Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2026

On July 15, 2026July 18, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, ListLeave a comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list books from authors they are unfamiliar with. While this is an interesting idea, and one I might come back to later, I’m instead going to continue my recent trend of discussing books from the first half of the year and highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2026. This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a couple of weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2026.

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. I have long been a major fan of audiobooks, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment. An excellent audiobook 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 the format I have enjoyed throughout my life. This year alone I have listened to a ton of outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2026. 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 2026 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 large collection of potential additions to this list, which I was eventually able to whittle it down to the best ten audiobooks. There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2026 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile. I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration. This includes whether the audiobook has outstanding narration or uses music and sound effects to enhance the plot. Keeping these criteria in mind, I came up with the following strong Top Ten List and associated Honourable Mentions, and all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that come very highly recommended by this blog.

Honourable Mentions:

Jigsaw, written by Jonathan Kellerman and narrated by John Rubinstein

A captivating addition to Jonathan Kellerman’s long-running Alex Delaware series. John Rubinstein does an amazing job bringing Kellerman’s characters to life throughout this excellent mystery.

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Warhammer 40,000: Chem Dog, written by Callum Davis and narrated by Richard Reed

Callum Davis provides an excellent debut to the Warhammer franchise, with Chem Dog. A very fun read that comes across perfectly on audiobook, especially with talented narrator Richard Reed on board.

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The Right to Remain, written by James Grippando and narrated by Jonathan Davis

James Grippando continues his fantastic Jack Swyteck legal thriller series this year with the very clever The Right to Remain. I had an outstanding time listening to The Right to Remain on audiobook, especially with Jonathan Davis (one of the best Star Wars narrators) reading it out.

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Warhammer 40,000: Ghost Legion, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Alex Lanipekun

Another great Warhammer 40,000 audiobook from earlier this year. Ghost Legion was a fantastic sequel to Brooks’ previous novel Harrowmaster, with a new narrator reading it out.

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Top Ten List:

A Parade of Horribles, written by Matt Dinniman and narrated by Jeff Hays

Let’s start this list off with one of the more outrageous, epic and highly entertaining audiobooks of 2026, A Parade of Horribles. The eighth book in Matt Dinniman’s deeply impressive Dungeon Crawler Carl series, A Parade of Horribles is an outstanding and hilarious new entry in the series, which sees the surviving protagonists forced to compete in a series of deadly, whacky races as they continue to traverse the dungeon. Not only was this a particularly awesome book by itself, but it also had an exceptional audiobook version. Now, if you know anything about the Dungeon Crawler Carl series then you know that the audiobooks are the best format to enjoy the stories in thanks to the excessive range of entertaining and distinctive voices from narrator Jeff Hays. Hays has so much fun providing all the awesome voices in A Parade of Horribles and his brilliant take on the characters and crazy events was just perfect. While, as an Australian I have ‘thoughts’ about the accent he gave to some giant kangaroos, the rest of the voices he came up with were so damn good, with an unhinged AI and a certain talking cat being impressive highlights. Also, there are some exceptional musical chapters and other inclusions in this audiobook, which make A Parade of Horribles worth listening just on their own. Honestly, A Parade of Horribles’ audiobook was on a whole other level, and if you haven’t started listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl, you are missing out!

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Warhammer 40,000: Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords, written by Denny Flowers and narrated by Harry Myers

I doubt anyone familiar with my blog is going to be too surprised that there are going to be a lot of Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks on this list. I have a lot of love of Warhammer fiction, and the audiobook formats are always the best way to enjoy these epic and entertaining novels. As such, one of the big entries on this list is the outstanding 2026 audiobook Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords. The latest novel from Denny Flowers, Warlord of Warlords was an addictive and awesome read that focused on the entertaining ork faction and their legendary new leader. Filled with humour, over-the-top action and some very interesting dives into ork lore, Warlord of Warlords was a great book on its own, but his was further enhanced by the excellent audiobook version. Much of this is down to the narration of Harry Myers, who frankly portrays the orks better than anyone else in the current stable of Warhammer audiobook narrators. His booming, laddish voice for the orks was just golden, and listening to a whole bevy of orks fight and scheme made for such an outstanding audiobook. A wonderful listen guaranteed to get a chuckle out of any Warhammer fan.

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Twelve Months, written by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters

When pulling together a list of the best audiobooks of 2026, there is no way I can exclude Twelve Months by Jim Butcher. The long-anticipated 18^th entry in Butcher’s Dresden Files series, Twelve Months showcases the dark fallout from the epic novel Battle Ground, with a particular focus on the mental trauma of the series protagonist. Twelve Months was one of Butcher’s most impressive reads, and it’s unsurprising that the audiobook version was also quite exceptional. Not only does Twelve Months’ emotional narrative become even more impactful when read out, but this audiobook also sees the return of the legendary James Marsters as narrator. Marsters, who has narrated all the Dresden Files books, has long figured out the best way to portray all the great characters in this series, and his work in Twelve Months was impeccable and captivating. I especially love how Marsters handled narrating the anguish and despair of the point-of-view protagonist, and this was one of his best audiobook performances. A standout audiobook from a series with so many amazing listens.

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Red Empire, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

It’s a rare year when one of Jonathan Maberry’s outstanding novels doesn’t appear on my regular lists of best audiobooks. This is because Maberry’s over-the-top books are so perfectly crazy and the awesome action and fantastic characters really come across when read out, especially with the very talented recurring narrator Ray Porter on the job. Maberry’s latest novel, Red Empire, was a particularly epic audiobook, which not only featured an excellent story, but because it has some of Porter’s best narration. I only just finished Red Empire today, and it is one of my favourites from his current Rogue Team International series, especially with some cool revelations about some key characters and some powerful tragedies loaded into the plot. An exceptional novel with an even more impressive audiobook.

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Pretenders to the Throne of God, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

One of the more compelling and thought-provoking fantasy audiobooks of 2026 was Pretenders to the Throne of God by the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky. The fourth book in Tchaikovksy’s incredible Tyrant Philosophers series (City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds and Days of Shattered Faith), Pretenders to the Throne of God told the complex tale of personal struggles, humorous brushes with authority and alternating motivations, all set to the background of a besieged fantasy city. A highly addictive read, loaded with moving character arcs and elaborate fantasy elements, Pretenders to the Throne of God was so damn good as both a novel, and an audiobook. Narrator David Thorpe expertly captures Tchaikovsky’s witty tone with his voice work, and I loved how he perfectly voiced all the unique characters, bringing their complex struggles to life. This was such an amazing audiobook, and I cannot recommend this series enough.

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Warhammer 40,000: Hive, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth

While some of the Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks of 2026 are great because they are fun and funny, this next entry, Hive, was particularly amazing because it dove into the grimdark roots of the universe. One of the longest and most complex Warhammer audiobooks, Hive was an exceptional read by one of the franchises best authors, Dan Abnett, that dove into conspiracies, rebellions and plant-ending plots in one of the franchises’ gigantic hive cities. A sprawling novel that wove multiple unique character arcs into one gripping narrative, Hive was so damn good, and I was deeply impressed with how amazing it came out in the audiobook format. The always amazing Toby Longworth, who has narrating most of Abnett’s many Warhammer books, did another incredible job in Hive, voicing the entire massive (and I do mean massive) cast, on his own. Not only does each character get their own voice, but Longworth perfectly captured the distinctive slang, language and accents of the hive city, enhancing the setting and allowing you to really envision the city and its trouble inhabitants. I was absolutely enthralled with this wonderful audiobook, and Hive is Warhammer fiction at it’s very best.

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The Hard Line, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

One of the best spy thrillers of 2026 for me so far is The Hard Line by Mark Greaney. An excellent addition to Greaney’s long-running Gray Man series, The Hard Line was particularly awesome, loaded with some excellent action, intrigue and interesting character moments. I made sure to listen to The Hard Line on audiobook, which once again features narrator Jay Snyder. Snyder always does an outstanding job bringing Greaney’s espionage vision to life, and his narration adds to the tension of the plot, especially when describing the action scenes from multiple angles. I really loved how easy it is to absorb and become addicted to Greaney’s great stories on this format, and The Hard Line is a must-listen for all audiobook fans looking for an exciting and clever thriller.

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30Seven, written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by Scott Brick

Jeremy Robinson is an author who often appears on my best audiobook lists, and I love his complex and intense reads. In 2026 Robinson once again makes an appearance, especially with his unique and dark standalone science fiction thriller, 30Seven. An entertaining and disturbing novel that sets a serial killer loose amid an alien abduction narrative, 30Seven was a great book, whose unique narrative perfectly came across on audiobook. What was interesting with 30Seven is that it featured Robinson’s first collaboration with iconic audiobook narrator Scott Brick. Brick clearly has fun taking a break from his usual thriller work, and he provides an entertaining and haunting narration to this gripping read. I loved how well Brick enhanced this audiobook with his voice work, especially in scenes told from the killer’s perspective. A particularly fun audiobook, it will be interesting to see how some of Robinson’s other audiobooks this year (Parallax and the upcoming Settle Down) stand up to it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Da Freebooterz Code, written by Justin Woolley and narrated by Harry Myers

The final Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I’m going to feature on this list, is the comedic goldmine that is Da Freebooterz Code. The second Warhammer novel by Justin Woolley, Da Freebooterz Code follows the alternating views of a bold ork pirate captain and a slowly unravelling rogue trader, as they engage in a brutal space war. One of the funniest Warhammer books I have read, Da Freebooterz Code was an incredible read, that gets even better on audiobook. Harry Myers, the only narrator to appear on this list twice, does another awesome job with Da Freebooterz Code, and once again loved his take on the orks. I particularly loved how, rather than just reusing the same ork voices he had in Warlord of Warlords, Myers went out of his way to make the orks in Da Freebooterz Code sound more ‘piratey’, which was just brilliant. Another exceptional Warhammer 40,000 audiobook.

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Operation Bounce House, written by Matt Dinniman and narrated by Travis Baldree

Matt Dinniman is having an exceptional 2026, with two particularly awesome reads. His second for this list, Operation Bounce House, was a clever and heartfelt standalone science fiction novel, that saw a peaceful colony world invaded by destructive mechs remotely piloted by bloodthirsty Earth gamers. A very interesting and moving read from Dinniman, which is also further enhanced by an excellent audiobook version, this time narrated by Travis Baldree. Baldree, a narrator who fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl would be familiar with thanks to his work in The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, does an incredible job at bringing Operation Bounce House to life with his voice work. I really liked the personal and emotionally charged take Baldree had for this audiobook, and it resulted in one of the more moving audiobooks of 2026. A fantastic and powerful final audiobook entry for this list.

