Best Steven Pacey Audiobooks

Steven Pacey's narration of Joe Abercrombie's First Law series is frequently cited as the greatest audiobook performance of all time — and it's hard to argue. Pacey voices dozens of characters with such consistency and distinction that listeners forget they're hearing a single person. His Glokta is iconic, his Logen Ninefingers unforgettable. A veteran stage and screen actor, Pacey brings a theatrical intensity to grimdark fantasy that perfectly matches Abercrombie's dark humor and brutal action. If you haven't heard Pacey perform The Blade Itself, you're missing one of the medium's defining achievements.

Where to Start with Steven Pacey

71 audiobooks in collection
3.85 avg ABR rating
Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Literature & Fiction, Sci-Fi

Best Steven Pacey Audiobooks

  1. 1
    Before They Are Hanged cover

    Before They Are Hanged

    The First Law • Book 2

    by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.64 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.

  2. 2
    Last Argument of Kings cover

    Last Argument of Kings

    The First Law • Book 3

    by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.59 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.

  3. 3
    Red Country cover

    Red Country

    First Law World • Book 6

    by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.54 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.

  4. 4
    The Heroes cover

    The Heroes

    First Law World • Book 5

    by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.53 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.

  5. 5
    The Blade Itself cover

    The Blade Itself

    The First Law Trilogy • Book 1

    by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.50 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.

  6. 6
    Best Served Cold cover

    Best Served Cold

    First Law World • Book 4

    by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.46 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.

  7. 7
    The Devils cover

    The Devils

    The Devils • Book 1

    by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.42 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.

  8. 8
    Sharp Ends cover

    Sharp Ends

    First Law World • Book 7

    by Joe Abercrombie

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.33 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.

  9. 9
    Locked In cover

    Locked In

    Department Q • Book 10

    by Jussi Adler-Olsen, Caroline Waight

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.29 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.

  10. 10
    Let Me In cover

    Let Me In

    Let the Right One In • Book 1

    by John Ajvide Lindqvist

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.16 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.

  11. 11
    The Shadows in the Street cover

    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.

  12. 12
    The Other Side of Midnight cover

    The Other Side of Midnight

    Midnight • Book 1

    by Sidney Sheldon

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.10 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.

  13. 13
    Memories of Midnight cover

    Memories of Midnight

    Midnight • Book 2

    by Sidney Sheldon

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.09 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.

  14. 14
    Let the Right One In cover

    Let the Right One In

    Let the Right One In • Book 1

    by John Ajvide Lindqvist

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.08 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.

  15. 15
    The Soul of Discretion cover

    The Soul of Discretion

    Simon Serrailler • Book 8

    by Susan Hill

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.06 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.

  16. 16
    Clash of Empires cover

    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.

  17. 17
    The Absent One cover

    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.

  18. 18
    The Legion cover

    The Legion

    Eagles of the Empire • Book 10

    by Simon Scarrow

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.01 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.

  19. 19
    The Vows of Silence cover

    The Vows of Silence

    Simon Serrailler • Book 4

    by Susan Hill

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.01 ABR Score (6.7K ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (6.3K) ★ 4.45 Audible (338)
    More about this pick

    Detective Serrailler hunts a sniper terrorizing young women while questioning whether one or two killers are at work. Steven Pacey's performance builds tension around the marksman's unpredictable pattern.

  20. 20
    Berlin Red cover

    Berlin Red

    Inspector Pekkala • Book 7

    by Sam Eastland

    Narrated by Steven Pacey

    4.00 ABR Score (913 ratings)
    ★ 4.23 Goodreads (840) ★ 4.52 Audible (73)
    More about this pick

    April 1945: As the Red Army prepares its final Berlin assault, Inspector Pekkala hunts German scientists perfecting V2 rocket guidance systems near the Baltic. Steven Pacey's narration captures both the war's brutality and Pekkala's methodical investigation.

