Best Brandon Sanderson Audiobooks

The best audiobooks by Brandon Sanderson — 25 titles spanning Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Literature & Fiction, averaging 4.63 ABR stars.

Brandon Sanderson's highest-rated audiobook in our collection is Words of Radiance, narrated by Michael Kramer, Kate Reading (4.96 ABR stars). Browse the full list below.

Where to Start with Brandon Sanderson

  1. 1
    Words of Radiance cover

    Words of Radiance

    The Stormlight Archive • Book 2

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer, Kate Reading

    4.96 ABR Score (587.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.76 Goodreads (498.0K) ★ 4.9 Audible (89.5K)
    48h 15m listening time • Released 2014

    The second Stormlight Archive book surpasses the first — the magic system, the characters, and the worldbuilding all deepen into one of epic fantasy's greatest achievements.

  2. 2
    The Way of Kings cover

    The Way of Kings

    The Cosmere • Book 1

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

    4.89 ABR Score (796.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.66 Goodreads (683.1K) ★ 4.84 Audible (113.2K)
    45h 30m listening time • Released 2010

    Sanderson's most ambitious work — a 45-hour epic with one of the most intricately designed magic systems in fantasy, and characters whose growth pays off magnificently.

  3. 3
    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.

  4. 4
    Oathbringer cover

    Oathbringer

    The Stormlight Archive • Book 3

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

    4.83 ABR Score (432.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.6 Goodreads (365.0K) ★ 4.84 Audible (67.0K)
    55h 5m listening time • Released 2017

    Kate Reading and Michael Kramer elevate this sprawling epic into something transcendent—their dual narration captures three interconnected characters with such distinct emotional depth that 55 hours vanishes. Oathbringer is where Sanderson's intricate magic system and moral complexity finally match the scope of his ambition.

  5. 5
    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.

  6. 6
    The Gathering Storm cover

    The Gathering Storm

    The Wheel of Time • Book 12

    by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer, Kate Reading

    4.77 ABR Score (224.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.44 Goodreads (178.7K) ★ 4.9 Audible (45.7K)
    41h 47m listening time • Released 2013

    Kramer and Reading's dual narration finally gives the Wheel of Time the vocal landscape it deserves, turning a sprawling epic into something genuinely intimate and propulsive.

  7. 7
    Towers of Midnight cover

    Towers of Midnight

    The Wheel of Time • Book 13

    by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

    4.77 ABR Score (211.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.48 Goodreads (176.1K) ★ 4.89 Audible (34.9K)
    38h 21m listening time • Released 2010

    Kate Reading and Michael Kramer elevate the emotional weight of Jordan's endgame—their dual narration makes the converging POVs feel like separate threads tightening toward catastrophe, and they nail the quieter character breakthroughs that matter most before the final battle.

  8. 8
    Rhythm of War cover

    Rhythm of War

    The Stormlight Archive • Book 4

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

    4.76 ABR Score (287.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.58 Goodreads (245.5K) ★ 4.81 Audible (41.8K)
    57h 26m listening time • Released 2020

    Kate Reading and Michael Kramer elevate this epic's sprawling POVs into something genuinely cinematic—their dual narration makes Sanderson's intricate character work land harder than it has any right to at 57 hours.

  9. 9
    The Well of Ascension cover

    The Well of Ascension

    The Mistborn Saga • Book 2

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.70 ABR Score (745.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (671.8K) ★ 4.78 Audible (73.7K)
    28h 56m listening time • Released 2009

    Michael Kramer's narration elevates Sanderson's sprawling sequel into something genuinely gripping—his voice work transforms Vin's internal struggle from competent to devastating, making this 29-hour epic feel essential rather than exhausting.

  10. 10
    The Lost Metal cover

    The Lost Metal

    The Mistborn Saga • Book 7

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.70 ABR Score (136.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.48 Goodreads (122.5K) ★ 4.86 Audible (14.4K)
    18h 46m listening time • Released 2022

    Michael Kramer brings surgical precision to Sanderson's sprawling finale, keeping you locked in through 18+ hours of intricate plotting and emotional payoffs that actually land. This is the rare epic fantasy audiobook where the narrator's control matches the author's ambition.

  11. 11
    The Bands of Mourning cover

    The Bands of Mourning

    Mistborn, Era 2: Wax & Wayne • Book 3

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.66 ABR Score (220.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (193.3K) ★ 4.81 Audible (27.4K)
    14h 41m listening time • Released 2016

    Michael Kramer's narration elevates this already brilliant heist-mystery, bringing razor-sharp distinction to Sanderson's cast while keeping the intricate magic system crystal clear at audiobook pace.

  12. 12
    Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection cover

    Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection

    The Cosmere

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer, Kate Reading

    4.64 ABR Score (85.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.43 Goodreads (66.7K) ★ 4.82 Audible (18.7K)
    22h 31m listening time • Released 2016

    Kramer and Reading switch seamlessly between worlds, making each magic system feel distinct and alive—this is the perfect audiobook entry point to the Cosmere's interconnected universes.

  13. 13
    Dawnshard cover

    Dawnshard

    The Stormlight Archive #3.5 • Book 3

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

    4.61 ABR Score (148.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (136.9K) ★ 4.84 Audible (11.9K)
    7h 5m listening time • Released 2022

    Kate Reading and Michael Kramer elevate this novella into something that feels essential, perfectly capturing the intimacy between Rysn and her mysterious companion while building genuine tension around the island's dark secrets.

  14. 14
    Starsight cover

    Starsight

    Skyward • Book 2

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Suzy Jackson

    4.61 ABR Score (133.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (109.9K) ★ 4.77 Audible (23.1K)
    14h 30m listening time • Released 2019
  15. 15
    Yumi and the Nightmare Painter cover

    Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

    Hoid's Travails • Book 2

    by Brandon Sanderson, Aliya Chen

    Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

    4.57 ABR Score (121.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.43 Goodreads (118.7K) ★ 4.82 Audible (3.1K)
    14h 43m listening time • Released 2024

    Kate Reading and Michael Kramer's dual narration captures the stark contrast between these two worlds so perfectly that you feel the characters' disorientation as much as they do.

  16. 16
    The Rithmatist cover

    The Rithmatist

    Rithmatist • Book 1

    by Brandon Sanderson, Ben McSweeney

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.56 ABR Score (86.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.25 Goodreads (75.3K) ★ 4.71 Audible (10.7K)
    10h 23m listening time • Released 2013

    Michael Kramer's performance elevates this magic-school mystery into something genuinely gripping—he nails the outsider protagonist's frustration while making the chalk-based magic system feel tactile and urgent.

  17. 17
    Shadows of Self cover

    Shadows of Self

    Mistborn, Era 2: Wax & Wayne • Book 2

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.56 ABR Score (243.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.26 Goodreads (211.7K) ★ 4.75 Audible (31.9K)
    12h 37m listening time • Released 2015

    Michael Kramer's narration transforms this noir-tinged fantasy into something darker and sharper than the first book, making Waxillium's moral compromises hit harder than they would on the page.

  18. 18
    Warbreaker cover

    Warbreaker

    The Cosmere • Book 5

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan

    4.55 ABR Score (320.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.29 Goodreads (285.7K) ★ 4.71 Audible (34.3K)
    24h 56m listening time • Released 2015

    A standalone Sanderson that showcases his best qualities — two princesses, a reluctant god, and a magic system based on color and breath that's as elegant as it gets.

  19. 19
    The Alloy of Law cover

    The Alloy of Law

    Mistborn, Era 2: Wax & Wayne • Book 1

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.53 ABR Score (335.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.19 Goodreads (294.2K) ★ 4.72 Audible (41.7K)
    10h 48m listening time • Released 2011

    Michael Kramer's performance transforms this into a lean, propulsive Western-fantasy hybrid that hooks you in ways the original trilogy doesn't. It's the rare sequel that improves on its predecessor.

  20. 20
    Tress of the Emerald Sea cover

    Tress of the Emerald Sea

    Hoid's Travails • Book 1

    by Brandon Sanderson, Howard Lyon

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4.50 ABR Score (302.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (297.2K) ★ 4.74 Audible (5.1K)
    12h 27m listening time • Released 2024

    Michael Kramer's warm, conversational narration transforms Sanderson's fairy tale into pure comfort fantasy—the kind of audiobook that makes you want to extend your commute just to hear what happens next.

  21. 21
    Wind and Truth cover

    Wind and Truth

    The Stormlight Archive • Book 5

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

    4.45 ABR Score (160.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (139.0K) ★ 4.6 Audible (21.9K)
    62h 48m listening time • Released 2024

    Kate Reading and Michael Kramer elevate an already massive climax with perfectly calibrated performances that make 62 hours feel essential, not exhausting. Sanderson's payoff demands narrators who can handle intimate character moments and apocalyptic stakes equally, and they nail both.

  22. 22
    The Emperor's Soul cover

    The Emperor's Soul

    Elantris • Book 2

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Angela Lin

    4.38 ABR Score (142.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (133.7K) ★ 4.56 Audible (8.6K)
    3h 55m listening time • Released 2012
  23. 23
    Elantris cover

    Elantris

    Elantris • Book 1

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Jack Garrett

    4.36 ABR Score (372.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.16 Goodreads (355.0K) ★ 4.58 Audible (17.3K)
    28h 42m listening time • Released 2015
  24. 24
    Steelheart cover

    Steelheart

    The Reckoners • Book 1

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by MacLeod Andrews

    4.36 ABR Score (235.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.14 Goodreads (197.0K) ★ 4.5 Audible (38.2K)
    12h 42m listening time • Released 2013
  25. 25
    Cytonic cover

    Cytonic

    Skyward • Book 3

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Suzy Jackson

    4.35 ABR Score (79.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.05 Goodreads (67.8K) ★ 4.64 Audible (12.0K)
    13h 15m 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 →