A Cat and his human minions fight to bring peace to humanity.The reviewers had these words: “Engaging characters…fun and interesting…enjoyable and light reading…you won’t want to put it down!”Compared to Andre Norton, the Free Trader series takes you to a colonized world across the galaxy where humans and their sentient creations struggle together to build a better world. Not everyone … to build a better world. Not everyone believes. Some think that being stronger means they can take what they want. People suffer, until the Free Trader arrives. He only wants to trade, but the takers have other ideas.
Join the Free Trader as he journeys across the world of Vii in search of something better.
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Nice
The author’s writing is easy to understand while not being so simple as to be condescending. His narrative style reminds me of Andre Norton’s and Alma Boykin’s work. Certainly, the storyline and background calls to mind Norton’s ‘Mark of the Cat’ and Boykins’ ‘Merchant and Empire’ series. This is perfect for a young preteen who is interested in science fiction.
This is a fantastic book! 😀
*slight spoilers*I have long been a great fan of other series by the amazing Craig Martelle,(both as a solo author and in partnership with Michael Anderle etc) but I’m really kicking myself that it’s taken me so very long to discover his brilliant sci-fi/post-apocalyptic/adventure/quest/expedition/overcoming the odds etc novel The Free Trader of Warren Deep (Free Trader Series Book 1), that I absolutely became engrossed in, taken off to a future time when humans (aka the Ancients), have exited Earth and colonised two out of the 8 ‘Cygnus’planets, before letting their warlike ways hold sway, until they used their (now called)’Old Tech’, advanced weapons to destroy each other until practically none are left.
The remnants of the population are separated into towns,around a previous Command Centre,located at the far side of the Great Desert.Out of one such town called Warren Deep, on the planet Vii, (as the colonists call Cygnus VII), comes a young man called Braden, a Free Trader (as were his parents before him), in the manner of a medieval-style wagoneer – trading anything and everything that will make him a profit – from a cart pulled by water-buffalo and accompanied by G-War (aka Golden Warrior of the Stone Cliffs), a Hillcat (mutant feral cat) that’s been with him some time and can communicate telepathically,not just with Braden, but also a Hawkoid (mutant hawk), Skirrill/Ess, !st Master Aadi of the Tortoid (mutant giant tortoise)Consortium,who floats/swims through the air, (and has a deadly ‘focused thunderclap’ sonic weapon ability that comes in useful when predators attack), following the small group, as they travel across the Great Desert in search of the Old Tech valued by Braden’s rich clients and left behind at Wayposts along their gruelling and dangerous route. What do they find at the 1st Oasis they reach? Who is Micah and how do they react to Braden and his weird and wonderful travelling companions?
Reminding me of Austin Dragon’s epic adventures, Fabled Quest Chronicles, in its scope,great world-building and wonderful characters,The Free Trader of Warren Deep, Book 1 of the Free Trader series, is an outstanding introduction to what’s my new favourite Craig Martelle winner, that’s sure to become yours too.I cannot recommend this story highly enough and it definitely deserves more than the 5 stars available on review sites. I’m also happy to say that there are 8 more available for yours and my reading pleasure,that I’ll be ordering straight away. Try them all for yourself today and tell all your friends how great they are!
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this series, but I’m happy to say I found stories like the ones I enjoyed when I was a lot younger than I am now. Reading writers like Anne McCaffrey and her Dragonriders, and Andre Norton with Cats Eye and Beast Hunter was one of the best things about growing up – and this book has a similar (but also different) flavour. Enjoying this!