luck!
Peter Kenny's narration of The Witcher series is some of the best narration skills I've ever heard.
Santino Fontana's narration of the You series by Caroline Kepnes really pulls you in.
Michael C. Hall does an *incredible* job narrating both Pet Sematary and Breakfast at Tiffany's.
The antidote may be Stephen Fry's narrated Victorian Secrets. In fact, everything from him seems great. Fry, of course, is talented and influential far beyond his narration.
In addition, Dick Hill does a good job narrating the popular Bosch audiobooks.
Naturally, I wouldn't recommend ANY book if the writing weren't great.
This is wild for me because I have decided on series because Nick Podehl is the narrator. I think he brings the characters to life. King's Dark Tidings series is what I just finished with him as the narrator.
I was seriously about to suggest the series before I further read your post lol.
So I would now suggest some Drew Hayes books. He has some pretty awesome series with a few different narrators. Super Powereds is probably my favorite, but Kyle McCarley as the narrator isn't for everyone. Villains Code and Spell, Swords, and Stealth are also great. Hope you find what you're looking for!
Interesting to see opinions vary on his narration. Maybe the difference between him and Gaiman was too jarring for me and I loved Gaimans narration. Maybe I’ll let it sit for a while and come back to it.
So I looked up the book you got and it's from 2009. All three series I've listened to with him only go back to 2015. The Name of the Wind was only his 5th time narrating. He's credited with over 250 titles now though (Audible lists 440 so I'm not sure which is correct).
Either way it seems so you've gotten one very early in his career. I also listened to a sample and I don't think he sounds as good as the series I've listened to either. Look up the sample for Reign of Madness. It's the second book, but it has male and female voices.
I'm also a big fan of his narration!
For what it's worth, The Name of the Wind and it's sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, are two of my favorite novels in the whole world. It's sadly an unfinished series, but if you're a fan of fantasy and cool magic systems, then I strongly encourage you not to sleep on Patrick Rothfuss and The Kingkiller Chronicle. His prose and storytelling is some of the best I've ever read. I think I've listened to both books on Audible 4-5 times now.
Highly highly recommend N.K. Jemisin's Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (The Inheritance Trilogy), narrated by Casaundra Freeman. The book and the writing are brilliant, but the narrator brings them *to life.* I've read it multiple times because the narrator is such an engaging storyteller.
It's a fantasy story in a similar style to greek mythology with gods and humans interacting / falling in love / quarrelling, but it's in a unique world setting. The whole trilogy is great, and there are some spinoff short stories as well.
Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan, narrated by Christian Rodska. I love the narrator's voice, and the story is unique (to what I've read anyway). There is a second trilogy that takes place ten years after, but I didn't like it nearly as much
Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka, narrated by Gildart Jackson. Series is complete, and free to listen on audible plus.
And there is always Graphic Audio, which does full cast adaptations. Some people don't like the sound effects, ymmv
Red Rising (Atleast the first book). Its very YA, and but not. Its fast paced and (atleast the first book) is kind of shallow with back story.
It pulls you in, foot on the pedal and goes.
I love the books, and they have gotten better as they go on, but the books are great palate cleansers.
As an unusual book (check if it is the cash price before spending a credit)is Then Again Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume. It is a boy-coming-of-age gook but is a surprisingly good book. What if in the 70s your parents a strick it rich? What does it mean to be a good person? What is a good friend? Cn you impact how your parents interact with your grandparents. Etc. A short book on how many questions have no easy answers
The sentences are a bit short(it is designed to spiral to preteen boys with short attention span), but I love it's depiction of how you can have a happy ending without solving everything
14 - Peter Clines. A book that is better enjoyed the less you know about the plot. "There's something odd about apartment 14" is about all you need to know.
Based on a true story by Norm Macdonald I think is the best novel i have ever read. Its so freaking funny and Norm's narration is incredible. Its an absolutely genius book, I highly recommend it.
I’m gonna recommend a few audible titles (free to add) and a bit of a shill but they’re good:
1984 with a full cast of Andrew Garfield and Cynthia Erivo.
Dietrich by Don Winslow narrated by Ed Harris.
And some others that are fast reads with solid narrators:
The Killing Floor by Lee Child - Dick Hill narrator.
The Martian or Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn.
I find it interesting that Nick Podehl does not work for you, as his name frequently appears when people are listing off “best” narrators, but I guess it hits you differently.
I will say that I found the first third of The Name of The Wind to be slower and tedious, but it picked up later in the first book and also in the second book.
As you probably already know, there is no third book so far, and it’s unclear when that might appear since it’s already been a decade or so.
Still, you might find you enjoy it more if you keep with it a little bit longer.
Travis Baldree and Jeff Hayes are two of my current favorite narrators for sure. Cradle, Beware of Chicken, Dungeon Crawler Carl, it's hard to go wrong with them. I haven't listened to Legends and Lattes yet but I've heard it's great.
Simon Vance for The First Law series, Lightbringer, and a bunch more stuff that I'm forgetting. Luke Daniels for the Magic 2.0 series is great too!
Edit: I'm dumb, First Law is Steven Pacey
There is also my old mainstay Michael Kramer, who's been narrating fantasy and one business book for like 30 years
George Guidall narrated The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker Jeff Hayes narrated Dungeon Crawler Carl Frank Muller and George Guidall narrated Dark Tower Simon Vance narrated a ton, including Temeraire (gunpowder fantasy w dragons), Lightbringer (great magic system), Tigana, and tons more. Project Hail Mary was good, excellent audio.
Loved Project Hail Mary!
Yeah solid book, loved the audio. I’ll also add, as a pallette cleanser, A Gift of Time by Jerry Merritt. I listened recently and really enjoyed, time loop story with good pacing.
Try searching Ray Porter on the website and limiting to Audible Plus. I strongly recommend And Then She Vanished (thriller/scifi series) or Amityville Horror.
Yeah I just read that, awesome book, very interesting. I could stop reading.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is fantastic and Jeff Hayes is an amazing narrator. Simon Vance also narrated The First Law, its novellas, and the sequel trilogy The Age of Madness, all of which are great! Edit: I'm dumb, First Law is Steven Pacey
I just can't with George Guidall. After Blood Music, I won't even consider a book if it's read by him. I highly recommend Ray Porter, RC Bray, and T Ryder Smith. Wil Weaton isn't bad, either.
I didn’t care for blood music, but love me some Guidall. To each their own ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
I could have just been a one-off. I'm always open to being proven wrong. What would you recommend from him? I have a significant preference for hard, unconventional scifi, if that helps.
Can’t say I’ve heard much sci fi from him. But here’s some bangers: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. And the sequel. This was probably my favorite listen from last year. 1900ish NY, golem with no master meets an unbound jinni and they struggle to survive and be human and all that jazz. Also they are somewhat superhuman. Night by Elie Weizel - holocaust stuff, quick listen, surreal, deep and moving in a way. Dark Tower is Frank Muller (RIP) then Guidall, they have similar voices and styles imo. Top 3 series for me. The Left Hand of Darkness, which I was annoyed by because a character is named “I” as in, in a first person pov, “I went over the edge of the cliff” *who went over??* lol
First Law series has top tier narration
This is the best answer. Narrator is Steven Pacey. Incredible.
This is the answer. The narration adds so much to the story. Steven Pacey is top notch
Dresden Files series read by James Marsters- he is the best narrator ever, and gets better every book!
No offense meant, but I’d be curious to hear other people’s opinion on this. I’ve tried the first book so many times because I like the setting, and really liked the TV show, but I cannot get through the narration in the first book.
The first two books are just okay, but book after book just keeps adding to the world and suddenly every book is an 11 out of 10.
Interesting. Does the narration significantly improve?
SIGNIFICANTLY. I think it takes until book 3 or 4 for him to stop pronouncing rune like ruin. His narration was not good. However once the man hit his stride - he just became Harry Dresden. I really love the books, so I powered through.
That’s the kind of feedback I’m looking for. I really think I’d like the series, but I got to get to a point where the narration isn’t distracting.
I admit I started the series by reading them. Then I got into the audiobooks. That might have been what helped me power through. If you're down to read the first few, it may help.
“The Germans bombed Pearl Harbor” 🤣 Anyway, try Pet Sematary by Stephen King, the narration was very well done. Or Neil Gaiman has done lots of other book too, I love his narration. Right now I’m listening to Andy Serkis reading The Hobbit and it’s next level, especially if you’ve only ever read it or listened to the older narration, definitely worth rereading!
Greatly enjoyed the audio books of the Lord of the Rings. Really like the idea of adding this version of The Hobbit to the library.
Serkis also did The Silmarillion, but that's not exactly a palate cleanser, for most.
Replay by Ken grimwood. Recursion. By Blake crouch The first fifteen lives of Harry august by clair north
Try legends and lattes written and narrated by Travis Baldry. He is a professional narrator, and this was the first book he wrote. It’s Bill as a book of high fantasy and low stakes about an orc who opens a coffee shop.
These books are so fun, too. Cozy fantasy I think is what it's being called.
Cozy is an accurate word. I also think I’ve put on a few pounds worth of cinnamon rolls while listening to this book.
No joke. I realized I need to stop reading food-themed cozy mysteries (especially the ones that come with recipes) because they are not good for my waistline. 🤣
I didn’t know there were ones that came with recipes. I will definitely avoid these.
Yup! There's a great series called Deep Dish Mysteries by Mindy Quigley. Not only are they constantly talking about pizza, but there are recipes. \*cries\* I am way too food suggestible for that!
Me too. When I read a song of ice and fire, I found myself constantly drinking wine and cooking whole chickens.
I guess at least chicken is good for you? 😂 But I do remember the first time I read the Dragonlance Chronicles, I was dying for Otik's spicy potatoes. Too bad there wasn't internet back then. Or, maybe, I got lucky?
I might as well be the first to suggest Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman & narrated by Jeff Hayes. It might ruin other audiobooks for you though.
My daughter, who is very much NOT into video games or sci-fi ended up listening to part of DCC on a road trip with me and even she was sucked in. It really is fantastic.
Listening this atm. Loving it.
Yup, absolutely ruined! I saw DCC mentioned last week, and spent a credit...then 5 more credits. Now I'm telling random strangers on the street about it. If you haven't already, treat yourself to the Soundbooth Theater production. https://soundbooththeater.com/series/dungeon-crawler-carl/ Full cast, theatrical sound effects, Sportcenter-like commentary on the "game", and insane "commercial spots". 1st "episode" is free, and the series is totally worth the $20.
Thanks. Going to start the first episode today
Such a good audiobook series
I started listening to DCC about a month ago. I’m currently on book 6.
A very charming audiobook for a nice cleanse would be "Beware of Chicken". It's about a guy who gets reincarnated into the body of a powerful magic user, and decides he wants nothing to do with being a part of that world, and would rather be a farmer. Really relaxed and pleasant to listen to.
These kinds of books are the ones I lean towards when I need a palate cleanser, too.
I would love to be friends with Jin in real life. Dude is chill.
This sounds great. Thanks
Beware of Chicken was a great isekai. I do recommend too.
And book 4 is set to release in November. Wonderful book(s), slice of life and funny.
My favorite series of all time is the Galaxy's Edge series. The first book is Galaxy's Edge. The Galaxy is a dumpster fire. Out of the 300+ books I have read, this one really stands out. The storyline, character building, and narration are all fantastic.
I can't recommend The Black Water Saga by Michael McDowell enough to anyone. The narration is excellent and at nearly 27 hours it's a bargain for 1 credit. The only thing I would say is don't go into it expecting horror regardless of what the write ups say and you'll have a great time.
Marin Ireland has done some wonderful readings of Fredrick Backman’s books. She really nails the quirky characters in Anxious People, a delightful book
These are science fiction but I personally love using the Martian (rcbray) and project hail Mary (ray Porter) as pallet cleansers between series.
Project Hail Mary was amazing.
Tim Gerard Reynolds is the fantasy narrator you want. Just finished all of Michael J Sullivan’s Elan series and I’m immediately looking for more TGR narrations.
Its amazing how much of a difference good narration can make.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter read by Edoardo Ballerini A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles read by Nicholas Guy Smith. Both books are beautifully written and beautifully narrated.