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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 2026. It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2026 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 2026 so far are in the comments below.

30Seven by Jeremy Robinson

On July 9, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Five-Star Books, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: Podium Audio (Audiobook – 20 January 2026)

Series: Standalone

Length: 11 hours and 51 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Jeremy Robinson presents one of the most awesome and unique science fiction reads of early 2026 with the impressive and over-the-top novel, 30Seven, a clever alien abduction novel with some daringly dark horror elements behind it.

Jeremy Robinson is an outstanding author who has a fantastic career writing clever, fun, and occasionally terrifying thrillers that often feature intriguing science fiction elements. Best known for his Antarktos Saga, Chess Team and Nemesis Saga series, Robinson has written a staggering amount of fiction over the years, including additional cool series and standalone reads. I got into Robinson’s work a few years ago when I read a few books from his addictive interconnected Infinite Timeline series, including Tribe, The Dark and Mind Bullet (the latter two of which were amongst my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021). I have also started getting into Robinson’s standalone novels, including Point Nemo (one of my favourite audiobooks of 2024), and Artifact (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025). As such, I was very excited to read some more books from Robinson in 2026 novel, including the awesome sounding 30Seven, which was one of my most anticipated releases for the first half of the year.

Plot Synopsis:

Twenty-eight people are abducted from a lakeside beach-and a killer is among them-in this twisty UFO horror novel from the bestselling author of The Others.

After a year of torment following the loss of his wife, Isabella, to a serial killer with an artistic flair, Marcus Lockwood retreats with his son, Elias, to Moose Hollow-a secluded campground in backwoods Maine-in search of healing. There, a close-knit band of lifelong campers immerses them in a warm, nostalgic experience filled with fishing, canoeing, crackling barbecues, and a taste of normalcy.

When whispers of eerie UFO sightings ignite a vigil on the beach, Marcus and Elias eagerly join the hunt for the inexplicable. But when the sky erupts in otherworldly light, they’ll get much more than they bargained for. A mysterious craft descends, and in one surreal moment, the group is abducted and transported into the unknown. Amid the chaos and disorientation, a gut-wrenching discovery terrifies Marcus:

One of them is Isabella’s killer.

Jeremey Robinson hits it out of the park again with this outstanding standalone science fiction thriller. 30Seven was a complex and addictive novel, that cleverly twisted the classic narrative of alien abductions into a brutal and manic thriller. A highly addictive novel I couldn’t get enough of, 30Seven gets a very easy five-star rating from me, especially as I’ve still got some of the reveals and revelations stuck in my head.

I loved the dark and very clever story that Robison featured in 30Seven, which I frankly think was one of the strongest the narratives that I have so far seen from this author. A slick, character driven novel, the book quickly introduces you to the main point-of-view protagonist, Marcus Lockwood, a highly damaged figure who has journeyed to the remote Moose Hollow campgrounds with his son, Elias. However, despite the serene setting, nothing is quite what it seems, especially with strange alien sightings and evidence that Marcus and Elias were lured to the camp by the serial killer responsible for destroying their family. Robinson does an interesting job of setting up a lot of key elements in the first part of 30Seven, especially as you are introduced to the key cast of fellow campers, as well as some early information about potential alien encounters.

While this first part of the book moves quickly and effectively draws the reader in, Robinson makes sure to kick the narrative up a notch with the sudden abduction of the entire protagonist group by a UFO, a moment that changes 30Seven’s entire status quo. Not only do the characters now have to deal with terror caused by interacting with telepathic aliens but the abduction awakens the serial killer, who begins a murderous reign of terror aboard the ship. What follows is a horrifying jaunt as Marcus tries to find and protect his son amid disastrous alien first contact, while a deranged killer stalks around them, butchering and artistically posing multiple victims.

The entire second half of 30Seven is so damn good, and I loved just how dark things ended up getting, with so many gruesome horrors. The clash of fascinating alien interactions against human insanity makes for an intense and fast-paced story, and you race towards the end eager to see who the killer is. Everything leads up to a fantastic final confrontation, where all the author’s twists come to light. While I saw part of the big reveal coming, the full extent of it was very impressive, and it makes you rethink everything that took place earlier in the novel. Readers will come away very satisfied, if a little disturbed, and Robinson does an amazing job wrapping up the entire story and ensuring this was a tight and captivating read.

30Seven ended up being a spectacular novel, and I really enjoyed the unique feel that this book had. Featuring an alien abduction narrative that devolves into a horror-laden slasher novel, Robinson perfectly emulating both genres to pull together an intense read. The resulting story is unique, and Robinson expertly tells it through a primary first-person perspective which allows readers to have a front-row view of 30Seven’s crazy carnage. I loved how the book got darker the further you went along, with Robinson moving the story further into the horror genre, especially when it comes to having the bodies displayed as artworks (a certain moving art exhibit was particularly disturbing). This really ups the tension of the plot, and you are constantly on edge all the way through the final clever reveals. Throw in some interesting thoughts about the potential for alien life, the influence they’ve had on humanity, as well as some interesting concerns about the rise of AI, and this ended up being a very clever and well-written novel.

Robinson always excels at creating likeable figures for his readers to follow, and 30Seven was no exception, featuring an interesting collection of major characters. Unsurprisingly most of the focus goes to main protagonist, Marcus Lockwood, who serves as the novel’s primary point-of-view character. A clever and relatable father, who has been severely traumatised by the recent murder of his wife, Marcus serves as a great heart to the story, especially as he encounters the horrors of Moose Hollow. I felt that Robinson did a good job at painting Marcus as an excellent everyman hero, with some very understandable reaction to events going on around him. In addition, the first-person perspective allows Robinson to really get stuck into Marcus’s trauma, allowing for an authentic and powerful look at a grieving father’s fear, attempts to protect his child, and establish a new connection. All this allows for a fantastic emotional ride, which enhances 30Seven’s main narrative, while pushing the plot in some interesting directions.

In addition to Marcus, 30Seven features a great collection of supporting characters who help or develop the protagonist’s journey in some compelling manners. Most of these supporting characters are fellow campers at Moose Hollow, whose connection to the camp and previous alien encounters provide some interesting side-plots and hints at what is to come. I don’t want to go into too much detail about these supporting characters, especially as it could spoil who is and who isn’t the antagonistic serial killer. However, I will say that each of these supporting characters are well utilised, even if they have an untimely and brutal death.

The one character I do want to go into a little more detail about is the serial killer antagonist of the story. A sinister shadow for some of the early parts of the book, this serial killer awakens when the first alien abduction occurs, and you start seeing parts of the novel from their perspective. These additional perspective shots are some of the best parts of 30Seven, primarily because the killer talks to an unseen watcher that also acts as a proxy for the reader themselves. The resulting sarcastic commentary from the killer as he haunts the ship and the protagonists is so damn brilliant and adds a dark bit of humour to the story. There are also some extremely clever moments as the killer seems to taunt the reader with his words, while also providing hints about who he really is. The final reveal about the figure behind this narration is impressive, especially as it twists the hints around, while the killer mocks readers who guessed wrong (or even partially right). I laughed so damn hard at some of the jokes Robinson loaded into the killer’s chapters (especially those that seem personally aimed at cynical readers like me), and these sections were some of my favourites in the book, especially when they attacked my preconceived notions of how the plot should unfold. Honestly all the characters in 30Seven were great, and I really appreciated the amazing depth, complexity and humour they added to the plot.

As has been habit with all the previous Jeremy Robinson novels I have enjoyed, I ended up grabbing the audiobook version of 30Seven. This format always works extremely well to enhance Robinson’s outstanding and crazy narratives, and 30Seven is no exception to this, as I quickly powered through its near 12-hour long runtime. A lot of this is down to the exceptional narration of Scott Brick, who proves to be an interesting replacement to Robinson’s usual audiobook collaborator R. C. Bray. Brick, whose work on the Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz and Cotton Malone by Steve Berry audiobooks I’ve previously enjoyed, is a very talented narrator who brings his substantial experience with voicing thriller novels to this complicated read in all the best ways.

Despite this being Brick’s first time narrating one of Robinson’s novels, I felt that Brick did an outstanding job adapting to the author’s style. Not only does he have a little more energy in his voice when reading out the over-the-top science fiction action, but he also perfectly expresses Robinson’s excellent humour. I also really liked the fantastic voices that Brick pulled together for the extended cast of 30Seven. While a couple of voices were similar to tones Brick used in previous audiobooks, most of the cast sounds unique, and you’re able to easily distinguish between the characters. I especially loved the old, wise voice he gives to Emmett, the camp caretaker, while the over-worldly voices of several alien characters were well done. However, it is the sinister and delightfully malicious tone that Brick utilises in the various interludes where the serial killer is seemingly talking to the reader that was the true highlight of this audiobook’s narration. The sarcastic and mocking voice that comes out here was just perfect, and I loved how it helped increase the threat this mysterious figure had. All this results in an exceptional audiobook, which does an incredible job showcasing Robinson’s compelling story.

The brilliant and dark mind of Jeremy Robinson was once again on full display with his new novel, 30Seven. A wonderfully twisted science fiction novel that sets a serial killer loose on a spaceship with dark results, 30Seven was an outstanding standalone novel I couldn’t get enough of. Clever, shocking and highly addictive, 30Seven was an incredible novel and it was one of my top books so far this year. I will definitely be reading more Robinson in 2026, and I cannot wait to try out either the recently released Parallax or the upcoming novel Settle Down when I get a chance.

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favorite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2024

On July 16, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List6 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to pick a single book and list the top ten things they love about it. While this is an interesting idea, and one I might come back to later, I’m instead going to continue my recent trend of discussing books from the first half of the year and highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2024. This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a couple of weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2024.

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 enjoy both recent releases and older novels. I have been a major fan of 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 a ton of outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2024. 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 2024 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. There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2024 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile. I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration. In my experience an outstanding narration or use of music and sound effects can enhance the plot, and I think that all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that are really worth checking out.

In addition, I also featured my typical generous Honourable Mentions section, which featured some great books from the first half of the year that I didn’t feature in my main list for various reasons, as well as a couple of pre-2024 audiobooks that really impressed me. With these honourable mentions, I am very 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:

Warhammer 40,000: Siege of Vraks, written by Steve Lyons and narrated by Timothy Watson

My first honourable mention is the awesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Siege of Vraks, which is the audiobook I am currently listening to. The successor to Lyon’s previous novels, Dead Men Walking and Krieg, Siege of Vraks is a great book that covers the epic and bloody siege of the same name. While this is an amazing audiobook, I’m leaving it as an honourable mention for the moment as I have only just started listening to it and I need to see how it unfolds fully. Still, based on what I have listened to so far, this could end up being one of my favourite audiobooks of 2024.

