27 Of The Best Fantasy Books With Characters Over 30

Stephen’s god died on the longest day of the year…

Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind…

P.S. Honestly if you’re looking for some INCREDIBLE fantasy characters who are 30+, you should just check out all of T. Kingfisher’s work!

Halla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle’s estate… and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel.

When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder against everything from bandits and roving inquisitors to her own in-laws… and the sword itself may prove to be the greatest threat of all.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde excels at studying faeries but struggles with people. As a top faerie lore expert, she’s writing the first faerie encyclopedia. Emily prefers books and her dog, Shadow, over socializing.

Arriving in Hrafnsvik, she avoids the gruff villagers and her charming rival, Wendell Bambleby, who frustrates her and charms everyone else. While uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones in the forest, Emily also seeks to unravel the mystery of Wendell’s true motives. Along the way, she discovers the greatest mystery—her own heart.

In the ruthless world of court life, masters manipulate pawns, leaving no room for love. Kat, a penniless noblewoman, is offered a lifeline: a high-paying job spying on the powerful fae lord, Bastian Marwood, known as the Night Queen’s Shadow. Handsome, cunning, and ruthless, Bastian entangles Kat in a dangerous game of desire and deceit. She must uncover his secrets while protecting her own heart.

In this perilous court, survival means outsmarting everyone. A Kiss of Iron promises intrigue, a morally grey hero, and an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers romance.

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a legendary career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s retired to a peaceful life with her family.

But when a wealthy woman seeks her help to rescue her kidnapped daughter, Amina can’t resist the lure of one last adventure. With the promise of a fortune, a chance to help an old friend, and the thrill of reuniting with her crew, Amina sets sail. However, she soon discovers this job holds more danger and supernatural intrigue than she bargained for.

Hart, a marshal patrolling Tanria’s magical wilds, has plenty of time to dwell on his loneliness. Mercy, busy keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat, constantly clashes with the grumpy Hart.

Frustrated, Hart pens a letter to “A Friend,” and to his surprise, he gets a response. An unexpected friendship blossoms through their letters, unaware they are confiding in each other. As Tanria’s dangers loom closer, so does their bond. But can their romance survive when they discover their pen pal is their most infuriating nemesis?

“Happily ever after” wasn’t supposed to come with a do-over, but when my husband of twenty years leaves, that’s exactly what I get.

Seeking a fresh start, I take an unusual job as the caretaker of a centuries-old mansion in a quirky little town. My colleagues? A cape-wearing butler and an Irishwoman who loves throwing rocks at tourists. The grumpy yet handsome bartender at the local pub is a bonus. What starts as a temporary gig turns into a thrilling mystery when I uncover secrets hidden in the house. With my oddball crew, I’m in for a life I never imagined. Do-over, indeed!

P.S. If you love this book, then you’re in luck because it’s a series of ten!

After a lifetime of bounties and battles, Viv, the battle-weary orc, is hanging up her sword for good. Her dream? To open the first-ever coffee shop in Thune. But with rivals old and new, and a city that doesn’t know what coffee is, she has her work cut out for her. Viv soon realizes she can’t do it alone.

Along the way, she meets a diverse crew brought together by magic, pastries, and freshly brewed coffee. They become her partners, family, and something deeper than she ever imagined.

Better to die sharp in war than rust through peace. The Matsuda family faces a battle on multiple fronts: a mother hiding her violent past, a son grappling with his violent future, and a father blind to the dangers.

On the edge of the Kaigenese Empire, where warriors wield ice blades and command the sea, the Kusanagi Peninsula’s fighters have long defended their land. Fourteen-year-old Mamoru must master his family’s techniques before their foundation of lies crumbles. Meanwhile, Misaki, once a fierce fighter, struggles to reconcile her past as an invasion looms, awakening the warrior within. Can the Matsuda family stand united?

This is the way the world ends. . .for the last time.

It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world’s sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.

This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.

Twelve years ago, Jules Savoie broke her own heart by ending her relationship with New Orleans’ vampire overlord, Ruben Dubois, to protect others. Though they say time heals all wounds, for Ruben, it has only intensified his love for Jules. He knows she is his soulmate and refuses to wait any longer.

Reunited while fighting for the werewolf cause, their rekindled spark ignites into a blazing passion. But as they campaign from New Orleans to London, a malicious black magic attack threatens their love. Can they overcome this dark force, or will Ruben lose Jules again—this time for good?

Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world.

In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.

Mercy Thompson, a shapeshifter raised by werewolves, was banished by the pack for a forbidden love affair. Now, she runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State, using her talent for fixing cars.

Her worlds collide when a half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop, revealing himself as a newly changed werewolf struggling to control his instincts. To help him, Mercy turns to her neighbor, Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, seeking his assistance in navigating this dangerous new reality.

This is a series of 14 books, so if you like the first one, you’ll have a ton more to keep you booked!

In a world where ash falls from the sky and mist dominates the night, the oppressed skaa live in fear. Enter Vin, a young street urchin with a mysterious power. When charismatic leader Kelsier recruits her for a daring heist to overthrow the tyrannical Lord Ruler, Vin discovers her true potential as a Mistborn, a master of magical metals.

Together, they rally an unlikely team, blending high-stakes action with clever strategy. As sparks fly and secrets unfold, Vin’s journey promises epic battles and the hope of a brighter future for all.

