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Alien Stars #4
Free Lancers
THREE TOP AUTHORS-
THREE SHORT NOVELS
NEVER BEFORE IN PRINT
1 - West by ORSON SCOTT CARD
A one-man army leads the survivors of an anti-Mormon pogrom cross-country to Utah. By the author of Ender's Game.
83 - Liberty Port by DAVID DRAKE
A new "Hammer's Slammers" adventure! Paradise Port advertised everything for the soldier on leave—but some who went hunting for pleasure found death instead.
161 - The Borders of Infinity by LOIS McMASTER BUJOLD
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, hero of The Warrior's Apprentice, trapped in a prison camp? The situation looks hopeless...but never under-estimate Miles.
THREE SHORT NOVELS
NEVER BEFORE IN PRINT
1 - West by ORSON SCOTT CARD
A one-man army leads the survivors of an anti-Mormon pogrom cross-country to Utah. By the author of Ender's Game.
83 - Liberty Port by DAVID DRAKE
A new "Hammer's Slammers" adventure! Paradise Port advertised everything for the soldier on leave—but some who went hunting for pleasure found death instead.
161 - The Borders of Infinity by LOIS McMASTER BUJOLD
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, hero of The Warrior's Apprentice, trapped in a prison camp? The situation looks hopeless...but never under-estimate Miles.
248 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 1987
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96 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Mitchell
5 books2 followersElizabeth (Betsy) Mitchell has been a New York science fiction/fantasy editor for more than 30 years, publishing such authors as Terry Brooks, Naomi Novik, Octavia E. Butler and Peter F. Hamilton. She received a World Fantasy Award for co-editing the anthology Full Spectrum 4, and is the author of Journey to the Bottomless Pit, a biography of Stephen Bishop, an African-American guide who made many major discoveries in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 9, 2017
This contains three novellas, by Orson Scott Card, David Drake, and Lois McMaster Bujold. All are good. My favorite was by Bujold. I'd heard good things about her before but had not read anything by her previously. I'll be remedying that soon. The first story, "West," by Card, is quite different from the other two. It's a post apocalyptic fantasy instead of military SF. Well written, with interesting characters. Something of an ode to Mormons it seems, of which Card is a member. Drake's "Liberty Port," peripherally involves Hammer's Slammers but is primarily about a crippled ex-soldier and his love for an android. Interesting. "The Borders of Infinity" by Bujold has her main character, Miles Vorkosigan, locked in an inescapable prison. A very interesting character, not your usual kind of hero.
November 9, 2017
It’s the first I’ve read of Card, and one of many of Bujold. Still not a fan of Drake, but that’s because military SF is not really to my taste. However, an interesting read overall for fans of the genre.
February 27, 2009
This mass market PPB contains the short story, Borders of Infinity. What an explosive introduction to Miles Vorkosigan. I was blown away. Haven't recovered yet.
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2025
Elizabeth Mitchell’s Free Lancers—the fourth entry in the Alien Stars shared-world series—blends space opera, tactical adventure, and character-driven drama into a brisk yet surprisingly layered narrative.
While the Alien Stars universe was conceived as a multi-author tapestry of interconnected settings and themes, Mitchell’s contribution stands out for its emotional intelligence, clear world-building, and engaging sense of momentum. If the earlier volumes expanded the political and cosmic boundaries of the setting, Free Lancers brings the focus sharply onto individuals navigating that vastness.
The premise—mercenary troubleshooters operating in the fractures of a galactic order—initially suggests high-velocity action, and indeed the novel delivers plenty of battles, chases, and kinetic tension. But Mitchell anchors the story in the lives of her characters.
The Free Lancers themselves are not generic soldiers of fortune; they are complex, conflicted personalities whose motivations often clash or evolve as the mission deepens. This emotional shading gives the book a richness that elevates it above standard space-opera fare.
The team dynamic is one of the novel’s strongest elements. Mitchell excels at writing interpersonal tension—loyalties strained under pressure, ethical conflicts during high-stakes decisions, and the lingering effects of past trauma.
Each character brings distinct skills and vulnerabilities, which creates a constant push-and-pull of cooperation and friction. Their dialogue is sharp, their banter natural, and their emotional arcs subtly interwoven through the action.
World-building in Free Lancers is clear, efficient, and vivid without ever overwhelming the narrative. Mitchell presents a galaxy full of competing powers, mysterious alien artefacts, and uncharted territories, but she keeps the focus on how these environments shape the characters' choices.
A ruined outpost becomes a commentary on imperial overreach; an alien world with strange physics becomes a metaphor for isolation and identity; a technologically advanced race introduces moral dilemmas rather than simple spectacle.
