Cover Image: Silverlegs

Silverlegs

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Member Reviews

DNF 64%
This book has so much potential, but i found it to be quite boring. It happends alot, but at the same time it is lots of talking, i felt like it could have been more details, more info...more tell. I also felt a little lost, there were so many fleeting characters and it made it hard to get to know them.

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Sadly I couldn't finish this book when I was fortunate enough to get the ARC. I picked it up again recently and had the same problems I had the first time, so I gave up finishing it now. The story - as far as I've read it - wasn't really bad. The worldbuilding was very well done. But I really couldn't get a connection to the characters and since that is usually the make or break point for me in a book, this was sadly a break.
Maybe it would have gotten better, if I had just continued reading, but I frankly have to much on my pile of shmae to force myself through something that is not really catching me.

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This book was shockingly graphic, I had to put it down multiple times. I'm not sure what I expected but it wasn't that. I loved the world, I loved the political machinations. I'm not a big fan of war-heavy plots. But this was too good to stop reading.

I'm a little worried that there isn't going to be a continuation, as it has been out for quite some time with no follow-up book to see.

There were too many loose endings for this to be standalone. If a second book is ever released I could consider adding a further star. But until then this was a solid 3-star book.

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“What does it matter to us who the boy under the mask is, when the legend is Silverlegs?”

Wow. There was so much pain and blood. This book was graphic, it was painful, and everyone dies. There were trigger warnings of gore and rape. And I knew this, but it was still extremely painful to read. There was one part in particular that I couldn’t stomach. I didn’t think it could get worse. It did.

Even thought I was disgusted most of the time Silverlegs was amazing. Her hurt turned into hate and that hatred turned her into a legend. I need a second part. I need to know what happens next.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this.

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Unfortunately I did not read enough of this book to write a full and proper review. I feel that Silverlegs is miscategorised as YA and should rather be either NA or straight up Adult due to the dark setting. I've put this aside to read a more lighthearted book!

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Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

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Fair warning : This book is not for the faintest of hearts.

3.5 stars

Blood, violent deaths and rape are very present in Silverlegs and while I expected fight scenes and things like that I didn't expect it to be so gruesome and omnipresent. This book follows a young girl running away from home being sent to be a mercenary in a war that has already begun. She will have to grow stronger and faster than the rest of the men to survive and hide her gender.

A lot happened toward the end (view spoiler) and I'm still trying to process (view spoiler) I'm crying and I'm a little angry too but I guess the author succeeded in making me feel for these characters. With that cliffhanger, it's clear that this book isn't actually a standalone like I thought it was but the first book in a series. I found this book interesting and I'm excited to read the next book even though I'm apprehensive (view spoiler). We'll see :)


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

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I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was a difficult read, desperately in need of editing. Poorly thought out and not well written, it felt rushed. The author seems to enjoy writing violence. Graphic violence. Triggering descriptions of assault. Poor dialog. Generally unlikable characters.
1 out 5 stars. Do not recommend.

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A GREAT story! Loved it! Characters were realistic. The cover grabbed my attention right away. Thanks Netgalley!

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I loved this book so much, I worry that I won't do it enough justice with all honesty. From the very first line I was sucked in until I finished the book. It was focused on the war and action with bits of politics and religion here and there.

The story is about this girl, who we never find out what's her real name since she uses her father's name to pretend to be a boy as to not be sexually assaulted or turned into a whore by the mercenaries that finds her. She continues the charades and trains with them and has managed to build a name for herself and became part of the closed circle of the leader. Only when I finished the book did I consider that some people might find her to be a bit of a Mary Sue but I actually loved and enjoyed it so much that I wanted her to be more powerful.

Despite the characters being somewhat horrible, I couldn't help but love the gang so much and loved every banter. I was actually shocked that my ship had any potential.

The book is dark and gritty but I loved almost every part especially the banter and the gore, but disliked the sexual harassment and assault in it. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart and one should read all the trigger warnings before proceeding so they don't feel uncomfortable.

The author explains well the reasons on why she focused on certain aspects of the book and the "controversial parts" to create the setting which I actually enjoyed since it was fresh and didnt shy away from anything.

Overall, I really loved the writing style and the fast pace of the book though I wanted more from the world building. The ending killed me from the inside and reallllllllly wished it wasn't going to end that way but not every book has to have a happy ending to be a good book which is another part that I like but which hurts me so much. I definitely can't wait for next book, especially with that cliffhanger!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

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I was a bit wary of this book as the protagonist is 15 years old, but even though she is young, this book definitely isn’t a kids book.
The story is grim and violent, you’re always wondering if there will be a happy ending for the characters, because at times it seems impossible for things to turn out well.
The world Silverlegs is set in is homophobic and misogynistic, and while it often made my blood boil, the setting made for complex and well rounded characters.

