Owner's Share

Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #6

by Nathan Lowell

Everything in the universe comes with a price.

When Diurnia Salvage and Transport undergoes a change in management, Captain Ishmael Horatio Wang finds himself adrift in a sea of red ink, and intrigue. He dives in only to find that he is over his head in a universe where cut-throat competition takes on an all new meaning. What tragic price will Captain Wang pay for his Owner’s Share?

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Audiobook, Fiction, Space, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

575 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Nathan 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

Reviews

[Chris Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth and last of Nathan Lowell's Trader's Tale series. What began as a Bildungsroman about a young man who finds a life of adventure and unexpected friendships among the stars now wraps up with Captain Ishmael Horatio Wong as he wrestles with starting up his own small shipping linen after a lifetime of working for other people.

The story is unexpectedly sad. Between Double Share and Captain's Share (books 4 and 5), the Trader's Tale series stopped being about a young man finding his way in the world and became the story of a middle-aged man who is going through the motions of a life gone stagnant. That feeling is amplified ten-fold in OWNER'S SHARE. Ishmael's world once seemed wide-open with possibilities; now it seems like a void with no center, no foundation, no resting place. Ishmael continues to bless and enrich the lives of the people he comes in contact with, leading them to become better versions of themselves without even realizing that he's doing it -- but this does nothing to fill the yawning chasm in his own life.

Looking back, this has been a series about that most romantic of capitalist libertarian icons, the high-seas free trader: the man with nothing to hold him back, no one to tell him where to go or what to do, free to pursue his fortune wherever his wits and luck may take him. Ishmael has reached the top of this world: captain of his own ship, master of his own destiny, responsible to and for no one but the small group of crew whom he has chosen for his companions. Events of the previous books have left him, if not actually a wealthy man, certainly with the promise of great wealth as soon as the paperwork gets sorted out. Yet, in the words of U2, Ishmael still hasn't found what he's looking for. He can't bear to sit still -- to stay in one place, put down roots and build a life -- but his endless wandering is finally revealed for what it is: running away. One wonders, in fact, if he has ever stopped running away since his mother died. It is a stinging critique of the profit-seeking, adventure-seeking gospel that these sorts of stories are built around, and it creeps up so subtly that you don't realize what Lowell has hit you with until he's done it.

Though this is the last of the Trader's Tales, Lowell has said that this will not be the end of Ishmael's story. I'm glad, because while the book is deftly written and has unexpected emotional depth, this would just be too depressing of a place to stop. I want to see how Ishmael finally finds home, whatever home turns out to be for him. He has spent most of his life in the isolation of space, touching on civilization but never really a part of it. He's done a fine job of making a living, but I'd like to see him finally make a life.

[JasonA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad the sequel series was already started when I first read these. This one ends on a pretty big downer, so it's nice to know that there's more to come.

Overall, this is one of my favorites for the series. There's some issues at the beginning with Ishmael being a little out of character and oblivious, but I see why the author did it. It was kind of necessary to get the ball rolling for some of the story.

If you made it thru the first six books and liked them, then I highly recommend the sequel series. I like them even more than the original series.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is the culmination of the "Shares" series where Ishmael goes from a quarter-share newb to the mostest share Owner. Read the others before this one and then just get out while you're still ahead because this book is a complete mess.

You'd think that with all the shiny-boy Ishmael so far in the story that this would be the culmination that gets our boy setup as an indie who can chart his own course (customers willing). And, indeed, three-quarters of the story goes exactly that direction. I mean, there's lots of business hand-wavy nonsense, and I'm not sure the whole heiress thing carries the plot weight it should here, but I was willing to go along to get the the good, good Ishmael winning thing.

And he even gets Chief Greta to kick his teeth in a bit about fraternization so that he can be happy wherever he goes! Seriously, some of my favorite bits are her taking him to task for his silly ideas about relationships. And fine, their relationship is shallow and all, but I'm not looking to Lowell for a romantic masterpiece or anything!

