Your favorite is problematic

I don't know if it is my exposure to so many different voices on Tumblr, many of them minorities I never really had exposure to, or if it is simply due to my having read the book several times before, but I am seeing lots of things wrong with Black Blade Blues, the first book in the Sarah Beauhall series.

I remembered the character being a hot mess in the first book, but then, with a lot of character growth, she gets much better. I liked it cause a lot of times in books, the main character is perfect or nearly so. Conflicts tend to come from outside themselves and once in a while, it's good to see someone with big character flaws overcome them.

But looking at the book this time around, I can't help but feel like Sarah is a male power fantasy and not the great female character I first read. Then again, am I any judge as to what a female power fantasy can be?

I still love the series, just seeing it in a clearer light I guess. I must have been distracted by the dragons the first few times I read it.

Next up, the either The Night Circus or Fool's Errand, as I finally start my year of not reading any books written by white men.