Rogue (Freehold) [Hardcover]

Michael Z. Williamson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 6, 2011 | Series: Freehold

In a war-torn interplanetary future, a tactical forces specialist transformed into a sociopathic killing machine after a near-genocidal mission goes on a murderous rampage.  The only one who can stop him is his reluctant former commanding officer – a man who must find a way to reawaken the beast within himself without losing his own soul in the process.

Kenneth Chinran commanded the elite unit assigned to take out an entire planet in a terrible war.  Millions died; billions more perished in the aftermath.  One doesn't send a sociopath on such a mission.  A sociopath might not stop.  Chinran did stop – but in the process nearly lost his sanity and his soul. 

But one of Chinran’s men was a sociopath going in.  Now he’s a trained sociopath with the knowledge and firepower to take out entire tactical teams, evaporate through security cordons and change identity at will. Who do you send after a killer like that?  There’s only one answer:  the man who trained him.  The man who made him.

About Michael Z. Williamson:

“A fast-paced, compulsive read…will appeal to fans of John Ringo, David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Weber.” – Kliatt

“Williamson's military expertise is impressive.” –SFReviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Baen; First Edition edition (September 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439134626
• ISBN-13: 978-1439134627
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A 25-year veteran of the US Army and US Air Force, Michael Z. Williamson is a state-ranked competitive shooter in combat rifle and combat pistol. His other books include Freehold, Better to Beg Forgiveness, and Hero – a collaboration with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo. He was born in England, raised in Liverpool and Toronto, Canada, and now resides in Indianapolis with his wife and two children.  

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Baen; First Edition edition (September 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439134626
• ISBN-13: 978-1439134627
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Z. Williamson is retired military, having served twenty-five years in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. He was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Desert Fox. Williamson is a state-ranked competitive shooter in combat rifle and combat pistol. He has consulted on military matters, weapons and disaster preparedness for Discovery Channel and Outdoor Channel productions and is Editor-at-Large for Survivalblog, with 300K weekly readers. In addition to these activities, Williamson tests and reviews firearms and gear for manufacturers. Williamson's books set in his Freehold Universe include Freehold, Better to Beg Forgiveness, and Do Unto Others. His novel The Hero - written in collaboration with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo-has reached modern classic status. Williamson was born in England, raised in Liverpool and Toronto, Canada, and now resides in Indianapolis with his wife and two children.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but thoughtful September 12, 2011

By I. N. Fellenzer

Format:Hardcover

I've always enjoyed Mike's novels in the Freehold universe, and this one is no exception. The book contains the hi-speed, lo-drag action we've come to expect from Mike Williamson's work, but the thought behind the character, his mental and emotional trauma despite being a highly-trained military operative, and the effort Williamson spent developing the character was really top notch. In the interest of full disclosure, I did have the opportunity to be one of the folks who previewed the novel in its earlier stages, but my assessment of its quality has not and will not change.

When we last read about Kenneth Chinran, he was dealing with his own demons after destroying Earth's infrastructure and causing the deaths of millions of people. This is a character with a conscience and a depth of emotion. He had to deal with the deaths of his teammates. He had to take care of his small daughter. He had to confront his own guilt about destroying millions of innocent lives despite the knowledge that the destruction he and his team wreaked was essentially self defense.

In this novel, Chinran (now using the name "Dan") is forced to confront another demon - a rogue operative from his team, originally thought dead and now working as a paid assassin. Assigned to stop the rogue by the very man who ordered the attack on earth in the previous book and who ostensibly was responsible for the consequences, Chinran must work with a relatively inexperienced troop and deal with his own memories and traumatic experiences.

I won't say any more than this about the plot, because I don't want to ruin it.... I will say that while I enjoy the action and adventure in the novel, I love being present in this libertarian-leaning society and exploring the depths of a mind (Chinran's) that has dealt with the ups and downs of protecting his homeland and his way of life. Read more ›

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Slamming action and believable characters! October 5, 2011

By jeff Edwards

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you like your SF to be written by professionals, this one is for you. Immersive, believable storyline, fully developed characters, great action sequences that pull you into the flow of the thing - all the stuff that Mike Williamson has learned to do so well is in full force here. No spoilers, but I'll tell you this much - Chinran is back, and he's focused like never before. He's gonna have somebody's guts for garters before it's all over, too.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love the Free Hold you must read this November 6, 2012

By Peter F. Jones

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Michael Z. delivers full throttle excitement in this page turner that just doesn't quit until the very last page. The action is fantastic, the familiar yet older characters are still in top shape, and the conflict is epic. I couldn't put it down, Michael I love this series, write more please this was fantastic. I've read all his Free Hold books and they are all well worth the read, this one is no disappointment.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars If you like milsf, Williamson is your guy December 4, 2012

By Michael Lynn Mcguire

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Book number six of a loose series of books set in 2500 AD about the struggle in mankind between freedom and totalitarianism.