And then things start picking up and Lowell destroys everything about this story, starting with anything making even a lick of sense. I mean, the big bad, the man who kills Ish's hot girlfriend just when they learn they can be happy together, turns out to be the business man who has been helping him all along? Really? How does that make any kind of sense. This is literally the only guy in the Ishiverse who doesn't have to pull any kind of shenanigans to take Ishmael out! All he has to do is remove his backing on Ishmael's board of directors! He could even do it subtly because heaven knows Ish does what he tells him to anyway every step of the story. This is the kind of plot twist two year-olds impress each other with. And don't even get me started on the mole without a motivation and . . . okay, I'm going to stop here.

Here are the things we do not have at the end of this book:
* Ishmael owns a company
* Ishmael owns a ship
* Ishmael captains a ship
* Ishmael has a crew
* Ishmael finally gets the girl
* Ishmael has friends

This is the dumbest one-star mess I can imagine coming out of this series. Now, I notice that there's a follow-on series where Ishmael lone-wolfs things for old friends and this crappity crappit is exactly what you'd need to do to seed a new series. Be betraying the current series and selling it down the drain

A note about Steamy: Space sure makes people horny. There's references to sex and the occasional start up and aftermath once Chief Greta shows up. But it's mostly closed-page so it's on the low end of my steam tolerance.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I've been enjoying all these other books for their light tones and focus on doing one's best, I was kinda kicked in the shins with this one.

It was good, mind you, and pretty exciting to go independent (with a lot of great help) but when certain tragedies started piling up, I got this weird feeling like I was reading a mostly positive mid-life-crisis novel.

Mind you, it was never icky, and his ethics were always top-notch. I'm just referring to the elements in the tale and where it went and how ... sad it was by the end.

Still good, mind you. Just sad.

[Wm Cruz Carroll Sr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while you read a book, and it was so good that you end up reading it over again later. But when you re-read it 4 or more times a year just because it is so great, it has to mean something. This is the start of an Epic Arch of a land rat boy to the man whom becomes a true Spacer. This is the start of a saga living out in the deep dark.

WARNING: This book and the entire series may cause cravings. Notably exceptional coffee, eggs over easy, fried potatoes with onions, buttered toast and perfect crispy bacon. These cravings will come at you at all hours and you main gain weight and cholesterol levels while reading these books.

[Les · Rating 1 out of 5]

After initially giving this book a 5 star rating, I've since changed it to a single star. Am I nuts, yeah maybe, but after finishing this book I just feel slighted and empty. I realized after reading the whole series, it now seems quite pointless. Not sure I'll be reading any other of Nathan Lowells books going further.
+++++++++++++++++++ spoiler alert = don't read any further ++++++ spoiler alert +++++

Ok, with that out of the way, I can't believe the ending. Upon further reflexion, I realized that I enjoyed the story...boy thrust into a life as a spacer after losing his mother, and watching him grow and flourish as time went on. Watching as he helps others along the way even at his own expense or gain and enjoying every minute of it...even if the minutia of every detail of every meal is outlined and his obsession over coffee became tedious. He finally realizes his true love only to have her die in the final few chapters. He gets his own ship only to give up and live a life, what? alone and depressed? No closure on the company he worked for? Seriously? Not even a mention of him and his dad? The books ends with him a failure...NOT what his whole life was up until the end.
So, unless Mr Lowell decides to rewrite the ending or writes another book correcting this...this series is a dead end leaving you feel as empty as ex-captain Wang.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable voyage. The final Ishmael Horatio Wang novel did not disappoint! Nathan Lowell has a tremendous ability to bring the day to day lives of solar clipper trader crew to life. His all so very human characters become oh so very real. I so look forward to his forthcoming tales from the "deep dark"!

[Olivier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lowell did a good job on the previous books. The background he created is rich, the characters pretty fun, even if Ishmael looks sometime like a piece of wood in a river with the social skills of a rock. But still, it was good readings.
With this book and its dramatic end, it feels like an half-done job ! I can't figure why the story has to turn this way but it seems to me somehow ridiculous...
The 5 books have a certain kind of slow pace (some says "boring") but this one is flirting on boredom, until the last chapters where everything goes crazy.
I'm not even sad because of a character's end, but because this whole book is full of things already said and said again before and... Boom ! Here come some pieces of madness from nowhere.
I can't say I am looking for an other story in this universe (Ishmael there or not) but my curiosity may win, who knows!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was bittersweet in a lot of ways, not just that this series is over but things that happened during this story.

