This story is pleasant as it moves along unveiling the world of space merchant marine life. There are mild highs and lows with no real adrenaline or cliff hangers. The characters act believably given the setup, even if the fact that our main character of rudimentary intelligence is apparently the smartest being ever to grace the ship ruins the suspension of disbelief somewhat. Unfortunately these Mary Sue / Superman characteristics devolve into unlistenable nonsense in the next book, but i still stand by quarter share as worthwhile.