What do you think?
Rate this book
Nora Devi is a xeno-archaeologist with a complicated past. She has buried more secrets than she’s dug up. Widowed in the recently ended twelve year war between Capitoline and Palantine, she now makes a living as an independent tagger in border space.
Captain Liam Kimani could be credited with ending the latest royal war. Instead, he’s blamed for it. Dirty commoners aren’t meant to lay their hands on royalty.
He has no regrets.
When Liam and his crew of the battlecruiser RC Genghis Khan are exiled to Capitoline’s border they discover that life in unexplored space can be more dangerous than war, and that their best chance of survival lies with a mysterious, elusive tagger.
The only problem is that Nora’s secrets might destroy the precarious stability of the entire Human Sector.
Astray is a fast-paced, enthralling space opera of lost societies, ancient aliens, rugged warriors and semi-legal pirates.
Captain Liam Kimani could be credited with ending the latest royal war. Instead, he’s blamed for it. Dirty commoners aren’t meant to lay their hands on royalty.
He has no regrets.
When Liam and his crew of the battlecruiser RC Genghis Khan are exiled to Capitoline’s border they discover that life in unexplored space can be more dangerous than war, and that their best chance of survival lies with a mysterious, elusive tagger.
The only problem is that Nora’s secrets might destroy the precarious stability of the entire Human Sector.
Astray is a fast-paced, enthralling space opera of lost societies, ancient aliens, rugged warriors and semi-legal pirates.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2021
About the author
Jenny Schwartz
105 books478 followersAustralian science fiction & fantasy author.
http://authorjennyschwartz.com/
http://authorjennyschwartz.com/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
July 19, 2021
First of all, this book desperately needs an editor. There are embarrassing grammatical errors, missing quotation marks, a weird mix of British and American English... It's distracting.
The premise is interesting, the characters almost engaging (the dialog kills it) and so there was a lot of potential here. But the dialog was too stilted -- more often just there to explain things, while the non-dialog text also explained things (show, don't tell?). New technologies, alien species, pieces of history etc are just thrown at the reader when they become relevant.
A longer book with well-written world building and, um, interesting dialog that enhances the characters and differentiates them would have been better.
And then... The ending. Cliffhanger doesn't begin to describe it. You're just reading along, and the book -- stops. I had to double check that it was really the last page.
I expected more due to the few-yet-glowing reviews here. Friends of the author? I dunno. As much as I hate not knowing things, I'll leave the fates of Aria, Liam, Jonah and Nora to my imagination. No book 2 for me.
The premise is interesting, the characters almost engaging (the dialog kills it) and so there was a lot of potential here. But the dialog was too stilted -- more often just there to explain things, while the non-dialog text also explained things (show, don't tell?). New technologies, alien species, pieces of history etc are just thrown at the reader when they become relevant.
A longer book with well-written world building and, um, interesting dialog that enhances the characters and differentiates them would have been better.
And then... The ending. Cliffhanger doesn't begin to describe it. You're just reading along, and the book -- stops. I had to double check that it was really the last page.
I expected more due to the few-yet-glowing reviews here. Friends of the author? I dunno. As much as I hate not knowing things, I'll leave the fates of Aria, Liam, Jonah and Nora to my imagination. No book 2 for me.
Read
April 12, 2022It's funny: this book is two, if not three, edits away from being polished enough to be published, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Like the book solidly opens in the middle of an infodump, and then just hangs out there for ages. When things finally do happen, the action is an odd mix of utterly predictable and intricately plotted. Plus one for having a heroine who says she's hard-headed and pragmatic, and then, when push comes to shove, having her actually be those things. Minus one for all the infodumping, but clearly not dumping the right info because the lore was totally confusing. Like at one point I searched for this specific neologism that was part of the history of the Human Sector, and that was the second time it was used, and the first was not a definition.
Kvetching aside, Astray def did me a solid in the small hours the last couple nights I've had insomnia. I totally moved on to book 2, and that despite a somewhat egregious cliffhanger.
(Also, and this doesn't have anything to do with anything, I legit thought the name of this book was Ashtray for an embarrassingly long time, like most of the way through the book. I was so intrigued: what did a butt can have to do with space opera??? Lol, I'm a dingdong.)
(Second addendum: I saw a review which thought Astray "veered too close to a romance novel" which I have to call serious nonsense on. There is the absolute thinnest of a romantic thread, like gossamer vapor, but it doesn't have the sensibility of a romance novel at all. The most intense emotional relationship is between the main character and an android avatar for an alien species. While she might have some pants feelings for Captain Squarejaw or whatever his name is, they are insignificant to both the plot and the emotional trajectory of the book.
Which makes me think the reviewer is using "romance novel" to mean "writing of poor quality", which, well. I have some Feelings about said equation, which can be summed as: Genre writing can be written well or written badly, but no genre is characterized by bad writing. You can put that in your pipe and smoke it.)
Kvetching aside, Astray def did me a solid in the small hours the last couple nights I've had insomnia. I totally moved on to book 2, and that despite a somewhat egregious cliffhanger.
(Also, and this doesn't have anything to do with anything, I legit thought the name of this book was Ashtray for an embarrassingly long time, like most of the way through the book. I was so intrigued: what did a butt can have to do with space opera??? Lol, I'm a dingdong.)
(Second addendum: I saw a review which thought Astray "veered too close to a romance novel" which I have to call serious nonsense on. There is the absolute thinnest of a romantic thread, like gossamer vapor, but it doesn't have the sensibility of a romance novel at all. The most intense emotional relationship is between the main character and an android avatar for an alien species. While she might have some pants feelings for Captain Squarejaw or whatever his name is, they are insignificant to both the plot and the emotional trajectory of the book.
Which makes me think the reviewer is using "romance novel" to mean "writing of poor quality", which, well. I have some Feelings about said equation, which can be summed as: Genre writing can be written well or written badly, but no genre is characterized by bad writing. You can put that in your pipe and smoke it.)
