What do you think?
Rate this book
A Smuggler's Tale #1
Milk Run
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.
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.
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2016
About the author
Nathan Lowell
38 books1,520 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 169 reviews
March 30, 2024
This is a different series by Lowell that takes place in the same “deep-dark” that his Quarter Share series did. And by “different,” I am including the fact that it is not a grounded in praise of human virtues. In fact, this one starts with graduation day from the Confederation’s Space Academy and a murder that takes place in the post-graduation celebration.
That party is held in an apartment and from the moment that Natalya Regyri enters the kitchen to renew her beverage things begin to spiral out of control. She sees that the only other person in the room is someone who has tried previously to force himself upon her. This time, as he moves toward her, she puts up an arm to fend him off and he crashes to the floor, dead.
It is clear from the start that this series is here to entertain rather than edify. Lowell uses his strengths:
Slow revealing 3-D characters
Challenging conversations
Deep plot elements
Interesting shipboard details
The tension builds well and we discover a lot about the part of the galaxy patrolled by the Confederation’s T.I.C. and the part of the galaxy that isn’t. “Smuggling” is defined slowly as the story builds and Regyri and her Academy roommate do what is necessary to survive. Those who have read Lowell’s other series taking place in the “Golden Age of the Solar Clipper” will find some similarities but there is no “cross-over” of characters between this and Lowell’s “Trader Tales.” The only similarity comes when Regyri finds herself working on a “questionable” freighter on a “questionable” run with a “questionable” crew and works to make it “better.”
Hard work and honesty are virtues that Lowell emphasizes but I didn’t find that distracting from the entertainment.
3.5
That party is held in an apartment and from the moment that Natalya Regyri enters the kitchen to renew her beverage things begin to spiral out of control. She sees that the only other person in the room is someone who has tried previously to force himself upon her. This time, as he moves toward her, she puts up an arm to fend him off and he crashes to the floor, dead.
It is clear from the start that this series is here to entertain rather than edify. Lowell uses his strengths:
Slow revealing 3-D characters
Challenging conversations
Deep plot elements
Interesting shipboard details
The tension builds well and we discover a lot about the part of the galaxy patrolled by the Confederation’s T.I.C. and the part of the galaxy that isn’t. “Smuggling” is defined slowly as the story builds and Regyri and her Academy roommate do what is necessary to survive. Those who have read Lowell’s other series taking place in the “Golden Age of the Solar Clipper” will find some similarities but there is no “cross-over” of characters between this and Lowell’s “Trader Tales.” The only similarity comes when Regyri finds herself working on a “questionable” freighter on a “questionable” run with a “questionable” crew and works to make it “better.”
Hard work and honesty are virtues that Lowell emphasizes but I didn’t find that distracting from the entertainment.
3.5
July 8, 2020
Quite good, the start of a new series, in the Solar Clipper universe. I look forward to more.
January 2, 2021
Immature Portrait of "Nancy Drew" If She Was A Future Spacer
"Milk Run," by Mr. Nathan Lowell, is an immature portrait of a future, "Nancy Drew-like," future Spacer, who on her graduation day from a space academy, immediately becomes embroiled in a suspect murder, and flees with her untrustworthy roomie.
The book abruptly starts with the heroine, at a post-graduation party, plopped into a murder as the intended assailant, a rushed departure into space, and a race away.
Mr. Lowell decided to start his book, with a half-baked, awkward, and inane plot device. It is literally just dumped onto the page, without finesse or basic setup. The book continues in a plodding, mainly boring manner until midway, where it does become somewhat entertaining. But even then, it is barely mediocre.
The author has written a book that is immature in execution and storyline. The effete writer's affectations of changing sir to "...sar...," clock to "...chrono...," fusion reactor to "...fusactor...," and the absolute worse, the worse of maintaining years, months, days, yet seconds, minutes, hours, are changed to "...ticks...," "...stan...," and "...stanyers...." Come on, really? It's beyond corny and lame. Mr. Lowell hasn't written a bad YA SciFi book, it is a bad SciFi book period. I thought maybe this was YA at first, something for the kids or grandkids that the author threw together. But after reading the entire book, the mature subjects involved, I realized it is just a poor effort by .Mr. Lowell.
The "Milk Run," is not recommended (except for aging Nancy Drew fans) and was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
"Milk Run," by Mr. Nathan Lowell, is an immature portrait of a future, "Nancy Drew-like," future Spacer, who on her graduation day from a space academy, immediately becomes embroiled in a suspect murder, and flees with her untrustworthy roomie.
The book abruptly starts with the heroine, at a post-graduation party, plopped into a murder as the intended assailant, a rushed departure into space, and a race away.
Mr. Lowell decided to start his book, with a half-baked, awkward, and inane plot device. It is literally just dumped onto the page, without finesse or basic setup. The book continues in a plodding, mainly boring manner until midway, where it does become somewhat entertaining. But even then, it is barely mediocre.
The author has written a book that is immature in execution and storyline. The effete writer's affectations of changing sir to "...sar...," clock to "...chrono...," fusion reactor to "...fusactor...," and the absolute worse, the worse of maintaining years, months, days, yet seconds, minutes, hours, are changed to "...ticks...," "...stan...," and "...stanyers...." Come on, really? It's beyond corny and lame. Mr. Lowell hasn't written a bad YA SciFi book, it is a bad SciFi book period. I thought maybe this was YA at first, something for the kids or grandkids that the author threw together. But after reading the entire book, the mature subjects involved, I realized it is just a poor effort by .Mr. Lowell.
The "Milk Run," is not recommended (except for aging Nancy Drew fans) and was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
September 24, 2017
Mr Lowell gets better and better
One of the reasons I have read through almost all of the Solar Flipper series is that there are no epic ten thousand ship battles, perfect officers who have more luck than all the 4 leaf clovers in Ireland and evil villains who are .....too evil. No the people in this universe are the same people you run into all the time. They are just trying to make a living in an environment that is totally unforgiving. You can care for the characters because they feel real. Some smart, some are dense, a few struggle with baggage that prevents them from rising to the top.
Toe hold space feels real and lived in. I wish this were a series on TV instead of Star Trek but it would be ruined by the dissenting more bug eyed monsters. Enjoy the series and hope for many more books
One of the reasons I have read through almost all of the Solar Flipper series is that there are no epic ten thousand ship battles, perfect officers who have more luck than all the 4 leaf clovers in Ireland and evil villains who are .....too evil. No the people in this universe are the same people you run into all the time. They are just trying to make a living in an environment that is totally unforgiving. You can care for the characters because they feel real. Some smart, some are dense, a few struggle with baggage that prevents them from rising to the top.
Toe hold space feels real and lived in. I wish this were a series on TV instead of Star Trek but it would be ruined by the dissenting more bug eyed monsters. Enjoy the series and hope for many more books
June 8, 2023
I loved the soft and warm hearted Golden Age of the Solar Clipper. I devoured them in sequence without taking a breath. And it opened my eyes to a whole new genre, what I call soft-scifi, where greats like Becky Chambers belong. Mr Lowell is good at this genre. However this one was just too soft. I know he does a great ship life story, and has a surprising talent for making logistical problems exciting. I loved that about teh Golden Age of the Solar Clipper. But Milk Run when all was said and done, was boring. Even when actual threat and conspiracy, it lacked any real danger. The characters were cardboard cut-outs and didn't develop enough to keep me caring. Overall I did enjoy the conclusion of the tale. But idk if I will go on with this series, might be more worthwhile to just reread Quarter Share and go on with my life.
June 2, 2019
Maude knows what I’m going to do when I run out of Nathan Lowell books.
May 8, 2020
I got hooked on the story from the beginning! I had a feeling who the culprits were!
2020 - After reading By Darkness Forged and seeing Nats and Zee in the story, I just had to do a quick re-read of Milk Run! Still a good story!
2020 - After reading By Darkness Forged and seeing Nats and Zee in the story, I just had to do a quick re-read of Milk Run! Still a good story!
October 4, 2019
An awesome first-in-a-spin-off-series, of the shared Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper. As a first novel it can and does stand alone... It's totally independent of the original series, and it broadens our understanding of the way (Nathan Lowell's) universe works!
Just what have Nats and Zee gotten themselves in to? What should be a Celebration and Graduation feast turns into a disaster, with a death, and a frame-up for murder...
Nathan Lowell tends to joke that nothing happens in his stories, because there's no alien attack or whatnot. But I say differently... No one else writes a story about space like Nathan! These stories are more of a procedural primer of what it takes to be a merchant on a starship, all served with a side of mystery and suspense...
So get the book, grab a good cup of coffee, and welcome aboard!
Currently, listening to newly released copy with Emily Woo Zeller as narrator! I had forgotten how much I loved this book! And, now listening to the audio version of this story is my jam!
Just what have Nats and Zee gotten themselves in to? What should be a Celebration and Graduation feast turns into a disaster, with a death, and a frame-up for murder...
Nathan Lowell tends to joke that nothing happens in his stories, because there's no alien attack or whatnot. But I say differently... No one else writes a story about space like Nathan! These stories are more of a procedural primer of what it takes to be a merchant on a starship, all served with a side of mystery and suspense...
So get the book, grab a good cup of coffee, and welcome aboard!
Currently, listening to newly released copy with Emily Woo Zeller as narrator! I had forgotten how much I loved this book! And, now listening to the audio version of this story is my jam!
February 10, 2020
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
From one great event that's left in the dust by the story, to the next. Characters were mediocre, with little effort put in to change their whole course, and not too much depth. The captain was mister-right, agreeing with all things he had to agree, and disagreeing with all things he had to disagree with, thus propelling the plot without any events greater than the final attempt at a hold-up.
This wasn't very entertaining, and I don't think I want to read any more in the series. Book gets a 3 out of 5 from me.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
From one great event that's left in the dust by the story, to the next. Characters were mediocre, with little effort put in to change their whole course, and not too much depth. The captain was mister-right, agreeing with all things he had to agree, and disagreeing with all things he had to disagree with, thus propelling the plot without any events greater than the final attempt at a hold-up.
This wasn't very entertaining, and I don't think I want to read any more in the series. Book gets a 3 out of 5 from me.
Read
August 26, 2023Rating: minus 1
This book is up for its revision. The original as was most of my reviews, an attempt to find positives in what are objectively bad books. I limited myself to the popular anemic style favoured by other readers, while giving myself a sense of what the books did or did not deliver. I do not expect anyone other than myself to read any of my reviews and can now write more complete judgements and as for the pathetic man-children of my commenter fan club "Facts don't care about your feelings". 😊 Now I aim to misbehave.
Before I continue, I must make a YouTube to clear somewhat the distaste that every visit to this site engenders. This was made possible by Stats Panda, Ben and Emily, The Shades of Orange, Snappy Dragon, Emma Thorne, Abbie Emmons, Daisy Viktoria, Real Time History, NerdForge, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Abby Cox, Operator Starsky, RobWords, Verilybitchie, Bolero Flashmob, IzzzYzzz, OrangeRiver, Welcome to Ukraine, A Day of Small Things, Karolina Zebrowska, Malinda, Meidas Touch, Second Thought, Kelly Loves Physics and History, Ro Ramdin, Jay Exci, Baltic Empire, May, Harbo Wholmes, Annie's Literary Empire, Jake Broe, Library Ladder, Lily Alexandre, Kazachka.
The story had a promising opening but the premise fizzles out very quickly and I can not quite understand how the writer lost the thread so completely, so early. My opinion is that he had not plotted out the book prior to writing and his premise was all the thought that he devoted to world building.
The lack of world building in so much of the Amazon popular recommendations, still shocks me. No matter how implausible or fantastical, a logical background world would seem to be the first step in crafting a science fiction. That appears to have become more of a "guideline rather than a rule" over the last two decades in US publishing circles. I can not imagine that an editor of any competence would not identify such an essential element immediately on scanning a manuscript. For publishers to set this new standard or lack thereof must be the result a complete disdain for science fiction, related genres and the readership for these stories.
In this book the background consists of an academy for merchant spacers set in a fuzzy system of stars. The role of the academy is weirdly undefined for an institution at the heart of the story. That there should be only one seems unlikely but there is no mention of others. The authority of the academy has no identified basis in the book. There is a mention of a vague governmental structure but with no detail or description. More effort is devoted to one of the criminal gangs than to either of those.
The two main characters are forced out of civilized space, which has no description or definition. Neither they nor the reader are given an explanation. It is established (?) that they are unjustly accused of some unspecified offense and are encouraged to flee to wild space. The very vagueness of their expulsion from reasons to consequences to academy staff aid in escaping is awful.
With no credentials, which are given as absolutely needed the two characters are immediately able to crew with a cargo vessel. There follows cardio thefts, which years long pattern was discovered by the teen main characters. This not very disguised and easily revealed big value theft went unnoticed by the owner, the long-time captain, the first officer, the second officer, the ship's purser or the company's financial staff.
This company have one ship which makes one three month voyage a year. The owner, the captain, first officer and accounting staff display no urgency in uncovering the method, time span of or total value of the theft. The main characters receive neither accolades nor rewards but are visited by an intelligence agent with no apparent purpose other than his visit. The agency and their remit are unknown. The reasons for their interest in the two teens is a mystery to characters and reader alike.
