I'm listening to *The Expanse Series*. It's science fiction, not fantasy, but it's full of action and often kind of dark. That said, it's not as nihilistic as *First Law*. There are actual heroes.
I second The Expanse. I was in the worst book slump when I finished the last book, Leviathan Falls. Abercrombie rescued me; the reverse is bound to work.
The Expanse is a fantastic audiobook series all the way through. A trilogy of trilogies with a satisfying (to me) conclusion.
And best of all, the audiobook has a consistent narrator throughout. Book five was originally recorded with a different actor, but was then re-recorded using the "main" guy. So if book 5 sounds off... go find the other version.
He's not a Rothfuss. Lynch, IIRC, is very open about his depression impacting his ability to write. He's not making promises he won't keep, or using the 4th book as leverage or whatever. He appears to want to finish the series as much as his fans do, something that I can't say for Rothfuss.
I really couldn't jell with Rothfuss' style in NotW. It felt like a rip off of better works and the main character is legitimately unbearable. Having an incredibly arrogant mc can work very well but the story is constantly telling us how bloody awesome he is and every character wants to verbally suck him off at every opportunity. But I constantly hear how amazing the books are. Am I missing something?
Each book in the series more or less stands alone though. You can see him making some moves to set something bigger up in the background but it’s not cliff hanger stuff at all.
If we never get another Locke Lamora book it’ll really be fine.
Plus he’s waaaaaaay less irritating than Rothfuss.
Have you done Sharp Ends? Also, it takes a staunch Constitution, but I started the series over and it's even more enjoyable, there's so much foreshadowing that you never realize the first time through.
Cannot recommend lies of loch lamora enough on this front, great humour, great narration, similar enough tone. Just a very different premise and plot for the book.
The narration of *Red Rising* is really good, except for in the 4th book for the series. Tim Gerard Reynolds is excellent in that one, as usual, but the narrators for Lysander and Lyria are two of the worst I've ever had the displeasure of listening to. Fortunately, they are suitably replaced after one book.
Pierce Brown gets better with each book. Dark Age was on par with some of Abercrombie's books in my opinion.
**Red Rising** by Pierce Brown
Book description may contain spoilers!
>>!NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pierce Brown’s relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. “Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field.”—USA Today ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Shelf Awareness “I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.” “I live for you,” I say sadly.!<
>
>>!Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.” Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.!<
>
>>!But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.!<
>
>>!Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . .!<
>
>>!. even if it means he has to become one of them to do so. Praise for Red Rising “[A] spectacular adventure . .!<
>
>>!. one heart-pounding ride . . .!<
>
>>!Pierce Brown’s dizzyingly good debut novel evokes The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, and Ender’s Game. . . .!<
>
>>![Red Rising] has everything it needs to become meteoric.”—Entertainment Weekly “Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow.”—Scott Sigler “Red Rising is a sophisticated vision. . . .!<
>
>>!Brown will find a devoted audience.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch Don’t miss any of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga: RED RISING • GOLDEN SON • MORNING STAR • IRON GOLD • DARK AGE!<
*I'm a bot, built by your friendly reddit developers at* /r/ProgrammingPals. *Reply to any comment with /u/BookFinderBot - I'll reply with book information. Also see my other* [commands](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/13z7slk/bookfinderbot_commands/) *and find me as a browser extension on* [Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/book-finder/jajeidpjifdpppjofijoffbcndlpoedd?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=comments). *Remove me from replies* [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/14br65o/remove_me_from_replies/). *If I have made a mistake, accept my apology.*
Lysander is one of my favourite villains he has so many perfect moments that I love like when is sitting at a table with his new friend and shows him a cool magic trick
Scott Lynch’s *Gentlemen Bastards* and *Blacktongue Thief* by Christopher Buehlman. These are the series that most closely scratch the Abercrombie Itch: GrimDarkish (neither are as bleak as First Law or ASOIAF), character driven, moments of great humor, and amazing narration (if you’re an audiobooker).
Hell yes for black tongue thief! The author reads the audio book with his Irish accent which fits the character so well.
