Freehold: Volume 1

Michael Z. Williamson

Jan 2004 · Freehold Book 1 · Baen Publishing Enterprises

About this ebook

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 most settled planets are under the aegis of one government? Answer: The Freehold of Grainne. There, one may seek asylum and build a new life in a society that doesn't track its residents every move, which is just what Pacelli has done. But now things are about to go royally to hell. Because Earth's government has found out where she is, and they want her back. Or dead.

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

About Michael Z. Williamson:
_A fast-paced, compulsive readãwill appeal to fans of John Ringo, David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Weber.Ó _ Kliatt

_Williamson's military expertise is impressive.Ó _SF Reviews

Ratings and reviews

I enjoyed this because instead of typical male hero the lead is feminine. As a bonus she is not over the top muscular trying to be a man but just an average person placed in incredible situation. Overcoming obstacles both physical and emotional in s new environment while trying to make new life despite past subconsciously allows readers to place themselves in similar situation.

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.

Good Read. Brings out the fun and terror and moral complexity of being a soldier. And why only other soldiers truly understand each other.

About the author

Michael Z. Williamson is retired from the US military, having served twenty-five years in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. He was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Desert Fox. Williamson is a state-ranked competitive shooter in combat rifle and combat pistol. He has consulted on military matters, weapons and disaster preparedness for Discovery Channel and Outdoor Channel productions and is Editor-at-Large for Survivalblog, with 300,000 weekly readers. In addition, Williamson tests and reviews firearms and gear for manufacturers. Williamsons books set in his Freehold Universe include Freehold, Better to Beg Forgiveness, and When Diplomacy Fails. He is also the author of The Hero_written in collaboration with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo. Williamson was born in England, raised in Liverpool and Toronto, Canada, and now resides in Indianapolis with his wife and two children.