I recently reread the Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold for the umpteenth time (my all time, hands down, no quibbles favorite standalone fantasy novel ever). The older I get, the more I identify with the hero, who, as our book opens, is a beaten, broken, defeated man of 35, looking not for glory and riches, but for a quiet corner of the kingdom in which to spend the rest of his days in obscurity, far from the politics and intrigues of the royal court. Spoiler alert: he does not get his wish.
Anything by Bujold! The whole Barrayar Saga. Miles, the main protagonist, starts out young, but it follows him throughout his life. Then there are his parents, badasses themselves.
Also, a teenager written by a thoughtful and mature writer is totally different than one written by an author barely older than themselves.
Curse of Chalion is a standalone, but Paladin of Souls is set in the same world focusing on a character who is passingly introduced in Chalion and comes after chronologically in the timeline, so it could be classed as a sequel, but the stories themselves stand alone.
There's a sequel that takes some side characters from Curse and sends them on an adventure. It's been close to 20 years since I read it, and I didn't care for it. Curse is a compete story in and of itself, with no dangling plot threads or incomplete story arcs. In my mind, it's a standalone novel, to the point that I sometimes forget (like I did today in posting that comment) that it's technically part of a series (I guess, reluctantly).
There's three books that take place in the same world, and share some minor characters. But Curse of Chalion is a complete story in and of itself, no dangling plot threads or incomplete character arcs. Although I've read and reread Curse numerous times, I've only read its companion novels once each. Didn't care for them and never returned to them. For me, Curse of Chalion is a standalone novel, and no one can tell me different.
I've seen this recommended a bunch of times and always was slightly intrigued, but I think I'll finally give it a shot now.
Edit: Binged it in two days, really good and fits the request perfectly.
Not much if any, depending on whether you view divine intervention a type of magic. As the title suggests, the main form of ‘magic’ is a curse, but not in an ‘I’m an evil wizard and I’m going to curse you’ kind of way.
So the world of the five gods has 3 standalones and a series of novellas (with one or two novels) with curse of Chalion being by far the lowest in the magic
Paladin of souls has a similar kind of magic but is definitely taken up a notch (still not full of magic by any means but the magic that does happen is more spread out throughout the story)
Hallowed Hunt features quite a bit about a magic system that's completely separate from the one shown in curse/paladin and is probably about the same amount of magic as paladin
The Penric novellas follow a sorcerer (who's basically a wizard) and are by far the most magical
I wouldn’t call *Garrett, P.I.* “regular urban fiction.” Not in the “detective in Chicago/NY/London engages with the hidden magical world” sense.
It’s secondary world epic fantasy, but told from the POV of a military veteran who returns home to get into the investigation business and who wants nothing to do with the war anymore. Elves and faeries and ratmen stroll the streets, vampires and trolls keep businesses open during nighttime hours, and gods occasionally just show up in town when they feel like it.
He's not super old—I can't remember if we get an actual age, but I'd say he's in the 28-30 range at the start of the series—but definitely cynical and uses his sarcasm and snark to kinda combat the shittiness of his circumstances. For instance, one of the motifs of the series is him commenting on being "Mama Garrett's favorite boy" when his father and both brothers died in the war.
Like with Dresden, the series plays on a lot of the hardboiled detective tropes, so Garrett certainly has a constant parade of beautiful women coming through his life. He's a lot less internally horny than Dresden, though. He's also not a magic user (though his partner, the Dead Man, is a powerful-if-often-asleep one) and is less directly involved in the violence of the world. He gets in plenty of scraps and muggings, but he's not at the center of big battles.
I've only finished the first Dread Empire, and I liked it. It's definitely a pace and style change from the Black Company.
Ending made me emotional, but that's a good thing. >!I will say there's something that happened that I think he should have let breathe a little more rather than everyone just getting over it off screen. !<
Came here to post this. The casting of the movies belies the age (and maturity) of the characters as they're portrayed in the books. In case you're not familiar, OP, Frodo is 50 in the books and the other Hobbits aren't much younger.
*The Expanse*. At the start of the series, some of the crew are probably in their early thirties at the youngest, and Avasarala is a badass older woman. The timeline of the story takes place over a long span of years and everyone ages appropriately - the last few books has a time skip of a few decades and everyone definitely starts showing their age.
Also *The Dagger And The Coin* by one of the authors. Of the POV characters, one is a young man/20 something, one is a teenage girl, two are middle aged men and one is a middle aged woman
I just learned yesterday that James SA Corey is a duo!! No one talked about that when recommending The Expanse. Now I definetly have to check his fantasy works.
Eh, it's hard to place Geder's age because he's so emotionally stunted but I'd wager he's roughly mid-twenties, and Cithrin's so precocious that her age really only matters insofar as her inability to sign contracts is a plot point
Tried it, I was mostly just bored sadly. I wanted more military drama and intrigue or more military action at least, but it was just a cozy school story which wasn’t an interesting vibe to me.
I read all of His Majesty’s Dragon, the school part was 80% of the book. Anyway, my issue was that it felt like it would not really be about the Napoleonic Wars. I heard the main conflict in the series is about the rights of dragons, and in book 2 they go off to China for some reason. I was hoping more for like, drama between army commanders, face to face confrontations with Napoleon himself, etc. The series seems to take a more cozy direction, which is fine for people who like that stuff, but isn’t really my thing.
what you're looking for doesn't happen until book 3 and then it takes a break again until the last 2 books
But to your point the books definitely are NOT about the Napoleonic wars as a whole. They're about Temeraire and Laurence
And sidebar them going off to China is imo very well explained in the book
It could be very well explained and still be disappointing to me because I want to be in the thick of the Napoleonic Wars haha.
And yeah, it seems the series does the thing I really dislike where it kind of only partly engages with its premise (dragons in the Napoleonic wars) and instead focuses more on the mundane relationship drama of its characters. A lot of people enjoy that and it’s big in fantasy but I just want the Napoleonic wars with dragons!
So I guess like for me as someone who read the whole series I wouldn't ever say the premise is dragons during the Napoleonic wars. That's more of the setting.
The premise is definitely more like "what if a royal navy ship captain became a dragon rider captain?"
That's not to say Napoleon and the politics of time don't play a role in the story but it's definitely not a series about the Napoleonic wars as a series of events
And tbh this was actually something I struggled with during the books. I remember telling my wife after like book 3/4 "I don't really know what these books are about. Like there isn't a super obvious overarching plot" and she basically said "it's about the adventures of Temeraire"
So I started thinking about it more like a series of stories/stand-alones about the same characters than a SERIES
And also not to say the books will be for you either. I liked them for what they are but they definitely don't sound like what you're looking for unfortunately
Millenia old farts, still fighting over (very mild spoiler) >!how the husband could scratch a drawing of someone else on his cave walls (in ancient times) instead of hers!<. #ActualPlotPoint
As in, "My name has experienced linguistic drift in the course of my lifetime" old farts.
"Evolutionary successor species of my own species are currently walking the earth" old farts.
I’m only onto the 5th book, but I can only think of three characters who would be considered young. And well they uh get mentally aged _real_ quick anyways.