Before I can continue this I need time on YouTube again. This next is brought to you by Linguoer Mechanic, Perun, MGW Studios, Luciana Zogbi, Adam Something, Climate Town, Dark Skies, Dark Seas, SK Media, Dr Ben Miller, Rowan Ellis, Dark Tech, Dark Docs, Ana Psychology, I'm Rosa, NFKRZ, Elena Taber, Malinda, Alice Cappelle, Kalaripayattu, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, The Cold War, Xiran Jay Zhao, Sound of Music Flashmob, Lydia Loves Timelines, Oliver Lugg.
The writer obviously wanted to write a space adventure and following the standards, he did not need a background universe with a recognizable society, distance or spatial details, technology detail, a plot and story direction. He did have a vague premise and a rough sense of who his two heroines were with no depth, no history and generic innocent persona. That was enough to launch a book with no thought, no story outline and no editorial objection.
The plot is a series of contrivances without any societal background for context. If the writer's blurb had not listed awards, I doubt that I would have tried the second volume, despite my liking the main characters.
The book is a loose collection of action scenes with little logic and no plausibility connecting them. Where background could have been built up, the writer seemed to expect the reader to fill in a generic space adventure universe with details he thought it unnecessary to provide. It is the Star Wars model. I had one member explain to me on another review that Star Wars as a movie and as a universe was brilliant, so there is no need to comment correct me. I was embarrassed that a reader would not only think but write that. Hopefully any reader inclined to differ with my opinion, can now rest their keyboard. I did try the second book and while not surprised, was disappointed.
I must confess that I have been watching most of my fiction for a year or so for the first time. The Amazon/Goodreads promotion and sales activities have put me off print.
There are stories on the streaming services as badly plotted as this book but for the most part some attention is paid to covering gaps in the storytelling. Where a series or film are as badly written as this book, audiences stop watching regardless of the quality or popularity of the actors. The audience falloff and internet reactions encourage show runners or producers to demand better from the writers. In my early days on this site, I had thought that Goodreads would fulfil a similar quality assurance role. Goodreads do the opposite and promote an uncritical acceptance of whatever a science fiction publisher offer. This trend is most noticeable in the high ratings of the really gross US hegemonic space fantasy books which always include overt racist and misogynistic portrayals, dialogue and exposition. The comments and reviews which I have seen regarding their entertainment value was troubling.
YouTube was a surprise to me over the last two years and delivered a large number of good commentary and recommendations, which are not to be found on this site. I looked for and found those channels before I discovered the lifestyle, educational, hobbyist and essayist channels. The book channels I found last. 😍 They are wonderful reader communities which discuss and evaluate all manner of books. The readers have varied tastes and interests but all are enamoured of all things bookish from library furnishings to book hauls. The educational and essayist channels introduced me to the educational video sites. Wondrium, Nebula, History Hit TV are a few but all are worth a look and moderately priced.
An example of Goodreads discourse. About eighteen months ago, I wrote a very short negative review of Powers of the Earth, a poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran who is a self-described libertarian, a vocal advocate for a return of chattel slavery - Oh, freedom lovers, a supporter of Putin's Russia - of course, a US veteran and an employee of an unnamed US agency. After a long campaign of outrage from seven maniacs including the writer, Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 wrote a comment declaring that They had "won" (?).
They had launched a year long flood of vile sexual and racist comments against YouTube channels which I mentioned. It seems that They decided that They needn't continue. The solo narrowboaters, the cultural essayists, the American book tubers and the many other female creators were some of them scared but none impressed. However the world's overabundance of unpleasantness was increased and a very accurate portrait of the twisted American libertarian man-child was delivered to a broad multinational audience. It seems that those were victory, enough. USA! Yay ?? Goodreads discourse. Yay ??
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Sailing Melody, SK Media, Bobbing Along, Hailey in Bookland, Foxcade, Mia Mulder, Brittany Page, AllShorts, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Meidas Touch, Owen Jones, Some More News, Eileen, May Moon Narrowboat, New Economic Thinking, Randy Rainbow, Horses, It's Black Friday, Jabzy, Lily Alexandre.
About Amazon/Goodreads, I ask that you consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 I gave a snapshot above of the kinds of responses that I and others have endured. I am not sure that mine were even the most extreme. Look at negative reviews, especially those of female readers for Ringo's Dark Skies series and its underlying and overt paedophilic themes as well as racist expressions as regards all non-American populations (for a certain very, very limited description of American). I suggest that before that excursion, you prepare yourself for severe upset.
The comment clouds are not the worst. Amazon/Goodreads have felt comfortable even interrupting my kindle services. They released my limited message history to nefarious parties, which resulted in Australian Intelligence through Pine Gap Centre attempting to investigate my private life. My friend was concerned for my safety and contacted me. For some other interesting Goodreads actions taken, see my review of "Dark Horse", a good novel by Diener or Powers described above. The other Goodreads harrsssments are not as possibly deadly but I feel that Amazon customer service needs an overhaul. 😊
You may not and I hope that you are not targeted by a group of these animals and I know from four years experience that there are many cowardly but vicious groups of them. I think that some few precautions are a fair start at anticipation of the worst. Minimizing profile information, removing lurkers (those friends who monitor but never post), screenshotting the odd and the ugly, remaining wary of the messaging on this site, cost little but to not might do. Bear in mind that these nutcases both members and employees are not just lacking restraint or any recognizable morality, They are Americans. Ominous music ends. 🙂
May we all discover Good Reading! 🤗
I am not an expert advisor on the usefulness of the myriad YouTube channels but I have found many good science fiction, book, writing, essayist and others. Some of my favourite channels.
Alizee, Bobbing Along, Fran Blanche, Gutsick Gibbon, Munecat, Planarwalker, History with Kayleigh, Jessie Gender, Books and Lala, Chris and Shell, Brittany the Bibliophile, Tale Foundry, Real Time History, Lily Simpson, Tara Mooknee, Extinction Rebellion UK, Star Media EN, The Book Leo, Make Better Media, Prime of Midlife, Patrick is a Navajo, Crow Caller, Kris Atomic, J. Draper, Philosophy Tube, Tom Nicholas, Bernadette Banner, Jill Bearup, Historical Fashion, Answer in Progress, Sabine Hossenfelder, Real Engineering, Ben and Emily, Travelling K, Knowing Better, Swell Entertainment, What Vivi did next, Three Arrows, Foster on the Spectrum, Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, ReligionForBreakfast, Paleo Analysis, Tibees, Ship Happens, Savy Writes Books, Sailing Melody, Between the Wars, The Cold War, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Engineering with Rosie, Amanda the Jedi, Roomies Digest, James Somerton, Library Ladder, Lady of the Library, A Life of Lit, Emmie, Bizarre Beasts, Crecganford, Female Warriors, Kidology, Merphy Napier, Interior Design Hub, ThePrimeChronus, Brickcrafts, The People Profiles, Lives and Histories, Kings and Generals, Biz Barclay, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Kathy's Flog in France, Part Time Hobbit, Northern Narrowboaters, Randy Rainbow, The Who Addicts, Narrowboat Pirate, Cruising Alba, Cruising Crafts, The Little Platoon, Vlad Vexler, Told in Stone, Autumn's Boutique, The Chloe Connection, Contrapoints, KernowDamo, Fortress of Lugh, The Black Forest Family, With Olivia, Bookslike Whoa, Renegade Cut, The Leftist Cooks, The Bands of HM Royal Marines, Terrible Writing Advice, EarleWrites, Hello Future Me, Quinn's Ideas, Agro Squerril Narrates, FunnyLilGal React, Joe Blogs, No Justice MTG, Owen Jones, Mrs Betty Bowers, Lady Knight the Brave, Elina Charatsidou, 2 Cellos, Cecilia Blomdahl, Sideprojects, Digital Mermaid, Acollierastro, Dr Becky, Spark.
I wish you a sunny morning, a pleasant afternoon, a cosy evening, a wonderful night and may we all continue learning.
A person who allows Another to speak in their name unchallenged, adopts that Other's sins.
My Grandmother, of honest peasant heritage
This book is up for its revision. The original as was most of my reviews, an attempt to find positives in what are objectively bad books. I limited myself to the popular anemic style favoured by other readers, while giving myself a sense of what the books did or did not deliver. I do not expect anyone other than myself to read any of my reviews and can now write more complete judgements and as for the pathetic man-children of my commenter fan club "Facts don't care about your feelings". 😊 Now I aim to misbehave.
Before I continue, I must make a YouTube to clear somewhat the distaste that every visit to this site engenders. This was made possible by Stats Panda, Ben and Emily, The Shades of Orange, Snappy Dragon, Emma Thorne, Abbie Emmons, Daisy Viktoria, Real Time History, NerdForge, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Abby Cox, Operator Starsky, RobWords, Verilybitchie, Bolero Flashmob, IzzzYzzz, OrangeRiver, Welcome to Ukraine, A Day of Small Things, Karolina Zebrowska, Malinda, Meidas Touch, Second Thought, Kelly Loves Physics and History, Ro Ramdin, Jay Exci, Baltic Empire, May, Harbo Wholmes, Annie's Literary Empire, Jake Broe, Library Ladder, Lily Alexandre, Kazachka.
The story had a promising opening but the premise fizzles out very quickly and I can not quite understand how the writer lost the thread so completely, so early. My opinion is that he had not plotted out the book prior to writing and his premise was all the thought that he devoted to world building.
The lack of world building in so much of the Amazon popular recommendations, still shocks me. No matter how implausible or fantastical, a logical background world would seem to be the first step in crafting a science fiction. That appears to have become more of a "guideline rather than a rule" over the last two decades in US publishing circles. I can not imagine that an editor of any competence would not identify such an essential element immediately on scanning a manuscript. For publishers to set this new standard or lack thereof must be the result a complete disdain for science fiction, related genres and the readership for these stories.
In this book the background consists of an academy for merchant spacers set in a fuzzy system of stars. The role of the academy is weirdly undefined for an institution at the heart of the story. That there should be only one seems unlikely but there is no mention of others. The authority of the academy has no identified basis in the book. There is a mention of a vague governmental structure but with no detail or description. More effort is devoted to one of the criminal gangs than to either of those.
The two main characters are forced out of civilized space, which has no description or definition. Neither they nor the reader are given an explanation. It is established (?) that they are unjustly accused of some unspecified offense and are encouraged to flee to wild space. The very vagueness of their expulsion from reasons to consequences to academy staff aid in escaping is awful.
With no credentials, which are given as absolutely needed the two characters are immediately able to crew with a cargo vessel. There follows cardio thefts, which years long pattern was discovered by the teen main characters. This not very disguised and easily revealed big value theft went unnoticed by the owner, the long-time captain, the first officer, the second officer, the ship's purser or the company's financial staff.
This company have one ship which makes one three month voyage a year. The owner, the captain, first officer and accounting staff display no urgency in uncovering the method, time span of or total value of the theft. The main characters receive neither accolades nor rewards but are visited by an intelligence agent with no apparent purpose other than his visit. The agency and their remit are unknown. The reasons for their interest in the two teens is a mystery to characters and reader alike.
Before I can continue this I need time on YouTube again. This next is brought to you by Linguoer Mechanic, Perun, MGW Studios, Luciana Zogbi, Adam Something, Climate Town, Dark Skies, Dark Seas, SK Media, Dr Ben Miller, Rowan Ellis, Dark Tech, Dark Docs, Ana Psychology, I'm Rosa, NFKRZ, Elena Taber, Malinda, Alice Cappelle, Kalaripayattu, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, The Cold War, Xiran Jay Zhao, Sound of Music Flashmob, Lydia Loves Timelines, Oliver Lugg.
The writer obviously wanted to write a space adventure and following the standards, he did not need a background universe with a recognizable society, distance or spatial details, technology detail, a plot and story direction. He did have a vague premise and a rough sense of who his two heroines were with no depth, no history and generic innocent persona. That was enough to launch a book with no thought, no story outline and no editorial objection.
The plot is a series of contrivances without any societal background for context. If the writer's blurb had not listed awards, I doubt that I would have tried the second volume, despite my liking the main characters.
The book is a loose collection of action scenes with little logic and no plausibility connecting them. Where background could have been built up, the writer seemed to expect the reader to fill in a generic space adventure universe with details he thought it unnecessary to provide. It is the Star Wars model. I had one member explain to me on another review that Star Wars as a movie and as a universe was brilliant, so there is no need to comment correct me. I was embarrassed that a reader would not only think but write that. Hopefully any reader inclined to differ with my opinion, can now rest their keyboard. I did try the second book and while not surprised, was disappointed.
I must confess that I have been watching most of my fiction for a year or so for the first time. The Amazon/Goodreads promotion and sales activities have put me off print.
There are stories on the streaming services as badly plotted as this book but for the most part some attention is paid to covering gaps in the storytelling. Where a series or film are as badly written as this book, audiences stop watching regardless of the quality or popularity of the actors. The audience falloff and internet reactions encourage show runners or producers to demand better from the writers. In my early days on this site, I had thought that Goodreads would fulfil a similar quality assurance role. Goodreads do the opposite and promote an uncritical acceptance of whatever a science fiction publisher offer. This trend is most noticeable in the high ratings of the really gross US hegemonic space fantasy books which always include overt racist and misogynistic portrayals, dialogue and exposition. The comments and reviews which I have seen regarding their entertainment value was troubling.
