What do you think?
Rate this book
Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #3
Full Share
If there was ever a time to "Trust Lois"... The Lois McKendrick runs headlong into trouble when a routine in-system transit goes bad. Ishmael and the rest of the crew must scramble to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it in order to keep the ship alive. Learn more about the officers and crew of the Lois McKendrick as they struggle to keep their ship and discover how Ishmael finds out how wrong he's been about what it means to be a spacer in this latest Trader's Tale.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
572 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Lowell
46 books1,634 followersNathan Lowell has been a writer for more than forty years, and first entered the literary world by podcasting his novels. His sci-fi series, The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper grew from his long time fascination with space opera and his own experiences shipboard in the United States Coast Guard. Unlike most works which focus on a larger-than-life hero (prophesized savior, charismatic captain, or exiled prince), Nathan centers on the people behind the scenes--ordinary men and women trying to make a living in the depths of space. In his novels, there are no bug-eyed monsters, or galactic space battles, instead he paints a richly vivid and realistic world where the "hero" uses hard work and his own innate talents to improve his station and the lives of those of his community.
Dr. Nathan Lowell holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology with specializations in Distance Education and Instructional Design. He also holds an M.A. in Educational Technology and a BS in Business Administration. He grew up on the south coast of Maine and is strongly rooted in the maritime heritage of the sea-farer. He served in the USCG from 1970 to 1975, seeing duty aboard a cutter on hurricane patrol in the North Atlantic and at a communications station in Kodiak, Alaska. He currently lives in the plains east of the Rocky Mountains with his wife and two daughters.
Awards & Recognition
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Full Share
2008 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Double Share
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for South Coast
2009 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Captain's Share
2009 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Double Share
4 out of 10 Books on Podiobooks.com Top Overall Rated by Votes (2. Double Share, 3. Quarter Share, 5. Full Share, 8. Half Share) -- as of Jan 4, 2009
6 out of 10 Books on Podiobooks.com Top Overall Rating (1. Ravenwood, 2. Quarter Share, 3. Double share, 4. Captain's Share, 5. Full Share, 7. South Coast) -- as of Jan 4, 2009
Dr. Nathan Lowell holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology with specializations in Distance Education and Instructional Design. He also holds an M.A. in Educational Technology and a BS in Business Administration. He grew up on the south coast of Maine and is strongly rooted in the maritime heritage of the sea-farer. He served in the USCG from 1970 to 1975, seeing duty aboard a cutter on hurricane patrol in the North Atlantic and at a communications station in Kodiak, Alaska. He currently lives in the plains east of the Rocky Mountains with his wife and two daughters.
Awards & Recognition
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Full Share
2008 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Double Share
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for South Coast
2009 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Captain's Share
2009 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Double Share
4 out of 10 Books on Podiobooks.com Top Overall Rated by Votes (2. Double Share, 3. Quarter Share, 5. Full Share, 8. Half Share) -- as of Jan 4, 2009
6 out of 10 Books on Podiobooks.com Top Overall Rating (1. Ravenwood, 2. Quarter Share, 3. Double share, 4. Captain's Share, 5. Full Share, 7. South Coast) -- as of Jan 4, 2009
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
January 15, 2011
It's hard to put a finger on why these novels are enjoyable. They're honestly not gripping, with zero in the way of conflict and only slightly more in the way of "plot." Full Share and the others are about character first, setting second, and everything else is barely in the race. It's like you're in some sort of reality TV show viewed through the lens of the main character. Good thing it's a pleasant show.
November 15, 2022
Again, this book pretty much starts where the previous book left off. This is the last book that takes place on the Lois Mckendrick and marks the last time in the series that we see most of the supporting characters we've come to know.
This book is the beginning of a change in tone in the series. In the first two books, the worst thing to happen is someone gets mugged. From this point on, we start to see that this universe isn't all sunshine and rainbows.
This book is the beginning of a change in tone in the series. In the first two books, the worst thing to happen is someone gets mugged. From this point on, we start to see that this universe isn't all sunshine and rainbows.
March 2, 2024
Ishmael Horatio Wang (“Ish”) enters ship service at a young age. Ish had little choice when his mother (his only relative on planetside) died in an accident and there weren’t excess credits in the estate she left. The early months shipboard are recounted in Quarter Share, which is almost mandatory to read before this story (book 2).
Ish is a member of the crew of The Lois McKendrick, a cargo ship plying the space lanes between civilized planets and space stations. He is almost 19 in this adventure and has been a “spacer” for about 6 months. In this, the third book, the ship finally encounters a crisis in space that overarches the personal crises that individual crew members are dealing with. This is logical, nicely choreographed, and integrated into the plot.
We learn that each ship has its own culture and habits both when on a voyage and when in port. Lowell gives us a growing picture of what that means for the crew and this book includes some sexual references but nothing graphic. The chat at some points may take this slightly beyond PG but not with any graphic eroticism.
I listened to the audio version and gave Jeffrey Kafer high marks for both diction and characterization.
PS: The hardest thing to fathom (both for me and for some of the crew) are the insights that come out of Ish’s mouth. The way Lowell attempts to “finesse” this is two-fold: first, his mother was a “classics professor” and second, there is some magical realism going on.
3.5 *
PPS: These books extol the human virtues: Loyalty, helpfulness, trust, kindness, cheerfulness, friendliness, bravery, and, even, intelligent money management.
