Half Share (Solar Clipper Trader Tales) [Kindle Edition]

Nathan Lowell (Author)

Book Description

SIX MONTHS IN THE DEEP DARK. FOUR VERY DIFFERENT WOMEN. ONE MAN DISCOVERS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SPACER.
It's a time of change on the Lois McKendrick. Sarah Krugg joins the mess deck and Ishmael Wang moves to the environmental section. Just after getting accustomed to life aboard a solar clipper, Ishmael must learn a whole new set of skills, face his own fears and doubts, and try to balance love and loss in the depths of space.

Both Ish and Sarah must learn to live by the mantra, "Trust Lois." For Sarah, there is the hope of escaping a horrifying past. For Ish, he must discover what type of man he wants to become and learn the consequences of his choices.

Return with the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, as you set sail in the next installment of the Trader Tales of the Solar Clipper Series. All your favorites return: Ish, Pip, Cookie, Brill, Diane, and Big Bad Bev. You might even discover some new friends as you travel among the stars.

TRADER TALE BOOKS IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE SOLAR CLIPPER
Quarter Share
Half Share
Full Share
Double Share
Captain's Share
Owner's Share

SHAMAN TALE BOOKS IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE SOLAR CLIPPER
South Coast
Cape Grace*

*Forthcoming

REVIEWS
"This is a thoroughly enjoyable coming of age story that had me deciding, three-quarters of the way through, to buy the second book in the series, as I wished to follow Ishmael's journey to becoming a full share (and beyond) crew member aboard a space trader."

"This story has no major conflict, no vilian, no drama, no surprises...I couldn't put it down. Story of life on a deep space freighter with good characters."

"For me this book brought up shades of Robert Heinlein to me. The scrappy characters fighting to get ahead make you want to root for them. This is not your typical space aliens conquer the universe book. Nathan Lowell takes a seemingly mundane thing (trade and business) and makes it into something you want to learn about."

"I'm not the first to say there's a connection here to the works of Robert Heinlein, but the shoe fits. Lowell's writing is crisp and his future is vivid; it's a place you'd like to live."

"The story just flows well...I couldn't put the book down until I finished. And then right when I finished (at 1 AM in the morning) I was back on Amazon's site looking for the next book in the series."

"I just want to add to all the praise for Lowell, this book was an excellent read, and if you are a fan of SciFi, definitely recommended."

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a thoroughly enjoyable coming of age story that had me deciding, three-quarters of the way through, to buy the second book in the series, as I wished to follow Ishmael s journey to becoming a full share (and beyond) crew member aboard a space trader. --Jo (Adelaide, S.A., AU), Amazon.com

For me this book brought up shades of Robert Heinlein to me. The scrappy characters fighting to get ahead make you want to root for them. This is not your typical space aliens conquer the universe book. Nathan Lowell takes a seemingly mundane thing (trade and business) and makes it into something you want to learn about. --Tom Rison, Amazon.com

The story just flows well...I couldn t put the book down until I finished. And then right when I finished (at 1 AM in the morning) I was back on Amazon s site looking for the next book in the series. --Mike Parsons (Wellborn, FL), Amazon.com

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 for Golden Age Series 

2011 Parsec Award Winner for Best Speculative Fiction for Owner's Share
2010 Parsec Award Winner for Best Speculative Fiction for Captain's Share
2009 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Double Share
2009 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Captain's Share
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

Product Details

• File Size: 557 KB
• Print Length: 252 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Ridan Publishing (December 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004GUSA02
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,780 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 57 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointing sequel to a good book December 26, 2010

By Donnacha Brophy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

After thoroughly enjoying the first book (Quarter Share) I immediately ordered and downloaded the sequel, Half Share, expecting another good book. And initially I wasn't disappointed. However past a certain point (trying to avoid spoilers but it involves Ishmael buying new clothes) the story just vanishes under a really weird sexual fantasy plot. Ishmael, who up to this point had come across as an earnest young man mostly surrounded by wiser, older adults, transforms into some irresistible Adonis, with all the women on the ship suddenly lusting after him while all the men noticing "there was something different about him". I found this transformation in his character unbelievable, slightly icky (mainly due to the age gap) and completely unsupported by what had been previously written.

Meanwhile the original story just kind of putters along behind. We get some crumbs of the excellent universe building from the first book and a new character joins the ship (if in a slightly annoying and patronising to women sort of way). But nothing really happens, with no real challenges presented or overcome by any of the characters. There is no conflict between characters and all their plans pretty mush work out as they hope. The various trading plots get very samey, which unfortunately draw attention to just how shaky and silly some of it is. You can only read how they land on a planet, make a fortune, Ishmael notices something which they buy to sell with vast profit on the next planet, so many times before it becomes ludicrous.

My worst condemnation is that by the end I felt I was reading fanfiction. The authors main character had to be great at everything, always win and get all the ladies.

