Will you be fast enough?A fifteen-year-old girl with a gift for violence and nothing left to lose, Constanter is running. To escape the farm she grew up on in a remote part of the Western Lorian empire. To forget the family and the life she can never return to. She runs east, toward the distant war she knows only from the tales of travelers—a twenty-year long conflict, opposing the Western and … conflict, opposing the Western and Eastern halves of the empire.
Mistaken for a boy after she stole the gear of a dead soldier, she is captured and drafted by a band of mercenaries whose leader recognizes her innate speed and agility. Her face hidden under a mask, Constanter surrenders to the anger she wears like a second skin and becomes Silverlegs, a legendary killer, an uncontrollable weapon in the hands of power-hungry rulers and religious fanatics.
As the Western empire spirals into madness in the name of the One God, Constanter will have to choose what she truly fights for, before Silverlegs’s rage leads her down the road to hell…
Trigger warning:
Silverlegs is a grimdark fantasy novel set in a world inspired by the late Roman empire. Constanter evolves in an environment that is violent, classist, misogynistic, and homophobic. This book questions religious fanaticism. It contains elements of sexual violence, rape, and graphic violence.more
This author is SO gifted with her story telling. I don’t want to share too much regarding the story line, you can read the ticklers mentioned – This original novel, has background similarities to Ancient Roman times, but is a completely original book. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this novel, and appreciate the author creating a strong female character who uses/ channels her inner rage into becoming Silverlegs , a well-seasoned warrior beast, instead of a proper female. This was an amazing story about a female surviving and thriving in an man’s world, but not in the stereotypical roles that females are presented with. There is action galore as Silverlegs becomes a quite renowned warrior. Friends and enemies are made. Respect is earned the hard way. The author teases me wanting more, and I, oh so, am looking forward to reading the second book. Check out her other books also – you won’t be disappointed!
The protagonist of this Romanesque story is young but this is not a children’s book. This is a story about a young girl struggling to survive in a patriarchal society and actually proving to herself that she can achieve a freedom that she never imagined. Our heroine Constanter runs away from an abusive home only to be mistaken for a boy and conscripted to a mercenary battalion fighting in a holy war that divides the Empire. It’s harsh, brutal and above all deadly in this world Constanter finds herself. Think Gladiator, think Russell Crowe and you will understand how the politics and machinations shape so many lives. There is only one choice and that’s to survive and Constanter is without a doubt born to do that. She is quick witted, fleet of foot and has the stamina that few men can compete with. Yes she’s bloodthirsty, no she’s not as physically strong as some but her journey and victories are hard fought and oh so satisfying.
Rising up from the ashes of who she was Constanter becomes Silverlegs but she’s not alone. There are a plethora of supporting characters who appear here and notably one in particular could have if the author desired become perhaps a love interest. However I hasten to say this is not a romance, it’s quite simply a raw portrayal of a society that celebrates violence and yet ignores those they oppress at their peril. . Expect language you wouldn’t use in polite company, explicit scenes and very disturbing violence. This is both dark and celebratory and I have found a new author to follow.
This voluntary take is of a copy that I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
The author did a great job creating a world that mixes medieval times with a little fantasy. All in all, this was great and I can’t wait to see Constanter do her thing!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I absolutely loved this binge-worthy book along with all of the wonderful characters. The relationship between Silverlegs and the other fighters was really the backbone of the story, and all the fight scenes were quick and captivating, so I think it would appeal to other readers like me who would not normally pick a book based solely on sword fighting. The author did a remarkable job describing what life was probably like for women, and what Silverlegs might have gone through trying to fool everyone. Friendship, trust, betrayal, inner strength, survival, retribution, #metoo, vengeance, guilt, sacrifice, sorrow, loss, courage, justice, and righteous girl power are some of the underlying themes in this thrilling story. This was my first time reading a Camilla Monk book, but I’m now a loyal fangirl and can’t wait to read everything else she’s ever written.
I received a free copy of Silverlegs, but that did not affect my review.
Even though I’m usually going for lighter reads, I love this book so much! Yes, it is dark, gritty, and brutal – but the writing and storytelling is brilliant.
The setting, despite being a fantasy world, feels both familiar and realistic since it is based on Ancient Rome with enough similarites to paint a vivid picture for this Roman history dabbler.
The characters feel all too real, but you might not want to get too attached – your favorite characters likely won’t make it out alive (mine didn’t).
Following Constanter on her journey from fugitive to warrior was an emotional roller coaster ride that broke my heart into tiny little pieces. (Yes, I ugly-cried. More than once.)
Still, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Constanter!
I’m a fan of the author’s other series and wasn’t sure what to expect with this change in genre. The book was a slower start for me but before long I was staying up far too late to read one more chapter.
I’ve always enjoyed adventure story’s with strong female leads and that was exactly what Silver Legs provided. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Thank you Ms. Monk, and thank you Tiffany. There are certain books that you have to take time and read, this is one of them. I like Constanter’s innocence and honesty. The begrudging comradeship forged in dire circumstances. The betrayal, rage and anger, and sadness at the end. I look forward to book 2.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love Camilla Monk’s writing; she is an unbelievably talented author. Silverlegs is a completely different genre and tone than the Spotless series (how I found her originally) but still is a testament to her very impressive skills. I’m not even sure how to classify this book – I’m not sure if it is really fantasy or not – but mostly I come away thinking of it as an epic coming of age for a young woman in a misogynistic time/world. The politics of the world seem rooted in real history, though I honestly don’t know anything about anything so couldn’t tell you for sure (don’t quote me on that).
I loved Constanter’s progression from her escape from her childhood home to becoming Silverlegs. Her determination and will to survive was inspiring. The action and violence were as entertaining as they were horrific. I did find myself a little bored at times, wanting to skim, and I think this is at least in part due to my being a mood reader – where sometimes I want an extremely detailed world and build in between action events, and sometimes I don’t. Overall I found this young woman’s tale very compelling, and I like how this book ends, what the possibilities are for Silverlegs in book two. I don’t think this book will be for everyone – between the violence and the situations a lot of the characters are in or have forced upon them people may want to exercise caution (it is not Spotless!) – but there is no denying it is a really well-written book. Since I would sometimes rate this a 3 and sometimes a 4 depending on my mood when read, I am going with 3.5 stars.