Fantasy With Older Heroes Who Have Already Lived a Life

The past should give a fantasy hero more than an impressive name. These 25 books put experience to work: old friendships that still matter, responsibilities that cannot simply be abandoned, skills earned over years and bodies that occasionally object to the itinerary. The range runs from middle age to much later life, with older women as well as men at the centre. Some are ensembles with younger companions; one lets an elderly storyteller recover the heroism of her own past. There are cheerful reunions, dangerous second chances and some thoroughly unrepentant old rogues. Choose according to the kind of return journey you fancy, rather than expecting every veteran to be a role model.