May 25, 2024
Despite a little bit of a clunky start - it jumped into the thick of things so fast I wondered if I'd missed a previous book or series - I really enjoyed this book. It's a very large cast of characters, so this first book is mostly about getting to know them all and the framework of this world/series ... but the setup is a good one, and I'm super excited to see where it goes.
Re-read May 2024
Reading Cherry's spin-off trilogy was so fun I wanted to double back and re-read Nora's series. As I mentioned in my original review, this is a slow starter, but hang in there. The series gets more and more compelling as it goes.
As an aside, man it's weird coming back to 19 year old dumbass Cherry after just reading her spin-off showing adult, savvy Cherry. But she was a spectacular dumbass in this book.
Re-read May 2024
Reading Cherry's spin-off trilogy was so fun I wanted to double back and re-read Nora's series. As I mentioned in my original review, this is a slow starter, but hang in there. The series gets more and more compelling as it goes.
As an aside, man it's weird coming back to 19 year old dumbass Cherry after just reading her spin-off showing adult, savvy Cherry. But she was a spectacular dumbass in this book.
June 25, 2024
Exciting beginning to a fabulous SF series
This is Book 1 of what is basically a five-part, serialized, SF novel. None of the books stand alone. To experience the complete story, it is important to read all five books, and read them in order.
This first book introduces all of the major players who appear throughout the series. The FMC is Nora Devi, the xeno-archaeologist referred to in the name of this series. Nora is a 29-year-old widow who lost her husband five years ago in a 12-year-long, interplanetary war between Capitoline and Palantine, which only recently ended, and which resulted in half a million military casualties and over a million civilian deaths. Nora's in-laws are wonderful people, who invited her to stay with them on their small farm, but she is a loner by nature and took another path. She has her own small, well-fitted spaceship and works as a tagger, someone who patrols the border areas between Capitoline and Palantine. She specifically is looking for possible xeno-archaeological excavation sites. During the process, her ship's operating system produces detailed maps of her travels, which generates income when she sells them. She also sells mineral samples and, during her many hours alone in space, she builds or repairs clockwork toys, which she sells at the marketplace on the Capitoline Border Station.
The actual cause of the end of the brutal war was when 30-something Captain Liam Kimani of the Royal Navy of Capitoline captured Prince Dominic of Palantine. Rather than being publicly lauded for this crucial feat, Liam has been scapegoated for the humiliation of Prince Dominic, a ridiculous concept that exists because of the dangerous flaws in the interplanetary political systems run by all-powerful, despotic monarchs. Liam has been ordered, for the next five years, to take himself and the crew of the battle-cruiser RC Genghis Khan to patrol the border areas of Capitoline space. It is on the Border Station where Liam and Nora first meet.
This series is told from the dual POV of Nora and Liam. In this first novel, we meet another absolutely crucial and completely wonderful character, Jonah, an AI, humanoid android with an astounding origin and tremendous abilities. We are also introduced to another central character throughout this series, a 10-year-old orphan named Aria Kelly. Additionally, Nora's half-sister, Cheryl ("Cherry") Pendit, plays a crucial part in this first book, is in every book of this series, and is the FMC of a spin-off trilogy of this series.
There are so many subcharacters in this series, I was tempted to make a list of them just to keep track of all of them. Instead I just highlighted all the names in my Kindle version, and when I would forget who somebody was, I would use the Kindle search function to look them up.
The important background history of the six planets mentioned in this series was initially quite intimidating to me to keep track of. But, fortunately, it actually can be summed up in less than 500 words, and those words are repeated in each of the five books so, after a while, the crucial details finally stuck in my mind.
I would not characterize this series as SF romance, because it takes a while for Nora and Liam to get together, and when they do, it is basically a case of instalove and immediate eternal commitment. However, given their mutual, political circumstances, it makes sense that it happens that way, and it allows them to function together onstage in meaningful ways, above and beyond romance, that are absolutely riveting.
More than anything else, this series is about the creation of a "found family" AKA "family of affiliation," based on love and loyalty. That is my absolute favorite theme in both romance fiction and women's fiction in general. For that reason, and the fact that the action-adventure portions are quite enthralling, I absolutely loved every single book in this series.
I experienced this series not only in Kindle format but also in audiobook format. I was really glad to have both, not only for keeping track of important information in the Kindle edition, but to be able to keep listening to the story in those moments of my day when I was engaged in activities that did not allow me to focus on a page of print. This is the type of story that I just could not stand to put down.
In short, I rate this book 5 stars and the series as a whole as 5 stars.
This is Book 1 of what is basically a five-part, serialized, SF novel. None of the books stand alone. To experience the complete story, it is important to read all five books, and read them in order.
This first book introduces all of the major players who appear throughout the series. The FMC is Nora Devi, the xeno-archaeologist referred to in the name of this series. Nora is a 29-year-old widow who lost her husband five years ago in a 12-year-long, interplanetary war between Capitoline and Palantine, which only recently ended, and which resulted in half a million military casualties and over a million civilian deaths. Nora's in-laws are wonderful people, who invited her to stay with them on their small farm, but she is a loner by nature and took another path. She has her own small, well-fitted spaceship and works as a tagger, someone who patrols the border areas between Capitoline and Palantine. She specifically is looking for possible xeno-archaeological excavation sites. During the process, her ship's operating system produces detailed maps of her travels, which generates income when she sells them. She also sells mineral samples and, during her many hours alone in space, she builds or repairs clockwork toys, which she sells at the marketplace on the Capitoline Border Station.
