Best J.N. Chaney Audiobooks
J.N. Chaney is a machine of military sci-fi and space opera, cranking out fast, addictive series with the kind of momentum that makes you forget it's 2am. His prose is lean and kinetic — no dwelling, no excess, just plot and forward motion. Renegade Star built his reputation: a wise-cracking smuggler, a mysterious cargo, and a galaxy-spanning conspiracy that keeps escalating across every installment. The Last Reaper pushed deeper into post-apocalyptic territory with a grittier edge, while Ruins of the Earth blends alien invasion thriller with military action at a pace that refuses to let up. Chaney is almost always collaborative — he co-writes prolifically — and the results are polished, bingeable, and designed for readers who want momentum over interiority. If you love audiobooks with R.C. Bray or Luke Daniels narrating hard-charging heroes through impossible odds, Chaney is built for you.
Where to Start with J.N. Chaney
- Best entry point → Renegade Star
- Start the Able Bodied Soldier series → Able Bodied Soldier 1
- What fans keep coming back to → Gods and Men
- Best narrator for J.N. Chaney → Wayward Galaxy 3
- Highest rated by listeners → Phantom Deadfall (Ruins of the Earth #3)
Best J.N. Chaney Audiobooks
- 1
Renegade Star: Publisher's Pack 3
Renegade Star • Book 5
by J.N. Chaney
Narrated by Luke Daniels
★ 4.49 ABR Score (2.4K ratings)★ 4.75 Audible (2.4K) - 2
Able Bodied Soldier 1
Able Bodied Soldier • Book 1
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.45 ABR Score (1.7K ratings)★ 4.75 Audible (1.7K) - 3
Gods and Men
Ruins of the Earth • Book 2
by Christopher Hopper, J.N. Chaney
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.39 ABR Score (5.7K ratings)★ 4.35 Goodreads (1.9K) ★ 4.77 Audible (3.8K)More about this pick
Humans face alien enslavement while their only hope operates deep in enemy territory—R.C. Bray's commanding performance suits this military sci-fi's scope and urgency.
- 4
Phantom Deadfall
Ruins of the Earth • Book 3
by Christopher Hopper, J.N. Chaney
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.38 ABR Score (3.9K ratings)★ 4.41 Goodreads (1.2K) ★ 4.81 Audible (2.6K)More about this pick
After their successful Karkin Four operation, Wic and the Phantoms face an alien assault on New York City itself. R.C. Bray's intensity matches the desperate counterassault perfectly.
- 5
Wayward Galaxy 4
Wayward Galaxy • Book 4
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.35 ABR Score (4.1K ratings)★ 4.38 Goodreads (990) ★ 4.79 Audible (3.1K)More about this pick
Rangers and colonists have secured their corner of hostile planet Amir, but RUPAC invasion looms and friendship proves harder than warfare. Bray handles the military action and interpersonal politics equally well.
- 6
Wayward Galaxy 5
Wayward Galaxy • Book 5
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.33 ABR Score (2.5K ratings)★ 4.48 Goodreads (784) ★ 4.8 Audible (1.7K)More about this pick
R.C. Bray guides you through mysterious RUPAC research stations and old enemies as Rangers face the coming Reclamation Fleet threatening their hard-won peace.
- 7
Decayed Legacy
Ruins of the Earth • Book 4
by Christopher Hopper, J.N. Chaney
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.32 ABR Score (2.1K ratings)★ 4.5 Goodreads (939) ★ 4.82 Audible (1.2K)More about this pick
After defeating Gornath above Manhattan, Phantom Team believes they're done until Major Kindesh summons them back to Karkin Four for an impossible mission.
- 8
Wayward Galaxy 3
Wayward Galaxy • Book 3
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.32 ABR Score (4.3K ratings)★ 4.3 Goodreads (1.2K) ★ 4.76 Audible (3.1K)More about this pick
Hidden RUPAC forces emerge on planet Amir as Alexa, Brody, and the growing colony face their deadliest threat yet. R.C. Bray's energetic performance captures both the humor and high stakes.
