eve_prime | Book completed (Reply)

Quarter Share, by Nathan Lowell. I have to say, this totally hit the spot. I hadn't heard of this self-published series, but a friend of a friend (who is also an author) recommended them, and I am hooked. A young man finds himself with no attachment to the world he grew up on, so has to choose which space career to follow - the military, or employment with a private trading ship? The latter seems safer and less violent, and surely it will be. He finds himself an entry-level position making coffee and helping with the galley for a merchant spaceship, and its employees are also permitted to do their own private trading - so in theory it's possible to gradually get rich. However, nobody's exploiting anybody - it's more a matter of finding new markets for handcrafting artisans, and recognizing opportunities to improve people's quality of life. It's very much a story of found community, too. I don't think I've read any other light novels quite like this one - hard work, quick wits, and kindness are all rewarded well.