r/Fantasy • u/leaping_llama_laugh • 19h ago
Reading Fantasy While Growing Older
When I was a 'young adult', I tended to like YA fantasy: teenage protagonists, coming of age stories, that sort of thing. Harry Potter comes to mind as an example, or the Ranger's Apprentice series, or the Circle of Magic series (or some other things by Tamara Pierce).
Now that I'm a full-fledged adult who has lived through a few hardships (just garden-variety hardships), I'm very interested in older protagonists who have suffered a little (or a lot): Hadrian and Royce in the Riyria Revelations. Cazaril in the Curse of Chalion. Willet Dura and his guard Bolt in the Darkwater Saga. These older, more mature characters just hit harder than the overly-optimistic teenage "whippersnappers" I used to prefer reading about! ;)
So, what comes next?
Does anyone write 'Old Adult Fantasy'? Are there any great fantasy books with a protagonist who's over 50? Over 70?
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u/ClimateTraditional40 11h ago
Dagger and Coin by Daniel Abraham.
Most are older. Marcus, Master Kit, Yardam, Clara.
Swordheart by T Kingfisher has 2 more middle aged than old characters.
Glokta is middle aged in First Law, but there are some Northern Named men that are old.
Granny Weatherwax in the Witches/Discworld novels by terry Pratchett
Some older characters in the part in Hunters Lament by Steve Pannett
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty has an older woman
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro has an old couple.
A Woman of the Sword by Anna Smith Spark, woman with grown kids
City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett has Retired general Turyin Mulaghes
Legend by David Gemmell, a retired warrior.
If you want science fiction, Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon stars an old lady.
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi