10 audiobooks for fans of The Elfstones of Shannara
- 1
Jarka Ruus
High Druid of Shannara • Book 1
by Terry Brooks
Narrated by Scott Brick
Why this book?
Scott Brick's masterful narration returns to bring Terry Brooks' world-building to life with the same immersive quality, while Jarka Ruus maintains the epic fantasy adventure and themes of good versus evil that defined The Elfstones of Shannara. The more compact runtime delivers the same rich, character-driven storytelling without sacrificing the sweeping scope listeners loved in the original.
★ 4.24 ABR Score (16.0K ratings)★ 3.98 Goodreads (14.9K) ★ 4.51 Audible (1.1K)More about this pick
Twenty years after renouncing her role as the Ilse Witch, Grianne Ohmsford now leads the Third Druid Council but faces enemies who want her gone.
- 2
Small Magic: Short Fiction, 1977-2020
list
by Terry Brooks
Narrated by Scott Brick, Mark Deakins, John Lee, Kristen Sieh
Why this book?
Scott Brick's familiar narration carries you through Brooks's shorter works with the same immersive quality that made The Elfstones of Shannara compelling, while the collection's varied stories explore the magical themes and world-building that define his fantasy vision in more concentrated, varied doses.
★ 4.14 ABR Score (881 ratings)★ 4.22 Goodreads (681) ★ 4.59 Audible (200)More about this pick
Multiple narrators keep these 40+ years of Brooks' shorter tales feeling fresh, each voice perfectly matching the story's tone and world. If you've loved his Shannara or Magic Kingdom series, these character deep-dives and forgotten corners of his universes will hit different.
- 3
Unfettered III: New Tales
The Chathrand Voyage #Thasha's cure for cabin fever • Book 3
by Shawn Speakman, Tad Williams, Naomi Novik, Megan Lindholm, John Gwynne, David Anthony Durham, Callie Bates, Jason Denzel, Carrie Vaughn, Deborah A. Wolf, Anna Stephens, Patrick Swenson, Ramon Terrell, Peter Orullian, Terry Brooks, Lev Grossman, Seanan McGuire, Delilah S. Dawson, Mark Lawrence, Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Todd Lockwood, Cat Rambo, Robert V.S. Redick, Ken Scholes, Scott Sigler, Anna Smith Spark, Marc Turner
Narrated by Khristine Hvam, Natasha Soudek, Mark Bramhall, Michael Page, Vikas Adam, Tim Gerard Reynolds, Andrew Wincott, Luke Daniels, Brian Nishii
★ 4.04 ABR Score (779 ratings)★ 3.98 Goodreads (571) ★ 4.37 Audible (208)More about this pick
This charity anthology features stories from fantasy's biggest names, with multiple narrators bringing each author's unique voice to life.
- 4
Unfettered II: New Tales
Gunnie Rose #0.0 - The Gunnie
by Shawn Speakman, Naomi Novik, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Michael J. Sullivan, Janny Wurts, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Mark Lawrence, Seanan McGuire, Peter Orullian, Aidan Moher, Erin Lindsey, John A. Pitts, Anthony Ryan, Scott Sigler, Django Wexler, Rachel Caine, Sarah Beth Durst, David Farland, Terry Brooks
Narrated by Sarah Coomes, Michael Kramer, Emily Woo Zeller, Nick Podehl, Erin Mallon, Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.01 ABR Score (1.5K ratings)★ 3.92 Goodreads (1.1K) ★ 4.25 Audible (340)More about this pick
Twenty-one fantasy heavyweights contribute original stories to this charity anthology, creating a sampler that showcases the genre's current masters across multiple narrative styles.
- 5
Unbound
Annwn Cycle #The Dead's Revenant • Book 1
by Shawn Speakman, Terry Brooks, Seanan McGuire, Mark Lawrence, Anthony Ryan, Tim Marquitz, Brian Staveley, Michael J. Sullivan, John Marco, Peter Orullian, Kat Richardson, Sam Sykes, Kristen Britain, Mazarkis Williams, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Harry Connolly, Delilah S. Dawson, David Anthony Durham, Jason M. Hough, Mary Robinette Kowal, Joe Abercrombie
Narrated by Dick Hill, Tim Gerard Reynolds, Nick Podehl, Allyson Johnson, Christian Rodska, Emily Bauer
★ 3.98 ABR Score (1.3K ratings)★ 3.96 Goodreads (1.0K) ★ 4.13 Audible (246)More about this pick
Twenty-three fantasy authors contribute unrestrained tales without thematic constraints in this genre celebration. The six-narrator ensemble including Tim Gerard Reynolds and Nick Podehl brings remarkable variety to each story.