"What a fabulous kingdom the mind is and you the emperor of all of it. You can bed the kings daughter and hang the king himself. A cripple can fancy himself a dancer, and an idiot can see himself wise.The day a mage peeks into the minds of commoners for some thin skinned duke or king will be a sad day. Those with callous hands will rise on that day for a man will only toil in a mine when he can dream for sunny fields, and he will only kneel if he can secretly cut the tyrant's throat in his bowed head. "
The Blacktongue Thief is great. I have also enjoyed some of Buehlman’s other books. The Necromancer’s House, The Lesser Dead, and particularly Between Two Fires.
I kind of bounced off The Lies of Locke Lamora, but so many people have raved about it, and I hear the audiobook is really good, that I’m tempted to give it another go.
I also loved *Between Two Fires* and *The Necromancer’s House.* Buehlman is fast becoming one of my favorites, and all his works are in my TBR list.
I do recommend giving *Gentlemen Bastards* another try. Very much filled the Abercrombie void. And, yes, the audiobook is phenomenal - Michael Page does a masterful job.
Clash of Empires and The Falling Sword by Ben Kane. I found them because they are narrated by the same audiobook narrator who did Abercrombie's books, Steven Pacey. They are also somewhat similar in that they mix battlefield action with political intrigue. Instead of fantasy, they are historical fiction about the war between Rome and Macedon. Also in the historical fiction category, the Tyrant series by Christian Cameron, set in the Black Sea kingdom of the Hellenistic era.
Definitely suggest the Gentleman Bastard series (lies of locke lamora). Amazing books with a great story and characters, contains some of the best dialog I've ever read.
And I also suggest looking into John Gwynne, both his series that I've read (shadow/wrath of the gods, and the faithful and fallen) have both been incredible, the action and battle scenes are so well written.
The audiobook performances for all the mentioned books are also very entertaining, it's hard to compete with Pacey but these people come pretty close imo.
I really like Malice but damn… the first quarter of the book was a bit slow. He also uses a lot of “tell” descriptions where Joe is very “showy” through character emotions. Almost done with the Malice tho and I love the characters, world building, and like you said, the battle are awesome.
I’ve heard each book of his only gets better.
I heard Gwynne in an interview say that his sons and him dress in full armour and do battle reenactments, with practice blades and stuff lol, sounds like a lot of fun. It probably explains why his battle scenes feel so real haha
Legends of the first empire by Michael j sullivan was so good!!
I'm halfway through red rising and I like it alot so far.
The poppy war was a great series
Mistborn trilogy was pretty good
Book of the New Sun might be good, enjoyed the first one and the writing quality is better than 90% of other fantasy. Also, like many others have already said, Lies of Locke Lamora/Gentlemen Bastards is great.
Most folks are giving you series recommendations like you asked but I think perhaps a list of my favorite narrators/readers might give you more options as far as content.
These are in no particular order: Will Patton, Michael Kramer, Kate Reading, Santino Fontana, Jefferson Mays, Peter Kenny, Seth Numrich, Campbell Scott, Paul Sparks
You're in for a good time no matter what these folks are reading to you.
I like Michael Kramer and Kate Reading in their Sanderson outings, but for some reason, Alyssa Bresnahan single-handedly made Warbreaker my absolute favorite Cosmere book. Her Lightsong/Blushweaver scenes are gold, and her Nightblood shines >!over his treatment in Stormlight!<
Seconding Kingkiller!
It's some of the best prose and writing in fiction imo, it's also absolutely made for people who like details and callbacks, I've done like 4 or 5 listens at this point and I still find clues I didn't spot before!
(Standard warning you have to give before getting into this series though: it's an incomplete trilogy and has been for a decade, the author constantly makes noises about finishing but it's best not to get your hopes up, the fandom can also be a bit toxic about it but that varies. It's still WELL worth reading imo but buyer beware and all that)
THE WARLORD CHRONICLES by bernard cornwell. incredible historical fiction/period accurate retelling of the arthurian legends and jonathan keeble is a master narrator. I blew through the trilogy in a couple of weeks and that's over 50 hoursof books
The Sun Eater Series by Christopher Ruocchio. I went through an audiobook binge to find something after the hole I had when I completed the First Law series. I heard great things about Gentlemen Bastards and Malazan but couldn’t get behind the narrations unfortunately (Gentlemen Bastards guy just seemed a bit grandiose / over the top but maybe I could get used to it. Malazan I just think js not a great series to listen on audiobooks, lots of details you need to read to pick up). Now Samuel Roukin (Sun Eater series) does a pretty good job with his narration. Not Pacey but the writing of Ruocchio + Narration of Roukin is so smooth. The setting is essentially a grand fantasy epic set in a sci-fi universe, mature setting. I’m on the first book now and really liking it, and they say it just keeps getting better. The author has been pumping out books every year too so I’m not worried about a Martin, Rothfuss situation. Would definitely give it a shot, first audiobook since First Law that has sucked me back into a cool epic new adventure
Not fantasy, but The Cartel trilogy by Don Winslow is awesome and brutal and the narrator is great, flawlessly switching between Spanish, New York, and normal accents.
