To narrow it down I just turned 18 and I’m having a crisis because it seems like all books I grew up on with big fanbases have only teenager main characters like Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Harry Potter. They are all 18 or under and it’s putting me in a crisis where I no longer have the feeling that I can see myself living within the books fun mysterious thrilling fantasy dystopian/utopian universe. I especially love that those books had a huge fan base to them people I loved being able to mutually talk to people about the books.
by Scarab_Salad
8 Comments
Try Lord of the Rings, Dune, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Good Omens, A Song of Ice and Fire, Sword of Shannara, Dragonriders of Pern, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
The Da Vinci Code books by Dan Brown. They are a little older, but they are great adult adventure books.
Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. This is sci-fi but one of my favorites.
Two possible entry points: Shards of Honor (followed by) Barrayar
Or skip those two and head straight into Miles’s books:
The Warrior’s Apprentice. Note – the protagonist of this book is… maybe slightly younger than you. But this is not a YA book, and he develops as the series continues (and yet continues to surprise ya in fun ways.) Super fun character, great plots.
These books have been around since the 80s, still being published, so there is a fan base. Also some of the works in the series have won Hugos/Nebulas.
You might also check out Brandon Sanderson. He’s got a ton of good stuff, but Mistborn is a solid series to try out.
Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books! There are a ton of books, and some good entry points into the series include [Guards! Guards!](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64216.Guards_Guards_), [Wyrd Sisters](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34504.Wyrd_Sisters), and [Small Gods](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34484.Small_Gods).
You shouldn’t gauge your enjoyment on which age group a story is targeted towards. Find a genre that interests you and explore from there.
Based on the books you listed I feel like you’d enjoy the Arc of a Scythe series and/or the Unwind series, both by Neal Schusterman, although young adults are the primary focus.
A lot of the Star Wars books are about adult characters either from the movies or new.
Some I highly recommend are:
The Darth Bane trilogy
Scoundrels
Any book about thrawn
Deceived
Death Troopers
You are at such a transitional moment and there are books for that! It’s important to be able to read things where you feel seen and understood, even if you can enjoy books for younger or older audiences.
First, V.E. Schwab’s “Shades of Magic” series. First book is “A Darker Shade of Magic.” The main characters are 18/19, and are magicians who can move between parallel Londons in different worlds (including one that is “our” London, along with other Londons that are much more magical). This is a lush, rich, fantastical series. Perfect for anyone who loved HP but wants something a little more grown-up.
Next, “The Magicians” series by Len Grossman. Completed trilogy, first book is “The Magicians.” Imagine if “Harry Potter” and “Narnia” had a baby, that baby grew up and went to magical college, and had to consider the hard lesson of “What if magic is real and you get everything you wished for, but you’re still unhappy?” Trigger warning for the second book; check that out before you read. Characters are college-aged. This is such a great series for people who love fantasy but also want to interrogate its tropes a little bit.
Finally: “Ninth House” by Leigh Bardugo. The sequel (“Hell Bent”) came out earlier this year, with a third book to come. Urban fantasy set at Yale, characters are college-aged. It’s definitely magical but a bit darker. In this one, all the Yale secret societies are actually magic strongholds, but of course there is a dark underbelly to it. In the second book, they literally go to hell. They are great, especially if that darkness and grit in the Hunger Games was appealing to you.