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I don’t think this position is good at all. The author should have made provisions for strong female characters especially because it is set in medieval times. Young adults who read this should be able to see women in a strong light.

Not only are the female characters limited but also painted as almost vulnerable and weak. None of them is actually strong. I think that if Meldorath had female mages, the story would have been more interesting.

If the story is good it doesn't matter if it lacks male or female lead character. That is my argument. I didn't even noticed it while reading the story.

There are not too many female character, but almost each book down the series introduce one new female character. And all the woman characters are strong, ambitious, and play pivotal roles. So I would not complaint on this front.

I love that you asked this question! As a female myself, I hardly even noticed the lack of representation until I read this forum post. I do recall there being one female in power - an illegitimate queen that was overthrown by her brother, the "rightful" heir to the throne of Voulhire. But that was the extent of powerful female characters. So I absolutely agree that the author could have easily switched out many of the characters with females and it would have had no discernible difference to the plot. It could have been Lord Eldus' daughter that had mage powers and escaped instead of his son. I cannot speak for the rest of this series (sounds like female characters are introduced later) but for an introduction to include absolutely zero representation is a letdown.

There is an evident lack of female characters in power, but perhaps the author introduces them in the following books. The female characters in this book are quite interesting, even though none of them play any major roles. Beth managed to travel to the cosmos from caromentis, which is a rather remarkable feat, and Beverly is the only one who managed to survive continuous attacks against all odds.

Beth and Beverly are the only two major female characters but We are Voulhire is going to be a 9 book series, so there's still a chance for female characters to appear in the future.

I agree that there is a shortage of female characters. Also unlike their male counterparts who have unique or even fanciful names, the women have rather ordinary names like Charlotte, Beverly and Beth. Am I the only one that thought this was a little unusual?

aaurba wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 05:08 When I was reading the book, I noticed that there are no major female characters involved in the storyline. The protagonist, the protagonist's friends, Voulhire's leader, Riva Rohavi's leader, Hillport's leader, and the magical antagonist are all males. Many people say that given the book's medieval setting, it is only common that the book also follows medieval norms: decreased roles for women and bigger roles for men.

What is your opinion on this? Does the above explanation completely justify the book's lack of female main characters?

I agree with your assumptions. The book is set in a medieval era so it isn't surprising to see that the anchor characters are male. Usually, even if a female character was one of the lead characters in this context, it would usually be in a more controlled, domestic kind of role. I haven't read any of the other 5 books in this series though, so I don't know if this continues of if Tysz decides to introduce female leads down the line. I know I absolutely would love it if he does. However, at the end of the day, this is just fiction and the author has every right to determine the direction and structure of its story. So whether there are female or no female leads won't take the shine off this series. Just my two cents.

I hadn't thought about it like that, but I can certainly see how the book may just be following medieval norms. I would still like to see the author stir things up a bit and have a strong female lead, maybe even one that would challenge Meldorath or is his or Alabaster de Lasette's apprentice.

I did notice that there are very few female characters in this book. However, I think that the characters of Beth and Beverly are very interesting. I would love to see more female characters in the next few books on this series though.

I definitely think that books should include women characters in their plot lines, regardless of the context. I mean, women have almost always existed in life, why wouldn't they be shown in books? It seems a little strange that women aren't mentioned much and the explanation that it is due to the book's context seems a little lack lustre to me and seems ludicrous that we even have to point it out at this point. Given that we are in the 20th century. It just seems like a cop out that it is due to the "Medieval society". As a woman, it is important to see strong, powerful woman not only discussed, but given main roles in plot lines. It is incredibly important for our society to promote equal opportunities in our society.

The medieval setting offers a more patriarchal society. I feel the story in book one of the series genuinely didn't have areas that females could really have major roles. I think it's justified. Maybe there will be more female representation in later books in the series.

aaurba wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 05:08 When I was reading the book, I noticed that there are no major female characters involved in the storyline. The protagonist, the protagonist's friends, Voulhire's leader, Riva Rohavi's leader, Hillport's leader, and the magical antagonist are all males. Many people say that given the book's medieval setting, it is only common that the book also follows medieval norms: decreased roles for women and bigger roles for men.

What is your opinion on this? Does the above explanation completely justify the book's lack of female main characters?

To be honest I didn't give it a second thought, given the era of the story. Having male lead roles is a more accurate reflection of the times.

aaurba wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 05:08 When I was reading the book, I noticed that there are no major female characters involved in the storyline. The protagonist, the protagonist's friends, Voulhire's leader, Riva Rohavi's leader, Hillport's leader, and the magical antagonist are all males. Many people say that given the book's medieval setting, it is only common that the book also follows medieval norms: decreased roles for women and bigger roles for men.

What is your opinion on this? Does the above explanation completely justify the book's lack of female main characters?

While I believe the era of the story is reason enough for having only male protagonists, I do believe that at the end of the day, this is a work of fiction. So it wouldn't faze me if the author introduces female leads in subsequent books. I would actually love it.