The Bones of the Earth

By ScottBury

General Fiction

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Language: English Restricted (R)

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445

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Overview Ratings & Reviews

The Dark Age, eastern Europe: the earth has decided to rid itself of humanity with earthquakes, volcanoes and new plagues. Civilizations, even the mighty Roman Empire, crumble under the pressure of barbarian waves that are fleeing worse terrors.

Rejected by his own people, pursued by a dragon, young Javor heads for Constantinople, the centre of civilization, looking for answers to the puzzle of his great-grandfather’s dagger and the murder of his family.

On the ancient, crumbling Roman highway across haunted, deserted Dacia, Javor rescues the beautiful Danisa from a human sacrifice. He cannot help falling in love with her. But Danisa has her own plans, and when she is kidnapped again, Javor has to wonder: what is the connection between his dagger, his lover and his enemies?

The Story Behind This Book

The Bones of the Earth is fantasy that's decidedly different from anything else. It does not romanticize the Dark Ages or Medieval Age, it's not about royalty and it is set in a real time and place that doesn't get much attention in fiction today. All the fantasy novels on the bookshelves seemed the same: an author draws a crude map of an imaginary lands, populates it with races derived from Tolkein, Greek mythology or an awkward mix of the two, and proceeds with a story about a prince, or a princess, that is completely predictable. Dragons are friendly, sometimes cute; all names are either western Celtic or poor attempts to imitate that culture; and characters are flat. This is a story I wanted to read, but could not find.

Media Mentions

Praise and Reviews

When his people are attacked -- first by vicious horsemen, then by an unspeakable horror from the depths of a dark pit -- village outcast Javor finds abilities stirring within that hint he might not be destined for the life of a simple farmer.

Armed with his great-grandfather's special dagger, Javor first sets out to rescue two village girls, then to seek revenge for his parents deaths -- the very beginning of an epic quest where nothing less than the fate of the human race is at stake.

Author Scott Bury demonstrates his considerable writing skills by masterfully weaving a story that, at times, has you holding your breath as you wonder what's coming next. Especially enjoyable is how he plays out Javor's gradual realization of what his true destiny might be.
- Roger Eschbacher, author of Dragonfriend: Leonard the Great, Book 1, on Amazon Review

With his debut novel, Scott Bury has firmly established his place in the fantasy genre. The plot is solid, the pace is quick, and the characters are well written. Typically I read two or three books at a time, jumping from one to the other between sittings. I was not able to do that with this one. My intention to read the first chapter or two failed miserably. Several hours later and I found myself half-way through the book.

When you follow the main character, Javor, you can expect excitement. What you can't expect are the plot twists. The most unforgivable sin in any form of storytelling is predictability. That is not an issue with this book. You never know what's around the next curve in the road, hidden in a dark cave, or even whom you can trust. Just when you think it's safe - WHAM!

The world that Bury writes about is familiar to anyone that is a student of history. He has researched the era for accuracy and deftly blends fantasy with reality. Before long, you begin to wonder if some of his fantastic creatures and characters really existed in our distant past. The story pulls you in, and the action pushes you from one page to the next. It's a heck of a good story, and I highly recommend it.
- KD Rush, on Amazon Review