Shmee.Me

July 17, 2013

Enjoy A Good Saga!

Saga is a comic book written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples. It is published monthly by Image Comics, but I read the first trade paper back. It is a mix of fantasy and space opera much like Star Wars, but it still finds its own voice.

The story follows Alana and Marko as they try and protect there daughter Hazel from a war torn galaxy. Their parents are from both sides of the war, Alana from the techy planet of Landfall, and Marko from the magic using society of Landfall’s moon Wreath.

The story obviously steals from more then a couple familiar classic stories, but there is nothing else like it that I have read, and Staples’ artwork is top notch. Vaughan mixes up the action and character building quit nicely too, so it is not boring, but you also get to know and like the people you are reading about.

The only real downside to this series is that is defiantly for an adult reader. Much like HBO, I think they felt they needed make it a little edgier, but that being said it is still a lot of fun, and it is another winner for Image Comics.

July 9, 2013December 21, 2015

My Book Chapters 1-6

Well after a long time and some positive feedback, I have written the next three chapters of my book. I think I have about three more chapters left to write, but I have decided to let you catch up on the adventure thus far.

I have rewritten parts of chapter 3, so you may want to re-read that before reading 4-6. I hope you like it because I have had a fun time writing it.

**Update 12-21-2015 the new copy of the book can be found here.

June 26, 2013June 26, 2013

Shmee Muses On The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

I just recently finished the fifth book in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy named Mostly Harmless, and I was once again stuck at how funny Douglas Adams’ series is. It is the only book series that I know of that makes math and sciences jokes so often and so well. He also had an amazing talent for describing the most mundane things in the most extraordinary way.

Mostly Harmless kind of ends the series on a somber note, and I was surprised that there was not one more chapter to say “Just kidding!”, but the book is still and excellent read.

There is a sixth book in the trilogy, but is not written by Adams, but another gentleman, and I am sure that he is fine writer, but I think I will just stick to these classic five books.

If you have ever had an inkling about trying this series, let me tell you it is an absolute must. The books make me so happy when I read them that I may just have to read them all over again.

June 25, 2013June 25, 2013

Shmee Reads The Book of Deacon!

The Book of Deacon was written in 2010 by Joseph R. Lallo. It is a straight up fantasy book, but there is nothing wrong with that provided it is good, and thankfully it is.

The story is about a young girl Myranda who is tying to survive a war that has been going on for decades. She is an outcast because she wants peace without victory. She just wants the war to be over and the killing to stop, but she soon finds a powerful sword and a mysterious friend and her life changes forever.

The setup sounds kind of generic, and pretty much every fantasy being is in this book from dragons to mermaids, but luckily it is so well written and Myranda is such a great character that the story kept me interested. This is the first book in a trilogy, so it is pretty much all just character development and world building, and the greater story arch has not yet really kicked in, but by the end the of this book we do get what Myranda believes to be her greater purpose.

If you are looking for a fun fantasy read then I recommend this one. It is only three hundred pages long, so it doesn’t overstay its welcome and it has quite a bit of action, and the best part is that it is free for Amazon Kindle owners. I got it as part of my indie bundle from awhile back, but it would still be worth reading if it cost more.

May 29, 2013

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.