The story’s pacing is exemplary. Mitchell shifts smoothly between tactical intensity and reflective character beats. The action scenes are coherent and tightly choreographed, avoiding the common sci-fi pitfall of turning into visual noise. Yet the quieter moments—the conversations in dim ship corridors, the revelations exchanged under alien skies—are where the novel’s heart truly lies.
Thematically, Free Lancers explores loyalty, autonomy, and the consequences of violence. Mitchell questions the romanticism of mercenary life. The Free Lancers operate in morally ambiguous spaces, often confronting the fact that survival and ethics do not always align. The novel never preaches, but it consistently encourages readers to think about the cost of decisions made under fire.
Mitchell also excels at small symbolic details. The ship's worn metal surfaces, the fading insignia of old wars, and the recurring motif of broken machinery all reinforce the sense of a galaxy fraying at the edges. These details create emotional resonance without sacrificing narrative momentum.
As the story builds toward its climax, the stakes—both personal and political—heighten naturally. Mitchell’s balance of emotion and action makes the final sequences especially satisfying. The resolution avoids easy answers, instead offering bittersweet notes that stay true to the characters’ arcs.
Overall, Free Lancers is a standout entry in the Alien Stars series. It combines the pleasures of classic space adventure with thoughtful character development and thematic weight.
For readers who love space operas that value heart as much as spectacle, Mitchell’s novel delivers a compelling and memorable experience.
While the Alien Stars universe was conceived as a multi-author tapestry of interconnected settings and themes, Mitchell’s contribution stands out for its emotional intelligence, clear world-building, and engaging sense of momentum. If the earlier volumes expanded the political and cosmic boundaries of the setting, Free Lancers brings the focus sharply onto individuals navigating that vastness.
The premise—mercenary troubleshooters operating in the fractures of a galactic order—initially suggests high-velocity action, and indeed the novel delivers plenty of battles, chases, and kinetic tension. But Mitchell anchors the story in the lives of her characters.
The Free Lancers themselves are not generic soldiers of fortune; they are complex, conflicted personalities whose motivations often clash or evolve as the mission deepens. This emotional shading gives the book a richness that elevates it above standard space-opera fare.
The team dynamic is one of the novel’s strongest elements. Mitchell excels at writing interpersonal tension—loyalties strained under pressure, ethical conflicts during high-stakes decisions, and the lingering effects of past trauma.
Each character brings distinct skills and vulnerabilities, which creates a constant push-and-pull of cooperation and friction. Their dialogue is sharp, their banter natural, and their emotional arcs subtly interwoven through the action.
World-building in Free Lancers is clear, efficient, and vivid without ever overwhelming the narrative. Mitchell presents a galaxy full of competing powers, mysterious alien artefacts, and uncharted territories, but she keeps the focus on how these environments shape the characters' choices.
A ruined outpost becomes a commentary on imperial overreach; an alien world with strange physics becomes a metaphor for isolation and identity; a technologically advanced race introduces moral dilemmas rather than simple spectacle.
The story’s pacing is exemplary. Mitchell shifts smoothly between tactical intensity and reflective character beats. The action scenes are coherent and tightly choreographed, avoiding the common sci-fi pitfall of turning into visual noise. Yet the quieter moments—the conversations in dim ship corridors, the revelations exchanged under alien skies—are where the novel’s heart truly lies.
Thematically, Free Lancers explores loyalty, autonomy, and the consequences of violence. Mitchell questions the romanticism of mercenary life. The Free Lancers operate in morally ambiguous spaces, often confronting the fact that survival and ethics do not always align. The novel never preaches, but it consistently encourages readers to think about the cost of decisions made under fire.
Mitchell also excels at small symbolic details. The ship's worn metal surfaces, the fading insignia of old wars, and the recurring motif of broken machinery all reinforce the sense of a galaxy fraying at the edges. These details create emotional resonance without sacrificing narrative momentum.
As the story builds toward its climax, the stakes—both personal and political—heighten naturally. Mitchell’s balance of emotion and action makes the final sequences especially satisfying. The resolution avoids easy answers, instead offering bittersweet notes that stay true to the characters’ arcs.
Overall, Free Lancers is a standout entry in the Alien Stars series. It combines the pleasures of classic space adventure with thoughtful character development and thematic weight.
For readers who love space operas that value heart as much as spectacle, Mitchell’s novel delivers a compelling and memorable experience.
February 14, 2019
Three excellent Novellas!
November 5, 2023
I've only read the story "West" by Orson Scott Card. A quite entertaining post-apocalyptic story about religious discrimination, survival and redemption.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews