Hang out with The Duchess of the Shallows

The Duchess of the Shallows is book written by Neil McGarry and Daniel Ravipinto.  It is the third book I have read out of the indie fantasy bundle I got.  They did a good job with this book, and it was a fun read.

The book is about a teenage girl named Duchess that is living on the streets of the fogy city Rodaas in the district known as the Shallows.  She was given a mark, a brass coin with a ‘P’ on it, and she is hoping that it will help her get in with the Gray, a sort of thieves guild.  But in order to cash in the mark and join the Gray she will have to complete an almost impossible task all while staying out of the way of the Red, a militia that takes care of the poor, and the White that takes care of the upper classes, and the Black Arms that are just mainly for hire, but also act as the city guard.

Even though this book features kids on the street, and the things that they have to do to survive, the authors keep a sense of humor, charm, and adventure that keeps this book from being dark and depressing.  It is a good change of pace from the last book I read.

I also appreciate how this book is not a supper grand adventure that if not completed the world will end.  It is just a simple story in a fantasy setting about a girl trying to better herself, and by doing that we get to know the Duchess better, and they also set her up well for future books.

I liked this book a lot and I will be on the lookout for future Duchess of the Shallows books.