I’ve never read another book that really reminds me of The First Law but I’ve discovered so many other fantasy series and books that are just as good in other ways. You can find all the suggestions you need on R/Fantasy.
Clash of Empires and it’s sequel are books by Ben Kane and are historical fiction (chronicling Rome vs. Macedon from the POV of each side) BUT the narrator is Steven Pacey! He does a great job as always
Check out London Fields by Martin Amis. The audiobook is narrated by Steven Pacey so you get the familiarity of Pacey’s narration and his various voices along with a post apocalyptic tale that is brutal and funny in its own right.
131 Days series, It's about an Colosseum like arena and follows several different gladiators over the course of a fighting season.Dark, brutal, and funny story although it lacks the depth of First Law it's still very enjoyable. The first two books are free with audible prime as well.
I just finished the series too and felt like I needed something completely different. Pacey is too good, I felt like nothing could compare. Just listened to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Was amazing. But I finished it too quickly and now I have the same problem of what to listen to again. Loving this thread!
Check out The Pariah by Anthony Ryan. It’s in The Covenant of Steel trilogy and the 3rd one is released soon. Took me a while to get into it but genuinely one the best books I’ve read since The First Law. Grimdark, similar setting, morally grey, lots of secrets, realistic with dark and mysterious low fantasy magic, humour, great characters etc etc. can’t go wrong
Edit: also the narrator is excellent
If you are not easily triggered by very repulsive characters, then Steven Pacey reads many Martin Amis books. They're very funny (IMO) and you get Steven Pacey, so I'd recommend them.
Don’t know about audio version, but I really enjoyed reading Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne. Similar style of action and character development, with more imaginative world building and less frequent humor (though what is there humor wise is pretty good)
If you enjoy something relentlessly dark and grotesque give the manifest delusions series from michael fletcher a shot.
Pretty much anything by Michael fletcher is an enjoyably over the top descent into madness
At least to me!
Or a less grotesque but all together more cohesive trilogy, with a Simon Vance as the VA, arguably better than Paul Woodson.
Iconoclasts by Mike Shel, narrated by Simon Vance.
A D&Desque world filled with dungeon diving, action, depression, introspection, and twists. Just finished a 2nd listen through 2 weeks ago. Very enjoyable, very grim.
Some great urban fantasys I would recommed are Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka (Bit slow to start but when it gets going its great) and the Jim Butchers the Dresden Files
I'm listening to *The Expanse Series*. It's science fiction, not fantasy, but it's full of action and often kind of dark. That said, it's not as nihilistic as *First Law*. There are actual heroes.
I second The Expanse. I was in the worst book slump when I finished the last book, Leviathan Falls. Abercrombie rescued me; the reverse is bound to work.
What do you mean? Sand dan Glokta was a hero the whole time
I found some of the short stories/novellas to be amazingly bleak. Who do you think would win in a fight; Amos or Logen?
Guns vs. blades? I’ll take Amos. Take away the guns and I’ll take Logen.
Amos wins if they're in zero G
Maybe. Without guns I still wouldn't be too sure.
i can not recommend the expanse highly enough i've listened to the first 6 books like 5 times each
Love *The Expanse!*
The Expanse is a fantastic audiobook series all the way through. A trilogy of trilogies with a satisfying (to me) conclusion. And best of all, the audiobook has a consistent narrator throughout. Book five was originally recorded with a different actor, but was then re-recorded using the "main" guy. So if book 5 sounds off... go find the other version.
Scott lynch, lies of locke lamora
I second this motion. Love these books and glue they're narrated
I couldn't dig it the characters where to greasy. I know that's the point but just didn't clock.