- 6
Unfettered
Vault of Heaven #0.7 - The Sound of Broken Absolu • Book 1
by Shawn Speakman, Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Jacqueline Carey, Tad Williams, R.A. Salvatore, Naomi Novik, Geno Salvatore, Peter V. Brett, Daniel Abraham, Lev Grossman, David Anthony Durham, Peter Orullian, Blake Charlton, Michael J. Sullivan, Eldon Thompson, Robert V.S. Redick, Carrie Vaughn, Kevin Hearne, Jennifer Bosworth, Todd Lockwood, Mark Lawrence
Narrated by Peter Ganim, Marc Vietor, Bronson Pinchot, Jay Snyder
★ 3.83 ABR Score (7.6K ratings)★ 3.8 Goodreads (6.0K) ★ 3.78 Audible (1.5K)More about this pick
Twenty-three fantasy authors contribute stories to help editor Shawn Speakman pay medical bills, creating an anthology spanning multiple worlds and styles. Multiple narrators handle everything from epic fantasy to urban magical realism.
- 7
The Power That Preserves
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever • Book 3
Narrated by Scott Brick
Why this book?
Scott Brick's commanding narration brings the same epic gravitas to Donaldson's darker, more psychologically complex fantasy, where a reluctant hero must grapple with despair and moral ambiguity much like the protagonists of Shannara face impossible odds. Both sprawling epics deliver immersive worldbuilding across similar runtimes, though Donaldson's exploration of corruption and redemption offers a grittier counterpoint to Brooks's adventure-driven narrative.
★ 4.34 ABR Score (26.1K ratings)★ 4.04 Goodreads (25.7K) ★ 4.79 Audible (473)More about this pick
Scott Brick's gravelly intensity transforms this epic conclusion into something genuinely harrowing—a hero broken by doubt facing apocalypse with nothing but spite and stubbornness.
- 8
The Illearth War
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant • Book 2
Narrated by Scott Brick
Why this book?
Both epics deliver immersive high-fantasy worlds through Scott Brick's commanding narration, with complex heroes facing existential threats that test their resolve and morality. The Illearth War matches The Elfstones of Shannara's blend of grand worldbuilding, intricate magic systems, and character-driven storytelling across an equally epic audiobook runtime.
★ 4.30 ABR Score (29.2K ratings)★ 4.02 Goodreads (28.7K) ★ 4.68 Audible (459)More about this pick
Scott Brick's narration transforms this sprawling sequel into something genuinely gripping—his performance captures Covenant's bitterness and reluctant heroism so convincingly you'll forget the 20+ hours flew by.
- 9
Armageddon's Children
Genesis of Shannara • Book 1
by Terry Brooks
Narrated by Dick Hill
Why this book?
Terry Brooks continues to deliver epic fantasy worldbuilding with the same blend of action and character-driven storytelling that made *The Elfstones of Shannara* compelling, while Dick Hill's narration brings a slightly darker, more urgent tone that intensifies the high-stakes narrative of a world on the brink of collapse.
★ 4.30 ABR Score (17.8K ratings)★ 4.12 Goodreads (17.6K) ★ 4.74 Audible (218)More about this pick
Brooks launches his Genesis of Shannara trilogy in a post-apocalyptic world where demons hunt the last survivors and ancient magic begins to stir.
- 10
White Gold Wielder
The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant • Book 3
Narrated by Scott Brick
Why this book?
Scott Brick's measured, immersive narration brings the same epic scope and gravitas to Donaldson's morally complex fantasy that he brings to Brooks's adventure, while both works explore themes of reluctant heroes wielding dangerous power to save their worlds from corruption and darkness.
★ 4.27 ABR Score (19.7K ratings)★ 4.06 Goodreads (19.6K) ★ 4.79 Audible (153)More about this pick
Thomas Covenant's final confrontation with Lord Foul delivers forty years of built-up fury and revelation as he finally grasps the deeper mysteries of the Land.
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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.