A review by tinyelfarcanist
The Merchant Prince by Johan Faire

adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Note: Did I buy this book because Timothée Chalamet is on the cover? Yes. Do I regret it? No.

'Venocia is a city that can't feed itself.'

I was ready to shower praise on this debut indie novel. I could easily believe a more experienced author wrote this; the world is richly fleshed out with multiple religions and customs. It could do with a little more editing but I can overlook it.

Its most recurrent problem was sexism, which I tried to ascribe to the setting of the story. But it's more than that: 
  • Most female characters had to be described by their beauty or their weight. 
  • The protagonist keeps patronizing his wife even after she complains about it. 
  • It makes light of rape and the protagonist even exposes a rape victim making her tend to a man who's shown interest in her.

Ableism is heavy, and although the character is put in a good light, other characters have strong opinions about people born with certain deformities. This character doesn't seem to be relevant apart from being a world-building tool, but I expect him to be more prominent if the story is continued.

What I couldn't stand was the blatant homophobia. Gay men are portrayed as nasty pedophiles with daddy issues and prone to anger. I won't repeat the slur mentioned in one character's thoughts about one of them.

It all gets a little bit preachy when the most lauded character at the end is a religious zealot.

When I started this book, it had the potential to be a 5-star reading and the author to become one of my favorites. By the time I got to the last chapter, I was infuriated. I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt as I really enjoyed his writing style and hope all these problematic postures are just an oversight on his part and not a reflection of his views.
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