Ish is a member of the crew of The Lois McKendrick, a cargo ship plying the space lanes between civilized planets and space stations. He is almost 19 in this adventure and has been a “spacer” for about 6 months. In this, the third book, the ship finally encounters a crisis in space that overarches the personal crises that individual crew members are dealing with. This is logical, nicely choreographed, and integrated into the plot.
We learn that each ship has its own culture and habits both when on a voyage and when in port. Lowell gives us a growing picture of what that means for the crew and this book includes some sexual references but nothing graphic. The chat at some points may take this slightly beyond PG but not with any graphic eroticism.
I listened to the audio version and gave Jeffrey Kafer high marks for both diction and characterization.
PS: The hardest thing to fathom (both for me and for some of the crew) are the insights that come out of Ish’s mouth. The way Lowell attempts to “finesse” this is two-fold: first, his mother was a “classics professor” and second, there is some magical realism going on.
3.5 *
PPS: These books extol the human virtues: Loyalty, helpfulness, trust, kindness, cheerfulness, friendliness, bravery, and, even, intelligent money management.
May 28, 2015
Space Jesus fixes everyone's problems through being perfect at everything. He sleeps with beautiful women, becomes amazing at everything he touches, and everything he does is correct. Things finally happen in this book and you wish they didn't. I'm out.
June 12, 2021
I decided to push through the third book in the series because from what I understood it would wrap up the story of the main character's time on the ship, and I wanted to see a story through to its conclusion. There are more books in the series, but I will not be reading them.
*Spoilers Ahead*
I have been trying to put my finger on what I don't really like about this story and it didn't really hit me until this book. It's the protagonist. He is good at everything he does. This is true throughout the series (so far). In the first book he excelled at everything except for effective communication with his ship mates. This is to be expected because he's young (18) and just joined a ships crew as its youngest and lowest ranking member. However, by the second book this issue is gone.
Halfway through the second book he looses all sense of awkwardness with anybody around him and struts around like a model and spouting pick up lines/conversations that would be impressive from a man ten years his senior who has been practicing every weekend for just as long. The story eludes to the reason for this is that his mom was a classic literature professor and he learned from all those stories. Despite this he can't even recall the name of Sherlock Homes (he refers to him as Hemlock), but he can remember Watson's name and how he would disguise himself to solve crimes.
By the third book he's seducing (both unintentionally and intentionally) practically every woman he comes across, and is apparently so worldly wise that he can even pull an older woman out of her depression (her husband left her for a younger woman) by showing her just how beautiful she is. Granted, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what is bothering the woman, but the protagonist is only 18 years old and should not have the the skills nor experience necessary to not only recognize, but also help the woman through the issue.
There is nothing that he doesn't do well. He studies well, he learns quickly, he tests well, he catches details that others miss, he comes up with ideas that others don't, he can spot high quality items for trade that people who have been doing the job for years can't see. He's in shape and runs around a track every day (you don't get washboard abs by running despite what the author seems to think), he's kind, he's self-sacrificing, he's got loads of charisma, he's good at making friends (despite him admitting that he's never had a best friend before), and several others. How many things can one person excel at?
A character needs to have flaws to make them relatable. There needs to be something that they struggle with, that they have difficulty doing or understanding to show their humanity. Without these issues the character feels more like a fantasy. There are plenty of examples of characters who are meant to be a fantasy of some sort (power, sexual, etc.) in stories, but the good ones all have something that grounds them to make them feel real. Without this the character feels shallow, like the protagonist of this book.
I have other issues with the book, but I'm just going to leave it with this as I've rambled on long enough already.
*Spoilers Ahead*
I have been trying to put my finger on what I don't really like about this story and it didn't really hit me until this book. It's the protagonist. He is good at everything he does. This is true throughout the series (so far). In the first book he excelled at everything except for effective communication with his ship mates. This is to be expected because he's young (18) and just joined a ships crew as its youngest and lowest ranking member. However, by the second book this issue is gone.
Halfway through the second book he looses all sense of awkwardness with anybody around him and struts around like a model and spouting pick up lines/conversations that would be impressive from a man ten years his senior who has been practicing every weekend for just as long. The story eludes to the reason for this is that his mom was a classic literature professor and he learned from all those stories. Despite this he can't even recall the name of Sherlock Homes (he refers to him as Hemlock), but he can remember Watson's name and how he would disguise himself to solve crimes.
By the third book he's seducing (both unintentionally and intentionally) practically every woman he comes across, and is apparently so worldly wise that he can even pull an older woman out of her depression (her husband left her for a younger woman) by showing her just how beautiful she is. Granted, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what is bothering the woman, but the protagonist is only 18 years old and should not have the the skills nor experience necessary to not only recognize, but also help the woman through the issue.
There is nothing that he doesn't do well. He studies well, he learns quickly, he tests well, he catches details that others miss, he comes up with ideas that others don't, he can spot high quality items for trade that people who have been doing the job for years can't see. He's in shape and runs around a track every day (you don't get washboard abs by running despite what the author seems to think), he's kind, he's self-sacrificing, he's got loads of charisma, he's good at making friends (despite him admitting that he's never had a best friend before), and several others. How many things can one person excel at?
A character needs to have flaws to make them relatable. There needs to be something that they struggle with, that they have difficulty doing or understanding to show their humanity. Without these issues the character feels more like a fantasy. There are plenty of examples of characters who are meant to be a fantasy of some sort (power, sexual, etc.) in stories, but the good ones all have something that grounds them to make them feel real. Without this the character feels shallow, like the protagonist of this book.
