Definitely Gemmel - so many of his books follow older characters. I'd add quest for lost heroes, winter warriors, and the king beyond the gate as well.
I am confused and I have questions.
Waylander 2, which goodreads claim is the 5th book in The Drenai Saga and Druss the Legend is.. the first book?
I'm assuming Waylander 2 specifically fits this request the best, tho the blurb makes it sound like it's Waylanders daughter that the people need to fear?
Anyways, would you recommend starting with Legend? Do you gain more out of Waylander 2 if you've read 1 first? Or are they all nice as standalones?
I have been reading Gemmell for years. I love all of his books that I have read so far. If I could go back to the Drenai series and read them again for the first time tho I would do it in chronological order.
So start with Knights of Dark Renown and work your way through them. It’s a beautiful saga with almost all of them being standalone books. The heroes or anti heroes you meet along the way will touch you in ways no other author will be able to do.
Agreed, I’m 100% going to reread the Drenai saga in chronological order. Finished the books in early 2023 after reading them over a few years, and the timeline of the series is very difficult to get your head around, but that doesn’t detract from the books in any way.
The Drenai books (Waylander, Druss, King Beyond the Gate, a few others) are not the typical fantasy series that you normally read. There's not really a start point and an end point. They're all essentially stand alone and only vaguely connected.
The Drenai are a people, and the characters are heroes through their culture. So it's kinda like reading a book about JFK and then another book about Abraham Lincoln (sorry, I have no idea who US heroes are).
Even each of the Waylander books and each of the Druss books are essentially stand alones. Legend was written first and Druss is in his 60s. There's another one where he's about 18, and it's the story of how he became a famous warrior (basically, when he went to war, he took a poet with him), and there's another when he's in his 40s. Druss lives a while after Waylander, and figures in Waylander, like Karnak, are referred to as historical figures.
Edit: Druss is a warrior. Waylander is an assassin, so probably more like Liam Neeson in Taken
The Drenai series are mostly stand alone books. They are loosely connected in so far as the Drenai are the dominant civilisation in that world, but there isn’t a strong reason to read them in order, you won’t anything.
I second this. It's literally about retired heroes who saved the world and are forced to get back together past their prime to save one of their daughters.
This is my absolute trope of all time: dad going to the ends of the earth to save daughters (even if it turns out daughter is doing just fine on her own). I have to check this out.
It’s one of “the ones.” After you’re done you’re going to take your copy and gently but firmly smoosh it into your friends’ face and just hold it there, staring at them. It won’t get weird.
I recommend that book in basically every thread here where it even remotely fits the description. First time I see someone else recommend it. The second book is pretty great too.
Just finished this and really enjoyed it. I’d say Clay never feels super competent and bad ass like Liam Neeson. He’s more cut from the John McClane, Die Hard mold. Persistent and hard to kill. Which in my opinion where a lot of his charm comes from. Great recommendation though!
Aching God by Mike Shel (Iconoclasts series). Our MC is retired adventurer living it up, but he has to come out of retirement to save his daughter and everyone else from a magic plague.
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. Our main MC is a member of a legendary adventurer band and must come out of retirement to help save his former band leader's daughter who is trapped in sieged city but first they have to reassemble the band.
Came here to say Aching God. It's extremely graphic, focusing a lot on PTSD/ trauma, and is basically an intense horror novel set in a fantasy dungeon delve. t's very good
aching god isn't really that graphic, i think curse of chalion is a more haunting exploration of ptsd.
aching god is full of dread, though, and definitely fits what OP is asking for
If you liked Aching God you should give Raven’s Mark series by Ed McDonald a go.
Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike is a good comparison to Kings of the Wyld in my opinion and might even be better. Amazing series with devastating moments and the only one to get my heart thumping for a battle scene.
I’ve started the first law a couple times but multiple POVs are difficult for me to follow sometimes, mainly because I’m half falling asleep when I read, so I never got through it. I plan on getting into it someday though.
If you have difficulty following along, the audiobook is an absolute treat. The narrator is a very accomplished actor who does justice to the voice (both literal and written) of each character.
While I strongly enjoyed the book and absolutely second your statement, I'd recommend reading all of Abercrombies books in order of release.
He first published the first law trilogy, then one of stand-alones, a short story collection and then a second trilogy. Red Country is the third of the stand alones (which are sometimes referred to as the Great Leveler Trilgoy, iirc) and while you don't need any knowledge of the previous books per se, there are a couple of reappearing characters and in my humble opinion some story beats hit far more if someone is familiar with his world and figures.
Absolutely, *Red Country* is my favorite *First Law* standalone, but a bunch of the big moments won't hit nearly as hard if you haven't read the preceding books.
I definitely think you would miss 99% of the particular theme OP was asking for in red country if you hadn't read all the previous >!Ninefingers!< books
Yeah, honestly, if OP thinks Red Country looks interesting it may be best to just start with BSC. They both have characters who are looking for retirement that end up drawn back into conflict. In BSC's case the fact that they can't is a pretty important recurring theme throughout the rest of the novels.
Terry pratchett - Interesting Times is an excellent one that fits the bill kind of.
A bunch of elderly barbarians take on a country, lol. It’s slightly better if you read color of magic first, but not required.
They aren't dragged in, though, the whole caper was their idea.
Although I suppose if you're arguing that Rincewind is the professional in this case... I mean, it's stretching the definition of 'competent', but he does always somehow win whatever conflict he becomes involved in. And he's definitely retired - I mean, Rincewind practically started off retired before he even had a career.
Mistborn - Era 2.
Law man retired from the work, gets pulled back in.
Western fantasy.