The actual cause of the end of the brutal war was when 30-something Captain Liam Kimani of the Royal Navy of Capitoline captured Prince Dominic of Palantine. Rather than being publicly lauded for this crucial feat, Liam has been scapegoated for the humiliation of Prince Dominic, a ridiculous concept that exists because of the dangerous flaws in the interplanetary political systems run by all-powerful, despotic monarchs. Liam has been ordered, for the next five years, to take himself and the crew of the battle-cruiser RC Genghis Khan to patrol the border areas of Capitoline space. It is on the Border Station where Liam and Nora first meet.
This series is told from the dual POV of Nora and Liam. In this first novel, we meet another absolutely crucial and completely wonderful character, Jonah, an AI, humanoid android with an astounding origin and tremendous abilities. We are also introduced to another central character throughout this series, a 10-year-old orphan named Aria Kelly. Additionally, Nora's half-sister, Cheryl ("Cherry") Pendit, plays a crucial part in this first book, is in every book of this series, and is the FMC of a spin-off trilogy of this series.
There are so many subcharacters in this series, I was tempted to make a list of them just to keep track of all of them. Instead I just highlighted all the names in my Kindle version, and when I would forget who somebody was, I would use the Kindle search function to look them up.
The important background history of the six planets mentioned in this series was initially quite intimidating to me to keep track of. But, fortunately, it actually can be summed up in less than 500 words, and those words are repeated in each of the five books so, after a while, the crucial details finally stuck in my mind.
I would not characterize this series as SF romance, because it takes a while for Nora and Liam to get together, and when they do, it is basically a case of instalove and immediate eternal commitment. However, given their mutual, political circumstances, it makes sense that it happens that way, and it allows them to function together onstage in meaningful ways, above and beyond romance, that are absolutely riveting.
More than anything else, this series is about the creation of a "found family" AKA "family of affiliation," based on love and loyalty. That is my absolute favorite theme in both romance fiction and women's fiction in general. For that reason, and the fact that the action-adventure portions are quite enthralling, I absolutely loved every single book in this series.
I experienced this series not only in Kindle format but also in audiobook format. I was really glad to have both, not only for keeping track of important information in the Kindle edition, but to be able to keep listening to the story in those moments of my day when I was engaged in activities that did not allow me to focus on a page of print. This is the type of story that I just could not stand to put down.
In short, I rate this book 5 stars and the series as a whole as 5 stars.
June 4, 2024
I’m thinking this might just develop into an awesome space opera! Of course it is first in a series and there are a few small glitches that should work out as we go. Mainly, all the world building information and sciencey stuff comes in just a bit of an info-dump at times… Now, for readers who really like the science-fiction tech stuff, this will probably be a plus. For those readers who are more into the story itself, and only like the technical stuff as far as it furthers the plot, it does slow things down a bit.
Even so, the overall story is great enough to stick to! Nora is an intriguing and sympathetic character, Jonah as her AI sidekick is the perfect foil for helping her succeed and Liam is a hunky, hopefully, love interest to develop as we go. There is excitement and mysteries galore with loads of room for all kinds of space high-jinx to come! I’m in, folks!!
Even so, the overall story is great enough to stick to! Nora is an intriguing and sympathetic character, Jonah as her AI sidekick is the perfect foil for helping her succeed and Liam is a hunky, hopefully, love interest to develop as we go. There is excitement and mysteries galore with loads of room for all kinds of space high-jinx to come! I’m in, folks!!
June 28, 2022
WHAT IS THIS?
I wasn't expecting much from this book, but it really ended up being a pleasant surprise.
Astray is a science fiction novel starring our heroin Nora, who is a zeno archeologist and a woman with many secrets.....
I wish I could tell you more than that, but I feel like if I did it would ruin the story. Instead I'll passingly mention some themes in this book that really appealed to me and drew me in....
1. A slow burn romance
2. AI/Android who becomes a pivotal character and friend to our protagonist
3. Humans who have super powers from coming in contact with ancient alien tech
4. Nerdy sci fi stuff
5. GREAT CHARACTERIZATION
The last being the biggest thing that drew me in.
I won't lie. This book has a bit of a slow start. But the pacing that Jenny Schwartz executes here is brilliant. I was never bored to tears, despite her laying a lot of ground work as the foundation to both the characters and the story. Because this world that she's created is complex, and so are its characters. So for her to write this in such a way that it wasn't a complete information dump showed the level of skill and expertise of her pacing and writing.
Due to this, not a ton happens in the beginning of the story, although things pick up quite nicely near the end. Nora is a sharp witted and capable character. She's not your traditional badass, which was refreshing, but I sense it coming later in the series.
Overall I was just really impressed with this book. It gave me a mix of Kate Daniel's and Sirantha Jax vibes if you've ever read either of those series. And I can say if you have, then this is something that shouldn't be missed. 4 stars.
May 10, 2022
Schwartz, Jenny. Astray: Adventures of a Xeno-Archeologist. Xeno-Archeologist No. 1. Kindle, 2021.
The book cover on Astray sends mixed messages, and only one of them has merit. The title suggests we will dig through alien ruins on faraway planets, a la Indiana Jones in space. But the cover art features a picture of the sexy heroine decked out in a costume that harkens back to the covers of Golden-Age pulps. Sadly, the second message is more on point. Australian author Jenny Schwartz writes as much romantic fantasy as science fiction, and Astray is an old school space opera with a romantic twist. Our heroine is cruising along in her spaceship one day when an android magically appears on her bridge. Soon, it is part of the crew and needs to be hidden from a handsome patrol ship captain. There are also space pirates and an orphan to rescue. Suffice it that I wish the scifi tropes here were more plausible. 3 stars.
The book cover on Astray sends mixed messages, and only one of them has merit. The title suggests we will dig through alien ruins on faraway planets, a la Indiana Jones in space. But the cover art features a picture of the sexy heroine decked out in a costume that harkens back to the covers of Golden-Age pulps. Sadly, the second message is more on point. Australian author Jenny Schwartz writes as much romantic fantasy as science fiction, and Astray is an old school space opera with a romantic twist. Our heroine is cruising along in her spaceship one day when an android magically appears on her bridge. Soon, it is part of the crew and needs to be hidden from a handsome patrol ship captain. There are also space pirates and an orphan to rescue. Suffice it that I wish the scifi tropes here were more plausible. 3 stars.
July 17, 2021
Most of the science fiction books I read are full of “hard science”. I read them not only for the story lines but for the information about current and possible future discoveries, inventions, and social issues. Jenny Schwartz’s book has little hard science and what little there is full of improbable ideas.
So why did I enjoy reading it? This book is just fun, escapist entertainment! The storyline moves along quickly, there are interesting characters, a female protagonist, mystery, suspense, human interest, and even a little romance.
I’ve already preordered the sequel!
So why did I enjoy reading it? This book is just fun, escapist entertainment! The storyline moves along quickly, there are interesting characters, a female protagonist, mystery, suspense, human interest, and even a little romance.
I’ve already preordered the sequel!
August 28, 2021
Not sure what to think about this book. It veered awfully close to a romance novel posing as a sci-fi tale. Much of the story was quite predictable which diminished the plot. I’m going to read the second book when it is released. Perhaps it will eclipse the first story. Time will tell.
October 18, 2023
Okay-ish.
FL/ NORA DEVI:- A xeno-archeologist turned a tagger who sells her space routes and data. She grew up in very harsh conditions but somehow escaped them to be where she is today. With an absent mother and a father who knows nothing about her, Nora has many secrets. As readers, we get hints that she has royal blood, along with the blood of the Forgotten—escaped Originals from the colonising expedition ships that accidentally ended up in other part of space and lost connection to earth ages ago. She was also widowed in the war of the now two groups: Palantine and Capitoline.
ML/ LIAM KIMANI:- Captain of a battlecruiser and exiled to Border Station after controversially capturing a royal Prince and ending the war. He plays a guitar. (I know).
Review:-
The world is very poorly set-up.
I know I am starting with complaints, but here we go.
There are too many scientific words riddled in a jumbled mess with little to no explanation. It took quite a bit of energy to stay focused and remember the information provided, while also trying to make sense of what was happening. To add, there were too many long sentences making up entire paragraphs worth of this.
The author should have taken her time in building the world first and not throwing in random words that are hard to consume for anyone other than a space junkie.
Within all this mess, I had to look for my characters and how to form opinions about them. What to base my opinion of them on? Even then there is barely anything I can tell you.
The saving grace—the PLOT.
The only reason I kept turning those pages and coming back, even though I found myself taking longer breaks before getting back to this book.
P.s. If you can tolerate a but of hardy read, go ahead. But it's not reader-friendly to the point where it flows.
FL/ NORA DEVI:- A xeno-archeologist turned a tagger who sells her space routes and data. She grew up in very harsh conditions but somehow escaped them to be where she is today. With an absent mother and a father who knows nothing about her, Nora has many secrets. As readers, we get hints that she has royal blood, along with the blood of the Forgotten—escaped Originals from the colonising expedition ships that accidentally ended up in other part of space and lost connection to earth ages ago. She was also widowed in the war of the now two groups: Palantine and Capitoline.
ML/ LIAM KIMANI:- Captain of a battlecruiser and exiled to Border Station after controversially capturing a royal Prince and ending the war. He plays a guitar. (I know).
Review:-
The world is very poorly set-up.
I know I am starting with complaints, but here we go.
There are too many scientific words riddled in a jumbled mess with little to no explanation. It took quite a bit of energy to stay focused and remember the information provided, while also trying to make sense of what was happening. To add, there were too many long sentences making up entire paragraphs worth of this.
The author should have taken her time in building the world first and not throwing in random words that are hard to consume for anyone other than a space junkie.
Within all this mess, I had to look for my characters and how to form opinions about them. What to base my opinion of them on? Even then there is barely anything I can tell you.
The saving grace—the PLOT.
The only reason I kept turning those pages and coming back, even though I found myself taking longer breaks before getting back to this book.
P.s. If you can tolerate a but of hardy read, go ahead. But it's not reader-friendly to the point where it flows.
August 18, 2021
Astray is the first book in The Adventures of a Xeno-Archeologist series by Jenny Schwartz.
4 The Vulnerable, The Innocent, The Hardworking, And Even The Misguided Stars
I honestly believe I’ll have to re-read this book to fully comprehend it. I picked it up, while in a decidedly absentminded state, and after a chapter of blindly reading; stopped and questioned whether I computed any of what the author had presented me with. A lot of the techno-jargon flew over my head, and took an (embarrassingly) immense amount of time to parse out to a degree that I felt comfortable exploring the rest of the book with some limited understanding.
Now, I love to be flummoxed while reading fiction. It makes me undeniably yearn for more! I enjoy testing the boundaries and capabilities of my mind or processing abilities, even while in such a relaxed setting. It’s the draw to read and explore these untold and unfathomable worlds presented in the myriad of books the world has available at this time. This book reminded me of all that mired me in my obsession with the written word and literary escape.
However, I still feel that there was more Schwartz needed to develop in this first book for it to feel complete. There are still too many mysteries, even simply regarding the main character. That the world itself isn’t even fully explained? That we are inexorably tossed into the confusing and altogether alien settings this book takes place in without some background to offer traction? Detracts a star from what this book should receive, in rating, otherwise.
I’ll have to discover the hidden meanings, and secrets behind the interesting characters introduced here, in the next book. Which, all hope rests on there being more books to come after the next.
4 The Vulnerable, The Innocent, The Hardworking, And Even The Misguided Stars
I honestly believe I’ll have to re-read this book to fully comprehend it. I picked it up, while in a decidedly absentminded state, and after a chapter of blindly reading; stopped and questioned whether I computed any of what the author had presented me with. A lot of the techno-jargon flew over my head, and took an (embarrassingly) immense amount of time to parse out to a degree that I felt comfortable exploring the rest of the book with some limited understanding.
Now, I love to be flummoxed while reading fiction. It makes me undeniably yearn for more! I enjoy testing the boundaries and capabilities of my mind or processing abilities, even while in such a relaxed setting. It’s the draw to read and explore these untold and unfathomable worlds presented in the myriad of books the world has available at this time. This book reminded me of all that mired me in my obsession with the written word and literary escape.
However, I still feel that there was more Schwartz needed to develop in this first book for it to feel complete. There are still too many mysteries, even simply regarding the main character. That the world itself isn’t even fully explained? That we are inexorably tossed into the confusing and altogether alien settings this book takes place in without some background to offer traction? Detracts a star from what this book should receive, in rating, otherwise.
I’ll have to discover the hidden meanings, and secrets behind the interesting characters introduced here, in the next book. Which, all hope rests on there being more books to come after the next.
July 21, 2021
Wonderful story with an interesting setup
What a great start to a series. I love the three dimensional characters and the complex world building. And a female main character who is truly independent, flawed but not in an inconsistent way with her independence, smart but not omnipotent or good at everything. Her personal history makes sense in terms of where she’s at in her life and how she responds to people and situations.
Even the love interest is enjoyable not because everything falls into place but because it doesn’t, feels real and gives you something to look forward to without it being the center of attention.
And I love what I have seen of the Android AI partner.
Excellent writing without awkward editorial mishaps or heaps of spelling mistakes either.
I am really happy to have discovered a new author (for me) whose writing I thoroughly enjoy even if that means getting a lot less sleep than I should while I catch up with her work so far.
What a great start to a series. I love the three dimensional characters and the complex world building. And a female main character who is truly independent, flawed but not in an inconsistent way with her independence, smart but not omnipotent or good at everything. Her personal history makes sense in terms of where she’s at in her life and how she responds to people and situations.
Even the love interest is enjoyable not because everything falls into place but because it doesn’t, feels real and gives you something to look forward to without it being the center of attention.
And I love what I have seen of the Android AI partner.
Excellent writing without awkward editorial mishaps or heaps of spelling mistakes either.
I am really happy to have discovered a new author (for me) whose writing I thoroughly enjoy even if that means getting a lot less sleep than I should while I catch up with her work so far.
November 1, 2021
Space opera
I was lost at the beginning but slowly pieced it together.
Complex world building with multiple characters, this is a promising start to a space opera
Could use another round of proofreading, but I'd read this again.
Read in KU
I was lost at the beginning but slowly pieced it together.
Complex world building with multiple characters, this is a promising start to a space opera
Could use another round of proofreading, but I'd read this again.
Read in KU
November 9, 2021
A start to a series and not quite a complete story on its own imo. I enjoyed it, though I'm not sure I'll be picking up the sequels. I liked the detail and thought the author put into the world building, and overall the writing was fine, though it was awkward whenever it dealt with the sole child character, Aria. Aria was not a believable child, and the adults' reactions to her felt like caricatures of regular behavior and emotion. But that was a relatively small portion of the story. The book was lighter on romance than I expected and I felt that it would've been better if the overt romantic elements were left out completely. Subtlety is always the way.
January 13, 2023
Get an editor. I’m reading this rotten lazy over-indulged garbage because I’m feeling off, but the cheap moralising is too cringy.
Enjoy:
Enjoy:
”What the fuzzy slimeballs’ fuzz was she thinking?”
“Um, you did hear the bit where I said the temporary nature of her contract with the gaming club is unusual?”
“I’m not deaf! They’re parading her there among drunk and horny men so that someone buys her contract—” She broke off at his sharp headshake.
“Not someone. You.”
“What?”
He answered patiently. “No matter how you view your relationship, from Cherry’s perspective, at nineteen and still a reckless teenager, she expects her big sister to buy her freedom. For human adolescents, consequences are someone else’s problem.”
Nora opened her mouth, closed it, and slumped back to stare at the ceiling.
“If it helps, there’s no record of her father or brother on the station.”
Nora blew a raspberry.
“Well, that’s mature.”
She straightened to scowl at him. “Nineteen in Angkor isn’t like nineteen somewhere middle class where a teen can still run to mommy and daddy. At nineteen in the towers, Cherry could already have two children. Her coming out to the Hadrian Line isn’t thoughtlessness. She’s trying to force my hand.”
“To force a relationship,” he corrected, and added with a rueful smile. “If Scott and Keith were your family, wouldn’t you want to swap them for someone else?”
Stars damn. Yes, I would. She went back to staring at the ceiling.
“Cherry’s contract costs less than the fuel for this expedition.”
“Fuel is the biggest cost of any expedition. And I need it. I don’t need Cherry.” Abruptly, she bounced out of the captain’s seat. “Cherry is not my sister. Maya made that decision.”
“You can make a different one.”
“And burden myself with Scott’s daughter? You give a leech money once, and you never shake them.”
“Or you show a person kindness, and you change their life forever.” Sitting in his chair while she paced, he had to look up at her. “I pinned all my hopes on you. I was right to do so.”
December 2, 2021
My second series by Jenny Schwartz and I am beginning to love this persons brains. Uncertain Sanctuary is, as of yet, still my favorite. But the writing, and editing, has really improved in the last year. The only thing that is really wrong is that these books desperately needs another 100 pages on them. All her books are short, but with brilliant ideas that I personally think is quite unique.
The Adventures of a Xeno-Archaeologist is no different, featuring Nora as the female lead. She has secrets, secrets that her mother drilled into her the importance to stay hidden. Yet here she is, sticking her nose into things, encountering a first-human encounter with a seemingly lost alien race, an now android who wants to join her on her adventures. Said android might just pack quite a punch when it comes to intelligence gathering and hacker abilities. Things no human could imagine was possible.
It's the sort of slow-but-fast story that features many slice-of-life moments which somehow ends up being a tale of some pretty high stakes games.
