Filed under Epic fantasy, Sci-fi
The best new fantasy audiobooks of 2026
This is my list of the best new fantasy audiobooks of 2026: the big names, the new LitRPG and progression fantasy, the sci-fi, and the romantasy too, because fantasy romance has dominated the charts this year and you will see it everywhere. Every year there is a point where my list of audiobooks to catch up on gets longer than the time I have to listen. This is that post.
I have not heard most of these. Where I have listened to the series I say what I think. Where I haven't, I say so and stick to the facts: who wrote it, who reads it, how long it is and when it came out. Dates and narrators come from the Audible US listings as I checked them on 31 October 2026, so a few of the later ones are still due.
If you have been through the Reddit threads asking for the best fantasy audiobooks of 2026 and come away with forty titles and no order, this is the shorter version: the ones that matter, with the narrator, the length and the date checked.
Titles link to Audible. If you buy through those links, the site gets a small cut at no extra cost to you.
The big names
The most popular fantasy audiobooks of the year, from authors most listeners already know.
The Fires of December
Brandon Sanderson. Narrated by Michael Kramer. 12 hours 42 minutes. Released 6 October 2026.
A new Cosmere standalone with Hoid at the centre. The wider physical release is in December, but the ebook and audiobook came first. I am partway through it now, and I will say more when I have finished. If you like Michael Kramer's voice from Stormlight and The Wheel of Time, you already know what you are getting.
Blightfall (Riftwake, Book 1)
Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson. Narrated by Andrew Gallo and Sophie Aldred. 12 hours 16 minutes. Released 1 September 2026.
The first book in the sequel trilogy to Skyward. Arturo Mendez of Skyward Flight leads a mission to the planet Blightfall. I have started this one. It suits anyone who finished the Skyward books and wants to know what happens next. The second book, Songrise, is due in summer 2027.
Songs of the Dead (The Strata Wars, Book 1)
Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian. Narrated by Luke Daniels. 14 hours 12 minutes. Released 16 June 2026.
The first Strata Wars novel, and Orullian now owns the series. It is one for Sanderson readers who like to follow his collaborations. It is on my list.
Twelve Months (The Dresden Files, Book 18)
Jim Butcher. 16 hours 59 minutes. Released 20 January 2026.
The eighteenth Dresden Files novel, set across a year of Harry Dresden's mourning and political manoeuvring in Chicago. This is for people already deep in the series, not a place to start. I haven't heard it yet.
Out Law: A Dresden Files Novella
Jim Butcher. Narrated by James Marsters. 4 hours 12 minutes. Released 5 May 2026.
A short Dresden Files story, a good fit for a day or two of listening between the full books. Audible lists it as Book 18, which can confuse things, but it is a novella. It is on my list.
Grave Peril [Dramatized Adaptation] (The Dresden Files, Book 3)
Jim Butcher. Full cast. 11 hours 36 minutes. Released 30 April 2026.
A full-cast dramatised version of the third Dresden Files novel. Fool Moon, the second book, got the same treatment in January. If you want to hear the early books done a different way, this is the place to try it. I haven't listened to these yet.
A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 8)
Matt Dinniman. Narrated by Jeff Hays. 20 hours 27 minutes. Released 12 May 2026.
Carl and Princess Donut face a dungeon racing game that spirals into glitches and conspiracies. It was in the Audible US fantasy chart at the end of October. Dungeon Crawler Carl is the most fun I have had with an audiobook, and Jeff Hays is a big part of that. My review of the series is here.
LitRPG and progression
Most of these series are already on the site, and the new LitRPG audiobooks keep arriving fast. Travis Baldree reads a lot of them.
The Primal Hunter 13
Zogarth. Narrated by Travis Baldree. 20 hours 12 minutes. Released 7 January 2026.
Book 13 of the series. I loved the first two Primal Hunter books but I didn't keep that feeling up, so I can't tell you much about the later ones. They are long, and they keep coming, so plenty of listeners clearly stay the course.