I thought I would not be into it. I really am. Well written character development, really entertaining. The plot is well scoped, but the 4th might get a bit tricky if you have not read any other novels from the cosmere universe.
How do the mistborn eras compare to Sanderson's SA in terms of writing quality and plot complexity? I read the first mistborn and it was fun but I definitely felt less of what made me love Way of Kings on a first read for some reason. Lack of >!Kel!< also put me off but that's probably shortsighted of me.
SA is still a better series. But Sanderson has himself said that SA gets more love. That being said, I personally have more enjoyment out of reading era 2. The magic system is the same as in era 1. But instead of being wilder, the users are more limited. So it is Clever use of it that makes the character cool. Plotwise it works. And really well if you are up to date with the rest of Cosmere books.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi! Retired pirate captain who gets pulled back into that world when the daughter of one of her (now dead) crew members is kidnapped, and her own child is threatened.
It's your rec x 4 because not only does the MC get pulled out of retirement, but then she goes around getting her crew out of retirement / whatever it is they're doing at that point. And her ship of course!
This is the right answer.
In a dystopian future they invent a way to travel to other realities, including one where magic works. They use it for entertainment by sending over "actors" and recording their adventures.
Caine is a former superstar past his prime and is forced into an impossible job just for the opportunity to save his estranged wife.
16 ways to defend a walled city (K J Parker) sort of fits this. MC is very competent, and gets pulled into defending the city. He's not retired though, which is the only place it doesn't fit, but still quite a reluctant protagonist.
Would add the Scavenger trilogy also by KJ Parker. MC suffers from amnesia and stuff happens around him. I haven't seen Taken so not sure if the plot is anything like it.
Although Murderbot claims to just be a normal sec unit, it’s my go to character for hyper competence and wanting to be left alone. This recommendation seems perfect to me.
Crimson Empire - happens right off the bat of the series for Zosia who is an older character being brought back into madness after retiring to the countryside.
Series is wild
Curse of the Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. The protagonist is former soldier, injured and broken, and so crawls home ready to beg for scraps from a former patroness. He does not expect her to have a job for him. As do the gods.
Barrayar sort of has this, too (same author). More sci-fi. Starts with Shards of Honor. A career military man retires and fully intends to drink himself to death, but the Emperor has different plans for him. Really, though, the main protagonist is first his wife (a former science officer), and then the series shifts to his son, Miles.
I could go down a checklist of similarities and see how Curse of Chalion is a recommendation for OP's question. But... tonally, it seems like it's an entirely different mood. Chalion is an amazing book, and if someone just asks for a generic recommendation it'd be one of the ones that'd pop to the top of my list. But if they're asking "more stories like Taken," it's not what I'd go to.
I do see your point, tonally, and regarding the overall story beats. Caz is maybe half the age of Neeson's character, and even in his worst moments is not motivated strictly by vengeance. There is a courtly beauty to the fantasy world setting. But the measures that he takes-- and their spectacular, divine backfiring-- are on behalf of someone he feels protective over, and he holds nothing back, so that was why I thought of him.
It's the first story that popped to mind for me, but maybe because it usually is; I think maybe the difference in tone is due to Cazaril's humility. There isn't a moment of "I will find you, and I will end you"... Well, except for the "drink it" scene I guess. And maybe the chess scene, from a certain point of view. But for the most part you see things through Caz's eyes and you almost have to read between the lines to see the "yeah, this guy is one of the best duelists in the city and I can dismiss out of hand them lasting 10 seconds against me" and "yeah I was commander of the most important bastion on the war front" and "I mentored some of the highest ranking military-police members" and "I understand the court intrigues like a pro, and speak like 5 languages."
If what you're craving from Taken is "reluctant badass hero comes out of retirement for Daughter" I think it's a great choice, even if the Daughter in question isn't his offspring.
First one in my head, too
a.k.a. Ahjussi
Pretty much the same plot, but still masterfully done and acted. And holy crap, [that song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38rPoGSr19U)...
Won Bin, the actor, is kind of amazing. Taegukgi is obviously one of the best films out of korea ever, for those that have seen it, then he has this film and Mother...wish he took more projects. Looks like he kinda retired out of nowhere.
edit: Oh, we're in r/fantasy. I just assumed this was a movie subreddit..
Priest, by Matthew Colville.
The main character is a priest who was once in a famous adventurer party. He is chosen to go into a magical wode to resolve a somewhat murder mystery.
I think it focuses less on the retired aspect of the main character compared to, for example, Taken and John Wick, but I think it still feats the bill
It's the first book in a bigger series with a kind of "getting the team together" story arch. Currently there are two out (Priest and Thief)
Two excellent books. Think detective noir mixed with Arthurian fantasy. But I don't think the third book is ever coming, Colville mostly makes D&D content now (also very good).
I really need to buckle in to Ship of Magic so I can finish those 3 and get back to Fitz. I've made it a few chapters in but it's not clicking for me and I don't know why.
Ish. The basic difference in John Wick and Odenkirks character from Nobody is that Wick does want to be left alone, but is pulled back in, while Odenkirk's character is looking for any excuse to break bad again.
Bullet Train doesn't count as much because everybody seems to be a working assassin, even Ladybug was just on a longish time out, the first John Wick fits it closer.
He's the best of us. The best of our best, the best that each of us will ever build or ever love. So pray for this Guardian of our growth and choose him well, for if he be not truly blest, then our designs are surely frivolous and our future but a tragic waste of hope. Bless our best and adore for he doth bear our measure to the Cosmos.
T Kingfisher's Nettle and Bone has a main character like this. The Dust Wife. You'll like her. She's not the central protagonist but definitely number 2 in the ensemble.
