We all know that truly great audiobooks are made by the quality of the narration. Thankfully, there is a wealth of great narrators working in the medium, and countless hours of expert storytelling are available for your perusal right here on Audible. While every listen and narrator are different, the very best performers take the words from the page or script and bring them to life with unique character voices and nuanced inflections, bringing both energy and depth to descriptive passages. Here are just a few of the best audiobook narrators working today, whose extraordinary talents offer exceptional listening experiences.
Therese Plummer
Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a charming, heartfelt story of a female firefighter whose life is upturned completely when her mother calls her back home to Boston. Therese Plummer's performance as protagonist and narrator Cassie is quick-paced and a full display of her finely honed performance chops. Her delivery of Cassie's dialogue and inner thoughts is very human, and invites listeners into the character's life in a way that allows the story to develop effortlessly.
Things You Save in a Fire
As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, Cassie Hanwell is excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it's an emergency Cassie never anticipated.....
Santino Fontana
Stephen King's tense psychological thriller is brought to life by Santino Fontana's smooth, concerted narration. From the suspenseful passages of action and description to the variant drawls of King's characters, Fontana brings a palpable level of expertise to this chilling story. Also the narrator for the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the voice of the villain we most love to hate, You's Joe Goldberg, Fontana’s career has been on an upward trajectory. The same talents that make him such a force in The Institute will surely thrill listeners of whatever he tackles next.
The Institute
From number one New York Times best-selling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It....
Jim Dale
Jim Dale surely had no small task ahead of him when he was asked to narrate the beloved Harry Potter series. How does one faithfully and compellingly capture the hundreds of characters and the beloved settings, and impart the well-known story beats with the gravitas they deserve? Thankfully, his proper British narration succeeds brilliantly, fully capturing the drama, intrigue, and humor of this beloved series. From the opening description of Privet Drive, all the way to the final strains of the epilogue, you will be gripped by Dale's vocal portrait of the Wizarding World.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1
Dion Graham
Dion Graham is a narrator of the highest esteem, bringing life and pathos to every character he portrays. Black Leopard, Red Wolf is a brutal, violent book, the first in a new trilogy of African fantasy novels. True to form, Graham brings in a performance worthy of every syllable of Marlon James's writing, delivering the inner thoughts of the character known only as Tracker, as he and a band of unlikely allies navigate a world of mystic and mortal dangers.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf
Marlon James made literary waves with his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. He followed that book's brutality and pathos up with Black Leopard, Red Wolf, the first in a fantasy series that exudes the same level of frenetic detail and catharsis as the author's previous work. This first audiobook follows Tracker, a mercenary with a talent for tracking scents, as he is hired to find a missing child. The future installments will depict the same events through different characters' points of view. Brought to audio by the studious narration of Dion Graham, whose voice excellently captures the rage and coolness of main character Tracker, this is definitely a trilogy to watch for anyone looking to follow an exciting, ongoing fantasy series.
Richard Armitage
Richard Armitage's voice is deep, soothing at times and commanding at others. In The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Armitage elevates Heather Morris's novel into an intricate, human portrait of the atrocities of the infamous Nazi concentration camp. There is one specific line that sticks with me, in large part thanks to Armitage’s narration, when Lale says to a young man: "We have fists. They have rifles. Who do you think is going to win that fight?" In this moment, the horror of this time in history is depicted in the power imbalance between prisoners and soldiers, and Armitage's portrayal of the subdued emotion behind the words is enough to give you chills.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
This beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov - an unforgettable love story in the midst of atrocity....
Robin Miles
Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste is one of this year’s most resonant, significant works of nonfiction. An analysis of the rigid class hierarchy that Wilkerson posits dominates American life, this listen introduces a new way of thinking about our nation’s legacy of racism and hate. Wilkerson discusses not only historical evidence of the American caste system but also her own identity as a Black scholar and writer, a personal element that makes this work all the more impactful. Caste—at the risk of using a word that is overused when talking about nonfiction—is a truly important one. Narrator Robin Miles delivers the account with an appropriate level of gravitas and reverence, making this captivating read into an even more captivating listen. Her performance is not to be missed.
Caste (Oprah's Book Club)
The Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions....
Julia Whelan
Educated is a deeply personal book that recounts Tara Westover's isolated childhood among survivalists in Idaho, so it might seem a little odd at first that someone else would narrate its audiobook. However, mere minutes into Julia Whelan's take on this celebrated memoir, you immediately forget it isn't the author herself speaking. Whelan expertly channels the personal touches of Westover's writing, and speaks so convincingly that listeners will easily immerse themselves in the book's incredible subject.
Educated
An unforgettable memoir about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University....
