Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Putnam Adult (1995), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 342 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:Kristin Bjornsen lived a normal life, right up until the day the spaceships floated into view above Denver. As human slaves were herded into the maw of a massive vessel, Kristin realized her normal life was over and her fight for freedom was just beginning�?� The alien Catteni value strength and intelligence in their slaves�??and Kristin has managed to survive her enslavement while hundreds of other humans have not. But her trial has just begun, for now she finds herself part of a massive experiment. The aliens have discovered a new world, and they have a simple way of finding out if it�??s habitable: drop hundreds of slaves on the surface and see what happens. If they survive, colonization can begin. If not, there are always more sla… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_fox
The aliens, came, they saw and they conquered. Earthlings however still put up a fight even when they've been transported to another world. As we seem so tough the aiiens (catteni) use the protagonists as terraformers on a supposedly empty world. The inlcusion of a catteni seems like an opportunity
2D characters but a firm grasp of the world, scenary and way of life make this an intreguing read.
Show More
for revenge, but he quickly proves his worth.2D characters but a firm grasp of the world, scenary and way of life make this an intreguing read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
*Book source ~ My home library.
Kris Bjornsen was going about her day at Denver University when the Catteni attacked Earth. Scooping up citizens by the thousands from 50 cities around the world the Catteni ships took their new slaves to Barevi, a planet used by the Catteni for R&R and a depot for
I love, love, love this book. There’s something about survival books I really like and I think it’s because I put myself into that situation and wonder how well I’d do. But this isn’t just any old survival situation on Earth where you can hope to eventually find civilization. Cell phones, a grocery store, a bed, hot water, a toothbrush. Forget it. This is an alien planet. Completely unknown. What is safe to eat? What will kill me? Are there dangerous animals? Is there shelter? What kind of weather is to be expected and how long are the days? Or nights? Back to basics in a way that’s hard to do on Earth anymore.
I’ve read this book (and the whole series) several times over the years and I’ve enjoyed it each and every time. So much to do and so much to explore with people and aliens who are strangers. The book mostly follows Kris as she survives on the planet they name Bounty and once again it kept me enthralled the whole time. The world is unique, the writing is wonderful and I love the characters. There is action, mystery, humor and even romance. All-in-all an excellent sci-fi adventure.
Kris Bjornsen was going about her day at Denver University when the Catteni attacked Earth. Scooping up citizens by the thousands from 50 cities around the world the Catteni ships took their new slaves to Barevi, a planet used by the Catteni for R&R and a depot for
Show More
their purloined goods from around the galaxy. Kris manages to escape her new ‘master’ and is hiding out in the wilds of Barevi when a chance encounter with Zainal, an Emassi (or high ranking Catteni), changes her life yet again. Gassed during a riot she and Zainal are dumped onto an empty world the Catteni have chosen for the aliens to colonize. Terrans make up the largest group, but there are also Deski, Rugarians, Turs and Ilginish. Fortunately for them, they have Zainal who knows a little bit about the initial survey of the planet. Unfortunately for Zainal, no one likes Catteni and there’s a large consensus to kill him. Chuck Mitford, a retired Marine, takes charge of the motley crew and makes a command decision to keep Zainal alive. For now. With only knives, hatchets, blankets and ration bars, they have to work together to survive on an alien planet.I love, love, love this book. There’s something about survival books I really like and I think it’s because I put myself into that situation and wonder how well I’d do. But this isn’t just any old survival situation on Earth where you can hope to eventually find civilization. Cell phones, a grocery store, a bed, hot water, a toothbrush. Forget it. This is an alien planet. Completely unknown. What is safe to eat? What will kill me? Are there dangerous animals? Is there shelter? What kind of weather is to be expected and how long are the days? Or nights? Back to basics in a way that’s hard to do on Earth anymore.
I’ve read this book (and the whole series) several times over the years and I’ve enjoyed it each and every time. So much to do and so much to explore with people and aliens who are strangers. The book mostly follows Kris as she survives on the planet they name Bounty and once again it kept me enthralled the whole time. The world is unique, the writing is wonderful and I love the characters. There is action, mystery, humor and even romance. All-in-all an excellent sci-fi adventure.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
Entertaining to be sure and interesting concepts, but not stellar and not quite believable for me.
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Fun story, as always. It starts with the short story The Thorns of Barevi, but gives it a different ending so that the story goes on - Kris clobbers the Catteni instead of giving in. Then the two of them get swept up and dumped on a colony planet - part of a group of hundreds sent to test whether
Show More
people can actually live there. The speed of development there is a little much - they go from 'maybe we can make rock pots to make stew' to clay and metal soup pots in - two weeks? a month? Admittedly there are a lot of people with a lot of skills, and plenty of resources available, but it just seems a little too quick. Personalities are a major point - from Sarge Mitford, Sandy Arenson, Kris herself and the Catteni (Zainal) working together to build something solid, to Patti Sue and similar wet blankets (though Patti does eventually toughen up), to shirkers and harassers like Arnie and Aarens (sp?). Zainal develops from 'the Catteni' to a very solid person, with his own motivations that extend beyond Botany (the planet) to some vague but grand plans. The planet has a lot of surprises, some of which help that accelerated development process - having chips and solar panels to hand certainly doesn't hurt! Zainal's dealings with the other Catteni produce some interesting effects too. The only thing is that the story really ends in the middle - not a cliffhanger, but there's a lot of loose ends floating about. The Farmers have been alerted, the Catteni and Eosi are aware of Botany and (some of) its anomalies, and...story pauses, with an overview of events by Mitford (the rest of the book is entirely from Kris's viewpoint). Glad I have all three (four) books. Show Less
LibraryThing member fuzzi
I liked this book, quite a bit. The mix of different races/species is handled fairly well, but not McCaffrey at her best.
LibraryThing member puttocklibrary
I remember thoroughly enjoying this series when I was a teenager, and a recent re-read didn't disappoint. Kristin Bjornssen is a runaway slave (and living quite well on her own, thank you very much!) on an alien planet when a male Catteni, the species that captured and enslaved her, suddenly crash
His people are trying very hard to kill to him, which has Kris finding herself admiring him, and even helping him stay out of his would-be murderer's hands. When he becomes a bit too much for her to handle, she attempts to dump his unconscious self back with his people...and they both end up in the midst of a riot, and captured and sent on a slave ship...somewhere.
That somewhere is an alien planet the Catteni want colonized, and their method is simple and brutal. Drop slave races on the planet with basic supplies, and see if they survive. The problem is, this planet is not as uninhabited as the Catteni believe...
This story is a fast-paced struggle for survival on an alien planet, and is very compelling. I can't help but wondering if I would survive half as well as the people in this story! I still have the feeling that some of their achievements are incredibly convenient, almost deux ex machina, yet the characters definitely acknowledge how lucky they are, and there are plenty of descriptions of how hard they are working to improve their standard of living on this dangerous, unpredictable planet.
Show More
lands practically on top of her hide-out--and everything changes.His people are trying very hard to kill to him, which has Kris finding herself admiring him, and even helping him stay out of his would-be murderer's hands. When he becomes a bit too much for her to handle, she attempts to dump his unconscious self back with his people...and they both end up in the midst of a riot, and captured and sent on a slave ship...somewhere.
That somewhere is an alien planet the Catteni want colonized, and their method is simple and brutal. Drop slave races on the planet with basic supplies, and see if they survive. The problem is, this planet is not as uninhabited as the Catteni believe...
This story is a fast-paced struggle for survival on an alien planet, and is very compelling. I can't help but wondering if I would survive half as well as the people in this story! I still have the feeling that some of their achievements are incredibly convenient, almost deux ex machina, yet the characters definitely acknowledge how lucky they are, and there are plenty of descriptions of how hard they are working to improve their standard of living on this dangerous, unpredictable planet.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ajlewis2
Good writing, but I don't enjoy the story, so I'm laying it down after reading 25%.
LibraryThing member sedelia
It has been way too long since I’ve read Anne McCaffrey, and how I have missed her. This series has been on my to-read list for years and years, so when the ReadThemAll challenge came up, hosted by Read At Midnight, I knew that I needed to use this as my Boulder Badge entry.
This book was slow
With that said, I’ve really missed McCaffrey’s science fiction — this is the science fiction I grew up with and I have missed it so, so much. In terms of pure story, it’s wonderful, with the survival/colonization/new planet discovery aspect, with the characters discovering new technology and constantly finding themselves in danger they didn’t realize was around. It’s super realistic in terms of the characters needing to figure out what they need to have a balanced diet, how they’re going to handle hygiene and sickness, etc.
In terms of larger themes, McCaffrey has insightful and incisive commentary on race relations based on how other aliens are treated by humans, even though they’re also Catteni slaves and put in the same situation as humans — sometimes even with fewer tools and privileges for survival, like needing special nutrients for their diet that just aren’t really easy to get on the planet they’re trapped on.
One of the things I most appreciated about this novel was the way romances very slowly and organically came about. There was no, “Oh my god s/he is so hot and I need to have her right now, even though we’re all struggling to even just eat on this new planet,” which is sadly too common in some novels. Whenever romance popped up, it made sense in the context, and there was no sex for the sake of sex during times that didn’t really make any sense. Perfectly done and I wish I read more stories that were able to handle it so realistically.
Overall, this is a solid start to a science fiction series that I’m looking forward to continuing, and for those who like survivalist stories with a science fiction edge, or even just McCaffrey fans, you should give it a read!
Originally posted on Going on to the Next.
This book was slow
Show More
going for me for most of the beginning. The very beginning was super interesting, where we meet Kris and learn about how she’s been kidnapped from Earth and is basically a slave to the Catteni, but when she gets dumped on the empty planet with Zainal, a rogue Catteni who landed himself in some trouble with his own people, I struggled a lot. Once everything got explained and set up, it was fine, but the first 80 pages or so were a slog for me.With that said, I’ve really missed McCaffrey’s science fiction — this is the science fiction I grew up with and I have missed it so, so much. In terms of pure story, it’s wonderful, with the survival/colonization/new planet discovery aspect, with the characters discovering new technology and constantly finding themselves in danger they didn’t realize was around. It’s super realistic in terms of the characters needing to figure out what they need to have a balanced diet, how they’re going to handle hygiene and sickness, etc.
In terms of larger themes, McCaffrey has insightful and incisive commentary on race relations based on how other aliens are treated by humans, even though they’re also Catteni slaves and put in the same situation as humans — sometimes even with fewer tools and privileges for survival, like needing special nutrients for their diet that just aren’t really easy to get on the planet they’re trapped on.
One of the things I most appreciated about this novel was the way romances very slowly and organically came about. There was no, “Oh my god s/he is so hot and I need to have her right now, even though we’re all struggling to even just eat on this new planet,” which is sadly too common in some novels. Whenever romance popped up, it made sense in the context, and there was no sex for the sake of sex during times that didn’t really make any sense. Perfectly done and I wish I read more stories that were able to handle it so realistically.
Overall, this is a solid start to a science fiction series that I’m looking forward to continuing, and for those who like survivalist stories with a science fiction edge, or even just McCaffrey fans, you should give it a read!
Originally posted on Going on to the Next.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ailurophile
I read a fair amount of McCaffrey's work back in my twenties, but hadn't encountered this particular novel, so when it turned up on sale in Kindle format, I looked forward to re-acquainting myself with a favorite author. The brief description of the plot had me looking forward to something perhaps
I found the characters largely two-dimensional, the plot poorly developed, and the dynamic between protagonist Kris Bjornson, and Zainal predictable and uninteresting. It was pretty much inevitable from right from their first meeting that they were going to eventually become lovers. At least this wasn't too raunchy, but even so, I got a vibe of those ho-hum "Human woman abducted by virile humanoid space aliens who finds her irresistible" soft-core porn pot-boilers.
It's often the case that an author whose work I like occasionally publishes a book that I don't enjoy. That's only to be expected. It's also true that my tastes in books have evolved considerably since those long-ago days of my teens and twenties, to the point that books that I loved at that age make me cringe today. Without going back to re-read McCaffrey classics like The Ship Who Sang, I suppose I can't be certain whether it's just the Catteni setting that irks me, or if I just don't like this author's work anymore. I suspect it's the former, and I may well circle back to an older book or two of hers that I remember fondly, just to find out for sure. But at this point, I've no intention of reading further in the Catteni series.
Show More
in the same vein as Godwin's Space Prison (a.k.a. The Survivors). Alas, Freedom's Landing was an unpleasant surprise.I found the characters largely two-dimensional, the plot poorly developed, and the dynamic between protagonist Kris Bjornson, and Zainal predictable and uninteresting. It was pretty much inevitable from right from their first meeting that they were going to eventually become lovers. At least this wasn't too raunchy, but even so, I got a vibe of those ho-hum "Human woman abducted by virile humanoid space aliens who finds her irresistible" soft-core porn pot-boilers.
It's often the case that an author whose work I like occasionally publishes a book that I don't enjoy. That's only to be expected. It's also true that my tastes in books have evolved considerably since those long-ago days of my teens and twenties, to the point that books that I loved at that age make me cringe today. Without going back to re-read McCaffrey classics like The Ship Who Sang, I suppose I can't be certain whether it's just the Catteni setting that irks me, or if I just don't like this author's work anymore. I suspect it's the former, and I may well circle back to an older book or two of hers that I remember fondly, just to find out for sure. But at this point, I've no intention of reading further in the Catteni series.
Show Less
Original publication date
1995-05
Physical description
342 p.; 8.1 inches
ISBN
039914062X / 9780399140624