Where to Start with Andrew Rowe
- Best entry point → Six Sacred Swords
- Best standalone → When Swords Fall Silent: An Assassination Anthology
- Start the Arcane Ascension series → Sufficiently Advanced Magic
- What fans keep coming back to → On the Shoulders of Titans
- Best narrator for Andrew Rowe → The Torch that Ignites the Stars
- Highest rated by listeners → Diamantine (Weapons and Wielders #2)
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Diamantine
Weapons and Wielders • Book 2
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.52 ABR Score (11.6K ratings)★ 4.41 Goodreads (4.7K) ★ 4.83 Audible (7.0K)15h 58m listening time • Released 2020Nick Podehl elevates this tournament fantasy with vocal precision that makes each character distinct and the combat sequences visceral. The magic system clicks into place here, and the audiobook's pacing transforms what could feel like a tournament slog into genuine momentum.
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Soulbrand
Weapons and Wielders • Book 3
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.44 ABR Score (6.6K ratings)★ 4.46 Goodreads (3.7K) ★ 4.79 Audible (2.9K)26h 13m listening time • Released 2021Nick Podehl's performance elevates this tournament-arc fantasy into something genuinely gripping—his character work transforms what could be rote competition beats into moments that actually land emotionally.
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On the Shoulders of Titans
Arcane Ascension • Book 2
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.40 ABR Score (34.4K ratings)★ 4.22 Goodreads (16.0K) ★ 4.68 Audible (18.4K)24h 46m listening time • Released 2019Nick Podehl's performance elevates this sequel into something special—his distinct voices for each character make the intricate magic system and emotional stakes hit harder than the prose alone could manage.
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A Brief History of Chronomancy
Arcane Ascension • Book 6
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.38 ABR Score (4.3K ratings)★ 4.39 Goodreads (2.4K) ★ 4.81 Audible (1.9K)14h 30m listening time • Released 2025Nick Podehl's performance captures every layer of Corin's desperation and cunning as he navigates impossible choices and time-bending magic. This sixth book finally delivers the payoffs you've been waiting for without losing the intricate worldbuilding that makes the series addictive.
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Defying Destiny
The War of Broken Mirrors • Book 3
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.37 ABR Score (7.9K ratings)★ 4.23 Goodreads (3.3K) ★ 4.78 Audible (4.6K)13h 6m listening time • Released 2020Nick Podehl's performance elevates this already intricate fantasy into something genuinely immersive—his range across multiple POVs makes the competing schemes and moral ambiguities feel lived rather than told.
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The Silence of Unworthy Gods
Arcane Ascension • Book 4
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.34 ABR Score (11.8K ratings)★ 4.25 Goodreads (5.9K) ★ 4.69 Audible (5.9K)20h 43m listening time • Released 2022Nick Podehl's performance elevates this sprawling sequel into something genuinely gripping — his range across Corin's internal conflicts and the mounting political chaos keeps you locked in for 20+ hours.
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Six Sacred Swords
Weapons and Wielders • Book 1
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.33 ABR Score (17.5K ratings)★ 4.16 Goodreads (6.6K) ★ 4.68 Audible (10.9K)10h 49m listening time • Released 2019Nick Podehl's performance captures the dry wit and relentless competence of a swordsman collecting legendary blades—he makes you believe in both the humor and the stakes of an impossible quest.
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The Torch that Ignites the Stars
Arcane Ascension • Book 3
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.32 ABR Score (18.5K ratings)★ 4.11 Goodreads (8.8K) ★ 4.69 Audible (9.7K)17h 21m listening time • Released 2021Nick Podehl's performance elevates Rowe's intricate magic system and character dynamics into something genuinely immersive—his distinctive voices make each relationship feel earned rather than explained.
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Sufficiently Advanced Magic
Arcane Ascension • Book 1
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.32 ABR Score (62.1K ratings)★ 4.1 Goodreads (27.1K) ★ 4.59 Audible (34.9K)21h 58m listening time • Released 2017Nick Podehl's performance elevates this self-published gem into something genuinely addictive—his measured delivery makes the intricate magic system click and the emotional stakes land hard.
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Stealing Sorcery
The War of Broken Mirrors • Book 2
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.27 ABR Score (13.1K ratings)★ 4.11 Goodreads (5.0K) ★ 4.66 Audible (8.0K)16h 48m listening time • Released 2016Nick Podehl brings real urgency to this sequel's intricate magic-system mystery, making the political intrigue and character dynamics snap with genuine tension across 17 hours.
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Edge of the Dream: An Epic Fantasy Adventure
The Lost Edge • Book 2
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.26 ABR Score (353 ratings)★ 4.82 Audible (353)18h 9m listening time • Released 2025 -
When Wizards Follow Fools
Arcane Ascension • Book 5
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.26 ABR Score (4.5K ratings)★ 4.33 Goodreads (3.4K) ★ 4.7 Audible (1.0K)19h 25m listening time • Released 2025Nick Podehl's narration captures the paranoia and political chess of Corin navigating a fractured nation where every ally might be an enemy. This is Rowe's most intricate book, and the audio makes the tension absolutely suffocating.
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Forging Divinity
The War of Broken Mirrors • Book 1
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.04 ABR Score (13.2K ratings)★ 3.92 Goodreads (7.1K) ★ 4.47 Audible (6.1K)12h 10m listening time • Released 2016Nick Podehl's narration transforms a intricate magic system and geopolitical conspiracy into something genuinely gripping—his character work makes you forget you're listening to a debut.
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Edge of the Woods: An Epic Fantasy Adventure
The Lost Edge • Book 1
by Andrew Rowe
Narrated by Nick Podehl
★ 4.00 ABR Score (1.0K ratings)★ 4.44 Audible (1.0K)20h 10m listening time • Released 2023 -
Crystal Awakening
Shattered Legacy • Book 1
by Andrew Rowe, Kayleigh Nicol
Narrated by Travis Baldree, Emily Lawrence
★ 3.77 ABR Score (2.7K ratings)★ 3.91 Goodreads (1.2K) ★ 4.23 Audible (1.6K)18h 5m listening time • Released 2022Baldree and Lawrence's dual narration transforms this dungeon-crawl into something genuinely gripping—their chemistry selling both the banter and the stakes as this ragtag team climbs toward chaos.
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When Swords Fall Silent: An Assassination Anthology
by Bryce O'Connor, Michael J. Sullivan, Jonathan French, M.L. Wang, Peter A. Flannery, Luke Chmilenko, R.J. Barker, Marie Brennan, Andrew Rowe, Philip C. Quaintrell, Jay Boyce, David Dalglish, J.A. Andrews, Terry Mancour
Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds, Travis Baldree, John Lee, Kate Reading, Steven Brand, Emily Lawrence, Mikael Naramore, Nikki Massoud, full cast
★ 3.68 ABR Score (347 ratings)★ 3.73 Goodreads (218) ★ 4 Audible (129)15h 6m listening time • Released 2023
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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.