As a whole, this was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. I loved the idea behind it and the execution was well done.

I will definitely be checking out more from this author!

[Roger Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I loved this series. Read through all 6 in no time and thoroughly enjoyed Nathan Lowell's easy writing style and the humor he imparts to his characters. If you think every sci fi story must have scary aliens or space battles to be interesting and captivating, this series disproves that big time.

About 16 years ago, I picked up and read a book someone left on a plane I was flying on. It was the first book in a series of nautical books about a fictional character named Richard Bolitho written by Alexander Kent, and followed a young man in the late 1700's aboard various sailing ships of the Royal Navy. It followed him from midshipman to Admiral and what I found fascinating was all the everyday detail that the author wove into the many stories and books ( over 30 in all ). That's one of the things that Nathan also does in his series of future space faring ships, weaving it as part of the stories fabric. Just a wonderful enjoyable read and a great break from all the cookie cutter space opera adventures. Do yourself a favor and enjoy these books.

[Clumsy64 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was the final one: the whole story arc is now done. All though I was pleased with all those six books, it will take me some time to start a new series of solar clipper. I will let the cholesterol level of my body to settle after reading all those sizzling bacon and eggs.

My recommendation for the series:
If you are looking for a remarkably simple story with a message: “do your best and the success will follow”, this series is for you. It will also help if you could tolerate 80’s and 90’s technology to be imported to a star ship environment and problem solving from the same era being utilized.
But if you are looking for a story where protagonist is blaming society for all his/her/whatever problems and pages are filled with constant struggle with one’s identity, then this series is certainly not for you. Also, friends of complicated plots and clever twists are going to be disappointed.

[Jared · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series when it started. Space opera-ish story focusing on a kid that was just a kid who got dealt a rough hand. You watched as he sucked it up and dealt.

If you look at the past few books, however, you'll see that my score for them has been going down.

Why? Because the protagonist (Ishmael) has become more of a super everyone-loves-him (literally, as Ishmael is unbelievingly sexually interested and/or involved with many of the female characters through the series) and he-can-do-no-wrong character. All the while, he's actually been doing less. In this book, worst than the rest, Ishmael doesn't actually do anything himself. Everything's pretty much handed to him or done by other characters and he only actively does one thing (firing an employee).

This book is boring and marks the disappointing end to a series that started with promise.

[Bud Sidener · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable series slowly building up to a horrible ending.

This last book in the series made me so mad. Tease the romantic angle forever. Then just throw it together with zero action by the main character. Every one is happy, tease the happily ever after for like one chapter, then abruptly kill off the romantic interest in a rushed out of nowhere scene, then leave everything unresolved, with the heartbroken, (although not as much as anyone would expect,) main character selling his ship, after the whole point of the book was him trying to get his ship and business going, setting the main character completely adrift in the last couple pages. All time pointless horrible ending. The author should slap himself in the face for wasting our time.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first three books are a nice easy read.

The fourth is excrement

The fifth was more like the first three and was OK.

This sixth book is alright up until near the ending. What was Lowell thinking? It's so frustrating! It doesn't even make sense! Wish I'd stopped reading after the third book or just not read any of the series.

[Scott C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will miss this series. Although I was not happy with a few things near the end of the series and would have loved to seen some of the original characters revisited but a good overall ending. Look forward to reading more from Lowell's universe.

[Mary Soon Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth and final book in the Trader's Tales: gentle-hearted, largely low-key SF about life aboard interstellar freighters. The narrator, Ishmael, now about 40 years old, faces new challenges.

As with book 4, there are some actually bad people in this installment. Yet it didn't make me uncomfortable the way book 4 did. I was worried at times, sad at other times, but the large majority of the book was a cheering experience. Reading this in election season, I relished reading about good people helping other good people. The spacefaring setting was a nice bonus.