If you like milsf, Williamson is your guy. Rogue is a tight story of cleaning up a loose operative after the war between Earth and Freehold. I hope that many more stories like this come our way.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rogue Michael Z. Williamson September 30, 2011

By Theodore C Hall

Format:Hardcover

Mike's Freehold universe is a place that some of us would love to live, especially the planet where individual freedom is The Law. A Libertarian Paradise...

Others will end up seeing the evolution of the darkside of Mike's universe as Multinationalism and the application of "International Law" remove the freedoms they have here on earth...

Rogue follows Kenneth Chinran, a "Blazer" to the universe at large. He is a step beyond that in the Freehold military, a Grainne (Freehold) Special Forces Operative...

He is a man with a conscience being used by those without.

Being sane and stable, Kenneth is the type of operative that will do what is necessary and no more.

Fully realizing the consequences of his actions and the burden they will place on his soul, he is still able to do terrible things for a good cause.

Rifles, bombs, and other military equipment are only tools, Kenneth Chinran is The Weapon

In his earlier operations Kenneth accrued a Karmic debt that he can hardly bear, but the call comes again because HE is the one man that can fix what is wrong.

It's a great read by itself, Mike gave the new reader enough back story to appreciate the rest of the tale and old hands will appreciate seeing Kenneth in action again.

MY suggestion for those new to Michael Z. WIlliamson's books is to read Freehold, The Weapon, and THEN Rogue

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Baen breakout! September 11, 2011

By Chris DiNote

Format:Hardcover

Right or wrong, Baen has become known as a haven for military sci-fi writers and fans, with a stable of writers including several military veterans, folks with a background in the murky world of sleazy government contracting, gun buffs, and hard science notables with a bit of slant towards the libertarian/center right of American politics. This also includes a welcome bit of the raspberries towards the overwhelming leftist slant sci-fi has had for a long time with little to be heard from the other end of the spectrum. Whether you agree with it or not, the alternative voice is a welcome, and needed, presence.

Now that that little bit of intro is out of the way, let's focus on the book, which, in the interest of full disclosure I must tell you, I was fortunate enough to be a pre-reader on. Mike Williamson occupies a peculiar niche in Baen's stable, indeed, in the whole stable of active current sci-fi and military authors. Simply put, it's tough to find what he's doing, in the sci-fi realm. Mike's work recalls '70s crime and espionage films, but updates them with a dash of post-modern nudge-nudge-wink-wink self-awareness and Tarantino's eye for stylish violence. Like Tarantino, he also knows the best stuff to give an homage to, or in some cases, knowingly or not, outright steal :)

Rogue, like it's predecessors set in the Freehold universe, remind me, if nothing else, of the whole genre of Michael Caine/Steve McQueen/Clint Eastwood era of cop/vigilante/espionage movies. Despite the future setting, there's a strong '70s vibe running through them.... Witht the "Ripple Creek" books, this vibe is run against the modern Private Military Contractor/Blackwater concept, but the characters would not be out of place in an old heist flick, honestly, I keep thinking of the original 1974 "Gone in Sixty Seconds." With The Weapon and Rogue, the image of Ken Chinran, an "idealized" special forces operator, ended up looking more and more like a cross between Michael Caine in "Harry Brown," "Get Carter," and "The Italian Job," mixed in with Charles Bronson and Steve McQueen. Heck, the movies "Bullitt," "Payback" and "Dirty Harry" kept coming to mind, along with "Marathon Man." It makes me think that Mike's future looks a lot like "Life on Mars" and trust me, that ain't a bad thing! Frankly, we NEED that vibe again. The closest thing to it on TV, which shares some of Mike's slight nod to the '90s and beyond, is "Burn Notice," Mike easily brings as much clever dialogue and clever spy technique to this latest thriller of his. Combine this with a flare for stylistic violence that practically begs Tarantino to direct and you end up with a modernized update on a particular brand of thriller that we just. don't. see. anymore, but trust me, we need it, and you need to read it! Read more ›