The Primal Hunter 14
Zogarth. Narrated by Travis Baldree. 18 hours 36 minutes. Released 27 May 2026.
Book 14, and the second of three Primal Hunter books this year. If you are a listener who stuck with the series, this is your next one.
The Primal Hunter 15
Zogarth. Narrated by Travis Baldree. 21 hours 3 minutes. Released 19 August 2026.
The third Primal Hunter book of 2026. Same advice as the last two: this one is for people already well into the series.
Mark of the Fool 10
J.M. Clarke. Narrated by Travis Baldree. 23 hours 21 minutes. Released 18 March 2026.
Alex Roth faces the freed Ravener in the tenth book. What I love about this series is that the progress is earned, and Alex works things out rather than being handed them. I haven't heard book 10 yet. It has a 4.9 rating on Audible from over 3,700 ratings.
He Who Fights with Monsters 13
Shirtaloon and Travis Deverell. Narrated by Heath Miller. 22 hours 21 minutes. Released 6 October 2026.
The latest in a series I liked a lot, and it was in the Audible US fantasy chart in late October. I haven't heard this one yet.
Archmage's Ire (The Wandering Inn 18)
pirateaba. Narrated by Erin Bennett. 48 hours 18 minutes. Released 31 March 2026.
A huge book, even by Wandering Inn standards. I enjoyed this series without falling for it, so I'm not the person to tell you how the later books go. If you are already a fan, this is a lot of listening for your credit.
Couriers Outbound (The Wandering Inn 19)
pirateaba. Narrated by Erin Bennett. 42 hours 24 minutes. Released 26 May 2026.
Book 19, and only two months after the last one. It is another long listen for people who are settled in the world of the inn.
Memory's Flame (The Wandering Inn 20)
pirateaba. Narrated by Erin Bennett. 43 hours 54 minutes. Due 3 November 2026.
Book 20 closes out the year for the series. It is scheduled and not out as I write this.
Defiance of the Fall 17
TheFirstDefier. Narrated by Pavi Proczko. 24 hours 45 minutes. Released 16 September 2026.
Book 17 of the progression fantasy series. I liked Defiance of the Fall a lot, and this one is on my list.
Azarinth Healer, Book Six
Rhaegar. Narrated by Andrea Parsneau. 20 hours 6 minutes. Released 3 February 2026.
Book six of the series. This one is on my list.
Azarinth Healer, Book Seven
Rhaegar. Narrated by Andrea Parsneau. 21 hours 24 minutes. Released 15 October 2026.
Two Azarinth Healer books in a year is a good pace for fans. I haven't listened to either yet.
Unmapped (The Completionist Chronicles, Book 13)
Dakota Krout. Narrated by Luke Daniels. 16 hours 12 minutes. Released 14 January 2026.
I loved the first Completionist Chronicles book. The series has kept going well past that, and these two are far down the road, so I haven't heard them.
Uncapped (The Completionist Chronicles, Book 14)
Dakota Krout. Narrated by Luke Daniels. 16 hours 24 minutes. Released 2 June 2026.
The next book in the series. If the first one hooked you as it did me, this is where you end up.
Beware of Chicken 6
Casualfarmer. Narrated by Travis Baldree. Due 8 December 2026.
The sixth Beware of Chicken novel, a cultivation story. It is scheduled and not out yet. I haven't listened to the series.
Flowbreaker (Weapons and Wielders, Book 4)
Andrew Rowe and Mallory Reaves. Narrated by Nick Podehl. Due 3 November 2026.
The fourth book in the Weapons and Wielders series, set in the Arcane Ascension universe. It is scheduled and not out as I write this. This one is on my list.
Fantasy beyond the usual names
Daughter of Crows (The Academy of Kindness, Book 1)
Mark Lawrence. Narrated by Olivia Dowd. 14 hours 30 minutes. Released 24 March 2026.
The first book in a new series from the author of the Broken Empire and Library trilogies. A survivor of a brutal academy has to face her past. Grimdark Magazine put it on its best-of-2026-so-far list in August. I haven't heard it.
Soulstealer (The Soulflake Conspiracies, Book 1)
Miles Cameron. Narrated by Peter Noble and Sophie Aldred. 16 hours 57 minutes. Released 8 October 2026.
The start of a new Miles Cameron fantasy series. It suits people who want to get in at the beginning of something. It is on my list.
Victorious (Villains, Book 3)
V.E. Schwab. Narrated by Jeremy Arthur. 14 hours 48 minutes. Released 6 October 2026.
The concluding Villains book, in which two rivals face a final showdown. If you read or heard the first two, you will want this one. I haven't heard any of the series.
Dead Beat (Ninth House, Book 3)
Leigh Bardugo. Audiobook date and narrator not yet confirmed.
The conclusion to the Ninth House trilogy, in which Alex Stern fights demons spreading through Yale. I couldn't find a firm audiobook date, so check Audible before you plan around it.
They Cry (Chronicles of the Black Company, Book 13)
Glen Cook. Narrated by Jonathan Davis, Aria Holland and Dahlia Summers. Due 3 November 2026.
A new Black Company novel. Audible's numbering of the Black Company books is inconsistent, so go by the title rather than the number. It is scheduled and not out as I write this.
Engines of Reason (Elder Race, Book 2)
Adrian Tchaikovsky. Narrated by John Lee. 4 hours 12 minutes. Released 1 September 2026.
A short Elder Race book, so a quick listen. It is a nice way into Tchaikovsky if you want something small.
Sci-fi
The sci-fi and fantasy audiobook charts overlap more every year, so the big sci-fi releases belong here too.
The Commander (The Last Horizon, Book 5)
Will Wight. Narrated by Travis Baldree. 12 hours 9 minutes. Due 1 December 2026.
The fifth Last Horizon book, from the author of Cradle. It is scheduled and not out yet. I haven't heard the Last Horizon series.
Last Ride (Expeditionary Force, Book 20)
Craig Alanson. Narrated by R.C. Bray. Due 8 December 2026.
The twentieth Expeditionary Force novel. It is scheduled and not out yet. If you have been with R.C. Bray this long, you do not need me to sell it to you.
Spawn World (Undying Mercenaries, Book 26)
B.V. Larson. Narrated by Mark Boyett. Due 24 November 2026.
Book 26 of Undying Mercenaries. It is scheduled and not out yet.
Exoplanet
Andy Weir and Benjamin Percy. Full cast including Anthony Mackie, Ariana DeBose, John Leguizamo and Ray Porter. 4 hours 6 minutes. Due 5 November 2026.
This is a sci-fi audio drama, not a novel, co-written by Andy Weir. It is short and scheduled for early November. It is on my list.
Romantasy
I don't listen to much romantasy, but fantasy romance audiobooks are hard to ignore at the moment. These two are near the top of the charts.
A Court of Splintered Harmony (A Court of Thorns and Roses, Book 6)
Sarah J. Maas. Narrated by Elizabeth Evans. 12 hours. Released 27 October 2026.
The sixth ACOTAR book was number one on the Audible US fantasy chart on 31 October. A full-cast dramatised version is scheduled for 23 December. This is not a series I have heard.
Threshing Day (Wing and Claw Collection)
Rebecca Yarros. Narrated by Justis Bolding, Jake Bordeaux, Chase Brown and others. 5 hours 51 minutes. Released 29 September 2026.
Thirteen stories with favourite Empyrean characters and their dragons. A dramatised version came out on 13 October. It is one for people who have already finished the main books. I haven't heard it.
Where to go next
If this list has you wondering where to start rather than what to catch up on, I put together a short set of questions that picks a series for you. And if you want the complete picture, my list of the best fantasy series of all time for audiobooks is the place to begin. That is where the highest rated fantasy series on the site live, across every year rather than just this one.
I'll update this post as the last few books of the year arrive, and I'll add what I think of the ones I get to.