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Alien Clay, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by Ben Allen

An outstanding and cool science fiction audiobook from and insanely inventive author.

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Skin Game, written by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters

One of my favourite pre-2024 audiobooks I listened to in the first half of the year. Skin Game was one of the better books in the iconic Dresden Files series, and I loved how well the fun fantasy heist story was told by narrator and actor James Marsters.

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Warhammer 40,000: Straight Silver, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth

I have had the pleasure of listening to a few pre-2024 Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks in the first half of the year, however my favourite is Straight Silver. An epic entry in the fantastic Gaunt’s Ghosts series, Straight Silver was an intense and compelling book, especially when read out by the talented Toby Longworth.

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Top Ten List:

NecroTek, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

For the first entry on this list, I had to include the latest audiobook from Jonathan Maberry, NecroTek, which proved to be an exceptional dark science fiction adventure. Maberry is one of my favourite authors at the moment, and he consistently produces gripping and dark reads that turn into exceptional audiobooks, especially when narrated by his long-time audiobook collaborator Ray Porter. Porter has an amazing voice, and I love how he takes Maberry’s elaborate stories and makes them even more special. NecroTek was an exceptional audiobook, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the second Maberry/Porter audiobook coming out in 2024, The Dragon in Winter.

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Point Nemo, written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by R. C. Bray

Few audiobooks were as impressive as Point Nemo by Jeremy Robinson this year. A fast-paced and highly awesome science fiction thriller, Point Nemo had an outstanding plot behind it that followed a fun band of adventurers as they attempted to uncover the secrets of an island created from alien spores. The story and action of Point Nemo are very amazing on their own, but I felt that the narration of R. C. Bray added even more to it. A very talented voice actor who has lent his voice to many of Robinson’s works, Bray is one of my favourite narrators, and I really love the fantastic energy and power he gave to Point Nemo’s audiobook. An exceptional listen that I cannot recommend enough.

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Goodbye Girl, written by James Grippando and narrated by Jonathan Davis

I was eager to try out the intriguing legal thriller, Goodbye Girl by James Grippando, this year, and decided to grab it on audiobook because narrator Jonathan Davis had previously voiced some great Star Wars audiobooks. Goodbye Girl proved to be an amazing listen, and I deeply enjoyed how effectively the compelling and entertaining legal thriller elements came across in this medium. A wonderful and thrilling audiobook that had me hooked the entire way through.

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Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Harry Myers

Unsurprisingly, I have several Warhammer audiobooks featured on this list, as it is frankly the best format to enjoy this extensive franchise in. The first of these is the outstanding and hilarious Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks. The sequel to Brooks’ previous books, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, Da Big Dakka followed a rowdy group of orks as they raided a dark fortress filled with torture obsessed space elves. I laughed pretty much the entire way through this audiobook, especially with the fantastic narration of Harry Myers, who effectively captured the many excentric participants in this battle. An amazing and highly entertaining audiobook that you won’t be able to stop listening to.

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The Chaos Agent, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

One of my favourite thriller authors, Mark Greaney, continues to impress with his latest Gray Man novel, The Chaos Agent. An exciting and impressive read, The Chaos Agent had a great story behind it that was even crazier than usual. As with most of the books in this series, I grabbed The Chaos Agent on audiobook, which proved to be an excellent experience. Veteran narrator Jay Snyder has always done a great job with the Gray Man audiobooks, and his work in The Chaos Agent was on point again. I really enjoyed this fantastic audiobook, and the format really enhances the excitement and intensity of the plot.

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Star Trek: Pliable Truths, written by Dayton Ward and narrated by Robert Petkoff

I ended up having a brilliant time listening to the latest Star Trek audiobook from Dayton Ward, Pliable Truths. A compelling and entertaining book that serves as a bridge between The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine shows, Pliable Truths was a lot of fun and will really appeal to Star Trek fans. Of course, no Star Trek audiobook is complete without the impressive narration of Robert Petkoff, who has lent his great voice to so many audiobooks in the franchise. Petkoff’s ability to mimic key Star Trek characters is well known and he does another outstanding job in the Pliable Truths audiobook, enhancing this already awesome book in an outstanding way.

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Warhammer: The Old World: Lords of the Lance, written by Graham McNeill and narrated by Peter Kenny

This year the Warhammer franchise brought fans back to the iconic Old World fantasy setting, including through the exceptional book Lords of the Lance. Written by one of the Black Library’s best authors, Graham McNeill, Lords of the Lance was an exciting and addictive adventure story that saw the legendary knights of Bretonnia traverse some of the most hostile terrain in the setting to face off against an army of the dead. Expertly narrated by Peter Kenny, this amazing story was loaded with action, compelling characters, and a fantastic appreciation for the setting. I really had a lot of fun listening to the Lords of the Lance audiobook, and it was the best way to experience this amazing story.

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The Atlas Maneuver, written by Steve Berry and narrated by Scott Brick

I had a lot of fun listening to the new Cotton Malone book by Steve Berry, The Atlas Maneuver. Another intricate and captivating spy thriller that makes use of fun historical conspiracies, The Atlas Maneuver was a great book and I felt that the excellent audiobook version, narrated by Scott Brick, enhanced its unique elements. An outstanding listen from one of my favourite thriller series.

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Crucible of Chaos, written by Sebastien de Castell and narrated by Joe Jameson

I’m slightly cheating with this next entry as Crucible of Chaos came out in 2023. However, due its late December 2023 release date, as well as it’s connection to the fantastic 2024 novel, Play of Shadows, I have decided to include it as part of this list. Crucible of Chaos was an exceptional book from talented fantasy author Sebastien de Castell, that saw an unlikely investigator and his noble steed attempt to uncover the cause of insanity and chaos in a famous monastery. A clever and funny read, Crucible of Chaos was an impressive audiobook, and I had a lot of fun with how Joe Jameson, another favourite narrator of mine, brought it too life.

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Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder, written by Victoria Hayward and narrated by Gabrielle Nellis-Pain

The final audiobook I want to highlight on this list is the amazing Warhammer 40,000 production, Deathworlder. Written by debuting author Victoria Hayward, Deathworlder was a grim and complex tale of survival in a planet full of horrors. Featuring two of the most compelling factions in the Warhammer 40,000 canon, Deathworlder was so damn good, and I deeply appreciated how effectively the audiobook version captured the turmoil and intensity of the plot. Narrator Gabrielle Nellis-Pain did an amazing job bringing the traumatised protagonists to life, and the resulting audiobook came across masterfully. A deeply impressive audiobook and one of the best Warhammer reads from the first half of 2024.

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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 2024. It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2024 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 2024 so far are in the comments below.

The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry

On April 27, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Thriller3 Comments

The Atlas Maneuver Cover

Publisher: Hachette Audio (Audiobook – 20 February 2024)

Series: Cotton Malone – Book 18

Length: 13 hours and 21 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The always exciting Steve Berry continues his long-running Cotton Malone series with the intriguing and addictive novel, The Atlas Maneuver, which once again blends modern plots with historical riddles.

Over the last few years, I have been having a wonderful time getting to know the works of acclaimed thriller author Steve Berry. Known for his intricate and complex works that dive into the past, Berry is an amazing author whose style and story focus really appeals to me. I have had a wonderful time getting through the last several books in his main series, the Cotton Malone books, as well as his standalone novel, The Omega Factor. Cotton Malone is a particularly fun series following the titular Cotton Malone as he attempts to stop sinister modern-day plots that have their roots in ancient conspiracies and secrets. All the Cotton Malone books I have read have been extremely epic in their own way, including The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web, and The Last Kingdom (one of my favourite books of 2023), and I cannot recommend them enough.

As World War II entered its final phase, the retreating Japanese hid vast quantities of looted gold and other stolen valuables throughout the Philippines. Stored in hidden underground bunkers, the gold was supposed to be used to rebuild Japan after the war and expand its interests. But with the location of the vaults lost, most of the gold remained hidden, except for a small fraction recovered by the United States government and the nascent CIA, who kept it for themselves in secret.

In the present day, retired Justice Department agent Cotton Malone, is in Switzerland, working for an old CIA friend to keep a potential asset safe. However, when someone tries to take his target out, Cotton soon finds himself thrust into the middle of a dangerous battle between a shadowy branch of CIA and the Bank of St. George, one of the world’s oldest financial institutions, with whom the recovered gold was entrusted.

Forced to act, Cotton begins to unravel a dangerous conspiracy and discovers that the directors of the Bank of St. George are seeking to initiate a radical plot involving bitcoin, the elusive online currency, which could destabilise the entire financial world and leave them in control. Working with a skilled Japanese agent, his lover, and a ghost from his past, Cotton seeks to stop the plot before it is too late. But with a deadly team of CIA assassins also closing in, no-one is safe and everyone is a target.

This was a pretty interesting novel from Berry that I had an excellent time with. Thanks to its unique thriller story combining historical secrets with contemporary mysteries and plots, The Atlas Maneuver proved to be an amazing and intricate novel that I found to be quite impressive.

I really enjoyed the compelling story that Berry came up with for his latest novel, especially as he once again successfully blends an elaborate historical conspiracy with an exciting modern thriller story. This story came together extremely well and overall proved to be quite an exciting read as Berry comes up with several compelling story arcs that you become absorbed in. Starting off with a glimpse at the origins of the hidden Japanese war loot, The Atlas Maneuver soon jumps to Cotton Malone as he finds himself drawn into a plot to disrupt the world economy by a powerful bank through bitcoin. Working with an old flame whose financial brilliance is behind much of the bank’s plans, Cotton desperately tries to keep her safe, while also contending with a relentless Japanese agent. At the same time, Cotton’s partner Cassiopeia Vitt and old CIA associate Derrick Koger attempt to discover the location of the lost wartime gold that was supposed to be in the bank’s possession. Their inquiries lead them into conflict with the bank, as well as a shadowy arm of the CIA that attempts to take out everyone associated with the case.

The alternating thrusts of the hunt for lost gold and the attempts to stop the elaborate financial attack make for great reading, and Berry continuously raised the stakes while also dragging the story back to the past with the fun historical inclusions. While the story did drag in places, especially around the middle, I honestly couldn’t turn away from this book at times, especially when the action got particularly intense and there were multiple fun figures to follow. Berry perfectly sets up the big conclusion of The Atlas Maneuver, which has surprisingly more devastation than expected. I loved the dark and ironic ending to some of the storylines that emerged, and I felt this strong finish enhanced the entire book as a result. Berry also leaves the story on an excellent emotional cliffhanger, that I feel is really going to pay off later in the series, and I will ensure I come back for the next Cotton Malone book.

I really liked how Berry set out his methodical and intense story as he once again relied on his classic style that prioritised historical inclusions, while also ensuring that the new book is accessible to all readers. Thanks to the author’s excellent use of multiple perspectives, you get a great wide-angle perspective story, which allows you to understand the motivations, desires and actions of most of the opposing parties. I always love books that show the story from the antagonist’s perspective, and this was a great example of that as you got to see the leader of the evil bank manipulate one of the other main characters, while also trying to implement her wider plan. Berry utilises these multiple perspectives to tell an excellent overarching story, and while the parts focusing on Cassiopeia Vitt and Derrick Koger felt a little too detached from Cotton Malone’s storyline, for the most part this was a very cohesive tale. The writing is also very tight and fluid in The Atlas Maneuver as Berry does a great job moving the story along, while also including his trademark historical lectures and flashbacks. The mixture of modern-day action, elaborate schemes and examinations of the past was pretty on-point for this latest Cotton Malone book, and you really get drawn into the story as a result. There were also some fantastic character interactions, especially as the protagonist is forced to interact with a love interest from his past who looks set to change the status quo of the series. I had such a good time reading this book, and it proved to be an excellent addition to Cotton Malone series.

I always love the elaborate and compelling dives into various parts of history that Berry takes the reader on in the Cotton Malone series. Berry, who clearly does his research on all things history, once again set his new novel around a unique piece of history, which has intriguing implications for the modern day thriller storyline. In this case, much of the story revolves around Yamashita’s gold, the infamous treasure hoard supposedly located in the Philippines. The author does a deep dive into the subject highlighting all the history surrounding it, as well as mentioning many of the intriguing details that followed it as people attempted to find it. Much of the plot of The Atlas Maneuver revolves around the fate of this gold, and Berry really does a great job of highlighting its importance and the cultural implications surrounding it. While certain elements of Yamashita’s gold featured in The Atlas Maneuver were exaggerated or changed for narrative purposes, you really get a good grounding in history surrounding it. I found this focus on the lost treasure to be highly fascinating, especially as it wasn’t something I was too familiar about before. However, this only proved to be the tip of the historical iceberg, as other intriguing historical events were also cleverly featured throughout the book. compelling examinations about the early days of the CIA, banking history, the financial affairs of Switzerland and Luxembourg, and post-war recovery of Japan are also covered in interesting detail, much of which helps to give context to the current story and which are cleverly inserted into the modern-day plot. These historical elements are truly fascinating, and I love the unique conspiracies and hidden secrets that Berry creates utilising them.

In addition to this 20^th century history, Berry also chooses to dive into something a little more modern with a detailed look at bitcoin, which also has a significant impact to the plot of The Atlas Maneuver. Berry dives into the history surrounding bitcoin, how it came into being and how it eventually expanded out in a major currency. While some of this history is altered for the book, there is still a lot of detail about its origins and how it become prevalent throughout the world, which I honestly didn’t know a lot about, and was quite fascinating. Berry also tries to capture other aspects of bitcoin, such as its function, how it is mined, and how it is currently viewed throughout the world. There is a focus on bitcoin’s potential, and how it can be used to change economies and grant financial freedoms to people. I liked how Berry took a neutral, if hopeful, stance around bitcoin, as while certain characters are critical of the cryptocurrency, many see its potential and hope to make the world a better place through its usage. I honestly found the entire inclusion of bitcoin to be highly interesting, and the focus on its manipulation, creation and exploitation drove the plot to some cool places.

Another aspect of all Berry’s books that I really enjoy is his highly detailed examinations of various intriguing places that his protagonists end up in. These background settings are always a key part of the book, and I like how well Berry incorporates them into the story, especially as the history or unique locations are invariably explored or utilised in the plot. While The Atlas Maneuver lacks some of the grandiose sites that I enjoyed in the previous books, there is still a range of cool locations featured here that are well done. This includes deep looks at several cities and locations with Switzerland and Luxembourg, as well as a lengthy excursion to Morocco. Berry loving describes all the historical cities, lakes and other key locations in high detail, and it is always very clear when he is working from memory, especially as some of his characters’ reactions clearly mirror his own. These detailed depictions always allow the reader to effectively envision the locations quite clearly, and it is a lot of fun imagining the daring exploits taking place in these picturesque locales. I always love Berry’s descriptions of these locations, not only because I find the history fascinating, but because there are so many places featured in these books that I want to visit. As such, this is a great part of The Atlas Maneuver, and I cannot wait to see what cool locations Berry features in his next book.

As has been my custom with most of the Cotton Malone series, I ended up listening to The Atlas Maneuver on audiobook, which ended up being a pretty great way to enjoy this book. Coming in a nearly 13 and a half hours, this is a moderately long audiobook, so it took me a little while to get through it. However, I felt that the way it helped to portray the intense action and thrilling storyline was very impressive, especially as having the story read out to me engrained the elaborate historical details a little better. The Atlas Maneuver once again featured the fantastic voice work of veteran audiobook narrator Scott Brick, who has lent his voice to all the previous Cotton Malone books. Brick has a very serviceable voice that works well for the thriller books he usually narrates, especially as it helps to highlight the great action sequences and elaborate conspiracies. Thanks to his good voice work, the plot of The Atlas Maneuver moves along at a brisk pace, and I really got swept up in the elaborate story. As such, I feel that the audiobook version is a great way to enjoy The Atlas Maneuver, and I had an excellent time getting through it.

Overall, The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry was an amazing book that I had an outstanding time getting through. Once again successfully combining intriguing and elaborate historical conspiracies with an exciting thriller storyline, The Atlas Maneuver was a blast from start to finish and will be deeply appreciated by both fans of the long-running Cotton Malone series and new readers experiencing Berry’s writing for the first time. A compelling read that comes highly recommended.

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks of 2023

On December 27, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List60 Comments

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 list involved listing the ten most recent additions to your bookshelf, which is a topic I would usually try to address. However, I am afraid I’m going to have to skip this topic and instead I will continue my annual end of year wrap up of some of the best books of 2023. In previous weeks I have highlighted some of the best pre-2023 novels, best new-to-me-authors and the best 2023 sequels I read in the last year. However, this week I am going to look at something near and dear to my heart, the best audiobooks of 2023.

Readers of this blog only need to check out my extensive audiobook category to know that I have a lot of love for the audiobook format. In my opinion, the audiobook is often the best way to experience a good book and in many cases this format makes a novel far more enjoyable. As a result, I listened to quite a few audiobooks this year, and while a good chunk of them were books released before 2023 and featured in my Throwback Thursday posts, most were released this year. There were some truly outstanding and impressive audiobooks released in 2023 and I knew going in that I was going to have an extremely hard time coming up with a final version of this list.

For this list I have only included audiobooks released in 2023 that I have listened to, which left me with a long list of extremely impressive audiobooks which I wanted to include in this post. To help cut this down, I considered a range of factors, including the quality of the original novel, the skill of the narrator, production value, pacing and other features. Looking at all this I was eventually able to cut the list down to the absolute best 10 audiobooks, with my typical generous honourable mentions section. I had to make some very hard decisions here, and I ended up excluding several extremely good audiobooks from the main list. Still, I think it really represents the best audiobooks I enjoyed this year and there are some amazing productions below.

Honourable Mention:

The King of the Spoil, written by Jonathan D. Beer and narrated by Gabrielle Nellis-Pain

A fun and intense Warhammer 40,000 book that effortlessly blends gothic science fiction with a great crime fiction narrative.

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The Last Kingdom, written by Steve Berry and narrated by Scott Brick

Intriguing European history and modern-day espionage combine perfectly in this new Cotton Malone novel by Steve Berry, which is expertly brought to life by veteran narrator Scott Brick

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Cypher: Lord of the Fallen, written by John French and narrated by Jon Rand

The very talented Jon Rand does a wonderful job of bringing one of the most mysterious Warhammer 40,000 figures to life in this cryptic and fast-paced audiobook by John French.

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Murtagh, written by Christopher Paolini and narrated by Gerard Doyle

Christopher Paolini cleverly adds to his iconic Inheritance Cycle with original series audiobook narrator, Gerard Doyle, returning as well, bringing some familiar and compelling voices to this epic piece of fantasy fiction.

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Top Ten List:

Son of the Poison Rose/Cave 13, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

In 2023, we were lucky to get two novels from one of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, as he continued some of his best series. These novels were the dark fantasy epic, Son of the Poison Rose and the science fiction thriller, Cave 13, which continued the outstanding Rogue Team International series. Both books were awesome in their own way, but I chose to combine their audiobooks into a single entry here, due to the fact both shared the same narrator in the legendary Ray Porter. Porter, who is one of my favourite audiobook narrators, is synonymous with Maberry, having lent his voice to most of his books, and he always provides an exceptional performance that works so well with Maberry’s style and captures his complex and damaged protagonists. The combination of Maberry and Porter is always a winner, and the resulting audiobooks are something extremely special. As such, both come highly recommended, and both are some of the best audiobooks of the year.

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Holly, written by Stephen King and narrated by Justine Lupe

I have been really enjoying some of the legendary Stephen King’s more recent books and my favourite so far is his latest novel, Holly. A continuation of the adventures of Holly Gibney that started in Mr Mercedes, Holly was a complex and dark thriller that saw the protagonist investigate a missing persons case, only to discover something truly disturbing and horrifying. This was such an incredible novel, that featured great characters and some shocking twists, and I can honestly say that my love for Holly was even more enhanced because of its amazing audiobook as the producers cleverly brought in actress Justine Lupe to narrate the book. Lupe, who played the character of Holly Gibney in the Mr Mercedes television series, once again dove into the character and really brought her to life. Combined with her great take on several other impressive characters, including two of King’s most surprisingly sinister villains, and Holly was a joy to listen to from start to finish, and indeed proved to be an excellent accompaniment for a fun road trip.

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The Will of the Many, written by James Islington and narrated by Euan Morton

One of my favourite fantasy novels of 2023 was the inventive and exciting release from Australian author James Islington, The Will of the Many. A powerful read that saw a clever teenager with secrets attend a prestigious magical academy while also trying to bring down a destructive empire, The Will of the Many was one of the most impressive books of the year and I got really addicted to its elaborate storytelling and unique new world. The audiobook version of The Will of the Many proved to be extremely good, especially as it allowed me to absorb more of the compelling world detail and envision some of the more elaborate elements of the story. Narrator Euan Morton also provided a unique voice to the story, and this ended up being on of the best fantasy audiobooks of the year.

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The Last Devil to Die, written by Richard Osman and narrated by Fiona Shaw

After wowing me with his previous Thursday Murder Club books, including The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021) and The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Richard Osman produced another outstanding release this year with The Last Devil to Die. Thanks to its clever mystery, subtle humour, and some of the best character work you likely to see, The Last Devil to Die was Osman’s best book yet, and I cannot emphasise how wonderful and moving it ended up being. The audiobook version proved to be particularly good, as they once again brought back actress Fiona Shaw to narrate. Shaw has an amazing handle on all the characters, and her excellent voice conveyed all the intense and powerful emotional that this book contained. I honestly teared up in placed while listening to this audiobook and I cannot recommend it enough as a result.

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The Fall of Cadia, written by Robert Rath and narrated by Mark Elstob

I’m still listening to this next entry; however, I’m having such a great time with it that I had to include it here. This book is a fantastic Warhammer 40,000 book, The Fall of Cadia. Covering one of the most important events from the Warhammer 40,000 canon, the end of the 13^th Black Crusade, The Fall of Cadia follows the epic last stand of the fortress planet of Cadia to the forces of Chaos. Massive in its scope and carnage, The Fall of Cadia is a difficult book to pull together but Robert Rath, who massively impressed me with his prior novels Assassinorum: Kingmaker and The Infinite and the Divine, does an incredible job of tying everything together into an exciting and manageable read. I am particularly loving the audiobook version as narrator Mark Elstob moves the lengthy novel along at an excellent pace and provides a huge range of voices to cover all the over-the-top personalities featured in the book. His narration also perfectly captures the full intensity of the many battles featured within The Fall of Cadia and he makes it sound as epic and brutal as possible. I am loving every second with this audiobook and I look forward to seeing how well the big finish comes out.

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City of Last Chances, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

Probably one of the cleverest fantasy books I got to read in 2023 was City of Last Chances by the unstoppable and highly talented Adrian Tchaikovsky. Set in an occupied city loaded with rogues, revolutionaries and other lost souls, City of Last Chances was a clever, character-driven read, loaded with unique personal stories and unusual scenarios. This fascinating and entertaining narrative was expertly expressed by narrator David Thorpe who really dove into the strange characters and showcased all the absurdities and deep dramas perfectly. A wonderful audiobook from start to finish that I honestly could not stop listening to.

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Burner, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

One of the leading authors of spy thriller fiction, Mark Greaney, produced another outstanding entry in his Gray Man series this year with Burner. Setting his infamous protagonist against both his former lover and a desperate Russian special forces unit, Burner was an amazing and intense read that expertly and tastefully utilised contemporary events to tell a complex story. The resulting action, spy craft, personal drama and carnage was expertly showcased by narrator Jay Snyder, who has lent his voice to all the Gray Man books. The resulting audiobook was extremely moving and intense, and Burner was one of Greaney’s best releases yet.

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The Shadow Casket, written by Chris Wooding and narrated by Simon Bubb

The longest audiobook I listened to in 2023 was the epic fantasy novel, The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding. The sequel to Wooding’s previous novel, The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket was an outstanding listen that saw a desperate group of freedom fighters try to turn the tide against their relentless oppressors. Perfectly continuing the story set up in The Ember Blade while also featuring some impressive character interactions and a ton of worldbuilding, The Shadow Casket was a brilliant book, and I was so glad to get a continuation of this series. I deeply appreciated the audiobook version of The Shadow Casket, narrated by Simon Bubb, as it really helped me absorb this massive read so much better. Bubb did an outstanding job of making this lengthy story easy to follow, and I loved the fitting voices he gifted to all the complex characters. A captivating and extensive listen, I don’t think I would have enjoyed The Shadow Casket as much in any other format.

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The Traitor, written by Anthony Ryan and narrated by Steven Brand

Bestselling fantasy author, Anthony Ryan, brought his Covenant of Steel trilogy to an awesome end this year with The Traitor. The fantastic follow-up to The Pariah and The Martyr, The Traitor showcased the end of Ryan’s scribe protagonist’s big adventure, and the inevitable fall to darkness that accompanied it. Intense, highly detailed, and featuring an outstanding antagonist, The Traitor was such a good conclusion, and I had such an incredible time listening to the audiobook version. Steven Brand, who did such a great job narrating The Pariah and The Martyr, provided another brilliant bout of narrating in this finale, and he perfectly captured the protagonist’s despair and determination as they fought to do the right thing one final time. A highly recommended audiobook and the only way to enjoy the Covenant of Steel books.

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The Lion: Son of the Forest, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Timothy Watson

The final entry on this list is another Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks. Brooks, who is quicky becoming one of the best authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction (a quick shoutout to Brook’s other 2023 release, Warboss), sought to bring back one of the canon’s most significant characters, and did so with this deeply personal and symbolism laced novel. Intense, moving, and featuring some compelling characters, The Lion: Son of the Forest was extremely good, especially in the audiobook format narrated by Timothy Watson. While all Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks are pretty special and fun, I really enjoyed this one as Watson captures the gravitas of the main character perfectly while also highlighting the complex plot and pivotal action. One of the best Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks of 2023 as a result, this is really worth a listen.

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Well that is the end of this latest Top Ten list, and as you can see, I have been lucky enough to listen to some awesome audiobooks this year (although I clearly focused a little too much on Warhammer fiction). All the above audiobooks are extremely good and I would highly recommend each of them in their audiobook format. Let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2023 were in the comments below, and make sure to check back next week to see what my overall favourite novels of the year were.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2023

On July 11, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List20 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. Top Ten Tuesday participants get a freebie this week so I chose to have a look at my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2023. 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 2023.

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 2023. 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 2023 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. There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2023 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile. I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration. In my experience an outstanding narration or use of music and sound effects can enhance the plot, and I think that all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that are really worth checking out.

In addition, as I had also listened to a few pre-2023 audiobooks in the first half of the year, I decided to also included a few of the best in a honourable mentions section. I had an epic time diving back into some classic reads, especially those of the Warhammer variety, and I really wanted to highlight which ones made for the best audiobooks. With these honourable mentions, I am very 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 (Pre-2023 audiobooks):

Eisenhorn Trilogy, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

Some of the very best Warhammer audiobooks I listened to this year are the epic Eisenhorn novels by Dan Abnett. Thanks to Toby Longworth’s exceptional narration, all three Eisenhorn novels, Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus were a joy to listen to from start to finish.

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Dead Beat, Proven Guilty and White Night, written by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters

White Night Cover

Few audiobooks are better than Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files novels narrated by actor James Marsters. I’ve gotten through three of these audiobooks in 2023 with Dead Beat, Proven Guilty and White Night, and all of them were outstanding five-star reads that I had such a great time listening to.

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The Infinite and the Divine, written by Robert Rath and narrated by Richard Reed

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

A highly clever, utterly hilarious and very impressive Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that focused on two rival Necron lords, battling it out over the centuries in a petty feud. I laughed myself silly with this audiobook and Richard Reed’s awesome narration made it even better.

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For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell and narrated by Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Another particularly funny Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I enjoyed this year is the first Ciaphas Cain novel by Sandy Mitchell, For the Emperor. This entertaining audiobook about a cowardly war hero truly comes alive with the outstanding narration team of Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory, who compliment themselves marvellously throughout the entire production.

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Top Ten List:

Son of the Poison Rose, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

I had to start this list off with the new Jonathan Maberry novel, Son of the Poison Rose. The sequel to Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Son of the Poison Rose was another epic and bloody novel that proves hard to put down. The always exceptional narration of Ray Porter turns it into an utterly addictive and impossibly good listen, which I cannot recommend enough.

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Warhammer 40,000: Warboss, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Harry Myers

Warhammer 40,000 - Warboss Cover

Rising Warhammer 40,000 author Mike Brooks is having a stellar 2023, and one of the first audiobooks of his I listened to was the very funny Warboss. Focusing on feuding warband of Orks attempting to determine a new leader through conquest, Warboss was a riot the entire way through, especially with Harry Myer’s fantastic narration perfectly capturing the chaotic yet complex nature of the Ork characters.

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The Last Kingdom, written by Steve Berry and narrated by Scott Brick

The Last Kingdom (Steve Berry) Cover

History and conspiracy really come to life in the hands of Steve Berry, especially when narrated by Scott Brick. This latest Cotton Malone audiobook, The Last Kingdom, was pretty damn good, and I have so much love for the amazing combination of a modern-day thriller and intriguing historical mysteries.

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The Lake House, written by Sarah Beth Durst and narrated by Karissa Vacker

The Lake House Cover Better

A fantastic and haunting young adult thriller that saw three teenagers thrust into a deadly situation on a remote summer camp. Sarah Beth Durst produced a pretty amazing book here and Karissa Vacker does a great job of portraying the three teenage protagonists with her excellent narration. I had an amazing time with The Lake House and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks and narrated by Timothy Watson

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

The second Mike Brooks audiobook on this list is The Lion: Son of the Forest, which was probably one of the best Warhammer 40,000 novels of 2023 so far. Following the return of a mythical hero, this fantastic book had a compelling and powerful plot that had me hooked very early. Narrator Timothy Watson ensures that the audiobook version is particularly epic as he brings some outstanding gravitas to an already legendary main character.

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Burner, written by Mark Greaney, narrated by Jay Snyder

Burner Cover

Few thriller series impress me as much as the Gray Man books by Mark Greaney, and I have been having an amazing time listening to their audiobooks, especially with the very talented Jay Snyder narrating them. The latest Gray Man audiobook, Burner, was particularly special, and I could barely stop listening to it as Greaney wove together a captivating and highly relevant spy story. A must listen, especially with Snyder’s great take on the characters.

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The Will of the Many, written by James Islington and narrated by Euan Morton

The Will of the Many Cover

One of the audiobooks I am most glad I listened to in the first half of 2023 was the brilliant fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington. A highly elaborate, entertaining and moving novel, The Will of the Many is one of the best fantasy books of the year so far and represents the start of an outstanding new series. I particularly enjoyed the amazing audiobook version, which thanks to the narration of Euan Morton, really popped, and helped to cram every detail of Islington’s new world into my head. Highly recommended!

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Warhammer 40,000: Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter, written by Phil Kelly and narrated by Helen McAlpine

Warhammer 40,000 - Shadowsun Cover

A slick, action-packed, and occasionally gruesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that I had a lot of fun with was Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter. Combining Phil Kelly’s love of the T’au faction with Helen McAlpine’s great narration is a winning combination, and I powered through this cool audiobook in no time at all.

