A Crown for Cold Silver: Book One of the Crimson Empire

Action-packed epic fantasy from a bold new voice in the genre - a retired warrior returns to battle to seek revenge for a terrible blow, old friends and old enemies will pay the price. Now in paperback

Written under a pseudonym by a vivid narrative voice with a fertile imagination, this has lots of trope bending, plotting, and crispy dialogue. It's the start of a multi-volume saga with a middle-aged bi-sexual woman as the main protagonist and a cast of striking characters.
An excellent read while waiting for George R. R. Martin to finish his next book. :)
ps I recommend printing out this map to follow the cast on their journeys through this richly built world: http://tinyurl.com/pqywjax