From the author's website, I see that there are several other series set in this universe, at least one of which features Ishmael. Hooray!

Four out of five whelkie stars.

About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).

[Velid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan Lowell delivers again with Owner’s Share, and I loved every page. As I closed in on the final chapters, I started to worry—could he really wrap this up in a way that felt satisfying? The story had me so invested that I wasn’t ready for it to end. For a moment, I thought this was the conclusion of the six-book Solar Clipper series, and I braced myself for goodbye.

To my surprise and delight, I discovered there are three more books in the next set. That realization flipped my panic into excitement—it only took me a minute to grab the next installment. The pacing, the character arcs, and the sense of earned growth all land beautifully here. Lowell balances closure with anticipation, and that’s no easy feat.

Owner’s Share is not just a great continuation—it’s proof that this universe has much more to give. Well done, and absolutely worth every hour spent reading.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bittersweet story!

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. This one hits a bit hard.

[Max Savenkov · Rating 4 out of 5]

After five books of no drama, this one suddenly drops some in reader's face. Compared to the rest of Solar Clipper series, "Owner's Share" is a much more ordinary novel, in that it has much more conflict, and slightly less Ishmael being way too good at everything. Drama is not why one reads this books, but I have to admit it still has enough of the spirit of the series to make me like it. Just... I won't spoil things for those who haven't read it yet, but the ending is... not sweet enough.

Having read all books in the series now, I still wonder how come the crew of Ishmael's first ship was abandoned so completely, and why we never heard about any of them after the 3rd book (and then only briefly).

[Gökçe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ticari bir işletme olarak uzay gemisi nasıl büyür sorusu yanında bir kaç yan hikaye de vardı. Seri için iyi bir bitiş sayılırdı aslında. Devamını okumaya niyetim yok. Uzayda geçen sakin bir macera arıyorsanız bu romana bir bakabilirsiniz.

[Nanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so we come to end of the cycle. We've followed Ishmael's career from a lowly quarter share all the way up to captain and owner of his own ship. As I sit here, having finished the story about an hour ago, I can't help but feeling that this story isn't done yet. Mr. Lowell has already announced that he has some ideas for further stories involving our protagonist so once again I will be eagerly following his blog for any news regarding such a thing. To say that I was hooked by this series is a serious understatement. I loved it, it's the perfect kind of story for me and I am sad to see it finished. I want to go back to sailing through the stars, having a life aboard a vessel and embarking on new adventures but sadly there are none to be had. There's no series that I know of that is quite like this one but if there were I'd be all over that in a heartbeat.

This last installment of the series was packed full of the same brilliant things that made me fall in love with the series in the first place. The vividness of the world mr. Lowell has sketched is such that it feels real, it feels like it could happen. But it's not about the world, it's not about space, it's about the people living their daily lives there and what it'd be like for them. It's not glamorous or particularly exciting but it's intriguing and romantic. I'm not going to give this book five stars however (spoiler ahead) because I am annoyed that the author decided to kill one of my favourite characters just at a time when it seemed to be working out. Now I am always particularly vexed when authors kill characters I like and even when I understand the motivation (it opens up the way for more stories in the future or more depth) I have trouble with enjoying the book in the same way. I guess I am a sucker for a fairytale ending (the disney kind, not those original sadistic ones) so I am going to have to wait and see if in the future mr. Lowell will give Ishmael his ending and give me some closure.

[Sotolf Flasskjegg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man oh man, the feels, This book was at times really brutal to my heart.

The conclusion of the trader series is such a mix between feelgood, and mystery, You can kind of really feel how the author has distilled the formula through the books, and I'd say they just got better and better, culminating in this.

I loved every minute I've respent with Ishmael through this series. Parts of th ending kind of let me miffed, will nothing work out for Ishmael? But then again big parts of what was more or less my only complain about the books is that he was a bit much of a Gary Stu, so somehow that as well was fitting.

