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Freehold #1
Freehold
Sergeant Kendra Pacelli is innocent, but that doesn't matter to the repressive government pursuing her. Mistakes might be made, but they are never acknowledged, especially when billions of embezzled dollars earned from illegal weapons sales are at stake. But where does one run when all Earth and the planets are under the aegis of one government?
688 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 30, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
February 29, 2012
As others have said: this book was deeply cliched, lazily written, and inexpertly welded to a political manifesto; at best, it's "bubblegum" sci-fi. I read it for the explosions and space battles, and even then it disappointed several times.
For one thing, there aren't any space battles till well into the second half of the novel. The first half is entirely consumed with the main character (a tall, leggy, gorgeous blonde who doesn't know she's attractive) escaping from Earth; most of this, however, takes the form of a political tract against The Evilz Of Big Guvvermint and The Awesomeness Of Freehold, the Libertarian nudity-tolerant utopia she runs to. There follow endless pages of Kendra marveling at everyone's firearms, sampling freely-sold hallucinogenic drinks, and learning to "relax" in the nude around her new boyfriend (the strong, manly military officer and ace pilot who lives next door) and girlfriend (a petite Asian courtesan with a nonstop libido) -- yep, she randomly becomes bisexual, presumably so the author could write a bunch of cheesy, gratuitous threesome-scenes. I'm not opposed to threesome setups, but the writing for this was as lazy and clueless as the rest of the book, resulting in Kris spending about ten seconds contemplating her new interest in women, and lines like "your body is so sexy"... Seriously.
For another, all of this is frequently interrupted by pages-long explanations of how Freehold's system works and how wonderful it is. (Personally, I spent it racking up a count of how many branches the "small" government of Freehold had. There's an awful lot of them.) This includes one gem about how their military cuts its costs in half by selling off used equipment to the highest bidder, no questions asked. Yes, they know they're quite likely supplying terrorists on other planets, but those terrorists are probably going to attack Earth, not Freehold, and the *really important* thing is that their military budget is reduced!
This book could have been an entertaining, but not memorable, hour's read if only some wise editor had cut out 200 pages of political harangue, and perhaps required some more effort expended on the war with Earth and the fallout on the characters.
As it stands, the traumas they suffer play out as mere afterthoughts -- particularly egregious in the case of Marta, who is viciously gang-raped. The rushed and superficial handling made it feel over-the-top, done for shock value rather than a necessary part of the plot... Especially after suffering through Williamson's weak and irrational handwaving over why rape is a nearly unheard-of crime on Freehold. (As another review noted, this came down to "there's a taboo against it for some reason," yet -- given all we're told of how Freehold works, including a legal system that relies almost entirely on provable monetary loss -- by its own logic only a prostitute can be raped.)
For one thing, there aren't any space battles till well into the second half of the novel. The first half is entirely consumed with the main character (a tall, leggy, gorgeous blonde who doesn't know she's attractive) escaping from Earth; most of this, however, takes the form of a political tract against The Evilz Of Big Guvvermint and The Awesomeness Of Freehold, the Libertarian nudity-tolerant utopia she runs to. There follow endless pages of Kendra marveling at everyone's firearms, sampling freely-sold hallucinogenic drinks, and learning to "relax" in the nude around her new boyfriend (the strong, manly military officer and ace pilot who lives next door) and girlfriend (a petite Asian courtesan with a nonstop libido) -- yep, she randomly becomes bisexual, presumably so the author could write a bunch of cheesy, gratuitous threesome-scenes. I'm not opposed to threesome setups, but the writing for this was as lazy and clueless as the rest of the book, resulting in Kris spending about ten seconds contemplating her new interest in women, and lines like "your body is so sexy"... Seriously.
For another, all of this is frequently interrupted by pages-long explanations of how Freehold's system works and how wonderful it is. (Personally, I spent it racking up a count of how many branches the "small" government of Freehold had. There's an awful lot of them.) This includes one gem about how their military cuts its costs in half by selling off used equipment to the highest bidder, no questions asked. Yes, they know they're quite likely supplying terrorists on other planets, but those terrorists are probably going to attack Earth, not Freehold, and the *really important* thing is that their military budget is reduced!
This book could have been an entertaining, but not memorable, hour's read if only some wise editor had cut out 200 pages of political harangue, and perhaps required some more effort expended on the war with Earth and the fallout on the characters.
As it stands, the traumas they suffer play out as mere afterthoughts -- particularly egregious in the case of Marta, who is viciously gang-raped. The rushed and superficial handling made it feel over-the-top, done for shock value rather than a necessary part of the plot... Especially after suffering through Williamson's weak and irrational handwaving over why rape is a nearly unheard-of crime on Freehold. (As another review noted, this came down to "there's a taboo against it for some reason," yet -- given all we're told of how Freehold works, including a legal system that relies almost entirely on provable monetary loss -- by its own logic only a prostitute can be raped.)
March 1, 2024
libertarian political fantasy, October 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
This review is from: Freehold (Freehold Series Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
I wanted to really like this libertarian political fantasy as I am a Constitutionalist with libertarian leanings. However, the first half of the novel contains little action. It is instead devoted to introducing and developing characters, a utopian, libertarian fantasy worId and a mish mash of gobbledygook pagan religion. Williamson writes of an open free sex society with far too much detail about the physical aspects. I don't like being ambushed. If I want to read erotica, I will read an erotic book. I don't need or want graphic scenes in my sci-fi unless it is advertised as such and I deliberately choose it. The story line is very open and approving of sex between women. Perfectly normal on Freehold. No mention of same activity between men. No real action until about 50% through the book. The action is well written and held my interest. Then at about 87% through the book, at the end of chapter 48, the story reached a good place to wrap it all up but didn't. It continued, with much of the remainder being fairly dull.
Verified Purchase
This review is from: Freehold (Freehold Series Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
I wanted to really like this libertarian political fantasy as I am a Constitutionalist with libertarian leanings. However, the first half of the novel contains little action. It is instead devoted to introducing and developing characters, a utopian, libertarian fantasy worId and a mish mash of gobbledygook pagan religion. Williamson writes of an open free sex society with far too much detail about the physical aspects. I don't like being ambushed. If I want to read erotica, I will read an erotic book. I don't need or want graphic scenes in my sci-fi unless it is advertised as such and I deliberately choose it. The story line is very open and approving of sex between women. Perfectly normal on Freehold. No mention of same activity between men. No real action until about 50% through the book. The action is well written and held my interest. Then at about 87% through the book, at the end of chapter 48, the story reached a good place to wrap it all up but didn't. It continued, with much of the remainder being fairly dull.
August 15, 2012
I am at heart a libertarian, but in all fairness this book is sorta like libertarian porn. Because libertarian societies have difficulties coexisting with non-libertarian societies (we have a lot of people in current society who take and don't give, and any change from that will not be peaceful) Michael simplifies things and allows a libertarian society to come about with the introduction of star travel.
Basically a bunch of like minded libertarians founded Freehold and let it grow into the society we see in the first 2/3's of the book. But then the libertarian's favorite bad guy, the UN (the biggest, most bureaucratic and ineffective government out there) comes in and messes things up.
The whole story is told from the perspective of Kendra Pacelli, a member of the UN Peacekeeping Force who is set up and forced to flee to Freehold. She is slowly introduced to the Freehold society (and by proxy the reader, of whom some of these concepts is quite foreign) and to it's military.
It really is a fun read and is a nice dream.
November 4, 2016
I've debated for hours how to approach this review, including simply not writing one. I'm still not certain, so I'm going to let it flow and we'll see where we end up. The only thing I know at this point is that I'm going to tag sections by rough topic and try to make it so you can skip if you aren't interested in that aspect of the book.
So it looks like I'm addressing politics first. Skip down to the book analysis if you don't care.
This book isn't as political as people think, but it is political. The eponymous planet was founded by libertarians with a decided neoliberal bent. Their society is deeply egalitarian and has cultural assumptions of non-discrimination and an open-handed generosity towards the "other" regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation that is very liberal in modern terms. Because that liberal bent is social rather than governmental, a lot of people are going to mislabel this as simply a libertarian manifesto, which is a shame. The libertarian part is more forefront because of the limited government and the basic freedoms of the libertarian ideal where restrictions are non-existent all the way down to public nudity and traffic control.
The bugaboo in the book, represented by Kendra's home, Earth, is an intrusive government oligarchy with a democratic veneer that professes progressive ideals even as they oppress the population and use regulations to control media and, well, everything else. It doesn't help that Williamson labels Earth and its associated colonies "the UN", which is unfortunate because it doesn't really have anything to do with our current UN as it does fascistic control by a centralized government bureaucracy. So yeah, the bad guys are explicitly everything feared by libertarians in a big, unaccountable government. But they're also deeply anti-progressive as they use fascist tactics to separate people into special interests and isolate minority opinions to oppress them. This very much is a criticism of big government, but also stands as a betrayal of progressive ideals of social justice rather than a criticism of them, I think.
So I can understand all the one-star reviews by those who believe deeply in social justice and/or progressive ideals. They likely perceive this as a straw-man of their beliefs. Personally, I saw it more as an illustration of a betrayal of those ideals in showing how they can be corrupted by fascistic autocrats in an oligarchy no longer afraid of its constituents. But then, while not precisely libertarian, I've always been skeptical of government solutions to social problems so it's not my ox being gored.
A note about politics and me: This is important for where I end up at the conclusion of this section. tl;dr; If you want to argue politics, please don't. Longer story: I have no home in the current political landscape and have a really hard time voting in U.S. elections because both major parties are dead to me and all of the also-rans have problematic elements I can't really support. I stopped being publicly political a number of years ago when I realized it was making me miserable and wasn't actually helping anybody. I have friends on pretty much every side of a given political schism, some of them very strident. So even though I'm a huge political junky and have strong political beliefs (even if they don't map to a platform shared by anyone else, apparently), I don't care about any of them enough to alienate people I care about or destroy friendships. I hate that we live in an era where people will chose political partisanship over friendship, but that's the world we live in and I choose friendship. And I'm pragmatic enough to make that a deliberate choice. So while I like political debate and argument I no longer engage in public. Which means I'll delete comments that try to engage in political debate. If you want to have the discussion, let me know (message me here, probably the easiest way) and I'll give you my email address and you can let fly. Feel free to take on the book in the comments, and/or how it does or doesn't work. But the merits of one political mode over another isn't interesting to me in this forum and will only serve to piss others off and shut down discussion. Do. Not. Want.
So how was the book: Well, by now you've seen my rating, so you know I liked it. A lot. Williamson has a strong voice and excellent characters and awesome action. Yes, Williamson is clearly exploring some aspects of government and war, but he's doing so with great characters that I came to care about and set it in a great story that delivers on all its promises. He spends the first half (of a not-short book) introducing and exploring the setting and characters. Because Kendra is a strong character and an outsider, I found this interesting and was plenty happy to be along for the ride. I never wondered when the real story would start even as Kendra works at finding her place in an alien society where she's pretty much on her own as far as government is concerned. Which is where the social construct of kindness and "other"-consciousness kicks in as she finds people willing, even eager, to help her find her legs and figure out how to get along (and even thrive). I loved the relationships she builds, not least the non-binary intimate/sexual connections she explores and how they become important to her. And I particularly liked how her integrity and courage made it perfectly reasonable that she'd attract such dynamic personalities and not feel subordinate or inferior.
My favorite part was when everything fell apart. I'd normally spoiler tag something that doesn't happen until after the midpoint of a novel, but since this is clearly a military sci-fi story you know war is going to break out. Which I was expecting. What I wasn't expecting was an exploration of war and ethics and atrocity and abuse and survival delivered on such a deeply personal level. It turns out that every bit of that first half served to enhance and make poignant the sacrifice and dilemma and horror and beauty of the second half. Williamson doesn't shy from the big-bads of warfare and he delivers a great story about trial and the clash of ideals on a personal level that gripped me and never let go.
Rating summary: So while the first half was a solid four stars and interesting, the power of the second drove this to five stars, easy. And the politics turn out not to matter except as background to the ethics of war and the kind of decisions even low-level folks may find themselves dealing with during events that push us outside our carefully civilized circumstances. Kendra and her friends go through the wringer and that was hard. But they are strong, conscientious and kind and that made accompanying them through that hell fascinating and even ennobling—in short, the eternal contradiction of warfare in a nutshell.
A note about Steamy: There are a handful of explicit sex scenes, but this isn't a romance so they're only long enough to establish the importance of the scene and then move on. So this ends up on the upper end of my middle tolerance. Since at least some of the first half of the book is Kendra confronting her sexual assumptions, these include some, er, non-traditional configurations. And in the second half of the book, we have war and a front seat for wartime atrocities, including rape. Not fun, but important and well handled (in multiple dimensions).
So it looks like I'm addressing politics first. Skip down to the book analysis if you don't care.
This book isn't as political as people think, but it is political. The eponymous planet was founded by libertarians with a decided neoliberal bent. Their society is deeply egalitarian and has cultural assumptions of non-discrimination and an open-handed generosity towards the "other" regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation that is very liberal in modern terms. Because that liberal bent is social rather than governmental, a lot of people are going to mislabel this as simply a libertarian manifesto, which is a shame. The libertarian part is more forefront because of the limited government and the basic freedoms of the libertarian ideal where restrictions are non-existent all the way down to public nudity and traffic control.
The bugaboo in the book, represented by Kendra's home, Earth, is an intrusive government oligarchy with a democratic veneer that professes progressive ideals even as they oppress the population and use regulations to control media and, well, everything else. It doesn't help that Williamson labels Earth and its associated colonies "the UN", which is unfortunate because it doesn't really have anything to do with our current UN as it does fascistic control by a centralized government bureaucracy. So yeah, the bad guys are explicitly everything feared by libertarians in a big, unaccountable government. But they're also deeply anti-progressive as they use fascist tactics to separate people into special interests and isolate minority opinions to oppress them. This very much is a criticism of big government, but also stands as a betrayal of progressive ideals of social justice rather than a criticism of them, I think.
So I can understand all the one-star reviews by those who believe deeply in social justice and/or progressive ideals. They likely perceive this as a straw-man of their beliefs. Personally, I saw it more as an illustration of a betrayal of those ideals in showing how they can be corrupted by fascistic autocrats in an oligarchy no longer afraid of its constituents. But then, while not precisely libertarian, I've always been skeptical of government solutions to social problems so it's not my ox being gored.
A note about politics and me: This is important for where I end up at the conclusion of this section. tl;dr; If you want to argue politics, please don't. Longer story: I have no home in the current political landscape and have a really hard time voting in U.S. elections because both major parties are dead to me and all of the also-rans have problematic elements I can't really support. I stopped being publicly political a number of years ago when I realized it was making me miserable and wasn't actually helping anybody. I have friends on pretty much every side of a given political schism, some of them very strident. So even though I'm a huge political junky and have strong political beliefs (even if they don't map to a platform shared by anyone else, apparently), I don't care about any of them enough to alienate people I care about or destroy friendships. I hate that we live in an era where people will chose political partisanship over friendship, but that's the world we live in and I choose friendship. And I'm pragmatic enough to make that a deliberate choice. So while I like political debate and argument I no longer engage in public. Which means I'll delete comments that try to engage in political debate. If you want to have the discussion, let me know (message me here, probably the easiest way) and I'll give you my email address and you can let fly. Feel free to take on the book in the comments, and/or how it does or doesn't work. But the merits of one political mode over another isn't interesting to me in this forum and will only serve to piss others off and shut down discussion. Do. Not. Want.
So how was the book: Well, by now you've seen my rating, so you know I liked it. A lot. Williamson has a strong voice and excellent characters and awesome action. Yes, Williamson is clearly exploring some aspects of government and war, but he's doing so with great characters that I came to care about and set it in a great story that delivers on all its promises. He spends the first half (of a not-short book) introducing and exploring the setting and characters. Because Kendra is a strong character and an outsider, I found this interesting and was plenty happy to be along for the ride. I never wondered when the real story would start even as Kendra works at finding her place in an alien society where she's pretty much on her own as far as government is concerned. Which is where the social construct of kindness and "other"-consciousness kicks in as she finds people willing, even eager, to help her find her legs and figure out how to get along (and even thrive). I loved the relationships she builds, not least the non-binary intimate/sexual connections she explores and how they become important to her. And I particularly liked how her integrity and courage made it perfectly reasonable that she'd attract such dynamic personalities and not feel subordinate or inferior.
My favorite part was when everything fell apart. I'd normally spoiler tag something that doesn't happen until after the midpoint of a novel, but since this is clearly a military sci-fi story you know war is going to break out. Which I was expecting. What I wasn't expecting was an exploration of war and ethics and atrocity and abuse and survival delivered on such a deeply personal level. It turns out that every bit of that first half served to enhance and make poignant the sacrifice and dilemma and horror and beauty of the second half. Williamson doesn't shy from the big-bads of warfare and he delivers a great story about trial and the clash of ideals on a personal level that gripped me and never let go.
Rating summary: So while the first half was a solid four stars and interesting, the power of the second drove this to five stars, easy. And the politics turn out not to matter except as background to the ethics of war and the kind of decisions even low-level folks may find themselves dealing with during events that push us outside our carefully civilized circumstances. Kendra and her friends go through the wringer and that was hard. But they are strong, conscientious and kind and that made accompanying them through that hell fascinating and even ennobling—in short, the eternal contradiction of warfare in a nutshell.
A note about Steamy: There are a handful of explicit sex scenes, but this isn't a romance so they're only long enough to establish the importance of the scene and then move on. So this ends up on the upper end of my middle tolerance. Since at least some of the first half of the book is Kendra confronting her sexual assumptions, these include some, er, non-traditional configurations. And in the second half of the book, we have war and a front seat for wartime atrocities, including rape. Not fun, but important and well handled (in multiple dimensions).
May 28, 2012
So, let us start with the cover. "Earth's most wanted woman" is the splash while the picture is of a female running from burning buildings and being strafed by a couple of jets. Pretty exciting huh? Well, somebody needs to be done under the Trades Description Act.
