Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week is Books Covers That Feel Like Summer, but I am going to do something a little different and instead look at my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2022. This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a few weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2022.
People familiar with my blog will know that I have a great deal of love for the audiobook format, and it is one of the main ways that I tend to check out books. Each year I enjoy a great number of different audiobooks and use the format to check out recent releases and older novels. I have been enjoying audiobooks for years, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment. A great narrator can really bring you into the story, and I find that listening to a book enhances the amount of detail that you can take in. In addition, other features, such as captivating voices, music and sound effects can really make an audiobook something special, and there some great examples of that out there. This year alone I have listened to several outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2022. Because I love this format so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year.
To pull this list off I had a look at all the 2022 releases that I listened to on audiobook to figure out my favourites. It turns out that I have already gone through quite a few this year so there was a very large collection of potential additions to this list. I was eventually able to whittle it down to the ten audiobooks I consider to be the best, as well as a generous honourable mention section. There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2022 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile. I did prioritise audiobook production and narration over story in a few places, as outstanding narration or use of music and sound effects can enhance the plot. I also ended up having to include quite a few Warhammer audiobooks in this list, not just because they were awesome, but because I have also listened to an inordinate amount of them in the first half of this year. Despite this slight lack of diversity, I am pretty happy with how the overall list turned out and I think that the below entries really highlight what my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year are.
Honourable Mentions:
Krieg, written by Steve Lyons and narrated by Timothy Watson
An intriguing and action-packed Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that follows one of the more unique Imperial Guard regiments.
Engines of Empire, written by Richard S. Ford and narrated by a full cast
A great start to a new fantasy series brought to life by a talented team of voice actors.
Star Wars: Brotherhood, written by Mike Chen and narrated by Jonathan Davis
A fantastic Star Wars novel that featured the excellent voice of Jonathan Davis and the exceptional music and sound effects that make every Star Wars audiobook a wonderful treat.
Day of Ascension, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by Harry Myers
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s freaky and fun Warhammer 40,000 debut is made even better by its audiobook format, narrated by the amazing Harry Myers.
Top Ten List:
An awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel about the legendary Ork warlord, Ghazghkull Thraka. Crowley does a wonderful job writing a brilliant deep dive into this amazing figure and the excellent team of Kelly Hotten, Paul Putner and Jon Rand, really bring all the distinctive and over-the-top characters to life in an impressive fashion with their narration. One of the best Warhammer audiobooks I have ever listened to.
Sierra Six, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder
Mark Greaney’s The Gray Man series continues to shine with this latest entry in the series that explores the early days of the character, while also presenting him with an intense modern adventure. Narrated by the always incredible Jay Snyder, this was a superb audiobook that is really worth listening to.
The Hunger of the Gods, written by John Gwynne and narrated by Colin Mace
Colin Mace helps to enhance John Gwynne’s already deeply impressive The Hunger of the Gods to even greater levels in this outstanding audiobook. Easily the best way to enjoy this epic novel.
Assassinorum: Kingmaker, written by Robert Rath and narrated by Gareth Armstrong
I have so much love for this amazing Warhammer 40,000 novel that sets legendary Imperial assassins against giant medieval inspired mecha. Everything about this book is awesome and Gareth Armstrong’s excellent narration really helps to bring all the cool battles and intrigue to life.
Sylvanas, written by Christie Golden and narrated by Patty Mattson
A book about the life of Sylvanas Windrunner read by the voice of the character from the World of Warcraft games. Need I say more?
Star Wars: The Fallen Star, written by Claudia Gray and narrated by Marc Thompson
Legendary Star Wars narrator Marc Thompson ensured that the audiobook version of this latest major entry in The High Republic series novels was a real hit. Perfectly combining Thompson’s amazing voice with the franchise’s classic sound effects and music, this was another exceptional Star Wars audiobook that deeply enhanced the awesome disaster narrative Claudia Gray had created.
The Vincula Insurgency, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth
Dan Abnett’s outstanding return to his iconic Gaunt’s Ghosts series wouldn’t be complete without Toby Longworth providing some fantastic narration. This was a short, but extremely sweet Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, and I loved both the intense story, and the excellent way Longworth brought the characters to life.
Dark Horse, written by Gregg Hurwitz and narrated by Scott Brick
Gregg Hurwitz provided another impressive entry in the Orphan X series this year with Dark Horse, and narrator Scott Brick was once again there to ensure that the audiobook version was a top-notch experience.
