15 Best Audiobooks Based on Narrator
Audiobooks are a great way to get reading in while doing chores, on long car rides, or while doing mundane tasks at work. Most narrators are obviously good at their job, but not all narrators are great at it. Below are fifteen audiobooks/audiobook series that have stuck in my mind long after finishing them, thanks to the narrators. All but three of them are sci-fi/fantasy/mythology, so you can guess what my favorite genres are. Happy listening!
Series
The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne, narrated by Luke Daniels (9 primary works, 13 novellas)
Luke Daniels is by far my number one favorite narrator. Daniels’ narration is just so ridiculously fun that I cannot accurately describe the delight of listening to him for 9 books. One of the series’ main characters is a dog named Oberon, whose thoughts we get to hear, and Daniels’ voice for him is priceless. Later in the series, we get to meet a sloth character whose thoughts we can also hear, and my heart nearly exploded because she’s so adorable. Add to the fact that this is simply a well-written and entertaining series regardless of narration, and you’ve got a hit.
The series follows Atticus, last of the Druids, who does his best to help heal the earth while staying out of the way of mischievous gods of various origin. He is aided by his sidekick Oberon, an Irish Wolfhound with magically extended long life. He gains an apprentice in book 2, Granuaile (gron-you-wail), who is a boss bitch all day long. We meet gods from all pantheons and different versions of those gods.
*Content warning* Atticus can sometimes be sexist in his remarks and actions throughout the series. Luckily, Atticus gets some righteous judgment at the end of the series for some of his poor behavior.
The Expanse by James S.A. Corey, narrated by Jefferson Mays (9 primary works, 9 novellas)
Jefferson Mays provides solid narration in this sci-fi series that is also now a completed TV series on Amazon. (Also go watch that!) He doesn’t necessarily perform with a chorus of voices so much as he conveys characters through tone and expression, which I appreciate since it’s so much more nuanced. I haven’t had any difficulty following him, and his gravitas for such a dramatic series is just right. I think of him when I think of an established voice actor who knows how to do their job right.
The Expanse is based on a D&D campaign, and James S.A. Corey is a pseudonym for two of the players that write the books. The series is a poster child for how awesome D&D can be, since it’s not only the books that are popular, but also the TV series. It’s set in the future, when science has progressed to the point of colonizing the moon, Mars, and the asteroid belt. Shenanigans occur when an alien substance is discovered for the first time and throws the solar system into chaos.
Montague Siblings by Mackenzi Lee, narrated by Christian Coulson (3 primary works, 1 novella)
Christian Coulson narrates books 1, 1.5, and 3 of this series. (Book 2 has a woman voice actor, Moira Quirk, who does a great job.) Books 1 and 1.5 are my particular favorite for Coulson as he narrates the gay main character who is sassy and witty. Comedic timing is so hard to get right, but Coulson really nails it.
This story is set in the 1700s as Monty, sister Felicity, and bff Percy have their vacation waylaid by hijinks with mad scientists and pirates. Book 2 unexpectedly turns into fantasy as a mythical creature is introduced, which carries into book 3. The books are all full of surprising adventures as well as pleasantly interesting character development. Brownie points for all the queer representation!
Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes, narrated by Kirby Heyborne (7 primary works)
I have admittedly only listened to the first book in the series, The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant, but I’m confident enough to sell the whole series on this book alone. The title should clue you in to the fact that this is definitely a comedy series, and Heyborne delivers well.
Fred is an ordinary, boring accountant until he gets turned into a vampire. The problem is, the vampire who turned him was killed before Fred rose, so Fred doesn’t know how to be a proper vampire. Thus he goes back to his job as an accountant like nothing happened, and begrudgingly gets pulled into supernatural drama along the way. It’s a very light-hearted and short book coming in at seven hours of listening.
Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Stephen Fry (9 primary works)
I don’t think this series needs any introduction, nor does Stephen Fry. As an actor of renown who’s known for his particular love of Sherlock Holmes, it then comes as no surprise that Fry’s narration of Doyle’s series is perfection. His work as a voice actor is so great that he’s listed again below with his own book series.
His Dark Materials, The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman, narrated by the author (HDM 3 primary works, 4 novellas; BOD 2 primary works with 3rd TBR)
What an epic! His Dark Materials is pretty well known by general audiences now since there was a (mediocre) movie and an ongoing (and fantastic) series. But don’t forget about his sequel trilogy, not yet complete! Lyra is back as an adult, as clever as ever. Philip Pullman does his own narration for all of these books. It can be pretty hit or miss when an author does their own narration, but Pullman knows his craft. His voice sounds like a grandfather sitting by a roaring fire with a mug of tea, ready to tell you about some glorious adventures with mystical creatures. His voice is so soothing that I would listen to it any day; perfect for soothing your nerves.
Great Mythology by Stephen Fry, narrated by the author (4 primary works)
Speaking of soothing nerves, Fry certainly has that effect as well. Ready for another fireside chat? Listen to Fry retell his favorite Greek myths. What I particularly appreciate is that Fry explains where different accounts of certain characters diverge and why he prefers one version over another, letting the listener make up their own mind. He also explains varying pronunciations of characters’ names.
The series is made up of Mythos, Heroes, Troy, and The Odyssey. Fry’s approach to these stories is more palatable than the dry or confusing versions you read in school, with the bonus of great narration.
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, narrated by Roy Dotrice (5 primary works)
RIP Roy Dotrice, fantastic voice actor, so beloved as this series’ narrator that he played a small role in two episodes of the Game of Thrones series. It’s tragic that any further books George R.R. Martin writes won’t have Dotrice as the narrator, but at least his voice lives on in the five currently published works of the series.
Stand-Alone Novels
Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky, narrated by Emma Newman
Wow. Just wow. This book was so unexpected and Emma Newman hits a home run in the narration. She is so earnest and puts so much emotion into her work. Her pacing is perfect and she conveys the drama of the story with such care.
The first 20% of this book was a little slow for me since it’s quite a long-winded set-up of the premise, but it pays off in the end. In an alternate 18th century Europe-like continent where magic exists in specific and rare forms, a young woman from a relatively wealthy family is drafted into war after all the men have been drafted. The tedious lives of this wealthy family are directly contrasted by the heroine being thrust into war quite suddenly and with surprising results. This is the book you didn’t see coming.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman, narrated by full cast for 10th anniversary edition
With a story as encompassing as American Gods, you need a full cast to really appreciate it. (This is not the TV series cast but rather a voice actor cast.) A full cast isn’t automatically a win for me, but this cast did well, likely guided by Gaiman. I haven’t seen the series yet but I’m told that the book is much more detailed and so is definitely worth the read. Perhaps I’ll make my way around to the show soon!
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish, narrated by the author
Generally speaking, any comedian’s memoir is going to be gold since they already understand comedic timing, but Tiffany Haddish is just on another level. Her timing is flawless and her content is so real and refreshing. She draws on her financial difficulties to honestly portray a life of hardship, but with a killer wit to balance it out. I listened to this in the gym pre-covid and was unabashedly laughing the whole time; laughing is a good ab workout!
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, narrated by the author
Like Roy Dotrice and Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman has the perfect fireside story voice. He’s a natural storyteller both on the page and orally. Just as Stephen Fry curated his own interpretations of Greek myths, Gaiman here has curated his own interpretations of Norse myths. Thor and Loki in traditional mythology are not quite what we’re used to from the MCU, but it would be boring if they were. It’s interesting to see how people interpret characters in slightly different ways over time.
The Martian by Andy Weir, narrated by Wil Wheaton
I didn’t know that I was interested in science-heavy sci-fi until I listened to this book. I had seen the movie when it first came out, which was good, but the movie doesn’t come close to describing all the math and engineering Mark Watney did to survive on Mars. After listening to this book, I immediately researched Weir’s other works as well as other authors also writing science-heavy sci-fi (I highly recommend Seveneves by Neal Stephenson). If you’re not into detailed descriptions of engineering a rover for a long drive, that’s totally cool, but you probably won’t like this book. Wil Wheaton’s narration is superb; Mark Watney has a good sense of humor for someone stuck on a planet by themselves, and Wheaton balances that humor with the technical descriptions really well. I never felt bogged down by information, but rather riveted by what would come next.
Clanlands by Graham McTavish and Sam Heughan, narrated by the authors
Get ready for a goofy adventure! This book was specifically made to accompany the Men in Kilts one-season series that McTavish and Heughan made about Scottish history and culture, so it’s not required but certainly recommended to watch that first. But if you want to read this book at all, definitely opt for the audiobook over a physical copy so that you can hear the banter of these two gentlemen. They began a close friendship through the filming of the show Outlander, so creating this show and book was the perfect way for them to work together again. We the audience benefit by listening in on their ridiculous conversations and pranks. Bonus for Outlander fans: they tell a few stories about filming the show. The main draw, however, is their explanation of Scottish customs and description of significant locales.
Circe by Madeline Miller, narrated by Perdita Weeks
I think it was this audiobook that got me interested in mythology again, leading to the reading of Stephen Fry and Neil Gaiman’s works referenced above. I had never read a myth story told in contemporary novel form, and it works surprisingly well; this reiterates my argument that it’s nice to hear retellings of old stories, because sometimes just wrapping it in a modern package can get readers to engage with it that much more. If students are having trouble engaging in studying mythology in school, I think it would be acceptable to have them read these modern retellings alongside in order to increase their interest. Add in a phenomenal reading by Perdita Weeks, and you’ve got yourself some great entertainment. Most mythology is about men and is read by old white men, so it’s refreshing to get a woman narrator, especially considering that it features a heroine. More woman-led mythology, please!