We start off on Earth, a rather fascist future vision. An female NCO is framed as part of a corruption conspiracy and, fearful of a flawed and oppressive justice system, goes on the run. She ends up in the embassy of Freehold of Grainne, an independent system up outside Earth controlled space. For no particular reason they like her and part sponsor her secretly escaping to Freehold. "Earth's most wanted woman" bit lasts about 30 pages and is more than a bit underwhelming. So she arrives on Freehold and the action really doesn't hot up. She gets a job as a gardener and through her eyes we learn far too much about the utopia that is Freehold. In fact it takes 300 more pages to learn about the society, their views on sex, relationships and `perfect' blend of capitalism and communism. I would try to explain it, but it is so superficial and unrealistic that it is not worth my time or yours. Anyway our "most wanted woman", Kendra, ends up joining the military and we are forced to live through her training programme with her. Astonishingly, about page 350 something happens. Yes I was shocked too, but it dragged me out of the coma I was slipping into. Anyway, fascist Earth (the UN) decide that a perfect utopia like Freehold can't be allowed to exist so they engineer disruption and then actually attack.
This is a very strange book where a naive utopia is forced down our throats like a badly thought out sociology lesson. What felt like it should be a pulp SF actioner, ends up being a completely different animal indeed. And padded to twice the size it needed to be to make badly considered points on society, sociological behaviours and the life story of "Earth's most wanted woman". Actually the writing is okay and par for this kind of thing, but the content is a real mess, Goodness knows what Freud would make of the author's obsession with his obsession on free sexual attitudes. Overall a tedious load of old twaddle, so simplistic at times it is almost laughable.
We start off on Earth, a rather fascist future vision. An female NCO is framed as part of a corruption conspiracy and, fearful of a flawed and oppressive justice system, goes on the run. She ends up in the embassy of Freehold of Grainne, an independent system up outside Earth controlled space. For no particular reason they like her and part sponsor her secretly escaping to Freehold. "Earth's most wanted woman" bit lasts about 30 pages and is more than a bit underwhelming. So she arrives on Freehold and the action really doesn't hot up. She gets a job as a gardener and through her eyes we learn far too much about the utopia that is Freehold. In fact it takes 300 more pages to learn about the society, their views on sex, relationships and `perfect' blend of capitalism and communism. I would try to explain it, but it is so superficial and unrealistic that it is not worth my time or yours. Anyway our "most wanted woman", Kendra, ends up joining the military and we are forced to live through her training programme with her. Astonishingly, about page 350 something happens. Yes I was shocked too, but it dragged me out of the coma I was slipping into. Anyway, fascist Earth (the UN) decide that a perfect utopia like Freehold can't be allowed to exist so they engineer disruption and then actually attack.
This is a very strange book where a naive utopia is forced down our throats like a badly thought out sociology lesson. What felt like it should be a pulp SF actioner, ends up being a completely different animal indeed. And padded to twice the size it needed to be to make badly considered points on society, sociological behaviours and the life story of "Earth's most wanted woman". Actually the writing is okay and par for this kind of thing, but the content is a real mess, Goodness knows what Freud would make of the author's obsession with his obsession on free sexual attitudes. Overall a tedious load of old twaddle, so simplistic at times it is almost laughable.
November 25, 2014
Freehold is really a fantasy book with some science fiction elements. I don't mean fantasy as in "here are elves and wizards," but as in "these are the things that Michael Z. Williamson likes to imagine to be true about the world."
The idea of the United Nations being a tyrannical global powerhouse? Pure paranoid fantasy. We're talking about an entity whose main power is sending strongly worded letters. The idea that guns are so much of an equalizer that their presence is all it takes to make everyone equal? Pure fantasy. There would still be advantages to be had in any confrontation: eyesight, reflexes, coordination, physical endurance, and of course, numbers.
But Williamson's Grainne* somehow magically never devolves into factionalism. While we're told that people have formed things like gangs for their mutual protection, it seems like in Williamson's fantasy world, "bullies" only come as lone wolves ill-equipped to deal with an armed flock. The antisocial impulse is still present enough that people need to gang up to patrol their neighborhoods, but not present enough that people gang up to invade other neighbhorhoods.
Williamson could have established that Freehold society works so well that there are no bullies and nothing to protect a neighbhorhood against, which would still have been fantastic, but a little bit less obvious that he'd skewed reality to prove a point. It's no FUN imagining Free Market Guntopia if there's no point to everyone having guns!
The writing is terrible, the set-up is juvenlie, the wish fulfillment is palpable, but it's later events that really "elevate" this to the same level of other failed-philosophy-treatise-as-fiction masterpieces like Ayn Rand's canon or the Left Behind series. When the all-powerful United Nations (seriously, can't type that without laughing) exports a bunch of criminals and political protesters to the Freehold as part of a nonsensical political intrigue in-story (and out-of-story so that the Guntopianists can have some target practice), it's like the email forwards from your crazy rightwing uncle had a baby with NRA bumper stickers and that baby grew up to write a novel.
One of the most disgusting elements of this story is that the sex worker/love interest is captured and subjected to torture and gang-rape because even a book that has as premise that in a perfect world there would be no problem with sex work feels the need to punish the sex worker. Therapy allows her recover enough to continue being part of a threesome with the other main characters, including the hotshot flyboy who is the author's avatar in all this, but not enough to ever fully return to sex work.
I guess this is because it's hot for the author to imagine himself in a threesome that includes a glamorous escort but not hot to imagine she's actually having sex with other people.
If you want to read derivative formulaic space opera spattered with the stunted fragile maculinity of the author, well, this still isn't the book for you. If you want all of that but you demand the book be the kind of juvenile wish-fulfillment that your one "friend" who carries around weapons dreaming about the UN takeover or the zombie apocalypse or anything else they think will turn their life into an action movie so they can show everyone how badass they are has, then this is the book for you. Except even if your taste is that terrible, you still deserve something better than this.
*It's prounced Gran-ya, by the way, Mike. According to his FAQ, he picked a Gaelic name he doesn't know how to pronounce. That's fine, I don't speak Gaelic myself, but this book was published in 2004. I'm pretty sure the internet was already a thing, so not figuring out how to pronounce his own setting is just lazy. Then, laziness abounds in this writing.
The idea of the United Nations being a tyrannical global powerhouse? Pure paranoid fantasy. We're talking about an entity whose main power is sending strongly worded letters. The idea that guns are so much of an equalizer that their presence is all it takes to make everyone equal? Pure fantasy. There would still be advantages to be had in any confrontation: eyesight, reflexes, coordination, physical endurance, and of course, numbers.
But Williamson's Grainne* somehow magically never devolves into factionalism. While we're told that people have formed things like gangs for their mutual protection, it seems like in Williamson's fantasy world, "bullies" only come as lone wolves ill-equipped to deal with an armed flock. The antisocial impulse is still present enough that people need to gang up to patrol their neighborhoods, but not present enough that people gang up to invade other neighbhorhoods.
Williamson could have established that Freehold society works so well that there are no bullies and nothing to protect a neighbhorhood against, which would still have been fantastic, but a little bit less obvious that he'd skewed reality to prove a point. It's no FUN imagining Free Market Guntopia if there's no point to everyone having guns!
The writing is terrible, the set-up is juvenlie, the wish fulfillment is palpable, but it's later events that really "elevate" this to the same level of other failed-philosophy-treatise-as-fiction masterpieces like Ayn Rand's canon or the Left Behind series. When the all-powerful United Nations (seriously, can't type that without laughing) exports a bunch of criminals and political protesters to the Freehold as part of a nonsensical political intrigue in-story (and out-of-story so that the Guntopianists can have some target practice), it's like the email forwards from your crazy rightwing uncle had a baby with NRA bumper stickers and that baby grew up to write a novel.
One of the most disgusting elements of this story is that the sex worker/love interest is captured and subjected to torture and gang-rape because even a book that has as premise that in a perfect world there would be no problem with sex work feels the need to punish the sex worker. Therapy allows her recover enough to continue being part of a threesome with the other main characters, including the hotshot flyboy who is the author's avatar in all this, but not enough to ever fully return to sex work.
I guess this is because it's hot for the author to imagine himself in a threesome that includes a glamorous escort but not hot to imagine she's actually having sex with other people.
If you want to read derivative formulaic space opera spattered with the stunted fragile maculinity of the author, well, this still isn't the book for you. If you want all of that but you demand the book be the kind of juvenile wish-fulfillment that your one "friend" who carries around weapons dreaming about the UN takeover or the zombie apocalypse or anything else they think will turn their life into an action movie so they can show everyone how badass they are has, then this is the book for you. Except even if your taste is that terrible, you still deserve something better than this.
*It's prounced Gran-ya, by the way, Mike. According to his FAQ, he picked a Gaelic name he doesn't know how to pronounce. That's fine, I don't speak Gaelic myself, but this book was published in 2004. I'm pretty sure the internet was already a thing, so not figuring out how to pronounce his own setting is just lazy. Then, laziness abounds in this writing.
December 1, 2017
In a repressive intergalactic future, a woman in the military is framed for a crime she didn't commit,and flees to wilds.
The government invades,and the woman finds herself fighting for freedom.
Not bad, with a lot of libertarian material.
The government invades,and the woman finds herself fighting for freedom.
Not bad, with a lot of libertarian material.
March 27, 2011
Not since I first read “On Basilisk Station” have I been quite so captured by a Military SciFi novel. Williamson’s first Science Fiction book is in many ways controversial in it’s views (for the record, the author does claim they are not really “his” views in his comments on Amazon.com) and will no doubt disturb some with its sexual content. Some part will probably shock you at one point or another, but it remains a great adventure story.