*I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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My rating: 3.5 death is my gift stars

Hear the warnings, kids: rape , violence galore, and tons of profanities in this book.

In a Romanesque world (different names and 2 moons) a farmer girl runaway to ends recluited into a mercenary army as male warrior. Constanter was good at it. Mortal, as a matter of fact.

Uh, I'm debating with myself since yesterday how to rate this. Certainly, not my usual reading preference. I never got to watch Spartacus the series so only can compare this to that excellent HBO's Rome series for the kind of viciousness and show how the real society was. So it's a historical drama. Religion divide the Empire between 2 forces at war (you know is not that simple, but... ) ; one is monotheist and the other worship old gods.


The camp of Clearchos is brutal, the treatment between men is brutal, let alone the treatment toward women and weak men.


Rekrut-Roman-Legionary-58-BC-AD691

Putting ourselves in a historical context, the woman is worth nothing except to make marriage deals if you were high class, but if you weren't, it only remained to be wives or prostitutes. Wise women who healed with herbs were called witches and would be for many more centuries.

So, is it too surprising that a girl prefers to be a man and fight?

--
People didn’t really care for pride in my village, except maybe if someone called you a mollis or they said your wife was a witch. Beyond that, the consensus in our community was that dignity was overrated where survival was concerned. Victrix, with his fica, was the first person who ever made me see that there was pride in me, and who made me consider how much I valued it—evidently more than the two boys who scrambled to pick up the fruit and fought like dogs in the dust.
--


Constanter soon becomes known for his agility and speed as Silverlegs.

And the rage within her, is a rage against everyone and also against her. The victim no longer wants to be one, now she is a predator, but to do so in this brutal world she must still exert a more brutal violence so as not to be discovered.



Deep down, I knew I didn’t belong here with the winners— the predators. But I never wanted to be prey again.



But this is not a tale but a historical drama , do not believe there will be a happy ending. Let's just say that GRR Martin would be proud.

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{En castellano:}

Escuchen las advertencias, niños: violación, violencia en abundancia y toneladas de blasfemias en este libro.

En un mundo románico (diferentes nombres y 2 lunas), una granjera fugitiva iletrada es reclutada en un ejército mercenario como guerrero masculino. Constanter era bueno en eso. Mortal, de hecho.

Estoy discutiendo conmigo misma desde ayer cómo calificar esto. Ciertamente, no es mi preferencia de lectura habitual. Nunca pude ver la serie Spartacus, así que solo puedo comparar esto con esa excelente serie Roma (de HBO) por el tipo de crueldad exhibido y mostrar cómo era la sociedad real. Entonces es un drama histórico. La religión divide el Imperio entre 2 fuerzas en guerra (ya sabes, no es tan simple, pero ...); uno es monoteísta y el otro adora a dioses antiguos.

El campamento es brutal, el trato entre hombres es brutal, y no digamos el trato hacia mujeres y hombres débiles.

Poniéndonos en un contexto histórico, la mujer no vale nada excepto para hacer tratos matrimoniales si eras de clase alta, pero si no lo eras, solo quedaba ser esposas o prostitutas. Las mujeres sabias que curaban con hierbas se llamaban brujas y lo serían por muchos siglos más.

Entonces, ¿es demasiado sorprendente que una chica prefiera ser hombre y pelear?

Constanter llegará a ser conocido por su agilidad y velocidad como Silverlegs.

Y la ira dentro de ella, es una ira contra todos y también contra ella. La víctima ya no quiere serlo, ahora es una depredadora, pero para hacerlo en este mundo brutal todavía debe ejercer una violencia más brutal para no ser descubierta.

Pero esto no es un cuento sino una novela dramática histórica, no creas que habrá un final feliz. Digamos que GRR Martin estaría orgulloso.

I want to read the next one :)

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I enjoyed this one. Silverlegs drew me right in. One of my favorite things was the writing style. I haven't read anything by this author before and now I want to. I've been reading some lighter books, and as a mood reader, this was what I needed to refresh before diving back into some more high fantasy. Besides the excellent atmosphere, I was enthralled by the character building for Constanter from beginning to end. This is a dark, violent and unfair book, which fits with the time period it's based off of. Excited for the next one!

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Esta reseña es de un ARC que conseguí via NetGalley, así que se lo agradezco a la editorial, a la autora y al propio NetGalley. La verdad es que lo primero que me llamó la atención fue la portada, así como la idea de una fantasía inspirada en el imperio romano (echo de menos a las Furias de Butcher) y quería ver qué me traía este libro. Como sabréis, me gusta más bien poco el grimdark, sobre todo si es sangriento o especialmente feo en sus ideas. Así que cuando empecé a leer y lo primero que me encuentro es que está huyendo de su padrastro que iba a violarla pues no me dio muy buena espina. Sin embargo, el libro se redime y, aunque muestra un lado especialmente feo de la sociedad, como es un ejército de mercenarios en una guerra civil, no se ceba en exceso con la oscuridad.

