J.M. Clarke Audiobooks

Few progression fantasies have travelled as far from their humble beginnings as Mark of the Fool. Its author, J.M. Clarke, began posting the story chapter by chapter on the serial fiction platform Royal Road during the pandemic, where it drew a devoted following and millions of reads long before it ever reached print.

Clarke writes in the weak-to-strong tradition that defines progression fantasy, a subgenre built on visible, incremental growth in power and mastery. His hallmark is a carefully engineered magic system paired with warm, character-driven storytelling and a streak of dry humour. The world owes a clear debt to tabletop role-playing games, with its academies, spellcraft and questing parties, yet the emotional core stays firmly with its young protagonist and the makeshift family he gathers around him.

The result has crossed comfortably from web serial to a completed ten-book saga, winning readers among fans of magic-school adventures and LitRPG alike, and standing as one of the more striking self-publishing success stories of recent years.

Our shelves hold two instalments of the Mark of the Fool saga, and both carry strong ratings from the listeners who have found them. Mark of the Fool 10, the grand finale of the series, leads on score at 4.7, while Mark of the Fool 3 follows closely behind at 4.6.

As with any progression fantasy, the pleasure lies in following the climb from the very first page, so newcomers are best served by starting at the opening of the series and reading in sequence; the third volume we hold makes a natural early staging post, with the tenth waiting as the pay-off. Both audiobooks are voiced by Travis Baldree, the hugely popular narrator and cosy-fantasy novelist whose relaxed, characterful delivery has become a signature of the genre.

Settle in with Alex, the reluctant bearer of the Fool’s mark, and his unlikely companions, then explore J.M. Clarke’s titles below.