Where to Start with Steven Pacey
- New to Steven Pacey? Start here → The Blade Itself
- What fans keep coming back to → Before They Are Hanged
- Short listen, big payoff → Valdor: Birth of the Imperium (The Horus Heresy: Characters)
- Underrated but highly rated → The Trouble with Peace
- Highest rated by listeners → The Wisdom of Crowds
- Best narrator–author pairing → Last Argument of Kings
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The Trouble with Peace
The Age of Madness • Book 2
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.75 ABR Score (56.2K ratings)★ 4.6 Goodreads (46.4K) ★ 4.86 Audible (9.8K)More about this pick
Steven Pacey's narration transforms this political dark fantasy into something almost Shakespearean—his voice work elevates already sharp character writing into genuinely unforgettable performances you'll hear in your head for months.
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The Wisdom of Crowds
The Age of Madness • Book 3
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.74 ABR Score (50.4K ratings)★ 4.6 Goodreads (41.3K) ★ 4.85 Audible (9.1K)More about this pick
Steven Pacey transforms Abercrombie's sprawling revolution into a masterclass in character voices, making each schemer's descent through chaos feel devastatingly personal across 24 hours of pure narrative grip.
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Before They Are Hanged
The First Law • Book 2
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.71 ABR Score (243.2K ratings)★ 4.36 Goodreads (221.5K) ★ 4.81 Audible (21.7K)More about this pick
Superior Glokta's torture-scarred cynicism and Bayaz's quest for ancient magic get Steven Pacey's full character treatment across multiple storylines.
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Last Argument of Kings
The First Law • Book 3
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.68 ABR Score (225.4K ratings)★ 4.37 Goodreads (204.4K) ★ 4.75 Audible (21.0K)More about this pick
Steven Pacey captures every brutal nuance as Logen Ninefingers faces his final battle and the Bloody-Nine must confront his oldest friend turned enemy.
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A Little Hatred
The Age of Madness • Book 1
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.65 ABR Score (72.9K ratings)★ 4.45 Goodreads (61.8K) ★ 4.75 Audible (11.1K)More about this pick
Steven Pacey turns Abercrombie's grimy, morally bankrupt world into something genuinely alive—his voice work makes you feel the desperation of each character's climb, and the political scheming lands with brutal comic timing.
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Red Country
First Law World • Book 6
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.63 ABR Score (77.2K ratings)★ 4.32 Goodreads (66.8K) ★ 4.79 Audible (10.4K)More about this pick
Shy South pursues the kidnappers who burned her home and stole her siblings, accompanied only by oxen and her cowardly stepfather Lamb.
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The Blade Itself
The First Law Trilogy • Book 1
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.63 ABR Score (344.3K ratings)★ 4.22 Goodreads (317.5K) ★ 4.7 Audible (26.8K)More about this pick
Barbarian Logen Ninefingers, selfish nobleman Jezal, and crippled torturer Glokta are drawn into a conspiracy that threatens the kingdom. Pacey's exceptional character voices bring Abercrombie's morally gray antiheroes to life in this gritty fantasy that subverts traditional genre expectations with dark humor.
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The Heroes
First Law World • Book 5
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.62 ABR Score (87.1K ratings)★ 4.35 Goodreads (77.8K) ★ 4.76 Audible (9.3K)More about this pick
Three brutal days of warfare over a worthless hill get Steven Pacey's full character treatment — his voice work turns each soldier into someone you'll remember.
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Best Served Cold
First Law World • Book 4
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.58 ABR Score (126.0K ratings)★ 4.25 Goodreads (113.4K) ★ 4.7 Audible (12.7K)More about this pick
Mercenary captain Monza survives assassination only to embark on methodical revenge against her former employers. Pacey inhabits each player in this chess game of betrayal with distinctive menace and wit.
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The Devils
The Devils • Book 1
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.54 ABR Score (69.7K ratings)★ 4.22 Goodreads (62.8K) ★ 4.72 Audible (6.9K)More about this pick
Brother Diaz leads a squad of murderers and monsters on a holy mission requiring unholy methods in Abercrombie's new fantasy series. Steven Pacey returns to capture every brutal, darkly comic moment with his signature skill.
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Sharp Ends
First Law World • Book 7
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.45 ABR Score (32.0K ratings)★ 4.11 Goodreads (27.7K) ★ 4.71 Audible (4.3K)More about this pick
Abercrombie's collection explores the First Law world's darkest corners through mercenaries, thieves, and bastards living on society's brutal margins. Steven Pacey brings distinct personality to each violent, morally complex tale.
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Locked In
Department Q • Book 10
by Jussi Adler-Olsen, Caroline Waight
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.30 ABR Score (10.0K ratings)★ 4.18 Goodreads (9.5K) ★ 4.67 Audible (525)More about this pick
Carl Mørck finds himself imprisoned while his Department Q team races to prove his innocence. Steven Pacey captures the claustrophobic tension as past cases catch up with the detective.
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Valdor: Birth of the Imperium (The Horus Heresy: Characters)
The Horus Heresy: Characters
by Chris Wraight
Narrated by Steven Pacey, Jonathan Keeble, Katy Maw, Toby Longworth
★ 4.22 ABR Score (4.4K ratings)★ 4.12 Goodreads (2.5K) ★ 4.7 Audible (2.0K)More about this pick
Steven Pacey and the ensemble cast elevate Wraight's exploration of the Emperor's greatest warrior into something genuinely theatrical—each narrator brings distinct weight to Valdor's origin, making this feel less like lore-building and more like witnessing legend unfold.