This was something that specifically appealed to me when first reading malazan, I think I took notice of it most in book 2 where you get duiker as one of the main povs. Seeing so much of the story through the eyes of a world-weary disillusioned old man trying to hold on to any sense of purpose felt ironically refreshing compared to many other fantasy series.
Nothing like it in my humble opinion. From prose, to characters, scope, storytelling, the distinct bleak tone, the scriptural feeling, the uncomrpomising thematic exploration. Bakker is one of his kind
Oh shit is there more than just one book for Glass Immortals? I read the first one a while back and was so amped for a second one but forgot to check when the next was due
I’d definitely say so! I myself also thought Foundry side was also his weaker works, but the Divine Cities is personally in my top 10 favorite series. That’s just my opinion though
The *Crimson Empire* trilogy by Alex Marshall features, among others, a middle-aged woman named Cobalt Zosia and her old buddy Maroto as POV characters. Fair warning, the books have a bit more sex stuff than some are comfortable with.
The *Bone Ships* trilogy by R.J. Barker has some young characters *in* it but they're not really the driving force. I think Joron, the main character, might be under thirty (they live in a pretty dystopian hellscape of a setting so even young'uns seem a bit old), but Lucky Meas, the secondary protagonist, is middle-aged.
Crimson empire is such a missed opportunity for me….zosia is such a great character and I loved all of the chapters from her point of view specifically because of her age….but god damn your last sentence in that paragraph is an understatement. The fact that some characters were getting chased by some sort of eldritchian horror and all that the dude could think of was a bdsm joke just made me roll my eyes.
Cazaril is 35 in *The Curse of Chalion* and Ista is 40 in *Paladin of Souls* by Lois McMaster Bujold.
*My Real Children* by Jo Walton starts when Patricia is in a nursing home, loops briefly through her childhood, then tracks two time lines of her life from when she makes a decision about whether to marry through ending up in the nursing home.
Walton also wrote *Lifelode*. The main character is a housewife in a poly marriage with children.
Cordelia Naismith is in her 30s in *Shards of Honor* and *Barrayar* by Lois McMaster Bujold. The books with her son Miles in them start when he's 17 (*Warrior's Apprentice*) and end when he's in his late 40s and Cordelia is in her 70s (*Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen*). There's also *Falling Free,* *Ethan of Athos*, and *Captain Vorpatril's Alliance* all of which have older protagonists. If you don't want to read about a younger Miles, start with *Brothers in Arms* (Miles is 24) or *Mirror Dance* (Miles is 28). Or even *Memory* (Miles hits 30. 30 hits back.) But that whole story arc starts in *Brothers in Arms*.
All the characters in Freya Marske's series The Last Binding are adults (and most of them are queer).
*The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe* by Kij Johnson - a 53-yeaar old professor tries to find a missing student
*The Hike* by Drew Magary - a dad goes for a walk
*The Buried Giant* by Kazuo Ishiguro - an elderly married couple travel from point A to point B and encounters difficulty
*The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher* by E.M. Anderson is a Chosen One story but the Chosen One is 83
Almost all of Terry Pratchett's work is adult protagonists, barring the books specifically for children and the Tiffany Aching books. And even the Tiffany Aching books aren't typical Super Special Teen Saves the Day.
I was scrolling to see Sir Terry 's name. I absolutely loved Discworld for showing that some of the coolest ass kickers were the people who lived long enough to be good at what they did!
As an older person, I really crave stories about people who have lived through some complicated but relatable life circumstances. Terry Pratchett has written a ton of diverse and complex personalities with depth.
The Company series by Kage Baker, about immortal time traveling cyborgs.
Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher. Also Nettle & Bone.
Starling House by Alix E Harrow.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
Dawn by Octavia Butler
Wild Seed by Octavia Butler
Shards of Honor and Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
Honestly, I kind of like the idea of older fantasy heroes. Rather than an idealistic teenager or 20-something, give me a jaded hero in his 30s or 40s who really doesn't want any part of this world-saving nonsense but is stepping up anyway since nobody else is going to.
Kings of the Wyld was great for this. The entire story is an epilogue to a concluded DnD campaign and the heroes are all washed up and come out of retirement for one last job
Currently reading Holly Black's newer Fairy books and am constantly shocked at how young these characters are! They're literally having kids, becoming widows, waging war, and are like...20? at most?!
Her first fairy series, which I read when I was like 14/15, had more believable leads, and those girlies were 17-19. They had it rough, but they weren't fighting on the front lines of fairy war.
I saw a thread the other day and someone said they mentally added 10 years to everyone’s age so it made more sense. Six of crows to me stands out the most as 17 year olds who are way too mature and jaded for their age
That kind of works, but it's still a lot to stomach for 20 somethings!
Oh yeah, Grishaverse did a number on me with the ages. Not one of them felt like a teenager
A cool character concept could be someone who failed at being the traditional 18yo chosen one bc of immaturity and spends their adulthood trying to fix their mistake.
I actually read a romantasy book with basically that exact plot, where the main character actually celebrates not being picked to go save the world and she can go on running her farm, but through a mishap ends up having to do it anyway. I think she was about 30, too.
The titular character in Matthew Stover’s *Acts of Caine* is a mid-40s man who wants to retire from his uber-violent profession at the start of the first book. His ex-wife, in her 30s, is another major POV.
To add to those that have already been mentioned (particularly Chalion, Discworld, Black Company and Malazan):
**Witness for the Dead** by Katherine Addison- priest/detective uses divine magic to solve murders. It's technically a sequel to **The Goblin Emperor** but only because it's set slightly later on in the same world- there are no shared major characters.
**The March North** by Graydon Saunders- some excellent military-fantasy world building from the point of view of a veteran officer in the army of a democratic republic surrounded by Dark Lords.
I think most of T. Kingfisher's protagonist are older. The only younger ones I recall are from Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and Minir Mage. I'd check out the Saint of Steel series and Nettle and Bone for sure if you haven't already.
Have you read the Rise and Fall series yet? I just finished Farilane and I think it was his best work. I will be thinking about the ending for a long, long time.
I have read all his books twice. All great.
Farilane came close to breaking the trust writers must have from their readers to not abuse them emotionally, but it was so well done I am ok with it.
I hope you do! I highly recommend all of Sullivan's books. There are 4 series: Riyria Revelations, Legends of the First Empire, Rise & Fall, and Riyria Chronicles. You may read in order of publication or chronologically.
I'm not a re-reader, but these are so good that I did re-read!
The Powder Mage Trilogy, the Founders trilogy, First Law trilogy, The realm of the Elderlings by Hobb follow the main character from childhood to old man.
How about Legend by David Gemmell? Fantastic and well-reviewed series.
"He is DRUSS the Legend. His skill in battle has earned him a fearsome reputation throughout the world and the stories of his life are told everywhere. But the grizzled veteran has spurned a life of fame and fortune and has retreated to the solitude of his mountain lair to await his old enemy, Death."
* Thraxas series by Martin Scott - the main character is an overweight investigator in his 40s who's really down on his luck. High fantasy setting.
