Paladin of Souls is a strong contender for my favourite book by anyone, and is certainly one of my two favourites by Lois McMaster Bujold. It has a middle-aged female protagonist, a lot of interiority and character depth, and a compelling struggle at the heart of it.
It’s on sale for $1.99.
https://smile.amazon.com/Paladin-Souls-Chalion-Book-2-ebook/dp/B000FC138Q
I thought Curse of Chalion was better and I also like the Penric series better. But perhaps I should reread Paladin.