~ The Periodic Fable ~
Jeh (J. E.) Bruce, Science Fiction &
Fantasy Author
Bio
I'm a former forensic osteologist who specialized in ancient warfare, specifically of the Mediterranean basin during the Bronze Age. I've always been fascinated with ancient history, prehistory, and myths from around the world, as well as astronomy and space exploration, and so I weave these subjects of interest into my tales. While the science fiction/fantasy elements in my novels are, by their nature, largely speculative (although the science is based in fact), the historical and archaeological elements are accurate down to the smallest detail.
PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT CONTACT ME TO PROVIDE PROVENANCE FOR SOME ARTIFACT YOU "FOUND".
I published my first six novels under the name J. E. Bruce, but after a few years, I began hearing from readers that they were finding it difficult to locate my novels because they were getting a lot of false hits when doing an internet (or Amazon) search. As it turns out, since the publication of my first novel well over a decade ago, a novel that is now out of print, a number of other people started writing under a name that started with the initials "J. E." (how dare they!) so my 7th novel was (and all subsequent novels will be) published under my nickname, Jeh. So J. E. and Jeh Bruce are one and the same person. You can always connect with me on twitter @bruce_jeh or Facebook @NovelsbyJehBruce
In the press
Highly decorated Roman Centurion, Arrius Marcus Niger, hadn’t planned on being struck on the head and left for dead in a cold bog, but unfortunately that is what happened. Unsure how long he has been unconscious, Arrius awakens to the continuing sounds of battle and the mysterious black hound. A huge man approaches, draws a sword and speaks to him in a language he cannot understand. Preparing for death, and assuming that his death will be preceded by suffering of a worse kind, Arrius lies hopeless and waiting, but death does not come.
Instead, Arrius is captured, his wounds tended to – of a sorts – and in a delirium of fever and agony he is sold as a slave to a woman who can read his mind and bend his will, amongst other things. He is then dragged across the earth by his mysterious captors (whose very humanity and moral behaviour are highly questionable in various ways) and finds himself at the centre of an ancient alien war in which his own memories seem to be the key to triumph.
The opening to this book is exceptionally strong. Using a first-person point of view, Arrius tells us his story in brief: how he won his freedom from slavery, rose well through the ranks of the army becoming a Centurion to be revered and feared, and how he led his troops gloriously in battle – at least until he led them to their deaths anyway. Now he tells us to heed his warning: there are mightier and more capable enemies out there than even the Romans.
The main strength in this novel is the narrative voice, which remains consistent throughout. Arrius is a flawed protagonist, haunted by his memories of a dark and painful past, yet he tells his story with intelligence and wit, the light tone of the book helping the reader to deal with the more heinous elements of the tale.
Bruce uses a clever technique to fill in the background of the story whilst at the same time continuing Arrius’s journey post-capture. Each chapter begins with a short section from the character’s past as a young Arrius describes the hardships of his life before he became a Centurion. Each chapter then continues with events in the present. As the story progresses, the two narratives become closer together in time until they converge and we are fully able to understand how and why Arrius’s past affects his actions in the present.
The story moves at a good pace tracking Arrius’s journey with his captors as they take him farther than the ends of the earth to save humanity. Elements more akin to classic science fiction narratives play out in this novel but the main focus is on the principal characters and on Arrius’s story, rather than the action taking the key role. That is not to say that the book did not end with some unforeseen twists and turns and has set the plot up well to continue in the sequel.
Perhaps the most rewarding element of the book is the author’s ability to portray the intricacies of human behaviour in a lifelike and believable manner. Through Arrius’s point of view and his own perceptions of events, Bruce explores the effect of dominant relationships on the subservient party, as well as looking at sexual interaction and power struggles.
I am not overly familiar with the intricacies and history of the Roman Empire but Snakestone and Sword certainly made Arrius’s world accessible to me. The level of detail and description was enough to draw me into the story without being too much that it interrupted or detracted from the plot. The blend of scientific experimentation with the fae myth worked surprisingly well and the overall result is an enjoyable and well-executed read.
Elloise Hopkins
Author of the book review blog, "Writing, fantasy & real life"
Reviewing "Snakestone and Sword"
This is a well-crafted thoroughly enjoyable story about the murder of a geologist (Niall) on Jupiter’s moon Io during a mining expedition that takes place in the not-too-distant future. Borrowing Trouble moves less by action on the ground and more through the rush of musings, suspicions, emotional outbursts and fraught interactions of its lead character (Tig), a medical doctor who is caught in her own borderlands while she desperately tries to discover why the heroic geologist she loved was taken by forces that hide behind his own mysterious family boundaries. In an almost atavistic way, Tig’s appropriating the legacy of her dead lover and returning to Earth to find out where it leads is aptly called “borrowing trouble.” Being inside a character when her mindscape is conjured this effectively is both immersive and propulsive. Tig’s running dialogues and monologues likewise provide readers with a rich set of impressions about humanity’s quest to escape Earth’s many tribulations in what Bruce calls “the Deep Dark.” Borrowing Trouble constantly reminded me that whenever we strive to escape our problems “by putting distance between us and them” we not only carry those problems with us but may also enable them to “do us in” in ways that would not have been possible if we’d been able to confront them in the first place. At once a cautionary tale, a telling glimpse into our future, and a murder mystery with an abundance of clues, misdirections and local color, reading this fine book never disappoints and frequently surprises.
David Griesing
Author, "Work Life Reward"
Reviewing "Borrowing Trouble"
When I read the first book I loved it. The second is just as good. If a third comes out I will definitely snatch it up.
Nicol Casarotto
Amazon reviewer
Reviewing "Snakestone and Sword" & "Hide and Sidhe"
Very interesting fantasy book with a unique view of the world of the fae. Great character development of the main character and intriguing plot line that will keep you reading. Will definitely purchase the next volume to see where this goes.
Diego Sierra
Amazon reviewer
Reviewing "Snakestone and Sword"
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