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Stealing Freedom
Ardelia Sabine is about to attempt the most legendary heist in the solar system. The anti-communication laws that have been ruthlessly enforced for the last five years have gone too far, and the collar around her daughter's neck, which shocks anyone if they try to speak, must come off.
The one time monitor of law enforcement has now assembled the greatest collection of thieves, con-men, and hit men in history. Together, with her husband, once the greatest hacker on the planet, must take on a job that will surely get at least one of them killed.
Survival is not the objective. The goal is to shut down the servers that operate the entire system. Can they get into one of the most guarded areas on the planet? Can they steal back their right to speak from the government that silenced it?
The one time monitor of law enforcement has now assembled the greatest collection of thieves, con-men, and hit men in history. Together, with her husband, once the greatest hacker on the planet, must take on a job that will surely get at least one of them killed.
Survival is not the objective. The goal is to shut down the servers that operate the entire system. Can they get into one of the most guarded areas on the planet? Can they steal back their right to speak from the government that silenced it?
76 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2019
5 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
M.L.S. Weech
19 books69 followersM. L. S. Weech was born in August 1979 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He fell in love with fantasy and science fiction at an early age. His love of writing quickly followed when he tried to write a sequel to his favorite movie. He didn't know what copyright infringement was. He can't remember a time he wasn't working on some sort of project from that day on. He wrote for a junior high project. The only way his freshman English teacher could get him to settle down was to let him start writing a book. He completed what he calls his first manuscript when he was 17. He got a ton of feedback that was honest, helpful, and not much fun to listen to, but instead of quit, he simply wrote another, and then another.
He fell in love with reading in high school when he was introduced to Timothy Zahn and the Star Wars novels. Then he was handed Anne McCaffrey, Robert Jordan, Dean Koontz, Brandon Sanderson and so many more. He went from reading to complete homework to reading more than three books a month.
He joined the U.S. Navy as a journalist in 2005. He served on aircraft carriers and destroyers. He served in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. He finished his Navy career in 2015 at the Defense Information School, where he still teaches journalism as a civilian instructor. When he wasn't taking pictures or writing features or news stories, he was writing fiction. Photojournalism was a hobby he enjoyed getting paid for, but writing fiction has been and remains his true dream.
His first book, The Journals of Bob Drifter was published March 3, 2015, and he’s published more than ten since. He’s happily married and a father of three wonderful sons.
He fell in love with reading in high school when he was introduced to Timothy Zahn and the Star Wars novels. Then he was handed Anne McCaffrey, Robert Jordan, Dean Koontz, Brandon Sanderson and so many more. He went from reading to complete homework to reading more than three books a month.
He joined the U.S. Navy as a journalist in 2005. He served on aircraft carriers and destroyers. He served in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. He finished his Navy career in 2015 at the Defense Information School, where he still teaches journalism as a civilian instructor. When he wasn't taking pictures or writing features or news stories, he was writing fiction. Photojournalism was a hobby he enjoyed getting paid for, but writing fiction has been and remains his true dream.
His first book, The Journals of Bob Drifter was published March 3, 2015, and he’s published more than ten since. He’s happily married and a father of three wonderful sons.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 20, 2020
I received a free review copy of this audio book, at my request, and am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.
In the distant future a strict government has decided no one is to communicate, unauthorized. Words can be purchased, but even then they have to be certain words, and severe penalties for misusing words are levied. No hand gestures, no facial expressions, no written word, nothing.
It's an interesting premise, if a little far fetched. As long as you don't dig too far into the actual ability of humans to NOT communicate, then the idea stands on its own.
So this is a short book, less than 3 hours. Which limits world building and character development. The plot is a group of people are trying to take down the system, and the people are basically just names. Other than the main character, the main antagonist, and the main characters husband, little is known about the other characters. A few sentences of back story is thrown in, towards the end, but overall, just names on the page.
For a novel, that would be a huge problem. For a story of this length, it's fine. It would have been nicer to have a bit more character in the secondary characters, but it wasn't so absent as to be distracting.
Ultimately, we pick up the story, near the climax. This feels almost like a section of a book was plucked out and had the corners rounded off to make sense on its own. The story that is presented and the characters are such that they could have been a full novel, if it had been elaborated on.
The biggest downfall of the story is the narration. Lisa Negeron and J. M. Needham did a fine job on their own. Each had a decent range of voices and did male and female voices well. And I have no complaints about either. However, the story was narrated separately, in sections. Sections of the plot that were driven by the protagonist, were narrated by Lisa. Sections that were driven by the antagonist were narrated by J
M. So this means most characters have 2 completely different voices. So as most of the secondary characters are sparingly developed AND have 2 different voices, it does make for some confusion.
The book would have been better served by a single narrator, or one narrator doing the "good guy" voices and one doing the "Bad guy" voices.