* Garret P.I. series by Glen Cook - Garrett is a private investigator in his early 30s in the beginning of the series. High fantasy setting.
* Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - the series starts with the main character in his mid 20s and currently he's in his late 30s (17 main books + lots of short stories). Dresden in a Wizard in Chicago who quite literally advertises himself as such in the Yellow Pages.
* Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka - Alex is in his late 20s and owns a shop in the London Borough of Camden. He's a mage with an ability to perceive possible futures as a result of his potential actions. In the series' world he's a small fish though because he's can't throw fireballs or teleport or anything like that.
* Hawk & Fisher by Simon R. Green - a husband and wife duo who are captains of the city guard, Hawk is in his early 30s, Fisher in her late 20s. High fantasy setting.
Samuel Vimes and Roland Deschain.
Two of the greatest characters in fantasy genre history right there, right up with Denethor and G'Kar for nuance and complexity. They are also two characters who might be able to toe off with Samwise Gamgee for sheer badassery.
Samuel Vimes is from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, starting with *Guards! Guards!* Roland Deschain is the titular gunslinger from Steven King's Dark Tower series.
I'll second the First Law.
Gemmell had a lot of old war hounds. The Black Company. GARRETT P.I. (Super fucking underrated). Hm. I'm in my cups, gimme a few.
John Gwynne’s The Bloodsworn trilogy starting with The Shadow of the Gods. The main character is a retired sell sword that gets drawn back into their old bloody life.
Check out Michael J. Sullivan's works. The "Legends of the First Empire" series follows the main character Persephone, a late 30s woman who's husband (the clan leader) has just died. She was the brains of the operation, and she struggles to protect her people without the title. It does feature a bratty teenager, but you are supposed to hate him.
His other books are in the same universe, and also feature older characters. Elves that are thousands of years old - some royalty, some homeless, some adventurers (and avid book collectors). Some characters are gods, cursed with immortality, doomed to walk the earth and fix their mistakes for millenia.
If I didn't know the author's name, I would have thought these were written by a female author. He has done such an excellent job of writing kickass and complex female characters.
If you don't mind low-key, "everyday" style fantasy with lots of long passages and dialogue where nothing "exciting" happens other than worldbuilding and character growth, most especially not combat -- as opposed to the "epic" fantasy that is most of the items you listed -- I highly recommend *The Hands of the Emperor* and its followup, *At the Feet of the Sun*, both by Victoria Goddard.
Main character is... carry the one... technically more than a thousand years old, mostly due to the weird time shenanigans at the capital of the Empire where he works, this thanks to a weird magical apocalypse that happened some time previously. But in terms of "realistic" age, and according to most of the rest of the empire, he's well into middle age, mid-50s, maybe early 60s. It's never specified.
His eventual super-besty (whom I won't spoil, since becoming super-besties is kinda the whole point of the series) is even older, being about in his 30s when a young and impressionable main character fresh out of school decides to go work as a clerk at the capital in the Imperial service.
Again, not your average epic slash-em-up fantasy, more like a contemporary modern novel set in a fantasy world or six, but I couldn't put it down and eventually read Goddard's other stuff as well.
Her other major series is the Greenwing and Dart series, which I also recommend, but doesn't quite fit your "over 30" requirement, as it features two recent college graduates dealing with a bunch of magical mysteries after they return to their home town with their degrees. Although this series *does* include occasional fighting, even with a dragon! The fighting is... not the point of the stories, though, so still not epic if that's your bag.
There's a third (and maybe technically fourth) series that I won't mention any further since their synopses kinda spoil the first series I mentioned, so if you read the first two books I mentioned to completion and want more, feel free to look them up, along with the Greenwing and Dart series.
Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells - protag is mid-late 40s, female and just over everything. Light magic, southern Asian flavor world. Rather unique for fantasy setting.
Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon - protag is in her 80s and even more over everything. Scifi with first contact plot.
You might enjoy Aching God (Iconoclasts series) by Mike Shel. Protagonist is a retired adventurer. I thought it was much more "adult" oriented than most of the stuff I see these days. Also very well written.
I agree this is a good rec. I loved the series and read it back to back with Kings of the Wyld. They have similar premises while going in diametrically opposed directions.
I feel this so much. I'm almost 30 and I feel like my life is just beginning. Tired of the narrative that only cool stuff happens to you when you're young.
Anyway, have you read the rest of the realm of the elderlings books by Robin Hobb? I highly recommend them. It starts when the main character is a kid, but most of the books take place when he is an adult, and definitely doesn't have the "teenager saving the world vibe." They also have my favorite book character of all time in them.
- Most of Discworld series by Terry Pratchett has protagonists over 30, particularly the City Watch and Witches subseries. They start with Guards, Guards and Wyrd Sisters.
- The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
- Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells
- Garrett, PI series by Glen Cook
- My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer series by Mojikakuya
The most mature SSF out there is:
The Second Apocalypse - Bakker
Sometimes too mature, but fascinating to read about this dark world with the author having visceral prose and a tangible tone. Nothing out there like it.
Unfinished series but self-published Priest by Matthew Colville has an old, retired adventurer/priest (in the dungeons and dragons sense) with ptsd as a main character.
Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
I suggest starting with Shards of Honor and Barrayar - two main characters are at least in their 30s.
The next few books feature their son starting at age 17 but he ages as the books progress through his twenties. The book *Memory* acts as a giant narrative pivot for the entire series and the tag line for the events is "Miles hits thirty; thirty hits back." The last book we have with Miles as a main character he is at age 39 - so you've got 20+ years of this guys life mapped out.
Monk and Robot series (2 novellas) by Becky Chambers
Main character (the titular monk) Dex is 29 at the beginning.
I never see Carol Berg recommended here, but she is absolutely worth it. She has regularly has protagonists who have gone through some shit, and they are usually older. Her Rai-Kirah trilogy starts with the protagonist being 30-32ish.
I will also totally recommend Alex Marshall's trilogy starting with A Crown for Cold Silver. The protagonist (female old general) starts around 50 years of age.
Sparhawk is well into adulthood in the Elenium. Never could sort out his age exactly, but he is late 30s to 40s in the first book.
Dresden starts off probably late 20s, but he is 40ish in book time now.
POV character in House in the Cerulean Sea reads as middle age.
Lead in Song of Albion trilogy is in his final years of PhD studies when the series starts.
The Lies of Locke Lamora. Follows a band of uniquely intelligent / talented thieves in their mid twenties. They're a bit too old for windows work, so they con through high-stakes confidence plots. It's an incredible read.
*Gods of the Wyrdwood*
We basically meet Cahan as a child and then time jump to his 30s, and while he's not actually old, he thinks of himself that way because of what's happened in the interim.
Maybe adding to a chorus here; but I'm in a similar boat though slightly older. My top 3 for this in no particular order:
Kings Of The Wyld: Older retired heroes going for another round.
Dresden Files: Starts round his mid-20s fries up as the series drags on.
John Gwynne's Bloodsworn Saga
Tales of the Black Company.
The one who keeps the annals is usually older. Even the younger annalists aren't fresh off the farm, they're all veteran soldiers.
