Mad Mike (known as Michael Z. Williamson to his more formal admirers, and Crazy Einar [and other things] to less formal fans) is a prolific and very popular author, whose books we’ve encountered in these pages from time to time. At his invitation, I’ve contributed a short story to a forthcoming collection that ranges over a couple of thousand years, set on Earth and in space, as part of his ‘Freehold‘ universe. Miss D. and I are very pleased to number him among our friends. We’ve visited his home, and he’s stayed in ours.
Mike’s latest book, ‘Angeleyes‘, also set in the Freehold universe, is published today.
The blurb reads:
Angie Kaneshiro never planned to be a spy. She was a veteran of the Freehold Forces of Grainne, and was now a tramp freighter crew-woman who hadn’t set foot on the dirt of a world in ten years. Angie was free, and that was the way she liked it.
Then the war with Earth started. One thing Angie knew was human space. She knew where the UN troops garrisoned, the methods they used to scan and chip their own to control them. Even better, she had a mental map of the access conduits, the dive bars, and the make-out cubbies people used to get around restrictions.
The UN forces may hold most of the stations, the docks, and the jump points, but now the Freehold of Grainne has its own lethal weapon. The Intelligence branch sends a freighter crewed with Blazers, special forces troops. All Angie has to do is lead them through the holes. Responsibility for the explosions and wreckage will be theirs. But war is complicated, and even the most unwilling of heroes can be forged in its crucible.
Mike has an uncanny ability to make you feel part of the action, to see it through the eyes of his protagonist. I’ve already ordered my copy of ‘Angeleyes‘, but I don’t need to read it before recommending it (as I do all his books). I’ll buy anything he writes, sight unseen. He’s that good.
Peter
I picked up Freehold early this year sometime, when Sean Sorrentino pointed out that it was free on Kindle, and that it had been up for a Prometheus. I'm on my 4th reading of it, now. Wonderful novel. I don't know how I missed it when it was new.
I intend to get Angeleyes, but probably into the new year, once the Christmas money crunch is past.
Ordered 🙂 I'll boost the signal tomorrow.
I've read the final draft copy and it is a fine book, well in keeping with Mike's other Freehold novels.
A word of caution. The main character, Angie Kaneshiro, aka Angeleyes, is what in my parent's day would be called a woman of loose morals, which get discussed in fairly graphic detail. Totally in keeping with the development of both the character and the overall plot, but I would hesitate to recommend this as a young adult. But if you don't balk at some of Heinlein's later stuff this won't shock you, and it is very well written.
I've listened to the first two Freehold books on Audible-[Freehold and Weapon]-now abt 2/3ds through 'Rogue'-on Audible.
Audible is a great time saver for listening when driving or at home.The Narrator-Stephen Bowlby-does a great job with range of Character's.
If your Military or a Veteran you'll like the details in the Service/training and duty descriptions in all three books.
The Universe of Freehold,the different Planets Gov't types ,is intersting.The Freehold is a Libertarian 'Dream world' i guess,but not without its blemishes with Human nature involved-as Williamson mentions on his own Blog page.
The Second half of Freehold & first of Weapon are Military Action with SciFi tech involved.The Second part of Weapon & Rogue are very Bourne Identity in style.
Looking forward to getting Angeleyes as well.
Hate the cover.
That is an exaggeration of the typical untrained female's shooting posture. They seem to want to keep their feet together, and balance the weight of the gun by leaning backwards.
Cover art is tricky. "Good" art isn't necessarily best for selling a book. You have to get attention in a glance.
The cover scene is nowhere in the book, but it attempts to show the character, show action (leaning back) and show the military theme (The shooting).
I liked some of the other drafts better (They're on Kurt Miller's site, under this finished image). However, marketing decreed this was the one to sell the book.