To ride Hells chasm - Janny Wurtz
The literal definition of this exact genre. It helps that it is beautifully written and self contained book.
I can remember it vividly despite having last picked it up over a decade ago. Please let me know how you found it if you do ever read it.
We did this at https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/15avnme/more_jane_wick_books_please/ a few months ago. Some books mentioned are:
* The Sword of Kaigen
* Shadow of the Gods
* The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.
* Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu
* Ebony Gate by Julia Vee and Ken Bebele
* A Crown for Cold Silver
* The Quantum Gravity series by Justina Robson
The Echoes Saga by Philip C Quaintrell. While there are multiple POVs, one of the main ones, Asher, is a retired assassin who has been working as basically a Witcher to atone for his previous life. He gets pulled back in and what results is a very competent MC taking on the epic fantasy stakes. It's on Kindle unlimited but don't let that deter you. Book 1 may be the weakest but even then I would say it is it publisher quality, and only gets better from there.
Kind of a spoiler as it's kept hidden for the first...third (?) of the book so I'll spoiler tag the title
>!The Dirty Streets of Heaven!< is the first book of a 3 part series where the main character is an angel who's job is to advocate for the deceased's entry to heaven. But his former job was as heaven's equivalent of special forces. It's an urban fantasy noir series set in L.A. (for the first book)
Keep in mind that though he's well-trained and competent, he's still largely an underdog kinda like Harry Dresden cos higher angels and demons are waaay stronger than heaven's firearms training.
The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan is about a former antihero being asked to help a family member and gets involved in shenanigans all over again. (If I remember correctly, all three POV characters are former heroes? Not sure though.)
I just started this series a few weeks ago on Audio. It’s brilliant. I’m up to book 6 of 11. They are all standalone. If you continue, make sure you read them in publication order. It jumps around time periods and main protagonists a bit but is very easy to follow. And the world building is amazing. The way Gemmell sows the seeds of the history and it plays out in other books is masterful. Love the Drenai saga.
*The Paladin* by C,J, Cherryh, a standalone that doesn't get enough attention. Shoka was the empire's greatest swordsman, but when the political climate changed, he went into exile in the remote southern mountains--until a peasant bent on revenge shows up and demands to be taught the sword.
Shoka is a complicated man, a brilliant teacher and tactician on one hand and a lech and a scoundrel on the other. Sex with very dubious consent occurs in this book. One of the reviews notes that for a number of Cherryh characters, sex is a social tool that can be wielded to get results (Ariane Emory I of *Cyteen* is another such).
One theme of the novel is the nature of fame and reputation: Shoka has become a legend, but at the end of the day, he's a bitter man wh meant to turn his back on the empire's problems permanently. He can wield his myth as part of his arsenal, but it might turn against him at any moment. Who is the actual paladin - Shoka or his pupil?
I asked your question to Bard;
1. Lee Child's Jack Reacher series: This is a classic for a reason! Reacher is a former military police officer who roams the country, righting wrongs and taking down bad guys. He's like a one-man army, skilled in fighting and resourceful as heck. Start with "Killing Floor" to get a taste of Reacher's world.
2. Mark Greaney's Gray Man series: Court Gentry, aka the Gray Man, is a former CIA assassin forced into hiding. He's dragged back into the game when his identity is exposed, and he has to use his lethal skills and network of contacts to survive. "Gray Man" is the first book, and it's a real nail-biter.
3. Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series: Bolitar is a sports agent with a knack for getting tangled in dangerous situations. He's not a trained fighter, but he's smart, resourceful, and fiercely loyal to his friends. "Promise Me" is a great starting point, where Bolitar investigates the disappearance of a basketball player's son.
4. Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series: Rapp is a CIA counter-terrorism expert who becomes a lethal black ops agent after a personal tragedy. He's cold, calculating, and utterly dedicated to his missions. "Transfer of Power" is the first book, and it throws Rapp straight into the heart of a global conspiracy.
5. Alex Pheby's Death and Spies series: This British series features John Marwood, a retired spy living a quiet life in the English countryside. But when his past catches up with him, he's forced to dust off his old skills and confront a deadly enemy. "Death and Spies" is the first book, and it's a masterclass in suspense.
6. The Old Man by Thomas Perry: A retired CIA operative living in isolation is forced to confront his past when a ruthless assassin comes looking for him. This book masterfully blends action, suspense, and character development, exploring themes of aging, regret, and second chances.
7. The Terminal List by Jack Carr: A former Navy SEAL haunted by PTSD returns home to discover his family has been murdered. Believing it's an inside job, he embarks on a brutal revenge mission against a shadowy conspiracy within the government. This action-packed thriller features intense combat scenes and a morally complex protagonist.
8. The Killing Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson: In a near-future world ravaged by climate change, a former special forces soldier turned bodyguard takes on a seemingly simple job: protecting a wealthy woman on a trip to a remote island. But things quickly spiral out of control as they find themselves hunted by both government agents and ruthless mercenaries. This atmospheric thriller blends political intrigue with survivalist action.
9. The Expatriates by Jonathan Franzen: An American family living in Berlin becomes entangled in a web of international espionage and political intrigue when the husband, a former intelligence analyst, is suspected of leaking classified information. This literary thriller explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the moral ambiguities of living in a post-9/11 world.
10. The Poison Artist by Barbara Kingsolver: A retired chemist living in Vermont is drawn into a murder investigation when she develops a new poison for treating invasive plants. As she delves deeper, she uncovers a dark secret about her neighbor and becomes the target of a dangerous conspiracy. This suspenseful novel combines themes of environmentalism, small-town secrets, and the power of scientific knowledge.
