Novel: Half Share
Author: Nathan Lowell
Rating: 3 out of 5
I read this book in under 24 hours.
It parts that becomes the series remains a delight, in part that I was hoping something more would happen. In part, today was a reading day.
Maybe 3/4s through, our protagonist discovers boozing and sexing. Hooray!
I've got the next one -- Full Share -- and plan to read it to see what'll happen next.
I'm hopeful there is more about finances. I still don't understand the watch rotation, but its always been peculiar to me.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is my absolute favorite series. I listened to all of them when Nathan Lowell had them out as podcasts, bought them as ebooks, and I'm waiting to buy them as Audiobooks with a new reader for a new perspective on the series. Also, new books in the setting are forthcoming.
ReplyDeleteI've like the world building a lot. The characters are more than cutouts, which is great. The financials are good, though having this much money laying around for a smart protag to find seems unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, I really like these. They seem like something Heinlein may have written, were he born 50 years later.
The watch system described in Half Share is hard for me to understand.
Yea, watch rotation is killer, the sort of thing that makes more sense living it than on the page. This is the setting I wanted to use your traveler-esq game to run.
ReplyDeleteJosh Mannon Have you lived under a watch rotation?
ReplyDeleteOnly briefly and it was hell starting up and coming off.
ReplyDeleteAccording to wiki, the merchant marines do 3 4-hour watches, so you're on 4 hours out of every 12. I'm thinking about that along with the in port versus not in port schema in the novels, to make sure folks have sufficient liberty.
ReplyDeleteSo, I wonder if you could do the following:
1. While underway, 4 every 12. You get 8 hours off at a stretch.
2. While in dock, 8 in 24. You get 16 hours of liberty at a stretch.
Is this missing something crucial?
That looks workable.
ReplyDeleteFor the game, Josh Mannon , I may put together a "standard" watch schedule, if the Quartermaster doesn't want one and if it ever matters.
ReplyDeleteIt is likely to never matter, of course. This isn't watches and werewithal.
Mechanically the only thing I can really see mattering is how easy it is to get a scene with someone on a different rotta from you.
ReplyDeleteRight.
ReplyDeleteAnd the key thing there is there's two types of scenes: omg we're all going to die, and day in the life. The former is all hands on deck, and having difficulty running into people in the latter is part of the joy, I think.
There are six sailors and three seers, so the merchant marine 4 in 12 shifts work perfectly. There are four traders, so the math is a little weirder. Maybe six hour shifts, I'll work on the math because I am crazy.
Lastly, the boarders may not have standard watches, though it makes sense to have someone in charge of the weapons locker and crap, though they are only really needed during the omg we're all going to die stages.
Crazy bits of math. I've got a spreadsheet. This is now "prep", the bad thing.
ReplyDeleteWhile underway, there's a 24-hour watch cycle for the 18-crew. Officers are a different thing.
Sailors & Seers: On four, off eight, effectively the merchant marine system.
Traders & Boarders: On six, off 18.
Of the 18, that's 17 watch standers. The remaining is the head of the boarders, who is also kinda the cop. She's the first to be called by the Boarders if there's an issue.
In port, move to a 48 hour system.
Sailors: 8 in 48, only on on watch at a time.
Seers: 8 in 24, so long as one is needed.
Traders & Boarders: 12 in 48, granting an entire day of liberty.
Of course, the traders are also needed to do deals and move cargo, not just to keep it all bolted down in dock. So, there's more work for them in port.
How do you do watches for the officers? 4 in 12, then 8 in 24 and the Captain never takes a watch?
ReplyDelete