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!!

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.

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.

Michael Taylor, an unremarkable English teacher, wakes to find himself imprisoned on a mysterious ship with over forty strangers, none of whom remember how they got there. Their harrowing journey ends on an alien world devastated by decades of war, where survival demands both physical and emotional resilience.

Facing deadly enemies and his own inner turmoil, Taylor’s struggle for survival transforms him from an ordinary man into SHAKER—a legendary warrior whose odyssey redefines his destiny and shapes the future of a fractured world. This gripping sci-fi epic explores the power of resilience, identity, and the will to adapt in the face of unimaginable challenges.