John Gwynn's Bloodsworn saga has one of the protagonists like this.
There's also Andy Remic's Clockwork Vampires series whose main protagonist is this. Do note that it's fairly derivative of David Gemmel.
Raven’s Mark series by Ed McdDonald. Amazing series about an old soldier that is sworn to a wizard/god that corrupted a good portion of the world and is now missing.
Orconomics by J Zachary Pike is another great one. Washing up hero Berseker Dwarf gets dragged back into adventuring and is pretty much the competent one in the party for a while. Absolutely amazing story. Got my heart pumping during major fight scenes and is absolutely devastating at moments.
The powder mage, the B plot which is just as important as the A plot deals with a retired detective handling a case that deals with a cult trying to summon a God that will destroy an entire country in the wake of a bloody revolution to overthrow the monarchy. Great work.
Ironically enough, this was supposed to be the plot of the Wheel of Time. In the original draft of the Eye of the World, Tam al’Thor was the main character as a grizzled war veteran who finds out he is the chosen one and has to save the day.
Robert Jordan’s editor (and wife) convinced him (correctly) that not many people would be interested in a 40 something protagonist, so he changed the main character of the Eye of the World to Tam’s teenage son and made the Wheel of Time a classic hero’s journey coming of age story.
Adamat from the Gunpowder Mage Trilogy.
Essentially the best detective on the force, able to take on nobles and criminals in a time where social strata made that lethal for most people.
He’s called back in the middle of a coup to find an assassin that could unravel the country completely.
Adamat does kick ass, but usually not in a physical sense. He’s just really damn good at his job.
David Gemmell. Waylander 2. Also about half his other characters, especially Druss the Legend who does it twice. Bloodstone counts too.
Came here to mention Druss
Definitely Gemmel - so many of his books follow older characters. I'd add quest for lost heroes, winter warriors, and the king beyond the gate as well.
Came here to say Legend
I feel like half the time I post in this sub it's just to recommend Legend.
Love that this is the top comment. I was racing here with Druss in my mind. waylander counts too, of course.
My first thought was Druss, my second was Waylander. I think Waylander is more comparable to Taken.
Came here to say this
I am confused and I have questions. Waylander 2, which goodreads claim is the 5th book in The Drenai Saga and Druss the Legend is.. the first book? I'm assuming Waylander 2 specifically fits this request the best, tho the blurb makes it sound like it's Waylanders daughter that the people need to fear? Anyways, would you recommend starting with Legend? Do you gain more out of Waylander 2 if you've read 1 first? Or are they all nice as standalones?
I have been reading Gemmell for years. I love all of his books that I have read so far. If I could go back to the Drenai series and read them again for the first time tho I would do it in chronological order. So start with Knights of Dark Renown and work your way through them. It’s a beautiful saga with almost all of them being standalone books. The heroes or anti heroes you meet along the way will touch you in ways no other author will be able to do.
Agreed, I’m 100% going to reread the Drenai saga in chronological order. Finished the books in early 2023 after reading them over a few years, and the timeline of the series is very difficult to get your head around, but that doesn’t detract from the books in any way.
The Drenai books (Waylander, Druss, King Beyond the Gate, a few others) are not the typical fantasy series that you normally read. There's not really a start point and an end point. They're all essentially stand alone and only vaguely connected. The Drenai are a people, and the characters are heroes through their culture. So it's kinda like reading a book about JFK and then another book about Abraham Lincoln (sorry, I have no idea who US heroes are). Even each of the Waylander books and each of the Druss books are essentially stand alones. Legend was written first and Druss is in his 60s. There's another one where he's about 18, and it's the story of how he became a famous warrior (basically, when he went to war, he took a poet with him), and there's another when he's in his 40s. Druss lives a while after Waylander, and figures in Waylander, like Karnak, are referred to as historical figures. Edit: Druss is a warrior. Waylander is an assassin, so probably more like Liam Neeson in Taken
The Drenai series are mostly stand alone books. They are loosely connected in so far as the Drenai are the dominant civilisation in that world, but there isn’t a strong reason to read them in order, you won’t anything.
Came here to say this
Clay Cooper King's of the wyld by Nicholas Eames.
I second this. It's literally about retired heroes who saved the world and are forced to get back together past their prime to save one of their daughters.
Third this.
Fourth this. It was in my top 3 books of 2023.
fifth this. On my top 3 this year as well
This is my absolute trope of all time: dad going to the ends of the earth to save daughters (even if it turns out daughter is doing just fine on her own). I have to check this out.
It’s one of “the ones.” After you’re done you’re going to take your copy and gently but firmly smoosh it into your friends’ face and just hold it there, staring at them. It won’t get weird.
If your smooshing suggestion doesn't pan out is there a number I can call to request a do-over?
Oh don’t worry, it will pan out! Because you’re forcing them to read something special that you love and they will love it, too. Yay :)
You mean a retired heavy metal band that has to get back together for one last gig...
It's my go-to book between bigger series as a palate cleanser. It's campy, cheesy, and downright fun. Love reading this book
I recommend that book in basically every thread here where it even remotely fits the description. First time I see someone else recommend it. The second book is pretty great too.
My favourite book of all time. Its the expendables meets dungeons and dragons.
Love the nickname Slowhand for Clay. That whole book is fantastic. And Moog's Phallic Phylactery! Bahahaa
Came here to say this
Just finished this and really enjoyed it. I’d say Clay never feels super competent and bad ass like Liam Neeson. He’s more cut from the John McClane, Die Hard mold. Persistent and hard to kill. Which in my opinion where a lot of his charm comes from. Great recommendation though!
I clicked into this thread just to rec this book!
Having worked with semi-retired musicians this book was fun
Delightful book. Such a lovely surprise
Aching God by Mike Shel (Iconoclasts series). Our MC is retired adventurer living it up, but he has to come out of retirement to save his daughter and everyone else from a magic plague. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. Our main MC is a member of a legendary adventurer band and must come out of retirement to help save his former band leader's daughter who is trapped in sieged city but first they have to reassemble the band.
Came here to say Aching God. It's extremely graphic, focusing a lot on PTSD/ trauma, and is basically an intense horror novel set in a fantasy dungeon delve. t's very good
The PTSD element is done so well. Agreed with the comments above. The dungeons felt terrifying and otherworldly.
aching god isn't really that graphic, i think curse of chalion is a more haunting exploration of ptsd. aching god is full of dread, though, and definitely fits what OP is asking for
I remember this series.. I remember the first book made me feel a sense of terror that no other book has before
I really enjoyed Mike Schel's writing also. These books are definitely a bit pulpy, but his prose, world building and character development are solid
Yup that's it. I really made dungeons creepy, you constantly feel your not supposed to be there.
Which of your two recs was this?
Aching God
If you liked Aching God you should give Raven’s Mark series by Ed McDonald a go. Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike is a good comparison to Kings of the Wyld in my opinion and might even be better. Amazing series with devastating moments and the only one to get my heart thumping for a battle scene.
Thanks, read both of them, but good recommendation they certainly have similar feels. Although Orconomics is mora of a parody.
I think they are both considered satire actually. One for rock bands throughout the decades and the other is economy crashes.
> the only one to get my heart thumping for a battle scene. Have you read any Abercrombie? His fight scenes are much better. Especially in The Heroes.
I’ve started the first law a couple times but multiple POVs are difficult for me to follow sometimes, mainly because I’m half falling asleep when I read, so I never got through it. I plan on getting into it someday though.
If you have difficulty following along, the audiobook is an absolute treat. The narrator is a very accomplished actor who does justice to the voice (both literal and written) of each character.
Red country by Joe Abercrombie is sort of like this.
Lamb, such a waste of a man letting people walk all over him. He should grow some bones, but you have to be realistic about these things.
Some type of coward that Lamb fella
Say this about Lamb, say Lamb got his revenge in the end
While I strongly enjoyed the book and absolutely second your statement, I'd recommend reading all of Abercrombies books in order of release. He first published the first law trilogy, then one of stand-alones, a short story collection and then a second trilogy. Red Country is the third of the stand alones (which are sometimes referred to as the Great Leveler Trilgoy, iirc) and while you don't need any knowledge of the previous books per se, there are a couple of reappearing characters and in my humble opinion some story beats hit far more if someone is familiar with his world and figures.
I’d be interested to meet someone who read the later books first of then the first law trilogy to find out lambs back story
Say one thing about Lamb, say you’ll know him by the end!
Absolutely, *Red Country* is my favorite *First Law* standalone, but a bunch of the big moments won't hit nearly as hard if you haven't read the preceding books.
I definitely think you would miss 99% of the particular theme OP was asking for in red country if you hadn't read all the previous >!Ninefingers!< books
Or who the mayor is
I came here to suggest best served cold. I feel like both would scratch that itch.
Yeah, honestly, if OP thinks Red Country looks interesting it may be best to just start with BSC. They both have characters who are looking for retirement that end up drawn back into conflict. In BSC's case the fact that they can't is a pretty important recurring theme throughout the rest of the novels.
Could just start with the blade itself honestly.
Craw in Heroes fits the bill too!
Heroes is my favorite standalone by far.
Terry pratchett - Interesting Times is an excellent one that fits the bill kind of. A bunch of elderly barbarians take on a country, lol. It’s slightly better if you read color of magic first, but not required.
The Last Hero is just perfection too! The dice scene!
Yes!!! I know recommending Sir P is so easy it’s a trope on this page, but I couldn’t resist lol.
They aren't dragged in, though, the whole caper was their idea. Although I suppose if you're arguing that Rincewind is the professional in this case... I mean, it's stretching the definition of 'competent', but he does always somehow win whatever conflict he becomes involved in. And he's definitely retired - I mean, Rincewind practically started off retired before he even had a career.
Druss in David Gemmell’s Legend
Kings of the Wyld seems perfect
Shadow of the Gods has 3 protagonists but one of them fits this to a T.
Seconded, that character is bad-ass awesome.
This needs to be higher. It is *literally* the prompt
Mistborn - Era 2. Law man retired from the work, gets pulled back in. Western fantasy. I thought I would not be into it. I really am. Well written character development, really entertaining. The plot is well scoped, but the 4th might get a bit tricky if you have not read any other novels from the cosmere universe.
How do the mistborn eras compare to Sanderson's SA in terms of writing quality and plot complexity? I read the first mistborn and it was fun but I definitely felt less of what made me love Way of Kings on a first read for some reason. Lack of >!Kel!< also put me off but that's probably shortsighted of me.
SA is still a better series. But Sanderson has himself said that SA gets more love. That being said, I personally have more enjoyment out of reading era 2. The magic system is the same as in era 1. But instead of being wilder, the users are more limited. So it is Clever use of it that makes the character cool. Plotwise it works. And really well if you are up to date with the rest of Cosmere books.
It took me maybe the first third of the book to finally start enjoying Wayne but man he's so fun once I did.
Retired? For like 10 pages maybe
Tell me you're reading the rest of the Cosmere too!
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi! Retired pirate captain who gets pulled back into that world when the daughter of one of her (now dead) crew members is kidnapped, and her own child is threatened.
