Best Leigh Bardugo Books

The best books by Leigh Bardugo — 6 titles spanning Fantasy, averaging 4.34 BLT stars.

Read more

Leigh Bardugo built her reputation on morally complicated heist crews and the kind of dark, glittering prose that makes grimdark feel glamorous. Six of Crows and its sequel Crooked Kingdom are her masterwork — a tightly plotted caper set in a Venice-meets-Amsterdam underworld, populated by thieves and con artists you'll root for despite yourself. Her Grishaverse, introduced in Shadow and Bone, established a Russia-inspired fantasy world rich enough to sustain years of expansion. With Ninth House she pivoted to Yale's secret societies and adult horror-adjacent territory, proving her range extends well beyond YA. Bardugo writes with sharp wit, precise pacing, and an instinct for ensemble dynamics — her casts bounce off each other with the crackle of a great heist film. Readers who love character-driven fantasy with bite and atmosphere will find her essential.

Leigh Bardugo's highest-rated book in our collection is Crooked Kingdom (4.68 BLT stars). Browse the full list below.

Where to Start with Leigh Bardugo

  1. 1
    Crooked Kingdom cover

    Crooked Kingdom

    Six of Crows • Book 2

    by Leigh Bardugo

    ★ 4.68 BLT Score (779.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.57 Goodreads (779.9K)
    Get the Book → Start Listening →
  2. 2
    Six of Crows cover

    Six of Crows

    Six of Crows • Book 1

    by Leigh Bardugo

    ★ 4.50 BLT Score (1.2M ratings)
    ★ 4.46 Goodreads (1.2M)
    Get the Book → Start Listening →
  3. 3
    Hell Bent cover

    Hell Bent

    Alex Stern • Book 2

    by Leigh Bardugo

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (183.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.1 Goodreads (183.8K)
    Get the Book → Start Listening →
  4. 4
    Ruin and Rising cover

    Ruin and Rising

    Shadow and Bone • Book 3

    by Leigh Bardugo

    ★ 4.28 BLT Score (595.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (595.9K)
    Get the Book → Start Listening →
  5. 5
    Ninth House cover

    Ninth House

    Alex Stern • Book 1

    by Leigh Bardugo

    ★ 4.15 BLT Score (407.3K ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (407.3K)
    Get the Book → Start Listening →
  6. 6
    Shadow and Bone cover

    Shadow and Bone

    Shadow and Bone • Book 1

    by Leigh Bardugo

    ★ 4.12 BLT Score (1.1M ratings)
    ★ 3.91 Goodreads (1.1M)
    Get the Book → Start Listening →

Browse Related Lists

Best Leigh Bardugo Audiobooks Leigh Bardugo — Author Profile James Patterson Jonathan Maberry Nora Achrati J.D. Robb Anne Perry Agatha Christie Ed McBain Stephen King Terry Pratchett Nora Roberts Michael Connelly Daniel Schinhofen Kevin J. Anderson Clive Cussler Brandon Sanderson Unknown Author Lee Child Craig Alanson Lois McMaster Bujold Terence Aselford Best Fantasy Best Sci-Fi Best Thriller Best Mystery Best Horror Best Literature & Fiction

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 →