Does a book like this even exist?

[Mona]

Andre Norton...timeless

[Art]

An easy start for Norton might be "The Tine Traders",J.

[Art]

It's available free through Project Gutenburg.

[carol.]

If you are looking for adult high fantasy, I'd suggest Katharine Kerr's Deverry series. I think the first isDaggerspell. Very detailed world building. It is somewhat based on Old Welsh with a horse and castle society. One of the leads is Jill, a 'bastard' daughter of a master swordsman-for-hire. It's not misogynistic, but it is semi-realistic in adult themes. However, it's different from many high fantasies in that it isn't romantacised medieval fantasy. I like the early ones quite a bit.

[Brenda]

CURSE OF CHALION, by Lois Bujold. You can't miss.

[Carly]

Did you read the Mistborn series(Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set)? It's also by Sanderson and has many of the same characteristics as TWoK.

Terry Pratchett is (very) technically a high-fantasy writer. He is a humorist/satirist who tends, in his later books at least, to tackle big ideas. Monstrous Regiment might be worth a look.

And I second The Curse of Chalion--high fantasy based on Iberian rather than Celtic culture.

[Francis]

Kate Elliott writes very well with very strong female characters.

[Ben]

I can't remember it well enough to be sure it fits all criteria, but Paladin of Souls from the Chalion series comes to mind.

[Sabrina]

Tad William's 'Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn' series and Paul Kidd's Justicar series starting with 'White Plume Mountain'.

[Mona]

Have you triedDoranna Durgin? She's written some amazing fantasy, good world building and writing skills. Dun's Lady Jess comes to mind but there are many more

[Jim]

Have you thought of theThe Complete Lyonesse
I rate it as some of his best work. It came out as three books but you can now buy it as a single volume

[Janny]

J wrote: "I grew up reading every YA fantasy book I could get my hands on in my local library. I only recently got back into reading adult fantasy, but I find that much of what I loved most about YA fantasy..."

I might suggest you look at works by Barbara Hambly, C. J. Cherryh's Fortress in the Eye of Time, works by Patricia A. McKillip, Guy Gavriel Kay'sThe Lions of al-Rassan, and Carol Berg's Song of the Beast. Any of these have all the intricacy and depth you might wish for. You also might look into R. A. MacAvoy's Tea with the Black Dragon, and her Damiano series.

[Cat]

Try Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth Series. It's an easy series to get into for YA readers. Michelle Sagara West's Sundered series. Judith Tarr's Alamut and the sequel "The Dagger and the Cross"

The novels I've recommended feature great characterizations and a strong romantic relationship between the main protagonists :)

[Adriaan]

Some great suggestions so far - Bujold, of course, and I'd second Hambly & Cherryh.

You might also like Melanie Rawn - Starting with Dragon Prince.