I'm so happy that I found out that Nathan Lowell has written more books that I haven't read yet in the time that I wasn't reading much. So I guess it won't come as a surprise what I'll be reading next :)

I loved my time spend with Ish, and I'm looking forward to a couple of books more. Nathan Lowell really knows how to make characters likeable. So I have one parting thought, if you want to like sci-fi, but haven't managed to get into it. Or you already like it, and want a good series, just pick up the first book, or get the first free book from podiobooks, I'm pretty sure you won't regret it!

So now I'm on to unread territory in the traders' tale universe, and I'm looking so much forward to go on, what are you waiting for, join me on the journey :)

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a long time reader of the series, I have been waiting for this one to come out despite the months-long delays from various (missed) publication dates. If you have enjoyed this series, I would strongly recommend you give this one a pass as it is a major disappointment – not the entire book, but the last 20% or so just went downhill on a fast train.

Without having a spoiler, there appears to be a lot of filler material with even more page after page turns of what the next meal is, what the next meal will be, how the meal was prepared, and the inevitable references to good coffee. Ishmael appears to be someone totally different than he was in previous episodes, and the ending leaves a whole heck of a lot of questions unanswered than necessary: it’s almost as if Lowell was tired of writing and said I’m going to leave it with a crappy ending.

Overall, the series was pretty darn good; this final episode threw a wet blanket on the whole series.

[Katherine Hunter · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just painful. If it wasn't the last book in the series I wouldn't continue. I couldn't stand to hear one more meal described. Wow, a lot like reading a menu, over and over and over again. And over and over. And then again.
I think there was a story in there, in-between meals. Ishmael has been fired from DST, his previous company. On the basis of his salvage share of the derelict ship he led the recovery boarding party on in the last book, he buys a packet ship. DST sells it to him at a bargain price on the understanding that he takes on board as crew for a year the women who is now a majority shareholder of DST upon the recent death of her father. At the end of this story, Ish girlfriend is killed and the women who now is the majority DST shareholder buys out Ish and he ends with money, no girlfriend and no ship. A disappointing ending to this 6 book series.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the sixth and final book of the series, Ishmael Wang finds himself, through a series of somewhat contrived circumstances, owner of his own small passenger and cargo ship. He must now turn a profit for himself. An added wrinkle is that one of the crewmen is the heir to the shipping line where he used to work. She has been forced by a codicil in her father's will to work as a crewmember for a year in order to inherit the company. This adds some unexpected complications.

While most of the book follows the same adventures in normality model as the previous ones, there is a healthy dose of intrigue, and even some violence, in this last book. Ishmael's final fate is bittersweet. While part of me wants to applaud Mr. Lowell for not giving our hero a stereotypical feelgood happy ending, part of me wishes he had.

http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1746

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fulfillment of the story in the past five books. In one sense, at the end of this book, we have Ishmael having grown up to the point of his life starting anew from a more adult and independent perspective.
The book is roughly double the size of the earliest books and worth the size as the author is trying to finish off the series. Here Ishmael is involved more in the business politics of his time and manipulated by several players along the way. There is more personal action in this story as well.
Ultimately, the tale spins out well with a bittersweet ending but opening with great possibilities.
Overall, I have enjoyed this mostly positive series about a future where most people seem kinder and some redeemable. Great read.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

[6/30/2014]
This is the last of the Trader's Tales of Ishmael Horatio Wang, and it's the only one that contained real danger. Ishmael acquires a ship of his own, with a catch. He has to employ and "train" the daughter of his previous employer. But it turns out someone really wants them to fail and even die.

As usual, this is a well told tale. Worthy of many re-reads. I really wish I could look forward to more books about Ishmael.

[Pontus Liljeblad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was tipped off to Nathan Lowell's Quarter Share by the excellent podcast starshipsofa's excellent cheapskate review. Available as free audiobook download from also excellent podiobooks. Ended out reading the entire excellent series and (obviously) paying for it. A low key personal and at times somewhat wistfully melancholic adventure.

[Patrick Rochefort · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pointless kill off cheapens the entire series

Otherwise solid but the kill-off of a major character barely a few chapters after their reintroduction to the story was cheap garbage. Worse yet, the depiction of grief thereafter was inconsistent and trite.

What a lame and disappointing end to what was mostly an enjoyable series.