Audiobooks Like The Dark Is Rising

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Alex Jennings reads *The Dark Is Rising* with a quiet, ceremonial weight — his voice carries the chill of midwinter and the deep time of Arthurian myth without ever tipping into melodrama, which is exactly right for a story where the stakes feel ancient rather than urgent. The nine hours pass with the unhurried inevitability of the solstice itself, the darkness accumulating at its own pace rather than being thrust at you. These recommendations hold to that same register: nearly all run a similar length, most carry Goodreads ratings above 4.3, and one comes from Susan Cooper herself — all of them sharing that rare quality where the magic feels genuinely old and the atmosphere does as much work as the plot.

10 audiobooks for fans of The Dark Is Rising

  1. 1
    King of Shadows cover

    King of Shadows

    by Susan Cooper

    Narrated by Jim Dale

    ★ 3.75 ABR Score (3.8K ratings)
    ★ 3.69 Goodreads (3.8K) ★ 4.18 Audible (68)
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    Young Nat Field escapes his tragic past through theater, but when he joins a Globe theater production, Jim Dale guides listeners through his mysterious transport to Shakespeare's actual time.

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  2. 2
    A Court of Mist and Fury (Part 2 of 2) cover

    A Court of Mist and Fury (Part 2 of 2)

    A Court of Thorns and Roses [Dramatized Adaptation] #2, Part 2 • Book 2

    by Sarah J. Maas, Melody Muze, Anthony Palmini, Amanda Forstrom, Nora Achrati

    Narrated by Amanda Forstrom, Dawn Ursula, Nora Achrati, Darius Johnson, Anthony Palmini, Henry W. Kramer, Natalie Van Sistine, Gabriel Michael, Melody Muze, Jon Vertullo, Mike Carnes

    ★ 4.69 ABR Score (18.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.77 Goodreads (15.8K) ★ 4.87 Audible (2.9K)
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    The dramatized format intensifies Feyre's emotional journey as she grapples with trauma and newfound power in this sequel that completely reframes the original story.

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  3. 3
    Uncrowned cover

    Uncrowned

    Cradle • Book 7

    by Will Wight

    Narrated by Travis Baldree

    ★ 4.67 ABR Score (44.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.56 Goodreads (33.7K) ★ 4.84 Audible (10.5K)
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    Lindon enters the Uncrowned King tournament where sacred artists battle for the right to advance beyond Underlord. Travis Baldree's performance captures the tournament's intensity and Cradle's intricate magic system perfectly.

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  4. 4
    Ghostwater cover

    Ghostwater

    Cradle • Book 5

    by Will Wight

    Narrated by Travis Baldree

    ★ 4.64 ABR Score (43.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.55 Goodreads (35.7K) ★ 4.83 Audible (7.7K)
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    Lindon gets trapped in a dying pocket dimension filled with a Monarch's deadliest experiments, racing against time to scavenge power while avoiding creatures that could annihilate him. Baldree's performance keeps the tension crackling.

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  5. 5
    Dawnshard cover

    Dawnshard

    The Stormlight Archive #3.5 • Book 3

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

    ★ 4.61 ABR Score (148.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (136.9K) ★ 4.84 Audible (11.9K)
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    Rysn leads an expedition to a mysterious island where ancient secrets and deadly Sleepless await. The dual narrator team excels with this quieter Stormlight novella that focuses on discovery rather than warfare.

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  6. 6
    A Court of Mist and Fury (Part 1 of 2) cover

    A Court of Mist and Fury (Part 1 of 2)

    A Court of Thorns and Roses [Dramatized Adaptation] #2, Part 1 • Book 2

    by Sarah J. Maas, Melody Muze, Anthony Palmini, Henry W. Kramer, Jon Vertullo, Amanda Forstrom

    Narrated by Amanda Forstrom, Holly Adams, Nora Achrati, Anthony Palmini, Henry W. Kramer, Natalie Van Sistine, Megan Dominy, Gabriel Michael, Melody Muze, Shawn K. Jain, Jon Vertullo

    ★ 4.58 ABR Score (22.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.7 Goodreads (19.3K) ★ 4.76 Audible (3.1K)
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    Feyre's transformation into High Fae comes with new powers and deeper trauma in this full-cast dramatization that captures every emotional nuance with cinematic sound design.

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  7. 7
    A Hat Full of Sky cover

    A Hat Full of Sky

    Discworld • Book 32

    by Terry Pratchett

    Narrated by Stephen Briggs

    ★ 4.53 ABR Score (84.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (80.7K) ★ 4.83 Audible (3.6K)
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    When young witch Tiffany carelessly steps out of her body, something ancient and evil steps in—Briggs captures both Pratchett's humor and the story's surprising darkness.

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  8. 8
    Skysworn cover

    Skysworn

    Cradle • Book 4

    by Will Wight

    Narrated by Travis Baldree

    ★ 4.53 ABR Score (44.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (36.6K) ★ 4.78 Audible (8.0K)
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    Imprisoned as a dangerous Blackflame, Lindon awaits his duel with Jai Long while a greater threat approaches the Empire. Travis Baldree's performance keeps the tension crackling.

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  9. 9
    The Wee Free Men cover

    The Wee Free Men

    Discworld • Book 30

    by Terry Pratchett

    Narrated by Stephen Briggs

    ★ 4.52 ABR Score (126.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.3 Goodreads (121.4K) ★ 4.8 Audible (5.0K)
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    Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching armed with only a frying pan and common sense must stop monsters from another dimension invading her chalk downs. Stephen Briggs handles Pratchett's mix of humor and genuine stakes perfectly, especially voicing the chaotic Nac Mac Feegle.

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  10. 10
    I Shall Wear Midnight cover

    I Shall Wear Midnight

    Discworld • Book 38

    by Terry Pratchett, Paul Kidby

    Narrated by Stephen Briggs

    ★ 4.47 ABR Score (64.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.36 Goodreads (61.0K) ★ 4.75 Audible (3.3K)
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    Tiffany Aching faces her greatest challenge when witch-hunting fever grips the Chalk, threatening everything she's worked to protect. Briggs captures both Pratchett's humor and the story's darker themes about prejudice and scapegoating.

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How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

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