JD Jackson
JD Jackson's deep baritone and fully imagined, widely varied character voices bring Attica Locke's mystery Bluebird, Bluebird to life, taking the frenetic page-turned to new heights with the incomparable delivery of a masterful storyteller spinning a yarn. One part murder mystery and one part psychological examination of a small town's racial tensions, Bluebird, Bluebird is excellent in its own right, but Jackson's narration strings together every word with precision and emotion, inviting listeners to sit still and hold their breaths until the story’s explosive conclusion. Jackson is also one of the two narrators (along with the author) featured on the recent Pulitzer Prize winning The Nickel Boys.
Bluebird, Bluebird
Highway 59 series
Locke is a gifted writer of both novels and screenplays. In this novel, she vividly brings to life East Texas and Darren Mathews, a Black Texas Ranger whose attempt to be a good samaritan gets him suspended. But that doesn’t stop him from needing to solve the murder of a white woman and Black man in a small town where tensions are super high. Award-winning narrator JD Jackson’s beautiful, deep voice captures the character of Darren Matthews and East Texas. This entry into the series is followed by the sequel: Heaven, My Home.
Scott Brick
Scott Brick has a voice that just fits into Michael Crichton's seminal novel. In the same way a charismatic professor engages a lecture hall, Brick speaks through the heady and scientifically detailed descriptions in Jurassic Park with authority. In equal measure, his carefully paced speech underscores the severity of the novel's many action sequences. Each type of scene throughout benefits greatly from Brick's narration—which is no surprise, considering Brick's voice has graced the words of such titanic works as Dune, Atlas Shrugged, and In Cold Blood.
Jurassic Park
I had seen the original movie, and even experienced Jurassic Park — The Ride (with 84-foot plunge and all), having been left entertained and invigorated, but not particularly scared or traumatized. So I approached the book expecting much the same. Over the week or so I spent listening to Scott Brick’s cool and unnerving narration of this sci-fi classic, it started to get into my head and even percolate into my dreams. Yes, I, a grown-up who had not had a nightmare in who knows how long, was shocked awake by being chased by dinosaurs, heart pounding and near tears. No other book has had that effect on me, and I now have an irrational fear of long-extinct creatures I had once regarded with charmed fascination. – Tricia, Audible Editor
January LaVoy
From its opening moments through every twist and turn, The Chain is an electric thriller amplified to the umpteenth degree by January LaVoy's narration, which is at times plaintive and at others dripping with intensity. With a cast that includes children, sadists, professors, and otherwise ordinary people driven to deplorable criminal behavior through an extreme circumstance, LaVoy seamlessly jumps between all of their voices, bringing variety and depth to every character in McInty's twisted novel. Lavoy has also learnt this same captivating narrative to other thrilling works, like Thief River Falls.
The Chain
Your phone rings. A stranger has kidnapped your child. To free them you must abduct someone else's child. Your child will be released when your victim's parents kidnap another child....
Prentice Onayemi
Audio biographies are both valuable history lessons and a continuation of the tradition of oral storytelling, recounting the lives and times of notable people in local or global history. In the audiobook of David W. Blight's Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, Prentice Onayemi narrates with a thoroughness and sincerity that suggests a true admiration for the subject. Not a moment of this historical, biographical text is anything less than captivating, thanks to the narrator's great care for the text. This book talks of Frederick Douglass's "poignancy and nuance", two words which I think also perfectly describe Onayemi's oration here.
Frederick Douglass
The definitive, dramatic biography of the most important African American of the 19th century: Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave who became the greatest orator of his day and one of the leading abolitionists and writers of the era....
Davina Porter
Another historical biography brought to life by a greatly talented narrator. While Davina Porter is likely more known for narrating the Outlander series, she brings the same level of care to Alison Weir's biography of Queen Elizabeth I. With an almost scholarly tenor, Porter energizes the historical text that recounts the expansive British royal family tree, as well as significant moments in Queen Elizabeth's life and reign, from wars to Elizabeth's deeply private personal life.
The Life of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I, also known as the Virgin Queen, ascended to the throne at age 25 and never married, yet ruled for 44 years and steered England into its Golden Age....
Vikas Adam
Sometimes, the pairing of an author and an audiobook narrator can seem as though destined to occur. Vikas Adam's narration on the acclaimed Life of Pi is so good that it's almost impossible to imagine any other audiobook narrator in his place. In a stunning performance, Adam fully embodies Pi Patel, a teenage boy who is stranded at sea on a lifeboat, separated from his family and accompanied by a Bengal tiger. Showing his range, Vikas Adam has also contributed audiobook narration to some of The Completionist Chronicles and the Heartstrikers series.
Life of Pi
Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction....
Bahni Turpin
Speaking of author-narrator matches made in literary heaven, such is the case with Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and reader Bahni Turpin. Turpin's narration really gets inside the thoughts of sixteen-year-old Starr, who must navigate the opposing settings of the poor, urban neighborhood where she lives and the prep school she attends in the suburbs. In the aftermath of police shooting her friend during a traffic stop, Starr finds herself grappling with the reality of belonging to two entirely different worlds. Turpin delivers a laudable performance, making subtle distinctions between Starr's internal monologue and spoken dialogue, as well as fully embodying the voices of other characters throughout. This is truly an incredible performance of an incredible novel. When you’ve finished, you’ll want to listen to the rest of Turpin’s work immediately; we recommend you start with Tayari Jones’s Half Light, an unforgettable short listen that meditates on sisterhood, family, and identity.
