I just know it, you are ready for an A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobook! But if you want to dive into Sarah J. Maas’ wonderful Fantasy world, you have to make a decision first: Which audiobook version to listen to?
I love audiobooks and I love the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. So, let me give you a few pointers on which audiobook I think you should pick up (and where to get it)…
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Publisher’s Summary
The sexy, action-packed first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series from Sarah J. Maas.
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.
From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.
About the Series
Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times bestselling author of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Her other works include the Throne of Glass series and the Crescent City series.
All three series are Fantasy Romance and are generally considered to be part of the Young Adult Fantasy genre. Considering how explicit ACOTAR is, I can’t say I agree. It’s probably better to think of this as New Adult which is a higher age bracket and more appropriate for all the sexy things Feyre is up to.
A Court of Thorns and Roses was first published in 2015.
Feyre’s story is covered in a trilogy, including the second book A Court of Mist and Fury, and the third book A Court of Wings and Ruin. The series was continued in 2021 with a fourth book, A Court of Silver Flames. The main character here is Feyre’s sister Nesta.
The events between the original trilogy and Nesta’s book are covered in a novella, A Court of Frost and Starlight, which is also available on audio. A fifth full-length novel seems to be planned as it has a GoodReads page but this book is still untitled and doesn’t have any planned release date.
On the author’s website, ACOTAR is described as an “ongoing series”.
But let’s talk about the A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobook versions now!
A Court of Thorns and Roses full cast vs single narrator
There are several ways audiobooks are produced. The most important ones to know when we want to talk about the A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobook are full cast and single narrator.
Related article: How to listen to Audiobooks
Both have their pros and cons, so it really depends on the preferences of each listener which one is “better”.
Full-cast audiobooks offer a very immersive experience. Imagine this as having your TV running while you’re busy with something else, folding laundry for example. You listen and you recognize all the different characters. There are also sound effects and it’s often easy to get what is happening on the screen, even without looking.
In a full cast audiobook you get all this, but better. Since it was meant to only be listened to! You won’t miss a single lingering glance.
The Graphic Audio A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobook has multiple voice actors, sound effects, and music, making it feel like a true audio play. GraphicAudio is a company that specializes in full-cast audiobooks. If you’re looking for an engaging and exciting listening experience, their catalog will have you covered.
Many people who are new to audiobooks find it easier to follow these productions since all the main characters have truly different voices.
However, some listeners find sound effects annoying and distracting or generally don’t like the more lively narration styles in audio plays.
The first A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobook production was done with a single narrator, Jennifer Ikeda. The advantage of having a single narrator is that the story can stand more on its own. More is left to your imagination as a reader and you could say that the experience is closer to reading the book with your eyes.
However, single narrator audiobooks can sometimes be a bit more difficult to follow, especially during dialog scenes.
Personally, I enjoyed Jennifer Ikeda’s narration very much and had a fantastic time with it. She’s an outstanding voice actor and made it very easy to distinguish between characters and follow the storyline.
But I also love GraphicAudio productions and find them wonderful, especially when you’re up for a re-listen of a book you already know. The full cast adds a new dimension to the familiar story.
So, I can’t really tell you which A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobook is better. Both are really fantastic and good fun! Listen to a sample of each production and see which one resonates more with you.
You should also be aware that the Jennifer Ikeda audiobooks are unabridged, which means that she reads the text to you exactly as the author has published it in print and ebooks. You experience the story word for word like every other reader of these books.
GraphicAudio adapts the books which, in this case, means they make small adjustments to the script so the text flows better in the format in which they give it back (e.g. they might leave out a “he said” since it’s obvious who is talking).
While many audio plays are heavily abridged and big parts of the text might be left out, Graphic Audio makes only small adjustments so you can still confidently say that you have “read the book” because your experience of the text itself doesn’t differ in any meaningful way from that of someone who has read the print book.
Where to listen to an A Court of Thorns and Roses Audiobook
I have three recommendations for you for audiobook services that offer ACOTAR. And they are all very, very different!
If you are an avid Audible user and have all your audiobooks in one Audible account, I understand that you want to stay there and that’s just fine. Also, if you already own the Kindle ebooks, you can simply add the Jennifer Ikeda narration** for a steal through Amazon Whispersync!
The GraphicAudio version, however, is split into two audiobooks per volume, so that gets costly if you buy it all for Audible credits.
However, if aren’t so keen on Audible, then there are two much better places for you to get an A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobook.
If you aren’t particularly bothered with owning your audiobooks, you can borrow them all – the entire series in both the dramatized adaption** and single narrator version** – on Scribd. Scribd works kinda like Netflix and you can just binge listen to the series, either for free during a trial month**, or for a flat monthly fee of $11.99 USD (plus taxes) afterward.
Scribd is the perfect place to listen to the GraphicAudio A Court of Thorns and Roses audiobook because you don’t have to buy each book individually. You can just binge the series!
Related article: Scribd vs Audible
If you do like owning your audiobooks, I strongly recommend getting them on Libro.fm. An audiobook credit here costs as much as on Audible, but you support indie bookstores with your money and you can download your audiobooks as MP3! This is a very big deal because it means you properly, truly own your audiobooks forever and ever and you can play them in any app and on any device you like!
Related article: The Best Audiobook Subscription Services
They also offer the Graphic Audio full cast version** and the single narrator audiobook**. But please keep in mind that the Graphic Audio adaption is split, so you will have to buy twice as many audiobooks as there are books in the series!
Whichever version and platform you choose, if you’re looking for a new audiobook to listen to, I highly recommend A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass. It’s sure to keep you entertained from start to finish!
Audiobooks are such a great way to multitask. You can get work done, clean your house, or do just about anything while listening. Audiobooks make everything more fun. Especially with a great story like A Court of Thorns and Roses. It’s the perfect book for this because it’s filled with action, adventure, and suspense (and sexy times).
If you’re looking for a new audiobook to listen to, I highly recommend this one, either as a fun, engaging full cast audio play or through the intimate experience of listening to a talented single narrator!
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