Book Review: South Coast

South Coast

By:  Nathan Lowell

Publisher:  Podiobooks

Publish Date:  2007

Format:  Podiobooks

Genre:  Science Fiction

Series:  1st Shaman Tale: Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series
Associated with:  Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series; 1st Book ~ Quarter Share, 2nd Book ~ Half Share, 3rd Book ~ Full Share, 4th Book ~ Double Share, 5th ~ Captain's Share, 6th ~ Owner's Share

Recommendation:  Hmm, you don't have to listen/read it to go with the series, but it is a wonderful way to learn of the Shaman mentioned in the series and unlocking the magic inside.

Synopsis:
A Shaman's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper.

Otto is Richard Krugg's only son and heir to the Shaman's gift.  The only problem is Otto doesn't want it.  He wants to be a fisherman.  When company policies force unwelcome changes onto his life and threaten even the security of the village, Otto discovers that being a shaman isn't optional.

Jimmy Pirano is caught between the devil and the deep green sea when new production quotas are handed down from corporate headquarters.  Locked into a century of existing practice, Jimmy is forced to find new ways to fish and new places to do it in or face the very real possibility that Pirano Fisheries will lose the St. Cloud franchise.

Join Otto, Richard, and Rachel Krugg as they struggle with what it means to be the son of a shaman.  Cast off with Jimmy, Tony, and Casey as they navigate the shoals and shallows of corporate fishery along the South Coast.

First Sentence:
All happy families resemble each other; all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Listen At:
iTunes  /  Podiobooks

**I listened to this story for my own enjoyment.

My Thoughts and Summary:
The synopsis for this book is right on the money.  So I'm not going to go into the details, just to my thoughts.

There is a true family aspect here with Richard, Rachel, and Otto. I love it. They are a family and love each other, don't always agree but work through it as a unit. This is wonderful to see.

We see welkies! If you listen/read Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series with Ish, you know what a welkie is. Shamans make them. And we see them right here where they start and how they evolve to the amazing little statues they are.

This story is told with different Point of Views. This way we get all sides of the story - a Shaman and the Business owner as well as the low workers. Even though the workers are the ones who do the labor, Jimmy Pirano - the son who runs the branch in this area - doesn't forget where he and his father came from. They worked their way up to where they are, and he won't forget it. We hear from Otto and his family, Jimmy and the business side of fishing. Both have their own lives, yet meet in the middle.

Nathan sets up a whole world and environment here on this planet. A planet and production that is affected by needs out in space. A fishing port on land, which is kind of the same set up and idea as going into deep dark space but on the vast sea. Boats and crews and a business of trade, same general aspect as Ish's story. However, the fishers have a quota they are required to meet, and it's been raised.

Nathan is meticulous at creating well defined systems of work and money. The marketing system is well defined, and the people are in a normal routine to do as they do best. The manipulators are high up the ladder, but there is always two sides. We get a feel for the little guy and working class as Nathan is wonderful at doing. How the workers are affected by the numbers. And as much as I love the idea, I think this is why this one was a bit slower for me. I love to fish, but I wasn't as taken with the fishing business, yet I couldn't stop listening out of curiosity of what will happen on this world. It's well done, but I wasn't as into the story.

Then we have the Shaman side, as we got further into the story I started to really get curious about this aspect and loved what I saw. This was the growth of a young boy into his family heritage, and even the father as well. This shows you what a Shaman does and is rather than tell you, and for what we learn of the Shaman, this is the best way to experience it.

If you've listened/read Nathan's tales with Ish, you know of Sarah Krugg. This tale is of the Krugg family, but not of Sarah. This is long before her. This story doesn't relate to the Golden Clipper series, other than it's a world in it's Universe.

A trader's tale of another kind. In the end, I enjoyed the magic I saw unlocked in a Shaman, and how a world grew to be more than what it already is.