The best fantasy audiobooks, by award record: every Audie Fantasy winner

Looking for a fantasy audiobook that's actually worth a credit? This is the complete record of the Audie Award's Fantasy category — 15 winners from 2012 to 2026, the audiobook industry's own pick for the best fantasy production of each year. The most recent winner is Anima Rising by Christopher Moore, narrated by Mary Jane Wells.

Last verified 2026-06-10 · Source: Wikipedia + APA

Year	Narrator	Audiobook	Author
2026	Mary Jane Wells	Anima Rising	Christopher Moore
2025	Travis Baldree	Bookshops & Bonedust	Travis Baldree
2024	Rosamund Pike	The Dragon Reborn	Robert Jordan
2023	Shayna Small	The Monsters We Defy	Leslye Penelope
2022	Michael Kramer, Kate Reading	Rhythm of War	Brandon Sanderson
2021	Robin Miles	The City We Became	N. K. Jemisin
2020	January LaVoy	The Ten Thousand Doors of January	Alix E. Harrow
2019	Lisa Flanagan	Spinning Silver	Naomi Novik
2018	Kate Reading	The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter	Theodora Goss
2017	Christopher Lane	The Hike	Drew Magary
2016	Vikas Adam	Nice Dragons Finish Last	Rachel Aaron
2015	Kate Reading, Michael Kramer	Words of Radiance	Brandon Sanderson
2014	Stefan Rudnicki	Wisp of a Thing	Alex Bledsoe
2013	Nicola Barber	Anita	Keith Roberts
2012	Khristine Hvam	Daughter of Smoke and Bone	Laini Taylor

Most-awarded fantasy narrators

Kate Reading (3 wins) · Michael Kramer (2 wins).

Most-awarded fantasy authors

Brandon Sanderson (2 wins).

Every Audie Fantasy finalist (the full nominee record)

The Audie Fantasy category names finalists alongside each winner. These 62 audiobooks were nominated but didn't win — also sourced; each title's full record is in the A–Z index.

Year	Finalist	Author	Narrator(s)
2026	A Ruin, Great and Free	Cadwell Turnbull	Dion Graham
2026	Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil	V. E. Schwab	Marisa Calin, Katie Leung, Julia Whelan
2026	The Everlasting	Alix E. Harrow	Sid Sagar, Moira Quirk
2026	The Knight and the Moth	Rachel Gillig	Samantha Hydeson
2025	Black Shield Maiden	Willow Smith; Jess Hendel	Willow Smith
2025	Goddess of the River	Vaishnavi Patel	Sneha Mathan
2025	Someone You Can Build a Nest In	John Wiswell	Carmen Rose
2025	The Bright Sword	Lev Grossman	Nicholas Guy Smith, Lev Grossman
2024	Red Rabbit	Alex Grecian	John Pirhalla
2024	Starling House	Alix E. Harrow	Natalie Naudus
2024	The God of Endings	Jacqueline Holland	Saskia Maarleveld
2024	Tread of Angels	Rebecca Roanhorse	Dion Graham
2023	Cold as Hell	Rhett C. Bruno; Jaime Castle	Roger Clark
2023	Good Omens	Neil Gaiman; Terry Pratchett	Rebecca Front, Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Katherine Kingsley, Arthur Darvill, Peter Forbes, Gabrielle Glaister, Louis Davison, Pixie Davies, Chris Nelson, Ferdinand Frisby Williams, Adjoa Andoh, Allan Corduner, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, John Hopkins, Lorelei King, Matt Reeves, Lemn Sissay
2023	Legends & Lattes	Travis Baldree	Travis Baldree
2023	The Art of Prophecy	Wesley Chu	Natalie Naudus
2022	Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower	Tamsyn Muir	Moira Quirk
2022	The Jasmine Throne	Tasha Suri	Shiromi Arserio
2022	The Sandman: Act II	Neil Gaiman; Dirk Maggs	Neil Gaiman, James McAvoy, Emma Corrin, Brian Cox, Kat Dennings, John Lithgow, Bill Nighy, Regé-Jean Page, full cast
2022	The Witch's Heart	Genevieve Gornichec	Jayne Entwistle
2021	Raybearer	Jordan Ifueko	Joniece Abbott-Pratt
2021	The House in the Cerulean Sea	TJ Klune	Daniel Henning
2021	The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue	V. E. Schwab	Julia Whelan
2021	The Last Smile in Sunder City	Luke Arnold	Luke Arnold
2020	Beasts of the Frozen Sun	Jill Criswell	Alana Kerr-Collins, Tim Campbell
2020	Black Leopard, Red Wolf	Marlon Jones	Dion Graham
2020	Ninth House	Leigh Bardugo	Michael David Axtell, Lauren Fortgang
2020	Time's Children	D. B. Jackson	Helen Keeley
2019	European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman	Theodora Goss	—
2019	Jade City	Fonda Lee	Andrew Kishino
2019	Kill the Farm Boy	Kevin Hearne; Delilah S. Dawson	Luke Daniels
2019	Second Hand Curses	Drew Hayes	Scott Aiello, Marc Vietor, Tavia Gilbert
2018	Red Sister	Mark Lawrence	Heather O'Neil
2018	Skullsworn	Brian Staveley	Elizabeth Knowelden
2018	Snake Eyes	John Conroe	James Patrick Cronin
2018	Spellmonger	Terry Mancour	John Lee
2018	The Refrigerator Monologues	Catherynne M. Valente	Karis A. Campbell
2017	League of Dragons	Naomi Novik	Simon Vance
2017	The Bands of Mourning	Brandon Sanderson	Michael Kramer
2017	The Black Prism	Brent Weeks	Simon Vance
2017	The Everything Box	Richard Kadrey	Oliver Wyman
2016	Ascension	Brian K. Fuller	Simon Vance
2016	Son of the Black Sword	Larry Correia	Tim Gerard Reynolds
2016	The Cycle of Arawn	Edward W. Robertson	Tim Gerard Reynolds
2016	The Fifth Season	N. K. Jemisin	Robin Miles
2015	Cress	Marissa Meyer	Rebecca Soler
2015	Hawk	Steven Brust	Bernard Setaro Clark
2015	The Emperor's Blades	Brian Staveley	Simon Vance
2015	The Queen of the Tearling	Erika Johansen	Katherine Kellgren
2014	Kill City Blues	Richard Kadrey	MacLeod Andrews
2014	Swords of Waar	Nathan Long	Dina Pearlman
2014	The Republic of Thieves	Scott Lynch	Michael Page
2014	The Rithmatist	Brandon Sanderson	Michael Kramer
2013	All Men of Genius	Lev A. C. Rosen	Emily Gray
2013	Heroes Die	Matthew Stover	Stefan Rudnicki
2013	Princess of Wands	John Ringo	Suzy Jackson
2013	The Restorer	Amanda Stevens	Khristine Hvam
2013	Theft of Swords	Michael J. Sullivan	Tim Gerard Reynolds
2012	Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After	Steve Hockensmith	Katherine Kellgren
2012	Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures	Walter Moers; John Brownjohn (trans.)	Bronson Pinchot
2012	The Automatic Detective	A. Lee Martinez	Marc Vietor
2012	The Land of Laughs	Jonathan Carroll	Edoardo Ballerini

See also: Audiobook of the Year · Best Narrator winners · Grammy audiobook winners.