30 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Were is the next one on Kindle..must have now!!! December 31, 2010

By L. McPherson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Thoroughly enjoyed this installment of the series. The major theme of the critiques I have read for "Half Share" concern the "shopping scene" and Ish becoming "sexually aware" in what many folks consider in sudden and deserting fashion. I have no issues with this.

Lets see, Ish is young, overly protected from society by his mother, on his own for the first ever, been trapped in the ship with common berthing for months and the young man hormones are raging. Lets add to the mix that no one on the ship has sexual relations with each other. And last but not least IMHO the most important is he (and the crew) have to do a lot of living while in port. Just go to a Military base after a Ship returns home or goes into port or see a Army base after a major deployment and see how much living those young people pack in 24 or 48 hours.

Another part that seemed real was the old salts (all babes in Ish's case) take care of the younger troops that they deem worthy of their time. Were some of his behaviors cocky, sure, but show me an 18 year old that is not. NL has great grasp of reality of what a young man and crew go through and writes in such a way that I cannot put the book down once I start reading. NL is on my list of great writers because he sucks me into the world that he creates so quickly. Not many writers have that affect on me.

I wish the next book was Kindle available, already!! I looked for this one everyday in Nov and Dec until it showed up two days ago. I was my Christmas present to myself. LOL Buy this book it will not disappoint.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Losing interest in this series... March 25, 2011

By R. Kelley

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Quarter Share was an interesting start to a sci-fi series. While most sci-fi focuses on the technology this series seemed to be avoiding the big picture and instead focused on the little guys doing day-to-day tasks. It was brief but well paced and enjoyable. As a primer I enjoyed it and was looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Half Share, unfortunately, doesn't seem to have gone beyond that primer. What makes a work of fiction believeable to me is conflict and what makes characters interesting is depth. Whether conflict is between personalities, worlds, races, or something else it is what allows character and plot development. In Half Share everyone gets along, no one but the main character (Ish) has any personal ambitions, real faults, or signs of discontentment. The depth of the characters, which I'd hoped we'd start to see, seems almost nonexistent. Everyone is nearly perfect on the outside and shallow inside.

While that lack of conlict and depth can be forgiven in the first book I don't think I can ignore it in this one. Numerous other reviews go into detail about the story arc in the second half of the book that takes place outside of the ship. I thought that it wasn't very interesting and just made the characters seem more shallow than they did on the ship. Even beyond the night club and tailor portions of the book the flea market trading is getting entirely too predictable. There seems to be one trader on each station that has such unique, quality goods that only Ish can recognize. Somehow the ship mates involved in the coop can always sell everything they've made or bought at previous ports. And no one from the ship or the flea market seems to want to take advantage of each other.... For a book that is focused on trading and making money on a ship it seems unaware that most deals aren't win-win.

Nathan Lowell's writing style is very readable so I may still give Full Share a chance when it becomes available. Almost every fictional series goes awry at some point and most get back on track pretty quick. Read more ›

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Worst of the series December 24, 2010

By D. Plass

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Don't get me wrong; I love the whole series (Quarter Share through part of Owner's share are all available as audio books) and have listened to them each multiple times.

However, I felt Half Share was my least favorite of the series. Our hero, after having passed all 4 half-share ratings exams, is transferred to a new division - where he knows nothing. It's frustrating hearing him learn how to do everything - what were the exams _for_ if not to prepare him for the berth?

Then there's the self-indulgent shopping spree (he spent *how much*?) and outright lust over the various women on the ship. Never before, and never again, does Ish mention his feelings for these women (with the exception of Bev). Again, frustrating that it comes and goes so quickly like a flash in the proverbial pan.

Last, this book takes place over only about a two month period -- the shortest timeline of any of the books (although Owner's share isn't complete so I can't comment on that.) A LOT happens in these 2 months, and I'd've been happier to see Ish's self-awareness grow over a longer course of time.

With all that said, yes, I did buy the book.

More 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, Trader's Tales from 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
2010 Parsec Award Winner for Speculative Fiction (Long Form) for Captain's Share
2011 Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction (Short Form) Finalist for "The Astonishing Amulet of Amenartas"
2011 Parsec Award Winner for Best Speculative Fiction (Long Form) Winner for Owner's Share

NOVELS
Quarter Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #1)
Half Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #2)
Full Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #3)
Double Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #4)*
Captain's Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #5)*
Owner's Share (Trader's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #6)*
South Coast - (Shaman's Tales from Golden Age of the Solar Clipper #1)*
Ravenwood - (A Tanyth Fairport Adventure - book 1)*

NOVELLAS
Light In The Dark (Tales from the Deep Dark #1) (2011)

SHORTS
The Astonishing Amulet of Amenartas (from Tales from the Archive, 2011)

* Audio only