- 9
Wayward Earth
Wayward Galaxy • Book 7
Narrated by R.C. Bray, Mark Boyett
★ 4.15 ABR Score (972 ratings)★ 4.57 Goodreads (290) ★ 4.76 Audible (682)More about this pick
Colony ship Boone launches as Earth spirals toward doomsday, while hidden African ships prepare their own escape. R.C. Bray and Mark Boyett capture the desperate urgency of humanity's final exodus.
- 10
Wayward Galaxy 6
Wayward Galaxy • Book 6
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.10 ABR Score (1.0K ratings)★ 4.38 Goodreads (455) ★ 4.69 Audible (577)More about this pick
Battle android Brody faces his greatest enemy yet: boredom during an uneasy planetary truce. R.C. Bray captures every bit of the action-movie-obsessed robot's restless energy as colonists debate helping mysterious RUPAC faction insiders.
- 11
Renegade Star
Renegade Star • Book 1
by J.N. Chaney
Narrated by Luke Daniels
★ 4.05 ABR Score (8.2K ratings)★ 3.89 Goodreads (4.6K) ★ 4.5 Audible (3.7K)More about this pick
Captain Jace Hughes discovers Earth isn't the myth everyone believes when a mysterious nun boards his ship with dangerous cargo. Luke Daniels captures the wonder and terror of this space-faring adventure perfectly.
- 12
Orion Awakened
Orion Colony • Book 3
by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Narrated by Ray Porter
★ 4.05 ABR Score (1.5K ratings)★ 4.23 Goodreads (581) ★ 4.57 Audible (951)More about this pick
Mysterious infections spread through an alien forest while Dean uncovers ancient prophecies, with Ray Porter handling the sci-fi worldbuilding expertly.
- 13
Orion Protected
Orion Colony • Book 4
by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Narrated by Ray Porter
★ 4.05 ABR Score (1.3K ratings)★ 4.28 Goodreads (507) ★ 4.58 Audible (805)More about this pick
Dean faces his traumatic past while two species hang in the balance during unprecedented warfare in this fourth Orion Colony book. Ray Porter handles the military action and character development across multiple species conflicts.
- 14
Backyard Starship Origins 2: Career Moves / Red Agent
Backyard Starship #0.6
by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Narrated by Neill Thorne, John Pirhalla
★ 4.00 ABR Score (1.1K ratings)★ 4.5 Goodreads (963) ★ 4.52 Audible (118)More about this pick
KGB agent Petyrn Groshenko's life changes when aliens abduct him during a revenge mission for his father's murder. Neill Thorne and John Pirhalla handle these dual origin stories with energy and humor.
- 15
Orion Uncharted
Orion Colony • Book 2
by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Narrated by Ray Porter
★ 3.97 ABR Score (1.5K ratings)★ 4.17 Goodreads (706) ★ 4.47 Audible (811)More about this pick
The Orion's crash scatters its crew across an alien world where local wildlife, supply shortages, and a mysterious unopenable door threaten survival. Dean and his friends must band together despite diminishing hope of ever returning home.
- 16
Able Bodied Soldier 2
Able Bodied Soldier • Book 2
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 3.97 ABR Score (529 ratings)★ 4.55 Goodreads (529)More about this pick
Titus Briggs and his MOCOM units push back the Moonlight Rebellion, but victory requires cutting off alien weapon supplies. Military sci-fi with solid mech combat sequences.
- 17
Orion Colony
Orion Colony • Book 1
by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Narrated by Ray Porter
★ 3.85 ABR Score (2.5K ratings)★ 3.98 Goodreads (1.0K) ★ 4.29 Audible (1.5K)More about this pick
Humanity splits in half, with rebels earning passage on colony ships to distant worlds—but the real conflict begins once they arrive. Classic space colonization with modern political tension.
- 18
Old Guns: A Military Sci-Fi Adventure
Old Guns • Book 1
by J.N. Chaney, Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Narrated by R. C. Bray
★ 3.83 ABR Score (151 ratings)★ 4.59 Goodreads (91) ★ 4.87 Audible (60)More about this pick
Two broken Marines—one a drunk, one broken by PTSD—face an ancient alien threat because they're the only survivors. R.C. Bray's weathered delivery suits these damaged heroes.