I have other issues with the book, but I'm just going to leave it with this as I've rambled on long enough already.
June 12, 2024
Full Share concludes the story of Ishmael Wang's time aboard the solar clipper Lois McKendrick. The book sheds some of the egregious elements of Half Share, capping off the trilogy with a worthier effort that nevertheless falls far short of the brilliance of Quarter Share.
There are two irredeemable issues with Full Share.
First, continuing a tendency that started with Half Share, Ishmael has completed his transformation from lovable and self-effacing newcomer into a full-fledged Gary Stu. Whereas in Quarter Share he solved problems through empathy and genuine friendship with the people around him, Full Share establishes him as a bona fide genius who does better with spaceships than people born to spacers.
Ishmael is never wrong, and he comes up with solutions to everyone's problems all the time. When an incident puts the Lois McKendrick in jeopardy, he saves the ship and everyone on it not once, not twice, but three times. Ish's superpower? He has a mom. Everything he does is attributed to her, from reprogramming a ship's computer on the fly (he used to upgrade his mom's laptop) to knowing how to speak to women. Hell yeah it's Oedipal, a fact which Ish himself tries clumsily to brush off using, you guessed it, the knowledge of Greek mythology he got from his mother.
And because of this special upbringing, everyone loves him. Every woman wants to jump his bones. Every. Single. One.
Which segues nicely into the second major problem with Full Share: the goddamn sex.
Just like in the previous book, Ishmael has now fully morphed from awkward young man into God's gift to all women. Every single woman he comes across (except the captain and maybe the domestic violence survivor) wants to jump his bones. He flirts with women who could be his grandmother and heals years of doubt and sadness through the power of his throbbing lust. Women almost come to blows over the right to claim his ass as their own.
Ah, but you see, there's very little actual sex in the novel, because, we're told, the Lois McKendrick ship culture doesn't allow for relations between the crew. So instead of going at it like rabbits to get it out of their system, these fine men and women constantly stare at each other and make passes at one another. It's tiring at best, and cringe-inducing at the worst of times. Hell, I don't think there's a single character who gets to walk away without someone staring at their ass.
Lost in this messy, hormonal wish fulfillment are the women characters. No longer individuals in their own right, they're now formidable she-warriors whose sexy, sexy curves distract Ishmael at every turn.
How the hell is that a healthier ship culture than a quickie in the showers? Jeezus, people.
Beyond the hormonal lust and the space Jesus act, though, there's still signs of the beating heart I found so compelling in Quarter Share. Although I wish the last two novels had taken a different turn, I was still emotional watching Ishmael go through the last moments of his time on the Lois. But just like Ish loved his time on the Lois but felt it was time to move on, I, too, feel I've spent more than enough time with Ishmael Horatio Wang.
The ride was great for a while, then cringe-worthy for far too long. It's time for me to find another berth. Permission to disembark, captain. I'll take my chances ashore.
There are two irredeemable issues with Full Share.
First, continuing a tendency that started with Half Share, Ishmael has completed his transformation from lovable and self-effacing newcomer into a full-fledged Gary Stu. Whereas in Quarter Share he solved problems through empathy and genuine friendship with the people around him, Full Share establishes him as a bona fide genius who does better with spaceships than people born to spacers.
Ishmael is never wrong, and he comes up with solutions to everyone's problems all the time. When an incident puts the Lois McKendrick in jeopardy, he saves the ship and everyone on it not once, not twice, but three times. Ish's superpower? He has a mom. Everything he does is attributed to her, from reprogramming a ship's computer on the fly (he used to upgrade his mom's laptop) to knowing how to speak to women. Hell yeah it's Oedipal, a fact which Ish himself tries clumsily to brush off using, you guessed it, the knowledge of Greek mythology he got from his mother.
And because of this special upbringing, everyone loves him. Every woman wants to jump his bones. Every. Single. One.
Which segues nicely into the second major problem with Full Share: the goddamn sex.
Just like in the previous book, Ishmael has now fully morphed from awkward young man into God's gift to all women. Every single woman he comes across (except the captain and maybe the domestic violence survivor) wants to jump his bones. He flirts with women who could be his grandmother and heals years of doubt and sadness through the power of his throbbing lust. Women almost come to blows over the right to claim his ass as their own.
Ah, but you see, there's very little actual sex in the novel, because, we're told, the Lois McKendrick ship culture doesn't allow for relations between the crew. So instead of going at it like rabbits to get it out of their system, these fine men and women constantly stare at each other and make passes at one another. It's tiring at best, and cringe-inducing at the worst of times. Hell, I don't think there's a single character who gets to walk away without someone staring at their ass.
Lost in this messy, hormonal wish fulfillment are the women characters. No longer individuals in their own right, they're now formidable she-warriors whose sexy, sexy curves distract Ishmael at every turn.
How the hell is that a healthier ship culture than a quickie in the showers? Jeezus, people.
Beyond the hormonal lust and the space Jesus act, though, there's still signs of the beating heart I found so compelling in Quarter Share. Although I wish the last two novels had taken a different turn, I was still emotional watching Ishmael go through the last moments of his time on the Lois. But just like Ish loved his time on the Lois but felt it was time to move on, I, too, feel I've spent more than enough time with Ishmael Horatio Wang.
