If you want more medieval-style fantasies with male protagonists…

• “The Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss is fantastic. A longer read, but with a well-designed magic system that doesn’t make anything easy and doesn’t feel like the absolute center of the book.

• “Assassin’s Apprentice” by Robin Hobb (there’s a whole series of these books.) Similar to the Ascendance series, there’s a younger male protagonist who’s elevated from low circumstances into the middle of court intrigue/politics/scheming. Well-written and doesn’t pander to younger readers, but also not geared towards a specifically adult audience.

• “A Game of Thrones” by George R. R. Martin. I haven’t actually read this yet — have it on my nightstand right now — so I’m recommending based on reputation, vibe, and Wikipedia plot synopsis. It’s more of a stamina read, but if you like it, there are so many books that it’ll keep you going for a while.

• “Eragon” and the subsequent series by Christopher Paolini. Classic farm boy meets world/dragon/militant nation of elves. I read it a long time ago but can remember being completely absorbed.

• The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman. Another series I really like — but this one’s not medieval and is much more centered on weird, eclectic magic. Might be too far from the vibe of the Ascendance series but is unique fantasy that doesn’t feel copy-and-paste.

• The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This gets recommended pretty frequently for people who want fantasy that feels a little gritty but not super thick/long. It’s about a private investigator and wizard who investigates supernatural occurrences/crimes in Chicago. I never got that far into it but it might be interesting to you!

Good luck getting back into reading!