BJ’s Top 5 PNR/UF Series (in alphabetical order)
The titles below are the debut books in the noted PNR/UF Series and I rated all of these either As or 5s for both the story and narration.
My love for audiobooks was spurred primarily by my experience with paranormal and urban fantasy (PNR/UF) romance titles. Therefore, I thought it fitting to share my top favorite PNR/UF series for our special AudioGals JIAM feature, in the hope of sparking the interest of audiobook newbies plus providing additional materials for those that already love them. PNR/UF is particularly suited for igniting your love for romance audiobooks because of the sequential nature of these titles. Once you find a series you love, you will find yourself addicted to listening until you finish the entire series.
As part of the Audio Publisher’s Association June in Audiobook Month celebration, there will be 4 winners of a pair of earbuds and 3 free audiobook downloads from Audiobooks.com! There’s an easy entry form at the bottom of this post!
1. Dead Until Dark ( Sookie Stackhouse Series) by Charlaine Harris
Narrated by Johanna Parker
One of the first audiobooks I ever listened to – I credit this series with turning me on to this fantastic medium. Both the vampire based story line and the narration are top notch. I gave this audiobook an A for both the story and narration (see the AudioGals review).
2. Halfway to the Grave ( Night Huntress Series) by Jeaniene Frost
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
Another early series that helped hook me to audiobooks. I love the feisty tough vampire hunter heroine and the snarky repartee she has with the hero. This series has also sparked a number of spin-offs that are also terrific (for example, the Night Huntress World and Night Prince Series). This audiobook received A for both the story and narration from one of our former Audiogals reviewers (see the AudioGals review).
3. Moon Called ( Mercy Thompson Series) by Patricia Briggs
Narrated by Lorelei King
This series has a fabulous mix of all kinds of paranormal elements. I especially love the Native American shape shifter themes. The spin-off Alpha Omega series is also fantastic. I gave this review 5 Stars for both the story and narration at BJ’s Reviews (see the review).
4. Seven Years ( Seven Series) by Dannika Dark
Narrated by Nicole Poole
One of the first werewolf shifter series I ever listened to. I credit this series for opening up a whole new Urban Fantasy world for me as I had previously stuck to vampire-based ones. I gave this audiobook an A for both the story and narration at AudioGals (see the AudioGals review).
5. Spider’s Bite ( Elemental Assassins) by Jennifer Estep
Narrated by Lauren Fontang
This series is one I just recently started. I waited much too long to discover this one. The feisty heroine who is an elemental assassin is exactly my favorite kind of heroine. I gave this audiobook 5 stars for both the story and narration at BJ’s Reviews (see the review).
BJ
JUNE IS AUDIOBOOK MONTH – GIVEAWAY! All month long, bloggers will be sharing their favorites around the world in a Blog Tour organized by the Audio Publisher’s Association. Look for AudioGals’ favorites on Fridays in June and let us know your favorites in the comments – series, narrators, authors – plus visit the other blogs for more chances to win!
The Fine Print:
Enter for a chance to win. No purchase is necessary. The giveaway is open from 12 am CDT Friday 2 June 2017 through 12:00 am CDT Monday 26 June 2017 (which is midnight Sunday). This form will be posted on every JIAM post this month.
Four winners will be chosen. The prize is a pair of earbuds and 3 free audiobook downloads at Audiobooks.com (approximate value: up to US$45.00), which expire 15 July 2017. The codes have been provided by the Audio Publisher’s Association and Audiobooks.com. Entrants are restricted to US addresses only, please.
One entry per person, please. Winners will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter software. Winners will be notified by email used for entry by 11:59 pm Monday 26 June 2017, and will have 24 hours to respond. If no response is received, another winner will be chosen.
I agree wholeheartedly with BJ’s top 3 in this genre. And I’m definitely going to listen to the Dannika Dark and Jennifer Estep series. I would add anything by Ilona Andrews, especially with Renee Raudman’s narration, and I really like Christine Warren’s “Others” series. Read in the suggested reading order from the author, not the published reading order.
Audios helped me gain a love of paranormal/UF too! Love Cat and Bones and plan to re-listen to the entire series some day!
Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series is definitely at the top of my UF list. It’s the most exciting and holds up so well on re-listens. I need to continue with the Mercy Thompson series one of these days, too. I’ve only listened to the first one. I also agree with the Jeaniene Frost books.
Great reviews. Many thanks!
Thank you for the recommendations. The Kate Daniels Series is definitely on my list of series to listen to, and I will have to check out Warren’s Other Series as I’m not familiar with that one. But that does remind of another series I have heard great things about and plan to listen which is Anne Bishop’s The Others Series (the first title is Written in Red).
Another series I have a few books of that I have heard great things about is Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson Series which features the talented narration of Lorelei King (who also narrates the Mercy Thompson Series).
It’s impossible to cover them all as there is so much great material in this romance subgenre.
Also glad to hear that UF/PNR books have sparked the interest of other audiobook lovers.
I totally agree with your picks! Great list.
Thank you Jennifer: ) So many great ones in this sub-genre, it was hard to limit it to 5!
Great Picks! I have to finish the last book in the Sookie series. I love the Mercy series. I just listened to my first book by Dannika (Keystone) which I liked and I have Spider’s Bite in my Audible library. to listen to.
Thanks for sharing your love of audio!
Glad to hear you are enjoying many of these series too Martha. I can’t wait to dig into Keystone and continue with the Elemental Assassins Series.
I’m not a fan of paranormal and urban fantasy, but have never listened to any audiobooks of them. Maybe I’ll give it a try.
Hi Vicky, if you like romantic suspense, then its worth a shot. Many of these are heavy suspense oriented with action scenes and a little bit of magic mixed in.
I really enjoyed Spider’s Bite. And I loved Moon Called when I read it several years ago. I think it’s time I enjoyed it all over again as an audiobook.
One day I too look forward to going back through some of these great series! Sometimes if I’m in a listening funk, I will go back to a trusted favorite–though I must admit that given that there are so many great audiobooks that I have yet to explore that most times I avoid going back to books I’ve already listened to–as my preference is to be surprised by the plot.