The ride was great for a while, then cringe-worthy for far too long. It's time for me to find another berth. Permission to disembark, captain. I'll take my chances ashore.
January 15, 2024
This series builds its character and plot over time so read them in order.
Ishmael is working towards his full share rating (in all four categories, naturally) and this is his story of getting there. We have all our familiar friends developing with him, the trades are coming together, and in this one there's some fun failure analysis that makes a very fine secondary plotline.
Ishmael is very much a golden boy at this point, and a lot of the last half is uncertainty over his current post being lost once their current project (failure analysis) is complete. That anxiety is papered over by his captain (and friends) talking him into going to the officer's academy.
Not a lot of surprises, though I do give kudos to making data visualization and analysis play a fascinating role in the plot. That's hard, because it's confusing, but Lowell actually pulled it off. If I were getting tired of the main character at all, it'd start showing here, but I'm not, so we're still in five-star land.
A note about Steamy: We culminate this book with Ish and former good friend, now hot lover Bev finally doing it. A lot. And hitting the academy together so maybe they'll even be a thing (don't hold your breath, I'm thinking). It was cute, but again, Lowell pulls out before a ton of steam happens on-page so it's still on the light end of the steam tolerance.
Ishmael is working towards his full share rating (in all four categories, naturally) and this is his story of getting there. We have all our familiar friends developing with him, the trades are coming together, and in this one there's some fun failure analysis that makes a very fine secondary plotline.
Ishmael is very much a golden boy at this point, and a lot of the last half is uncertainty over his current post being lost once their current project (failure analysis) is complete. That anxiety is papered over by his captain (and friends) talking him into going to the officer's academy.
Not a lot of surprises, though I do give kudos to making data visualization and analysis play a fascinating role in the plot. That's hard, because it's confusing, but Lowell actually pulled it off. If I were getting tired of the main character at all, it'd start showing here, but I'm not, so we're still in five-star land.
A note about Steamy: We culminate this book with Ish and former good friend, now hot lover Bev finally doing it. A lot. And hitting the academy together so maybe they'll even be a thing (don't hold your breath, I'm thinking). It was cute, but again, Lowell pulls out before a ton of steam happens on-page so it's still on the light end of the steam tolerance.
November 14, 2017
This is the 3rd book in a 6 book series. Ish is half-way through his enlistment, he's looking to his future and thinking a bit ahead.
I have to wonder what kind of recommendation someone who has spent an hour in your company can possibly write about you. And why they would. Every women Ish meets loves him, wants to have sex with him and feels betters after he compliments them. Where his experience in this area comes from is never disclosed. Although he's 18 all the women he interacts with on a sexual level are a decade and more (many more) older than him. He spouts pickup lines and platitudes and wows every women he encounters. Nothing about that rings true.
However, I still like the characters and am still reading the series. I do like the wiring but the plot seems to be dwelling on the totally unrealistic sexual prowess of this 19 year old. The next book - will I or won't I? Not sure yet.
I have to wonder what kind of recommendation someone who has spent an hour in your company can possibly write about you. And why they would. Every women Ish meets loves him, wants to have sex with him and feels betters after he compliments them. Where his experience in this area comes from is never disclosed. Although he's 18 all the women he interacts with on a sexual level are a decade and more (many more) older than him. He spouts pickup lines and platitudes and wows every women he encounters. Nothing about that rings true.
However, I still like the characters and am still reading the series. I do like the wiring but the plot seems to be dwelling on the totally unrealistic sexual prowess of this 19 year old. The next book - will I or won't I? Not sure yet.
December 11, 2021
A slice of life style of story is a hard book to make interesting. In 'The Wizard's Butler' and the first book in this series this author pulls it off quite nicely. However, with the introduction of the character's sudden animal magnetism and bizarre way with women that made me cringe so hard I pulled my back, the last story took a turn for the worse.
Unfortunately, this book is more like the last one than the first. To illustrate my point, here is a rather lengthy passage from the book that I think will show just what I mean about how distasteful this writing is. Please keep in mind when you're reading this that this is an 18-19-year-old boy talking to a 60-year-old woman. She might look younger thanks to the science of this book, but that doesn't erase the age gap. Also bear in mind that this conversation happens within five minutes of meeting each other for the first time.
If you're anything like me, you're going to find that excerpt really hard to read. Sadly, it's not alone and is instead a good example of how the main character deals with the women in this book. Not only is it cringe-inducing and not believable, it appears so often it plays into his 'Gary Stu' persona taking his character past the point of believability. Before all this nonsense I could just buy that he happened to be intelligent and could use his mind creatively to get ahead. However, with this strange irresistible to women thing, it just makes him into an over the top character that doesn't work in a slice of life style of story, which by its very nature should be low key.
So this is where me and this series part ways. That's a shame because I thought this series had promise.
Unfortunately, this book is more like the last one than the first. To illustrate my point, here is a rather lengthy passage from the book that I think will show just what I mean about how distasteful this writing is. Please keep in mind when you're reading this that this is an 18-19-year-old boy talking to a 60-year-old woman. She might look younger thanks to the science of this book, but that doesn't erase the age gap. Also bear in mind that this conversation happens within five minutes of meeting each other for the first time.
"What?" she asked.
I blinked and looked away, not even aware I had been staring. "I'm sorry. Seeing you in the full light took me by surprise. Please don't take this the wrong way, but the light in the bar was rather faint and while I knew you were something, I had no idea you were this beautiful."
