Queen of the Dark Things

It could have been a 4, it could also have been a 2. 3 is my compromise and here's why.

It is exquistly written in places, particularly the parts set in the Australian outback. It has a clever engrossing story and a stunning depth of landscape. So, what is the problem?

The female characters. It could well just be me but I found them two dimensional, no depth, very little heart and virtually no personality. Every one of them is decribed solely by their looks - in relation to how attractive they are, and whether or not they are worthy of fucking. There is nothing to them, they are quite literally the series of the holes that several of the male characters describe them to be.

I'm so sick and tired of reading these stereotypical tropes. It's 2019 and I know I bought the book a few year ago now, but come on already. If it hadn't been such a constant theme I would have seen it as characterisation, but there are tones of it throughout the book.

In the acknowledgements the author talks about his wife in a way that makes me think much, much better of him than I did as I was reading the book.

Dear Mr Cargill, you thank your all-male reading team in your acknowledgements, please please include some women next time to offer a different perspective.