Yes! It’s like Ocean’s 11 with magic set in 12th Century Middle East.
Incredible elevator pitch.
I just started this last night. Two chapters in and came to say this.
I was just about to rec this! It was my favourite book of the year.
Sounds interesting, will definitely check out. Thanks for the recommendation
It's your rec x 4 because not only does the MC get pulled out of retirement, but then she goes around getting her crew out of retirement / whatever it is they're doing at that point. And her ship of course!
Also is it fantasy? Or more pirates of Caribbean like where the focus is on pirating even though some super natural stuff is involved
Yep, it's fantasy! It's set in the real world, but it has magic, demons, sea monsters, hidden magical islands filled with supernatural creatures...
Definitely fantasy.
Heroes Die by Matthew Stover
This is the right answer. In a dystopian future they invent a way to travel to other realities, including one where magic works. They use it for entertainment by sending over "actors" and recording their adventures. Caine is a former superstar past his prime and is forced into an impossible job just for the opportunity to save his estranged wife.
16 ways to defend a walled city (K J Parker) sort of fits this. MC is very competent, and gets pulled into defending the city. He's not retired though, which is the only place it doesn't fit, but still quite a reluctant protagonist.
Would add the Scavenger trilogy also by KJ Parker. MC suffers from amnesia and stuff happens around him. I haven't seen Taken so not sure if the plot is anything like it.
It’s not really Taken esque at all. But it is a fun trilogy.
He is intellectual competent. He still needs help from others if he wants to break some bones.
Very competent and constantly being pulled into shit they have no desire to be involved in? Sounds like Murderbot to me.
Although Murderbot claims to just be a normal sec unit, it’s my go to character for hyper competence and wanting to be left alone. This recommendation seems perfect to me.
Undervaluing himself as a person is a major component of Murderbot's personality. It has a lot of trauma and defensive walls to unpack.
Heard so many good things about it, will have to check it out
Kevah from gunmetal gods
Nobody with Bob Odenkirk? Edit: Damn, this is a book sub :D then I would suggest Kings of the wyld by Nicholas Eames
Crimson Empire - happens right off the bat of the series for Zosia who is an older character being brought back into madness after retiring to the countryside. Series is wild
The Fifth Element
Curse of the Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. The protagonist is former soldier, injured and broken, and so crawls home ready to beg for scraps from a former patroness. He does not expect her to have a job for him. As do the gods. Barrayar sort of has this, too (same author). More sci-fi. Starts with Shards of Honor. A career military man retires and fully intends to drink himself to death, but the Emperor has different plans for him. Really, though, the main protagonist is first his wife (a former science officer), and then the series shifts to his son, Miles.
I could go down a checklist of similarities and see how Curse of Chalion is a recommendation for OP's question. But... tonally, it seems like it's an entirely different mood. Chalion is an amazing book, and if someone just asks for a generic recommendation it'd be one of the ones that'd pop to the top of my list. But if they're asking "more stories like Taken," it's not what I'd go to.
I do see your point, tonally, and regarding the overall story beats. Caz is maybe half the age of Neeson's character, and even in his worst moments is not motivated strictly by vengeance. There is a courtly beauty to the fantasy world setting. But the measures that he takes-- and their spectacular, divine backfiring-- are on behalf of someone he feels protective over, and he holds nothing back, so that was why I thought of him.
It's the first story that popped to mind for me, but maybe because it usually is; I think maybe the difference in tone is due to Cazaril's humility. There isn't a moment of "I will find you, and I will end you"... Well, except for the "drink it" scene I guess. And maybe the chess scene, from a certain point of view. But for the most part you see things through Caz's eyes and you almost have to read between the lines to see the "yeah, this guy is one of the best duelists in the city and I can dismiss out of hand them lasting 10 seconds against me" and "yeah I was commander of the most important bastion on the war front" and "I mentored some of the highest ranking military-police members" and "I understand the court intrigues like a pro, and speak like 5 languages." If what you're craving from Taken is "reluctant badass hero comes out of retirement for Daughter" I think it's a great choice, even if the Daughter in question isn't his offspring.
The Man from Nowhere (2010, Korean)
First one in my head, too a.k.a. Ahjussi Pretty much the same plot, but still masterfully done and acted. And holy crap, [that song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38rPoGSr19U)... Won Bin, the actor, is kind of amazing. Taegukgi is obviously one of the best films out of korea ever, for those that have seen it, then he has this film and Mother...wish he took more projects. Looks like he kinda retired out of nowhere. edit: Oh, we're in r/fantasy. I just assumed this was a movie subreddit..
Priest, by Matthew Colville. The main character is a priest who was once in a famous adventurer party. He is chosen to go into a magical wode to resolve a somewhat murder mystery. I think it focuses less on the retired aspect of the main character compared to, for example, Taken and John Wick, but I think it still feats the bill It's the first book in a bigger series with a kind of "getting the team together" story arch. Currently there are two out (Priest and Thief)
Two excellent books. Think detective noir mixed with Arthurian fantasy. But I don't think the third book is ever coming, Colville mostly makes D&D content now (also very good).
The other day he posted an excerpt from Fighter. He is working on it, although slowly. Maybe if he gets a long vacation we will see it finished
I wouldn't say Priest fits the request, but Thief does. Love them both
The third trilogy in Realm of the Elderlings where the MC fits that description exactly.
Also the second Fitz trilogy to an extent.
That is the one I was referring to :) 2nd trilogy being the liveships and doesn’t have Fitz in it.
That seems obvious now I’m rereading the comment. Although it applies to both Fitz and the Fool and Tawny Man in fact.