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City of Last Chances, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

City of Last Chances Cover

Another particularly impressive and captivating fantasy novel from the start of the year was City of Last Chances by the very talented Adrian Tchaikovsky. Following multiple unique protagonists around a troubled fantasy city, City of Last Chances is a must read for all fantasy fans, and you will find your experience of it greatly improved with the outstanding audiobook version. Narrator David Thorpe perfectly captures all of the many complex characters and ensures that Tchaikovsky’s brilliant story elaborate setting is expertly conveyed to the listener. I cannot recommend this audiobook enough and I cannot wait to see how Tchaikovsky follows it up.

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Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan, written by Darius Hinks and narrated by Theo Solomon

Warhammer 40,000 - Leviathan Cover

The final audiobook on this list is the one I’m listening to now, Leviathan by Darius Hinks. An intense and fast-paced book that follows a deadly alien invasion, this is a great Warhammer 40,000 read that really grew on me. Leviathan has a very good audiobook format, thanks to the narration of Theo Solomon, and I am having an outstanding time seeing this dark tale of insanity, invasion and hope, come to fruition. I should knock this off in the next day or so, and I will try to get a review up for it soon.

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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 2023, 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 2023 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 2023 so far are in the comments below.

The Last Kingdom by Steve Berry

On May 27, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Thriller12 Comments

The Last Kingdom (Steve Berry) Cover

Publisher: Hachette Audio (Audiobook – 21 February 2023)

Series: Cotton Malone – Book 17

Length: 14 hours and 20 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Prepare for a remarkable and captivating mystery from out of history as acclaimed thriller writer Steve Berry presents another outstanding and riveting novel in The Last Kingdom.

Ever since I started reading thrillers a few years ago, one of my favourite authors in the genre, as well the most consistently entertaining, is the fantastic Steve Berry. A veteran author who has been producing compelling reads since the early 2000s, Berry has over 25 books to his name that blend intense modern thriller narratives with intriguing history elements. His most iconic body of work is his long-running Cotton Malone series, which follows a US Justice Department agent as he investigates unique historical conspiracies or secrets whose revelation will have major implications in the modern world. I first fell in love with Berry’s writing back in 2019 when I read The Malta Exchange. Since then I have gone on to read several more Cotton Malone novels including The Warsaw Protocol and The Kaiser’s Web, as well as the standalone novel The Omega Factor, each of which have contained some addictive stories that I’ve deeply enjoyed. As such, I made sure to read his 2023 release, The Last Kingdom, as a soon as I could. The 17^th Cotton Malone novel, The Last Kingdom presented the reader with another brilliant conspiracy from history that was pretty awesome to behold.

There are many strange tales scattered throughout the history of Europe, but few are more unusual than that of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. An unstable and fanciful figure who loved stories, solitude, and magnificent castles, King Ludwig dreamed of a magical kingdom, one far different from the lands he ruled. Determined to find such a kingdom, he despatched agents throughout the world before his murder in 1886. History suggests that he never found what he was looking for, but what if he did?

Now, in modern day Bavaria, freelance intelligence agent Cotton Malone has been hired by his old friend and protégé Luke Daniels to help him infiltrate a small group of radical separatists with dreams of securing Bavaria’s independence from Germany. The focus of Luke’s investigation is the prince of Bavaria who seeks to usurp his older brother, the duke, and restore the ousted Wittelsbach monarchy with himself as king. But to achieve his dreams, the prince needs the ultimate leverage, the Last Kingdom of King Ludwig II.

Following clues throughout several significant sites in Bavaria, Cotton and the Prince’s men are soon caught in a race to find a mysterious deed, one that Germany, China and the United States would kill for and which could greatly shift the balance of power in the world. With the White House, Chinese intelligence, a mysterious Bavarian secret society and a rogue group of former CIA agents all vying for the prize, Cotton desperately attempts to solve the puzzle of the Last Kingdom and the terrible legacy it holds. But can Cotton once again defeat the odds and keep the word safe from another historical mystery, or will the world be irrevocably altered by a secret form another century?

Well damn, now that was a pretty awesome read. I have so much damn love for Steve Berry’s work, and The Last Kingdom is probably one of my favourites so far. Perfectly combining an excellent thriller storyline with an elaborate and deeply captivating tale of history, The Last Kingdom was an exceptional read and one that I honestly could not stop listening to.

Berry has produced an amazing and addictive masterpiece of a thriller in The Last Kingdom with a particularly strong story behind it. Like most of Berry’s books, The Last Kingdom is primarily a modern day thriller that introduces an original conspiracy that took place in history and has remained hidden until Cotton Malone wanders along (that man finds ancient mysteries wherever he goes). As such, what starts as a simple infiltration at a famous Bavarian palace soon devolves into an elaborate treasure hunt for unique piece of history. This latest historical mystery revolves around the eccentric and tragic final kings of Bavaria, and their desires to either retain power or find their own place in the world. Berry expands on this historical detail throughout the entire course of the book, providing a good combination of real facts and some exaggerated fictional elements, which works into the main plot extremely well. This modern day storyline gets some legs really early on as the protagonist and his companions are dragged into a major shadow war with several different factions attempting to take advantage of the situation and the hunt for the historical mystery. Cotton soon finds himself working for several old colleagues, including a reckless CIA agent, while other groups, including the Bavarian prince and a rogue group of former CIA agents, start to use deadly force to solve the clues and find the hidden deed.

Berry keeps the pace of The Last Kingdom quick and compelling by raising the various stakes of the book while still showing off the entirety of Bavaria and its historic beauty. There is a good reveal of why everyone is after the deed about halfway through which sets everyone on the road to a big confrontation. While the full details of the conspiracy are a little over-the-top, Berry fits it into the story well, and the examination of modern and historical concerns surrounding is quite clever and intriguing. The final half of the book is an intense thrill ride in several great ways, as Berry loads up the story with fun reveals, clever twists and so many betrayals. I loved how the mystery of the King’s deed unfolded, and Berry really mixed the various original puzzle pieces of his conspiracy with the overlying historical detail to create a fantastic scavenger hunt. The modern day thriller elements flitted around this extremely well, and watching the various participants in the hunt betray or outwit each other to try and get the prize was deeply exciting and led to some big moments. The conclusion to the story is very good, and readers will come away extremely satisfied, both with how the story came together, and with all the extra knowledge Berry leaves you with.

I have a very deep appreciation for how Berry writes his outstanding novels and I think that The Last Kingdom was a particularly impressive example of this. The blend of a high-intensity modern thriller storyline wrapped around a mystery loaded in historical detail is always entertaining, and I felt it turned out well again in The Last Kingdom. The way that Berry splits the story out using alternate perspective chapters is particularly useful, as you get to see each of the characters interpreting the historical elements from different perspectives. At the same time, several of the chapters are set in the 19^th century and provide some deeper historical context to the story, which I felt was particularly useful and fun. Berry really excels in simultaneously showing the different aspects of his story, and readers come away from The Last Kingdom having had fun with the thriller elements, while also learning so much more about some fascinating topics. I really think that The Last Kingdom had one of the better thriller storylines associated with it thanks to inclusion of spies, disaffected royals, and several warring governments, and the way that story element unfolded had me pretty damn hooked the entire way through. Like most of the Cotton Malone novels, The Last Kingdom can be read as a mostly standalone book, and readers don’t need to have any real knowledge of the previous entries in the series to enjoy this great novel. While there are references to previous adventures and mysteries, the relevant details of these are well explained and new readers won’t be thrown by them. However, long-term fans of the series will appreciate the continuation of several recent storylines, especially around Cotton’s feud with the US President, and I liked how that unfolded.

As I have mentioned a few times already, one of the best things about The Last Kingdom, and indeed all of the Cotton Malone novels, is the way that Berry dives into unique and intriguing parts of history to really give his stories a captivating kick. In The Last Kingdom, this takes the form of a focus on the unique history of the kingdom of Bavaria, specifically the last 19^th and early 20^th century and the last three monarchs of the Wittelsbach line. I have to admit, this was an area of history that I was not familiar with, but that changed after reading The Last Kingdom. Berry conveys an immense amount of detail about this period and the relevant kings to the reader throughout the course of the book, so by the time you are done, you know so much about them. However, Berry does it in such a way that ensures that the reader don’t get bored with it, as he showcases the more compelling elements of their reigns and the nation’s history around it, while also hinting at how it ties into the big conspiracy/mystery of the story. I particularly enjoyed the detailed and fascinating examination of eccentric King Ludwig II. Berry covers so many parts of his compelling life in this story, including his complex reign, his unusual outlook on the monarch, and his infamous end that saw him deposed and murdered. The mysteries of Ludwig II and his search for a new kingdom proved to be a deeply compelling centre for the entire plot and I am really glad I got to learn more about them. Another nation’s history, which I mention for spoiler reasons, is also concisely featured here, and I liked how Berry tied it together with Bavaria, resulting in a cool mixture that perfectly fed into the modern-day thriller. The author clearly has so much fun researching and utilising all this historical detail in his books, especially if the extensive author’s notes section at the back is anything to go by. Featuring all this historical detail works to create a great story, and I cannot emphasise how awesome it can be, especially in Berry’s capable hands.

In addition to all the historical elements of the book, I also really need to highlight how well Berry showcased Bavaria as a whole throughout the course of The Last Kingdom. Many of the Cotton Malone novels act like a tourist brochure as the protagonists travel from one picturesque area of the country to the next, visiting all manner of historical sites. This is very much the case for The Last Kingdom as the characters are forced to travel to several impressive locations throughout Bavaria, including iconic cityscapes, famous cathedrals, and beautiful landscapes. Berry really spares no detail when it comes to describing these locations, and you can easily visualise them in all their stunning glory. Some of the best descriptions are the iconic three castles that King Ludwig II built, which were strongly connected to his life story. These castles form the basis for much of the plot’s historical scavenger hunt, and Berry really goes into the history and layout of them, even describing the furniture and the decorations. You really grow to appreciate these locations around Bavaria, and I know that if I ever get the chance to visit, several of them are going to be on the top of my list of places to check out. However, it is not just these iconic locations that are explored. Berry also spends substantial time trying to show off the intangible nature of Bavaria, including its politics, its current attitudes, the state of its old monarchy, its place within larger Germany, and various other elements of its culture, including a real secret society dedicated to King Ludwig II. All these elements are masterfully researched, examined, and showcased throughout The Last Kingdom, and all of them add to the authenticity of the story in immeasurable ways.