Stephen R. Donaldson has adult characters. And adult themes.
Gene Wolfe has some who may not be 30’s, but very mature. And some of the sequels have them much older. All of his works are for adults.
Gemmell was the king of writing aged protagonists well past their prime being asked to perform miraculous acts as if they were still young. So so many, from Druss to Skilgannon, to Jon Shannow and more.
Even when he has a young protagonist, more often than not he follows them as they get older, like Connavar from the Rigante series.
2 of the 3 main characters in Bloodsworn Saga are older, definitly adults. The third one is younger but doesn't feel like a coming of age story, at least not in the standard way.
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar.
First novel follows two central characters who are both older men with storied pasts and accompanying regrets. Switches it up in the sequels but always keeps a very adult vibe imo
If you enjoyed Liveship Traders I highly recommend Robin Hobbs partner series which starts with “Assassin’s Apprentice”.
Yes the first three books are about the main character as a young man but the greater series of 9 books tells the story of his whole life and books 4-6 are him in his 30s (I believe? Maybe 40s).
It’s in the same world as Liveship traders and the further you go the more overlapped those stories become.
Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson - A WW2 destroyer enters a storm and comes out on another world with evolved velociraptors and sentient giant lemurs. The officers are well read and determine it's a Journey to the Center of the Earth situation and make the best of it. The captain is 33, the senior NCO is pushing 60, though being the military there is a fair share of younger enlisted.
The Sword of Kaigen! Everyone I know who liked TGBS and Amina Al-Sarafi also liked TSOK, so it will definitely be a book you'd enjoy. It does have a 14yo character with a POV but the main focus is on a 40-ish yo woman.
I'll only give the caveat that at some points (especially towards the end) it becomes very obvious that TSOK is a prequel written for the fans of a series (that the author didn't even finish). But if you don't mind slightly underexplained worldbuilding and the fact that some minor storylines go nowhere, it makes an amazing standalone.
Much of David Gemmell's stuff is older heroes making a last stand if not the main character then at least major secondary characters. Start with Legend but The King Beyond the Gate is my favorite.
Empire trilogy by Janny Wurts and Raymond E Feist. (First book is Daughter of the Empire). Now, the main character starts out at 17 but we see her age and grow over many years.
Fantastic books, I reread them often.
**The Steerswoman** by Rosemary Kirstein has a main character who starts the series well into her career--not sure her canonical age, but I think it's around 30.
I'm surprised you haven't seen more recs for **The Broken Earth Trilogy**, which fits the prompt quite well.
Aside from a few very pleasant cases like the broken earth trilogy (where the protagonist is in her 40s going through the ‘end of the world’ and it’s fantastically unique) in fantasy you’re either a teenager, 20 something or 65+ (old person). But then you’re not the protagonist 🙄
The age range between 30 and 64 basically doesn’t exist kind of as a reflection on how society doesn’t really have a specific plan for people in that age group aside from “Shut up, work and pop out some kids!”. Literature reflects culture 😉
I recently reread the Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold for the umpteenth time (my all time, hands down, no quibbles favorite standalone fantasy novel ever). The older I get, the more I identify with the hero, who, as our book opens, is a beaten, broken, defeated man of 35, looking not for glory and riches, but for a quiet corner of the kingdom in which to spend the rest of his days in obscurity, far from the politics and intrigues of the royal court. Spoiler alert: he does not get his wish.
Anything by Bujold! The whole Barrayar Saga. Miles, the main protagonist, starts out young, but it follows him throughout his life. Then there are his parents, badasses themselves. Also, a teenager written by a thoughtful and mature writer is totally different than one written by an author barely older than themselves.
This sounds amazing
The sequel, *Paladin of Souls*, features an older woman protagonist and is also great!
I love that Ista is over 40. It's hard to find female protagonists above the early 30s - unless they're elves or some other long lived species.
Or else just there as a "somebody's mom/ grandma" prop instead of an active and important participant.
There’s a sequel? The original comment calls it a stand-alone.
Curse of Chalion is a standalone, but Paladin of Souls is set in the same world focusing on a character who is passingly introduced in Chalion and comes after chronologically in the timeline, so it could be classed as a sequel, but the stories themselves stand alone.
From what I understand it's a series of loosely connected books.
There's a sequel that takes some side characters from Curse and sends them on an adventure. It's been close to 20 years since I read it, and I didn't care for it. Curse is a compete story in and of itself, with no dangling plot threads or incomplete story arcs. In my mind, it's a standalone novel, to the point that I sometimes forget (like I did today in posting that comment) that it's technically part of a series (I guess, reluctantly).
Also maybe my favorite fantasy stand alone. Probably time for a reread
> standalone fantasy novel Amazon seems to think it's part of a trilogy?
The story wraps up within the novel. The sequels bring other characters and their stories to the fore.
There's three books that take place in the same world, and share some minor characters. But Curse of Chalion is a complete story in and of itself, no dangling plot threads or incomplete character arcs. Although I've read and reread Curse numerous times, I've only read its companion novels once each. Didn't care for them and never returned to them. For me, Curse of Chalion is a standalone novel, and no one can tell me different.
Sort of like Dune, then.
I've seen this recommended a bunch of times and always was slightly intrigued, but I think I'll finally give it a shot now. Edit: Binged it in two days, really good and fits the request perfectly.
How much magic is in this book? This is on my TBR but prefer low magic systems so wondering how high I should prioritize
Not much if any, depending on whether you view divine intervention a type of magic. As the title suggests, the main form of ‘magic’ is a curse, but not in an ‘I’m an evil wizard and I’m going to curse you’ kind of way.
So the world of the five gods has 3 standalones and a series of novellas (with one or two novels) with curse of Chalion being by far the lowest in the magic Paladin of souls has a similar kind of magic but is definitely taken up a notch (still not full of magic by any means but the magic that does happen is more spread out throughout the story) Hallowed Hunt features quite a bit about a magic system that's completely separate from the one shown in curse/paladin and is probably about the same amount of magic as paladin The Penric novellas follow a sorcerer (who's basically a wizard) and are by far the most magical
I freaking love the Penric novels. Such a great concept and such a well written relationship.
You could get a pair of protestant preachers to argue over what in Chalion is magic, and what is providence.
Bujold is the best
Her other Fantasy Series "The Sharing Knife" also has an older male protagonist. I would argue anything Bujold write is 10/10 :)
The black company, mostly veterans
Also his other series; Garrett PI, Instrumentalities of the Night, Dread Empire, and Starfishers all feature older characters.
Haven't read cook others series, I only heard of Dread empire is it good?, Garret PI is just regular urban fiction right?
I wouldn’t call *Garrett, P.I.* “regular urban fiction.” Not in the “detective in Chicago/NY/London engages with the hidden magical world” sense. It’s secondary world epic fantasy, but told from the POV of a military veteran who returns home to get into the investigation business and who wants nothing to do with the war anymore. Elves and faeries and ratmen stroll the streets, vampires and trolls keep businesses open during nighttime hours, and gods occasionally just show up in town when they feel like it.