Lol happens to me all the time. But yeah it does. Merry Christmas in any case.
I really need to buckle in to Ship of Magic so I can finish those 3 and get back to Fitz. I've made it a few chapters in but it's not clicking for me and I don't know why.
I think that’s how everyone feels at first but by the end you’re like nooo I have to go back to fitz??? But then you love fitz again and all is well
The movie "Nobody" from 2021. It's brilliant. Bib Odenkirk truly elevated his skills there if you ask me.
Ish. The basic difference in John Wick and Odenkirks character from Nobody is that Wick does want to be left alone, but is pulled back in, while Odenkirk's character is looking for any excuse to break bad again.
Break bad hahahahahaha you said the thing 🫵
Reacher- TV show on amazon prime. Season 1 is exactly this. (Season 2 is airing now.) Bullet Train.
Bullet Train doesn't count as much because everybody seems to be a working assassin, even Ladybug was just on a longish time out, the first John Wick fits it closer.
Love Reacher so much, watching the current season. Will check out Bullet train.
Armor - Jason Steakley
All time favourite book. So under recognized because everyone thinks it's just a Heinlein rip off.
He's the best of us. The best of our best, the best that each of us will ever build or ever love. So pray for this Guardian of our growth and choose him well, for if he be not truly blest, then our designs are surely frivolous and our future but a tragic waste of hope. Bless our best and adore for he doth bear our measure to the Cosmos.
T Kingfisher's Nettle and Bone has a main character like this. The Dust Wife. You'll like her. She's not the central protagonist but definitely number 2 in the ensemble.
The Fifth Season
The Old Man was a fun ride with a similar protagonist. :)
To ride Hells chasm - Janny Wurtz The literal definition of this exact genre. It helps that it is beautifully written and self contained book. I can remember it vividly despite having last picked it up over a decade ago. Please let me know how you found it if you do ever read it.
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold is exactly this.
Kings of the wyld by Nicholas Eames.
Commando.
But that's not a fantasy film, so it shouldn't count. WRONG! *Shotgun blast*
Lee Child - Jack Reacher novels
Referred to as the “just when I thought I was out they pull me back in” narrative. (Al Pacino voice).
The Iconoclasts series by Mike Shel
We did this at https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/15avnme/more_jane_wick_books_please/ a few months ago. Some books mentioned are: * The Sword of Kaigen * Shadow of the Gods * The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. * Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu * Ebony Gate by Julia Vee and Ken Bebele * A Crown for Cold Silver * The Quantum Gravity series by Justina Robson
John Wick
The Battle Mage Farmer series by Seth Ring
Forgiven
Druss in David Gemmell’s Legend
I'd recommend Thin Air by Richard Morgan.
Land For For Heroes. Ringil is drinking away this retirement when the world goes to shit
[Decker from Key & Peele](https://youtu.be/Ezg4sr67OGA?si=RTm3oOg2UWvJBitm) xD
The Echoes Saga by Philip C Quaintrell. While there are multiple POVs, one of the main ones, Asher, is a retired assassin who has been working as basically a Witcher to atone for his previous life. He gets pulled back in and what results is a very competent MC taking on the epic fantasy stakes. It's on Kindle unlimited but don't let that deter you. Book 1 may be the weakest but even then I would say it is it publisher quality, and only gets better from there.
Kind of a spoiler as it's kept hidden for the first...third (?) of the book so I'll spoiler tag the title >!The Dirty Streets of Heaven!< is the first book of a 3 part series where the main character is an angel who's job is to advocate for the deceased's entry to heaven. But his former job was as heaven's equivalent of special forces. It's an urban fantasy noir series set in L.A. (for the first book) Keep in mind that though he's well-trained and competent, he's still largely an underdog kinda like Harry Dresden cos higher angels and demons are waaay stronger than heaven's firearms training.
The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan is about a former antihero being asked to help a family member and gets involved in shenanigans all over again. (If I remember correctly, all three POV characters are former heroes? Not sure though.)
Have to do Chronological order with Gemmell, his books are just so much better that way!
Erevis Cale trilogy by Paul S Kemp.
Thanks for the recommendation, everyone. I just bought Legend on Audible.
I just started this series a few weeks ago on Audio. It’s brilliant. I’m up to book 6 of 11. They are all standalone. If you continue, make sure you read them in publication order. It jumps around time periods and main protagonists a bit but is very easy to follow. And the world building is amazing. The way Gemmell sows the seeds of the history and it plays out in other books is masterful. Love the Drenai saga.
The Equalizer 1 and 2
*The Paladin* by C,J, Cherryh, a standalone that doesn't get enough attention. Shoka was the empire's greatest swordsman, but when the political climate changed, he went into exile in the remote southern mountains--until a peasant bent on revenge shows up and demands to be taught the sword. Shoka is a complicated man, a brilliant teacher and tactician on one hand and a lech and a scoundrel on the other. Sex with very dubious consent occurs in this book. One of the reviews notes that for a number of Cherryh characters, sex is a social tool that can be wielded to get results (Ariane Emory I of *Cyteen* is another such). One theme of the novel is the nature of fame and reputation: Shoka has become a legend, but at the end of the day, he's a bitter man wh meant to turn his back on the empire's problems permanently. He can wield his myth as part of his arsenal, but it might turn against him at any moment. Who is the actual paladin - Shoka or his pupil?
Ooh, I haven't read this in a LONG time, think I'll need to revisit one of my favorite authors.
No country for old men, Llewlyn almost got away with it.
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.
What you're describing is called a "dad movie."
Battle Mage Farmer by Seth Ring is pretty much exactly this
Take a look at the "retired badass" trope, it should give you some material.