The Hate U Give
"Fabulous listen"
"This book is stunning. It's not just relevant. The writing is amazing. The characters compelling and complicated. I highly recommend this audiobook if you are not a black person living in America. #blacklivesmattertoo #audiobooks #knitandread" — Kathryne, Listener Since 2011
Luke Daniels
Listeners have called Luke Daniels’s performance of Hounded, the first installment in Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles “perfection” and it’s not hard to see why. The series follows the last of the Druids as he hides behind the persona of an Irish bookseller living in Arizona and battles it out with deities and a host of supernatural beings. Daniels brings a cool swagger to protagonist Atticus O’Sullivan while delivering impeccable character work on a number of ancient Celtic gods and spirits. It’s that very performance that earned him the distinguished title of Audible’s Narrator of the Year in 2012. And with 20 audiobooks currently in the series, there’s no shortage of adventure and exceptional narration to get lost in.
Hounded
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound....
Simon Vance
Hall of Fame narrator Simon Vance has a crispness to his delivery that is near unparalleled. His ability to keep listeners entranced and engrossed in a story made him the perfect actor to take up the task of performing The Millenium Series in its entirety, starting with Stieg Larsson’s critically acclaimed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. With Vance at the helm, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the elaborate web of characters and the dark secrets that tie them together. With a family mystery at its core, you might be tempted to assume you know where The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is headed. But be warned, this listen is one that always stays one step ahead, and Vance’s superb, layered performance will keep you on your toes throughout.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Snowscape
If you haven't already listened to the thrilling, Simon Vance-narrated, Swedish-set Millennium Series, what are you waiting for ... Summer? Who knows what that will even be like.Xe Sands
In one review of Sofia Segovia's debut The Murmur of Bees, a listener shared that Xe Sands’s performance was “so real and lifelike” that it brought her to tears. Undoubtedly, Sands is a standout in the field for her skill at creating genuine characters who inspire empathy and understanding. Her narration of this gutting, emotional listen not only pairs brilliantly with that of fellow performance Angelo DiLoreto, but also tracks each moment of sorrow and hope with exquisite skill. You won’t soon forget the story of little Simonopio—a gifted young clairvoyant boy who is followed by a swarm of bees—and his family, and Xe Sands delivers a breathtaking performance that makes it all the more memorable.
The Murmur of Bees
Prophecies and divine symbols commonly appear in journeys of self-exploration, and The Murmur of Bees incorporates this theme from a unique perspective. Set during the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, this audiobook showcases self-exploration and spiritual growth against the thematic backdrop of magical realism. A baby is discovered under a bridge in a small village, strangely covered in a coat of bees. When most villagers denounce the infant as a sign from the devil or bad luck, one family takes him in and adopts him as their own. As a result, they’re rewarded by his magical abilities: he can see into the future and assists others in times of crisis. While this listen deals with painfully real human problems—a terrifying disease, as well as intolerance and fear of differences—it reminds us of the importance of seeing the magic and acknowledging the miracles all around us, especially in times of trouble.
Edoardo Ballerini
If you’re a fan of Dean Koontz, you likely know the voice of Edoardo Ballerini. Ballerini, an actor who has lent his talents to a number of Koontz’s titles including beloved favorite Watchers (for which Ballerini won the 2019 Audie Award), has earned a fan following for his smooth, pitch-perfect delivery and effortlessly captivating tone. But Ballerini’s portfolio is as diverse as it is outstanding. Don’t miss his narration of Isabel Allende’s gorgeous A Long Petal of the Sea, a skillful, layered performance that rises to meet the novel’s emphasis on hope and resilience all the while highlighting the beauty of its language.
Watchers
On his thirty-sixth birthday, Travis Cornell hikes into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. But his path is soon blocked by a bedraggled Golden Retriever who will let him go no further into the dark woods....
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Though you might recognize Maggie Gyllenhaal more from her career in Hollywood, the Academy Award-nominated actress also happens to be one of our favorite narrators. Her work on Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina is absolutely flawless, but it’s her performance of Sylvia Plath’s sole novel The Bell Jar that truly soars. Protagonist Esther Greenwood is a complex heroine in the throes of a mental health crisis, and Gyllenhaal’s rising-and-falling delivery expertly captures the realities of life in the depths of a depressive spiral. It’s character creation in its most loving sense, gentle and authentic, and it is a true testament to Gyllenhaal’s talents.
The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful but slowly going under....
D.R. Baker is a writer and musician based in New York City. Their work has appeared at Book Riot, Submittable, HowlRound, and others.