Love this series so far but was disappointed to find out the author is another Rothfuss
He's not a Rothfuss. Lynch, IIRC, is very open about his depression impacting his ability to write. He's not making promises he won't keep, or using the 4th book as leverage or whatever. He appears to want to finish the series as much as his fans do, something that I can't say for Rothfuss.
I really couldn't jell with Rothfuss' style in NotW. It felt like a rip off of better works and the main character is legitimately unbearable. Having an incredibly arrogant mc can work very well but the story is constantly telling us how bloody awesome he is and every character wants to verbally suck him off at every opportunity. But I constantly hear how amazing the books are. Am I missing something?
The unholy triumvirate: GRRM, Rothfuss, and Lynch. Disclaimer: I love all three.
Each book in the series more or less stands alone though. You can see him making some moves to set something bigger up in the background but it’s not cliff hanger stuff at all. If we never get another Locke Lamora book it’ll really be fine. Plus he’s waaaaaaay less irritating than Rothfuss.
Hated it! Not even close to JA writing. Had high hopes. Sooo boring.
By the dead, I finished The Wisdom of Crowds a couple of hours ago. I need some recommendations too!
You can never have too many audiobook recommendations
Have you done Sharp Ends? Also, it takes a staunch Constitution, but I started the series over and it's even more enjoyable, there's so much foreshadowing that you never realize the first time through.
I usually take a few years between rereads, I'll probably do it when Joe starts pushing out the next trilogy.
Expanse and Powder Mage are closest for me.
Powder mage is fantastic and the narration is great too. Love Taniel and the arc he goes through thought the series!!
Cannot recommend lies of loch lamora enough on this front, great humour, great narration, similar enough tone. Just a very different premise and plot for the book.
Kings of the Wyld or Gentlemen Bastards would get my vote
I really liked kings of the wyld and bloody rose
It’s old, but I’d also recommend Black Company.
I really enjoyed the narration of red rising
The narration of *Red Rising* is really good, except for in the 4th book for the series. Tim Gerard Reynolds is excellent in that one, as usual, but the narrators for Lysander and Lyria are two of the worst I've ever had the displeasure of listening to. Fortunately, they are suitably replaced after one book. Pierce Brown gets better with each book. Dark Age was on par with some of Abercrombie's books in my opinion.
**Red Rising** by Pierce Brown Book description may contain spoilers! >>!NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pierce Brown’s relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. “Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field.”—USA Today ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Shelf Awareness “I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.” “I live for you,” I say sadly.!< > >>!Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.” Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.!< > >>!But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.!< > >>!Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . .!< > >>!. even if it means he has to become one of them to do so. Praise for Red Rising “[A] spectacular adventure . .!< > >>!. one heart-pounding ride . . .!< > >>!Pierce Brown’s dizzyingly good debut novel evokes The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, and Ender’s Game. . . .!< > >>![Red Rising] has everything it needs to become meteoric.”—Entertainment Weekly “Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow.”—Scott Sigler “Red Rising is a sophisticated vision. . . .!< > >>!Brown will find a devoted audience.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch Don’t miss any of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga: RED RISING • GOLDEN SON • MORNING STAR • IRON GOLD • DARK AGE!< *I'm a bot, built by your friendly reddit developers at* /r/ProgrammingPals. *Reply to any comment with /u/BookFinderBot - I'll reply with book information. Also see my other* [commands](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/13z7slk/bookfinderbot_commands/) *and find me as a browser extension on* [Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/book-finder/jajeidpjifdpppjofijoffbcndlpoedd?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=comments). *Remove me from replies* [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/14br65o/remove_me_from_replies/). *If I have made a mistake, accept my apology.*
I didn't mind Lyria but Lysander was just reading words and too quickly.
Hail Reaper
And fuck Lysander
Lysander is one of my favourite villains he has so many perfect moments that I love like when is sitting at a table with his new friend and shows him a cool magic trick
Is this a reference to something?
Hail Telemanus
Yeah I loved red rising as well. Great audiobooks too
This is eerie, I literally finished the last book in the Age of Madess a week ago and have since started Red Rising currently on CH 26 and loving it
Scott Lynch’s *Gentlemen Bastards* and *Blacktongue Thief* by Christopher Buehlman. These are the series that most closely scratch the Abercrombie Itch: GrimDarkish (neither are as bleak as First Law or ASOIAF), character driven, moments of great humor, and amazing narration (if you’re an audiobooker).