YouTube was a surprise to me over the last two years and delivered a large number of good commentary and recommendations, which are not to be found on this site. I looked for and found those channels before I discovered the lifestyle, educational, hobbyist and essayist channels. The book channels I found last. 😍 They are wonderful reader communities which discuss and evaluate all manner of books. The readers have varied tastes and interests but all are enamoured of all things bookish from library furnishings to book hauls. The educational and essayist channels introduced me to the educational video sites. Wondrium, Nebula, History Hit TV are a few but all are worth a look and moderately priced.
An example of Goodreads discourse. About eighteen months ago, I wrote a very short negative review of Powers of the Earth, a poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran who is a self-described libertarian, a vocal advocate for a return of chattel slavery - Oh, freedom lovers, a supporter of Putin's Russia - of course, a US veteran and an employee of an unnamed US agency. After a long campaign of outrage from seven maniacs including the writer, Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 wrote a comment declaring that They had "won" (?).
They had launched a year long flood of vile sexual and racist comments against YouTube channels which I mentioned. It seems that They decided that They needn't continue. The solo narrowboaters, the cultural essayists, the American book tubers and the many other female creators were some of them scared but none impressed. However the world's overabundance of unpleasantness was increased and a very accurate portrait of the twisted American libertarian man-child was delivered to a broad multinational audience. It seems that those were victory, enough. USA! Yay ?? Goodreads discourse. Yay ??
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Sailing Melody, SK Media, Bobbing Along, Hailey in Bookland, Foxcade, Mia Mulder, Brittany Page, AllShorts, Fantasy and World Music by the Fletchers, Meidas Touch, Owen Jones, Some More News, Eileen, May Moon Narrowboat, New Economic Thinking, Randy Rainbow, Horses, It's Black Friday, Jabzy, Lily Alexandre.
About Amazon/Goodreads, I ask that you consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 😐
Ominous music begins. 🙂 I gave a snapshot above of the kinds of responses that I and others have endured. I am not sure that mine were even the most extreme. Look at negative reviews, especially those of female readers for Ringo's Dark Skies series and its underlying and overt paedophilic themes as well as racist expressions as regards all non-American populations (for a certain very, very limited description of American). I suggest that before that excursion, you prepare yourself for severe upset.
The comment clouds are not the worst. Amazon/Goodreads have felt comfortable even interrupting my kindle services. They released my limited message history to nefarious parties, which resulted in Australian Intelligence through Pine Gap Centre attempting to investigate my private life. My friend was concerned for my safety and contacted me. For some other interesting Goodreads actions taken, see my review of "Dark Horse", a good novel by Diener or Powers described above. The other Goodreads harrsssments are not as possibly deadly but I feel that Amazon customer service needs an overhaul. 😊
You may not and I hope that you are not targeted by a group of these animals and I know from four years experience that there are many cowardly but vicious groups of them. I think that some few precautions are a fair start at anticipation of the worst. Minimizing profile information, removing lurkers (those friends who monitor but never post), screenshotting the odd and the ugly, remaining wary of the messaging on this site, cost little but to not might do. Bear in mind that these nutcases both members and employees are not just lacking restraint or any recognizable morality, They are Americans. Ominous music ends. 🙂
May we all discover Good Reading! 🤗
I am not an expert advisor on the usefulness of the myriad YouTube channels but I have found many good science fiction, book, writing, essayist and others. Some of my favourite channels.
Alizee, Bobbing Along, Fran Blanche, Gutsick Gibbon, Munecat, Planarwalker, History with Kayleigh, Jessie Gender, Books and Lala, Chris and Shell, Brittany the Bibliophile, Tale Foundry, Real Time History, Lily Simpson, Tara Mooknee, Extinction Rebellion UK, Star Media EN, The Book Leo, Make Better Media, Prime of Midlife, Patrick is a Navajo, Crow Caller, Kris Atomic, J. Draper, Philosophy Tube, Tom Nicholas, Bernadette Banner, Jill Bearup, Historical Fashion, Answer in Progress, Sabine Hossenfelder, Real Engineering, Ben and Emily, Travelling K, Knowing Better, Swell Entertainment, What Vivi did next, Three Arrows, Foster on the Spectrum, Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, ReligionForBreakfast, Paleo Analysis, Tibees, Ship Happens, Savy Writes Books, Sailing Melody, Between the Wars, The Cold War, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Engineering with Rosie, Amanda the Jedi, Roomies Digest, James Somerton, Library Ladder, Lady of the Library, A Life of Lit, Emmie, Bizarre Beasts, Crecganford, Female Warriors, Kidology, Merphy Napier, Interior Design Hub, ThePrimeChronus, Brickcrafts, The People Profiles, Lives and Histories, Kings and Generals, Biz Barclay, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Kathy's Flog in France, Part Time Hobbit, Northern Narrowboaters, Randy Rainbow, The Who Addicts, Narrowboat Pirate, Cruising Alba, Cruising Crafts, The Little Platoon, Vlad Vexler, Told in Stone, Autumn's Boutique, The Chloe Connection, Contrapoints, KernowDamo, Fortress of Lugh, The Black Forest Family, With Olivia, Bookslike Whoa, Renegade Cut, The Leftist Cooks, The Bands of HM Royal Marines, Terrible Writing Advice, EarleWrites, Hello Future Me, Quinn's Ideas, Agro Squerril Narrates, FunnyLilGal React, Joe Blogs, No Justice MTG, Owen Jones, Mrs Betty Bowers, Lady Knight the Brave, Elina Charatsidou, 2 Cellos, Cecilia Blomdahl, Sideprojects, Digital Mermaid, Acollierastro, Dr Becky, Spark.
I wish you a sunny morning, a pleasant afternoon, a cosy evening, a wonderful night and may we all continue learning.
A person who allows Another to speak in their name unchallenged, adopts that Other's sins.
My Grandmother, of honest peasant heritage
May 7, 2019
Three and a half stars. Maybe I am being a little harsh because I am such a HUGE fan of Nathan Lowell's other works. The pacing was steady through most of the book but became very rushed towards the end. I know Lowell did this is both Full Share and in Owner's Share but it seemed even more condensed in this book. I also wonder about the 'working the ship full time' aside which was just left hanging. Was this a hint at the future of this series, or was it a justification for the premise of In Ashes Born.
When I first read Nathan Lowell, I was drawn in by the depth and richness of each of his characters. I know many complained "nothing happens" but there is a great deal that goes on, just in small steps (sort of how real like works). Lowell's book are not about action, they are about ordinary people doing both ordinary and extraordinary things. "Milk Run" seems to focus more on what is going on then who his doing it and it leaves many, many soft cliff hangers unresolved. A good read, but not Lowell's best.
When I first read Nathan Lowell, I was drawn in by the depth and richness of each of his characters. I know many complained "nothing happens" but there is a great deal that goes on, just in small steps (sort of how real like works). Lowell's book are not about action, they are about ordinary people doing both ordinary and extraordinary things. "Milk Run" seems to focus more on what is going on then who his doing it and it leaves many, many soft cliff hangers unresolved. A good read, but not Lowell's best.
