Best Michael J. Sullivan Audiobooks
Where to Start with Michael J. Sullivan
- Best entry point → The Crown Tower
- Best standalone → When Swords Fall Silent: An Assassination Anthology
- Start the Riyria Revelations series → Theft of Swords
- What fans keep coming back to → Heir of Novron
- Best narrator for Michael J. Sullivan → Rise of Empire
- Highest rated by listeners → The Rose and the Thorn (The Riyria Chronicles #2)
Best Michael J. Sullivan Audiobooks
- 1
Heir of Novron
The Riyria Revelations #5-6 • Book 3
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.69 ABR Score (83.6K ratings)★ 4.51 Goodreads (55.5K) ★ 4.83 Audible (28.1K)31h 48m listening time • Released 2012Tim Gerard Reynolds brings devastating emotional weight to the final Riyria chapters—his performance transforms what could've been a standard fantasy conclusion into something genuinely heartbreaking.
- 2
The Rose and the Thorn
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 2
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.57 ABR Score (46.7K ratings)★ 4.4 Goodreads (31.0K) ★ 4.79 Audible (15.8K)11h 53m listening time • Released 2013Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms this prequel into something rare: a character-driven fantasy where every heist and heartbreak lands with real weight. Sullivan's Riyria origin story becomes unmissable in his hands.
- 3
Rise of Empire
The Riyria Revelations #3-4 • Book 2
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.55 ABR Score (82.5K ratings)★ 4.36 Goodreads (57.6K) ★ 4.74 Audible (24.9K)26h 27m listening time • Released 2012Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms Sullivan's character-driven fantasy into something magnetic—his performance makes you believe in Royce and Hadrian's fractured friendship as the emotional core that matters more than any empire crumbling around them.
- 4
Age of War
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 3
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.54 ABR Score (34.1K ratings)★ 4.43 Goodreads (21.3K) ★ 4.76 Audible (12.8K)15h 36m listening time • Released 2026Tim Gerard Reynolds does the heavy lifting here, making a sprawling epic feel intimate through his command of dozens of distinct voices and his gift for building tension across 15+ hours without losing momentum.
- 5
The Crown Tower
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 1
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.53 ABR Score (61.9K ratings)★ 4.33 Goodreads (43.5K) ★ 4.75 Audible (18.4K)12h 49m listening time • Released 2013Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms two mismatched rogues into characters you'll root for despite yourself—his voice work makes their banter crackle and their impossible heist genuinely nail-biting.
- 6
Age of Empyre
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 6
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.48 ABR Score (19.5K ratings)★ 4.39 Goodreads (12.8K) ★ 4.76 Audible (6.7K)16h 42m listening time • Released 2020Tim Gerard Reynolds elevates this epic conclusion with a command of tone that transforms the final war into something genuinely devastating—he makes you feel the weight of sacrifice alongside the exhilaration of victory.
- 7
The Death of Dulgath
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 3
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.48 ABR Score (30.3K ratings)★ 4.37 Goodreads (21.3K) ★ 4.73 Audible (9.0K)13h 9m listening time • Released 2026Tim Gerard Reynolds makes this mystery-heist hybrid impossible to stop, his layered voice work turning Hadrian and Royce's banter into pure chemistry. If you want fantasy that prioritizes plot momentum and character charm over worldbuilding exposition, this is it.
- 8
Age of Swords
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 2
by Michael J. Sullivan, Marc Simonetti
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.47 ABR Score (42.5K ratings)★ 4.29 Goodreads (26.6K) ★ 4.72 Audible (15.9K)19h 4m listening time • Released 2025Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms this sprawling fantasy epic into something genuinely immersive—his vocal range across dozens of characters keeps the massive cast distinct and alive, making the 19-hour journey feel essential rather than exhausting.
- 9
Age of Legend
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 4
by Michael J. Sullivan, Simonetti
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.45 ABR Score (25.0K ratings)★ 4.35 Goodreads (15.8K) ★ 4.72 Audible (9.1K)14h 34m listening time • Released 2019Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms this epic conclusion into something visceral and devastating—his range across dozens of characters makes the final betrayal land like a gut punch, and the quiet moments hit harder because of it.
- 10
Theft of Swords
Riyria Revelations • Book 1
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.44 ABR Score (110.0K ratings)★ 4.23 Goodreads (77.8K) ★ 4.65 Audible (32.2K)22h 38m listening time • Released 2012Sullivan's Riyria Chronicles offer pure fantasy comfort — two rogues-for-hire stumbling into conspiracies, with pitch-perfect banter and Tim Gerard Reynolds's magnetic narration.
