10 Audiobooks That Go Above and Beyond Just Narrated Words

If you’re looking for a really fun story backed by an incredible narrator, I can’t recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl enough. It’s one of my favorite LitRPG books and is absolutely bonkers from start to finish. The story follows a guy named Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat as the earth gets overtaken by aliens running an ongoing intergalactic game show. It’s a really fun read with surprising depth as you get further into the series. The whole thing is elevated even more by narrator, Jeff Hays, who brings all of the crazy characters to life. It’s one of those books where the audiobook version really is better, in my opinion.

There are currently eight Dungeon Crawler Carl books in the series with a ninth on the way in May. The series has already been picked up for a TV adaptation and is getting its own tabletop RPG.

The Harry Potter books have had many different iterations at this point, including multiple audiobook versions. That being said, the new full-cast audio editions are something entirely new and worth your time even if you’ve read the books multiple times. The cast features high-profile names like Hugh Laurie as Dumbledore and Riz Ahmed as Snape. The production value is also wonderful, with tons of little background details and noises mixed into the experience. I’ve listened to the first two books in this format and absolutely loved it.

The first six books have all received the full-cast audio treatment, with the final book releasing on May 12, 2026.

Project Hail Mary is getting a lot of attention these days thanks to the new Ryan Gosling movie, but everyone I’ve talked to maintains that the book is still better. While I haven’t watched the film yet, Andy Weir’s sciency space novel is one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time. What’s more, the audiobook community consistently lists Ray Porter’s rendition of the story as one of the best in the industry. Some listeners have even gone so far as to say they have trouble listening to anything else after Project Hail Mary, so be careful with this one!

Brandon Sanderson has produced one of the most successful fantasy book franchises of the modern age. I can’t recommend his Cosmere universe enough. But ironically, it’s his sci-fi series I’m recommending as one of my favorite audiobooks. Skyward is the story of a young girl named Spensa whose dream is to become a pilot and fight the aliens who have been attacking humanity for years. It’s a fast-paced story that falls somewhere between Ender’s Game and Star Wars, with narrator Suzy Jackson truly elevating the emotion of the characters.

I started listening to the Skyward audiobooks while I was sick a few years back and ended up binge-listening to all of them at once. The series is made up of four books, with Spensa’s story wrapping up in the fourth entry.

The Lord of the Rings books are what essentially birthed the entire fantasy genre, so it shouldn’t be too surprising to see them on this list. Tolkien’s work has transcended into pretty much every medium, with Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy leading the way. For those who loved the movies but don’t necessarily want to read the books themselves, the audiobook is an excellent compromise. That’s because Andy Serkis (the voice of Gollum) is actually the one that narrates the whole thing. Serkis does an excellent job of doing all of the voices without directly copying the cast of the movie. His rendition of the books is very well-received on the LotR Reddit, which tells you all you need to know.

Jim Butcher had been writing The Dresden Files for years and the books have consistently been one of my favorite reads. The series has the right mix of urban fantasy and noir crime thriller that makes for a rather entertaining read (or listen). The story follows a Wizard based in Chicago who makes a living solving magical-related cases for clients. The narration is done by James Marsten, who starts to hit his stride in book three of this series. If you’re looking for longer series to really dig into, I highly recommend starting with these.

There have been a total of 18 Dresden Files books in the series so far, with the most recent addition arriving just this year.

I’m a big fan of romantasy books, and Throne of Glass is one of my all-time favorites. Sarah J. Maas has gotten more attention in the BookTok community for her ACOTAR series, but I found Throne of Glass to be much more suitable to a wider audience. There’s certainly some very intimate moments in the series, but the story is more about character and worldbuilding than the romance itself. Following Celaena’s tale from slavery to champion is something you can easily listen to without getting too worked up and Elizabeth Evans does a terrific job with narration.

If you want something a bit steamier, it’s worth noting that A Court of Thorns and Roses has a set of full-cast audiobooks that are quite good. With ACOTAR book 6 and 7 on the way later this year, there’s never been a better time to become a fan of her work.

I haven’t actually read Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series, but it comes highly recommended. Our fantasy book expert, Scott White, has it listed as one of the best books for Brandon Sanderson fans to read next. The story follows Darrow, a lowly miner on Mars who rises from the tunnels to the center stage of a revolution. It’s the perfect mix of sci-fi and action for anyone looking for a thrilling space saga to be fully absorbed by.

As for the audiobooks, the community is a bit divided on which ones you should listen to. There’s the standard narration version, voiced by Tim Gerard Reynolds, as well as a full-cast dramatized version. Many fans claim the Reynolds version to be superior, but it really depends on what you’re looking for in your audio experience.

IT is one of the most popular books by Stephen King. It’s gotten multiple movie adaptations since it’s release back in 1986 and even a spin-off series (Welcome to Derry) to carry on its layered themes of suspense, friendship and terror. If you’re a fan of horror and are looking for a spooky audiobook, there’s no better starting point than IT. Sam Weber’s narration goes above and beyond, with many listeners calling it one of the best audiobooks out there. One Reddit user went so far as to say this about Weber’s performance: “You can tell he’s completely invested, knows each character so well and brings the story to life”.

George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series is easily one of the most popular stories on the planet right now. It spawned the Game of Thrones TV show and various HBO spin-offs that fans just can’t get enough of. If you’ve watched the show and are looking to dive into the source material, I’d definitely recommend starting with the audiobooks first. The narrator, Roy Dotrice, does an excellent job at bringing the fight scenes to life and making even the most minute details more enjoyable. The audiobooks, in my opinion, are much easier to enjoy than the dense novels themselves.

I can’t talk about this series without mentioning that it still isn’t finished. Fans have been waiting on the next book in the series for ages now and Martin has said he might not finish it. Roy Dotrice has unfortunately passed away as well, so if the series ever does get finished, it will need a new narrator.

What are some of your favorite audiobooks right now? Let me know in the comments.

Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor’s degree in communication and 10 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics — from TV series to books and the latest Pokémon games.