myworldinwordsandpages

The beginning makes you nervous with Ish, for what might be the reason the Captain wants to see him.  Then when he walks into the meeting to see all the senior staff there!  You are pulled in wondering what has gone wrong.

We start right where Quarter Share ended.  It seems the series will follow right through with Ish each step of the way with his life, as he quickly grows with the crew.

Our boys move up the ladder, well, mostly.  Pip is still in the mess hall, but he has acquired a status for his trading.  Ish has moved to Environmental, with an increase in his pay share and mass.

Once again Ish's personality - calm and helping - has earned him trust from the new member taking his spot in the mess hall, Sarah.  Sarah is broken and has had a rough life before here.  Sarah has really grown on me as a new character, and grew as a character, and I really like her.  Ish's personality helps influence her and others around him, bringing them up emotionally as well.  The crew seems to be a tight family and growing closer as the days pass.  Such a nice crew to be with!

With the change in Ish's position on the ship comes change.  We leave one bunk birth for another, which is kind of like moving houses.  We still see those we spent so much time with in Quarter Share, but also spend more time with others we'd meet in the crew.  We get to know the crew and their area of expertise which also bringing learning about deep space and planets into a closer view for us.

That is one thing I enjoy about these books, getting to learn the world(s) Nathan has created in his books through the characters.  What they specialize in and how it relates to the job they perform in this specialized world.  The trade is how we learn of the different planets.  Well related with character centered story.

Ish is growing as a character, and ready to get new clothes for when they are at dock on planets.  He's not sure who he is though, and the clothes make the man.  Ish has some thinking to do of who he is and who he wants to be.  When they come to the next planet, Ish has his introduction to an amazing tailor all the women are in awe of.  While here, trying on clothes, something happens.  Ish learns more of himself.  And with the three amazing women with him, there is a new connection created.  They are crew and crew don't fraternize, so there is a new bond that connects them all.

We learn more of Ish's past, something we really don't know much about.  He's not as innocent as we thought from Quarter Share.  Not bad by a long stretch, but not as innocent.  I know Ish has known people, not friend-friends, and has a literature reading background from his mother, but he seems rather suave with the women for his innocent background and age.

Now, after mentioning that, I have to mention the one thing that kind of felt over done to me...Ish's relationships are growing.  Ish is flirting with the ladies.  He's hanging with the girls and they are acting as they have to protect him.  He even "performs" for them with his walk and trying on clothes.  No, no sex, but he models and flirts steamy with them all.  He gets a bit of a swollen head over the new jeans he buys. He seems to have gone a bit overboard with the Lady Wooing.  It's fun, and a few good chuckles over it, but it was growing old for me. He was *too* perfect with his comments and lady wooing.

We get a look at a Spacers life and the types of relationships they maintain on and off the ship.  On the Lois, there might be a lack of a love life, but it is strong with love of a family life feel.  Ish sets the relationships to where they need to be, and starts to grow a new one on the outside of the ship as well.

This one fell a little short of the first book for me, but nothing that would stop me from listening to the next book.  I actually look forward to carrying through with Ish on his deep space life as a Spacer.