"Please... spare me." It wasn't just a bitter edge in her voice; it was bitter to the core. Bitter enough to drip on the lift's deck and sizzle on the metal.
I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. "Spare you?"
The lift opened and we walked out. She was stiff as a titanium cross brace. "Spare me, pup. You think I don't know what you're doing?" Her voice was raised and a couple on the other side of the corridor looked over to see what the commotion was about.
I looked at her for a long moment. "Perhaps you'd care to enlighten me, Cassandra," I said at last.
Noticing the curious stares of the people around us, she turned away from the lift and started walking. There's something about station corridors. You can't just stand in them. I don't know if it's the curved horizon that drags you forward but she was no more immune to whatever force it was than anybody else I knew. I fell into step and waited. "I have a mirror," she said bitterly.
"Perhaps you should let somebody check it out. It seems to be reflecting badly."
"Do you take me for an idiot?" she spat.
"Well, I didn't up to now, but you may convince me yet." I was afraid I knew what this was about. I had seen it before and I didn't know how to deal with it any better now.
"Oh, give me a break!" She turned on me and got right in my face. She was actually about three centimeters taller than me. Not a lot but enough that she could look down. "I'm an old woman! I've had more men try to get into my pants than you can imagine. That 'oh, you're so beautiful' line might work on young chickies but you can't expect it to work on an old bat like me. What do you take me for?"
Gods, she was incredible. I just looked at her and felt a smile steal across my face. I noticed a closed shop behind her with a glass window in the door. I caught her arm and whirled her about so she could see her face in that mirrored glass. I never would have been able to move her if I hadn't caught her by surprise. I pointed to the window. "You're magnificent. Look at that face!" I grabbed her chin and tilted it to the side. "Yes, you're older than me, but if the problem is that I'm too young then I can accept that. Truthfully, I probably don't have much to offer someone like you. But if this is what it means to be an old woman then I can't wait to get old enough to take you on because you're worth any ten of those young chickies that seem to have you so bothered." I caressed the side of her face and watched the way my hand moved across her cheek and skin, tracing the cheekbone. "Look at that structure. There's a woman there—-somebody who's worth spending time with." I slipped my fingers through her hair, still watching her in the mirror and slowly getting a hand full of the softly cropped hair at the back of her head. I gave it a little tug and felt the resistance but also the quickening in her breath. "Look at that gorgeous creature. So alive I can barely stand to look at her for fear of her fire." I released her hair and let my hand slide down her neck as I slipped an arm around her from behind. I hugged her to me so I could reach my mouth up to her ear. "Look at that shape," I whispered. "That's the shape of a woman—-a fully grown woman, not some half developed child." I pulled the tail of her coat back and let my left hand trail down her side, cupping her hip bone before moving down the outside of her thigh, smoothing the luxurious fabric. I looked at her eyes in the mirrored glass and said, "That's what your mirror should be showing you." I gave her a tick or two to look. "If it's not what you're seeing, maybe you need to get your eyes checked."
We stood like that for several heartbeats and finally she let out a quivery breath, and smiled at me in the glass. "Damn, you're good," she said, a little laugh in the back of her throat.
If you're anything like me, you're going to find that excerpt really hard to read. Sadly, it's not alone and is instead a good example of how the main character deals with the women in this book. Not only is it cringe-inducing and not believable, it appears so often it plays into his 'Gary Stu' persona taking his character past the point of believability. Before all this nonsense I could just buy that he happened to be intelligent and could use his mind creatively to get ahead. However, with this strange irresistible to women thing, it just makes him into an over the top character that doesn't work in a slice of life style of story, which by its very nature should be low key.
So this is where me and this series part ways. That's a shame because I thought this series had promise.
January 19, 2019
Another solid entry. The ease of these books is probably what keeps me coming back: they are like sitting down with a hot cocoa on a cold day. I love the world and focus on relationships and Ishmael's never ending thirst for knowledge.
June 5, 2025
I found this book a bit of a mixture, I actually enjoyed the first half of the book more than either of the previous two, but towards the end I was getting quite bored. I was also getting a bit fed up of the author indulging his adolescent boy fantasies.
September 15, 2012
And here Ishmael has become so noteworthy to his superior officers that everyone is recommending him for a grant at the officer's academy - but he's a bit dubious because he'd have to leave the Lois and all the adoring women (quite a few of whom give written commendations and endorsements for the grant) he has met so far: the girls he had one night stands with on various planets who had been not sure about their looks before he had convinced them how sexy they are.
The woman who looked like a muscular, fat valkyrie whom he had romanced with words and who had been so impressed by his sincerity that she recommended him (he didn't know she was a high-ranking officer on another ship). Especially the impressive woman he wooed out of her slumps and who could have been his mother, whom he almost molested in the tunnels of the space station and who was so impressed and happy to believe she was worthy of sex after her long-time husband had left her for a younger girl (she's an old friend of the captain's, and also captain of her own ship). Because he sure appreciates them all and they're so thankful for that.
So when at the end he leaves the ship, one of the girl who he always thought was quite sexy (but people on the LMcK don't sleep with each other from principle), kidnaps him for sex and he goes along with her and eventually becomes her short-term boyfriend (because she also goes off to become an officer, having been inspired by him!). I never had the slightest impression that anything but her body interested him.
