Bodacious Baddies

The Poppy War

A Novel

The Poppy War

By: R. F. Kuang
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Length: 19 hours 27 minutes

“The first in a brilliant trilogy, The Poppy War is easily one of the best books I have ever read. Kuang illuminates the brutal realities of war via a fantasy world which resembles China during the twentieth century. Her characters are morally gray with a host of complex motivations and world views -- and that makes them all the more compelling.... Read more

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Wayfarers: Book #1

By: Becky Chambers
Narrated by: Rachel Dulude
Length: 14 hours 23 minutes

“This is the funnest, tenderest, most lovable space romp you’ll ever take. There’s a fun plot but the real reason to read this book is the crew of the Wayfarer. Fair warning: You’ll want to follow them anywhere! With inter-species romance, plenty of pronouns, and space-age wisdom, this book made us feel more tender to our own young species of... Read more

Hench

A Novel

By: Natalie Zina Walschots
Narrated by: Alex McKenna
Length: 14 hours 14 minutes

“How can I describe a book so compelling that I couldn't put it down and so engrossing that I screamed out loud? Natalie Zina Walschots has taken many of the tropes of the superhero genre and twisted them to look at the real human cost of those actions. HENCH asks what separates a villian from a hero and how much are we willing to sacrifice in... Read more

The Bear and the Nightingale

A Novel

Winternight Trilogy: Book #1

By: Katherine Arden
Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
Length: 11 hours 47 minutes

“I lie awake at night thinking about this trilogy! A beautiful and thrilling Russian folklore re-telling. Kathleen Gati's narration is excellent. Read more

Spinning Silver

A Novel

By: Naomi Novik
Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
Length: 17 hours 56 minutes

“In her second standalone fantasy, Novik once again mines the tales we know to create something completely modern yet timeless. This reimagined version of Rumpelstiltskin, set in a tsarist, Eastern Europe-like country called Litvas, is breathtaking. It explores female autonomy, class, Jewish life, and oppression while telling a compelling and... Read more

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

A Novel

The Carls: Book #1

By: Hank Green
Narrated by: Kristen Sieh & Hank Green
Length: 9 hours 24 minutes

“This book is so much fun. When April May stumbles across the first ‘Carl,’ she initially thinks it’s an art installation. It turns out these giant statues turned up overnight in major cities around the globe. Due to the viral video she made with her friend Andy, April May finds herself in the middle of a worldwide conversation and trying to... Read more

Foundryside

A Novel

The Founders Trilogy: Book #1

By: Robert Jackson Bennett
Narrated by: Tara Sands
Length: 19 hours 34 minutes

“Foundryside is the first book in Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Foundry trilogy. Not only did this book get me out of my reading slump, it was a book that I just couldn’t stop listening to. The cover grabbed my attention and the story surpassed every expectation that I had. Foundryside is about a well-trained thief, Sancia. She’s good at what she... Read more

A Deadly Education

A Novel

The Scholomance: Book #1

By: Naomi Novik
Narrated by: Anisha Dadia
Length: 10 hours 58 minutes

“A Deadly Education takes a fresh stab at the magical boarding school setting in this inventive and compelling new novel from Naomi Novik. Galadriel Higgins is a student at Scholomance, a dangerous institution full of things that don’t just go bump in the night, they tend to maim and murder the students. In such a perilous place, it’s important... Read more

Rabbits

A Novel

By: Terry Miles
Narrated by: Christine Lakin
Length: 14 hours 5 minutes

“Oh the joy ride that is Rabbits! A game? A conspiracy? Quantum physics? A clever puzzle of a novel that is a compulsive read. Stranger Things meets Ready Player One. It’s fun! Read more

Iron Widow

Iron Widow: Book #1

By: Xiran Jay Zhao
Narrated by: Rong Fu
Length: 12 hours 13 minutes

“This book was amazing, brutal, unique, and horrific. The audio book was absolutely fantastic. There was so much representation and so many difficult topics and situations handled really well. The characters are extremely morally grey but it made it so intriguing to never know what they were going to do next. I will definitely be recommending... Read more

An Ember in the Ashes

An Ember in the Ashes: Book #1

By: Sabaa Tahir
Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham & Steve West
Length: 15 hours 22 minutes

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia... Read more

Ninth House

Ninth House Series: Book #1

By: Leigh Bardugo
Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang & Michael David Axtell
Length: 16 hours 21 minutes

“Queen Leigh’s first foray into adult fantasy is a sensational success! One of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a long while, Ninth House contains Yale secret societies, ghosts, magic, morally gray characters, and murder. Bardugo balances dual timelines with intricate precision, and the history and world-building of her fantastical New Haven... Read more

Girl, Serpent, Thorn

By: Melissa Bashardoust
Narrated by: Nikki Massoud
Length: 10 hours 6 minutes

“This gorgeous young adult fantasy is based on ancient Persian folkore and history, and this made it especially enjoyable as an audiobook because you do not have to guess at the pronunciation of words. Lush world building with romantic elements and an epic quest makes for an enthralling and hard to stop reading/listening tale. Soraya’s journey... Read more

A Song Below Water

A Novel

A Song Below Water: Book #1

By: Bethany C. Morrow
Narrated by: Andrea Laing & Jennifer Haralson
Length: 9 hours 23 minutes

“I loved this book so much; hands down one of my new favorites! This is an incredibly moving story of sisterhood, female power, and finding your voice and using it for good. As a mixed woman, it felt as though Bethany C. Morrow reached into my heart and mind and was speaking for me - verbalizing emotions I’ve never been able to describe before.... Read more

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Fractalverse

By: Christopher Paolini
Narrated by: Jennifer Hale
Length: 32 hours 29 minutes

"Narrator Jennifer Hale's outstanding performance brings this story of alien invasion to life...Hale's range of differentiation is masterly as she animates all the quirky characters Kira meets. From the rough, snarky slang of ex-military woman to the half-mad musings of a human "ship mind," every unique voice enhances the listening experience."... Read more

Certain Dark Things

A Novel

By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Narrated by: Aida Reluzco
Length: 8 hours 46 minutes

“What an engrossing, vibrant, new take on vampires. Part forbidden love story, part revenge caper, part bloodbath, this is easily one of my favorite vampire stories now. I love how Moreno-Garcia creates complex social structures and vampire-specific physical attributes to heighten tensions. This divide between vampires, as well as the... Read more

Mistborn

The Final Empire

The Mistborn Saga: Book #1

By: Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
Length: 24 hours 39 minutes

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned... Read more

Children of Blood and Bone

Legacy of Orisha: Book #1

By: Tomi Adeyemi
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Length: 17 hours 44 minutes

“A sprawling fantasy teeming with deep and meaningful magic. One of the things I like most about this debut is that it raises very real and important issues of our time through multiple character's perspectives. No character is one-dimensional, and every character must learn from failure and introspection to become who they were meant to be. Read more

Uglies

Uglies: Book #1

By: Scott Westerfeld
Narrated by: Emily Tremaine
Length: 10 hours 12 minutes

Soon to be a major motion picture streaming on Netflix!

The first installment of Scott Westerfeld’s New York Times bestselling and award-winning Uglies series—a global phenomenon that started the dystopian trend.

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can’t wait. In just a few weeks she’ll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent... Read more

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Court of Thorns and Roses: Book #1

By: Sarah J. Maas
Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
Length: 16 hours 7 minutes

“An epic start to a well-loved fantasy series, ACOTAR (as it is affectionately known amongst its fans) brings us into a world of High Fae, and a seemingly insignificant human just trying to get by. A fantastic read. Read more