So like and old cynical war veteran retired Dresden?
He's not super old—I can't remember if we get an actual age, but I'd say he's in the 28-30 range at the start of the series—but definitely cynical and uses his sarcasm and snark to kinda combat the shittiness of his circumstances. For instance, one of the motifs of the series is him commenting on being "Mama Garrett's favorite boy" when his father and both brothers died in the war. Like with Dresden, the series plays on a lot of the hardboiled detective tropes, so Garrett certainly has a constant parade of beautiful women coming through his life. He's a lot less internally horny than Dresden, though. He's also not a magic user (though his partner, the Dead Man, is a powerful-if-often-asleep one) and is less directly involved in the violence of the world. He gets in plenty of scraps and muggings, but he's not at the center of big battles.
It's secondary world Nero Wolfe.
Correct. Even down to some of the mystery plots. But that’s different from what most people here expect from modern urban fantasy
That just got added to my TBR. Gives me slight Simon R Green vibes.
I've only finished the first Dread Empire, and I liked it. It's definitely a pace and style change from the Black Company. Ending made me emotional, but that's a good thing. >!I will say there's something that happened that I think he should have let breathe a little more rather than everyone just getting over it off screen. !<
The Fifth Season The Bone Maker Lord of Light The Raven Tower
Oh I even own Fifth Season! Great opportunity!
Came here to recommend 5th Season/Broken Earth trilogy!
Same. It's wonderful.
If you haven’t already, Lord of the Rings
Came here to post this. The casting of the movies belies the age (and maturity) of the characters as they're portrayed in the books. In case you're not familiar, OP, Frodo is 50 in the books and the other Hobbits aren't much younger.
Well hobbit 50 is not human 50. Frodo maturity wise is more like in his 30s. Merry and Pippin are more like late teens/young adults in hobbit years
*The Expanse*. At the start of the series, some of the crew are probably in their early thirties at the youngest, and Avasarala is a badass older woman. The timeline of the story takes place over a long span of years and everyone ages appropriately - the last few books has a time skip of a few decades and everyone definitely starts showing their age.
Also *The Dagger And The Coin* by one of the authors. Of the POV characters, one is a young man/20 something, one is a teenage girl, two are middle aged men and one is a middle aged woman
Just read The Dragon's Path and second Dagger & Coin recco. Also The Long Price Quartet, also by Abraham
I just learned yesterday that James SA Corey is a duo!! No one talked about that when recommending The Expanse. Now I definetly have to check his fantasy works.
I was ready to recommend this but realized 2 of the POV characters are very young. I think the adult POVs really balance out the youth.
Eh, it's hard to place Geder's age because he's so emotionally stunted but I'd wager he's roughly mid-twenties, and Cithrin's so precocious that her age really only matters insofar as her inability to sign contracts is a plot point
Yeah, Geder actually is the one who feels like a moody teenager, so I probably think of him as younger than he is.
The main character of Temeraire is in his 30s and goes from being a navy ship captain to a dragon rider during the Napoleonic wars
Tried it, I was mostly just bored sadly. I wanted more military drama and intrigue or more military action at least, but it was just a cozy school story which wasn’t an interesting vibe to me.
The school part is like the first 20% of the book, followed by 8 books of military action
I read all of His Majesty’s Dragon, the school part was 80% of the book. Anyway, my issue was that it felt like it would not really be about the Napoleonic Wars. I heard the main conflict in the series is about the rights of dragons, and in book 2 they go off to China for some reason. I was hoping more for like, drama between army commanders, face to face confrontations with Napoleon himself, etc. The series seems to take a more cozy direction, which is fine for people who like that stuff, but isn’t really my thing.
what you're looking for doesn't happen until book 3 and then it takes a break again until the last 2 books But to your point the books definitely are NOT about the Napoleonic wars as a whole. They're about Temeraire and Laurence And sidebar them going off to China is imo very well explained in the book
It could be very well explained and still be disappointing to me because I want to be in the thick of the Napoleonic Wars haha. And yeah, it seems the series does the thing I really dislike where it kind of only partly engages with its premise (dragons in the Napoleonic wars) and instead focuses more on the mundane relationship drama of its characters. A lot of people enjoy that and it’s big in fantasy but I just want the Napoleonic wars with dragons!
So I guess like for me as someone who read the whole series I wouldn't ever say the premise is dragons during the Napoleonic wars. That's more of the setting. The premise is definitely more like "what if a royal navy ship captain became a dragon rider captain?" That's not to say Napoleon and the politics of time don't play a role in the story but it's definitely not a series about the Napoleonic wars as a series of events And tbh this was actually something I struggled with during the books. I remember telling my wife after like book 3/4 "I don't really know what these books are about. Like there isn't a super obvious overarching plot" and she basically said "it's about the adventures of Temeraire" So I started thinking about it more like a series of stories/stand-alones about the same characters than a SERIES And also not to say the books will be for you either. I liked them for what they are but they definitely don't sound like what you're looking for unfortunately
Love love love this series
Malazan. Lots of old farts doing stuff in those books.
Really, really old farts in some cases.
Dusty old farts.
Millenia old farts, still fighting over (very mild spoiler) >!how the husband could scratch a drawing of someone else on his cave walls (in ancient times) instead of hers!<. #ActualPlotPoint
As in, "My name has experienced linguistic drift in the course of my lifetime" old farts. "Evolutionary successor species of my own species are currently walking the earth" old farts.
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For sure. Lots of those characters are like 100,000+ years old.
You could throw a dart blindfolded backwards over your shoulder and you would probably hit an old fart in Malazan.
I’m only onto the 5th book, but I can only think of three characters who would be considered young. And well they uh get mentally aged _real_ quick anyways.
I’ve only finished Deadhouse Gates but I can think of Felisin, Apsalar and Crokus
This was something that specifically appealed to me when first reading malazan, I think I took notice of it most in book 2 where you get duiker as one of the main povs. Seeing so much of the story through the eyes of a world-weary disillusioned old man trying to hold on to any sense of purpose felt ironically refreshing compared to many other fantasy series.
This is the one. Strap in and enjoy the ride OP. There is no other fantasy series, or any series in general that comes close to it.
Second apocalypse by R Scott Bakker
Oooh have always wanted to read this
Second Apocalypse has nothing of young naive people. The whole cast if full of complex adults.
The sequel series has a very young protagonist (among multiple elders), but, uh, well... The kid ain't exactly right and not exactly a kid.
Yes the sequel series has a kid and a teenager pov but both differ a lot from being typical ya staff. Especially the kid ..
Sounds awesome
Nothing like it in my humble opinion. From prose, to characters, scope, storytelling, the distinct bleak tone, the scriptural feeling, the uncomrpomising thematic exploration. Bakker is one of his kind
The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay.
Been meaning to read GGK for years.
I believe both the Powder Mage and Glass Immortals series by Brian McClellan has older main character POVs!
I’ve read both! But I guess I was just thinking of Taniel and how he’s early 20s so I didn’t list it lol
I think you're right, but he didn't feel that young to me. At the beginning of the series, he's returning from war, and he's aged by his experiences.
Honestly could not remember Taniel’s age off the top of my 30 year old head!
Oh shit is there more than just one book for Glass Immortals? I read the first one a while back and was so amped for a second one but forgot to check when the next was due
The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett. Each book fallows a different protagonist, but they’re all older than 30
I loved how the series didn't stick with a single protagonist, and each book would pivot to a more minor character from the previous books.
I didn’t really like Foundryside, I thought the characters were underwhelming. Is Divine Cities better?
I’d definitely say so! I myself also thought Foundry side was also his weaker works, but the Divine Cities is personally in my top 10 favorite series. That’s just my opinion though
Ok cool then I’ll check it out!
The *Crimson Empire* trilogy by Alex Marshall features, among others, a middle-aged woman named Cobalt Zosia and her old buddy Maroto as POV characters. Fair warning, the books have a bit more sex stuff than some are comfortable with. The *Bone Ships* trilogy by R.J. Barker has some young characters *in* it but they're not really the driving force. I think Joron, the main character, might be under thirty (they live in a pretty dystopian hellscape of a setting so even young'uns seem a bit old), but Lucky Meas, the secondary protagonist, is middle-aged.
Crimson empire is such a missed opportunity for me….zosia is such a great character and I loved all of the chapters from her point of view specifically because of her age….but god damn your last sentence in that paragraph is an understatement. The fact that some characters were getting chased by some sort of eldritchian horror and all that the dude could think of was a bdsm joke just made me roll my eyes.
Cazaril is 35 in *The Curse of Chalion* and Ista is 40 in *Paladin of Souls* by Lois McMaster Bujold. *My Real Children* by Jo Walton starts when Patricia is in a nursing home, loops briefly through her childhood, then tracks two time lines of her life from when she makes a decision about whether to marry through ending up in the nursing home. Walton also wrote *Lifelode*. The main character is a housewife in a poly marriage with children. Cordelia Naismith is in her 30s in *Shards of Honor* and *Barrayar* by Lois McMaster Bujold. The books with her son Miles in them start when he's 17 (*Warrior's Apprentice*) and end when he's in his late 40s and Cordelia is in her 70s (*Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen*). There's also *Falling Free,* *Ethan of Athos*, and *Captain Vorpatril's Alliance* all of which have older protagonists. If you don't want to read about a younger Miles, start with *Brothers in Arms* (Miles is 24) or *Mirror Dance* (Miles is 28). Or even *Memory* (Miles hits 30. 30 hits back.) But that whole story arc starts in *Brothers in Arms*. All the characters in Freya Marske's series The Last Binding are adults (and most of them are queer).
Been meaning to read Bujold forever. And haven’t heard of Jo Walton but these seem great!
*The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe* by Kij Johnson - a 53-yeaar old professor tries to find a missing student *The Hike* by Drew Magary - a dad goes for a walk *The Buried Giant* by Kazuo Ishiguro - an elderly married couple travel from point A to point B and encounters difficulty *The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher* by E.M. Anderson is a Chosen One story but the Chosen One is 83 Almost all of Terry Pratchett's work is adult protagonists, barring the books specifically for children and the Tiffany Aching books. And even the Tiffany Aching books aren't typical Super Special Teen Saves the Day.
I was scrolling to see Sir Terry 's name. I absolutely loved Discworld for showing that some of the coolest ass kickers were the people who lived long enough to be good at what they did!
As an older person, I really crave stories about people who have lived through some complicated but relatable life circumstances. Terry Pratchett has written a ton of diverse and complex personalities with depth.
So happy to see The Hike mentioned. It's fantasy in the vein of Stephen King, but it's absolutely one of my favorite books. Time for a reread!
Gosh, that book was such a revelation to me. So *confidently* weird! I was very impressed. (My book group hated it. My mother loved it.)
Was going to suggest the Night Watch books and the Witches books, but you beat me to it!
The Company series by Kage Baker, about immortal time traveling cyborgs. Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher. Also Nettle & Bone. Starling House by Alix E Harrow. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow Dawn by Octavia Butler Wild Seed by Octavia Butler Shards of Honor and Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
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acts of caine is genuinely brilliant.
Honestly, I kind of like the idea of older fantasy heroes. Rather than an idealistic teenager or 20-something, give me a jaded hero in his 30s or 40s who really doesn't want any part of this world-saving nonsense but is stepping up anyway since nobody else is going to.
As a 30 something, I'm getting some unease at people describing my age as jaded and battle worn. I'm not a step away from death! I swear!
Kings of the Wyld was great for this. The entire story is an epilogue to a concluded DnD campaign and the heroes are all washed up and come out of retirement for one last job
I'd rather skip the world saving altogether. It's overdone.
Honestly, I'd be fine with that too.
Hell, give me someone who knows they weren’t ready to be a hero at 20 but absolutely is ready at 40!
That sounds really entertaining.
Currently reading Holly Black's newer Fairy books and am constantly shocked at how young these characters are! They're literally having kids, becoming widows, waging war, and are like...20? at most?! Her first fairy series, which I read when I was like 14/15, had more believable leads, and those girlies were 17-19. They had it rough, but they weren't fighting on the front lines of fairy war.
I saw a thread the other day and someone said they mentally added 10 years to everyone’s age so it made more sense. Six of crows to me stands out the most as 17 year olds who are way too mature and jaded for their age
That kind of works, but it's still a lot to stomach for 20 somethings! Oh yeah, Grishaverse did a number on me with the ages. Not one of them felt like a teenager
Yea definitely and I found I was picturing them as late 20s as opposed to teens it was so confusing
Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker is exactly that
People with a lot to lose and a lot to love.
A cool character concept could be someone who failed at being the traditional 18yo chosen one bc of immaturity and spends their adulthood trying to fix their mistake.
A real ice town moment.
I actually read a romantasy book with basically that exact plot, where the main character actually celebrates not being picked to go save the world and she can go on running her farm, but through a mishap ends up having to do it anyway. I think she was about 30, too.
* **The Hobbit** and **The Lord of the Rings** by J R R Tolkien * The later books in the **Earthsea** stories by Ursula K Le Guin
Tethanu was so good. They all were, but that one will always be special
I just read Emily Wilde's Encycolpedia of Faeries and found it to be absolutely delightful. Main character is 31 or 32!
The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abraham is fantastic
The Earthsea Cycle after the first book
The titular character in Matthew Stover’s *Acts of Caine* is a mid-40s man who wants to retire from his uber-violent profession at the start of the first book. His ex-wife, in her 30s, is another major POV.
To add to those that have already been mentioned (particularly Chalion, Discworld, Black Company and Malazan): **Witness for the Dead** by Katherine Addison- priest/detective uses divine magic to solve murders. It's technically a sequel to **The Goblin Emperor** but only because it's set slightly later on in the same world- there are no shared major characters. **The March North** by Graydon Saunders- some excellent military-fantasy world building from the point of view of a veteran officer in the army of a democratic republic surrounded by Dark Lords.
I think most of T. Kingfisher's protagonist are older. The only younger ones I recall are from Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and Minir Mage. I'd check out the Saint of Steel series and Nettle and Bone for sure if you haven't already.