The woman who looked like a muscular, fat valkyrie whom he had romanced with words and who had been so impressed by his sincerity that she recommended him (he didn't know she was a high-ranking officer on another ship). Especially the impressive woman he wooed out of her slumps and who could have been his mother, whom he almost molested in the tunnels of the space station and who was so impressed and happy to believe she was worthy of sex after her long-time husband had left her for a younger girl (she's an old friend of the captain's, and also captain of her own ship). Because he sure appreciates them all and they're so thankful for that.
So when at the end he leaves the ship, one of the girl who he always thought was quite sexy (but people on the LMcK don't sleep with each other from principle), kidnaps him for sex and he goes along with her and eventually becomes her short-term boyfriend (because she also goes off to become an officer, having been inspired by him!). I never had the slightest impression that anything but her body interested him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2021
I am done with this series. It has strayed so far from what made the first book great that I don't even recognize it anymore. The main character is just too good at everything he does. Woman are throwing themselves at him. People he has barely met are stumbling over themselves to give him glowing recommendations. It barely even mentions the trading coop he set up.
July 8, 2023
Superb! This series never gets old, I love revisiting this universe.
December 15, 2018
Quarter Share was such an intriguing book. I'm a little sad that this series turned out to be a Harem Anime in space.
December 11, 2024
I wouldn't have thought a series so completely lacking in EPIC EVENTS would be so compelling, but here we are. There's something so calming about being beside Ish as he navigates life aboard the Lois.
I have successfully suspended disbelief that an 18-yr-old can be THAT suave and have ladies drool all over him. Now I wanna see him go to the Academy and live that officer life.
I have successfully suspended disbelief that an 18-yr-old can be THAT suave and have ladies drool all over him. Now I wanna see him go to the Academy and live that officer life.
February 11, 2017
A book filled with awesome writing and moments but also filled with bizarre and awful stuff. The first one was the best, the second one -maybe a little better- but this one i have to say that didn't fill my expectations. First of all the sexual content in the book is weird and exhausting, every single lady wants to sleep with Ishmael, i am thinking that the writer wrote a little about his ego with women, like wtf, and what's up with the ages of the ladys? literally all the ladys who want to sleep with Ishmael go from 20 years old to 60 years old, is that not a little bit out of place? i am not against different age relationships but my god also the protagonist is delusional and drooling to sleep with a 60 year old woman... i don't get it, can you at least turn the focus in emotional attraction and not in physical contact? -i remind you Ishmael is 19-20 years old- i found this stuff to bizarre to me to handle.
The first one didn't have the sexual content and the book was awesome by other merits, the second one put a little bit of sexual stuff at the end -i am ok with that- but this one was like full throttle in this awkward, no sense stuff. I didn't get it.
The first one didn't have the sexual content and the book was awesome by other merits, the second one put a little bit of sexual stuff at the end -i am ok with that- but this one was like full throttle in this awkward, no sense stuff. I didn't get it.
November 28, 2015
I was mildly interested in if this series got back to the kind-of-bland-but-enjoyable story I saw in book 1. It did and it didn't. Ishmael is still Space Jesus, doing everything right and making all the women love him--but Lowell introduced a lot more conflict in this book, something to actually get concerned about for half a moment.
I continue to listen to these books in part bc they make great background for knitting--Lowell is a good narrator, with a rhythmic voice. But also bc there really is something interesting about this sort of "everyday life of a spacer", even with the Mary Sue-ing and the lack of conflict.
Dunno. I wouldn't really recommend it, but I also can't stop listening, so? What does that say?
I continue to listen to these books in part bc they make great background for knitting--Lowell is a good narrator, with a rhythmic voice. But also bc there really is something interesting about this sort of "everyday life of a spacer", even with the Mary Sue-ing and the lack of conflict.
Dunno. I wouldn't really recommend it, but I also can't stop listening, so? What does that say?
October 14, 2011
"Is there kissing in this book?"
Yes.
Space chicks fall all over themselves to get to some Ish fairy dust. However, it's the yarn about applying to The Academy where Mary Sue really grates.
I keep coming back to this series, though. Lowell is an outstanding reader.
Yes.
Space chicks fall all over themselves to get to some Ish fairy dust. However, it's the yarn about applying to The Academy where Mary Sue really grates.
I keep coming back to this series, though. Lowell is an outstanding reader.
April 22, 2018
There was more plot in this one, but it came at the expense of what had been the strength of the series, well written, consistent, interesting characters. And after a few too many twists-for-twists' sakes, I think I'm done with this series. still compulsively readable, just no longer as fun.
April 14, 2024
I didn’t hate this but I’m rating it low because its current rating, I feel, should be much lower. The main character can do no wrong and every woman lusts after him and is willing to follow him anywhere. It got a little cringy in the last book. In this book it was way over the top. I don’t know if I’m going to continue the series.
June 23, 2022
Very good book, I recommend it 5/5, it is very interesting every second, very good book, I highly recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2024
Ishmael is too much of a Gary Stu for this to be good literature, and honestly not a lot happens in these books, but I'm really enjoying them. It's a good series.
November 14, 2017
This would be 5 if the main character wasn’t such a Larry Stu. Love this setting, characters, just all of it. But by the 6th or seventh girl my eyes start rolling.
May 21, 2018
This is such a light and entertaining series. I've devoured the first 3 books in two weeks (which i s fast for me).