After escaping wrongful imprisonment with the help of a vow to forsake vengeance, magical healer Blackthorn, followed by her silent companion Grim, heads north to Dalriada. Bound by duty for seven years, she must aid anyone who seeks her help. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Oran eagerly awaits his bride, Lady Flidais, believing her to be his true love from their poetic letters.

However, the real Flidais proves to be nothing like her sweet correspondence. With the strategic marriage looming, Oran turns to Blackthorn for help. Together, Blackthorn and Grim must use their courage, ingenuity, and magic to solve this treacherous dilemma.

A warlord cursed for centuries, Ballard of Ketach Tor is slowly losing his humanity to madness. But when his son returns with a woman of unparalleled beauty, hope for salvation sparks. Yet, her determined sister, Louvaen Duenda, arrives at their haunted castle, facing dark magic, vengeful sorcerers, and a sinister bloodthirsty rose.

As she battles these dangers, Louvaen must decide whether loving the proud, scarred man who harbors undying hatred will be his salvation—or his destruction. A gripping tale of vengeance, devotion, and the power of love.

Eighty-three-year-old Edna Fisher never expected to be the Chosen One, destined to save the Knights from a dragon-riding sorcerer. Armed only with knitting needles and sheer determination, she’s never faced a dragon or cast a spell, but she’s ready to leave the nursing home and protect others from the pain she’s endured.

As she battles to save the dragon-fighters, Edna uncovers dark secrets within the Knights and begins to wonder if it’s really the sorcerer who needs stopping—or the very organization she’s fighting for.

Sasha Pierce hasn’t dreamed in 25 years, but that changes when she takes a substitute teaching job in the witchy village of Old Middleton. Suddenly, she’s thrust into the fairy tale kingdom of Between, where she accidentally performs an impossible magic feat and is declared the True Queen—betrothed to the brooding sorcerer-king, Lorn.

Desperate to escape the crown and her new husband, Sasha races against time. But with dark forces threatening both worlds, she and Lorn must unite or risk unleashing chaos upon their realms.

In 1846 Rhode Island, writer Merritt Fernsby unexpectedly inherits a remote estate, but Whimbrel House has its own plans—trapping him inside. Hulda Larkin, from the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms, arrives to help tame the unruly, magical house.

As she and Merritt delve into the estate’s secrets, they grow closer, but Whimbrel House’s mysteries run deeper than expected. With dangers lurking both inside and out, Hulda and Merritt must join forces to protect the house’s enchantments—and themselves—from an unknown threat.

In this thrilling twist on the Napoleonic Wars, Captain Will Laurence’s life changes forever when his ship captures a French frigate carrying a rare dragon egg. Bonding with the newly hatched dragon, Temeraire, Laurence is thrust into the Aerial Corps, mastering the art of airborne combat.

As Napoleon’s dragon forces threaten Britain, Laurence and Temeraire must rise to defend their nation in a daring battle of fire and flight.

The world of Faerie still exists, hidden alongside our own, but when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings like October “Toby” Daye are born—half-human, half-fae, and forever outsiders.

After rejecting her fae heritage for a “normal” life, Toby is forced back into the supernatural when Countess Evening Winterrose is murdered, leaving Toby bound by a dying curse. To solve the mystery and survive, Toby must reclaim her role as knight errant, renew dangerous alliances, and navigate the treacherous fae world before time runs out.

Broken in body and spirit, Cazaril returns to the noble house he once served, now tasked with tutoring the strong-willed sister of the heir to the throne. But this role brings him back to the court of Cardegoss, where his former enemies hold power.

Yet, more dangerous than political schemes is the sinister curse looming over the House of Chalion. To protect Royesse Iselle, Cazaril must wield forbidden magic, risking his life and soul in a deadly struggle against demonic forces that could consume them all.

Twenty-five years ago, five heroes defeated the bone maker Eklor, but only four survived. Kreya, the group’s leader, now lives in isolation, determined to resurrect her dead husband, even if it means sacrificing her own life.

To accomplish this, she needs human bones—illegal in Vos, where bone workers face death for their craft. Kreya risks everything to retrieve bones from the battlefield, where her husband died. But her actions might awaken a darker force, proving that their battle isn’t truly over, and evil doesn’t end with victory.

A century has passed since the gods fought and drove themselves to extinction. Now only their bones remain, promising great power to those brave enough to seek them out.

As whispers of war echo across the land of Vigrid, fate follows in the footsteps of three warriors: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman pursuing battle fame, and a thrall seeking vengeance among the mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.

All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods.

In 1893, witches are believed to be a thing of the past, with magic reduced to simple charms. But for the Eastwood sisters—James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna—power isn’t found at the ballot box.

Joining the suffragists of New Salem, they rediscover ancient spells that could transform the women’s movement into a witch’s movement. With shadows closing in and enemies determined to stop them, the sisters must rekindle their bond, forge new alliances, and embrace the oldest magics to survive. There’s no such thing as witches—yet.

Proceed with caution, dear reader, for the study of dragons is not for the faint-hearted. Yet, the rewards are unmatched—standing in a dragon’s presence, even briefly, is an unforgettable thrill.

Isabella, Lady Trent, renowned as the world’s leading dragon naturalist, transformed the study of these magnificent creatures from myth to modern science. But before her fame, she was a bookish young woman whose passion for natural history and dragons defied societal norms. This is her story of risking everything—reputation, safety, and love—for her groundbreaking expedition to the treacherous mountains of Vystrana.

A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction–but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.