Don't get me wrong, Jordan is fine and all. WoT is a great story, with lots of laughs, surprises, and a plot line that makes my head hurt (in a good way). But I grew up reading the first few books in high school and as I've grown older, I've become less enthused as each book is released. It's too long and much of books 6-10 is rather superfluous.
I like reading fantasy and am always on a search for the "next big epic". Unfortunately, that means I've also read a fair share of badly written...crap. However, one advantage of that experience is that I've learned both a healthy bit of skepticism and the kinds of things that really titillate the INTP psyche. It is with that experience that I heartily recommend my favorite (fantasy) author of the last decade, Michelle West.
A female fantasy author - don't they just write sappy romance or modern vampire novels catering to young teenage girls? Well, some of them do. Some of them are even good at it. However, Michelle West has written under a couple of different pen names with a variety of styles. Here's a quick list:
Michelle West
Hunter's Oath/Death (duology)
Sun Sword (series of 6 books, set in the same universe of Hunter's)
The House War (series of 4 books, the first recently published, same universe as Hunter's)
Michelle Sagara
Cast series (series of 5 books, 4 published)
Michelle Sagara West
Sundered series (4 books) reprinted
If you're looking for epic fantasy on par with Martin or (dare I say) Jordan, then check out the books by Michelle West. Her prose can sometimes drift into the ostentatious, but it's subtle, sophisticated, and guaranteed to draw you in. The reader is *not* omniscient and there is no tell-all exposition that makes you feel like you've been spoon fed the plot. It has taken me several readings of the series to pick up all the nuance and history and there is still a lot more story to be written. Her books tend to be quite lengthy - but they *are* complete - and the series do actually resolve the main plots. Although the series could be read in any order, my suggestion would be as listed.
The Cast series by Michelle Sagara, is more of a twist on the modern police beat serial. It follows a single female protagonist who is often involved with solving a set of crimes/mysteries, although the story takes place in a fantasy setting. The novels themselves are more self-contained, but there is enough historical perspective and behind the scene machinations to maintain a sense of continuity. The pace is (obviously) much more frenetic and the mood at times quite lighthearted.
And finally, the Sundered series are Michelle's earliest works. They are a dark, often depressing account of a rather literal war between "darkness" and "light", and their avatars. It has some romantic elements, but purely on an intellectual level.
My favorites from that series are easily Doom Brigade and Draconian Measures. 