Steel Tread, written by Andy Clark and narrated by Remmie Milner
The already cramped and intense atmosphere Andy Clark brought into this compelling tank-focussed Warhammer 40,000 novel, was greatly enhanced in its audiobook format, as you got to really feel what the characters were experiencing. Throw in some amazing narration from Remmie Milner and this proved to be an exhilarating and deeply addictive audiobook to check out.
Kagen the Damned, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter
The final entry on this list is the shocking and complex dark fantasy novel, Kagen the Damned, by the always incredible Jonathan Maberry, which I am currently listening to. Thanks to the exceedingly violent story, very damaged characters, elaborate world building, and the epic voice work from one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Ray Porter, I am having an exceptional time listening to Kagen the Damned, and I had to feature on this list, even though I haven’t finished it yet. Review to follow soon, but spoiler alert, this probably going to get a full five-star rating from me.
Well, that’s the end of this latest list. As you can see, there have been some very good audiobooks out in the first half of 2022, even my list is a little Warhammer 40,000 heavy. It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2022 audiobooks currently sitting on my phone, waiting to be listened to. While I get to that, make sure to let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2022 are in the comments below.
The Unseen Library 
Did you know that it was some of your older posts about audiobooks that convinced me to give them another try?
Most of the books I read are still in print (well, ebook) form, but I’ve learned to love using audiobooks when I exercise or clean or do other things that make it impossible for me to hold a book or tablet at the same time.
So thank you for that. 🙂
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-book-covers-that-feel-like-summer/
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Wow, really happy to hear that I was able to convert someone else to the audiobook way of life. It is such a fun format to enjoy novels in, and while I also still read a ton of print books, I will go out of my way to listen to some series specifically on audiobook because I find them to be better that way (the Star Wars audiobooks for example).
Hope you enjoy listening to some great audiobooks this year.
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I enjoy a good audiobook as well — helps me pound out miles while running/jogging. So, I may have to put some of these on my TBR pile.
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Hope you enjoy them, there are some great listens here, and my plan is to get through a bunch of longer, epic fantasy novels next.
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HOLY HELL I had no idea that Sylvanas was narrated by Patty Matson! I was kind of neutral on the book overall but daaaaaaaaamn I think I’m going to have to listen to it as an audibook because that sounds AWSOME! Especially since the narrative framing IS of Sylvanas telling someone her story. Just makes sense.
Do you think I’d be able to read the Warhammer books without playing the game? Usually that seems fine (like with WoW novels) but would there be backstory info I’d be missing?
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Yeah, having Patty Matson narrate it was one of the main reasons I listened to Sylvanas, and she naturally does an amazing job diving into the character. It really makes the story pop and I had a great time listening to it.
Warhammer is an interesting to franchise to get into, especially as the novels cover a huge range of different genres, races and story types, so there is a little something for everyone there.
You don’t necessary have had to play the game to enjoy the novels, but this is a massive franchise with hundreds of books, comics, and game manuals behind it, so there is a lot of history and background knowledge to think about.
Most of the authors are pretty good at giving some context to the wider Warhammer universes, so you can probably enjoy the stories without to much issues. That being said, some authors really lay the lore down at the start and they are a bit harder to appreciate if you’re not as familiar with the history or the franchise.
If you are interested in checking out the Warhammer franchise there are a couple of series that serve as a good gateway novels for readers unfamiliar with the various franchises. If you are interested in the Warhammer 40,000 (which is the gothic science fiction setting), I would probably start with the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, which shows the common human soldiers fighting the main enemy and gives a bit of history. You could also read a Space Marine focused novel, which will give you some of the wider context of the universe and introduces the most iconic faction. I would probably recommend Space Wolves as a good place to start there, as it is shown from the perspective of a human who has no knowledge of the wider universe and learns everything about the outer battles and becoming a Space Marine through the course of the book, which is really helpful for a new reader.
If you are more interested in fantasy on the other hand than I would suggest the Gotrex and Felix novels, which follow two adventurers as they traverse the world fighting monsters. Very good books that do a great job of exploring the various factions and key locations and which serve as a good gateway to most of the franchise. You can also use them as a gateway to the current Age of Sigmar franchise which took over from the Warhammer Fantasy franchise (the Warhammer Fantasy universe got literally blown up a few years ago). One of the main characters from the Gotrex and Felix novels wakes up in this new universe and so you can find out everything about it from his eyes (plus this character is voiced by Brian Blessed in the Age of Sigmar audiobooks).
Hope this helps.
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Wow I’m a bit late seeing this but THANK YOU! I know a teeny bit about the world from my boyfriend’s brief stint playing, but I LOVE that there’s so much to it. Then if I love it, I have plenty to dive into. Thanks so much for this starting point with it all!!
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I need to try The Gray Man asap!
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