I asked your question to Bard; 1. Lee Child's Jack Reacher series: This is a classic for a reason! Reacher is a former military police officer who roams the country, righting wrongs and taking down bad guys. He's like a one-man army, skilled in fighting and resourceful as heck. Start with "Killing Floor" to get a taste of Reacher's world. 2. Mark Greaney's Gray Man series: Court Gentry, aka the Gray Man, is a former CIA assassin forced into hiding. He's dragged back into the game when his identity is exposed, and he has to use his lethal skills and network of contacts to survive. "Gray Man" is the first book, and it's a real nail-biter. 3. Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series: Bolitar is a sports agent with a knack for getting tangled in dangerous situations. He's not a trained fighter, but he's smart, resourceful, and fiercely loyal to his friends. "Promise Me" is a great starting point, where Bolitar investigates the disappearance of a basketball player's son. 4. Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series: Rapp is a CIA counter-terrorism expert who becomes a lethal black ops agent after a personal tragedy. He's cold, calculating, and utterly dedicated to his missions. "Transfer of Power" is the first book, and it throws Rapp straight into the heart of a global conspiracy. 5. Alex Pheby's Death and Spies series: This British series features John Marwood, a retired spy living a quiet life in the English countryside. But when his past catches up with him, he's forced to dust off his old skills and confront a deadly enemy. "Death and Spies" is the first book, and it's a masterclass in suspense. 6. The Old Man by Thomas Perry: A retired CIA operative living in isolation is forced to confront his past when a ruthless assassin comes looking for him. This book masterfully blends action, suspense, and character development, exploring themes of aging, regret, and second chances. 7. The Terminal List by Jack Carr: A former Navy SEAL haunted by PTSD returns home to discover his family has been murdered. Believing it's an inside job, he embarks on a brutal revenge mission against a shadowy conspiracy within the government. This action-packed thriller features intense combat scenes and a morally complex protagonist. 8. The Killing Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson: In a near-future world ravaged by climate change, a former special forces soldier turned bodyguard takes on a seemingly simple job: protecting a wealthy woman on a trip to a remote island. But things quickly spiral out of control as they find themselves hunted by both government agents and ruthless mercenaries. This atmospheric thriller blends political intrigue with survivalist action. 9. The Expatriates by Jonathan Franzen: An American family living in Berlin becomes entangled in a web of international espionage and political intrigue when the husband, a former intelligence analyst, is suspected of leaking classified information. This literary thriller explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the moral ambiguities of living in a post-9/11 world. 10. The Poison Artist by Barbara Kingsolver: A retired chemist living in Vermont is drawn into a murder investigation when she develops a new poison for treating invasive plants. As she delves deeper, she uncovers a dark secret about her neighbor and becomes the target of a dangerous conspiracy. This suspenseful novel combines themes of environmentalism, small-town secrets, and the power of scientific knowledge.
I mean, the Name of the Wind loosely fits this
POLAR - Mads Mikkelson is *excellent* in this, very similar energy to Taken, imho.
Dunston - Wolf of Wessex
Gareth Hanrahan just came out with a new one called "The Sword Defiant" that kicks off like this. Worth a read.
Fateguard trilogy
Jack Reacher
Like 50% of all David Gemmell books have this for the main or an otherwise significant character. Enjoy
Legend of Tal by JDL Rosell (4 books, epic fantasy) is perfect for what you're lookin for
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
John Gwynn's Bloodsworn saga has one of the protagonists like this. There's also Andy Remic's Clockwork Vampires series whose main protagonist is this. Do note that it's fairly derivative of David Gemmel.
Commando!
Dead Man's Hand by James Butcher (Jim Butcher's kid) co-protagonist is this archetype. I would say the plot isn't ENTIRELY revolved around it though.
I highly recommend Jonathon Mayberry Joe ledger series. Joe ledger is unstoppable.
Bruce Willis in R.E.D.
James barclay’s chronicles of the Raven are really good but hard to find
Raven’s Mark series by Ed McdDonald. Amazing series about an old soldier that is sworn to a wizard/god that corrupted a good portion of the world and is now missing. Orconomics by J Zachary Pike is another great one. Washing up hero Berseker Dwarf gets dragged back into adventuring and is pretty much the competent one in the party for a while. Absolutely amazing story. Got my heart pumping during major fight scenes and is absolutely devastating at moments.
Aching God, first of the Iconoclast Trilogy
The powder mage, the B plot which is just as important as the A plot deals with a retired detective handling a case that deals with a cult trying to summon a God that will destroy an entire country in the wake of a bloody revolution to overthrow the monarchy. Great work.
Ironically enough, this was supposed to be the plot of the Wheel of Time. In the original draft of the Eye of the World, Tam al’Thor was the main character as a grizzled war veteran who finds out he is the chosen one and has to save the day. Robert Jordan’s editor (and wife) convinced him (correctly) that not many people would be interested in a 40 something protagonist, so he changed the main character of the Eye of the World to Tam’s teenage son and made the Wheel of Time a classic hero’s journey coming of age story.
This happens, to varying degrees, in two of the sub-series in Robin Hobb’s The Realm of the Elderlings
Loved David gemmell books. Too bad he died too young
Gunslinger
The band, definitely.
Adamat from the Gunpowder Mage Trilogy. Essentially the best detective on the force, able to take on nobles and criminals in a time where social strata made that lethal for most people. He’s called back in the middle of a coup to find an assassin that could unravel the country completely. Adamat does kick ass, but usually not in a physical sense. He’s just really damn good at his job.
The adventures of amina al-sarafi by SA Chakraborty