A review by weltengaengerin
The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The world is dark and fantastic and I can't wait to see what happens next. It's a slow burn in the beginning with lengthy introduction to 3 great characters. That takes time but I loved the relationship this built between reader and character. 

There could occassionally be a little more show not tell. e. g. one character hast to constantly rebuke male attention that's above and beyond fun and she just has very little feelings about a roadtrip where a man constantly tries to push her for sex she doesn't want. Like surely she must feel something here. Show, don't tell.

Same with another character that has a very hard lot in life and we never feel a lot of his emotions. 

That said, the book is also a typical "women written by men" story and also the main point why I deduct 1.5 stars. Like, big big big SPOILERS ahead

A woman who is 27 and kept her virgonity gets raped on the road by bandits and a few days later she actively wants to have sex with someone ... how is that realistic? With her trauma she should not want to be touched at all
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