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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In Freedom's Ransom, the fourth part of the Catteni sequence, Anne McCaffrey brings the massive saga of interplanetary looting and a desperate struggle for the survival of a race to a breathless conclusion. Earth has been ransacked by the greedy merchants of Barevi, who are demanding a ransom before they will return all they have looted. The resourceful Zainal (Catteni by race, but now leader of the multiracial domain of Botany) needs some of the spoils for his desperate people, and undertakes a dangerous strategy: to ransom the ransomers and snatch back the items so urgently needed.
As in everything she's written, McCaffrey practices a perfect economy in her description of strange and alien locales, conjuring up exotic landscapes with maximum vividness, and the reader comes to know the various worlds in Freedom's Ransomas well as the strongly-drawn characters. Zaina is one of McCaffrey's most persuasive protagonists, and as we approach the carefully orchestrated climax, we're happy to sacrifice subtleties of characterisation for the induced adrenalin rush. So many fantasy sequences come unstuck in their final volume; McCaffrey is too sure a hand to fall at the last fence, and aficionados need not hesitate.--Barry Forshaw --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
There are other writers in the science fiction and fantasy fields who have enjoyed careers as long as Anne McCaffrey's, but few have demonstrated such consistency of inventiveness and achievement. While never achieving the literary clout of Ursula le Guin, McCaffrey remains the favourite female genre author of many aficionados, and her Dragon sequence has maintained an impressive standard over many years. Her speciality is a seamless melding of SF and fantasy elements: the universes she creates are always plausible, always assiduously detailed, and this skill is fully evident in Freedom's Road, her most innovative novel in some time. Characterisation here is up to her usual standard, but the new levels of imagination in the plotting categorically show that McCaffrey is not content to rest on her laurels.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Whe I saw that there was a fourth Botany book available I was dubious - the Eosi had been defeated, Kris and Zainal were happy with their children, Botany had medics, electricity and space shuttles - what more could there be to say!?
Well it turned out that there was plenty to say, and this book continues the tale of the residents of Botany as they continue to build their world - no longer as captives, but as a free planet, realising that they are actually in a better position that Earth itself, which has suffered from the years of Catteni domination and destruction.
This book follows Kris, Zainal and all the characters from the previous books as they return to Barevi to bargain for the goods that Earth desperately needs, that have been looted by the Catteni - goods that are useless to the Catteni, but vital to the revival of Earth.
There's a lot more in this book too, new characters and interesting twists to the existing ones, but I wouldn't want to spoil things for you by telling all the secrets!
I have to admit to being a bit of a McCaffrey fan, and, having read the first three books I was always going to read this one! However, this is a really good continuance of the story, it brings in new themes and situations and is anything but a retelling of what has gone before.
I would heartily recommend this book if you have enjoyed the previous three in the series, if you haven't read any of them yet I would say read them in order - this is definitly a story that builds on what has gone before!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The Catteni are free of the Eosi at last, but are not keeping their agreement with the Botanists. Zainal and Kris go on another voyage together with their friends to liberate various items stolen from Earth.
This book is definately leading on to another as the story is not resolved. There is still no sign of the Farmers and they will have to be in the next release. It was a good book and you get to know Zainal's sons a lot better. There are a lot of things that happen when they go back to Earth. Definately a good one for fans of the Catteni sequence.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I really enjoyed the first the three books of the Catteni sequence and was looking forward to this one, but was disappointed.
For much of the book it seemed that I was reading about a completely different set of characters as everyone seemed to have had their personality sucked out. The pioneering ethic was not necessary any longer I suppose, but that spirit had defined the characters for me and I felt they were pretty thin (and unsympathetic) without it. I also found the shift to multiple inner monologues, especially Zainal's, didn't work; a key element of his character is that he is inscructable and unfathomable, because he's an alien!
The involvement of the Diplomatic Corps from the last book seemed completely bizzare; and the apparent complete success of the 'tough love' approach to giving them a bit of discipline was clunkingly unconvincing.
The depiction of Earth was vaugely diverting, but not particularly engaging - the post-apocolpytic thing has been done hundreds of times before, with a lot more success. And I did wonder if the whole book was sponsored by Starbucks and the International Union of Dentists!
But the farcial crown jewels bit really put the tin lid on the whole thing!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
freedoms ransome
I rate this book highly; it is by an author I really do admire. I have all of the dragons or pern series by the same author. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Dizzy Dave
A poor excuse for a book.
Not actually bad. Just boring, tedious, monotonous, and a complete waste of space. Book 1 was excellent, 2 and 3 were good, 4 was, at best, ok. Finish at book 3 if I were you. Read more
Published 11 months ago by starfiend
A Bit Disappointing
Now I read and and enjoyed it because AM's writing style is always engaging, but for me this is the weakest of the Freedom books by far. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Kate Phizackerley
A lillte bit 'same old'
Having been a great fan of Anne McCaffrey I was a little disappointed with this book. As other reviewers have said it doesn't add anything worthwhile to the series. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2009 by Lady Lil
One of the worst books I've ever read
To start with, I've never read anything by McCaffrey before and now I don't think I'll read anything else (it's a bit perverse to start a series at the 4th book but I picked it up... Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2009 by jambox
Should have stuck to 3!!
I found this book very disappointing, I found the first three to be excellent but maybe she should have stopped there. Read more
Published on 4 May 2004 by Kris
Disappointing
I really enjoyed the first the three books of the Catteni sequence and was looking forward to this one, but was disappointed. Read more
Published on 27 April 2003 by clairefromwales
Disappointing
I really enjoyed the first the three books of the Catteni sequence and was looking forward to this one, but was disappointed. Read more
Published on 27 April 2003 by clairefromwales
A worth while read
This book follows on several months after the events in Freedom's Challenge. It does follow on naturaly from the previous stories. Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2003 by Michelle Davis
Not as Gripping but it follows the storyline
After reading the reviews already here i was in 2 minds as to buy the book or not, having fallen in love with botany and its characters i didn't want to lose all that. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2002 by "ladydeckard"
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