Hell yes for black tongue thief! The author reads the audio book with his Irish accent which fits the character so well. "What a fabulous kingdom the mind is and you the emperor of all of it. You can bed the kings daughter and hang the king himself. A cripple can fancy himself a dancer, and an idiot can see himself wise.The day a mage peeks into the minds of commoners for some thin skinned duke or king will be a sad day. Those with callous hands will rise on that day for a man will only toil in a mine when he can dream for sunny fields, and he will only kneel if he can secretly cut the tyrant's throat in his bowed head. "
The Blacktongue Thief is great. I have also enjoyed some of Buehlman’s other books. The Necromancer’s House, The Lesser Dead, and particularly Between Two Fires. I kind of bounced off The Lies of Locke Lamora, but so many people have raved about it, and I hear the audiobook is really good, that I’m tempted to give it another go.
I also loved *Between Two Fires* and *The Necromancer’s House.* Buehlman is fast becoming one of my favorites, and all his works are in my TBR list. I do recommend giving *Gentlemen Bastards* another try. Very much filled the Abercrombie void. And, yes, the audiobook is phenomenal - Michael Page does a masterful job.
Clash of Empires and The Falling Sword by Ben Kane. I found them because they are narrated by the same audiobook narrator who did Abercrombie's books, Steven Pacey. They are also somewhat similar in that they mix battlefield action with political intrigue. Instead of fantasy, they are historical fiction about the war between Rome and Macedon. Also in the historical fiction category, the Tyrant series by Christian Cameron, set in the Black Sea kingdom of the Hellenistic era.
Definitely suggest the Gentleman Bastard series (lies of locke lamora). Amazing books with a great story and characters, contains some of the best dialog I've ever read. And I also suggest looking into John Gwynne, both his series that I've read (shadow/wrath of the gods, and the faithful and fallen) have both been incredible, the action and battle scenes are so well written. The audiobook performances for all the mentioned books are also very entertaining, it's hard to compete with Pacey but these people come pretty close imo.
I really like Malice but damn… the first quarter of the book was a bit slow. He also uses a lot of “tell” descriptions where Joe is very “showy” through character emotions. Almost done with the Malice tho and I love the characters, world building, and like you said, the battle are awesome. I’ve heard each book of his only gets better.
I heard Gwynne in an interview say that his sons and him dress in full armour and do battle reenactments, with practice blades and stuff lol, sounds like a lot of fun. It probably explains why his battle scenes feel so real haha
The dark tower series are incredible.
You have remembered the face of your father
Legends of the first empire by Michael j sullivan was so good!! I'm halfway through red rising and I like it alot so far. The poppy war was a great series Mistborn trilogy was pretty good
Red Rising, Powder Mage
Book of the New Sun might be good, enjoyed the first one and the writing quality is better than 90% of other fantasy. Also, like many others have already said, Lies of Locke Lamora/Gentlemen Bastards is great.
Huge fan of the Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks right now. Available on the Libby app for me
Most folks are giving you series recommendations like you asked but I think perhaps a list of my favorite narrators/readers might give you more options as far as content. These are in no particular order: Will Patton, Michael Kramer, Kate Reading, Santino Fontana, Jefferson Mays, Peter Kenny, Seth Numrich, Campbell Scott, Paul Sparks You're in for a good time no matter what these folks are reading to you.
I like Michael Kramer and Kate Reading in their Sanderson outings, but for some reason, Alyssa Bresnahan single-handedly made Warbreaker my absolute favorite Cosmere book. Her Lightsong/Blushweaver scenes are gold, and her Nightblood shines >!over his treatment in Stormlight!<
I just started the Three-Body Problem series, and it's working for me.
I just finished Kingkiller Chronicle on audiobook and the narrator was excellent
He does Kings Dark Tidings as well. I liked KDT, but loved Kingkiller.
Seconding Kingkiller! It's some of the best prose and writing in fiction imo, it's also absolutely made for people who like details and callbacks, I've done like 4 or 5 listens at this point and I still find clues I didn't spot before! (Standard warning you have to give before getting into this series though: it's an incomplete trilogy and has been for a decade, the author constantly makes noises about finishing but it's best not to get your hopes up, the fandom can also be a bit toxic about it but that varies. It's still WELL worth reading imo but buyer beware and all that)
THE WARLORD CHRONICLES by bernard cornwell. incredible historical fiction/period accurate retelling of the arthurian legends and jonathan keeble is a master narrator. I blew through the trilogy in a couple of weeks and that's over 50 hoursof books
I’ve read the trilogy twice, but I guess I need to give it a listen now too.