All Steven Pacey Audiobooks (71)

Mystery (17)

Locked In by Jussi Adler-Olsen, Caroline Waight
4.18 16h 15m
4.17 9h 53m
The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen, K.E. Semmel
3.89 14h 12m
The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill
4.00 10h 3m
3.99 10h 28m
3.96 11h 21m
4.01 9h 41m
3.97 9h 38m
3.95 11h 40m
A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris
3.93 12h 53m
Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris
3.95 13h 25m
The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill, Yolande Ligterink
3.92 11h 38m
Siberian Red by Sam Eastland
3.96 8h 56m
3.89 10h 20m
3.84 14h 44m
3.21 1h 42m

Fantasy (12)

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
4.36 22h 39m
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
4.37 27h 4m
Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
4.32 19h 52m
The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
4.35 23h 5m
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
4.22 22h 15m
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
4.25 26h 29m
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
4.22 25h 6m
Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie
4.11 11h 49m
The Way of Renegades by Steve D. Wall
4.09 14h 18m
The Sound of Change by Steve D. Wall
4.32 23h 34m
The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Jacobs
3.77 10h 27m

Thriller (11)

4.00 11h 59m
3.96 14h 30m
Memories of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon
3.75 9h 43m
Berlin Red by Sam Eastland
4.23 10h 33m
4.09 9h 32m
Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver
3.91 14h 32m
Red Icon by Sam Eastland
4.04 10h 26m
Black Run by Karen Traviss
4.41 24h 40m
Dying Day by Robert Ryan
3.86 10h 32m
3.62 1h 28m

Literature & Fiction (10)

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy, Alexander Theroux
3.88 6h 16m
Love, etc. by Julian Barnes
3.71 6h 42m
Talking It Over by Julian Barnes
3.71 7h 55m
Love Poems of Elizabeth and Robert Browning by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Louis Untermeyer
4.19 2h 20m
London Fields by Martin Amis
3.66 21h 47m
The Kindness of Women by J.G. Ballard
3.74 11h 46m
The Death Collector by Justin Richards
3.35 7h 28m
The Best Book in the World by Peter Stjernström, Rod Bradbury
3.06 10h 9m
The Exhausting Summer of São Martino by Simon Carr, Steven Pacey
4.00 8h 40m

Sci-Fi (8)

Doctor Who: The Zygon Who Fell to Earth by Paul Magrs, Tim Brooke-Taylor
3.84 1h 13m
Blake's 7 - The Liberator Chronicles by Peter Anghelides, Steve Lyons, Mark Wright, Cavan Scott, Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Sally Knyvette, Steven Pacey
4.00 2h 56m
Blake's 7 - The Liberator Chronicles by Andy Lane, Guy Adams, Lisa Bowerman
4.18 2h 41m
Blake's 7 - The Liberator Chronicles by Cavan Scott, Mark Wright
3.85 2h 57m
Blake's 7 2.4 Ghost Ship by Iain McLaughlin
  1h 11m
Doctor Who: The Companions Collection: K9, 5th & 10th Doctor Novelisations by Peter Grimwade, Camille Coduri, David Collings, John Leeson, Steven Pacey, Stephen Gallagher, Terence Dudley, Russell T Davies, Barbara Clegg
  22h 37m
3.71 1h 13m
Blake's 7: 2.3 Mindset by Jacqueline Rayner
3.75 1h 10m

Horror (6)

Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
4.04 16h 49m
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
4.04 16h 48m
The Ghosts of Sleath by James Herbert
3.89 14h 21m
Haunted by James Herbert
3.78 7h 22m
Ghostly Terror!: Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook / The Yellow Wallpaper / The Beast with Five Fingers by M.R. James, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, W.F. Harvey, Andrew Sachs, Laurel Lefkow, Stephen Pacey
3.38 2h 14m
Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist
3.49 11h 24m

Historical Fiction (5)

Clash of Empires by Ben Kane
4.16 16h 36m
The Legion by Simon Scarrow
4.29 4h 44m
Wild Strawberries by Emma Blair
3.84 13h 51m
After Midnight by Robert Ryan
3.66 9h 33m
The Song Before it is Sung by Justin Cartwright
3.55 9h 14m

Biography & Memoir (2)

Spitfire Ace: Flying the Battle of Britain by martin- davidson, James Taylor
3.61 2h 50m