[Caveat I'm male] In fact The Painted Man became my favourite book back in 2008 due specifically to the character development, it was the most thorough I'd come across and I felt genuinely bonded with the 3 characters as we had been with them throughout the moments that impacted them most in their development as people. I adored Leesha's story and as with some of her moments of tragedy I felt so deeply hurt (like one of my close friends was telling me of an ordeal they had experienced) when she experienced scenes of physical or emotional distress.
I found that throughout the books I came to dislike her as a person for the ways that she changed from the person I came to know in book 1, and when I reflect on relationships I have with people (irl) I can sometimes see the same evolution. So I can't fault him for writing her that way, but compliment him on creating someone I could relate to, to the point that I became upset with how they represented themselves (though that's easy to achieve as an onlooker).
I thought that Peat did a phenomenal job creating complex characters of age, gender, race, religion, sexuality, disability, bitter broken people and generous loving ones, all with moments to denounce and others to champion. Very few characters though they exist are one dimensional. Throughout the overall series it's actually the women who I enjoy the most for their sheer will and determination, their ability to conquer, their candour and shrewdness. There's mostly a balance of gender where deciding the fate of the world is concerned, and I love that with the women there's no pompousness or frill/bravado, women in this series just do.
I found that throughout the books I came to dislike her as a person for the ways that she changed from the person I came to know in book 1, and when I reflect on relationships I have with people (irl) I can sometimes see the same evolution. So I can't fault him for writing her that way, but compliment him on creating someone I could relate to, to the point that I became upset with how they represented themselves (though that's easy to achieve as an onlooker).
I thought that Peat did a phenomenal job creating complex characters of age, gender, race, religion, sexuality, disability, bitter broken people and generous loving ones, all with moments to denounce and others to champion. Very few characters though they exist are one dimensional. Throughout the overall series it's actually the women who I enjoy the most for their sheer will and determination, their ability to conquer, their candour and shrewdness. There's mostly a balance of gender where deciding the fate of the world is concerned, and I love that with the women there's no pompousness or frill/bravado, women in this series just do.