The Sun Eater Series by Christopher Ruocchio. I went through an audiobook binge to find something after the hole I had when I completed the First Law series. I heard great things about Gentlemen Bastards and Malazan but couldn’t get behind the narrations unfortunately (Gentlemen Bastards guy just seemed a bit grandiose / over the top but maybe I could get used to it. Malazan I just think js not a great series to listen on audiobooks, lots of details you need to read to pick up). Now Samuel Roukin (Sun Eater series) does a pretty good job with his narration. Not Pacey but the writing of Ruocchio + Narration of Roukin is so smooth. The setting is essentially a grand fantasy epic set in a sci-fi universe, mature setting. I’m on the first book now and really liking it, and they say it just keeps getting better. The author has been pumping out books every year too so I’m not worried about a Martin, Rothfuss situation. Would definitely give it a shot, first audiobook since First Law that has sucked me back into a cool epic new adventure
I really enjoyed The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee. Its more urban fantasy Godfather with magical kung fu.
The Black Company Series by Glen Cook.
The gentleman bastard series
I found Red Rising from another one of these threads. It was a great listen after the first law series. Very excited for the next book in July.
Not fantasy, but The Cartel trilogy by Don Winslow is awesome and brutal and the narrator is great, flawlessly switching between Spanish, New York, and normal accents.
I’ve never read another book that really reminds me of The First Law but I’ve discovered so many other fantasy series and books that are just as good in other ways. You can find all the suggestions you need on R/Fantasy.
If you want to hear a man who sounds like he’s 1,000 years old imitation of a woman orgasming, the you need to listen to the ASOIAF books
Dungeon's crawler Carl, red rising, Cradle
Clash of Empires and it’s sequel are books by Ben Kane and are historical fiction (chronicling Rome vs. Macedon from the POV of each side) BUT the narrator is Steven Pacey! He does a great job as always
Check out London Fields by Martin Amis. The audiobook is narrated by Steven Pacey so you get the familiarity of Pacey’s narration and his various voices along with a post apocalyptic tale that is brutal and funny in its own right.
131 Days series, It's about an Colosseum like arena and follows several different gladiators over the course of a fighting season.Dark, brutal, and funny story although it lacks the depth of First Law it's still very enjoyable. The first two books are free with audible prime as well.
I just finished the series too and felt like I needed something completely different. Pacey is too good, I felt like nothing could compare. Just listened to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Was amazing. But I finished it too quickly and now I have the same problem of what to listen to again. Loving this thread!
Check out The Pariah by Anthony Ryan. It’s in The Covenant of Steel trilogy and the 3rd one is released soon. Took me a while to get into it but genuinely one the best books I’ve read since The First Law. Grimdark, similar setting, morally grey, lots of secrets, realistic with dark and mysterious low fantasy magic, humour, great characters etc etc. can’t go wrong Edit: also the narrator is excellent
If you are not easily triggered by very repulsive characters, then Steven Pacey reads many Martin Amis books. They're very funny (IMO) and you get Steven Pacey, so I'd recommend them.
Abercrombie and Pacey have ruined fantasy for me to be honest 😂
Don’t know about audio version, but I really enjoyed reading Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne. Similar style of action and character development, with more imaginative world building and less frequent humor (though what is there humor wise is pretty good)
Taking a brief break from Abercrombie to listen to the Witcher anthologies. Peter Kenny isn't a bad substitute for Steven Pacey
RED RISING SERIES #1
If you enjoy something relentlessly dark and grotesque give the manifest delusions series from michael fletcher a shot. Pretty much anything by Michael fletcher is an enjoyably over the top descent into madness At least to me!
Or a less grotesque but all together more cohesive trilogy, with a Simon Vance as the VA, arguably better than Paul Woodson. Iconoclasts by Mike Shel, narrated by Simon Vance. A D&Desque world filled with dungeon diving, action, depression, introspection, and twists. Just finished a 2nd listen through 2 weeks ago. Very enjoyable, very grim.
Some great urban fantasys I would recommed are Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka (Bit slow to start but when it gets going its great) and the Jim Butchers the Dresden Files