Kendra Pacelli is in the UN Military. Earth and a few colonies are ruled by a deeply socialistic UN (evolved into a nation) in which incompetence and mediocrity are the norm. Crime is so common that women have learned accept rape and muggings as just another part of life. Accused of a crime she did not commit, she is forced to seek asylum at the Freehold of Grainne. Unprepared and dropped in at the deep end, Kendra has to adapt fast to her new home. The Freehold is an example of almost pure capitalism/libertarianism (and thus basically the antichrist in the eyes of the UN). The government consists of a small police force, the military, the courts and nothing else. The tiny taxation is optional but does carry some benefits. “Rulers” (and they are not really) have to give up personal wealth in order to ensure they do not have ulterior motives. Without big government there is no pork barreling or corruption. Residents tend to carry weapons. Crime is very low and standard of living is very high. Kendra is very confused by such things as the fact that no one will molest women who wear racy clothing (or even walk around in the buff). Of course, these women will typically carry guns or knives, an illegal thing on Earth.
As a thought exercise, the society is very interesting. I don’t know if it would work, but many aspects are appealing. It is my experience that big government typically fosters incompetence, inefficiency, meddling where it is not needed, high taxation levels and mediocre services. I don’t know if I would go quite so far as the Freehold, but as I said, it definitely has appeal. Before you start flaming my inbox, however, I would point out that the system does have many rather obvious flaws which I will not bother to enumerate here.
While the novel is part social commentary, it should not be seen as any sort of manifesto. It is a bit slow (but quite enjoyable) in the first half, and then becomes action-packed (and even more enjoyable) in the second half. Williamson shows that he can really describe military training and combat. Kendra joins the Freehold military and the story follows her through training, a grueling guerilla campaign, a big climactic battle and finally the hell of urban combat. All this without any dressing up or glorification of combat itself. The “good guys” torture and kill out of necessity, often rage, sometimes even pleasure. The aftermath of battle and war, so often glossed over in this kind of story, is explored in gory detail. While we may seek to (and indeed should) glorify valor and bravery in defense of comrades and homes, Williamson also reminds us of the deep personal and social toll that war enacts. For this alone, he should be commended.
The evolution of Kendra kept me turning the pages. Her personal odyssey through initial rejection, dejection, disillusionment and the furnace of both partisan and line combat is what elevates this novel from a mere adventure story to a minor Military SciFi classic.
If you like Military SciFi, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Just ensure you have tissues handy for Chapters 11 and 54, and clear your calendar for the next days or two. It is very hard to put down.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=331
Kendra Pacelli is in the UN Military. Earth and a few colonies are ruled by a deeply socialistic UN (evolved into a nation) in which incompetence and mediocrity are the norm. Crime is so common that women have learned accept rape and muggings as just another part of life. Accused of a crime she did not commit, she is forced to seek asylum at the Freehold of Grainne. Unprepared and dropped in at the deep end, Kendra has to adapt fast to her new home. The Freehold is an example of almost pure capitalism/libertarianism (and thus basically the antichrist in the eyes of the UN). The government consists of a small police force, the military, the courts and nothing else. The tiny taxation is optional but does carry some benefits. “Rulers” (and they are not really) have to give up personal wealth in order to ensure they do not have ulterior motives. Without big government there is no pork barreling or corruption. Residents tend to carry weapons. Crime is very low and standard of living is very high. Kendra is very confused by such things as the fact that no one will molest women who wear racy clothing (or even walk around in the buff). Of course, these women will typically carry guns or knives, an illegal thing on Earth.
As a thought exercise, the society is very interesting. I don’t know if it would work, but many aspects are appealing. It is my experience that big government typically fosters incompetence, inefficiency, meddling where it is not needed, high taxation levels and mediocre services. I don’t know if I would go quite so far as the Freehold, but as I said, it definitely has appeal. Before you start flaming my inbox, however, I would point out that the system does have many rather obvious flaws which I will not bother to enumerate here.
While the novel is part social commentary, it should not be seen as any sort of manifesto. It is a bit slow (but quite enjoyable) in the first half, and then becomes action-packed (and even more enjoyable) in the second half. Williamson shows that he can really describe military training and combat. Kendra joins the Freehold military and the story follows her through training, a grueling guerilla campaign, a big climactic battle and finally the hell of urban combat. All this without any dressing up or glorification of combat itself. The “good guys” torture and kill out of necessity, often rage, sometimes even pleasure. The aftermath of battle and war, so often glossed over in this kind of story, is explored in gory detail. While we may seek to (and indeed should) glorify valor and bravery in defense of comrades and homes, Williamson also reminds us of the deep personal and social toll that war enacts. For this alone, he should be commended.
The evolution of Kendra kept me turning the pages. Her personal odyssey through initial rejection, dejection, disillusionment and the furnace of both partisan and line combat is what elevates this novel from a mere adventure story to a minor Military SciFi classic.
If you like Military SciFi, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Just ensure you have tissues handy for Chapters 11 and 54, and clear your calendar for the next days or two. It is very hard to put down.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=331
May 21, 2020
Freehold is one of my favorite books of all time and had a strong impact on my decision to be more a libertarian.
It is the story of Kendra Pacelli who is wrongly accused of a crime on Earth and is forced to immigrate to the Libertarian utopia of Freehold.
There are basically two parts to the book. The first part is classic mellui story. The point of the story is not so much character growth and change, but to move around the setting and show the reader what it is like. This is the type of story the Lord of the Rings is. It isn't about change in Frodo, it is about making Frodo travel across Middle Earth so everyone can see all of this land.
Kendra shows us what it is like to go from a future Earth to a country where personal freedom and personal responsibility are valued most high. Freehold has almost no laws, and very very little government at all. Taxes are in the form of a small voluntary payment which entitles you to see a judge to resolve conflict. All crimes are seen as civil suits, with the accused required to make right the damages done.
Personal freedoms mean almost everyone is armed because they want to me. There are no traffic laws, but you are responsible for any accidents you cause. Drugs are totally unregulated, but you are just as responsible for anything you while under the influence as you are sober.
The Libertarian ideals extend out of government and into peoples personal life, which is reflected in the book as well. Kendra ends up in a three way relationship with both a male and a female lover. Ends up a prostitute for a night and not liking it, though it was done freely.
The second half of the book chronicles the conflict and ultimately war between Earth's government in the form of the United Nations and Freehold. At the beginning of this build up of conflict Kendra joins the Freehold military, a small but highly and practically trained force. This is the transition from melliu to war story. It is still a melliu as Kendra goes through military training, but when the war begins melliu drops to the back burner and we experience the life of a guerrilla fighter resisting an oppressive invader.
I loved the first half of the book, and like many other readers would love to see such a place exsist. I'd immigrate. The second half of the book was much harder to take as it shows you an unromantic, realistic picture of war.
The overall writing is good. The melliu is great, the story good.
I've read the first half of the book at least a dozen times in the last year. The whole book probably half that because when I get to the transition I can't stop reading. That's the sign of a really well written book to me.
And the best thing for you reader is you can read the whole thing for free online. It is part of the Baen free library.
http://www.webscription.net/10.1125/B...
I'd love to get my hands on a hard cover copy of this book if they exist.
It is the story of Kendra Pacelli who is wrongly accused of a crime on Earth and is forced to immigrate to the Libertarian utopia of Freehold.
There are basically two parts to the book. The first part is classic mellui story. The point of the story is not so much character growth and change, but to move around the setting and show the reader what it is like. This is the type of story the Lord of the Rings is. It isn't about change in Frodo, it is about making Frodo travel across Middle Earth so everyone can see all of this land.
Kendra shows us what it is like to go from a future Earth to a country where personal freedom and personal responsibility are valued most high. Freehold has almost no laws, and very very little government at all. Taxes are in the form of a small voluntary payment which entitles you to see a judge to resolve conflict. All crimes are seen as civil suits, with the accused required to make right the damages done.
Personal freedoms mean almost everyone is armed because they want to me. There are no traffic laws, but you are responsible for any accidents you cause. Drugs are totally unregulated, but you are just as responsible for anything you while under the influence as you are sober.
The Libertarian ideals extend out of government and into peoples personal life, which is reflected in the book as well. Kendra ends up in a three way relationship with both a male and a female lover. Ends up a prostitute for a night and not liking it, though it was done freely.
The second half of the book chronicles the conflict and ultimately war between Earth's government in the form of the United Nations and Freehold. At the beginning of this build up of conflict Kendra joins the Freehold military, a small but highly and practically trained force. This is the transition from melliu to war story. It is still a melliu as Kendra goes through military training, but when the war begins melliu drops to the back burner and we experience the life of a guerrilla fighter resisting an oppressive invader.
I loved the first half of the book, and like many other readers would love to see such a place exsist. I'd immigrate. The second half of the book was much harder to take as it shows you an unromantic, realistic picture of war.
The overall writing is good. The melliu is great, the story good.
I've read the first half of the book at least a dozen times in the last year. The whole book probably half that because when I get to the transition I can't stop reading. That's the sign of a really well written book to me.
And the best thing for you reader is you can read the whole thing for free online. It is part of the Baen free library.
http://www.webscription.net/10.1125/B...
I'd love to get my hands on a hard cover copy of this book if they exist.
October 10, 2012
Kendra Pacelli escapes from a human hell -- the kind of Earth most dread, but know deep inside that we could become if we continue on our present course. Human beings are controlled by government, by force, tracked, licensed and regulated. The United Nations, corrupt and power-hungry, governs earth with a socialist iron fist. Framed for a crime she didn't commit, Kendra escapes to the Freehold of Grainne - a society of a truly free people that refuses to become part of the UN's domination plans.
In her new home, Kendra learns what it's like to be truly human - to live, love, work, deserve, achieve and succeed without a power-hungry government controlling her every move. She learns that to be a wholly human means relying on oneself, taking responsibility for one's own actions and reaping the consequences. She realizes that true freedom is not easy, but worth defending.
As is typical of tyrannies, the UN cannot afford for the Freehold to exist. It cannot afford to allow its enslaved sheep to realize just how subjugated they are. The UN cannot tolerate the existence of a free, uninhibited society, so it attempts to destroy Freehold and the beneficial, successful society its inhabitants treasure.
It is during this war that Kendra learns how much she treasures freedom and what she will sacrifice to preserve it.
This was Williamson's first novel, and it was a terrific read from beginning to end.
In her new home, Kendra learns what it's like to be truly human - to live, love, work, deserve, achieve and succeed without a power-hungry government controlling her every move. She learns that to be a wholly human means relying on oneself, taking responsibility for one's own actions and reaping the consequences. She realizes that true freedom is not easy, but worth defending.
As is typical of tyrannies, the UN cannot afford for the Freehold to exist. It cannot afford to allow its enslaved sheep to realize just how subjugated they are. The UN cannot tolerate the existence of a free, uninhibited society, so it attempts to destroy Freehold and the beneficial, successful society its inhabitants treasure.
It is during this war that Kendra learns how much she treasures freedom and what she will sacrifice to preserve it.
This was Williamson's first novel, and it was a terrific read from beginning to end.
January 7, 2011
I like military sci-fi and I've come to terms with the fact that most of the prolific authors in the genre are libertarians. However I'm not really entertained by having descriptions of the philosophy take up 2/3 of the book.
The character development is passable, though all of them are pure military scifi cliches: the main character is the naive woman who is wronged by incompetent beauracracy, shows reluctance to military service, then ends up being exemplary. Around her there's the seasoned veteran woman who's also a sexpot; the dashing hero in his prime who can do no wrong; and the superior officer who is eminently fair, and then ends up being the military and diplomatic genius who rights all wrongs. The overarching story is also decently written but lazy: the good guys are infallibile, the bad guys are colossally idiotic, and all of the horrors of war that are inflicted on the main characters are obvious and uncomplicated.
In all, this is a summer action movie merged with libertarian propoganda and written in a very large book.
The character development is passable, though all of them are pure military scifi cliches: the main character is the naive woman who is wronged by incompetent beauracracy, shows reluctance to military service, then ends up being exemplary. Around her there's the seasoned veteran woman who's also a sexpot; the dashing hero in his prime who can do no wrong; and the superior officer who is eminently fair, and then ends up being the military and diplomatic genius who rights all wrongs. The overarching story is also decently written but lazy: the good guys are infallibile, the bad guys are colossally idiotic, and all of the horrors of war that are inflicted on the main characters are obvious and uncomplicated.
In all, this is a summer action movie merged with libertarian propoganda and written in a very large book.
June 30, 2011
This is one of the worst things I have ever read. And it's not just the stupidity of pretending that people would run around naked AND be taller in a hot high gravity environment.
The book has just too much stupid shit going on that makes me angry.
The book has just too much stupid shit going on that makes me angry.
August 22, 2011
It is clear why so many reviewers compare Williamson to Heinlein: the parallels are many. Happy libertarian society? Check. Oppressive authoritarian government in conflict with said society? Check. Long passages regarding military training, war, and etc.? Check. Plenty of casual nudity and even more casual sex? Check. "Freehold" contained in the title? Check.
Actually, despite the title, "Freehold" inherits far more strongly from
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers than Farnham's Freehold. Unfortunately, it cannot begin to compare with either one in terms of writing, story telling, or character development.
Although 500+ pages, it took the first full 250 before we got to the meat of the story. Until that point it was a straightforward, but not particularly exciting, biographical sketch of the main character, an unfortunate ex-pat from Earth who when falsely accused of embezzlement from the UN military flees to the only planet she knows of that won't extradite her, only to find herself in deep culture shock in a society free of the "safety nets" that somehow fail to keep them safe back on earth. Then it suddenly takes a left turn and becomes a rather brutal war novel. Ironically I think I would have had even more trouble with it had the writing been better, but Williamson's short, declarative sentences did little to communicate the emotional impact of what he was describing: it read more like a report than a novel in places, with emotion nearly always Told rather than Shown.
Despite these shortcomings, I happily finished it: I liked the idea of such an over-the-top libertarian society and found myself wishing I lived in one. I suspect it wouldn't really *work* nearly so well as the author suggests, but it's highly attractive nevertheless. And the picture of earth - or at least North America - logically extrapolated a few hundred years and ruled by the UN was truly frightening, mostly because it is so believable.
BTW: This book is available as a free download from Baen Books.
Actually, despite the title, "Freehold" inherits far more strongly from
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers than Farnham's Freehold. Unfortunately, it cannot begin to compare with either one in terms of writing, story telling, or character development.
Although 500+ pages, it took the first full 250 before we got to the meat of the story. Until that point it was a straightforward, but not particularly exciting, biographical sketch of the main character, an unfortunate ex-pat from Earth who when falsely accused of embezzlement from the UN military flees to the only planet she knows of that won't extradite her, only to find herself in deep culture shock in a society free of the "safety nets" that somehow fail to keep them safe back on earth. Then it suddenly takes a left turn and becomes a rather brutal war novel. Ironically I think I would have had even more trouble with it had the writing been better, but Williamson's short, declarative sentences did little to communicate the emotional impact of what he was describing: it read more like a report than a novel in places, with emotion nearly always Told rather than Shown.
Despite these shortcomings, I happily finished it: I liked the idea of such an over-the-top libertarian society and found myself wishing I lived in one. I suspect it wouldn't really *work* nearly so well as the author suggests, but it's highly attractive nevertheless. And the picture of earth - or at least North America - logically extrapolated a few hundred years and ruled by the UN was truly frightening, mostly because it is so believable.
BTW: This book is available as a free download from Baen Books.
January 27, 2014
This book definitely would not be for anyone. It has many things that detracted from my enjoyment but I really did like the characters enough to keep going to the end.
Some of the things that I had issues with are the overt smugness of the 'free society' dictum. I'm not against it or for it but here it was overwhelmingly placed as a perfect model of a society. Also, the emphasis on sex was annoying - I don't care who loves who or why or even with whom or how much they are getting paid. In this kind of story, I'd prefer all of that in the background so the plot itself can shine through. One of the worst things, in my mind, was the extremely long and detailed accounts of training what was probably 40% of the text. I get it, the main character ended up with a lot of special training and none of it was a cake walk. Check. Move on please.
So, while this was probably not the best book for me to read in a low mood - it being full of war and its atrocities - I did enjoy it, even through the annoyances above. Go figure ;-)
Some of the things that I had issues with are the overt smugness of the 'free society' dictum. I'm not against it or for it but here it was overwhelmingly placed as a perfect model of a society. Also, the emphasis on sex was annoying - I don't care who loves who or why or even with whom or how much they are getting paid. In this kind of story, I'd prefer all of that in the background so the plot itself can shine through. One of the worst things, in my mind, was the extremely long and detailed accounts of training what was probably 40% of the text. I get it, the main character ended up with a lot of special training and none of it was a cake walk. Check. Move on please.
So, while this was probably not the best book for me to read in a low mood - it being full of war and its atrocities - I did enjoy it, even through the annoyances above. Go figure ;-)
May 7, 2014
Williamson himself said (not verbatim) that he thought this was one of his most poorly written novels. After reading most of his catalogue, however, I find it to be second only to his next book "Better to Beg Forgiveness". Yes, the writing is clunky at times but the action is well paced and the so called "gratuitous" sex pales in comparison to some of the other military scifi novels I have read.
If you are of a libertarian leaning mind I think you will thoroughly enjoy this book as I did. It paints a good picture of what the authors ideal libertarian society would be like.
The characters were perfectly compelling to me. Some might get hung up on the sex and nudity...but if you look at the environmental factors on the planet of Grainne and the belief of most libertarians (men and women) that prostitution should be legalized, it all makes a kind of sense. Personally I was struck more by the idea of a collection of individualists working together on what was necessary than anything else.
It isn't just idea stroking. Williamson does a good job of pointing out that every system has it's flaws and he points out the flaws in the freeholds system regularly.
If you are of a libertarian leaning mind I think you will thoroughly enjoy this book as I did. It paints a good picture of what the authors ideal libertarian society would be like.
The characters were perfectly compelling to me. Some might get hung up on the sex and nudity...but if you look at the environmental factors on the planet of Grainne and the belief of most libertarians (men and women) that prostitution should be legalized, it all makes a kind of sense. Personally I was struck more by the idea of a collection of individualists working together on what was necessary than anything else.
It isn't just idea stroking. Williamson does a good job of pointing out that every system has it's flaws and he points out the flaws in the freeholds system regularly.
February 2, 2014
This book seems to be written with the intent of getting the reader to see the value of a libertarian viewpoint. It is also preachy and overly descriptive about every detail.
Readers are asked to forget about logic: People on the planet are selfless enough to need next to no government, which includes education, infrastructure, healthcare, it is so safe that doors stay unlocked - yet everyone is armed, with one reason being rape, the other reason being dangerous animals straying into the city proper. If you assert that people are so enlightened and high-minded as to fund everything a community needs themselves, I have a hard time buying the danger of rape. And dangerous animals wandering into a city of billions frequently enough to warrant numerous weapons on every person is beyond ludicrous.
This is one of the very few books I found myself unwilling to finish.
Readers are asked to forget about logic: People on the planet are selfless enough to need next to no government, which includes education, infrastructure, healthcare, it is so safe that doors stay unlocked - yet everyone is armed, with one reason being rape, the other reason being dangerous animals straying into the city proper. If you assert that people are so enlightened and high-minded as to fund everything a community needs themselves, I have a hard time buying the danger of rape. And dangerous animals wandering into a city of billions frequently enough to warrant numerous weapons on every person is beyond ludicrous.
This is one of the very few books I found myself unwilling to finish.
September 9, 2010
Kendra emigrates from a restrictive, politically correct society to a very libertarian one. The 1st half of the book is devoted to expounding these libertarian ideals. The 2nd part of the book is of the war between the two societies and Kendra's part in it.
I enjoyed the book, but not enough to keep it and read it again.
I enjoyed the book, but not enough to keep it and read it again.
September 15, 2014
Good book. Ironic how some of the plots are ones that we deal with today.
June 3, 2013
I got the ebook free from the Baen free library, which offers hundreds of books to download. Anyway, this book wasn't quite what I was expecting based off of the description. It bills itself almost as a thriller with a woman who works in the logistics department of the United Nations Armed Forces on Earth being wrongfully accused of moving goods illegally. Being advised of this by a friend who works as an MP and being told in no uncertain terms that she would be arrested, she flees from the base to the embassy of Graine, which while doing trade with the United Nations on Earth is a free colony (also called the Freehold, which is of course, where the book gets its name.)
Seeing that Kendra was wrongfully accused, the ambassador of Graine grants her amnesty and she is allowed to immigrate to Graine where the UN has no jurisdiction.
I had thought some sort of manhunt would commence and Kendra would end up living on the run, but she moves to Graine and starts to settle into life there. It turns out that Graine is far different from Earth where crimes like theft, rape, and murder are quite common. On Graine, merchants display their wares out in the open, unsecured for anyone to peruse as they will, people walk around naked and no one bats an eyelash, and everyone carries a weapon of some sort, partly because Graine is still largely wild despite being settled, and partly because they can. Anyone can carry a concealed weapon.
The culture on the Freehold is so different from Earth that Kendra has a difficult time adjusting, even after Rob, who lives in the same apartment building as Kendra takes her under his wing to show her the ropes and guide her with how things are done on Graine. He tells her at one point that part of the reason she is having such a hard time integrating into society on Graine is because she thinks of the people there as being the same as she is, whereas she should think of them as aliens, because their cultures and societies are so different.
Kendra actually lives on Graine for several years before she decides to join their military like Rob and her other friend, Marta. Even the whole military experience is quite different from what Kendra is used to. Even basic training was a completely different experience, and when she leaves basic training, she sees that the military on Graine's sole purpose is fighting and protecting the freehold. They have no other mission during peacetime but to train and do combat exercises to maintain readiness for the time where they will have to fight.
Of course, that time does come. Only months after Kendra joins her unit in logistics, the UN launches an attack and invasion of Graine where they attempt to change the Freehold into something much more like themselves.
There are many messages in this book, but one thing I got from it in particular was that if Americans had followed the spirit of the second amendment, which wasn't about the right to carry weapons, it was about the right to form militias and overthrow a corrupt government. If we as Americans had done that, we wouldn't be griping about how awful the government is. We gave away our right to complain because we denied the spirit under which the second amendment was written. We focused on the semantics claiming the right to carry firearms and ignored our right to form a militia and overthrow a corrupt government.
Seeing that Kendra was wrongfully accused, the ambassador of Graine grants her amnesty and she is allowed to immigrate to Graine where the UN has no jurisdiction.
I had thought some sort of manhunt would commence and Kendra would end up living on the run, but she moves to Graine and starts to settle into life there. It turns out that Graine is far different from Earth where crimes like theft, rape, and murder are quite common. On Graine, merchants display their wares out in the open, unsecured for anyone to peruse as they will, people walk around naked and no one bats an eyelash, and everyone carries a weapon of some sort, partly because Graine is still largely wild despite being settled, and partly because they can. Anyone can carry a concealed weapon.
The culture on the Freehold is so different from Earth that Kendra has a difficult time adjusting, even after Rob, who lives in the same apartment building as Kendra takes her under his wing to show her the ropes and guide her with how things are done on Graine. He tells her at one point that part of the reason she is having such a hard time integrating into society on Graine is because she thinks of the people there as being the same as she is, whereas she should think of them as aliens, because their cultures and societies are so different.
Kendra actually lives on Graine for several years before she decides to join their military like Rob and her other friend, Marta. Even the whole military experience is quite different from what Kendra is used to. Even basic training was a completely different experience, and when she leaves basic training, she sees that the military on Graine's sole purpose is fighting and protecting the freehold. They have no other mission during peacetime but to train and do combat exercises to maintain readiness for the time where they will have to fight.
Of course, that time does come. Only months after Kendra joins her unit in logistics, the UN launches an attack and invasion of Graine where they attempt to change the Freehold into something much more like themselves.
There are many messages in this book, but one thing I got from it in particular was that if Americans had followed the spirit of the second amendment, which wasn't about the right to carry weapons, it was about the right to form militias and overthrow a corrupt government. If we as Americans had done that, we wouldn't be griping about how awful the government is. We gave away our right to complain because we denied the spirit under which the second amendment was written. We focused on the semantics claiming the right to carry firearms and ignored our right to form a militia and overthrow a corrupt government.
March 5, 2018
First quarter of book is about Kendra leaving her home planet and integrating into Freehold society. We learn about it from her perspective. Mr. Williamson presents a new culture similar to Mr. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, but brought into the new millennium and made his own. It idealizes extreme individualism, which one would expect from a recent colony; weak, stupid and average need not apply to this high gravity planet. (I had a lot more to say about whether I think this society is viable long-term (it's not, however most parts of it would be nice) but that is more of a book group discussion than review material.) Discovering the world through her eyes, we learn both about Kendra's new society and her old society (Earth North America). Some very, very nice worldbuilding takes place - layers upon layers. The high rating is based on the Freehold worldbuilding.
Worldbuilding includes dealing with a higher gravity (tiring easier), air differences (constantly needing water in the dryer situation), individualism being important, how to pay for governmental projects without taxes (some things just have to be done on such a large scale governments or corporations need to organize them), etc. Still not exactly sure how the education system works - it wasn't important to the full-grown immigrant Kendra, so not introduced here. A lot of the cultural description reads like a treatise, but then so did Heinlein's stuff.
Second quarter of the book focuses on Kendra joining the military while tensions between her home planet and her adopted planet escalate. About the time she finally finishes specialist training, war erupts.
Leading to the third quarter of the book. I will stop here, because anything further will have spoilers. But war and the action begins. Takes a long time to get to this point. If you like non-stop action from the very beginning, this is not the book for you.
Note the main character is in a three-way relationship with a woman and a man, and several times this gets graphic. Plus it is open, so the three-way sometimes introduces other sexual relationships though no one steps away from the emotional commitment. Some readers might find this uncomfortable. (Like the culture, the sexual attitudes are very similar to Heinlein.) Trigger Alert - There is a gang-rape in the second half of the book.
Picked up while free on Kindle. Also own hardcopy, bought directly from author at a convention.
Worldbuilding includes dealing with a higher gravity (tiring easier), air differences (constantly needing water in the dryer situation), individualism being important, how to pay for governmental projects without taxes (some things just have to be done on such a large scale governments or corporations need to organize them), etc. Still not exactly sure how the education system works - it wasn't important to the full-grown immigrant Kendra, so not introduced here. A lot of the cultural description reads like a treatise, but then so did Heinlein's stuff.
Second quarter of the book focuses on Kendra joining the military while tensions between her home planet and her adopted planet escalate. About the time she finally finishes specialist training, war erupts.
Leading to the third quarter of the book. I will stop here, because anything further will have spoilers. But war and the action begins. Takes a long time to get to this point. If you like non-stop action from the very beginning, this is not the book for you.
Note the main character is in a three-way relationship with a woman and a man, and several times this gets graphic. Plus it is open, so the three-way sometimes introduces other sexual relationships though no one steps away from the emotional commitment. Some readers might find this uncomfortable. (Like the culture, the sexual attitudes are very similar to Heinlein.) Trigger Alert - There is a gang-rape in the second half of the book.
Picked up while free on Kindle. Also own hardcopy, bought directly from author at a convention.
