Paladin Of Souls

Paladin of Souls is the only book I know of featuring a middle-aged, retired queen on a pilgrimage, who is chalked up as mad—though personally I think she's just bored and tired of being shoved aside. Ista is everything you need in a hero: complex and powerful in surprising ways. My favorite part of Ista's story is that she's not young and foolish (though her entourage does question her sanity at times). She is sensible resolute, and noble; just haunted. She knows how to get things done, and does it without all the fluttering of a younger heroine. She starts off with no real power or even purpose really, but the power she finds is divine rather than political and her purpose is conquering demons of the very real variety. Bujold has a way of taking an epic fantasy ride, and taking it deeper; making it more personal and significant. It's no wonder this masterpiece has landed Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards for Best Novel.