Aside from the excellent story and complex historical details, I also need to mention the great characters featured throughout The Last Kingdom. Berry always writes fantastic figures, and it was awesome to see more of his central protagonist, Cotton Malone, as well as recurring supporting character Luke Daniels. Both are well utilised throughout The Last Kingdom, and it was always great to see them working, especially as they have some major veteran presence at this point and work well against the various forces coming for them. I did think that there was not a lot of development between the two, as both are essentially the same people they were in their last appearances, but they still make solid and likeable central focuses for the story. However, there was some fantastic character development occurring outside of these main characters, especially as Berry introduces an amazing supporting cast of aging spies, angry deposed royalty, intriguing members of Bavarian society and deadly foreign agents. Several of these characters have key roles in the book and Berry utilises them perfectly as great alternate perspectives for large swathes of the plot, producing a complex and powerful extended plot. I loved the utilisation of Derrick Koger, a veteran CIA agent who has history with Cotton and has worked with him/against him in the past. The funny and morally ambiguous Koger plays off the honourable Cotton perfectly as they work together in this book, and it was interesting to see them teaming up. I liked how several of the antagonists, as well as Koger, shared a compelling character theme of people who believe they were overlooked or betrayed by their peers or people, and it serves as a great driving force for them to do bad things. This group of characters and their conflicting priorities are an excellent part of The Last Kingdom and I had an outstanding time following them along this powerful quest.

I once again chose to check out this latest Steve Berry novel on audiobook, which is always a pretty epic experience. Coming in at nearly 14 and a half hours, The Last Kingdom is medium length audiobook, although once you get caught up in the compelling story it flies by extremely quickly. I personally love the Cotton Malone audiobooks as the narration really enhances all the elaborate detail of the story, especially the historical background, and ensures that they stick in the mind. Hearing the key historical facts again and again really drives them home and I find that this helped me get even more fixated on the narrative as I was extremely eager to see how everything came together. It helps that The Last Kingdom once again features narration from Scott Brick, one of the premiere thriller audiobook narrators out there who has lent his voice to all the previous Cotton Malone audiobooks. Brick has a great voice for thrillers and I find his narration really fits Berry’s cool stories, especially as he gives some gravitas and complexity to both the modern day events and the historical elements. Brick also has a great array of accents that he employs to full effect throughout The Last Kingdom, which I deeply appreciated. His various American accents, which includes one from the wilds of Tennessee, are very well done, and I was once again extremely impressed by his dazzling array of German and European tones. Even his Australian accent, something I am particularly sensitive about, was passable, if slightly stereotypical, and this fantastic choice of voices enhanced the audiobook experience. Due to this outstanding voice work, as well as the great impact this format has on some of the key parts of the book, I would strongly recommend The Last Kingdom audiobook, and it is always one of my favourite ways to enjoy a good Steve Berry novel.

Steve Berry continues to impress with his latest outstanding Cotton Malone novel, The Last Kingdom. Featuring his typical blend of exciting and intense thriller storylines and fascinating historical detail, The Last Kingdom is a brilliant read that powerfully showcases Bavaria in all its glory. Examining key elements of the state’s past, as well as its current beauty, and perfectly working them into an excellent story, this was an exceptional outing from Berry and one that I had such an amazing time reading. Highly recommended!

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Quick Review – The Omega Factor by Steve Berry

On May 8, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

The Omega Factor Cover

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (Audiobook – 7 June 2022)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 13 hours and 38 minutes

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Prepare to dive into another intense conspiracy straight out of history from legendary thriller writer Steve Berry, The Omega Factor.

A major thing I have noticed about my reading habits in recent years is that I have been getting more attached to the thriller genre due to several amazing series, many of which have long become essential reading for me each year. One of these main series is the compelling and intriguing Cotton Malone books from veteran author Steve Berry, which I was lucky enough to discover a few years ago. Following the titular intelligence agent as he uncovers historical conspiracy after historical conspiracy across America and Europe, the Cotton Malone novels are very cool and I love the elaborate scenarios that Berry comes up with, especially as they combine deep historical detail with cool modern-day espionage missions. I have had a pretty epic time with Berry’s more recent Cotton Malone books, including The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol and The Kaiser’s Web, each of which were great and captivating additions to this long running series.

Berry also released an intriguing standalone novel last year, The Omega Factor. Following a new protagonist, The Omega Factor contained another intriguing historical conspiracy, this time around the legendary Ghent Altarpiece, which sounded very cool. I did manage to listen to it close to its release date last year, however, I didn’t publish a review for it, and I have been meaning to fix that for a while. As I literally just started listening to Berry’s latest novel, The Last Kingdom, I figured it was about time that I gave a shout-out to the great and enjoyable The Omega Factor.

Plot Synopsis:

The Ghent Altarpiece is the most violated work of art in the world. Thirteen times it has been vandalized, dismantled, or stolen.

Why? What secrets does it hold?

Enter UNESCO investigator, Nicholas Lee, who works for the United Nations’ Cultural Liaison and Investigative Office (CLIO). Nick’s job is to protect the world’s cultural artifacts—from countless lesser-known objects to national treasures.

When Nick travels to Belgium for a visit with a woman from his past, he unwittingly stumbles on the trail of the twelfth panel for the Ghent Altarpiece, stolen in 1934 under cover of night and never seen since. Soon Nick is plunged into a bitter conflict, one that has been simmering for nearly two thousand years. On one side is the Maidens of Saint-Michael, les Vautours, Vultures, a secret order of nuns and the guardians of a great truth. Pitted against them is the Vatican, which has wanted for centuries to both find and possess what the nuns guard. Because of Nick the maidens have finally been exposed, their secret placed in dire jeopardy—a vulnerability that the Vatican swiftly moves to exploit utilizing an ambitious cardinal and a corrupt archbishop, both with agendas of their own.

From the tranquil canals of Ghent, to the towering bastions of Carcassonne, and finally into an ancient abbey high in the French Pyrenees, Nick Lee must confront a modern-day religious crusade intent on eliminating a shocking truth from humanity’s past. Success or failure—life and death—all turn on the Omega Factor.

The Omega Factor was another great book from Berry that blends intriguing elements from history with a modern-day thriller storyline. Starting off with a bang as the new characters, Nicholas Lee and Kelsey, become involved in a crazy plot when part of the Ghent Altarpiece is destroyed. Berry does a good job of quickly introducing all the players in this new narrative, and the reader is soon wrapped up in the awesome storyline that sees ninja nuns, corrupt members of the Catholic Church, and a secret organisation of Cathars facing off against each other with Nick caught right in the middle. Like most of Berry’s novels, The Omega Factor features multiple character perspectives during the entire intriguing run, as well a series of flashbacks to historical events which give the main storyline a lot more context. This results in a very compelling read, and you soon get wrapped up in seeing the elaborate conspiracy that Berry carefully hints at come to fruition. I had a lot of fun seeing how this entire story came together, and Berry produces a complex overall read that proves very hard to put down in places.

While I had fun with this book, I did think that the storyline behind it was a bit weaker than Berry’s typical work. The twists are pretty obvious going in, and the stakes of the plot never seem particularly serious. There are some good characters featured within, and I liked the elaborate motivations behind several of the antagonists. However, I’m not really sure the use of a new protagonist was really necessary, especially as this reads like a typical Cotton Malone book. It might have been a bit better with some of Berry’s established characters, especially as I didn’t connect too much with the new protagonist of Nick, nor his failed romance with Kelsey and her personal journey. Still, the rest of the book is pretty strong, especially with the intrigue and secrecy, and The Omega Factor also works quite well as a great standalone read and new readers can easily jump in and experience Berry’s style and story ideas for themselves.

As with all of Berry’s books, the real highlight of The Omega Factor is the elaborate and captivating historical detail that the author dives into as part of the plot. Having the reader understand all the relevant historical events and artefacts is vital to the plot of the book and Berry meticulously relays everything through several of the characters in an interesting way that always keeps the reader’s attention. For example, so many intriguing features about the Ghent Altarpiece are raked over again and again so that the reader can get a full understanding about why this piece of art is so important and how it has been stolen or defaced multiple times. The author honestly needs the reader to understand every detail of this artwork’s history, and he manages that perfectly every time. The same goes for so many other relevant bits of history that are relevant to the main story, such as the crusades against the Cathars and other relevant wars and political events. Berry does such as outstanding job of giving concise and targeted history lessons to the readers, and he backs them up by expertly building several intriguing thriller storylines around them. The resulting plots that see the characters attempting to fully excavate the secrets from the past are always so damn interesting, and it is a ton of fun to simultaneously uncover modern threats and ancient twists at the same time. Berry always has the right blend of hard historical fact and inventive inclusions, and you soon get embroiled in the very elaborate historical details. Throw in some beautifully portrayed locations throughout Europe, many of which are very historically significant and this proves to be another great example of Berry bringing history to life in a very modern story.

Like most of the Berry books I have been able to enjoy, I ended up checking out The Omega Factor on audiobook rather than a physical copy. This proved to be an excellent way to enjoy this amazing book as the audio format really allows the reader to enjoy all the cool historical detail. Having the characters narrate all the key elements to you again and again is quite effective at building up a listener’s understanding, and you really appreciate how well this format performs in this way. It helps that the narrator, Scott Brick, has such a great voice for historical fiction and modern thrillers. Brick, who in addition to voicing most of Berry’s audiobook also narrates the cool Orphan X audiobooks by Gregg Hurwitz (for example, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son and Dark Horse), is an awesome narrator who always adds some gravitas to his productions. He does another amazing job in The Omega Factor, and you swiftly become engaged with how he makes all of Berry’s intense detail really stand out. Coming in at over 13 and a half hours, The Omega Factor is a decent sized audiobook, but it is well worth listening to for this awesome story.

Overall, The Omega Factor was a great standalone novel from Steve Berry that his fans will have a fantastic time reading. Bringing together another exciting and compelling historical conspiracy with a cool modern thriller storyline, The Omega Factor was very entertaining and I had an awesome time getting through it. As I mentioned above, I am currently in the middle of Berry’s latest novel, The Last Kingdom, which I will hopefully finish off and review later this week.

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobook Narrators – April 2023

On April 25, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List40 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. In this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are required to list their favourite audiobook narrators, which is a subject near and dear to my heart. As readers of this blog will be well aware, the audiobook format is a particular favourite of mine and I have listened to a ton of awesome novels over the years. Indeed, this subject is so important to me, that I already did a version of this list a few years ago back in 2021 (see my previous list here). However, now is as good as time as any to quickly review and rethink my previous list, so I fired it up and had a look to see how it could be updated or altered. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I’ll be making too many changes to my previous list. While I have enjoyed some new narrators over the years, the favourites I featured on my previous list have also continued to impress me in the intervening years, and I have a hard time removing too many of them. Still, I had a go at moving some names around, and I eventually came up with a slightly altered list. I was also able to add in a few new audiobooks from the existing narrators to talk about so it should be an interesting change for those who read the last list. Now, let us see what made the cut this time.

