Owner’s Share

Posted on by Nathan Lowell
Owner's Share

Reaching your goal can be deadly.

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 he pay for his Owner’s Share?

Available at Amazon.com

29 thoughts on “Owner’s Share”

  1. Please tell me this isn’t the last we will hear from Ishmael. I was so upset at the turn of events in the book, hope things work out for him.

    1. There are three new books on the schedule for Ishmael, Scott.

      And three new books set in the Solar Clipper universe.

  2. Finished the “Trader’s Tales ” series to date and simply wanted to compliment you on a well conceived and written story. As have most readers, I’d like to see a sequel to that story line, if not a specific sequel to that sixth book — how does it go forward? and what new revelations of leadership unfold? Father? Life partner? Ethical challenges?

    And also to state my appreciation for the ambiance of real world seafaring practices (and food!) in a work of fiction — makes me feel at home there.

    Bravo Zulu!

    H2 USN Ret.

  3. Thank you so much for the wonderful stories. I don’t know if it was your technique or intent, but I like the way the story characters matured along with the writing style and content. I couldn’t put down the last book, “Owners Share”. So glad you are adding more to this Solar Clipper adventure. I am 56 and have been reading Sci Fi all my life, there have been periods of dry spots, poorly written stories and far to much fantasy for my taste. Recently I have read “Wool” and “Sand” by Hugh Howey and they were excellent reads as well. Your books are in that same category, especially this last one. Thanks again and looking forward to the up coming adventures.

  4. Sar,
    I really enjoyed Owners Share. Beggin my pardon, I hope to see Red Herring spaced in person by Cap’n Wang.

    Normally when I read a book, I can speed through the fill. But so much of the fill is entertaining, I totally was sandbagged by the developments of the Characters. I had to actually think that this was fiction and not a real story.
    You truly write in the classical sci fi style of Heinlein, where the science is the backdrop of the Characters.

    I wish my single truck owner operator shipping company was truly a space vessel.

    Thank you for keeping working and living in space reality instead of a dream.

    Your student,
    Matt

  5. The ending was SUCH a disappointment, I could not even look up what was new with you until now; months after I read Owners Share. I was angry, sad, and disappointed. Now I find our you are ill and that there is more to follow on the Ish books. I will pray for you getting better. But as soon as you do, GET OFF YOU BUTT AND WRITE. ( just partly kidding ).
    Get well soon
    Dan

  7. I am trying to understand the end of Owner’s Share. It just does not seem very fulfilling or feel like his efforts provided him with a chance to succeed in life. One of the things I loved about this series was it was about regular people and their growing up. I found Traders when I was sitting on the USS George Washington out in the middle of the ocean it provided me alot of joy to think about the connections to my life underway.

    Daniel

    1. It was about regular people and the things that happen to them as they grow. Ishmael’s life is far from over.

      One of the most important – and often difficult things – is coming to grips with the reality that bad things happen to good people. The question is “Then what?” A negative ending would have had Ishmael wallowing in his loss, unable to resume the important tasks of life, becoming bitter and jaded.

      Instead, he chose to follow a new path (the seagull). He chose the future and the potential that it might bring, rather than the past and all that he has lost.

      Where will that path take him?

      We’ll find out together – but I have some ideas… 🙂

      Seeker’s Tales will follow Ishmael as he looks for his personal white whale.

      Smuggler’s Tales will follow an unlikely band of ne’er-do-wells struggling against what they see as an unjust universe.

      I hope those two lines will intersect in a way that will redeem the choices made at the end of Owner’s Share.

      1. Personally, I have enjoyed following Ishmael as he arrogantly stumbles his way through his life. His utter obliviousness, and lack of ability to even see, much less understand and overcome it, has been an endless source of amusement. Seeing his comeuppance in Owner’s Share was a true joy.

        I’ve enjoyed the series a great deal, and look forward to seeing whether or not Ish develops from an oblivious-to-the-world pussy into a something resembling an actual man.

  8. I look forward to seeing where the Seeker’s Tales take Ish, where the Smuggler’s Tales take the characters from “A Light in the Dark,” and where their paths may cross in the future. Perhaps the Red Herring can meet his just fate at the hands of some of our friends at Odin’s Outpost.

    The ending of “Owner’s Share” was tough for those of us hoping Ish would find a happy-ever-after in the Trader’s Tales universe. But bad things happening to good people is a fact of our world (and Ish’s). It will be interesting to see how he redeems that experience in the next phase of his life, as many of us have had to in our own.

    Take care and good sailing, Captain.

    Mike G.

  9. I have bought måste of the books and are curently listening to them. I was realt sceptic befor as i like more action but i must say ther get better and better get the next and keep em coming they are good very good. I’ll buy the books and also download the podcasts.

    1. My best guess is late spring or early summer.

      I’m working on Cape Grace right now. Fingers crossed for rapid completion. 🙂

  11. Nathan,

    I, like others have mentioned, found Owner’s Share to be bitter sweet. However, I don’t hold that against you. That’s life. Life never works out the way you want or expect it. As a literary vehicle, it was also a good surprise ending – I never saw it coming. Books SHOULD surprise you.

    However, as others have said, I want more from the Solar Clipper universe (thank you for the A Light In The Dark to tie us over a bit) and more from Ishmael, please.

    Having listened to all your Solar Clipper books around 3 years ago, I am right at the cusp of listening to them again. When I listened to them the first time, I found the stories uplifting, and your voice soothing at a time when my life was rather topsy turvy. Dare I hope that when I finish re-listening to the six books again, there might be a new one out?

    Wishing you well and hoping you will provide us with many more great stories.

    Bob Osorio

  12. Thank you so much for this adventure. It is by far the best audio series I have ever “read”. I’m 46, so I’ve “read many. Please say there will be more!

  13. Congratulations on chasing this fan away! Just finished Owner’s Share while sitting with a desperately sick friend in the emergency room. You, sir, need an editor to slap you down when you try to pull crap like that on your readers. I don’t read escapist fiction to be left feeling angry and helpless. There are appropriate places for such stories, but this wasn’t one of them.

    You took my money then intentionally hurt me. So now I’ll be going to every review site, spoiling that “surprise” and bad-mouthing you and your work. Not even out of spite, but it honestly feels like a moral imperative. Potential buyers need to know how badly you crashed and burned here. It’s a type of betrayal, same as if I’d discovered spyware hidden in some long-trusted software.

    You said above, “I hope those two lines will intersect in a way that will redeem the choices made at the end of Owner’s Share.” Well that’s going to be kinda difficult when you’ve chased me, and apparently hundreds of other Amazon reviewers, completely away from your future works.

    Seriously, get an editor who has enough business sense to hold you back from these indulgences. Good authors don’t change genres from “escapist space opera” to “gritty realism” without warning 5.95 volumes into a series! I’ll bet you could have pulled it off in the middle of the novel, but 20 pages from the end was impossible to fix.

    If you care about me seeing a reply, you’ll have to email it. I have no reason to ever come back here.

    1. I emailed this response to Keith.
      ————————————-
      I’m sorry you feel that way, Keith, and I’m sorry you won’t be reading the next book to find out how Ishmael starts his recovery, but I completely understand and support your decision to boycott my work.

      You’re not the first – and probably won’t be the last – to have this reaction. As you spread the word, you’ll probably find others who share your mission. I know there are plenty of 1-star reviews on Quarter Share warning people about the ending.

      As for warning people, I suggest you start with Goodreads and then move on to add to the pile of 1-stars on Amazon. If you start with Quarter Share, you can move on up the line to In Ashes Born. There are probably other sites as well.

      I’m gratified that you’re so engaged with Ishmael Wang and his world and I’m sorry that you believed this was simple “escapist space opera.” A series that starts with the senseless death of Ishmael’s mother, goes to an altercation that nearly kills his best friend, walks through a pit of misogyny, sees a ship full of crew killed from negligence, and finally puts Ishmael in an untenable position because he’s outstripped his skill set isn’t exactly “escapist space opera” to me.

      Clearly your definition differs and I’m fine with that.

      I’m sorry it wasn’t the story you wanted or thought it should be, but I’m not sorry I wrote the story that needed to be written.

      All the best.

  14. I loved every story, I wanted each to be longer , your reading voice is sublime, both my wife and I wish you will do more and look forward to you bringing Ish back into our lives. Thank you so very much

  15. Hello!

    Does not seem like audiobook is available. Podiobook website is not working and it is not available on Audible.

  16. Please tell me your not going to end Ishmal story here are please dont end his story i think he deserves to happy

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