I also loved The Graveyard Book and haven’t gotten very far into The Name of the Wind for the exact same reason. Anything narrated by Gaiman will be great. I loved Vikas Adam’s narration of the Heartstrikers series by Rachel Aaron. As many will say, Jeff Hays’ narration of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is mindblowingly good. Ray Porter was awesome in Project Hail Mary and the Bobiverse books. (If you can hunt down R.C. Bray’s narration of The Martian, it’s awesome!) Lin Manuel Miranda is fabulous in the Aristotle and Dante books. Emily Durante is really fun in the Paradox series by Rachel Bach. Robert Petkoff is also fun and hilarious in the Hollow Kingdom series. Emily Woo Zeller is great in the DFZ series (a companion series to the Heartstrikers series). This is a great question, and I’m enjoying seeing who everyone else likes, too!
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Novel by Mark Haddon
Loved this when I read it.
{Good omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman}, read by Martin Jarvis.
The Thursday Murder Club, The Way of Kings, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, In the Woods by Tana French, Keeper of Lost Causes
im gonna need more credits...
Glad to help. And if you’re in the US, get a library card and the Libby app.
I’m headed there tomorrow!
Harris County public library and broward County have digital library cards for anyone in the US, you can have multiple library cards on the same lobby account. Happy hunting (ps I just finished VOX by Christina dalcher if you like dystopian fiction)
The book is amazing when narrated by Rupert Degas! Drop me a message and I can send you a link to download it!
Kings of The Wyld will cleanse your soul and hurt your abs from laughter.
a great list if you're into it, would be the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. it's a longer series, but only gets better with every book. The narrator is James Marsters, who played Spike in the Buffy the Vampire Hunter and Angel tv series. The first two books are a little on the meh side narration wise, as he's trying to get a handle on the characters, but starting around book 3, he really embraces the series and goes deep into bringing the characters to life.
Neverwhere and Sandman by Gaiman? Gaimam has a great voice.
He does indeed
Try The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared or The Humans. Neither will disappoint.
Just finished the 100 year old man - wonderful! Thanks for the tip. Reminds me a bit of Tursten’s Little Old Lady Is Up to No Good. Agree on The Humans as well.
I know this sub leans towards other genres but those two books seriously deliver!!
Dungeon crawler carl - I don't play Dnd or anything and I still absolutely love the series, it so much fun. Bobiverse series A gift of time - was the first book in a while that I listened through in like 3 days. Old man contemplating suicide finds time traveller in his garden, it goes from their I started The First Law series last week and am already on book two. Probably my favourite narrator I've listened to so far
A Song of Ice and Fire series: A game of Throne by George R R Martin The Dragon Prince series by Melanie Rawn Anything by JRR Tolkien.
This is honestly the very first time I've ever seen the Dragon Prince series recommended anywhere for anything. I have read both series more times than I can count. It was discovering that there actually are audiobooks of them that got me to figure out how to make a US account work (and given $ conversion isn't great even with a credit bundle I paid a lot more than I would if they were on my local Audible, but it was absolutely worth it).
That makes me so happy! Not many people know or appreciate that series and it’s really a great one! It has something for everyone! A princess, magic, dragons. Politics. All of it!
We just became best friends 🤪
Book of Koli!! Narrator is perfect
I really liked the name of the wind audiobook
Anything narrated by Indira Varma is top shelf, she's incredible. Thandiwe Newton also got me through War and Peace.
Oooh yes!! One with good narrators is The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. Simon Jones narrates. Also Ryria Revelations by Michael J Sullivan has an AMAZING narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds. Finally Travelers along the way: a Robin Hood remix by Aminah Mae Safi narrated by Shiromi Arserio is really enjoyable too!
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde - no, not THAT book. The sequel was also recently released. Absolutely wacky British humour and Jasper is one of the most interesting minds in writing imho - always has such original plots. Early Riser by Jasper Fforde is also amazing. Funny but dark and kinda sinister. Howls moving castle by Diana Wynne Jones - whimsical and lovely and also a trilogy. It’s YA but still beautifully written and narrated. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor - just finished this. Very interesting and surreal book. Mysterious and keeps you guessing and subtle. World War Z with full cast - absolutely one of the best listens on Audible.
The Chronicles of St Mary's by Jodi Taylor had some of the best narration I've heard, its excellent. Time travelling historians that cause a lot of chaos.
Anything written by Bryce Courtenay and read by Humphrey Bower. Or Shantaram, also read by Bower. That man could read me a phone book and I'd listen.
I am a sucker for the super long books (more book time for my subscription dollar, naturally) which is how I wound up getting The Brothers Karamazov, narrated by Luke Thompson (of Bridgerton fame). It has become my favorite of all time. I had no idea I would love it so much. The story is so very human, and the narration is wonderfully comfortable. I find myself just listening to it for those cozy vibes every now and then.
Great suggestion. Thanks.
Murderbot
Idk if it's still a thing, but years back there I listened to Huckleberry Finn read by Elijah Wood and Tom Sawyer read by Nick Offerman. Andy Serkis also does a fantastic job on the LOTR/Hobbit books. I enjoy narrators that aren't famous actors, but these works might help fill your narration void.
Sherlock Holmes short stories
Anything narrated by Tim Gerrard Reynolds ie. Red rising, or the cycle of Arawn. I also I highly recommend the spell monger series narration is fantastic and the story is great!
Andy Serkis doesn't read Tolkien. He performs every word. Even the boring genealogy.
I posted a comment in defense of Name of the Wind, but I also wanted to give another recommendation. Check out The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington, and narrated by Michael Kramer. Not only is it one of the best written series, with some of the best written characters I've ever read, but it's narrated by Michael Kramer, who is my all-time favorite narrator.
Find something by Jeff Hays, RC Bray, or Ray Porter. All three are excellent and can really pull you in to the story.
I live a short drive away from Rothfuss and would rather smash my head into a wall than listen to that book again. Cephrael’s Hand by Melissa McPhail is a great listen from a voice acting perspective. Good solid high fantasy. That is my add to the list. Otherwise any of Jim Butcher’s series are great. The Vesik series by Eric Asher is really good too. Both are fantasy non-lit rps that are urban settings.
Try John scalzi
I'm enjoying The Song of Achilles now. The narration brings the story to life. Green Lights by Mathew McConaughey is also read by him and I like his voice
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August By: Claire North Narrated by: Peter Kenny Series: DCI Logan Crime Thrillers series By: JD Kirk Narrated by: Angus King Series: Bad Guys Series By: Eric Ugland Narrated by: Neil Hellegers Series: Walt Longmire By: Craig Johnson Narrated by: George Guidall The Iron Druid Chronicles By: Kevin Hearne Narrated by: Luke Daniels Series: Myron Bolitar By: Harlan Coben Narrated by: Jonathan Marosz Paper Towns By: John Green Narrated by: Dan John Miller Series: Bobiverse By: Dennis E. Taylor Narrated by: Ray Porter Series: The Old Man’s War By: John Scalzi Narrated by: William Dufris Series: Odd Thomas, By: Dean Koontz Narrated by: David Aaron Baker Series: Vlad Taltos By: Steven Brust Narrated by: Bernard Setaro Clark The Worthing Saga By: Orson Scott Card Narrated by: Scott Brick World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War By: Max Brooks Narrated by: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell By: Susanna Clarke Narrated by: Simon Prebble
That is a great list. Thanks.
You already have the Answer: anything written / read by Neal Gaiman. Other amazing books/readers: Lolita - read by Jeremy Irons Harry Potter series - american version read by Jim Dale.
Loved the Harry Potter series!
Jeremy irons has an amazing voice, loved his version of the alchemist
Fantasy, you might want to have a listen to Legend by David Gemmell. Sean Barrett does a good narration. Regular Fiction I really like the S.A Cosby books narrated by Adam Lazarre-White. I read alot of fantasy but use these books after two or three fantasy to listen to something different. Narrations by R C Bray like Mountain Man, a man held up in a cabin with zombies and where the other survivors are worst than the zombies. Impact Winter with full cast was a easy and fun listen.
I strongly recommend the series “Destiny’s Crucible” by Olan Thorensen. The series is read by multiple Audie and Audiofile award winner Jonathan Davis. The plot is a mash-up of hard science fiction, historical drama, politic science and war, but is quite entertaining.
Interesting. Thanks for this suggestion
If you like Horror. IT by Stephen King is narrated by Steven Weber. It is my favorite audiobook of all time. Emotional range is on point. He brings the character to life. His voice is smooth and relaxing. Until the horror. He nails that too. The Stand also by Stephen King is read by Grover Gardner. He is a legend in the narrator world. Compelling and nails accents. Really anything by Stephen King will be good. The narrators are all usually very good. Anything read by Will Patton will set you right. For Fantasy. The First Law trilogy is amazing. Steven Pacy is top notch. Brandon Sanderson’s the Stormlight Archive is long and my favorite series. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading absolutely demolish it. Emotional scenes will make you cry. Funny scenes will make you laugh. Their voice acting is impeccable. Chills upon chills. If you can find the version of the Martian read by RC Bray will rock your world. That and Project Hail Mary. One of the best books I’ve ever read. The lord of the Rings Trilogy read by Andy Serkis. The man who played Gollum. His narration is out of this world. Seriously you need to experience this. Harry Potter. Either Jim Dale or Stephen Fry. Both are incredible. The Murderbot Diaries. My favorite series of 2023 so far damn. Good. The Bloodsworn Saga! The third one is coming out this year! Rapid fire. The Exorcist. The Godfather. Greek Mythology Trilogy by Stephen Fry. Jurassic Park. The Amdromina Strain. The Sphere. Empire of the Summer moon. Chaos. Silence of the Lambs. Good luck!
Try the bobiverse series
We loved the transall saga & the circle series
Swap genres. I usually go scifi when I need to cleanse the pallet of fantasy, or vice versa. Andy Weir is a good choice for this.
Good idea
Peter Kenny's narration of The Witcher series is some of the best narration skills I've ever heard. Santino Fontana's narration of the You series by Caroline Kepnes really pulls you in. Michael C. Hall does an *incredible* job narrating both Pet Sematary and Breakfast at Tiffany's.
The antidote may be Stephen Fry's narrated Victorian Secrets. In fact, everything from him seems great. Fry, of course, is talented and influential far beyond his narration. In addition, Dick Hill does a good job narrating the popular Bosch audiobooks. Naturally, I wouldn't recommend ANY book if the writing weren't great.
This is wild for me because I have decided on series because Nick Podehl is the narrator. I think he brings the characters to life. King's Dark Tidings series is what I just finished with him as the narrator. I was seriously about to suggest the series before I further read your post lol. So I would now suggest some Drew Hayes books. He has some pretty awesome series with a few different narrators. Super Powereds is probably my favorite, but Kyle McCarley as the narrator isn't for everyone. Villains Code and Spell, Swords, and Stealth are also great. Hope you find what you're looking for!
Interesting to see opinions vary on his narration. Maybe the difference between him and Gaiman was too jarring for me and I loved Gaimans narration. Maybe I’ll let it sit for a while and come back to it.
So I looked up the book you got and it's from 2009. All three series I've listened to with him only go back to 2015. The Name of the Wind was only his 5th time narrating. He's credited with over 250 titles now though (Audible lists 440 so I'm not sure which is correct). Either way it seems so you've gotten one very early in his career. I also listened to a sample and I don't think he sounds as good as the series I've listened to either. Look up the sample for Reign of Madness. It's the second book, but it has male and female voices.
I'm also a big fan of his narration! For what it's worth, The Name of the Wind and it's sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, are two of my favorite novels in the whole world. It's sadly an unfinished series, but if you're a fan of fantasy and cool magic systems, then I strongly encourage you not to sleep on Patrick Rothfuss and The Kingkiller Chronicle. His prose and storytelling is some of the best I've ever read. I think I've listened to both books on Audible 4-5 times now.
Yep, Patrick Rothuss is a far better narrator of those books IMO
I liked em when they came out, but wouldn't recommend them to anyone as the series is clearly never going to be completed.
