Audiobooks Like The Essex Serpent

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Juanita McMahon narrates The Essex Serpent at a pace that matches Sarah Perry's prose — deliberate, layered, rich with Victorian atmosphere across 15 hours that are more concerned with the texture of argument and longing than with plot mechanics. The science-versus-faith tension is carried mostly through tone and character voice rather than event, and McMahon renders that beautifully. All ten recommendations run at comparable length and all earned strong listener ratings, drawing from highly regarded historical fiction that values similar atmosphere and intelligence.

10 audiobooks for fans of The Essex Serpent

  1. 1
    The Things We Cannot Say cover

    The Things We Cannot Say

    by Kelly Rimmer

    Narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, Nancy Peterson

    ★ 4.86 ABR Score (319.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.54 Goodreads (284.0K) ★ 4.76 Audible (35.9K)
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    A modern woman discovers her Polish grandmother's wartime secrets while struggling with her own family crisis involving her autistic son. The dual timeline structure works beautifully in audio format, connecting past trauma to present-day healing through intimate family bonds.

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  2. 2
    The Frozen River cover

    The Frozen River

    by Ariel Lawhon

    Narrated by Jane Oppenheimer, Ariel Lawhon

    ★ 4.71 ABR Score (610.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (594.0K) ★ 4.7 Audible (16.2K)
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    Maine, 1789: midwife Martha Ballard investigates a body frozen in the Kennebec River, using her detailed diary of births, deaths, and town secrets. Jane Oppenheimer's narration captures the cold grip of frontier justice.

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  3. 3
    Homegoing cover

    Homegoing

    by Yaa Gyasi

    Narrated by Dominic Hoffman

    ★ 4.70 ABR Score (421.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.47 Goodreads (410.6K) ★ 4.67 Audible (10.9K)
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    Gyasi traces three centuries from Ghana to America through two family lines, with Dominic Hoffman's narration honoring each generation's distinct voice and struggle.

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  4. 4
    A Land Remembered cover

    A Land Remembered

    by Patrick D. Smith

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.69 ABR Score (20.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.48 Goodreads (14.8K) ★ 4.79 Audible (5.4K)
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    Three generations of the MacIvey family transform from dirt-poor Florida crackers into real estate tycoons, starting in 1858 with Tobias MacIvey's arrival in the harsh frontier.

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  5. 5
    The Alice Network cover

    The Alice Network

    by Kate Quinn

    Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

    ★ 4.67 ABR Score (694.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (642.8K) ★ 4.63 Audible (51.3K)
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    Two timelines connect female spies: Eve infiltrating German-occupied France in WWI, and Charlie searching for her missing cousin in 1947's aftermath.

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  6. 6
    Gates of Fire cover

    Gates of Fire

    by Steven Pressfield

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.66 ABR Score (51.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (44.4K) ★ 4.76 Audible (6.6K)
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    The lone survivor of Thermopylae recounts how three hundred Spartans held the pass against Persia's massive army in history's most famous last stand.

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  7. 7
    Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure cover

    Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure

    Constable Evan Mystery

    by Rhys Bowen

    Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

    ★ 4.61 ABR Score (27.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.46 Goodreads (25.5K) ★ 4.76 Audible (2.3K)
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    Barrie Kreinik captures the quiet determination of a betrayed 1930s wife who transforms divorce devastation into unexpected liberation and new romance.

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  8. 8
    The Killer Angels cover

    The Killer Angels

    The Civil War Trilogy • Book 2

    by Michael Shaara

    Narrated by Stephen Hoye

    ★ 4.57 ABR Score (99.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (92.5K) ★ 4.68 Audible (6.7K)
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  9. 9
    Call To Arms cover

    Call To Arms

    The Corps • Book 2

    by W.E.B. Griffin

    Narrated by Dick Hill

    ★ 4.44 ABR Score (9.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (7.1K) ★ 4.68 Audible (2.2K)
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    Dick Hill's narration transforms Griffin's sprawling military saga into something genuinely gripping—his ability to distinguish dozens of characters keeps you locked in even during the dense procedural stretches.

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  10. 10
    Semper Fi cover

    Semper Fi

    The Corps • Book 1

    by W.E.B. Griffin

    Narrated by Dick Hill

    ★ 4.42 ABR Score (12.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (10.0K) ★ 4.63 Audible (2.9K)
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    Dick Hill's narration transforms this sprawling Marine Corps saga into something genuinely immersive—his voice work across dozens of characters anchors you in the chaos between Pearl Harbor and the Pacific theater. Griffin's gift for weaving personal stakes into historical sweep lands harder when you're hearing it spoken aloud.

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The Essex Serpent Best Historical Fiction Audiobooks Most Popular Historical Fiction

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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