Post-apocalyptic science fiction is fairly common, but have there been any fantasy novels set after [ominous voice] the doom that the prophecies fortold [/ominous voice] came true?
Lots of fantasy novels are based around preventing the end of ______. Are any set after the end of ______?
(This question feels fairly clear in my head, but when I try to write it out, it goes all wonky.)
Hmmm, I’m not sure if any are precisely what you want but :
In Niven’s The Magic Goes Away and sequels, the end of magic and it’s consequences are predicted and come true. Some of the stories are set after the end of magic based civilization.
The Wiz Zumwalt series is mostly set after a prophecy aquired by the chief evil wizard comes true; “A plague, a doom, a bane upon all wizards !”, which is why the first book is called Wizard’s Bane. However, this is a good thing, because the “Wizards” are doomed because Wiz develops a new, more reliable, easier, and powerful version of magic. In the process he basically saves humanity. The Wizards are obsolete, not dead, and the good ones even get retraining in the New Magic.
Some books are set in a post apocalypse world, but no prophecy is involved. The Shattered World is set on a world that has been, yes, shattered, and life magically kept alive on the world-shards. Diplomacy of Wolves is set long after a massive magical war; the world maps look like Mote Prime, all circles from all the craters. Barbara Hambly’s Darwath trilogy is set in a post apocalypse world, and it happens again. Apocalypses happen in cycles in the Wheel of Time books IIRC.
Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books are set long after a worldwrecking disaster, the Cataclysm. It almost happens again, but is greatly reduced in severity; a worldwide disaster, but not really apocalyptic ( most places ). The second Cataclysm is foretold, partially averted, and some of the books are written afterwards.
Well, not quite a prophesy, but over the course of Le Guin’s Earthsea novels, magic decreases.
And there’s always the Left Behind books, despite raving protestations by some librarygoers that they should be shelved in Nonfiction.
“Roland! Good to see you, buddy. How you doing?”
“Not to shabby, Landor. And you?”
“Good, Good. Hey you know it’s been two years to the day since we defeated the horde of Graknrrr and saved the world of man and elf from eternal damnation.”
“Well, yeah, since I was at the battle. It sure was close, wasn’t it? For a while I thought Serranna wouldn’t find the jewel and fulfill the prophecy, but she came through at the last moment. Close thing, my friend, too close.”
They pause and reflect.
“Shame about Locan. At least he died a hero’s death.”
“Yes, he did. He saved my life, Roland, and many others.”
Another pause
“Anyhoo, what brings you to town today?”
“Oh, nothing. Just running a few errands. Gotta pick up my new plow from the smithy. You going to open up your shop?”
“Yeah. I’m running late, so I’d better be going.”
“OK. Hey! since it’s victory day, why don’t we get together at the tavern after you close up. We’ll drink a toast to Locan and all those who fell that day.”
“Sounds good. I can’t stay too late, since I’ve gotta get my kid to spellcaster’s school tomorrow morning. But I should be able to grab a couple of pints of mead.”
“It’s a plan, then. I’ll see you when the bell tolls eight.”
And so on for nine volumes. I’m not sure if it will sell. (No offence to the OP I hope 
)
Nono! More like.
“It’s been two years to the day since we lost to the horde of Graknrr, damning the world of man and elf for eternity. Not so’s you’d notice.”
I just think it might be a little interesting to imagine the world after the supposed horrible, terrible, very bad thing happened. Strange considering how much I hate grim novels.
I can’t recommend them, but the Left Behind books are fantasy novels about the world after the prophecy of the rapture comes true.
Roger Taylor wrote a whole set of novels set after the downfall of the ‘dark lord’, beginning with the 4-part Chronicles of Hawklan. These books, and all his subsequent ones, dealt with defeating the various lieutenants of the DL who had survived and who re-appeared across the world luring people to do their bidding again… Towards the end of the sequence, though, I think it became clear that these new events were prophecy driven as well, leading to a more definite final battle.
But, initially, everybody at least thought that all the evil times were behind them!
I
As I’ve mentioned several times on this Board, Robert Sheckley edited a book of “Ubeat End-of-the-World stories” entitled After the Fall. I’m not sure if it meets the criteria set by the OP, sincve these were generally about the apocalypse, rather than set after it, but it’s still worth looking up. They’re hilarious!
My favorite is Philip Jose Farmer’s entry, in which God gets Cecil B. deMille to produce and direct The Apocalypse. DeMille gets Harlan Ellison to write it, because Ellison’s the only writer who isn’t afraid to argue with God. Eventually, even God gets pissed off with Ellison. He fires him and replaces him with “a hack from Peopria.”
This sorta-kinda fits the bill: Illusion, by Paula Volsky. It’s more or less a re-telling of the French Revolution, except the ruling class has held power because they are believed to have magical abilities (when, in fact, they almost universally do not). There are references to how they rose to power and saved the world from menace, but the novel is concerned with what happens now that the ruling class has gotten corrupt.
Just goes to show that I should be careful what I wish for, huh? Those books probably are the closest possible fit, but I wouldn’t touch 'em with a forty foot pole.
What the OP’s looking for is very common in fantasy lit… and it always happened a long time ago:
The Fall of Numenor, from Tolkien;
The Breaking of the World, from Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time;
The Desecration, from Stephen R. Donaldson’s Covenant books;
The Cataclysm, from the Dragonlance stories (in fact, every D&D world has a similar event in its past, from the Fall of Netheril to the Rain of Colorless Fire to, well, the Dark Sun);
And -
The Doom of Valyria, from George R.R. Martin.
I’m sure there’s more. That’s just off the top of my head.