To Fire Called

This is Book 2 of the Seeker's Tale Series and it was something of a disappointment. Throughout most of the book, I felt that I didn't quite understand what was happening, or that nothing seemed to be happening. To be fair, that may have been the intention of the author, because obviously Ishmael felt the same way. He felt that he was somehow being used, maybe scammed, but he didn't know how. There was a little bit of excitement at the end, but it didn't last long, then was too easily resolved, [...]

Nathan lowell rulesI think I have read almost everything NL has written. Really terrific reads, all!I'm about to the point to start again and reread them all!If you haven't read NL you really need to

I can't seem to stop reading these books. I really love this world, characters, and stories. I wish there were more to read, but I guess I'll just have to be patient. And I'll probably hold myself over by reading some of Lowell's other works

I really love this author. His characters are usually mature adults, and the situations are usually not very complicated. And yet there is drama and humor, setbacks and success.If you haven't read the previous 7 or 8 books, this is not the place to start. Go back the beginning, you'll appreciate the journey.

I really like Nathan Lowell's writing and have enjoyed the Solar Clipper series and his other stories. While his writing is character rather than event driven, I found that this last book tended to drag and I got tired of the Ishmael Wang "dealing" with depression and loss. Pip's return was quite a let down as well as his character was not in the least bit sympathetic. I found the ending rushed and as I thought Lowell was setting the stage for the next book in the series only to find that the ma [...]

Great Cheracters and concept but.Great characters and concept building in his earlier series but this is almost a kafkaesque satireagine a book called the battle of X, you spend 98% of the boom talking about getting ready for the battle, logistics, ground conditions etc en you get to the battle site , get ready and then next page discussed where you are having Tea now that the battle is over. Crazy and that made me want to give it 2 stars

What happened to the ending???I was really enjoying this book and then all of a sudden: It's almost 2 months later, a couple questions get vaguely answered, and then the book ends. What?!?When I read a book, I've come to expect a certain level of resolution / satisfaction at the end of it. The ending of To Fire Called completely failed to live up to this standard, leaving me unhappy and frustrated with it. Not recommended.

This is the first one of Lowell's books that I didn't love. It was still okay, but it felt unfocused and rather random, as if the author didn't really know where it was going for most of the book.Nathan Lowell is superb at writing stories in which not very much happens—but which are, nevertheless, utterly engrossing. But in this one, I feel he's taken a rare misstep.

I always like Nathan's books. I've listened to all of them that have audiobooks. Don't tell the guys who did his Audible books, but I have copies of the podcasts squirrelled away. The Audible books are excellent -- I even spotted where some wordings got edited, and for the better -- but frankly, I thought Nathan's reading sounded more like Ishmael, and I will never forgive the Audible guys for changing how to pronounce "Roubaille". Sure, their pronunciation sounded believable for the spelling, b [...]

The story isn't perfect. The pacing felt off from other novels, the characters also seemed different from other books in the series. I know that Ishmael has never sailed through the Deep Dark before, but he felt a bit more clueless than I expected. Also, Pip seemed very different. He always was crafty with the truth, but in this book it seems he's taking a lot more liberty with the truth than in other novels. As if he totally didn't trust his best friend. If I had been in Ishmael's shoes, I'd ha [...]

At the end of the day, this was a great read, like all the Ishmael Wang books!The story was relatively quickly paced, (perhaps sometimes too quick!), but it managed to bring a ton of new material from the Solar Clipper universe into the story without feeling like a data dump. All in all, while each of the previous Ishmael Wang book felt pretty self-contained, To Fire Called seemed a bit more like a "middle book". It had definite and firm linkages to the previous book, and seemed to be setting Is [...]

To Fire Called is the second book in Nathan Lowell's A Seeker's Tale series. It follows the story of Ismael Wang, Captain of the Chernyakova, and his crew. We were first introduced to young Ishmael in this author's previous series, the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Series; Trader Tales. I love that this epic tale unfolds through and around the Captain, without infringement of space wars and aliens. It's best to read these books in order of their release, as recurring characters rotate in and o [...]

Although I am a huge fan of Nathan's Tanyth Fairport Series, I am even more ridiculously a fan of the Solar Clipper series. I was introduced to them via John Ward, the great collector of interesting people, who suggested the Quarter Share podcast to me. A couple years later, and not only have I thoroughly enjoyed devouring the entire series on a regular basis, but I've also roped my family into the fandom as well. I'm pretty sure my mother has listened to the first six books at least a score of [...]

Rules, who needs rulesCaptain Ishmael Wong is on a mission. He's out to find the man who murdered the love of his life. To do that he'll have to go into the world of thieves and outlaws: Toe Hold Space. It isn't anything like he expected. The space station and people who operate outside the law are much like the people on the right side of the law. There are some differences though. Might is right, and there are fiefdoms everywhere. Not everyone tells the truth, including some of his oldest and [...]

I've lost track of the number of Nathon Lowell books I've read. I enjoyed this book, but I have alot of comments (which I may or may not share here). Ultimately, the Ishmal Wang books are slow and repetitive, but I can't look away. I listen with regularity to Nathan's morning walks podcast and this the first time I've listen to him while he was writing his book. I don't know him personally, but listening to him adds a sense of familiarity and you can sense his changing moods in his writing. Like [...]

