Freehold: Defiance

by Michael Z. Williamson

STORIES IN THE BEST-SELLING FREEHOLD SERIES, CREATED BY MICHAEL Z. WILLIAMSON NO BATTLE PLAN SURVIVES CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY Everyone has a different war. For some in the UN Peacekeeping mission to Grainne, the struggle is just to survive. For others, it's to remain sane, or keep one's friends and comrades physically and mentally intact. When the rules of engagement are in constant flux, and orders are unclear or based on false information, just getting back inside the fence can be an accomplishment. For the rebels of the Freehold of Grainne, they must form an organized force from the shattered remnants of their military, and from grimly determined, but underequipped and outnumbered insurgents. Their war is for their very way of life. They'll do everything and anything to stop this invasion, using whatever means are available. They mean to make the enemy suffer. Quod vulnera curare potes. "Because physical wounds heal." Contributors Jamie Ibson Jonathan D. Green Kevin J. Anderson and Kevin Ikenberry Michael Z. Williamson Jessica Schlenker Jaime DiNote Will McCaskey Justin Watson J.F. Holmes and Jason Cordova Christopher DiNote and Philip Wohlrab At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About “. . . a rousing collection . . . this anthology will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys military fiction.” —James W. Rawles, New York Times best-selling author and creator of SurvivalBlog Michael Z. Williamson is retired military, having served twenty-five years in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. He was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Desert Fox. Williamson is a state-ranked competitive shooter in combat rifle and combat pistol. He has consulted on military matters, weapons, and disaster preparedness for Discovery Channel and Outdoor Channel productions, and is editor-at-Large for Survivalblog, which has 300,000 weekly readers. In addition, Williamson tests and reviews firearms and gear for manufacturers. Williamson’s books set in his Freehold Universe include Freehold, The Weapon, The Rogue, Better to Beg Forgiveness . . ., Do Unto Others . . ., and When Diplomacy Fails . . .. He is also the author of time-travel novel A Long Time Until Now, as well as The Hero—the latter written in collaboration with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo. Williamson was born in England, raised in Liverpool and Toronto, Canada, and now resides in Indianapolis with his children.

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2021

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freehold Resistance is the third anthology set in Michael Z. Williamson's Freehold universe. This book has stories from the viewpoint of both the Freehold resistance fighters and the UN Peacekeepers who are invading Grainne. I will not try to review each story but I will list the authors below.

Contributors

Jamie Ibson
Jonathan D. Green
Kevin J. Anderson and Kevin Ikenberry
Michael Z. Williamson
Jessica Schlenker
Jaime DiNote
Will McCaskey
Justin Watson
J.F. Holmes and Jason Cordova
Christopher DiNote and Philip Wohlrab

This anthology is a great addition to this series and I really enjoyed reading it.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are stories set during the events of Michael Z. Williamson's novel Freehold (2004), in which a planet organized along limited political and free market economic principles is invaded and occupied by the powerful yet bureaucratic United Nations (Earth's one-world government), but casts off the invaders through extraordinary civilian and military resistance.

This is the second Freehold anthology I've read, and in both cases have been blown away with the consistent quality of the stories. This one is even more impressive, since unlike Freehold: Resistance, Defiance's stories are not connected into a single narrative, meaning each story needed to stand up on its own. Some stories are darkly comic, some are serious; some are action-packed, while others are more philosophical. But whatever differences in style and content they may have, the stories are almost universally entertaining and well-written.

Special commendations go to:

All four Williamson stories (two are reprints, two are new to this volume):

"The Humans Call it Duty"
"The Price"
"Bidding War"
"They Also Serve..."

"Health and Safety Enforcement" by Jonathon D. Green
"Province of Man" by Jaime DiNote
"Replacements" by Justin Watson

[William Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure how Williamson does it. These anthologies are high quality throughout. I had to check back a few times to see which ones were written by the author, himself, as many were able to capture the universe quite well.

[Chinto Karateka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Michael Z. Williamson delivers a can't put it down book

This book, like the other FREEHOLD and RIPPLE CREEK books, is one you can not put down. This is one exciting ride after another! Each author making an enthralling addition to the lore of the planet Grainne.

BUY IT! Read it! You will not regret it!!

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking

This anthology lived up to it's heritage. In the spirit of Freehold, it spoke of heroism, duty, and honor. You have the entire roller-coaster of emotions as any great story does. Thanks to the talented writers.

[Charl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Freehold universe is one of my favorites. Williamson is a kickass military writer, and those he allows into the sandbox are just as good.

This is a wonderful collection set during the UN invasion, and the viewpoints from both sides are enthralling.

[Eric Knutson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good continuation of the universe

I really like the Freehold universe, it is in my top 3 series, and apparently the only one still getting added to. More please

[Jonathan Knaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freehold!

I really enjoy this universe. I enjoy the characters and love their stories. This was an interesting look at both sides. Thank you to all the authors!

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good anthology that captured the Freehold universe perfectly. Nothing less than 5's for all the stories.