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sincere_mammoth 's review for:
Blood Song
by Anthony Ryan
I gave up on this book not because it was bad. In many ways this book is very well written, the characters well rounded, and the setting unique. Normally this type of book would be one of my favorites, and in some ways it was hard to put down. But I just can't get over its treatment of female characters.
It's not that the book treats them awfully, nor is it that there is a lack of female characters. I've read many books that have annoyed me with its sexism or their inability to see the potential of their women characters, but there was just something about this book that I couldn't stomach. Maybe it was that every female character who appeared was in some way a damsel or in some way a caretaker. Maybe it was that you could easily tell if you were supposed to like a female character based solely on if she was attractive (not just pretty, mind you, but exceptionally beautiful). Maybe it was that the empire is based upon an extensive military rule but women only showed up in the healing division. Maybe it was that, unlike other settings where the sexism is clearly ingrained in the society (such as in ASOIAF), the author seemed blind to the sexism that appears in his book. Maybe I just have no more patience for a modern day author who can't be bothered create characters who aren't white, heterosexual, cis-males.
A friend of mine said that after looking on message boards that there aren't any good female characters that show up later, so I've lost the will to continue reading it. Maybe the people on the message boards are wrong. Maybe in later books the author improves in his diversity. Until I hear this, I'm shelving this book away into the 'In many ways good, but not for me' pile.
It's not that the book treats them awfully, nor is it that there is a lack of female characters. I've read many books that have annoyed me with its sexism or their inability to see the potential of their women characters, but there was just something about this book that I couldn't stomach. Maybe it was that every female character who appeared was in some way a damsel or in some way a caretaker. Maybe it was that you could easily tell if you were supposed to like a female character based solely on if she was attractive (not just pretty, mind you, but exceptionally beautiful). Maybe it was that the empire is based upon an extensive military rule but women only showed up in the healing division. Maybe it was that, unlike other settings where the sexism is clearly ingrained in the society (such as in ASOIAF), the author seemed blind to the sexism that appears in his book. Maybe I just have no more patience for a modern day author who can't be bothered create characters who aren't white, heterosexual, cis-males.
A friend of mine said that after looking on message boards that there aren't any good female characters that show up later, so I've lost the will to continue reading it. Maybe the people on the message boards are wrong. Maybe in later books the author improves in his diversity. Until I hear this, I'm shelving this book away into the 'In many ways good, but not for me' pile.