Audiobooks Like The Rise of Endymion

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Victor Bevine narrates The Rise of Endymion across 30 hours with the philosophical patience Dan Simmons's conclusion demands — there are stretches where the novel is more meditation than action, and Bevine's voice has the authority to make those stretches feel weighty rather than slow, treating the messiah narrative and the question of what humanity becomes as genuinely consequential. All ten recommendations earned exceptional listener ratings, and the list is built from the best of ambitious science fiction for listeners who want their final entry in a series to feel like it earned its scope.

10 audiobooks for fans of The Rise of Endymion

  1. 1
    This Inevitable Ruin cover

    This Inevitable Ruin

    Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 7

    by Matt Dinniman

    Narrated by Jeff Hays, Travis Baldree

    4.87 ABR Score (96.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.68 Goodreads (74.1K) ★ 4.93 Audible (22.1K)
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    Jeff Hays and Travis Baldree tackle the chaos of Faction Wars as Carl's team faces nine alien armies in a massive battle for the ninth floor's central castle.

  2. 2
    Light Bringer cover

    Light Bringer

    Red Rising • Book 6

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    4.86 ABR Score (121.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.77 Goodreads (110.6K) ★ 4.89 Audible (10.8K)
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    The sixth Red Rising book finds Darrow scattered across the galaxy while his enemies close in, and Tim Gerard Reynolds continues to inhabit these characters like he created them himself.

  3. 3
    Dark Age cover

    Dark Age

    Red Rising • Book 5

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds, John Curless, Moira Quirk, James Langton, Rendah Heywood

    4.66 ABR Score (159.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.51 Goodreads (140.5K) ★ 4.74 Audible (19.0K)
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    Five narrators keep this sprawling space opera moving at breakneck speed, each voice so distinct you forget you're listening to an ensemble cast. Brown's plotting hits harder than ever when you're locked in for 34 hours of genuine stakes.

  4. 4
    Defiance of the Fall 2 cover

    Defiance of the Fall 2

    Defiance of the Fall • Book 2

    by TheFirstDefier, J.F. Brink

    Narrated by Pavi Proczko

    4.64 ABR Score (21.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.52 Goodreads (12.1K) ★ 4.84 Audible (9.6K)
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    Earth crumbles under invasion while Zac grows into a powerhouse, but becoming the world's strongest man makes him a target for every faction. Pavi Proczko's energetic narration matches the non-stop LitRPG action.

  5. 5
    Iron Prince cover

    Iron Prince

    Stormweaver Series • Book 1

    by Bryce O'Connor, Luke Chmilenko

    Narrated by Luke Daniels

    4.63 ABR Score (26.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.57 Goodreads (18.5K) ★ 4.79 Audible (7.6K)
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    Luke Daniels elevates this LitRPG underdog story with a performance so commanding it transforms 34 hours into something you won't want to pause—especially once the mystery deepens and the stakes genuinely shift.

  6. 6
    Fire and Song cover

    Fire and Song

    Warformed: Stormweaver • Book 2

    by Bryce O'Connor

    Narrated by Luke Daniels

    4.61 ABR Score (15.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.61 Goodreads (10.1K) ★ 4.79 Audible (5.7K)
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    Reidon Ward continues his climb from weakest cadet to elite warrior, but his terrifying Device Shido attracts dangerous attention at Galens Institute. Luke Daniels excels with the military academy setting and intense action.

  7. 7
    Death's End cover

    Death's End

    Remembrance of Earth's Past • Book 3

    by Liu Cixin, Ken Liu

    Narrated by P. J. Ochlan

    4.53 ABR Score (190.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (176.1K) ★ 4.64 Audible (14.0K)
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    Liu's trilogy concludes with humanity's final gambit against alien invasion spanning centuries of technological evolution. P. J. Ochlan handles the complex scientific concepts and emotional weight of civilization's potential extinction with steady authority.

  8. 8
    Howling Dark cover

    Howling Dark

    Sun Eater • Book 2

    by Christopher Ruocchio

    Narrated by Samuel Roukin

    4.39 ABR Score (32.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (29.1K) ★ 4.65 Audible (2.9K)
  9. 9
    A Deepness in the Sky cover

    A Deepness in the Sky

    Zones of Thought • Book 2

    by Vernor Vinge

    Narrated by Peter Larkin

    4.21 ABR Score (37.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (35.3K) ★ 4.42 Audible (2.2K)
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    Two human factions orbit a world of intelligent spiders emerging into their technological age, but the Emergents harbor sinister plans that threaten both civilizations in this epic space opera.

  10. 10
    11/22/63 cover

    11/22/63

    by Stephen King

    Narrated by Craig Wasson

    4.63 ABR Score (740.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (667.2K) ★ 4.66 Audible (73.7K)
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    A high school teacher discovers a time portal and attempts to prevent JFK's assassination, but changing history proves more complex than expected. Craig Wasson handles the epic scope beautifully.

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.

Read our full ranking methodology →