Shaker

A sci fii book with a little bit of everything: mystery, suspense, romance, friendship...

This was a really original story and I enjoyed it. There were some great characters, and I loved the strong females.

Very good. Not too heave on the science in the sci-fi. A fresh story, and one about the classic idea of how the choices we make impact our future. I enjoyed the action, humor, and suspense, which kept me engaged. Recommended.

I really appreciate the copy for review!!

Engaging and super cool story. Full review to come as soon as I can put thought to paper.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

What an original plot. The SF setting presents the main character's struggle after being kidnapped by aliens and turned into a fighter slave. More than a twisty story, this is also a book about identity and change, about who one needs to be when placed in tough and adversarial conditions and what one needs to do in order to change an oppressing social setting for the better.. The book is rich in descriptions and has a cinematic feel to it.

A fresh, different story about parallel universes and alternate reality theory. This style of story/theme can be easily worn out if you read enough versions, wonderfully this one certainly refreshes its genre.

This is a good book, not something you come across in SciFi much. Loved how there were strong female characters, definitely need more of them.

An interesting take on a concept long haunting humans...are we alone and if not...

Recommend to science fiction fans!

I love speculative sci-fi and found the premise compelling with plenty of action and suspence but also some unexpected humour.

Shaker is a first person, character driven, mid-burn novel that paces itself in a way that let's you have a full story without having to spend every moment of every day with the protagonist. Mike Taylor, or the titicular character Shaker, leads us on a journey from the mundane, to the wildly insane, to the extraordinary. Kidnapped by aliens to fight in their petty, but long standing civil war, Shaker and his friends have to come to the understanding that not)only are their lives in danger, they are no longer their own, and the only way to survive is to kill other humans from the opposing side. Somewhere along the way, he finds love. A story about resilience, resistance, and learning to live where you are, this is not a book about war even though it is its backdrop. Highly recommended. Oh, and Michael Taylor, you did it. I am reading this from Earth...
***Review is based on an Arc copy received for free via Netgalley ***

Once I picked up Shaker and started reading I was hooked. I’m a huge science fiction fan, so I found myself drawn to the story! What I liked most about the book was Shaker's character. He wasn't perfect and had very real faults while remaining likable, which isn't always an easy feat for a writer to pull off. The world-building was interesting, descriptive without being overly detailed and needing to understand 4,000 years of history in order to enjoy the story.