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They don’t really fit the criteria from op, but they’re both must reads
They don’t really fit the criteria from op, but they’re both must reads
My 3 main recommendations were already mentioned but I’ll mention them again for visibility.
Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. There are actually multiple main characters, but the world building is top notch. I haven’t finished the series yet (it’s my “read during lunch” series atm) but so far there are 2 male main characters in the 18-25ish range
The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. The main character starts around 12 and there are arguably multiple main characters, but it’s a damn good series. Think ancient Rome but everyone controls elementals
Lightbringer by Brent Weeks. A fantastic series where the government and religions of the world are built around the magic system. The series happens over a few years but the main character starts at around 15
Since I mentioned Lightbringer I also want to mention The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. It’s a dark fantasy series featuring magically gifted assassins. Most of the good guys are criminals and murderers. It’s a brutal series with an excellent cast of characters and a world that feels like it’s been through hell. The main character starts off as a kid, but is in his 20s by the end of the series
If you don’t mind a somewhat bleak post apocalyptic book, I really liked Metro 2033 by Dmitri Glukhovsky.
There’s a game series based on it too, but you asked for books and I haven’t played the games
Nuking your comments doesn’t hurt Reddit or Spez, it just hurts other users who are looking for the answers that you gave. If you want to leave Reddit, it’s better to just leave
But I like my pants…
Around the point where you start looking for excuses not to read it and need to force your way through it