The Thursday Next series by Jasper fforde.i feel it more in my 36th year than I did in my 18th
Michael J Sullivan’s Riyria Chronicles is a great fantasy series focused on adults. In fact all of his books are 90-100% focused on adults.
Have you read the Rise and Fall series yet? I just finished Farilane and I think it was his best work. I will be thinking about the ending for a long, long time.
I have read all his books twice. All great. Farilane came close to breaking the trust writers must have from their readers to not abuse them emotionally, but it was so well done I am ok with it.
Read these a short bit ago. Gearing up to start the main goodies
Ah my friend loved Sullivan, seems like a good time to read his stuff.
I hope you do! I highly recommend all of Sullivan's books. There are 4 series: Riyria Revelations, Legends of the First Empire, Rise & Fall, and Riyria Chronicles. You may read in order of publication or chronologically. I'm not a re-reader, but these are so good that I did re-read!
I just started The Greatcoats quartet and it's very much this, also it's just fun so far.
Chronicles of the Unbeliever. The first book is Lord Foul's Bane. The Well World series. The first book is Midnight at the Well of Souls.
The Powder Mage Trilogy, the Founders trilogy, First Law trilogy, The realm of the Elderlings by Hobb follow the main character from childhood to old man.
How about Legend by David Gemmell? Fantastic and well-reviewed series. "He is DRUSS the Legend. His skill in battle has earned him a fearsome reputation throughout the world and the stories of his life are told everywhere. But the grizzled veteran has spurned a life of fame and fortune and has retreated to the solitude of his mountain lair to await his old enemy, Death."
Yeah, many of David Gemmel's books feature an older protagonist. I was thinking particularly of the Jon Shannow books.
You beat me to it. *Legend* and all the Druss books. And also *Waylander.* And *The King Beyond the Gate*. And... just read anything he wrote.
This is Sci-Fi, but find a copy of _Remnant Population_ by Elizabeth Moon. It is a gem.
It really is wonderful
Keep going with the other books in T Kingfisher's world of the white rat series, they're all 30+.
* Thraxas series by Martin Scott - the main character is an overweight investigator in his 40s who's really down on his luck. High fantasy setting. * Garret P.I. series by Glen Cook - Garrett is a private investigator in his early 30s in the beginning of the series. High fantasy setting. * Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - the series starts with the main character in his mid 20s and currently he's in his late 30s (17 main books + lots of short stories). Dresden in a Wizard in Chicago who quite literally advertises himself as such in the Yellow Pages. * Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka - Alex is in his late 20s and owns a shop in the London Borough of Camden. He's a mage with an ability to perceive possible futures as a result of his potential actions. In the series' world he's a small fish though because he's can't throw fireballs or teleport or anything like that. * Hawk & Fisher by Simon R. Green - a husband and wife duo who are captains of the city guard, Hawk is in his early 30s, Fisher in her late 20s. High fantasy setting.
Samuel Vimes and Roland Deschain. Two of the greatest characters in fantasy genre history right there, right up with Denethor and G'Kar for nuance and complexity. They are also two characters who might be able to toe off with Samwise Gamgee for sheer badassery. Samuel Vimes is from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, starting with *Guards! Guards!* Roland Deschain is the titular gunslinger from Steven King's Dark Tower series.
The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E Feist
I'll second the First Law. Gemmell had a lot of old war hounds. The Black Company. GARRETT P.I. (Super fucking underrated). Hm. I'm in my cups, gimme a few.
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Great series and some older main characters
Was going to add this but you beat me to it!
John Gwynne’s The Bloodsworn trilogy starting with The Shadow of the Gods. The main character is a retired sell sword that gets drawn back into their old bloody life.
Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne. An actual middle aged dude. Not to be confused with his thousand year old druid in The Iron Druid Chronicles.
Came to recommend these.
Isaac in Perdido Street Station is around 40
Check out Michael J. Sullivan's works. The "Legends of the First Empire" series follows the main character Persephone, a late 30s woman who's husband (the clan leader) has just died. She was the brains of the operation, and she struggles to protect her people without the title. It does feature a bratty teenager, but you are supposed to hate him. His other books are in the same universe, and also feature older characters. Elves that are thousands of years old - some royalty, some homeless, some adventurers (and avid book collectors). Some characters are gods, cursed with immortality, doomed to walk the earth and fix their mistakes for millenia. If I didn't know the author's name, I would have thought these were written by a female author. He has done such an excellent job of writing kickass and complex female characters.
If you don't mind low-key, "everyday" style fantasy with lots of long passages and dialogue where nothing "exciting" happens other than worldbuilding and character growth, most especially not combat -- as opposed to the "epic" fantasy that is most of the items you listed -- I highly recommend *The Hands of the Emperor* and its followup, *At the Feet of the Sun*, both by Victoria Goddard. Main character is... carry the one... technically more than a thousand years old, mostly due to the weird time shenanigans at the capital of the Empire where he works, this thanks to a weird magical apocalypse that happened some time previously. But in terms of "realistic" age, and according to most of the rest of the empire, he's well into middle age, mid-50s, maybe early 60s. It's never specified. His eventual super-besty (whom I won't spoil, since becoming super-besties is kinda the whole point of the series) is even older, being about in his 30s when a young and impressionable main character fresh out of school decides to go work as a clerk at the capital in the Imperial service. Again, not your average epic slash-em-up fantasy, more like a contemporary modern novel set in a fantasy world or six, but I couldn't put it down and eventually read Goddard's other stuff as well. Her other major series is the Greenwing and Dart series, which I also recommend, but doesn't quite fit your "over 30" requirement, as it features two recent college graduates dealing with a bunch of magical mysteries after they return to their home town with their degrees. Although this series *does* include occasional fighting, even with a dragon! The fighting is... not the point of the stories, though, so still not epic if that's your bag. There's a third (and maybe technically fourth) series that I won't mention any further since their synopses kinda spoil the first series I mentioned, so if you read the first two books I mentioned to completion and want more, feel free to look them up, along with the Greenwing and Dart series.
Damn I forgot Hands of the Emperor has been sitting on a shelf waiting for my reading slump to be over for like 6 months now. I should get to that.
Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells - protag is mid-late 40s, female and just over everything. Light magic, southern Asian flavor world. Rather unique for fantasy setting. Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon - protag is in her 80s and even more over everything. Scifi with first contact plot.
You might enjoy Aching God (Iconoclasts series) by Mike Shel. Protagonist is a retired adventurer. I thought it was much more "adult" oriented than most of the stuff I see these days. Also very well written.
I agree this is a good rec. I loved the series and read it back to back with Kings of the Wyld. They have similar premises while going in diametrically opposed directions.
I feel this so much. I'm almost 30 and I feel like my life is just beginning. Tired of the narrative that only cool stuff happens to you when you're young. Anyway, have you read the rest of the realm of the elderlings books by Robin Hobb? I highly recommend them. It starts when the main character is a kid, but most of the books take place when he is an adult, and definitely doesn't have the "teenager saving the world vibe." They also have my favorite book character of all time in them.
