Adventures In Jenny’s Universe
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It’s Jenny’s universe, and we’re all just living in it.
I recently published an article on author Jenny Schwartz’ fabulous sci-fi series Adventures Of Xeno-Archeologist (XA). This amazing series led me to read more of the author’s work, starting with the followup series, The Delphic Dame (DD).
This trilogy follows after the five books of the XA series, and while it does have some familiar characters in it, the main protagonist is Cherry, the sister of the lead character from XA. While XA took place exclusively within a series of star systems known as the Human Sector, the Delphic Dame (the name of Cherry’s ship as well as the name of the series) is more far-ranging. And while XA referenced alien species who had come and gone and were only known by the ruins they left behind, DD introduces us to actual aliens, some of whom are humanoid and some of whom are very much not.
I did enjoy it immensely, although not nearly so much as the first series. XA is so fantastic that it sets a very high bar. Nonetheless, I can unequivocally recommend the Delphic Dame series also.
The next Schwartz meal I gulped down was the Interstellar Sheriff series, which was four books, featuring a very well-balanced male and female relationship, with the story split between both their viewpoints. The story is set in the Saloon Sector of this particular universe, which is essentially the Wild West of outer space. This series was quite fun, featuring lots of very non-human aliens and posing some very interesting questions about what makes a person a person. For example, at what point of development does an artificial intelligence stop being a tool and instead become a sentient being? There are space battles, humorous exchanges, politics on the galactic stage..so much good stuff.
On to the Uncertain Sanctuary trilogy, which is somehow a combination of science fiction and fantasy. I cannot say much about this without ruining the delight of discovery, so I don’t want to discuss the background or plot points. But it has a lovely romance, magic, science, lots of non-human characters, and a fascinating universe which is built in a way I’ve never seen in any other series before. Fantastic stuff. I will take a moment to say that all of these books I’m mentioning in this post are available for free on Amazon if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, which is definitely worth every penny. Nevertheless, like the XA series, I bought all these books. I just had to have them.
There are two other books written in the same universe, with each showcasing different characters and plots. That duo is called Hidden Sanctuary. I enjoyed both those books immensely…but not quite enough to buy them.
Next, I tried a series called The Collegium. This was quite different from the other Schwartz books I’d read so far. They were much more mainstream, in a sense…there are seven books in the series, each one a standalone. They feature sorcerers, demons, shifters, and djinn, and are set in modern times in an alternate Earth. Unlike the closed-door relationships in the other series mentioned so far, these books feature explicit sex. Not too much (unlike Sarah J. Maas, who really bogs down her otherwise fantastic books with WAY too much explicit sex), but definitely some steamy scenes. I’m not opposed to explicit sex in a book, necessarily…it can be skimmed over, for the most part, if the reader is uninterested. But these books did not have the really interesting and philosophical discussions featured in the other Schwartz series I’d read so far. And the characters weren’t nearly as compelling as in her other stories. I think I was five books in before I lost interest and quit the series. They are perfectly fine stories, but nowhere near as interesting as I expect from Schwartz.
The same was true for the next series I tried, Old School. The seven-book series is set on an alternate Earth in the modern era, and features magic and magical creatures of various kinds. And explicit sex. I did read the first book but then I quit the series. Just not that interesting.
I had better luck with the Faerene Apocalypse series. I don’t want to say too much about the background or the plot, because letting all that unfold in the author’s good time is one of the great delights of the series. I honestly loved every single bit of this storyline, which comprised five books, all featuring the same set of characters and essentially one continuous story. The “apocalypse” part of the series title is quite literal. The author includes lots of interesting information about survival when technology fails and society breaks down. I did wonder how I’d do if our whole world was knocked back to about the Renaissance in terms of available technology. Not well, I imagine…I really like my creature comforts and my leisure activities. Again, although this series is available for free on Amazon via Kindle Unlimited, I bought all five books. Had to have them! Although, since they’re ebooks, in the event of an apocalypse, I’d be unable to read them…
On to the Shamans and Shifters Space Opera five-book series. This great series is (mostly) science fiction, although the eponymous shamans do wield a form of energy that could reasonably be called magic. As with some (most) of the other series, I don’t want to explain much about it, except to say that both shamans and shifters (people who can take animal form) are offshoots of humanity who have made it into the stars after the whole human race managed to poison the Earth beyond recovery via pollution (generally) and nuclear war (specifically). The series features many non-humanoid aliens, some weighty galactic politics, and plenty of action and adventure for everyone. I should mention that two of the five books are novellas, featuring side plots and minor characters. But the whole thing is delightful and entertaining. Highly recommended.
And finally, the Pax Galactica trilogy. Humanity has finally joined the greater Universal Society on a probationary basis, until they prove (or fail to prove) their worth. The three books are each stand-alone stories, only loosely linked to one another. There are lots of interesting non-humanoid aliens, space battles, philosophy, and general adventure. Oh, and romance, of course. I thought this series was fantastic. If I find that I borrow it from Kindle Unlimited again, I will probably buy all three books.
Now, I am going to mention one more series, which I haven’t read yet. The reason I haven’t read it yet is because only the first book of the trilogy has been published. The other two should be released this year. But I didn’t want to read the first one and then have to wait for the next two. As I’ve been gobbling these various series down in only a couple days each, I thought I’d just wait until I could just binge all three books at once. The upcoming series is called Caldryn Parliament, and I’m looking forward to it. Write faster, Jenny!
The series I’ve mentioned above are not the entirety of Schwartz’ work. There are other series or stand-alone books, some of which I’ve read and enjoyed, but many of which failed to capture my interest enough to even give them a try. But your mileage may vary…