Honourable Mentions:

Jay Snyder – Gray Man series

The Gray Man Cover

Over the last few years, I have been really getting into the Gray Man books, and a lot of that is because of Snyder whose audiobook versions are pretty exceptional. Snyder has lent his voice to all the books in the series, and his work on The Gray Man, One Minute Out, Relentless, Sierra Six and Burner were pretty incredible. As such, he gets a good honourable mention here, as I really enjoy his work.

Jim Dale – Harry Potter series

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Cover

I had to include actor Jim Dale somewhere on this due to his outstanding work narrating the Harry Potter audiobooks. While Stephen Fry also did a version, I have only had the pleasure of listening to Dale’s version, and it is such an outstanding way to enjoy this iconic series.

Scott Brick – Orphan X and Cotton Malone series

Into the Fire

Scott Brick is the narrator of two awesome thriller series, the Orphan X and Cotton Malone books. I have listened to several great books narrated by Brick, including Into the Fire, Prodigal Son and Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz, and The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol and The Kaiser’s Web by Steve Berry, all of which were fantastic and compelling listens.

Joe Jameson – King of Assassins, Fire Made Flesh and The Legacy of the Mercenary King series

king of assassins cover

One narrator who keeps growing on me is Joe Jameson, a talented voice worker who has been narrating several amazing fantasy novels. This includes the audiobook version of King of Assassins by RJ Barker, and the Warhammer 40,000 novel, Fire Made Flesh by Denny Flowers, both of which were really good. However, I best know Jameson for his work The Legacy of the Mercenary King series by Nick Martell (The Kingdom of Liars, The Two-Faced Queen and The Voyage of the Forgotten), where I was deeply impressed with his exceptional ability.

Top Ten List (unranked):

Ray Porter – Joe Ledger, Rogue Team International and Kagen the Damned series

Rage Cover

The first entry on this list is the incredible Ray Porter, a narrator whose work I always have such an amazing time with. While Porter has narrated an excellent number of books, I know him primarily through his collaboration with author Jonathan Maberry. Porter has narrated most of Maberry’s novels over the years, and they are an impressive and captivating team. I particularly enjoyed Porter’s work in Maberry’s Joe Ledger series (which includes books like Patient Zero, Code Zero, and Dogs of War) and the sequel Rogue Team International series (featuring Rage and Relentless), as Porter always perfectly fits into the skin of the titular protagonist. Porter also followed Maberry over to his dark fantasy Kagen the Damned series (Kagen the Damned and Son of the Poison Rose), where his trademark flair really enhances the already exceptional reads. I also really enjoyed his work on the standalone horror novel Ink, which was one of the best audiobooks of 2020, and the compelling debut, The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield. Porter always gives 100% to his narration, and he was a very easy first entry for this list.

R. C. Bray – Planetside series, The Dark, Mind Bullet and Tribe

The Dark Cover

Another fantastic narrator whose work I have been appreciating lately is R. C. Bray, who has lent his voice to some amazing audiobooks. I first came across Bray through his work on Michael Mammay’s Planetside series, including Planetside and Colonyside. Bray did an outstanding job on these science fiction military thrillers, and his gruff voice was perfect for the veteran soldier the series followed. However, Bray can also voice some other unique characters, a fact I discovered when I listened to the wildly entertaining horror novel, The Dark by Jeremy Robinson. In this book, Bray voiced a stoner character who finds himself leading the fight against a horde of invading demons. Not only did Bray really get into this different protagonist, but he helped to turn The Dark into one of the best audiobooks of the year. Indeed, Bray’s narrator was one of the reasons why I continued to seek out more books from Jeremy Robinson and I also enjoyed his compelling releases Tribe and Mind Bullet. Both impressive novels were made that much better by Bray’s narrator, and it ended up being a real joy to listen to them. I look forward to checking out more from Bray in the future, especially as there are so many other great books by Robinson that he has brought to life.

James Marsters – Dresden Files series

Battle Ground Cover

The next entry on this list is someone who I was a fan of well before I enjoyed their audiobook work, actor James Marsters. Best known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Marsters has also provided his voice to the audiobook versions of the Dresden Files urban fantasy series by Jim Butcher. I found this out in 2020 when I listened to the awesome latest entry in the series, Battle Ground, and I instantly fell in love with Marsters’ take on the various characters. Marsters really dived into the role of titular protagonist Harry Dresden, and I appreciated all the cool voices he did throughout this novel. I was very excited to see that Marsters narrated all the prior Dresden Files audiobooks as well, so it was an easy choice to check them out. I have so far enjoyed the first six Dresden Files novels, Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks and Blood Rites, and each of them has featured some exceptional voice work from Marsters, which is really worth checking out.

Robert Petkoff – Star Trek audiobooks

Each year there are a ton of Star Trek tie-in novels released, all of which get adapted to audiobook. Of these multiple Star Trek books, nearly all feature the voice of Robert Petkoff. Petkoff has an excellent voice for Star Trek, especially as he can perfectly replicate most of the Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation cast. I have already listened to a great number of his Star Trek audiobooks including More Beautiful Than Death by David Mack, Agents of Influence by Dayton Ward, The Unsettling Stars by Alan Dean Foster, Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack and The Captain’s Oath by Christopher L. Bennett, just to name a few. I currently have several of his audiobooks currently loaded up on my phone, and I will hopefully listen to some of them soon.

Marc Thompson – Star Wars audiobooks

Thrawn Cover

Moving from Star Trek to Star Wars the next narrator I need to highlight is the outstanding Marc Thompson. Thompson is a wonderfully talented narrator who has been lending his voice to some of the best Star Wars tie-in novels out there, and perfectly bringing them to life. I love the outstanding range of characters that he can voice, including those from the films, characters from the animated shows, and new characters never seen on screen. I am a particular fan of the voice he uses for the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn, as he perfectly captures the character’s complexities, especially in books like Thrawn, Chaos Rising, Greater Good and Lesser Evil by Timothy Zahn. Other impressive examples of his voice work can be seen in the audiobook versions of Scoundrels, Dark Disciple by Christie Golden, Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule and The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott, just to name a few.

Steven Pacey – First Law and Age of Madness trilogies

The Trouble with Peace Cover 2

I am a major fan of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series, so I also must highlight the impressive Steven Pacey. Pacey is a great narrator who I primarily know through his work on Abercrombie’s novels. I deeply enjoyed the narration he provided to Abercrombie’s iconic dark fantasy series, the First Law trilogy, with each of the complex characters perfectly portrayed by this talented narrator. Pacey really puts a lot of himself into this exceptional audiobook adaptions, and I was very happy that he continued to provide his voice to Abercrombie’s Age of Madness sequel trilogy, providing his exceptional voices to books like A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds.

Jonathan Keeble – Trollslayer series

Vampireslayer Cover

One narrator I had to include on this list due to my continued love of him was the amazing and impressive Jonathan Keeble. Keeble is a well-established narrator with an intense and powerful voice, and anything he narrates becomes very hard to stop listening to. I personally known him best as the guy that Black Library entrusted to narrate the audiobook version of the classic Gotrek and Felix series from the Warhammer Fantasy universe. I have so far enjoyed all the original Gotrek and Felix novels (those written by William King) on audiobook including Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Vampireslayer and Giantslayer and each of these has featured some impressive voice work, especially around the main characters. I deeply enjoy just how much Keeble thrusts himself into the narrative with his narration, as you can literally here the excitement when he describes all the cool action. I am hoping to enjoy more of the Gotrek and Felix novels in the future, and as Keeble is lending his voice to the rest of the audiobooks, I will no doubt listen to them on this format as well.

Nigel Planer/Stephen Briggs – Discworld series

Moving Pictures Cover

There was no way that I could do a list about audiobook narrators without mentioning the epic duo of Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs. Both Planer and Briggs are talented actors and narrators, but I love them the most for their work on adapting the epic Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. The Disworld books (such as Moving Pictures and The Last Continent), are my absolute favourite books, and I have so much love for them, especially in their audiobook format. All the Discworld novels (as well as some other standalone books that Pratchett wrote), were voiced by either Planer or Briggs, with Planer voicing the first 23 books, while Briggs narrated the last 18 books. Each of these narrators brings something a little different to the books they adapted, but both do an amazing job capturing Pratchett’s unique humour and compelling characters. I would strongly recommend any Discworld audiobook that these two narrate, and I have so much appreciation for them. However, this might change in the future as there are some new Discworld audiobooks out with celebrity narrators. I haven’t had a chance to listen to them yet, and it will be interesting to see how they stack up against the original audiobook versions.

Jonathan Davis – Star Wars audiobooks

Another great narrator who has lent his voice to the Star Wars tie-in genre is the talented Jonathan Davis. Like Thompson, Davis is a leading Star Wars audiobook narrator, and he always does a great job portraying some of the iconic characters from the franchise. I have had a lot of fun listening to Davis’ work on such books as Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray, Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp, Maul: Lockdown by Joe Schreiber and the Dooku: Jedi Lost audio drama by Cavan Scott. I also really need to highlight his work on the awesome Kenobi audiobook (written by John Jackson Miller), which features a really good impersonation of Obi-Wan Kenobi. I also deeply enjoy his take on iconic characters like Emperor Palpatine, Qui-Gon Jinn and Jabba the Hutt, and it is crazy how good Davis is at replicating their voices. As such, any Star Wars novel by Davis is really worth listening to, especially if it features characters from the movie, and I cannot recommend this narrator enough.

Toby Longworth – Eisenhorn and the Gaunt’s Ghosts audiobooks

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

The final narrator I want to highlight on this list is a relatively new addition for me which is tied into my recent obsession with Warhammer novels. Longworth is a very impressive narrator who has lent his voice to so many different audiobooks over the years. However, I have particularly enjoyed his work in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, where he is mostly widely associated with author Dan Abnett. Longworth has really become the go-to narrator for all Abnett’s classic novels, and I have deeply enjoyed his outstanding take on all these amazing books. This includes the high concept Eisenhorn trilogy (Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus), as well as the amazing Gaunt’s Ghosts books (First and Only, Ghostmaker, Necropolis, Honour Guard, The Guns of Tanith and The Vincula Insurgency). In all these audiobooks, Longworth provides an exceptional range of different voices that capture the complex nature of all the relevant characters. I deeply enjoyed every single audiobook that Longworth works on, and I look forward to listening to all his amazing collaborations with Abnett in the future.

That’s the end of this latest list. I think it turned out pretty well, although I do wish I could have made some more changes to it. I do think I am being a little lazy only rewriting my existing list, so I have come up with some extra lists for this Tuesday which I am hoping to get up later today. Make sure to check them out and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2022

On July 12, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List10 Comments

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:

Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh!, written by Nate Crowley and narrated by Kelly Hotten, Paul Putner and Jon Rand

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.