- 11
Drumindor
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 5
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.36 ABR Score (5.6K ratings)★ 4.37 Goodreads (4.0K) ★ 4.77 Audible (1.6K)20h 39m listening time • Released 2024Tim Gerard Reynolds brings such warmth and distinction to Royce and Hadrian's chemistry that you forget you're listening to a 20-hour book. Sullivan's best adventure yet, and the narration makes it effortless.
- 12
Age of Myth
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 1
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.36 ABR Score (57.9K ratings)★ 4.22 Goodreads (41.5K) ★ 4.61 Audible (16.4K)16h 17m listening time • Released 2025Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms this origin story into something genuinely mythic—his voice work across dozens of characters builds a world so immersive you forget you're listening rather than living it.
- 13
The Crown Tower : The Riyria Chronicles 1 (Riyria Chronicles)
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 1
Narrated by Bradley Foster Smith, Chris Genebach, Danny Gavigan, Nora Achrati, Peter Holdway, Shanta Parasuraman, Terence Aselford, John Kielty, Kay Eluvian, Brandon Burton, Stewart Crank
★ 4.28 ABR Score (43.7K ratings)★ 4.33 Goodreads (43.5K) ★ 4.76 Audible (223)10h 11m listening time • Released 2022 - 14
The Rose and the Thorn : The Riyria Chronicles 2 (Riyria Chronicles)
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 2
Narrated by Bradley Foster Smith, Chris Genebach, Danny Gavigan, Jeff Allin, Nora Achrati, Shanta Parasuraman, Terence Aselford, Kay Eluvian, Earl Fisher, Andrew James Spooner, David M. Jourdan
★ 4.27 ABR Score (31.2K ratings)★ 4.4 Goodreads (31.0K) ★ 4.77 Audible (143)9h 28m listening time • Released 2022 - 15
Professional Integrity
The Riyria Chronicles #2.6
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 4.20 ABR Score (18.3K ratings)★ 4.19 Goodreads (4.3K) ★ 4.51 Audible (14.0K)1h 17m listening time • Released 2026Tim Gerard Reynolds narrates Hadrian and Royce's return with such effortless charm that this tight heist short becomes the perfect palate cleanser between longer Riyria books. Sharp dialogue, a genuinely clever con, and a narrator who knows exactly when to land a joke.
- 16
Age of Legend (2 of 2)
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 4
Narrated by Amanda Forstrom, Bradley Smith, Chris Stinson, Colleen Delany, Jacob Yeh, Joe Mallon, Nora Achrati, Terence Aselford, Todd Scofield, Tracy Olivera
★ 4.20 ABR Score (16.0K ratings)★ 4.35 Goodreads (15.9K) ★ 4.66 Audible (153)11h 11m listening time • Released 2022 - 17
Age of Death (1 of 2)
The Legends of the First Empire • Book 5
by Michael J. Sullivan, Amanda Forstrom, Terence Aselford, Todd Scofield, Nora Achrati, Bradley Smith, Nanette Savard, Yasmin Tuazon, Kimberly Gilbert, Colleen Delany, Tracy Olivera, Tia Shearer
Narrated by Amanda Forstrom, Bradley Smith, Colleen Delany, Kimberly Gilbert, Nanette Savard, Nora Achrati, Terence Aselford, Tia Shearer, Todd Scofield, Tracy Olivera, Yasmin Tuazon
★ 4.13 ABR Score (13.5K ratings)★ 4.28 Goodreads (13.3K) ★ 4.59 Audible (130)10h 52m listening time • Released 2022 - 18
Age of Empyre (Dramatized Adaptation)
Legends of the First Empire • Book 6
Narrated by Amanda Forstrom, Bradley Smith, Chris Stinson, Christopher Walker, Colleen Delany, Kimberly Gilbert, Lise Bruneau, Nora Achrati, Terence Aselford, Tia Shearer, Todd Scofield
★ 4.07 ABR Score (139 ratings)★ 4.75 Audible (139)13h 18m listening time • Released 2022 - 19
Drumindor (Dramatized Adaptation): The Riyria Chronicles
The Riyria Chronicles • Book 5
by Michael J. Sullivan, Full Cast
Narrated by full cast, Bradley Foster Smith, Danny Gavigan, Terence Aselford, Nora Achrati, Andrew James Spooner, Jenna Sharpe, Zura Johnson, Peter Holdway, Emlyn McFarland, Stewart Crank, Chris Davenport
★ 4.04 ABR Score (4.1K ratings)★ 4.37 Goodreads (4.1K) ★ 4.76 Audible (17) - 20
The Jester
The Riyria Chronicles #2.5
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
★ 3.89 ABR Score (21.9K ratings)★ 3.94 Goodreads (6.7K) ★ 4.24 Audible (15.2K)Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms a clever heist into pure listening pleasure, his voice work making every plot twist land with perfect comedic timing. A tight, standalone story that proves you don't need 500 pages to pull off a con that actually surprises you.