Now, to qualify my review, I will first say that besides Crystal Singer (which I hated vehemently), this is the only other Anne McCaffrey book I've read. So, I'm not the zealous fan disappointed by a book lacking in customary quality, I'm more neutral - and in fact, I may be quite the opposite, having quite a negative opinion of McCaffrey's writing after reading Crystal Singer.
I picked up Freedom's Landing because the plot interested me. Humans shipped as slaves by an alien race, forced to colonize an unknown planet - that was the sort of sf I could stomach. The book's premise is interesting, but as others have commented, the plot in Freedom's Landing is lacking and inconsistent at times. The action was a bit trite and predictable, and didn't really draw you into what was going on. This is certainly not a book for those who read for an adventurous plot or action - this is definitely more character oriented. The focus in Freedom's Landing is not the advancement of a plot, but the introduction of the reader to important characters, the growth and romance of the main character, Kris. And that is where this book wins.
Kris is a strong character - a whole person and someone I found I could relate to and like. She is totally fleshed out in the book and you really enjoy following her journey in the book. Unlike many sf or fantasy books, her growing love of another character [sorry, won't spoil for others] is very believable and realistic. She's the sort of character that you can root for - and that's why this book is worth reading. The book is a great character novel - something unusual in the traditionally action/plot-oriented fantasy or sf,which is why many people may not like this book. But if you're interested in getting to know a bunch of interesting characters and follow their development, then this is the book for you.