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Let Me In
Let the Right One In • Book 1
by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.19 ABR Score (124.0K ratings)★ 4.04 Goodreads (121.7K) ★ 4.28 Audible (2.3K)More about this pick
In 1980s Sweden, bullied twelve-year-old Oskar forms an unlikely friendship with Eli, who seems impervious to the brutal winter cold. Steven Pacey's narration captures both the innocence and underlying menace of this vampire tale.
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The Falling Sword
Clash of Empires • Book 2
by Ben Kane
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.17 ABR Score (1.5K ratings)★ 4.38 Goodreads (1.2K) ★ 4.68 Audible (263)More about this pick
Steven Pacey elevates Kane's Roman-Greek clash into a visceral experience, his voice work making Felix and Demetrios' opposing loyalties cut deeper than any plot summary could. The final battle sequence alone justifies the 15-hour commitment.
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The Way of Renegades
The Bards and Dragons Saga • Book 1
by Steve D. Wall
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.12 ABR Score (705 ratings)★ 4.09 Goodreads (320) ★ 4.57 Audible (385)More about this pick
War hero Ulric's quiet exile ends when revolutionary rifles and Coalition blackmail force him back into action. Steven Pacey voices this flintlock fantasy that blends gunpowder technology with magical elements across 14 hours.
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The Shadows in the Street
Simon Serrailler • Book 5
by Susan Hill
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.11 ABR Score (7.0K ratings)★ 4 Goodreads (6.6K) ★ 4.4 Audible (466)More about this pick
Detective Serrailler returns from sabbatical to investigate strangled prostitutes, but when respectable women start disappearing, Lafferton erupts in fear and anger.
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The Other Side of Midnight
Midnight • Book 1
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.11 ABR Score (50.6K ratings)★ 3.96 Goodreads (50.6K) ★ 4.87 Audible (46)More about this pick
An innocent American girl becomes a pawn in a deadly triangle involving a vengeful film star, a Greek tycoon, and an international playboy. Steven Pacey's narration captures the sweeping drama and intrigue spanning from Paris to Greece in this tale of betrayal.
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Let the Right One In
Let the Right One In • Book 1
by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.10 ABR Score (122.0K ratings)★ 4.04 Goodreads (121.7K) ★ 4.31 Audible (301)More about this pick
Twelve-year-old Oskar befriends Eli, his mysterious new neighbor who only comes out at night and seems to never feel the cold. Steven Pacey navigates the horror and tenderness of this vampire story set in 1980s Swedish suburbia.
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Memories of Midnight
Midnight • Book 2
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.10 ABR Score (21.2K ratings)★ 3.75 Goodreads (20.9K) ★ 4.58 Audible (310)More about this pick
Catherine Douglas battles amnesia while facing Constantin Demiris, the Greek shipping magnate who destroyed her life. Pacey's rich voice captures the Mediterranean intrigue brilliantly.
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The Soul of Discretion
Simon Serrailler • Book 8
by Susan Hill
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.07 ABR Score (5.4K ratings)★ 4.17 Goodreads (5.0K) ★ 4.42 Audible (467)More about this pick
Chief Constable Bright assigns Serrailler to a case requiring absolute secrecy, but some investigations refuse to stay buried — Pacey's measured delivery suits Hill's psychological complexity.
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Clash of Empires
Clash of Empires • Book 1
by Ben Kane
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.06 ABR Score (2.2K ratings)★ 4.16 Goodreads (1.8K) ★ 4.54 Audible (393)More about this pick
Rome prepares to crush Hannibal at Zama while Macedonia plots northern expansion in this sweeping ancient warfare epic. Steven Pacey's narration captures both the battlefield chaos and political maneuvering perfectly.
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The Sound of Change
The Bards and Dragons Saga • Book 2
by Steve D. Wall
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.06 ABR Score (207 ratings)★ 4.32 Goodreads (95) ★ 4.73 Audible (112)More about this pick
Flintlock fantasy continues as exiled Ulric, silenced bard Dellioph, and despairing Gali flee pursuing dragons. Pacey returns to this gun-and-magic world with his signature character work.
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The Absent One
Department Q • Book 2
by Jussi Adler-Olsen, K.E. Semmel
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.03 ABR Score (52.4K ratings)★ 3.89 Goodreads (49.1K) ★ 4.34 Audible (3.3K)More about this pick
Detective Carl Mørck reopens a twenty-year-old case about boarding school students killed in a car crash, discovering the victims were murdered for witnessing elite family secrets.
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The Legion
Eagles of the Empire • Book 10
by Simon Scarrow
Narrated by Steven Pacey
★ 4.02 ABR Score (5.5K ratings)★ 4.29 Goodreads (5.4K) ★ 4.3 Audible (155)More about this pick
Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro hunt rebel gladiator Ajax, who's been impersonating Roman soldiers while attacking Egyptian naval bases. Steven Pacey brings his signature Roman military authenticity to another Scarrow adventure.
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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.
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