Shaker

by C.C. Prestel

This could happen to anyone. Maybe it already has.

Shaker chronicles the odyssey of Michael Taylor, an unassuming English teacher who wakes up to find himself a prisoner on a mysterious ship with more than 40 strangers. Neither he nor his companions have any recollection of how they got there. Those who survive the voyage soon learn that their lives will be forever changed. Taylor struggles to survive against lethal enemies and his own internal conflicts in a distant, hostile world that has been ravaged by decades of warfare. This story details his saga and transformation from an ordinary man into the legendary warrior known as Shaker.

Audible Audio

First published January 24, 2019

About the author

C.C. Prestel is widely considered to be the best author—in his home office. Following a career as a software engineer, executive, and small business owner in Maryland, he retired to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he decided to rekindle his childhood passion for creative writing.

In addition to novels he dabbles in writing music and loves to jam on his guitar in the privacy of his bedroom. He also enjoys hiking and can sometimes be found breaking even at a Texas Hold’em no-limit poker table.

Reviews

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received my copy of this book via Goodreads giveaway which has no effect on my review.

Shaker is an interesting take on alien abduction, and follows the adventures of an English teacher who is taken from Earth and conscripted into the service of an alien army. His storytelling prowess earns him the nickname of Shakespeare among his fellow abductees, and that name later evolves into Shaker.

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.

This would have been a solid 4-star read for me if not for the atrocious editing. I've highlighted and made notes on a few, but there were far more. For every one I noted, there were probably 2-3 more I just sighed and let pass.

Had the character and situation not been so compelling, I would have DNFed this book without hesitation or regret. I usually don't give books with this many issues higher than two stars, but I liked this one well enough to give it 3.

[Viking Jam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5

Review: The beginning is completely compelling due to the movement that is wrapped around an abduction and tucked inside an alien intervention. What quickly becomes apparent is that the first person narrative is never going to go away like a bad case of monkey butt.

I had a hard time swallowing this story line as the plot is fairly weak in construction. Why would technically advanced aliens go, presumably, across the galaxy to gather other aliens to fight against each other in a genocidal war on their home planet? Well I am glad you asked because it seems that they ran out of their own kind and decided alien slaves in another part of the galaxy (universe?) would be better at fighting their planetary bid for complete control. Really not buying the whole idea, especially a species that may have FTL travel wasting their time and resources on stupid shjt.

So what else is amiss in all this war like splendor? The home planet as built by the writer is not supportable. You really can’t have a moon orbiting a gas giant that has a breathable atmosphere, oceans and a complex ecosystem without an in depth explanation as to HOW. One of the big issues not discussed or developed is the issue of tidal locking. This would have been a real believable novel if the author had embraced a plausible world built on tidal locking with regard to gas giant satellites and the life they may harbor. Additionally a tidally locked satellite or moon in this case would have no day/night cycle.

I thought the writing was pretty good but the story line languished in trenchant narrative as did life as an alien conscripted slave warrior. Michael comes off as a know-it-all douche bag and suddenly becomes this legend known as “Shaker”. Riiiight. I really thought the Shaker was going to be someone that overcomes his oppressors and unites an alien habitable moon. Nope. This just spent too much time in the daily life of one abductee never embracing the alien-ess that was apparent.

Towards the end of the novel I was waiting to give a shjt what happened to any character and found that Malcom and Swag were the only ones worth the emotion. I think the narrative put a great deal of distance between the reader and the main character that could never be bridged with any tribulation.

[Tin Minute · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 ***

[Frank Geimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding story of one possibility of alien abduction. I felt like I was part of the story, the good, the bad, the happy and sad times of adjusting to an alien world as a slave. You will enjoy how the author put everything together, making it believable even as we know it's fiction, or is it? The characters are well defined and come to life on paper, or screen in my case as their lives are fleshed out and their emotions are felt. You will love this novel, if you love great Sci-fi. I hope this author continues this world in additional novels.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through a goodreads giveaway. I recommend this highly original story. The plot is new and refreshing and should appeal to a wide range of reader. You don't have to be a major science fiction fan to enjoy Shaker. There is good pacing and some interesting plot twists and turns. I enjoyed the strong female characters and the book's conclusion. This is my first experience with the author and I would read more of his work in the future.

[Marnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very captivating book! The premise caught my attention and I was hooked from the very beginning. It was a nice mix of action and suspense, sprinkled with a bit of romance. Shaker’s personal struggles adding quite a bit of complexity to the character. Just when I thought I had parts figured out, I was pleasantly surprised with a plot twist. I great read, and an impressive debut novel!

[Ed Frankovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I picked up Shaker and started reading I was hooked. I’m not a huge science fiction guy, but found myself drawn to the story. The plot takes many twists and turns, which makes the book hard to put down. The character development is excellent and makes you feel like you know these people. Very well done and descriptive.

[Barbro-Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s tries so hard, but it didn’t work for me, the story went all over the place. The story is an interesting one when done right, which this didn’t feel like it had been

[Kitcher Amon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story would make a great movie. I really like this author's narration style.

As a woman, I enjoyed the strong female characters - especially Ying.

I'm not a huge science fiction reader but I can highly recommend this one.

[Cindelu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!!

I won this kindle book on Goodreads. It was a beautifully written story of being kidnapped and enslaved , not on our world but another. With great emotion and lots of danger and thrills it made for a fascinating read.

[Polly Krize · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating drama about enslavement and conflict as people from Earth are captured by aliens and forced to fight for a world far away. Interesting plot twists, and good character development. A bit unexpected, but a good read.

[Paul Eastley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book didn't keep dragging me back to it as some books do, so what it didn't do was blow me away. I think that the first quarter was quite compelling and then it became "Just a Book" so I'm being nice by rating it 4 stars. but only "Just" 4 stars.

[TheDigressiveApproach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.
---
Taylor, an ordinary English teacher, is abducted by an unknown species for an unknown purpose. He soon discovers that he isn't the only one abducted, nor are they the first group, to be enslaved by an alien race to fight their wars far from Earth.

I was intrigued by the blurb, expecting a captivating and brutal story about the transformation of an ordinary person into a fearsome warrior, and the events, motivations and desires that led to it.

Full review can be found here:
https://thedigressiveapproach.wordpre...

[C.C. Prestel]

Rating: IR Approved, 4.1/5. "CC Prestel’s debut, speculative science-fiction novel, SHAKER, is a solid contribution to the genre. It’s an enjoyable read that hits all the right notes, while presenting a meditation on individual and social change, from the uncommon perspective of an outsider, a slave, within a dystopic society at war far too long." - IndieReader

See the complete Review: https://indiereader.com/2019/03/shaker/

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for what it was. The enslavement concept was very intriguing. Michael Taylor wakes up to find himself held captive. The story line is somewhat unbelievable due to the fact that all these highly intelligent aliens would go all the way across the galaxy to fight other aliens. Michael did come off somewhat annoying and it was hard to care about him.

*Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Laurie Tell · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!!

[Jan Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a page turner than I could not put down even though sci-fi is not my first choice of a genre. It has all the elements - drama, action, suspense, romance and humor in a sci-fi setting. It is just a great story. I look forward to the author's next book.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads Giveaway book.
Very descriptive narrative. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like the storyline. A look into the human nature that allows us to overlook the fact that we kill our own species. Sad.