Uhmm I have loved this series since I first started reading themBut this book tone was a little off. I don't know if it is about Ish being depressed, or Pip not being as trustworthy.On the other side of the coin, I totally understand that Ish cannot be happy because of everything he has been trough, and the author is giving more dept to some of the other characters. I just did not enjoy this book AS MUCH as the previous ones.I will remain interested in the series, but I would love if there was s [...]

Nathan continues to draw me back to the Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper. Coming back to live Ishmael Wang's life through Nathan's books is something I look forward to after finishing each book and this time is no different.As Ishmael and Pip bring their bar bellbell out of the yards, ready to start hauling cargo, they take themselves into the deep dark, into Toe-Hold space. They find it a lot different than confederation space. And as they attempt to solve a decades old mystery, they find Toe-Ho [...]

Great Things Come To Those That WaitIt's been a while. However, getting into this story was like getting back with old friends. Nathan Lowell writing gift is to transport the reader into his world, with incredibly relatable characters, great action and wonderful storyline. I waited a while for this book and wasn't the least disappointed! While the book easily stands on its own merits, I highly recommend the entire series! Thank you Nathan Lowell, and don't stay away too long!!!

Then I'm through with what's been written off Ishmael's adventures so far, and boy has it been a ride :) I've been enjoying every page of it, and I'm really looking forward to the next one! if anything this has been the best one this far, the exploration in the toe holds really brought some extra life into the story until the next one is out, my time with the crew is over. I love this series, and it really is one of my favourites, I hope I'll be able to find something like it again, and I hope L [...]

Unfortunately, probably his weakest effort so far. The first couple Solar Clipper books were struggles because the protagonist was too much of a Mary Sue. But, at least the characters were interesting. This time around, the stakes really don't seem worth the effort and Mr. Lowell fails to make the case why this particular leg of Ishmael Wang's journey is so important to put it to words. And even with all that, the final chapters feels like he just got tired of writing and wraps up the major acti [...]

Great continuation of seriesIshmael does it again, he is a great captain yet is still learning. I was very pleased when I found out this book was out, and read it through quickly. Now I find myself in a Celina of waiting for the net book. Please get it out quick, this is a great series spinoff. So we'll written, you are pulled into each character as the story progresses. You feel as one of the crew by the end of the book.

An exciting storyThere was a lot of exploring of new areas and new ideas. The Toeholds, a series of deep space stations without planets, but with plenty of interesting people.Each station has its own law. Visitors are advised to read the guidelines and keep a legal weapon handy.And I believe this is the first Solar Clipper novel to contain an actual space battle.I loved the story and I only wish it ended with more detail about the various players.

Whenever I start a new book in this series, I feel like I am coming home or meeting good friends. I love this series. I really want to give every book in the series five stars. Unfortunately, I cannot. The story was too short and thin. There was so much more that could have been done with this story and it just ended too abruptly. It felt like Nathan decided he had written enough and just ended it. Obviously, there is another book and he had to leave some material for that installment. As a side [...]

Another good taleI read it, I liked it, kinda hard to describe why. Not much going on not a lot of action or very fast paced, these are all quite different from my usual reads, like in the author's note just basically a tale about ordinary hard working everyday people. The world isn't about to end there aren't any evil overlords but the characters and their lives are fascinating. I really like these stories and look forward to the next one.

Love this Author!I have enjoyed every Nathaniel Lowell book that I have read! He crafts great, captivating tales about average people making a living in space. Despite having recurring characters, each book has a unique storyline which holds my attention and encourages me to keep reading, even when I'm tired at the end of the day or eager to complete some personal chore around the house. I look forward to reading these wonderful tales for years to come!

While it is true that most of the "action" doesn't start until the last 15% of the book, To Fire Called is a good read as it continues Nathan Lowell's world building of the solar clipper universe. The whole point of the Solar Clipper series is that is science fiction from the working man's point of view. That being said, Ishmael becoming a perhaps unwilling tool of TIC does lend a certain interest and sense of purpose that wasn't there before. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

enjoyed the new adventures of returning and reoccurring characters. The ending felt rushed, that might be a bit typical for the author. I really enjoyed learning about "Toe-hold" space, which seems a bit Firefly-esque, compared to CPJCT space, which seems more like Federation space but more economically driven. Of course my favorite thing about this series is how feasible everything seems, no aliens, no war, a plausible space story about ordinary people.

This was the second book in the Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper Series and even though I enjoyed this story it started out very slow for a Nathan Lowell book and did not have the depth that his other books have. The ending felt very much as if the author was just setting up his next book. Worth the read if you have read book #1.

Even better than the earlier booksWhile the earlier books were wonderful with great characters and fun world building, this has a richer and more complex story while maintaining everything that I loved about the earlier books. The end was a tad abrupt. I think it could have used one more chapter before the epilogue. But overall a real winner.

A great read.One of the best in science fiction I have encountered for more than two decades. This is the final installment of Captain Ishmael's story, but not the end of his wonderful universe. I will re read this series with the same pleasure of reading the works of H. Beam Pipper, Isaac Asimov, and Ray Bradbury.