September 29, 2016
Nathan Lowell has a very comfortable writing style. It is smooth but not bland. His plots are straight-forward, and you learn about the characters quite slowly, but in a rewarding fashion. The resolutions often involve a secondary character doing something off-screen, but nothing defies belief.
This is the first in a series that is a spin-off from his Quarter Share series. Our protagonist is a young woman with subtle talents, a strong drive to reach her goals, and a willingness to take some risks to get there. As with Quarter Share, this is not about the plot, it's about the people and their motivations.
I will read the next one. Note the "YA" tag is because there is little violence or romantic content so it is suitable to be read by teens. However, the characters are all adults.
This is the first in a series that is a spin-off from his Quarter Share series. Our protagonist is a young woman with subtle talents, a strong drive to reach her goals, and a willingness to take some risks to get there. As with Quarter Share, this is not about the plot, it's about the people and their motivations.
I will read the next one. Note the "YA" tag is because there is little violence or romantic content so it is suitable to be read by teens. However, the characters are all adults.
March 3, 2020
An enjoyable space opera that was well written but struggled to really capture me and rise above the noise of the recent resurgence of this subgenre. It can be difficult to plot out a space opera story that doesn't rely on a galactic war, frontier politics, or other such tropes. But by skirting a lot of these tried and true narratives, it becomes easier to write a story that fails to capture the imagination and stand out as a unique story. Few new space operas have been able to do it. And for me, Milk Run just wasn't quite there. The setting, politics, and characters weren't interesting enough to leave me wanting more stories in this world. It tried hard and had its moments. The writing was competent and flowed well enough, it just felt lacking in some way. So it gets a mediocre score from me, and a thoughtful hesitation before I pick up another volume in the series.
February 4, 2017
In a lot of ways Nathan Lowell's books hearken back to the Golden Age of science fiction when authors just wanted to tell a good yarn. I find another fascination in how he always manages to have some element of business always be a key plot element. In this one, it turns out to be the importance of good inventory stock. Twist! Betcha didn't see that coming! Granted it is in smugglers' space, on the run from murder charges, with a surly crew of misfits - and that's where the fun comes in.
This book has a couple of unanswered plot holes, young leads who shoot to a bit too much importance with too few real impediments, and seems possibly a bit rushed to the finish. But all in all, it was good fun, just like so many of the Golden Age adventures we remember so fondly.
This book has a couple of unanswered plot holes, young leads who shoot to a bit too much importance with too few real impediments, and seems possibly a bit rushed to the finish. But all in all, it was good fun, just like so many of the Golden Age adventures we remember so fondly.
May 22, 2017
I have very much enjoyed The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper since I listened to the first book. I have become quite attached to Ishmael and his journey. This book opened a new universe - though really an extended universe. If you have not read any of the Trader's Tales in advance of this book - go and read them. This book won't make sense without the background.
I enjoyed reading the latest book in the series, but I thought the ending was a bit abrupt. Lots of unanswered questions. Yes I know this was book two of three - but still seemed to go from the heat of battle to everything mopped up in just a few pages. Still - looking forward to the final book in the series.
I enjoyed reading the latest book in the series, but I thought the ending was a bit abrupt. Lots of unanswered questions. Yes I know this was book two of three - but still seemed to go from the heat of battle to everything mopped up in just a few pages. Still - looking forward to the final book in the series.
May 6, 2017
A great start to a new series in the Solar Clipper Universe
While not my favorite of Dr. Lowell's Solar Clipper novels. This brings us a whole new look at the SC universe, but from the shadowier side known as Toe-Hold Space. And being a namesake of a character in the novel is icing on the cake! I'll leave it up to you to make what you will of him (no spoilers!).
If you've enjoyed ANY of the Golden Age stories, check this one out. It sounds like something big is afoot in the SC universe!
While not my favorite of Dr. Lowell's Solar Clipper novels. This brings us a whole new look at the SC universe, but from the shadowier side known as Toe-Hold Space. And being a namesake of a character in the novel is icing on the cake! I'll leave it up to you to make what you will of him (no spoilers!).
If you've enjoyed ANY of the Golden Age stories, check this one out. It sounds like something big is afoot in the SC universe!
April 3, 2020
I liked, Nathan Lowell’s series Traders Tales so I figured I’d like Smuggler’s Tales as well. The story was fine the huge problem I had is that we are supposed to believe 2 young girls just out of the Academy who end up on a smuggling run know more than anyone else. They figure everything out; they make things better they; they have all the ideas. They seem mature beyond their years. While I have no problem with YA fiction this is just to “Kids fix it all” for me. I won’t be finishing this series.
May 15, 2017
Great Story!
For those readers devoted to Nathan Lowell's "Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper" series will be delighted with this spin-off. Mr. Lowell writes in a manner that each book stands wonderfully on its own merit, yet is also another building block to a much larger saga. I strongly recommend this book!
For those readers devoted to Nathan Lowell's "Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper" series will be delighted with this spin-off. Mr. Lowell writes in a manner that each book stands wonderfully on its own merit, yet is also another building block to a much larger saga. I strongly recommend this book!
November 10, 2018
Logistics thriller
Warning - spoilers! I never thought that a space mystery about a messed up inventory of spare parts can be so captivating! I mean seriously, who doesn’t like detailed description of stocking practices, inventory audits and record keeping! It just tickles your imagination!
Warning - spoilers! I never thought that a space mystery about a messed up inventory of spare parts can be so captivating! I mean seriously, who doesn’t like detailed description of stocking practices, inventory audits and record keeping! It just tickles your imagination!
March 13, 2019
The setting and the action would be fine for some YA space adventure. But the Mary Sue protagonist(s) are annoying.
Why are female protagonists shoehorned into so many contemporary books? They act and behave in ways no real-life female ever would. It just detracts from a story/universe that might have had potential otherwise.
Why are female protagonists shoehorned into so many contemporary books? They act and behave in ways no real-life female ever would. It just detracts from a story/universe that might have had potential otherwise.
December 4, 2016
Love the characters and the flashback feeling of the golden age of science fiction
I have this far !loved Powell's work and am looking forward to more of Zee and Nats journeys in
Todhold.
I have this far !loved Powell's work and am looking forward to more of Zee and Nats journeys in
Todhold.
September 2, 2016
Great little story with many unanswered questions at the end. Can't wait for the sequel to find out more.
September 2, 2016
Good story, but didn't get attached to characters as quickly as I did with Quarter Share.
June 25, 2021
TL;DR: Female-led space-borne competency porn, with a side of coffee snobbery 😉 If you enjoyed the Solar Clipper series (starting with Quarter Share), you'll most likely enjoy these too.
TL: Natalya Regyri and Zoya Usoko are recent (as in, 5 minutes ago) graduates of the Port Newmar Academy, the pre-eminent(?) spacer academy for "Fleet" cadets in Confederated Planets (CP) space. For...reasons...they are abruptly flung from the comfortable environs of CP into "Toe-Hold" space, the "hinterlands" where CP jurisdiction and rules (as enforced by the CP Joint Council on Trade - CPJCT - and Trade Investigation Committee - TIC) are not the societal-stanchions that they are in CP space. What follows is a kind of adventure-detective-story, but in Mr Lowell's usual muted and comfy style.
I found the beginning of this book a little hard to get into. I'm not sure exactly why, but the initiation of the plot I found a little...awkward? I suspect that the fact that the first three chapters were actually a short-story that got turned into Milk Run might explain the awkwardness because from chapter 4 it unawkwardised itself relatively quickly. We launch into a kind of Mary-Sue tag-team story, and the more I read, the more I thought that this is essentially the Ishmael Hwang series but with Natalya Regyri swapped in to be the über-proficient protagonist. I thought that for a fair while, and I also thought that I had the plot all completely sussed out. I was wrong. Well, about the plot. Natalya is totally Hwang's implacably "right" equivalent (aside: since they're in the same universe, if these two ever get together they're going to be unstoppable)!
I enjoyed the plot overall, and if you're willing to overlook the fact that you just know that anything Natalya touches is going to turn into gold, then it's a happy and fun slice-of-life in the year 2363. The story is a little bit like an Agatha Christie mystery, but much as I love Mr Lowell, it's just not as polished. There are soooo many loose-ends/plot holes that it's a little hard to ignore (prime among them being chapters one through three). There's a really cool idea behind the mystery but I don't think it's well explained, especially as it's unfolding, but I very much enjoyed the denouement and I wonder if maybe there's going to be an explanation in Suicide Run...only one way to find out!
It was interesting to see the "other side" of the pedestrian universe that was explored in the original six Solar Clipper series. I liked the fact that the "bad guys" (Toe-Holders) are specifically portrayed as not bad, just different. Natalya's obvious desire to convert Toe-Hold ships to Fleet equivalents felt a like it was working directly against the previous (authorial only?) attempt to blur the lines CP and Toe-Hold?
Overall, this is great popcorn space-opera but without the genre's usual concomitant militarisation. I'll definitely be reading the next one.
TL: Natalya Regyri and Zoya Usoko are recent (as in, 5 minutes ago) graduates of the Port Newmar Academy, the pre-eminent(?) spacer academy for "Fleet" cadets in Confederated Planets (CP) space. For...reasons...they are abruptly flung from the comfortable environs of CP into "Toe-Hold" space, the "hinterlands" where CP jurisdiction and rules (as enforced by the CP Joint Council on Trade - CPJCT - and Trade Investigation Committee - TIC) are not the societal-stanchions that they are in CP space. What follows is a kind of adventure-detective-story, but in Mr Lowell's usual muted and comfy style.
I found the beginning of this book a little hard to get into. I'm not sure exactly why, but the initiation of the plot I found a little...awkward? I suspect that the fact that the first three chapters were actually a short-story that got turned into Milk Run might explain the awkwardness because from chapter 4 it unawkwardised itself relatively quickly. We launch into a kind of Mary-Sue tag-team story, and the more I read, the more I thought that this is essentially the Ishmael Hwang series but with Natalya Regyri swapped in to be the über-proficient protagonist. I thought that for a fair while, and I also thought that I had the plot all completely sussed out. I was wrong. Well, about the plot. Natalya is totally Hwang's implacably "right" equivalent (aside: since they're in the same universe, if these two ever get together they're going to be unstoppable)!
I enjoyed the plot overall, and if you're willing to overlook the fact that you just know that anything Natalya touches is going to turn into gold, then it's a happy and fun slice-of-life in the year 2363. The story is a little bit like an Agatha Christie mystery, but much as I love Mr Lowell, it's just not as polished. There are soooo many loose-ends/plot holes that it's a little hard to ignore (prime among them being chapters one through three). There's a really cool idea behind the mystery but I don't think it's well explained, especially as it's unfolding, but I very much enjoyed the denouement and I wonder if maybe there's going to be an explanation in Suicide Run...only one way to find out!
It was interesting to see the "other side" of the pedestrian universe that was explored in the original six Solar Clipper series. I liked the fact that the "bad guys" (Toe-Holders) are specifically portrayed as not bad, just different. Natalya's obvious desire to convert Toe-Hold ships to Fleet equivalents felt a like it was working directly against the previous (authorial only?) attempt to blur the lines CP and Toe-Hold?
Overall, this is great popcorn space-opera but without the genre's usual concomitant militarisation. I'll definitely be reading the next one.
April 6, 2021
After finishing the Main series that follows Ishmael on his journey to starting his own freight company I found myself wanting more in this universe. Naturally I picked up Milk Run to follow another on their path. I didn't know it would be the same characters that meet up with Ishmael and pip in By Darkness Forged, but it was a nice surprise.
The book is a solid one. It might take a little bit more to get going, but that is to be expected in a first book in a series. Natalya is a pretty great character, and her ability to kick some ass when needed is that ace in the pocket I can't wait to get pulled. The book starts right after graduation from the Academy, and follows Natalya to a toehold station, and her ensuing adventures as a smuggler. There is a good cast of supporting characters, and they give the book the expected flavor one would find in the Ishmael series.
For fellow audio book listeners out there. If you listened to all the books in the Ishmael series first, the narration in this one is quite jolting. The books main character is Natalya who is also in By Darkness Forged, and the narration threw me out of the book before I could even get into it. The tone and voice used for Margaret was the most shocking, she is voiced as an angry old lady, and that couldn't be anything farther from the truth. I was a bit cautious after chapter one, but it all sorted itself out and it ended up being a good listen.
A book well worth reading, and a series I'm looking forward to plowing through.
The book is a solid one. It might take a little bit more to get going, but that is to be expected in a first book in a series. Natalya is a pretty great character, and her ability to kick some ass when needed is that ace in the pocket I can't wait to get pulled. The book starts right after graduation from the Academy, and follows Natalya to a toehold station, and her ensuing adventures as a smuggler. There is a good cast of supporting characters, and they give the book the expected flavor one would find in the Ishmael series.
For fellow audio book listeners out there. If you listened to all the books in the Ishmael series first, the narration in this one is quite jolting. The books main character is Natalya who is also in By Darkness Forged, and the narration threw me out of the book before I could even get into it. The tone and voice used for Margaret was the most shocking, she is voiced as an angry old lady, and that couldn't be anything farther from the truth. I was a bit cautious after chapter one, but it all sorted itself out and it ended up being a good listen.
A book well worth reading, and a series I'm looking forward to plowing through.
June 11, 2020
8/10: Excellent read, well written, fell right into the fictional world created.
“We didn’t kill anybody.” He stopped in the passageway and looked back at her. “That’s a good habit to have. Try to keep it if you can."
This was surprisingly good. Of course, this spin-off to the Solar Clipper series deosn't feature Captain Ishmael Wang, who I have fallen for. And I thought because of that, I wouldn't be too invested in it.
But the ending of Ishmael's story, in the spin-off series Seeker's Tales, introduced us to this series' two main protagonists and made me curious.
Just as well, because Nats is awesome! I loved her!
She's smart, capable, confident (but not too confident) and has a great sense of humour. All the things I liked about Ishmael. I'm hoping that the timeline in this series will catch up to Ishmael's at the end of Seeker's Tales, but that's a good twenty years to span.
The author has said there's to be no more in this world (for now or ever, I'm not sure), but I really, really want to see Nats and Ish together.
So, fingers crossed. Kindle charged. And I'm onto the next!
"Time flies and so should we.”
Great book. Great series. Great world.
“We didn’t kill anybody.” He stopped in the passageway and looked back at her. “That’s a good habit to have. Try to keep it if you can."
This was surprisingly good. Of course, this spin-off to the Solar Clipper series deosn't feature Captain Ishmael Wang, who I have fallen for. And I thought because of that, I wouldn't be too invested in it.
But the ending of Ishmael's story, in the spin-off series Seeker's Tales, introduced us to this series' two main protagonists and made me curious.
Just as well, because Nats is awesome! I loved her!
She's smart, capable, confident (but not too confident) and has a great sense of humour. All the things I liked about Ishmael. I'm hoping that the timeline in this series will catch up to Ishmael's at the end of Seeker's Tales, but that's a good twenty years to span.
The author has said there's to be no more in this world (for now or ever, I'm not sure), but I really, really want to see Nats and Ish together.
So, fingers crossed. Kindle charged. And I'm onto the next!
"Time flies and so should we.”
Great book. Great series. Great world.
January 20, 2018
Although I am a huge fan of Nathan's Tanyth Fairport Series, I am even more ridiculously a fan of the Solar Clipper series. I was introduced to them via John Ward, the great collector of interesting people, who suggested the Quarter Share podcast to me. A couple years later, and not only have I thoroughly enjoyed devouring the entire series on a regular basis, but I've also roped my family into the fandom as well. I'm pretty sure my mother has listened to the first six books at least a score of times. I'm not kidding. My children have listened in rapt attention to Quarter Share at least five or six times. We use them as road trip entertainment. They're published in series of three, each trilogy focusing on a different phase of Ishmael Horatio Wang's life.
Milk Run is the first in the Smuggler's Tales companion series. It's our introduction to Natalya. Here's the derring-do Ward wanted. Or, so says Adriel. I loved this in-depth look at Toe-Hold Space, from the viewpoint of someone that grew up in it, verses Ish's outside perspective.
To read my review on every book in the series, check out my full review at adrielwiggins.com/solar-clipper.
Milk Run is the first in the Smuggler's Tales companion series. It's our introduction to Natalya. Here's the derring-do Ward wanted. Or, so says Adriel. I loved this in-depth look at Toe-Hold Space, from the viewpoint of someone that grew up in it, verses Ish's outside perspective.
To read my review on every book in the series, check out my full review at adrielwiggins.com/solar-clipper.
May 10, 2022
Only got through it as a background audiobook to a long shift. There is probably a cute novella in the midst of all the filler dialog and exposition. The same bits of world building and character 'quirks' are repeated again and again, and it doesn't help that they are bland to begin with. The book starts with what it turns out to be some extremely heavy handed foreshadowing that is meant to set ap a series. We will not get answers to what happens in the first scene of the first chapter in this book or the next, and I doubt that I will ever get any sine I lost all interest after the second book in the series. Not only are the characters very bland but also the setting, the ships, the space stations, the tech, everything. The author tries to do a "show don't tell" by not explaining fully the larger politics, society and economics of his universe but only succeeds in implying more of the same bland, boring, monochromatic and artificial setting.
As for the narrator, she was obviously instructed to be as slow as humanly possible in order to lengthen the track. Let's just leave it at that.
As for the narrator, she was obviously instructed to be as slow as humanly possible in order to lengthen the track. Let's just leave it at that.
May 13, 2020
After reading the latest Ishmael Wong series from Lowell, I was interested in reading these spin off volumes that tie in the two main characters from the Smuggler's tales series at the end of the series.
As always, the story casts its usual interest in the ship and culture of the story with our protagonists having to ship on a smuggler ship to earn their keep and spend their time in the wilder and woolier toe-hold space. While mentioned earlier, these books emphasize the difference quite strongly between the relative stretches of space between the more civilized and regulated areas and the Toe-Hold which is not even normally discussed in polite areas. It also introduces the idea of smuggling as being a normal part of commerce something the more corporate space areas tend to look the other way while embraced in the woolier areas.
As always lots of fun and I tend to view these trilogies as single stories. Here there is more closure for the individual stories of the three books as compared to the series In Ashes Born.
As always, the story casts its usual interest in the ship and culture of the story with our protagonists having to ship on a smuggler ship to earn their keep and spend their time in the wilder and woolier toe-hold space. While mentioned earlier, these books emphasize the difference quite strongly between the relative stretches of space between the more civilized and regulated areas and the Toe-Hold which is not even normally discussed in polite areas. It also introduces the idea of smuggling as being a normal part of commerce something the more corporate space areas tend to look the other way while embraced in the woolier areas.
As always lots of fun and I tend to view these trilogies as single stories. Here there is more closure for the individual stories of the three books as compared to the series In Ashes Born.
April 30, 2021
This is probably an "It's not you it's me" issue, but...
This series was engaging enough to keep me listening through three books, but I disliked the characters by the end of it all.
As the MC is introduced and we hear about how she's top of the class smart, AND a martial arts master, AND owns her own ship, I knew it was going to be a Mary Sue problem.
By the middle of book two I was really sick of how both of these people obviously know so much more about how any business should run than the people actually running said businesses. Constantly. Like, every single one.
Everyone is incessantly trusting them with information that would otherwise be kept secret/private for no good reason. "I just trust you. I don't know why."
It ended up feeling like Trust Fund Kids Save the Universe.
This series was engaging enough to keep me listening through three books, but I disliked the characters by the end of it all.
As the MC is introduced and we hear about how she's top of the class smart, AND a martial arts master, AND owns her own ship, I knew it was going to be a Mary Sue problem.
By the middle of book two I was really sick of how both of these people obviously know so much more about how any business should run than the people actually running said businesses. Constantly. Like, every single one.
Everyone is incessantly trusting them with information that would otherwise be kept secret/private for no good reason. "I just trust you. I don't know why."
It ended up feeling like Trust Fund Kids Save the Universe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews