Recommend me Fantasy or Sci-Fi books where the MC doesn’t rely on luck to survive as he grows

I’m tired of reading fantasy books where the MC, while very smart and resourceful, gets to a point where a “just in time someone arrives” or “out of the blue something happens that saves him”.

I’m finishing the Powder Mage Trilogy, and it’s full of those things, and it’s so annoying. Before that, I read a The Ferryman by Justin Cronin, and that also happens several times.

I want MCs that plan ahead, that think twice, that move things the way they want.

Thanks!

by Cogcurt