Paladin of Souls

This is a somewhat unusual story, and it's all the better for it. Famously, it has a middle-aged woman as the protagonist, which for some reason is still such a rarity in the fantasy genre. Because of this, many of its themes (such as re-establishing a purpose in later life) are more suited for “older” readers, even if they're still universally relatable.

There are a few more familiar tropes in this one as opposed to Chalion, and it feels ever so slightly overlong, but this is a very intriguing and strong novel with themes of love, war, family and honour.