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LifeShift

Michael Kott (Goodreads Author)

4.21 · Rating details · 14 ratings · 10 reviews

Was Zeus a Greek God or merely a space explorer?

Following his mission to bring civilization to Earth, Zeus vanished on a newly discovered planet in the system Wolf 1061. Before he left, he set up a follow-on mission to come for him 35,000 years in the future. LifeShift tells the story of how, at a small high school in the Midwestern United States, in the Earth year 195 Was Zeus a Greek God or merely a space explorer?

Following his mission to bring civilization to Earth, Zeus vanished on a newly discovered planet in the system Wolf 1061. Before he left, he set up a follow-on mission to come for him 35,000 years in the future. LifeShift tells the story of how, at a small high school in the Midwestern United States, in the Earth year 1957, that quest came to light.

That year, when sixteen-year-old Alex Monroe escaped death in an Illinois train yard, he learned that it was no accident. The same night, he dreamt he was with a beautiful girl in a strange world. The next day, he found the details of the dream not only don’t go away, but the girl in his dream is a new student at his high school. Which life, he wonders, is his?

Circe, the girl, tells him she is the reincarnation of Lachesis, one of the Moirae, or Fates, of Greek Mythology. An original offspring of Nyx and Zeus, she is an Eternal, from an advanced race of humans. He learns he may also be an Eternal, whose memories have been blocked, and he has some prescribed destiny. He discovers other girls at his high school are also Eternals, the reincarnation of various Greek figures, including Susan, who is Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow; Irene, who is Atropos, the oldest of the Moirae; and Patty, who is Celaeno, one of the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades.

While not knowing that Alex has been picked to lead a quest to join Zeus, Circe (Lachesis) and Irene (Atropos), take him under their protection, as Eris, the goddess of Strife, and various not-so-nice Eternals attempt to rectify the mistake of his escaping death in the railroad yard. Irene is able to trace back his memories to his last life, as a German Luftwaffe pilot prior to the Second World War, and finds his future as an Eternal is tied to the recovery of the Moire's youngest sister, Clotho, the details of whose rebirth have been hidden.

Alex, in his journeys with Irene and others, eventually discovers that thousands of years ago, he was selected for the mission to join Zeus, who disappeared while exploring another planetary system eons ago. To do that, he must first find Clotho. Alex's only clue is he can find her somewhere in California's Sequoia National Park. Clotho was born at the same time he was, and he must be with her at the exact moment of their seventeenth birthdays for her to regain the knowledge of her past.

When he finds her, he discovers that his quest has only just begun. ...more

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Paperback, 274 pages

Published June 15th 2018 by Double I Publishing

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Average rating 4.21 ·

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· 14 ratings · 10 reviews

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Aug 10, 2018 Ivana - Diary of Difference rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-fantasy, read-in-2018, genre-romance, genre-young-adult, stars-4, format-print

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Things can change in a moment. All it takes it that tiny second that can turn our lives upside down. This happened to Alex. See, one day, he is just this unpopular boy that goes to school, and works to earn a little something for himself. Then, in one little moment, he is about to be hit by a train. Only - a miracle happens and he remains alive. But something changed. No, EVERYTHING changed. A new girl comes to school the next morning and tell ...more

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Sep 02, 2018 Jenna rated it it was amazing

Overall impression:

'LifeShift' is a creative and entertaining novel revolving around a teenage boy named Alex whose life is literally shifted from normality to fantasy. I enjoyed Alex’s journey, discovering the history behind his identity at the same time as he did. He meets multiple characters called "Eternals", who are constantly reborn into different lifetimes (and regain their core memories in their late teenage years). They are even able to sacrifice themselves to die and be born again at Overall impression:

'LifeShift' is a creative and entertaining novel revolving around a teenage boy named Alex whose life is literally shifted from normality to fantasy. I enjoyed Alex’s journey, discovering the history behind his identity at the same time as he did. He meets multiple characters called "Eternals", who are constantly reborn into different lifetimes (and regain their core memories in their late teenage years). They are even able to sacrifice themselves to die and be born again at will to keep the timelines of their missions in order. This was one of my favourite ideas in the novel since it helped shape the Eternals as solid and unique characters. They also have the power to read minds and heal quickly, amongst other beneficial qualities, which keeps the plot and characters interesting and unpredictable.

Alex is a fantastic protagonist. It must be nearly impossible to not root for him as he learns to stand up for himself and find solace. He develops a lot as a character from the beginning of the novel. He originally has no specific goal in life or passion but to stay at the railyard – which, let’s just say, does not ultimately work out for him. He gradually gains strength and independence and becomes increasingly motivated to succeed. Each of the Eternals have their own quirks and characteristics, too. My personal favourite of the lot was Circe, who is repeatedly (and accurately) described as "wild" by those who are closest to her. I was captivated by her individuality since her introduction and was curious to find out more about her. The Eternals can retain multiple names from their past lives but seem to favour one. There are constant reminders about who is who, so that it never becomes confusing.

The plot is intelligent and action-packed. I found myself wincing during the fight scenes, since I could almost feel Alex’s pain! There is always a very real sense of danger. I kept nervously anticipating another threatening character to appear. Alex is always on edge throughout his mission and he is often manipulated by shimmers and caught completely off-guard. Each character is well developed and I adored the interactions between them and Alex. Some of the exchanges resulted in hilarity because of how much the supporting characters clash with Alex. This novel is an absolute thrill to read.

What I would have liked to see more of:

- The novel can feel very dialogue-heavy, reading more like a play or even a video-game narrative at times. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as this style is very comfortable to read. It would have perhaps been more exciting to explore the world more through Alex’s actions, instead of most of the important details being told through back and forth dialogue. These conversations do a good job of setting up the backstory and relevant information, however, pathing the way for a sequel!

- Although the first section of the novel firmly and accurately represents the 1950s, I personally would have liked to see more of what day to day life was like in that decade. This is completely subjective of course, and a minor nit-pick since ‘LifeShift’ focuses more on mythology and science-fiction than real lifetime events.

- Mark! He was my second favourite character to be introduced. I would have liked to have seen more of him and his humorous blunt opinions of Alex, “I forget you’re history deficient”, and each of the Eternals, “She finds out some obscure little thing and then gets you to admit stuff” (in regards to Circe’s mind reading ability).

Final thoughts:

I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a coming of age story unlike any before, with unforgettable characters and vivid descriptions which can transport you out of this world and directly on to the planet of Trivane! ...more

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Dec 09, 2018 Bianca rated it really liked it

I got this book from a Goodreads Giveaway with agreement to do a review. Review contains a summary which may have spoilers.

I also let my oldest read this because he really likes sci fi & Greek mythology. He is in high school & read through this in a few days. He really enjoyed it as well.

It started off a bit slow but once it got going it was a compelling and fairly quick read. The concept is creative and interesting. Basically the storyline is the Greek gods & goddesses were actually space expl ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Paul Brian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

LifeShift by Michael Kott draws the reader in right from the first sentence. It’s well-written and fun. Nonetheless, it can get a bit confusing to be honest with its bizarre science fiction meets Greek mythology cast of characters. I get that that is supposed to be part of the point (the protagonist Alex dealing with being plunged into an intense, bizarre, amazing and confusing new reality) but it still detracts from the enjoyableness and is why I only give this four stars. Also it is a bit much ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Dee DeTarsio rated it really liked it

After nearly being killed in a train yard, strange things begin to happen to shy teenager Alex Monroe. He’s about to embark upon adventures beyond his wildest dreams, filled with beautiful women—Eternals—who claim he’s known them for thousands of years, from prior incarnations. In addition to a secret mission to find a missing Greek Goddess, he learns he’s also an Eternal who has been chosen to be part of the quest to rescue Zeus. (Zeus isn’t a figure from Greek mythology, he’s actually a space ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Anna Munger rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-books, ir-books

-Alex avoids a workplace death via runaway train caboose.
-An Eternal Goddess inserts herself in his life claiming they've known each other for eons even though Alex is 16.
-Alex keeps having flashbacks to when he was someone else in another world in another time.
-The girls he's always eyed at school are all Eternal Godesses, and he's in love. With all of them. Isn't he?
A new mixture of sci-fi and mythology, Lifeshift brings readers into a world Alex doesn't understand. He, along with the good Ete ...more

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Apr 15, 2020 Timea Tokes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I love stories where the hero (or heroine) goes from being a zero to being a hero overnight. I guess we can all relate to that. When we read fiction, we want to read about ordinary people who discover that they are way more, with hidden destinies and powers.

This story didn't disappoint. The main character's transformation is believable, the way he leaves his old life behind, slowly learning about his past and his quest enjoyable. I can recommend it for those who like science fiction, but with a ...more

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Dec 23, 2019 Mark Smith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Michael Kott should be applauded for his unique take on Greek mythology and the gods who live in his world. Each character is unique and three-dimensional. Kott uses just enough historical data to make characters feel real, but he doesn’t borrow the plot from mythical stories. Instead, he adds on to the epic tales to build on the ancient master’s stories. He tests the waters and begs the questions – did the gods really exist? Are the advanced humans or space aliens?

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Apr 19, 2020 Patrick Johns rated it really liked it

A high school fantasy meshed with Greek mythology. I thought the characters were well developed in this story and it was a lot of fun to read. Sometimes I thought it was a bit too much info dump, but I did enjoy the mixing of Greek mythology. If you're a lover of Greek mythology, and want to see your favorite gods in a new story, this is the book for you! ...more

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