All in all, it was a fun story with a plot that was interesting, if little far fetched. The characters were flat, but the story was too short for that to be an issue. The voice narration was very good, but the 2 narrators doing the same characters voices was a distraction that the story didn't need.
Definitely worth a listen.
In the distant future a strict government has decided no one is to communicate, unauthorized. Words can be purchased, but even then they have to be certain words, and severe penalties for misusing words are levied. No hand gestures, no facial expressions, no written word, nothing.
It's an interesting premise, if a little far fetched. As long as you don't dig too far into the actual ability of humans to NOT communicate, then the idea stands on its own.
So this is a short book, less than 3 hours. Which limits world building and character development. The plot is a group of people are trying to take down the system, and the people are basically just names. Other than the main character, the main antagonist, and the main characters husband, little is known about the other characters. A few sentences of back story is thrown in, towards the end, but overall, just names on the page.
For a novel, that would be a huge problem. For a story of this length, it's fine. It would have been nicer to have a bit more character in the secondary characters, but it wasn't so absent as to be distracting.
Ultimately, we pick up the story, near the climax. This feels almost like a section of a book was plucked out and had the corners rounded off to make sense on its own. The story that is presented and the characters are such that they could have been a full novel, if it had been elaborated on.
The biggest downfall of the story is the narration. Lisa Negeron and J. M. Needham did a fine job on their own. Each had a decent range of voices and did male and female voices well. And I have no complaints about either. However, the story was narrated separately, in sections. Sections of the plot that were driven by the protagonist, were narrated by Lisa. Sections that were driven by the antagonist were narrated by J
M. So this means most characters have 2 completely different voices. So as most of the secondary characters are sparingly developed AND have 2 different voices, it does make for some confusion.
The book would have been better served by a single narrator, or one narrator doing the "good guy" voices and one doing the "Bad guy" voices.
All in all, it was a fun story with a plot that was interesting, if little far fetched. The characters were flat, but the story was too short for that to be an issue. The voice narration was very good, but the 2 narrators doing the same characters voices was a distraction that the story didn't need.
Definitely worth a listen.
September 6, 2020
This was a great story. I could see this being made in to a movie or maybe an episode of black mirror or something like that. I liked how everyone thinks they are smarter than everyone else but still one outwitted them all. Very interesting concept and it definitely held my attention the entire time I was listening to it!
Lisa & J.M. did an excellent job with narration.
I will be looking for more by this author and this narrator.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
Lisa & J.M. did an excellent job with narration.
I will be looking for more by this author and this narrator.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
August 4, 2021
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This book represents everything we as a people value. When that freedom is taken from us what else it left to do. Do we stay in submission and obey or do we find a way to stand for what’s right. Many times we misunderstand what people are saying. If we try to understand and keep open minds many problems can be solved without violence.
I did enjoy this book and how much it reminded me that freedom isn’t free. I’m grateful for those that risks theirs lives everyday so I can have the life I want.
This book represents everything we as a people value. When that freedom is taken from us what else it left to do. Do we stay in submission and obey or do we find a way to stand for what’s right. Many times we misunderstand what people are saying. If we try to understand and keep open minds many problems can be solved without violence.
I did enjoy this book and how much it reminded me that freedom isn’t free. I’m grateful for those that risks theirs lives everyday so I can have the life I want.
August 23, 2020
( Format : Audiobook )
"The worth of words."
"The worth of words."
October 7, 2019
Pretty good for a novella
This was pretty good for a novella. I just like longer books, but I enjoyed reading it and the ending was good
This was pretty good for a novella. I just like longer books, but I enjoyed reading it and the ending was good
November 3, 2020
Screen Play?! Fun Short Dystopian Sci-fi Thriller
This short (2hr 18min) audiobook would make an awesome movie and it is already the perfect length. I don't want to give anything away so this will be really short. This is a dystopian society that due to war caused by people's unwillingness to speak kindly and get along, the government forced a law that all citizens had to wear a shock collar to prevent all verbal communication and censorship of anyone who dares speak against the leaders or their society. The nature of this society is both so uncomfortable and extreme that you quickly find yourself cheering the rebellion. If you're looking for a quick dystopian thriller then look no further. The narrator does a great job was fun to listen to.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This short (2hr 18min) audiobook would make an awesome movie and it is already the perfect length. I don't want to give anything away so this will be really short. This is a dystopian society that due to war caused by people's unwillingness to speak kindly and get along, the government forced a law that all citizens had to wear a shock collar to prevent all verbal communication and censorship of anyone who dares speak against the leaders or their society. The nature of this society is both so uncomfortable and extreme that you quickly find yourself cheering the rebellion. If you're looking for a quick dystopian thriller then look no further. The narrator does a great job was fun to listen to.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews