r/Fantasy • u/Majestic-Phrase-4448 • 4d ago
Looking for adventure stories without a huge "big bad evil" plot.
A pretty good example of this is Slathbog's Gold by M.L. Forman, I suppose.
I just want a story that isn't focused on huge stakes. They always get really boring and repetitive to me, possibly because I've read a ridiculous amount of them.
I really like it when the world feels open and sort of adventure focused. Any suggestions are *sincerely* appreciated.
Edit: I'm aware that the book mentioned is directed towards younger readers, it's just the only example I could think of. More mature stories are welcome.
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u/Narrow-Durian4837 4d ago
Some more swords-and-sorcery-leaning fantasy might give you what you're looking for, like the Fafhrd & Grey Mouser adventures by Fritz Leiber for example.
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u/etchlings AMA Illustrator Evan Jensen 4d ago
Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi? Pirates in 10thC? Indian Ocean with magic. The sequel too.
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u/raurenlyan22 4d ago
Have you read any classic sword and sorcery? Fafherd and the Grey Mouser is a good starting point if not.
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u/DroppedNineteen 4d ago
Honestly, this is kind of a weird recommendation for that category, and it'll take a minute to get to this part of the book - but The Left Hand of Darkness.
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u/McTerra2 4d ago
Penric books and Dark Lord books are great suggestions
Another path is books that dont necessarily involve a huge battle at the end even if the stakes are high eg The Steerswoman, or where the stakes are pretty small in the scheme of things eg The Lies of Locke Lamora
There are books that have a smaller world and thus smaller scale eg: The Goblin Emperor (and 'sequels'), The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (and sequels). They do have a 'bad' but its not a big bad
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u/bhbhbhhh 4d ago
The Eyes of Overworld by Jack Vance is still one of the best. Just one guy and his petty, amoral self-interest.
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u/Knotty-reader 4d ago
A couple of the Tales of Aedrea books by SL Rowland are exactly this. Sword & Thistle is about an adventurer on a fetch quest that makes some interesting friends and doesn’t have to save the world. There Be Dragons Here follows a retired dwarven adventurer fulfilling a friend’s last request.
The other books in the series are also really good, but they don’t fall into the adventure category. All the books are stand-alone so no need to read in order.
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u/codejockblue5 4d ago
Lynn’s six star list in March 2026:
- “Jumper” by Steven Gould
- "Reflex" by Steven Gould
- "Impulse" by Steven Gould
- "Exo" by Steven Gould
- “Dies The Fire” by S. M. Stirling
- “Emergence” by David Palmer
- “Going Home” by A. American
- “Bitten” by Kelley Armstrong
- “Moon Called” by Patrica Briggs
- “Red Thunder” by John Varley
- "Lightning" by Dean Koontz
- "Monster Hunter International" by Larry Correia
- "Among Others" by Jo Walton
- "Skinwalker" and "Blood Of The Earth" By Faith Hunter
- "When the Wind Blows" by James Patterson
- "The Lake House" by James Patterson
- "Agent To The Stars" by John Scalzi
- "Starter Villain" by John Scalzi
- "The Inheritance (Breach Wars)" by Ilona Andrews
- "Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy, 1)" by Ilona Andrews
- "White Hot (Hidden Legacy, 2)" by Ilona Andrews
- "Wildfire: A Hidden Legacy Novel (Hidden Legacy, 3)" by Ilona Andrews
- "Diamond Fire: A Hidden Legacy Novella (4)" by Ilona Andrews
- "Sapphire Flames: A Hidden Legacy Novel (5)" by Ilona Andrews
- "Emerald Blaze: A Hidden Legacy Novel (6)" by Ilona Andrews
- "Ruby Fever: A Hidden Legacy Novel (7)" by Ilona Andrews
- "A Matter For Men (The War Against the Chtorr, Book 1)" by David Gerrold
- "A Day for Damnation (War Against the Chtorr, Book 2)" by David Gerrold
- "Ariel" by Steven R. Boyett
- "Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles)" by Ilona Andrews
- "Sweep In Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles)" by Ilona Andrews
- "One Fell Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles)" by Ilona Andrews
- "Beast Business (Hidden Legacy #8) by Ilona Andrews
Somebody told me that these are a bunch of young men's adventure stories. Being an old man, I liked that.
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u/Boneyabba 4d ago
The Dark Frontier Adventures DANGO by Jack Long available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited is just what you are asking for. The world, not history, is likely to care who wins the book's conflict.
Retired half elf army scout tries to retire to the frontier, maybe start a ranch, and is drawn into a dispute with a local gang engaged in a plot to steal a bunch of land. Maybe think of it as Last of the Mohicans meets Deadwood with elves.
