Foreboding discovery of a main character’s past - in-depth book discussion and recommendations request

Jubilee
2021-12-23T21:19:03Z

Hoping to generate discussion and have a few books recommended that have some of the following characteristics:

foreboding discovery of a main character’s past

a plot conflict that with a focus other than war or physical/political fighting

preferable plot conflict examples: exploration, escape, grand heist, obtaining wisdom, treasure hunt

undercurrent of a great unused power or magic that has been long lost

btw, I’m borrowing this format from r/Fantasy

Books I have liked:
Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law series
Samantha Shannon The Priory of the Orange Tree
Michael Crichton The Eaters of the Dead
Lara Prior-Palmer (non-fiction) Rough Magic
Arthur C. Clarke (sci-fi) Rendezvous with Rama
Neal Stephenson (sci-fi) Anathem
Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive series

Traits like prose, characters, or settings you most enjoy:
Settings within the wilderness, crypts, large buildings/structures, caverns are all great.

Series vs. standalone preference:
No real preference, but longer is better I suppose.

Tone preference (lighthearted, grimdark, etc):
No strong preference, but mystical, ancient, and dark comes to mind.

Complexity/depth level:
Preferably on the more intricate side.

Thank you, let’s chat!

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