Minus points for a kind-of-cliffhanger, but Uncertain Sanctuary was the same: Three short books in a trilogy which could just as easily have been released as a single book.
The Adventures of a Xeno-Archaeologist is no different, featuring Nora as the female lead. She has secrets, secrets that her mother drilled into her the importance to stay hidden. Yet here she is, sticking her nose into things, encountering a first-human encounter with a seemingly lost alien race, an now android who wants to join her on her adventures. Said android might just pack quite a punch when it comes to intelligence gathering and hacker abilities. Things no human could imagine was possible.
It's the sort of slow-but-fast story that features many slice-of-life moments which somehow ends up being a tale of some pretty high stakes games.
Minus points for a kind-of-cliffhanger, but Uncertain Sanctuary was the same: Three short books in a trilogy which could just as easily have been released as a single book.
September 7, 2021
One of those stories where plenty is happening but you don't really feel any pressure or urgency bearing down on you. The heroine is one of those super rare ones who thinks things through, makes rational decisions and does not suffer from excess self-sacrificing tendencies.
It's a soft sci-fi but with a very well built world. I can see things getting very interesting indeed in the sequels as a lot of political tension and intrigue has been set up.
The pace is on the slower side of medium, not breathtakingly fast (which I tend to dislike) or meanderingly slow. I tend to like character driven stories and this one is definitely that. If you enjoy immersing yourself in the world and the story and wandering around discovering new details, then you will love this.
Also, an ancient AI, genetic mutations, lost civilizations, the desendants of the colony ships separated from human sector of space for a half of millennia, a search for the ways for them to possibly re-join the rest of humanity etc. True, there is a lot of telling not showing but because I was told about interesting stuff, I did not mind that much :D
It's a soft sci-fi but with a very well built world. I can see things getting very interesting indeed in the sequels as a lot of political tension and intrigue has been set up.
The pace is on the slower side of medium, not breathtakingly fast (which I tend to dislike) or meanderingly slow. I tend to like character driven stories and this one is definitely that. If you enjoy immersing yourself in the world and the story and wandering around discovering new details, then you will love this.
Also, an ancient AI, genetic mutations, lost civilizations, the desendants of the colony ships separated from human sector of space for a half of millennia, a search for the ways for them to possibly re-join the rest of humanity etc. True, there is a lot of telling not showing but because I was told about interesting stuff, I did not mind that much :D
June 24, 2021
Thoroughly Engaging.
I became a Jenny Schwartz fan with Space Cowboy, appreciating her brand of humor and world building. This is a giant step farther into world building and philosophy. I now feel justified in comparing her with Becky Chambers. They both (as does N.K. Jamison) use their worlds to frame discussions on ethics as they apply to governments, cultures, sentient beings, and the choices before them and venue them. The protagonist in this story is a fiercely independent woman with secrets that keep her safe and alive. What happens in this story is the result of a war ending, how it ended, and the moves of people, gangs, and governments reacting to those reasons/actions. That she's caught up in it is to her lasting frustration and anger. Add in the sentient AI who basically forced himself on her ship, breaching her privacy, challenging her inability to trust and extremely good at hacking, this is a GOOD story.
I became a Jenny Schwartz fan with Space Cowboy, appreciating her brand of humor and world building. This is a giant step farther into world building and philosophy. I now feel justified in comparing her with Becky Chambers. They both (as does N.K. Jamison) use their worlds to frame discussions on ethics as they apply to governments, cultures, sentient beings, and the choices before them and venue them. The protagonist in this story is a fiercely independent woman with secrets that keep her safe and alive. What happens in this story is the result of a war ending, how it ended, and the moves of people, gangs, and governments reacting to those reasons/actions. That she's caught up in it is to her lasting frustration and anger. Add in the sentient AI who basically forced himself on her ship, breaching her privacy, challenging her inability to trust and extremely good at hacking, this is a GOOD story.
August 10, 2021
I enjoyed this! It had an interesting plot, the characters were engaging and it was an enjoyable read.
Got to be honest - there was a lot of world building and I definitely got confused sometimes. The backstory of how the humans got to the current universe was weird and I still don't fully understand it. There are also so many secondary characters, it can be hard to keep track of who is who (especially on the battle cruiser). I wish there was more interaction between Liam and Nora because I enjoyed their limited interaction.
I think part of my problem is it reminds me of T.A. White's Firebird Chronicles (starts with Rules of Redemption) and I LOVEEEE that series. This had a similar vibe, but I wasn't as engaged or as committed to the characters in this story as I was to the Firebird Chronicles.
Despite that, I think this has potential and I'll definitely read the next one.
Got to be honest - there was a lot of world building and I definitely got confused sometimes. The backstory of how the humans got to the current universe was weird and I still don't fully understand it. There are also so many secondary characters, it can be hard to keep track of who is who (especially on the battle cruiser). I wish there was more interaction between Liam and Nora because I enjoyed their limited interaction.
I think part of my problem is it reminds me of T.A. White's Firebird Chronicles (starts with Rules of Redemption) and I LOVEEEE that series. This had a similar vibe, but I wasn't as engaged or as committed to the characters in this story as I was to the Firebird Chronicles.
Despite that, I think this has potential and I'll definitely read the next one.
February 13, 2022
Interesting idea. I hope things get more fully developed as the story continues.
September 18, 2023
3.5 stars.
A very interesting start to the series. I can't but help thinking there might be an earlier series that depicts events alluded to in this book as they really impacted how the protagonists ended up here.
The premise is that humanity decided to do some interstellar migration and ended up somewhere where they can't go back. The 7 ships eventually found 6 inhabitable planets and over 5 centuries the people have adapted themselves to their environments.
Our heroine is descended from one of the original explorers so she's got some extraordinary DNA that's being hunted by the current rulers. She was disavowed by her birth mother and grew up in the slums. She escaped from there and managed to work on some archeological sites and eventually became a Xeno-archeologist.
