[hijonathan]

The characters may seem flat, but that's just one perspective. I recently finished all three books and can attest that more nuanced, multi-dimensional characters do appear later in the series, though there are also even flatter ones as well, so perhaps it's a wash.

Highly recommend the audio book versions on Audible. Great narration.

[akozak]

I think it's cultural, not a matter of translation. Readers in the west will have less access to stereotypes and tropes that all authors rely on, to some extent.