Space Opera Fans discussion

Our February 2018 INDIE Pick is Milk Run by Nathan Lowell. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, and reviews, at any time.

This book starts a new series in the same universe as Quarter Share.

Description:
Academy graduate Natalya Regyri stood first in line for her pick of Engineering Officer jobs, until, at the graduation party, a classmate turned up dead. Now, betrayed by her friends and framed for murder, she must flee beyond the reach of the Confederation...and any semblance of civilized society.

With a damaged second-hand ship and TIC interceptors dogging her step, she nets a smuggling contract that might just get her back on her feet and in control of her destiny. But only if she's willing to make an ore run back to the place she's wanted for murder, and into the arms of the authorities...
...who somehow know she's coming.

I read this in October, a little more than a month after it came out. It's starts a new series by Nathan Lowell, The Smuggler's Tales From the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper. It looks like it's going to be interlaced with another new Lowell series, The Seeker's Tales From the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper. Both will be focusing on an area of space outside the standard commercial shipping lanes, but from two different viewpoints, one outside the law and one inside. But that's probably an oversimplification.

I enjoyed this book, as I enjoy most Lowell works. Here is my review.

I read this book shortly after it was first published and again last April. I look forward to rereading it in February.

If you didn't like Quarter Share because "nothing happens", please do try Milk Run. It has a lot more action, and a lot of people living outside the law too. There is no need for you to have read any of the other books, since this is the start of a new series, with new characters.

Read this recently. I look forward to the discussion.

I've started my reread of Milk Run. I have distinct memories of reading the first (three?) chapters as a short story or possibly just a preview stuck at the end of a book, but I can't find it. I do recall when I first read the book reading chapter 4 and doing a double take. Um... omitting details to avoid spoilers.

Edit: found the short story. Name is Exile, in an anthology Starbound edited by S.M. Reine. Looks like the first three chapters all right.

Reading Milk Run sure explains a lot about how the Chernyakova got in such a pickle in Captain's Share I think it was. Sheesh but I wouldn't want to serve on than barbell Natalya is on!

One of my favorite quotes from this book:
"He had the job and taught it to me so he could retire to Bar None and breed cattle.” She paused. “Not personally breed. That is, not with his own—”

I just noticed "thank Maude" after blandly accepting "Mercy Maude" earlier as some random phrase. Adding the context of the thanks, methinks Maude is a replacement for "God", likely a secular replacement to avoid inserting religion into the culture.

I don't think I've seen this particular replacement outside the books of this author. It's not at all unusual for SF books to invent new phrases for expletives, profanity, and common phrases mentioning God, but right now I'm tired and can only recall Ghod and Ghu for direct replacement of the word God, other than books where they mention directly worship of a god and give that god a name.

"Thank Maude." I don't remember noticing that, but I like it. I think I'll try to adopt it (if I can remember).

Chapter 41 and the scene in the TIC office has me giggling out loud with bursts of belly laughs. Natalya is trying to get a replacement for the spares database, and the TIC officer is trying hard not to laugh at her predicament which makes it very hard for Natalya to keep a straight face.

Chapter 53 mentions in passing the new chief engineer, without giving her name, just that Natalya knew it from somewhere but couldn't recall where. I wonder if that might be the same female chief engineer that Ish hired in In Ashes Born....

The sequel is out! Suicide Run by Nathan Lowell

Suicide Run is about as good as Milk Run. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 but it was close. I stayed up late last night to finish it.