It is a time of uncertain peace. The Union of Allied World stands against the Ellogon Empire, but a second galactic war is imminent. Both sides make preparations, as a mysterious third faction materializes to threaten all life in the galaxy.
Onto this stage steps Sal Santiago, a freshman at Terran University, joined by his friends Taryn Sikes and Takeo Sato. Taryn is a hot-blooded street fighter who knows how to have a good time. Takeo is a highly skilled mercenary who's been Sal's friend since they were kids.
When Sal's extraordinary ability to fold space is revealed, they're all swept up into Captain Jane Carter's promise of safe harbor and galaxy-spanning adventure. While she leads a simple corporate hauler, her destiny could hardly be considered simple. As she plays her part, she must choose between loyalty and making a bold sacrifice for the greater good.
Amidst all this, Sal falls for the beautiful and troubled Valerie Sawyer, a gifted psychic and the ship's first mate. She keeps Sal at a distance at first, but slowly she warms to him.
Peppered with romance and filled with adventure, Shadow Galactic tells a character-driven story in the grand tradition of Space Opera. It follows an ensemble of unlikely heroes and takes the reader to fantastic worlds.
The plot and twists are outstanding. The only reason for four stars and not five are the typos that are evident t in at least half dozen places. I don't know if Erik Harlow is a one man show without an editor or not. Someone didn't proof read this before it was published. I have been reading books for 65 years and the last ten I have seen a decline in editing proficiency. The electronic age of publishing has accelerated this decline. Is pride of workmanship leaving us? Mr. Harlow, I congratulate you on an excellent tale that kept me turning pages. I ask only that you find a proof reader with pride.
A good tale with likeable characters that you want to learn more about and witness their future adventures. Some aspects of the plot seem a bit too pat, but matters may be clarified by other books in the series. There appears to be a wealth of material for many more books, and as long as they continue in this vein, I will be an eager reader.
Loved the book from cover to cover. I'm a sucker for good character development, and this does not disappoint. Takes place in a Firefly-esque setting, with rich worlds and fantastic scenery.
This was such a fun read full of action and drama alongside wonderfully descriptive language. Plot twist after plot twist abound and deepen the story's complexity while keeping the reader engaged and entranced by the tale. The characters feel real and the world is immersive. The novel delves into the cost of technological advances, and what costs they hold for future generations. The cost of automation and generations that know nothing of how the technologies they use operate and are manufactured. If you're looking for a great book to read, buy this one. You won't regret it, I sure don't!
Imagine a story where today is dragged into the future with little or no changes, where aliens behave as human, where the dialogue is stilted and stiff or taken from the worst dime store novel ever, this is probably attractive to some readers, mostly the ones never exposed to real science fiction, once exposed so you don't go back, enjoy if you can, I can't
First time with this author but I enjoyed the book, several times I thought man finish this already and then he would bring out a new twist and get me hooked again.