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Free Trader #1-3

Free Trader Box Set - Books 1-3

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All they wanted was to trade. Others had different ideas. Join a world where humans and animals interact in a fight against the enemies of civilization. Three volumes with over 800 pages are contained in this one set! Braden and his mindlinked Hillcat build friendships with other sentient creatures and extraordinary humans as they try to create a world of Free Trade, but obstacles stand in their way. As they encounter intransigent humans or power-hungry mutants, they fight for what they believe is right.

925 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2016

119 people are currently reading
81 people want to read

About the author

Craig Martelle

323 books7,873 followers
Visit Craig's web page, craigmartelle.com for the latest posts and updates or find him on Facebook, Author Craig Martelle. Send an email to craig@craigmartelle.com to join his mailing list for the latest on new releases, information on old releases, and anything related to his books.

I see my other lives, a career in the Marines, those damn hand-written tests in law school, a business consultant, as if they're stories from a book. I see my books as if I lived there, as if I were friends with the characters. All things we remember are behind us, only those we imagine lie before.

I'm not sure which place I prefer, but I don't have to choose. They live together in my mind. My books have some award nominations, they have bestseller tags across multiple countries. I write about justice, honor, and loyalty because that's what I care about. My stories are mostly set within worlds that haven't been, but could be. We have to be ready for when those times come.

No matter where I went, I always had a book with me. Thanks to 21st Century technology, I now have hundreds of books loaded on my phone and always with me. This breakthrough allows me to binge read my favorites. How many books would I have read on deployments had I not had to have a physical book with me? I paced myself so I wouldn't finish too quickly.

We aren't encumbered like that now. I love the works of Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and so many more. I have been compared to Andre Norton and that is humbling - she was an incredible author with a huge list of novels to her credit. With every new book, I aspire to live up to those that you, the readers, have compared me to.

Through a bizarre series of events, I ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. I never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But that's the way it is. It is off the beaten path. My wife and I get to watch the northern lights from our driveway. Our dog has lots of room to run. And temperatures reach fifty below zero. We have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer.

It's all part of the give and take of life. If we didn't have those extremes, then everyone would live in the sub-arctic.

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5 stars
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36 (34%)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
46 reviews4 followers
October 10, 2017
Very interesting 6 book (so far) series of books about how free trade can make life better for everyone, starting at the individual level and from there all the way to worldwide. It is a particularly painless way to learn about the benefits of comparative advantage, and other basic economic concepts, automatically as part of an interesting sci fi series about a human space colony that has lost all its high tech and social institutions beyond the village level regaining them and overcoming those who would rule by force rather than respecting individual freedoms. It also shows diverse groups of sapients working effectively together, even when the groups are as diverse as dolphins and cats.
288 reviews2 followers
August 5, 2019
Amazing

The world of a free trader who wants to fine “old tech” so he can get rich and retire isn’t really possible because he has such a pure soul and purpose his best friend is a cat not a regular cat mind you and they set off to cross the desert to go where he believes the old tech is you’ll fine out how he is special during that trip then talking animals, flying turtles lizard men could not put it down not surprised every thing he has written I have been captured by
Profile Image for Sheryl Cerniglia.
3 reviews
October 11, 2021
Page turner

Wow I love these books. Once I started to read them, I was up until the wee hours of the morning. I just had to see how It ended. The story did not disappoint me. It was well written and the story flowed. I think my favorite character is G war. If you want a good read where animals and people work together in harmony this is It
Profile Image for Kin Orr.
14 reviews
March 19, 2018
Original yet evocative.

Martelle has drawn from many inspirations it seems; Andre Norton, Robert Heinlein and Anne McCaffrey, to name the ones most obvious to me to create a unique and fascinating world with great characters. I look forward to many more Free Trader adventures!
Profile Image for Rae Allen.
13 reviews2 followers
September 26, 2018
A traders philosophy

Part fantasy, part scifi, this is a well written version of a distopian future. Genetically enhanced animals, holograms and androids vie for attention in the framework of a trading philosophy
222 reviews2 followers
August 21, 2021
I purchased this set on Aug.15/21
and read it in two days.
I did NOT want to put it down and
I WILL have the next two boxed sets !!
Make sure you're settled in comfortably
because you won't want to put it down either.
Enjoy !!

Phyllis S.
57 reviews3 followers
August 10, 2023
A very fun and refreshing series

The characters are likable. And admirable. And occasionally, fish out of water . The remarkable number of species that he brings in keeps the story interesting. There is always something unexpected.
Profile Image for Stephen Lee.
Author 4 books5 followers
August 22, 2017
This is a great story. Anyone who loves Post Apocalyptic stories or enjoys PA games like Gamma World, Mutazoids, Metamorphosis Alpha will enjoy this series.
Profile Image for Melissa D.
47 reviews
September 2, 2021
I loved this series great character building and interaction but as with many books lately it seems like there was more written previously.
I wish there was a prequel to explain the history.
17 reviews
March 9, 2022
Trading to create peace

These three books show a bit different view of how to create a peaceful society. No, peace is not achieved in these books, but multiple species and types of intelligent “people” start to live together peacefully with everyone profiting from their interaction through trade. Good read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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