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September 30, 2026 By Miranda Tolsma As an avid D&D player (current artificer, bard at heart) and overall
Source: publishersweekly.
As an avid D&D player (current artificer, bard at heart) and overall fantasy fanatic, I’m always looking for immersive new stories to jump into. And whether you fight with a sword, your fists, or a fireball, there’s an audiobook for you. Take a chance, roll the dice, and read on to find the audiobook match to your character class.
You blur the lines between the arcane and engineering, just like this fantasy murder-mystery. When a man is killed by a tree spontaneously bursting out of his body, eccentric detective Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol are sent to investigate. Set in an empire that harnesses the blood of leviathans to bioengineer its citizens with unnatural abilities, this world’s underlying magic functions as science. Din, enhanced with a perfect memory, conducts the legwork of the case, while Ana prefers to remain at home, blindfolded. From Din’s reports, she can deduce the true nature of the murder – though it may be just the beginning of a larger conspiracy.
Get in loser, we’re smashing the patriarchy AND giant alien mechas. In this powerful audiobook fusing Chinese history and sci-fi, our protagonist Zetian is filled with RAGE, and for good reason. In Huaxia, a girl’s highest honor is becoming a concubine-pilot, someone who helps male pilots power up the massive robots used to battle invading aliens. If this honor often results in her death – well, that’s a necessary sacrifice. Zetian enlists to assassinate the male pilot responsible for the death of her sister, knowing she’ll be signing her own death warrant in the process. But when Zetian kills him in a way that she never expected, she’ll use her newfound power to bring down the misogynistic pilot system.
Is it cliche to give the bard a book where the protagonist romances a dragon (ahem) two hot aliens? Of course. But this fun, sexy romp is filled with humor and heart, perfect for the chaotic life of the party. Dory is a PhD student busy photographing wildlife when she is suddenly abducted via spaceship. Dropped onto a strange planet, she meets Sol and Lok, two very attractive aliens also taken from their home planet, who are now apparently her MATES??? Dory rolls with the punches as the trio travels to find the ones responsible for their capture and “punch them in the face.” You gotta love a book that delivers exactly what it says on the tin.
Reckon with the awe and might of divinity in this tale of a wolf seeking vengeance. As a pup, Blacktail’s mother taught him the old religion, that of the Forest God. But their world of beasts grows smaller each year as humans claim and destroy more and more territory. When Blacktail’s mate, a house dog, is killed, he can stomach the scourge of the two-legs no longer. He invades the home of the humans responsible and enacts his revenge. It isn’t enough. The wolf sets out on a quest to find the Forest God. Only he has the power to end the rule of men. However, the Forest God is sleeping. What will be the price of waking him?
Do you like animals more than people? Curl up with a cat and a cup of tea for this cozy fantasy romance. In 1920s Montréal, stray cats are seen as little more than common pests, but Agnes Aubert is determined to help them find a home. After her building is destroyed, she discovers that her new mysterious landlord is Havelock Renard – an infamous magician who nearly started the apocalypse. But when a rival magician puts her and the cats in jeopardy, she’ll need his help to save the shelter. As the two grow closer, she learns that the handsome magician may simply be misunderstood, much like the cats she rescues.
Surge into action with this fast-paced, sci-fi fantasy epic. Colonist Oliver Lewis is part of the third generation of humans living on the planet of New Sonora. Earth’s government had promised the settlers that they’d be left alone, but when there’s money to be made… plans change. Soon, a greedy corporation turns their world into part of a deadly video game. As war machines piloted by Earth gamers invade the planet, Oliver and his friends must fight off wave after wave of the robots just to survive.
Enter a stunning world of magical martial arts. Jian is the Hero of Legend, prophesied to defeat the Eternal Khan, and bring everlasting peace to the land. Taishi, the kingdom’s greatest war artist, comes to observe his training and finds Jian… lacking. After all, it’s hard to gain combat experience when your opponents aren’t allowed to fight back. She promptly takes over as the brat’s new teacher. But when it’s revealed that the prophecy is wrong, Jian must discover who he really is. As his story collides and diverges with those of unlikely allies, can they somehow save the kingdom anyway?
The martial and the divine collide in this tale of two sisters. Long ago the world was shared by humans, elves, and the fae. Now only the elves remain, their factions locked into an endless war. Yeeran, a newly minted colonel in the Waning army, was literally born on the battlefield. Fighting for her people has become her whole life, but a deadly mistake results in her banishment. Lettle, a diviner who can prophecy the future, won’t let her sister face the unknown alone. She follows Yeeran into the wilderness where they make a shocking discovery – the fae are still living. Now, trapped in the fae’s seductive world, the two are pulled between their loyalties to each other, their homeland, and their hearts.
If stalking enemies through the woods is your favored terrain, let me introduce you to Tracker. A mercenary with an extraordinary sense of smell, he was contracted to find a mysterious boy who went missing three years ago. But now that boy is dead. This literary fantasy epic weaves together African mythology, history, and the art of storytelling to examine the shifting nature of the truth. As Tracker recounts the tales of his adventure to an inquisitor, can you track down what really happened?
If you’re drawn to a tragic backstory and sneak attack damage, sink your teeth into Astarion. Starring the fan-favorite vampire spawn from Baldur’s Gate 3, this dark fantasy adventure is narrated by Neil Newbon, the in-game voice of Astarion. After over a century of servitude to the sadistic vampire lord Cazador Szarr, Astarion spies a chance to win his freedom. He must retrieve the blood of a dead god from underneath Baldur’s Gate. But to do that, he’ll need to team up with a hunky paladin… who’s sworn to destroy the undead.
Wild magic spinning out of control is a common tale among sorcerers – unfortunately so for twelve-year-old Celia. Her powers awaken when she lashes out at her older brother Argent, inadvertently cursing him in the process. Now he wanders the Summerlands, doomed to live a life without love. As the years pass, Celia struggles to find a way to break her curse. But first, she must discover the truth about the centuries-old war between the fey-like summerlings and her own people.
Has your patron ever driven you to participate in a magical competition that will kill you if you lose? That’s precisely what happens to Marco and Celia, two young magicians creating attractions for the mysterious Cirque des Rêves. Though of course, they aren’t informed of the consequences. Their mentors since childhood have been locked in an age long battle to prove whose style of magic is superior, and their students are the latest iteration of this contest. But when Marco and Celia fall in love and slowly uncover the true nature of their game, the fate of the entire circus will hang in the balance.
Nothing says wizard more than a magic school and a hunger for knowledge. Sciona has devoted her life to magic. Through fervent study and raw determination, she becomes the first woman admitted to a prestigious order of mages. However, her new colleagues seem determined to put her down; she’s fighting for her life just for equal resources. Sciona’s research is more important to her than anything. So when they assign a janitor to be her research assistant… well, she might as well teach him. She needs the help and he’s just as capable as anyone else. Though their relationship is tumultuous, together they uncover a secret conspiracy that could change the course of magic and the power structure of their world forever.
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