No offense to any fans but with all the talk of female characters in the casting discussion above, and the fact that this series apparently appeals to women, I am suspecting it is something I would not enjoy. My wife accuses me of being a sexist pig in my reading choices, and I do not deny the charge. Female-oriented, or even books with female lead characters, do not appeal to me at all.
Is this series more like Dune (if so I may try it) or more like True Blood (if so I will skip it)?
If you hate books just because there are female characters that have important parts, then that sounds pretty sexist.
If you dislike the the way that some female oriented books have devoloped, then that is more of a genre thing, and is understandable.
Oh, and by the way, even if you are sexist, you'll love the books.