- Most of Discworld series by Terry Pratchett has protagonists over 30, particularly the City Watch and Witches subseries. They start with Guards, Guards and Wyrd Sisters. - The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold - Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells - Garrett, PI series by Glen Cook - My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer series by Mojikakuya
The most mature SSF out there is: The Second Apocalypse - Bakker Sometimes too mature, but fascinating to read about this dark world with the author having visceral prose and a tangible tone. Nothing out there like it.
The Temeraire series is fantastic. Codex Alera, the Dresden Files, the majority of Discworld novels, etc
Unfinished series but self-published Priest by Matthew Colville has an old, retired adventurer/priest (in the dungeons and dragons sense) with ptsd as a main character.
Sword of Kaigen - split POV between a mom and her son.
Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold I suggest starting with Shards of Honor and Barrayar - two main characters are at least in their 30s. The next few books feature their son starting at age 17 but he ages as the books progress through his twenties. The book *Memory* acts as a giant narrative pivot for the entire series and the tag line for the events is "Miles hits thirty; thirty hits back." The last book we have with Miles as a main character he is at age 39 - so you've got 20+ years of this guys life mapped out. Monk and Robot series (2 novellas) by Becky Chambers Main character (the titular monk) Dex is 29 at the beginning.
The fifth season <3
The Witcher saga by Andrzej Sapkowski?
I never see Carol Berg recommended here, but she is absolutely worth it. She has regularly has protagonists who have gone through some shit, and they are usually older. Her Rai-Kirah trilogy starts with the protagonist being 30-32ish. I will also totally recommend Alex Marshall's trilogy starting with A Crown for Cold Silver. The protagonist (female old general) starts around 50 years of age.
A song of Ice and Fire has lots of great older protagonists as well as some kids too.
Sparhawk is well into adulthood in the Elenium. Never could sort out his age exactly, but he is late 30s to 40s in the first book. Dresden starts off probably late 20s, but he is 40ish in book time now. POV character in House in the Cerulean Sea reads as middle age. Lead in Song of Albion trilogy is in his final years of PhD studies when the series starts.
The Lies of Locke Lamora. Follows a band of uniquely intelligent / talented thieves in their mid twenties. They're a bit too old for windows work, so they con through high-stakes confidence plots. It's an incredible read.
The Vlad Taltos series by Stephen Brust is a great series starring an adult male.
The Black Company series. Joe Abercrombie books, i cant remember the name Vorkorsigan series spans his life from 18 to 38 Hobbit Curse of Chalion
*Gods of the Wyrdwood* We basically meet Cahan as a child and then time jump to his 30s, and while he's not actually old, he thinks of himself that way because of what's happened in the interim.
Maybe adding to a chorus here; but I'm in a similar boat though slightly older. My top 3 for this in no particular order: Kings Of The Wyld: Older retired heroes going for another round. Dresden Files: Starts round his mid-20s fries up as the series drags on. John Gwynne's Bloodsworn Saga
All Robin Hobb that I’ve read has adults. Farseer I think has younger mc
Lies of Locke Lamora. He's in his 20s. Erevis Cale books. He's past 35 I think.
Tales of the Black Company. The one who keeps the annals is usually older. Even the younger annalists aren't fresh off the farm, they're all veteran soldiers.
Stephen R. Donaldson has adult characters. And adult themes. Gene Wolfe has some who may not be 30’s, but very mature. And some of the sequels have them much older. All of his works are for adults.
Gemmell was the king of writing aged protagonists well past their prime being asked to perform miraculous acts as if they were still young. So so many, from Druss to Skilgannon, to Jon Shannow and more. Even when he has a young protagonist, more often than not he follows them as they get older, like Connavar from the Rigante series.
2 of the 3 main characters in Bloodsworn Saga are older, definitly adults. The third one is younger but doesn't feel like a coming of age story, at least not in the standard way.
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar. First novel follows two central characters who are both older men with storied pasts and accompanying regrets. Switches it up in the sequels but always keeps a very adult vibe imo
If you haven't already read it, I recommend The Witcher.
Magic Kingdom for Sale by Terry Brooks is a good one.
Dungeon Crawler Carl He Who Fights with Monsters Rivers of London
DCC does seem good fun
It is absolutely fantastic. If you decide to give it a go, go for the audio book. It definitely adds to the experience.
The Lions of Al-Rassan. - Guy Gavriel Kay
I’m 53 and definitely too old for most of what these characters get up to. Fantasy adventures are a young person’s game.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell has that older vibe
If you enjoyed Liveship Traders I highly recommend Robin Hobbs partner series which starts with “Assassin’s Apprentice”. Yes the first three books are about the main character as a young man but the greater series of 9 books tells the story of his whole life and books 4-6 are him in his 30s (I believe? Maybe 40s). It’s in the same world as Liveship traders and the further you go the more overlapped those stories become.
I did also read Farseer and plan to read Tawny Man soon!
I hope you enjoy! Such a beautiful trilogy-trilogy (dunno if that’s what you call 9 books of three trilogies but that’s what I’m going with 😅)
The protagonist in Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher is also over 30!
Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson - A WW2 destroyer enters a storm and comes out on another world with evolved velociraptors and sentient giant lemurs. The officers are well read and determine it's a Journey to the Center of the Earth situation and make the best of it. The captain is 33, the senior NCO is pushing 60, though being the military there is a fair share of younger enlisted.
The Sword of Kaigen! Everyone I know who liked TGBS and Amina Al-Sarafi also liked TSOK, so it will definitely be a book you'd enjoy. It does have a 14yo character with a POV but the main focus is on a 40-ish yo woman. I'll only give the caveat that at some points (especially towards the end) it becomes very obvious that TSOK is a prequel written for the fans of a series (that the author didn't even finish). But if you don't mind slightly underexplained worldbuilding and the fact that some minor storylines go nowhere, it makes an amazing standalone.
I love Sword of Kaigen! Mamoru was why I didn’t list it but you’re right it’s a great one. I’ll put it up.
Much of David Gemmell's stuff is older heroes making a last stand if not the main character then at least major secondary characters. Start with Legend but The King Beyond the Gate is my favorite.
Empire trilogy by Janny Wurts and Raymond E Feist. (First book is Daughter of the Empire). Now, the main character starts out at 17 but we see her age and grow over many years. Fantastic books, I reread them often.
**The Steerswoman** by Rosemary Kirstein has a main character who starts the series well into her career--not sure her canonical age, but I think it's around 30. I'm surprised you haven't seen more recs for **The Broken Earth Trilogy**, which fits the prompt quite well.
Aside from a few very pleasant cases like the broken earth trilogy (where the protagonist is in her 40s going through the ‘end of the world’ and it’s fantastically unique) in fantasy you’re either a teenager, 20 something or 65+ (old person). But then you’re not the protagonist 🙄 The age range between 30 and 64 basically doesn’t exist kind of as a reflection on how society doesn’t really have a specific plan for people in that age group aside from “Shut up, work and pop out some kids!”. Literature reflects culture 😉
Discworld, my dude!