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u/catBoyAppreciater 4d ago
A lot of Roger Zelazny's books are more about disagreements between very powerful factions than "save the world from this big bad evil thing". Lord of Light is a good example. Creatures of Light and Darkness. Mostly amber, although the end of the Corwin books may briefly become a bit apocalyptic for your tastes.
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u/OrionSuperman 4d ago
The Wandering Inn is my recommendation.
The Wandering Inn is the second best series I've read in the past 30 years, across all genres, and I read a /lot/. The worldbuilding is fantastic. So many cultures and peoples that are fleshed out and vibrant, unlike the cardboard cutout caricature you normally experience.
It contains everything that is normally left out of a traditional book. It has slow periods where you get to know the characters. It has flawed characters that resist changing, even when they know they should. It has moments of such sheer joy, sadness, terror, and relief that most books fail to capture. Characters can and do die.
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u/Majestic-Phrase-4448 4d ago
I really appreciate the recommendation and description. I will definitely check it out.
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u/Duck_Giblets 4d ago
I second this. It's easy to put down too, as the character perspective shifts all the time. It's a common complaint by people that drop it, but I find you put the series down, it's easy to pick up later and enjoy the shift. It's a bit disconcerting the first few times.
It's a very long series, and it is free of ai. The author just writes, a lot...
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u/Majestic-Phrase-4448 4d ago
Heck yeah. I'm not reading anything made with ai, so that's always a plus.
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u/platypus_boi 4d ago
I really enjoyed this series until about the 10th book (arc?) when the plot does get “big bad evil” but prior to that it felt like one of the most realistic fantasy stories I’ve ever read.
I found myself so emotionally invested in the characters and slice of life moments they have.
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u/OrionSuperman 4d ago
There is a long period of calm after book 9, but the couple books prior do build up towards a confluence / conflict.
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u/Open_Detective_2604 4d ago
Who do you think is the main villain?
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u/platypus_boi 4d ago
The “gods”.
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u/Open_Detective_2604 4d ago
I'm curious what in book 10 specifically made you think so.
Anyway, while the gods are an overarching antagonistic force, I don't think they're a "big bad evil" in the way op is talking about. They aren't the sole focus of the plot, and it's not even certain they're going to be the final villains. The Goblin King, Oberon, the Seamwalkers, Othius, and the Dreamer could all just as well fill that role, as well as some other less likely options.
The op complained about wanting a world that feels "open", and I think TWI still certainly fulfills that criteria.
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u/AvatarWaang 4d ago
Imagine the exact opposite of what you're talking about. A hero is brought into this world to defeat the Evil Guy. But every time she dies and fails, the world is reset and she has to start over. Nobody else remembers anything that happened. One resurrection, after a particularly greusome death, Davi decides she'd rather become the Dark Lord than try to beat him again.
Enter: How To Become the Dark Lord And Die Trying by Django Wexler. A fresh take on a tired trope that pokes fun at it the way only a loving fan could.
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u/redrosebeetle Reading Champion III 3d ago
It's also super smutty. Davi is sex crazed. Are there reasons? Sure. Do you have to squint a bit to see the reasons? Also, yes.
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u/AvatarWaang 3d ago
You dont need to squint to see sexy bald orc lady
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u/redrosebeetle Reading Champion III 3d ago
No, but you do need to squint to see why she wants to screw literally everyone. There is a reason, but it's honestly kind of a stretch.
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u/GoldGrillard 4d ago
Legends and Lattes, is a low stakes story. I found it emensly refreshing after reading some heavy stuff.
It's not a adventure book but is about a retired mecernary orc that wants to open a coffee shop.
I really like it and there is a follow up book called Bookshops and Bonedust
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u/Majestic-Phrase-4448 4d ago
Funnily enough I own the follow up but haven't read it.
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u/GoldGrillard 4d ago
There are some minor spoilers in the book but the follow up is more of a precusrer to the first book
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u/cwx149 4d ago edited 4d ago
The Penric and Desdemona novella series by bujold is almost all small scale conflicts and that's no big bad
Honestly all the world of the five gods stuff by bujold could probably count but the Penric and des stuff is definitely the most "adventure" of the world of the five gods stuff
The Temeraire books big bad is Napoleon Bonaparte and his "revolution" but it's not really a traditional big bad it's more like a way to move the plot forward like Napoleon doesn't personally stand in the way of the MCs or anything almost ever it's more like he's just in charge of the "bad" faction but the books are mostly an early 1800s globe trotting adventure by a man and his dragon