October 2, 2015
Awesome story. More like 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. Kendra Pacelli was well fleshed out. The supporting cast was done pretty well if not all that in depth. The action flowed fast and furious at times, at others slower but still intriguing.
Told in essentially four phases of unequal length. The first was the fish-out-of-water where we are introduced to the main character and her major supporting cast as she attempts to adjust to her new environment. The second was her military career, starting with induction to basic training, through initial attachment with her unit. The third was the war, from initiation and guerrilla activity to the final land battle on Grainne. The final phase was the aftermath of the war from the insurgent activity on Earth, the peace accords and the healing of bodies and minds of the participants.
The first phase of the book was very intriguing, learning about the libertarian society and how Kendra adjusted to things being done so dramatically different from what she was used to. This was the slowest moving of the phases, but kept my interest quite thoroughly. The second and third phases were very fast paced. Events happened in rapid fire succession. The last phase was slower again, and dealt with the hard psychological aspects after deployment to a war zone.
The eBook was formatted well with only a couple of minor spelling mistakes. Thanks to the Baen Free Library for this eBook.
Told in essentially four phases of unequal length. The first was the fish-out-of-water where we are introduced to the main character and her major supporting cast as she attempts to adjust to her new environment. The second was her military career, starting with induction to basic training, through initial attachment with her unit. The third was the war, from initiation and guerrilla activity to the final land battle on Grainne. The final phase was the aftermath of the war from the insurgent activity on Earth, the peace accords and the healing of bodies and minds of the participants.
The first phase of the book was very intriguing, learning about the libertarian society and how Kendra adjusted to things being done so dramatically different from what she was used to. This was the slowest moving of the phases, but kept my interest quite thoroughly. The second and third phases were very fast paced. Events happened in rapid fire succession. The last phase was slower again, and dealt with the hard psychological aspects after deployment to a war zone.
The eBook was formatted well with only a couple of minor spelling mistakes. Thanks to the Baen Free Library for this eBook.
April 6, 2010
This is a fairly ridiculous, enjoyable bubblegum military science fiction. Williamson is a perfect serviceable writer, and develops strong characters. The first half of the book is all getting to know the main players, and a pretty ridiculous, if not stereotypical, three person romantic relationship. Williamson does a good job making his characters likeable, and interesting. But the romantic relationships are not handled without much nuance, it's all titillation and heavy breathing. There is a middle section that adds the "military" to what science fiction there has been so far, and the the rest is war. Perfectly well written, high death toll, goes on far too long, war. For a while Williamson builds, just by sheer narrative neglect, a question if some of the main character survived the war. The neglect comes in handy, and Williamson is able to reincorporate them back in by stupid subplots. There's nothing new here, and some may find a few characters offensively stereotypical. It's enjoyable, service-ably written, military science fiction.
(If you have an ereader, I would highly recommendation going over to Baen's website and getting it for free.)
(If you have an ereader, I would highly recommendation going over to Baen's website and getting it for free.)
April 21, 2016
This really is one of my favourite books of all time. I have read and reread it several times and get something new out of it. If you have ever wondered what a true free-market society with little government influence could be like and what a very "democratic" U.N. style society could be like; this is the book for you. Trust me that whether you agree with Williamson or not, you will love the book.
January 23, 2015
very good read, easy to follow the story and great characters
February 23, 2018
Good book.
October 15, 2014
The book earns about a 3.5 from me but I can't feel justified giving it a 4, so be it. I read it for free on Amazon, which means I had no need to justify the cost, and thus no buyer's remorse or trying to reassure myself that it was a good purchase. All that was lost was time, and at 700 pages, it was a bit of an undertaking.
The length is justified since the book crams three whole arcs into its overall plot, any two of which alone would probably justify the novel on its own.
The first third/half is basically a fish-out-of-water story where protagonist Kendra Pacelli is forced to become a fugitive of earth on a planet that lacks an extradition treaty. The charges are unjust, but in the UN-led earth in Williamson's vision of the future, this sort of corruption is unlikely to save you. Contrast that to the planet she escapes to, Grainne, which is built on the idea that Bureacracy is bad and justice is a function of individuals and not governments. The philosophical differences manifest as various societal differences that make Kendra's adaptation to her new home difficult. Shocked by earth Taboos that are considered normal (nudity is accepted and encouraged) and the different systems of commerce in place, the story provides a thin but serviceable excuse to pontificate on the benefits of free enterprise and the awesomeness of social freedom. And so it goes on for dozens of pages, until I was left wondering when we'd get to the action.
The action comes eventually, but first the middle section of the book takes an abrupt but not unexpected turn into "Full Metal Jacket" territory with an extended storyline following Kendra as she joins the Freehold Military Force, which is the supremely efficient and effective fighting force that protects Grainne. There is more culture shock antics, but this section is mainly there to challenge Kendra in a more physical way and provide exposure to the military culture and functions which define certain characters and will come to define Kendra herself for the rest of the book. Its not boring by any stretch, but once again the action never quite materializes, and if you aren't finding the characters or plot engaging by this point you will find yourself wondering if you should continue.
FINALLY, the last third covers the UN's invasion and occupation of Grainne. The interplanetary political situation was not fleshed out as well as I would have liked, but the motivations and 'justifications' for the war are sufficient enough. The action is delivered in whole handfuls, greedily consumed, then started up again before you have time to fully digest. I think this is a good thing, but its a major shifting in pacing. And all the characterization Kendra went through in the previous arcs is put to good use as she is thrown into a hellish war. Williamson does NOT sugarcoat the combat, and he doesn't even make it seem like war is 'cool' as long as you have the right mindset. Every stage of the conflict, from the massively destructive opening salvos to the horrifying attrition of the final battle to the slow recovery of the surviving veterans makes this entire conflict an objectively hellish experience. So to call it a 'fun' read might be inaccurate, but if you've made it this far, it is definitely engaging and will pull you forward.
Although I think more comic relief could be really help this book, the characters are good and the prose is functional and even flamboyant at times. Very few awkward turns of phrase to be found. Its heavily in the military sci-fi category, and 98% of the action and plot happens planetside, so its not a 'space opera' in any sense except that it deals with interplanetary warfare rather than international warfare.
As an introduction to the Freehold universe it is excellent, as a standalone book, it may or may not be to your tastes.
The length is justified since the book crams three whole arcs into its overall plot, any two of which alone would probably justify the novel on its own.
The first third/half is basically a fish-out-of-water story where protagonist Kendra Pacelli is forced to become a fugitive of earth on a planet that lacks an extradition treaty. The charges are unjust, but in the UN-led earth in Williamson's vision of the future, this sort of corruption is unlikely to save you. Contrast that to the planet she escapes to, Grainne, which is built on the idea that Bureacracy is bad and justice is a function of individuals and not governments. The philosophical differences manifest as various societal differences that make Kendra's adaptation to her new home difficult. Shocked by earth Taboos that are considered normal (nudity is accepted and encouraged) and the different systems of commerce in place, the story provides a thin but serviceable excuse to pontificate on the benefits of free enterprise and the awesomeness of social freedom. And so it goes on for dozens of pages, until I was left wondering when we'd get to the action.
The action comes eventually, but first the middle section of the book takes an abrupt but not unexpected turn into "Full Metal Jacket" territory with an extended storyline following Kendra as she joins the Freehold Military Force, which is the supremely efficient and effective fighting force that protects Grainne. There is more culture shock antics, but this section is mainly there to challenge Kendra in a more physical way and provide exposure to the military culture and functions which define certain characters and will come to define Kendra herself for the rest of the book. Its not boring by any stretch, but once again the action never quite materializes, and if you aren't finding the characters or plot engaging by this point you will find yourself wondering if you should continue.
FINALLY, the last third covers the UN's invasion and occupation of Grainne. The interplanetary political situation was not fleshed out as well as I would have liked, but the motivations and 'justifications' for the war are sufficient enough. The action is delivered in whole handfuls, greedily consumed, then started up again before you have time to fully digest. I think this is a good thing, but its a major shifting in pacing. And all the characterization Kendra went through in the previous arcs is put to good use as she is thrown into a hellish war. Williamson does NOT sugarcoat the combat, and he doesn't even make it seem like war is 'cool' as long as you have the right mindset. Every stage of the conflict, from the massively destructive opening salvos to the horrifying attrition of the final battle to the slow recovery of the surviving veterans makes this entire conflict an objectively hellish experience. So to call it a 'fun' read might be inaccurate, but if you've made it this far, it is definitely engaging and will pull you forward.
Although I think more comic relief could be really help this book, the characters are good and the prose is functional and even flamboyant at times. Very few awkward turns of phrase to be found. Its heavily in the military sci-fi category, and 98% of the action and plot happens planetside, so its not a 'space opera' in any sense except that it deals with interplanetary warfare rather than international warfare.
As an introduction to the Freehold universe it is excellent, as a standalone book, it may or may not be to your tastes.
May 23, 2012
I believe this is Williamson's first novel. And if so, wow.
The plot structure is very Heinleinian --- which is to say, it (mostly) does not seem to be structured at all beyond "one damned thing after another", and the type of story being told changes and shifts more than once during the story. It does not seem structured, but it is. The first half or so of the narrative is a picaresque, showing the reader the society that Williamson has created in Freehold. Then it becomes something altogether different.
The story follows Kendra Pacelli, an Earth native who begins the story as a logistics technician in the United Nations peacekeeping forces --- Earth's military. Very quickly (very quickly --- even as the setting is just being established) she comes under suspicion (falsely, of course) of using her position to line her pockets by selling military equipment on the black market. With a little luck, and some fast thinking, she evades arrest and makes her way into the embassy of the Freehold of Grainne, requesting political asylum.
In that very brief setup --- seriously, it's the first chapter --- Williamson manages to imply through a few well-chosen details just what sort of society Earth has become in the centuries between now and his story (revealed only toward the end to be roughly 2500 AD). This is another way in which he was clearly (and positively) influenced by Heinlein --- he weaves the background details into the narrative mostly through implication, but the reader feels certain of those implications.
So, Kendra escapes Earth, gets to Freehold, and the first half of the book is essentially the Utopian Tour, except that, as free and libertarian and capitalist as Grainne is, it's not some Platonic ideal. There are still rotten people, bad things can certainly happen. It's just that, under freedom and capitalism, things suck a lot less than under any other system.
Then, as stated, about halfway through, the narrative jumps gears and becomes something other than a libertarian fantasy. And thereafter it shifts another time or two. And none of these shifts is jarring*, unnatural, unforeshadowed, or off-putting. Again, the plotting is Heinleinian.
*(There are one or two that are intentionally jarring and left me going "ooooooh sh*t!"; there is none that yanked me out of the narrative thinking, "Yeah, right!")
As for flaws, there aren't many. Kendra Pacelli struck me as perhaps not the strongest characterization ever committed to paper. But then, she's got to be a character as well as a reader surrogate, and Williamson errs a little on the side of the surrogate, leaving her a bit bland through much of the story. That's more than made up for by the fact that the climax of the story had me sniffling and complaining that I must have something in my eye. Which, through most of the book, had not occurred to me as even a possibility.
All in all, this book kicks ass and left me wanting more. A lot more. Highly recommended.
The plot structure is very Heinleinian --- which is to say, it (mostly) does not seem to be structured at all beyond "one damned thing after another", and the type of story being told changes and shifts more than once during the story. It does not seem structured, but it is. The first half or so of the narrative is a picaresque, showing the reader the society that Williamson has created in Freehold. Then it becomes something altogether different.
The story follows Kendra Pacelli, an Earth native who begins the story as a logistics technician in the United Nations peacekeeping forces --- Earth's military. Very quickly (very quickly --- even as the setting is just being established) she comes under suspicion (falsely, of course) of using her position to line her pockets by selling military equipment on the black market. With a little luck, and some fast thinking, she evades arrest and makes her way into the embassy of the Freehold of Grainne, requesting political asylum.
In that very brief setup --- seriously, it's the first chapter --- Williamson manages to imply through a few well-chosen details just what sort of society Earth has become in the centuries between now and his story (revealed only toward the end to be roughly 2500 AD). This is another way in which he was clearly (and positively) influenced by Heinlein --- he weaves the background details into the narrative mostly through implication, but the reader feels certain of those implications.
So, Kendra escapes Earth, gets to Freehold, and the first half of the book is essentially the Utopian Tour, except that, as free and libertarian and capitalist as Grainne is, it's not some Platonic ideal. There are still rotten people, bad things can certainly happen. It's just that, under freedom and capitalism, things suck a lot less than under any other system.
Then, as stated, about halfway through, the narrative jumps gears and becomes something other than a libertarian fantasy. And thereafter it shifts another time or two. And none of these shifts is jarring*, unnatural, unforeshadowed, or off-putting. Again, the plotting is Heinleinian.
*(There are one or two that are intentionally jarring and left me going "ooooooh sh*t!"; there is none that yanked me out of the narrative thinking, "Yeah, right!")
As for flaws, there aren't many. Kendra Pacelli struck me as perhaps not the strongest characterization ever committed to paper. But then, she's got to be a character as well as a reader surrogate, and Williamson errs a little on the side of the surrogate, leaving her a bit bland through much of the story. That's more than made up for by the fact that the climax of the story had me sniffling and complaining that I must have something in my eye. Which, through most of the book, had not occurred to me as even a possibility.
All in all, this book kicks ass and left me wanting more. A lot more. Highly recommended.
July 11, 2012
I liked this book. I just have a nit to pick. While I have few problems enjoying books about space travel, and interplanetary wars, I thought this one didn't add up.
By that, I mean that there were 30 million people on Freehold and in the HALO, according to the story. Dropping troops on a planet full of self-reliant armed people would be harder to pacify than, say, Red Dawn. But the book implied that the people on the planet were outnumbered by the invaders from Earth.
But there was no indication that Earth sent that many troops.
Also, before the actual attack, Earth sent a "Mariel Boatlift" of 100,000 losers, right? That's not enough people, in a group of 30 million, to upset things much. For instance, in the year 2000 the state of Texas had a population of 20 million and change, and 163,000 in prison. With all of the open space on Freehold, it seems like they could have been taken to some kind of Refugee Camp out in the middle of nowhere, or on some island, and just left there.
I understand that sci-fi authors don't literally "work for me," that they get to tell whatever stories they like, and in their own way. But if they want the drama to be believable and not contrived, then they have to make it add up.
By that, I mean that there were 30 million people on Freehold and in the HALO, according to the story. Dropping troops on a planet full of self-reliant armed people would be harder to pacify than, say, Red Dawn. But the book implied that the people on the planet were outnumbered by the invaders from Earth.
But there was no indication that Earth sent that many troops.
Also, before the actual attack, Earth sent a "Mariel Boatlift" of 100,000 losers, right? That's not enough people, in a group of 30 million, to upset things much. For instance, in the year 2000 the state of Texas had a population of 20 million and change, and 163,000 in prison. With all of the open space on Freehold, it seems like they could have been taken to some kind of Refugee Camp out in the middle of nowhere, or on some island, and just left there.
I understand that sci-fi authors don't literally "work for me," that they get to tell whatever stories they like, and in their own way. But if they want the drama to be believable and not contrived, then they have to make it add up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2015
I happened to read Freehold just after re-reading L. Neil Smith's Pallas, and I thought, here is what would happen in a whole free society versus all of socialist Earth situation. The Freehold military also reminded me of what I had read of Israel's military, and if you think about it, that is a microcosm of what the novel Freehold presents: hostile neighbors with military might who deny your home its right to chose a life and society based on freedom.
Each time I re-read Freehold, I see more dimensions to the characters. Yes, the people of Freehold are generally good (but consider Tom Callan and the "criminal" laborers Kendra supervises in the park). The invaders are presented as generally bad, or at best, clueless (but remember Kendra's friends who helped her escape, as well as the opposing general at the end of the novel).
With some exceptions, the two societies are presented as very black-and-white. This is natural, given the two societies described. The net result of Earth's policies produces citizens with less capability, responsibility, morality and worth than do Freehold's principles.
Freehold, with The Weapon and Rogue, are some of the best pro-military, pro-freedom novels I have ever read.
Each time I re-read Freehold, I see more dimensions to the characters. Yes, the people of Freehold are generally good (but consider Tom Callan and the "criminal" laborers Kendra supervises in the park). The invaders are presented as generally bad, or at best, clueless (but remember Kendra's friends who helped her escape, as well as the opposing general at the end of the novel).
With some exceptions, the two societies are presented as very black-and-white. This is natural, given the two societies described. The net result of Earth's policies produces citizens with less capability, responsibility, morality and worth than do Freehold's principles.
Freehold, with The Weapon and Rogue, are some of the best pro-military, pro-freedom novels I have ever read.
January 13, 2016
A fish out of water story, a boot camp story, and a guerrilla warfare story all bundled into one novel. It's also a tale of two societies, one a tangled, bureaucratic nanny-state colossus defended by a force incorporating the worst examples of UN peacekeeping forces, the other a small world of personal responsibility and minimal government carried to extremes.
Kendra, the heroine, adapts rather better than most people would when she flees to free Grainne from Earth and the embezzlement charges for which she's been framed. The culture shock of personal freedoms and responsibilities in Grainne's society would likely defeat a lesser character, but Kendra finds friends to help. Of course, the stability and prosperity of Grainne are threatening to the bureaucrats of Kendra's home, so shortly after Kendra decides to enlist in the Freehold military, her old home invades her new home.
As the Grainne Freeholders are the good guys in this novel, readers who lean strongly libertarian will find much to like, while those who lean strongly towards government solutions will probably not like it at all. And if you don't give a damn about politics but like guns, sex, and military fiction, then this is the book for you.
Kendra, the heroine, adapts rather better than most people would when she flees to free Grainne from Earth and the embezzlement charges for which she's been framed. The culture shock of personal freedoms and responsibilities in Grainne's society would likely defeat a lesser character, but Kendra finds friends to help. Of course, the stability and prosperity of Grainne are threatening to the bureaucrats of Kendra's home, so shortly after Kendra decides to enlist in the Freehold military, her old home invades her new home.
As the Grainne Freeholders are the good guys in this novel, readers who lean strongly libertarian will find much to like, while those who lean strongly towards government solutions will probably not like it at all. And if you don't give a damn about politics but like guns, sex, and military fiction, then this is the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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