There are six books in this series – and I still don’t believe I actually read – and enjoyed! – all of them. I’ve never been a big fan of science fiction. I’m not a Star Wars fan. Blazing laser guns don’t ‘do it’ for me. Alien worlds are just that – ‘alien’ – even though I delight in ‘alien-like’ beings in paranormal and ‘horror’ novels. Maybe it’s just a preference for ‘earth’ vs ‘off-world’. But, occasionally, when all other ‘just released’ book offerings have nothing of interest, I can be persuaded – by a catchy title or an interesting bit of cover art – to check out a book’s premise.
I usually pass over ‘series’ books. I want a book to be the whole story – beginning, middle and end – without having to subject myself to more reading time to satisfy all my questions. I was just going to read ‘one’ book in the series. I had enjoyed the author’s latest book, and thought I’d see how he handled other ‘less worldly’ topics. It is certainly a compliment to the author’s personality, as it carried through to his characters, that enticed me to read this 6-book series.
I had just finished “The Wizard’s Butler: The Wizard’s Butler, Book 1”, by Nathan Lowell – and found it a fun and interesting read. Great characters. The main character’s position as butler was well-researched, making the history of the house and his position in it more believable. The premise immediately caught my imagination, as something I hadn’t ‘seen’ before. There was just enough of the paranormal to be ‘real world believable’, and a few ‘fairy’ house keepers were added to the mix for good measure.
Throughout all of the ‘Share’ books, Lowell presented real people in situations that we all have known. His phenomenal research (or perhaps acquired knowledge) of topics from the proper way to make a good cup to coffee, to how to clean the sludge from air filters, kept me believing each adventure, and wanting more. I was amused at the wry humor that often popped up, and fascinated by the ‘out of the box’ thinking that the main character displayed. Who would imagine that a crew-sponsored ‘flea market’ booth would prompt a ‘cottage industry’ aboard ship? These were real people doing real, everyday things that made a ‘strange situation’ (traveling in space on a freighter, for weeks), much more real for me. But, it wasn’t just ‘ho-hum everyday life aboard ship’. Character relationships, mysteries and challenges took the stories down unfamiliar paths, even ending in a corporate life or death fight for control.
Throughout the series, the main character maintained his leadership qualities – transforming ‘problem crew members’ into people worthy of a better life. It was the author’s sense of ‘right wins over might’ that induced me to continue following his fascinating story, and I ended up with a sense of well-being for the trip. I’m not sure if I’ll read his other ‘spacier’ books. But for a person who dislikes sci-fi, I certainly enjoyed these books!