There's little tension, no serious dramas, no fighting or violence, there's some sex (that gets handled very decently) and yet it is a delight to get lost in.
Also the author does a great job narrating!
There's little tension, no serious dramas, no fighting or violence, there's some sex (that gets handled very decently) and yet it is a delight to get lost in.
Also the author does a great job narrating!
June 14, 2011
A nice rebound from Lowell's sophomore slump. The second book, HALF SHARE, wasn't a bad book, just not up to the first one, QUARTER SHARE. The thrust of this series is the every day crew aboard a trader space ship, their problem solving, the way they interact, the sort of thing we all encounter every day. No shoot em ups, bug-eyed aliens, space dog fights(too much Star Wars influence here).
It might sound boring, but it's not. Lowell's style of writing keeps things moving along and the conflicts that drive the story come from the problem solving that keeps the ship moving along to make a profit.
The titles derive from the way profit is divided. Young Ishmael Wang, eighteen, signed on in the fist book at the lowest rating, quarter share, in the mess. Everyone has a salary commiserate with their rating, plus a share of the profit pool. It behooves one then to do everything possible to increase that pool.
That's where Ishmael Wang shines in the books. Child of an academic, his mother's death precipitated his signing aboard the Lois McKendrick. He was given thirty days to leave the planet or be deported to a planet of the corporation's choice at his expense. It would take him years to pay the cost back.
A very intelligent young man, he keeps studying and taking the exams to increase his ranking. He becomes one of the few that earns a full share ranking in all four disciplines. It doesn't mean he earns the money from them, just that he can apply for positions on the Lois or any other ships with postings at their various port stops.
Now in FULL SHARE, it might be taken out of his hands. Word comes that at their next port of call, the company has a man coming aboard that will take Ishmael's current position in Engineering.
He has several options. There are no current openings on the Lois in Engineering. If no ship is there with an opening he's qualified for, which he would be obliged to take(otherwise, he would be put ashore with no pay), or he can be put ahsore at half pay until something comes along. His third option is to bump someone aboard the Lois with a lower ranking than himself.
He won't do that, so it looks like Ishmael will be put ashore.
As they come out of warp, with a few weeks under their regular drive until reaching port of call, the Lois passes through an EM field that fries a number of controls, loss of complete power until the emergency cuts in, and several juries ensue. As the crew works toward fixing things, one item, unsuspected, is missed entirely because no one can figure how such could happen: the carbon dioxide scrubbers aren't working.
The solution they come up with will take time and carbon dioxide will continue to build up. It's a race to save the ship.
When they eventually arrive, the new man comes aboard and Ishmael prepares to leave ship. Higher-ups in the chain of command have other ideas though. They all have plans for him, seeing his potential. They petition with the owners to create a new position, a kind of floating problem solver(as Ishmael is the one who finds and figures out the problem).
The new man becomes the next problem to solve. He seems to be lazy, passing on maintenance to the next shift, "It wasn't necessary, pass it on to the next shift." When called on it, he seems to come around, only for them to learn he's only logging them as done. Now we're talking possible danger to the ship. When called on that, he goes right back to passing things on. He seems to feel he's bullet-proof. Then they learn his aunt is high up on the owner's board of directors.
I like this series and this volume signals change in the books, which I knew from the titles of the last three titles: DOUBLE SHARE, CAPTAIN'S SHARE, and OWNER'S SHARE. The books originally appeared as podcasts, along with the first book in a new series, and are gradually being released as books. they can still be listened to at www.podiobooks.com.
I haven't listened to them as I'm a reader, but they are there f one wants to check them out.
It might sound boring, but it's not. Lowell's style of writing keeps things moving along and the conflicts that drive the story come from the problem solving that keeps the ship moving along to make a profit.
The titles derive from the way profit is divided. Young Ishmael Wang, eighteen, signed on in the fist book at the lowest rating, quarter share, in the mess. Everyone has a salary commiserate with their rating, plus a share of the profit pool. It behooves one then to do everything possible to increase that pool.
That's where Ishmael Wang shines in the books. Child of an academic, his mother's death precipitated his signing aboard the Lois McKendrick. He was given thirty days to leave the planet or be deported to a planet of the corporation's choice at his expense. It would take him years to pay the cost back.
A very intelligent young man, he keeps studying and taking the exams to increase his ranking. He becomes one of the few that earns a full share ranking in all four disciplines. It doesn't mean he earns the money from them, just that he can apply for positions on the Lois or any other ships with postings at their various port stops.
Now in FULL SHARE, it might be taken out of his hands. Word comes that at their next port of call, the company has a man coming aboard that will take Ishmael's current position in Engineering.
He has several options. There are no current openings on the Lois in Engineering. If no ship is there with an opening he's qualified for, which he would be obliged to take(otherwise, he would be put ashore with no pay), or he can be put ahsore at half pay until something comes along. His third option is to bump someone aboard the Lois with a lower ranking than himself.
He won't do that, so it looks like Ishmael will be put ashore.
As they come out of warp, with a few weeks under their regular drive until reaching port of call, the Lois passes through an EM field that fries a number of controls, loss of complete power until the emergency cuts in, and several juries ensue. As the crew works toward fixing things, one item, unsuspected, is missed entirely because no one can figure how such could happen: the carbon dioxide scrubbers aren't working.
The solution they come up with will take time and carbon dioxide will continue to build up. It's a race to save the ship.
