sotolf reviewed Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell
I really like this also the nth time around
5 stars
I really love this first book, and just can't say anything bad of it ;)
E-book, 250 pages
Published July 15, 2010 by Ridan Publishing.
Quarter Share
4 stars
(12 reviews)
The Golden Age of Sail has Returned -- in the Year 2352 When his mother dies in a flitter crash, eighteen-year-old Ishmael Horatio Wang must find a job with the planet company or leave the system--and NerisCo isn't hiring. With credits running low, and prospects limited, he has just one hope...to enlist for two years with a deep space commercial freighter. Ishmael, who only rarely visited the Neris Orbital, and has never been off-planet alone before, finds himself part of an eclectic crew sailing a deep space leviathan between the stars.
Join the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, a Manchester built clipper as she sets solar sails in search of profit for her company and a crew each entitled to a share equal to their rating.
kf6gpe reviewed Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell
Review of 'Quarter Share' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This was a fun coming-of-age tale set in the standard space-opera universe. Our hero, Ishmael Wang, just orphaned, signs on as a mess hand on an interstellar freighter.
I found the writing good, the characters interesting, and the story believable, if the science a bit... well, fiction-y. Definitely suitable for younger readers, I think it has something to offer older readers as well.
As other reviewers have commented, this is a book about character development, not a high-action thriller. If you're looking for aliens or space-age combat, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a good yarn about a young man coming to terms with unfortunate circumstances and making the best of himself, you've come to the right place.
TowerOfTheArchmage reviewed Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell
Review of 'Quarter Share' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
18 year old Ishmael Horatio Wang’s mother, a professor on a corporate world, is killed in an accident. Ishmael is given 90 days to find employment or get off-world, and the corporation isn’t hiring. With no interest in joining the military, he signs on to a merchant ship. This is how quarter share begins. Over the next 200 pages we learn with Ishmael what it means to be a member of the crew of a merchant ship plying the space lanes.
Aside from some really fascinating world building there isn’t a whole lot that actually happens in this book. It’s the story of an above average, but not really exceptional, kid becoming an adult.
There was a notable lack of conflict in the story. No jealous crew mates, no real personality conflicts, nobody even really having a bad day and snapping at anyone else. I think the story could have …
18 year old Ishmael Horatio Wang’s mother, a professor on a corporate world, is killed in an accident. Ishmael is given 90 days to find employment or get off-world, and the corporation isn’t hiring. With no interest in joining the military, he signs on to a merchant ship. This is how quarter share begins. Over the next 200 pages we learn with Ishmael what it means to be a member of the crew of a merchant ship plying the space lanes.
Aside from some really fascinating world building there isn’t a whole lot that actually happens in this book. It’s the story of an above average, but not really exceptional, kid becoming an adult.
There was a notable lack of conflict in the story. No jealous crew mates, no real personality conflicts, nobody even really having a bad day and snapping at anyone else. I think the story could have used a little more, as sticking enough people together for long periods of time in a contained environment is bound to cause some issues.
Also, were they slipping something into the coffee to keep everyone’s libido in check? I get that there was a rule in place that forbid fraternization, but as with the near total lack of conflict, the lack of sex seemed... artificial.
In spite of these flaws, I found the book to be very engrossing. The world building is really quite fantastic, and I’m looking forward to reading Half Share. If I could I would rate the book as 3.5 stars due to the flaws, but 3 seems too low considering how much I enjoyed it.