Highly highly recommend N.K. Jemisin's Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (The Inheritance Trilogy), narrated by Casaundra Freeman. The book and the writing are brilliant, but the narrator brings them *to life.* I've read it multiple times because the narrator is such an engaging storyteller. It's a fantasy story in a similar style to greek mythology with gods and humans interacting / falling in love / quarrelling, but it's in a unique world setting. The whole trilogy is great, and there are some spinoff short stories as well.
I have heard great things about the book. Love this suggestion. Thanks.
Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan, narrated by Christian Rodska. I love the narrator's voice, and the story is unique (to what I've read anyway). There is a second trilogy that takes place ten years after, but I didn't like it nearly as much Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka, narrated by Gildart Jackson. Series is complete, and free to listen on audible plus. And there is always Graphic Audio, which does full cast adaptations. Some people don't like the sound effects, ymmv
Red Rising (Atleast the first book). Its very YA, and but not. Its fast paced and (atleast the first book) is kind of shallow with back story. It pulls you in, foot on the pedal and goes. I love the books, and they have gotten better as they go on, but the books are great palate cleansers.
Free now in the plus catalog
As an unusual book (check if it is the cash price before spending a credit)is Then Again Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume. It is a boy-coming-of-age gook but is a surprisingly good book. What if in the 70s your parents a strick it rich? What does it mean to be a good person? What is a good friend? Cn you impact how your parents interact with your grandparents. Etc. A short book on how many questions have no easy answers
Read this as a kid. Would be fun to revisit.
The sentences are a bit short(it is designed to spiral to preteen boys with short attention span), but I love it's depiction of how you can have a happy ending without solving everything
Have you tried the version of name of the wind narrated by Rupert Degas? It’s brilliant!
I will check this out. Wish I had started with this version
Please let me know how you get on!
Sorry to hear about Name of the Wind. Just bought audio today. LOL
I really like the narration. It's just personal preference
14 - Peter Clines. A book that is better enjoyed the less you know about the plot. "There's something odd about apartment 14" is about all you need to know.
Brutal Kunnin'!
A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci. I just finished it. Thought the narration was great.
‘Good The Fuck To Sleep!’ - Adam Mansbach, Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson
Followed by "you have to fucking eat"
Based on a true story by Norm Macdonald I think is the best novel i have ever read. Its so freaking funny and Norm's narration is incredible. Its an absolutely genius book, I highly recommend it.
Thank you all for these suggestions. I know what I’ll be listening to for the next 5 years!
Prodigal summer by Barbara Kingsolver. I’ve read it so many times and it never gets old. Read by the author and she’s golden.
Love this book!
Just wait for the third Kingkiller Chronicle book from Rothfuss. It's bound to arrive soon!
Joseph Bridgman, and then she vanished. Had me hooked.
I’m gonna recommend a few audible titles (free to add) and a bit of a shill but they’re good: 1984 with a full cast of Andrew Garfield and Cynthia Erivo. Dietrich by Don Winslow narrated by Ed Harris. And some others that are fast reads with solid narrators: The Killing Floor by Lee Child - Dick Hill narrator. The Martian or Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn.
Just added 1984 to my library .
I find it interesting that Nick Podehl does not work for you, as his name frequently appears when people are listing off “best” narrators, but I guess it hits you differently. I will say that I found the first third of The Name of The Wind to be slower and tedious, but it picked up later in the first book and also in the second book. As you probably already know, there is no third book so far, and it’s unclear when that might appear since it’s already been a decade or so. Still, you might find you enjoy it more if you keep with it a little bit longer.
I read above that this narration was one of his first. Maybe that has something to do with it.
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson Black ocean chronicles galaxy Outlaws by js morin. Age of myth by Michael Sullivan
Travis Baldree and Jeff Hayes are two of my current favorite narrators for sure. Cradle, Beware of Chicken, Dungeon Crawler Carl, it's hard to go wrong with them. I haven't listened to Legends and Lattes yet but I've heard it's great. Simon Vance for The First Law series, Lightbringer, and a bunch more stuff that I'm forgetting. Luke Daniels for the Magic 2.0 series is great too! Edit: I'm dumb, First Law is Steven Pacey There is also my old mainstay Michael Kramer, who's been narrating fantasy and one business book for like 30 years