Freehold: Volume 1

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.

An outstanding tale. I've kept this book with me in paperback and digital form, ever since it was published. Mike did an amazing job, and the info dumping was kept to a minimum and relevant to the protagonist's story. I enjoyed it, even if Mike likes Australian one sided bush hats.