Our hero is a battleship captain who managed to capture the son of a ruler and ended a decades long war between two ruling empires. But after peace is declared, he was considered an embarrassment and sent to patrol the border region. It is there that he met our heroine and they developed a connection. But the relationship has hardly begun when things started happening around our heroine and she had to leave the region.
Note that this is definitely not a standalone book, but I'm hooked and have already finished the second book!
A very interesting start to the series. I can't but help thinking there might be an earlier series that depicts events alluded to in this book as they really impacted how the protagonists ended up here.
The premise is that humanity decided to do some interstellar migration and ended up somewhere where they can't go back. The 7 ships eventually found 6 inhabitable planets and over 5 centuries the people have adapted themselves to their environments.
Our heroine is descended from one of the original explorers so she's got some extraordinary DNA that's being hunted by the current rulers. She was disavowed by her birth mother and grew up in the slums. She escaped from there and managed to work on some archeological sites and eventually became a Xeno-archeologist.
Our hero is a battleship captain who managed to capture the son of a ruler and ended a decades long war between two ruling empires. But after peace is declared, he was considered an embarrassment and sent to patrol the border region. It is there that he met our heroine and they developed a connection. But the relationship has hardly begun when things started happening around our heroine and she had to leave the region.
Note that this is definitely not a standalone book, but I'm hooked and have already finished the second book!
Shelved as 'ku-tbr'
June 15, 2021Heard about from SBYB HYW June
November 10, 2023
Cliffhanger ending, but decent read.
For my clean readers: violence-murder. Language-but no f-bomb. Romance-not much here, but discussions of potential sex that is not obvious.
For my clean readers: violence-murder. Language-but no f-bomb. Romance-not much here, but discussions of potential sex that is not obvious.
June 7, 2022
Nora Devi escaped the slums and made it to a trade school. She learned to be a xeno archaeologist, which sounds cool even though we never see any of those skills in action.
This is a tight, sci fi story filled with characters having competing interests. Nora wants to be left alone. Aria wants to find her parents who were off searching for something. Then there are the royals, who want much more than anyone else.
Add to the mix the captain of the Genghis Khan, a nice lonely guy who see a spark of interest in Nora.
What starts as an interesting but relaxed story quickly ratchets the tension up. The Genghis Khan finds something. Aria knows more than she lets on. And Nora has some secret skills of her own.
Great editing and a tight story add up to 5/5*
This is a tight, sci fi story filled with characters having competing interests. Nora wants to be left alone. Aria wants to find her parents who were off searching for something. Then there are the royals, who want much more than anyone else.
Add to the mix the captain of the Genghis Khan, a nice lonely guy who see a spark of interest in Nora.
What starts as an interesting but relaxed story quickly ratchets the tension up. The Genghis Khan finds something. Aria knows more than she lets on. And Nora has some secret skills of her own.
Great editing and a tight story add up to 5/5*
May 22, 2022
10/10: There is no comparison...This is the Mona Lisa of the fictional world!
I took my gaze from the stars and my life went astray.
Very much enjoyed this first book in the series. I've since gone to to read (devour) the rest and am eagerly awaiting the final book's release.
“Is being a good man the same as nice guys finishing last?”
I am a sucker for a strong male lead being the captain of a ship. I loved Captain Kimani. He, more than anything, made this book awesome for me.
Just my sort of story.
I took my gaze from the stars and my life went astray.
Very much enjoyed this first book in the series. I've since gone to to read (devour) the rest and am eagerly awaiting the final book's release.
“Is being a good man the same as nice guys finishing last?”
I am a sucker for a strong male lead being the captain of a ship. I loved Captain Kimani. He, more than anything, made this book awesome for me.
Just my sort of story.
December 31, 2021
Gripping Space Opera
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
This is the first book in a continuing series. The book ends at a natural break in the narrative, but definitely continues in future books.
Nora is a solo tagger. After the end of the war that killed her husband she takes his insurance money and buys a small ship and flies off into unknown territories to map space and tag interesting finds. She leads a very quiet life as her secrets could get her killed. She doesn’t let anyone in just in case they could get hurt too. Then her quiet life is upended by an alien AI, masquerading as an android, who wants company after thousands of years of observing. Every step after she accepts the AI, Jonah, is as a direct consequence of that acceptance and it certainly isn’t a safe and quiet life she is living anymore.
It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book. The world-building required quite a lot of information to passed on in order to start telling the story. Once that set-up was done, the book flew by. I found the characters intriguing, especially Nora, who dragged herself out of the tenements during the war. She went to trade school and trained as kind of jack of all trades who supported a team of Xeno-Archeologists and she got her Xeno-Archeology degree whilst working with them. She has LOTS of secrets and we only get a taste of some of them in this book. It’s fascinating to see how each layer of her character is peeled back in each chapter.
Liam, is the captain of a the one and only battle cruiser working in the border regions, banished for political reasons and he is not only the love interest for Nora, but also an important character within the plot. In fact there is little interaction between the two main characters despite their mutual attraction. He’s intelligent, ambitious and caring towards his crew. He seems like a moral man who longs for something a bit more normal after the war.
There is so much going on with this plot that it felt like the chapters flew by. I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story was well constructed and the author kept a tight grip on where it was going at all times. I definitely want to know more about these characters and what’s going to happen to them next as they are intriguing as is the world in which they live.
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
This is the first book in a continuing series. The book ends at a natural break in the narrative, but definitely continues in future books.
Nora is a solo tagger. After the end of the war that killed her husband she takes his insurance money and buys a small ship and flies off into unknown territories to map space and tag interesting finds. She leads a very quiet life as her secrets could get her killed. She doesn’t let anyone in just in case they could get hurt too. Then her quiet life is upended by an alien AI, masquerading as an android, who wants company after thousands of years of observing. Every step after she accepts the AI, Jonah, is as a direct consequence of that acceptance and it certainly isn’t a safe and quiet life she is living anymore.
It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book. The world-building required quite a lot of information to passed on in order to start telling the story. Once that set-up was done, the book flew by. I found the characters intriguing, especially Nora, who dragged herself out of the tenements during the war. She went to trade school and trained as kind of jack of all trades who supported a team of Xeno-Archeologists and she got her Xeno-Archeology degree whilst working with them. She has LOTS of secrets and we only get a taste of some of them in this book. It’s fascinating to see how each layer of her character is peeled back in each chapter.
Liam, is the captain of a the one and only battle cruiser working in the border regions, banished for political reasons and he is not only the love interest for Nora, but also an important character within the plot. In fact there is little interaction between the two main characters despite their mutual attraction. He’s intelligent, ambitious and caring towards his crew. He seems like a moral man who longs for something a bit more normal after the war.
There is so much going on with this plot that it felt like the chapters flew by. I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story was well constructed and the author kept a tight grip on where it was going at all times. I definitely want to know more about these characters and what’s going to happen to them next as they are intriguing as is the world in which they live.
May 5, 2022
This book surprised me. I generally live off of a steady diet of fantasy books of various sub genre's but some of my authors write in varied genres and through some of those authors I found myself reading this series that is completely different from what I usually read in every way. And I am so glad that I found this series!
Once I started reading, I could not stop. This book really drew me in and just was a delight to read. I loved getting to know the characters and the world. I loved Nora and Jonah. The characters were fantastic.
Admittedly there were many things that took me a bit to grasp and I'm not sure if it is because of this series worldbuilding or because I'm not familiar with things that might be common to the sci fi genre. But it never hindered my enjoyment of the story.
I am going to immediately dive into the next book. I could easily see myself rereading this series in the future.
Steam Content: Super Sweet. Just one sweet kiss.
Once I started reading, I could not stop. This book really drew me in and just was a delight to read. I loved getting to know the characters and the world. I loved Nora and Jonah. The characters were fantastic.
Admittedly there were many things that took me a bit to grasp and I'm not sure if it is because of this series worldbuilding or because I'm not familiar with things that might be common to the sci fi genre. But it never hindered my enjoyment of the story.
I am going to immediately dive into the next book. I could easily see myself rereading this series in the future.
Steam Content: Super Sweet. Just one sweet kiss.
August 8, 2023
For the entire series:
I noticed the author threw in a few words that 99% of readers would have to Google, as if she found the most difficult to pronounce obscure word that Merriam-Webster's thesaurus offered. A handful in each book took me out of the story every time. Sometimes I was reading the story but thinking about what the next absurd word could be.
The climax was abrupt and I kind of feel like the final book was mostly snapshot scenes of wrapping things up. "Oh I forgot about that, well here is a half page scene where these characters randomly address it and done." Just one hastily tied bow after another to wrap up 5 books worth of dangling plot threads.
I feel like this series needs a polishing, but it was incredibly engaging and I really did enjoy reading it. I definitely think it's worth your time.
I noticed the author threw in a few words that 99% of readers would have to Google, as if she found the most difficult to pronounce obscure word that Merriam-Webster's thesaurus offered. A handful in each book took me out of the story every time. Sometimes I was reading the story but thinking about what the next absurd word could be.
The climax was abrupt and I kind of feel like the final book was mostly snapshot scenes of wrapping things up. "Oh I forgot about that, well here is a half page scene where these characters randomly address it and done." Just one hastily tied bow after another to wrap up 5 books worth of dangling plot threads.
I feel like this series needs a polishing, but it was incredibly engaging and I really did enjoy reading it. I definitely think it's worth your time.
October 20, 2021
Engaging!
A first book in a series has to do a lot of different things: grab your interest, keep it, introduce key characters, make you care enough to keep reading, introduce the world or universe they inhabit, and make their lives interesting and believable.
The author has done all that.
She also has a deft hand with dialogue.
The synopsis explains what the story is about, so I won't waste your time repeating it.
There is one thing I don't understand, and it may be that I missed it. I tend to read first series books quickly.
The Originals. I felt the explanation for something so important was inadequate for the reader.
Maybe the second book will make it more plain.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys space opera that is character based.
A first book in a series has to do a lot of different things: grab your interest, keep it, introduce key characters, make you care enough to keep reading, introduce the world or universe they inhabit, and make their lives interesting and believable.
The author has done all that.
She also has a deft hand with dialogue.
The synopsis explains what the story is about, so I won't waste your time repeating it.
There is one thing I don't understand, and it may be that I missed it. I tend to read first series books quickly.
The Originals. I felt the explanation for something so important was inadequate for the reader.
Maybe the second book will make it more plain.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys space opera that is character based.
February 11, 2022
good intro to a series
I’m always excited to find a clean sci-fi author, and this series has a female main character to boot!
What I liked: an interesting world setup, Nora as a main character, and the crew and Captain of the battle cruiser.
What I didn’t care for: the pace of the story is very slow, clearly intended to carry on in further books. The character development and backstory meandered at times, and I didn’t understand some of the “scientific” parts, which don’t seem to jive at all with real life physics: the black hole stuff and the cyclones/tornadoes in space (sorry, that’s not a possibility). I will try the next book in hopes the relationships develop more.
I’m always excited to find a clean sci-fi author, and this series has a female main character to boot!
What I liked: an interesting world setup, Nora as a main character, and the crew and Captain of the battle cruiser.
What I didn’t care for: the pace of the story is very slow, clearly intended to carry on in further books. The character development and backstory meandered at times, and I didn’t understand some of the “scientific” parts, which don’t seem to jive at all with real life physics: the black hole stuff and the cyclones/tornadoes in space (sorry, that’s not a possibility). I will try the next book in hopes the relationships develop more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews