Audiobooks Like The Dragon Republic

Emily Woo Zeller narrates The Dragon Republic with an intensity that doesn't let up — 24 hours of a character in constant crisis, and Zeller's voice keeps the emotional stakes from ever flattening into numbness. Two of the recommendations also feature her narration, and the list broadly matches on length and skews toward highly rated dark fantasy, connected by the same willingness to put characters through genuine, consequence-laden suffering.

10 audiobooks for fans of The Dragon Republic

  1. 1
    Babel cover

    Babel

    by R. F. Kuang

    Narrated by Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Billie Fulford-Brown

    4.19 ABR Score (497.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.14 Goodreads (491.2K) ★ 4.42 Audible (6.4K)
    21h 46m listening time • Released 2022

    The dual narration brings razor-sharp tension to a story about revolution and complicity, making this sprawling historical fantasy feel urgent and intimate at once.

  2. 2
    The Bone Shard War cover

    The Bone Shard War

    The Drowning Empire • Book 3

    by Andrea Stewart

    Narrated by Natalie Naudus, Feodor Chin, Emily Woo Zeller

    3.93 ABR Score (8.8K ratings)
    ★ 3.92 Goodreads (8.7K) ★ 4.44 Audible (133)
    19h 36m listening time • Released 2023
  3. 3
    Unfettered II: New Tales cover

    Unfettered II: New Tales

    Gunnie Rose #0.0 - The Gunnie

    by Shawn Speakman, Naomi Novik, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Michael J. Sullivan, Janny Wurts, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Mark Lawrence, Seanan McGuire, Peter Orullian, Aidan Moher, Erin Lindsey, John A. Pitts, Anthony Ryan, Scott Sigler, Django Wexler, Rachel Caine, Sarah Beth Durst, David Farland, Terry Brooks

    Narrated by Sarah Coomes, Michael Kramer, Emily Woo Zeller, Nick Podehl, Erin Mallon, Tim Gerard Reynolds

    3.78 ABR Score (1.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.92 Goodreads (1.1K) ★ 4.25 Audible (340)
    20h 17m listening time • Released 2017
  4. 4
    The Butcher's Masquerade cover

    The Butcher's Masquerade

    Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 5

    by Matt Dinniman

    Narrated by Jeff Hays

    4.88 ABR Score (135.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.69 Goodreads (108.1K) ★ 4.94 Audible (27.2K)
    23h 33m listening time • Released 2022

    Jeff Hays transforms this jungle-survival escalation into pure narrative adrenaline—his distinct voices for Carl, Donut, and the new threats make the chaos feel genuinely dangerous and darkly funny.

  5. 5
    Empire of Storms cover

    Empire of Storms

    Throne of Glass • Book 5

    by Sarah J. Maas

    Narrated by Elizabeth Evans

    4.84 ABR Score (1.3M ratings)
    ★ 4.63 Goodreads (1.3M) ★ 4.84 Audible (33.1K)
    25h 18m listening time • Released 2016

    Elizabeth Evans transforms this sprawling fantasy epic into something genuinely unputdownable, matching her vocal intensity to Aelin's rage and vulnerability across 25 hours of pure immersion.

  6. 6
    The Hero of Ages cover

    The Hero of Ages

    The Mistborn Saga • Book 3

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.83 ABR Score (680.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.56 Goodreads (606.0K) ★ 4.85 Audible (74.8K)
    27h 25m listening time • Released 2008

    Michael Kramer's narration elevates this finale into something transcendent—his command of Vin's internal devastation and the apocalyptic scope makes the 27-hour journey feel essential, not exhausting.

  7. 7
    The Eye of the Bedlam Bride cover

    The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

    Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 6

    by Matt Dinniman

    Narrated by Jeff Hays, Patrick Warburton, Travis Baldree, Annie Ellicott

    4.83 ABR Score (110.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.66 Goodreads (91.7K) ★ 4.92 Audible (18.5K)
    26h 46m listening time • Released 2023

    The ensemble narration transforms this sixth book into pure audio theater—Warburton's deadpan delivery against the chaos of a collapsing dungeon level makes it impossible to pause.

  8. 8
    Queen of Shadows cover

    Queen of Shadows

    Throne of Glass • Book 4

    by Sarah J. Maas

    Narrated by Elizabeth Evans

    4.79 ABR Score (1.5M ratings)
    ★ 4.62 Goodreads (1.4M) ★ 4.81 Audible (21.4K)
    20h 43m listening time • Released 2015

    Elizabeth Evans elevates this dark fantasy revenge arc with a performance that captures both the queen's ruthlessness and her raw vulnerability. If you've been waiting for the series to fully ignite, this is where it does.

  9. 9
    The Final Empire cover

    The Final Empire

    The Mistborn Saga • Book 1

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.78 ABR Score (1.1M ratings)
    ★ 4.49 Goodreads (999.3K) ★ 4.79 Audible (97.4K)
    24h 39m listening time • Released 2008

    The best entry point into Sanderson — a heist story set in a world where the Dark Lord won, with one of the cleverest magic systems ever devised.

  10. 10
    He Who Fights with Monsters 2 cover

    He Who Fights with Monsters 2

    He Who Fights with Monsters • Book 2

    by Shirtaloon

    Narrated by Heath Miller

    4.73 ABR Score (61.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.53 Goodreads (28.6K) ★ 4.87 Audible (32.7K)
    22h 1m listening time • Released 2021

How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →