Saturdays in Books

I'm about half way through. The first third was a lot of fun, but the middle third has gotten harder and harder to slog through.

I occasionally see the theory bandied about the UF as a genre is a conversation about society's discomfort with women having power. I find that notion rather appealing. Alas, all too often, "society" seems to be a bunch of dudes. And all too often, other women exist solely as dependents, victims or villains - you know, same old status quo. One amazing woman existing is old news. We have peers. We are society. A conversation that still acts like there can be only one? WTF?!

So, yeah. Here I am, half way through. Female character count?

Raylene - our narrator

Pepper - a child

Sister Rose - a drag queen, who has some agency but I am constantly reminded by Raylene that she considers him male no matter how much she tries not to

Some other drag queens - only one named, all described in terms of how well they pass

A thief  - who is named, but so far hasn't made an appearance.

The military? All dudes. The feds? All dudes. Her clients? Dudes. Drag queens? As far as she's concerned, dudes. 

Pepper and the thief both have male equivalents, by the way. And dude thief totally has a role beyond just a name.

Can we stop doing this already?