When they eventually arrive, the new man comes aboard and Ishmael prepares to leave ship. Higher-ups in the chain of command have other ideas though. They all have plans for him, seeing his potential. They petition with the owners to create a new position, a kind of floating problem solver(as Ishmael is the one who finds and figures out the problem).
The new man becomes the next problem to solve. He seems to be lazy, passing on maintenance to the next shift, "It wasn't necessary, pass it on to the next shift." When called on it, he seems to come around, only for them to learn he's only logging them as done. Now we're talking possible danger to the ship. When called on that, he goes right back to passing things on. He seems to feel he's bullet-proof. Then they learn his aunt is high up on the owner's board of directors.
I like this series and this volume signals change in the books, which I knew from the titles of the last three titles: DOUBLE SHARE, CAPTAIN'S SHARE, and OWNER'S SHARE. The books originally appeared as podcasts, along with the first book in a new series, and are gradually being released as books. they can still be listened to at www.podiobooks.com.
I haven't listened to them as I'm a reader, but they are there f one wants to check them out.
April 2, 2011
It was a good book, but of the three I've heard so far, I felt this was the weakest - because the plot's trajectory was so obvious and methodical and plotted that it nearly became tedious. There was no tension where there should have been, no wondering what would happen, what would become of ... anyone, really, because everything was so broadly telegraphed.
That said, the characters are still (generally) strong, their interactions interesting, and since that was the backbone of the first two books (and remains a strong side player in this one), the story held my attention.
Alas, I'm trying to use listening to these books as a motivator to exercise regularly by only allowing myself to listen during my workouts, and because I already knew what would be happening next, where the characters' relationships were headed, et cetera, I skipped exercising on a lot of days during this one... In fact, a couple of times I found myself more interested in working out than in hearing the next episode, which was a bummer.
Hoping the next book is more engaging and less ... plotted.
That said, the characters are still (generally) strong, their interactions interesting, and since that was the backbone of the first two books (and remains a strong side player in this one), the story held my attention.
Alas, I'm trying to use listening to these books as a motivator to exercise regularly by only allowing myself to listen during my workouts, and because I already knew what would be happening next, where the characters' relationships were headed, et cetera, I skipped exercising on a lot of days during this one... In fact, a couple of times I found myself more interested in working out than in hearing the next episode, which was a bummer.
Hoping the next book is more engaging and less ... plotted.
January 24, 2010
Ishmael Wang gets another promotion in this book, as you might have guessed from the title, and starts to think about life after his tour of duty on the Lois McKendrick.
If you've listened to the first two boks in the series, you more or less know what to expect here, although things to get taken to the "next level" to an extent; the ship is put in some very real danger this time around, some of the interpersonal issues raised in the earlier books come to a head, and we're left with a strong feeling of the end of a phase in Ish's life, rather than just it being another part of his journey.
I've come to realize that, more than pretty much any one else working in the medium, Lowell is clearly thinking about the 'podiobook' as a separate medium of storytelling and is writing for that, rather than writing a novel and then recording an audio version of it.
If you've listened to the first two boks in the series, you more or less know what to expect here, although things to get taken to the "next level" to an extent; the ship is put in some very real danger this time around, some of the interpersonal issues raised in the earlier books come to a head, and we're left with a strong feeling of the end of a phase in Ish's life, rather than just it being another part of his journey.
I've come to realize that, more than pretty much any one else working in the medium, Lowell is clearly thinking about the 'podiobook' as a separate medium of storytelling and is writing for that, rather than writing a novel and then recording an audio version of it.
February 17, 2014
After an accident involving a coronal mass ejection cripples the ship and threatens the lives of the entire crew, Ishmael is set to work investigating why the safety systems failed. He is now fully rated, meaning a higher share of profits, but the officers pressure him into thinking about the officer’s academy.
After the somewhat disappointing Half Share, Full Share finally puts Ishmael and the rest of the crew of the Lois McKendrick in some real danger. Adventures in normality among generally nice people can only go so far and real tension and conflict is required to make things interesting. The end of the book, while again unrealistically portraying Ishmael as catnip for women, at least does so in a fun way that will appeal to the reader. Shameless is the word, but it works.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1730
After the somewhat disappointing Half Share, Full Share finally puts Ishmael and the rest of the crew of the Lois McKendrick in some real danger. Adventures in normality among generally nice people can only go so far and real tension and conflict is required to make things interesting. The end of the book, while again unrealistically portraying Ishmael as catnip for women, at least does so in a fun way that will appeal to the reader. Shameless is the word, but it works.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1730
October 12, 2017
I seem to have gone through this one almost too fast, on the good side I have the rest of them, on the not so good one, there are only three of them left.
as I said about the other ones in the series, it really is comfort reading for me, I just love the characters, and the companionship, and what this book did quite a lot more than the others for me was getting those feelings across, I just feel really happy reading the books, and I don't want them to end, I just want to spend some more time with them. so if you like character driven books and some well written sci-fi you can do so much worse than this it now even more than the last time is one of my favourite series, I'm looking forward to staying the next one already.
as I said about the other ones in the series, it really is comfort reading for me, I just love the characters, and the companionship, and what this book did quite a lot more than the others for me was getting those feelings across, I just feel really happy reading the books, and I don't want them to end, I just want to spend some more time with them. so if you like character driven books and some well written sci-fi you can do so much worse than this it now even more than the last time is one of my favourite series, I'm looking forward to staying the next one already.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews