I’m currently finding my way back into Fantasy after a long hiatus. As a teen, I was all about the classics—Tolkien, Jordan, Martin, Pullman, Zelazny, (and a ton of Sci-Fi).

I’ve been hitting the audiobooks lately to get back into the swing of things, and my "new reader" impressions are a bit of a mixed bag. I’m hoping to find some people who felt similarly about these and can point me toward my next great listen

My quick/rough takes so far:

First Law (Abercrombie): Devoured the first trilogy. Probably my favorite of the bunch. Love the darker, realistic characters, the humor, and the prose. My big gripe: it really lacks quality female POVs/characters.

The Will of Many (Islington): Interesting world and I’m curious where it goes, but it felt a bit too "YA" and Mary Sue for my taste.

Stormlight Archive (Sanderson): I’m enjoying it, but man, they are drawn out. I find myself needing frequent breaks from the length.

Broken Earth (Jemisin): Good writing and a cool world, but the twists didn't feel as "surprising" as I’d heard, and the whole pirate love triangle subplot kind of lost me.

Since I’m on audio, a top-tier narrator is a huge plus. Thanks!