Uno de los momentos más complicados es ver que sigue empleándose la violencia sexual para generar reacciones potentes en los personajes. No es algo que agradezca en las novelas que leo, y, en esta en particular, ya os aviso que hay dos instancias diferentes, si bien en ningún momento se ceba con la descripción del momento en sí (ya que en ambas llegamos a toro pasado). Hay un detalle interesante y es que, en este caso, en vez de emplearse el sufrimiento del personaje femenino para hacer avanzar la plotline del personaje masculino, como suele pasar, nos encontramos con una inversión. Es interesante cómo evolucionan todos los personajes a través del dolor principalmente, y lo poco que emplea los momentos dulces para hacerlos crecer. Por otro lado, los personajes sufren y ven el mundo de una forma desapasionada, buscando la supervivencia y cebar a la bestia que llevan dentro. Es interesante porque muestra de forma convincente los pensamientos y el sufrimiento que lleva parejo el ser capaz de causar daño a otros seres humanos.

La historia en sí es bastante sencilla: la chica consigue huir de su casa, la confunden con un chico y tiene que mantener esa fachada para no ser empleada como parte del prostíbulo (hay un punto interesante porque es la única mercenaria de todo el ejército, el resto de mujeres son todas débiles y parte del campamento "sumisa"). A pesar de lo cual, la que la descubre dice que no es la primera que ve que hace eso, ni la primera guerrera que conoce. Sin embargo, se ve cómo la autora también da valor y fuerza a esa forma de supervivencia. En este caso, podemos ver cómo lo que más critica la autora con su novela son tanto el fanatismo religioso como lo que el ansia de poder hace a la gente. El giro final me lo esperaba básicamente desde la mitad del libro, así que no me ha sorprendido demasiado, pero está muy bien construido para que lo veas venir y esperes que no se cumpla.

En definitiva, se trata de un libro interesante, que, aunque a mí no me ha gustado especialmente por la cantidad de sangre y vísceras, creo que consigue transmitir esa sensación de momento violento y sin verdadero futuro que debían sentir los mercenarios. Tiene también ciertos detalles interesantes en la nota de la autora al final que equilibran y dan un cierto marco a lo que sucede en la novela.

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This was a lot more grimdark than I was expecting! Though not technically grimdark by strictest definition, the story was gritty, replete with violence and hard hitting. It fulfilled the same needs as Grimdark, if you like, and I loved every second of it. Constanter is a young girl struggling to assert agency over her own life in a Romanesque, patriarchal society. She is mistaken for a boy and conscripted for a bloody war. Really that’s all you need to know going in. Don’t expect YA themes because the protagonist is young or because this is a female author (yeah I see you fantasy readers who do this all the time and wrongly) this is very definitely not YA. Constanter’s character arc is intense and compelling. The world building is good and the story is gripping. Can’t wait for the next book.

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I opened the first pages of SILVERLEGS with high expectations. I was not disappointed. I would like to take a moment to quote a passage from the acknowledgments of Camilla's Monk Acknowledgements.

"Next, and oddly enough, I do want to thank the twelve publishing houses who turned down SILVERLEGS..."

Yes, I read the acknowledgments too. Lol. Thank you, Camilla Monk for perusing the route of publishing after these idiots turned down your lush, dark, novel. This just goes to show the reading and writing community that the publishing industry doesn't always know what the market needs. I am a huge fan and can't wait to see the squeal come out. Camilla Monk rocked this novel.

So take that twelve publishing house idiots.

Okay, back to the review. I didn't want to stop when the story kicked off. The pace, internal thought process, determination, rage, revenge, the screwed up situation she finds herself and relies on to not be seen as a feeble girl during this time is simply fantastic.

Now some people will be like 'feeble girl'. That's right I said it. The time frame in which SILVERLEGS takes place is when women are undervalued, seen as mere pleasure objects, and not held in high regard. May some be respected if they do more, yes, but this isn't always the case.

If it came between the male and female, the woman was expendable.

This novel has so much graphic detail, it hits on trigger warning topics (homophobia, misogynistic, rape, violence) and it leaves no doubt in my mind of what harsh conditions await a woman/a Mollis/or commoner of this time. Honestly, this is probably why I loved the story even more given the accurate nature to which these characters were forced to survive. Take off those rose-tinted glasses. Life isn't pretty, the world harbors harsh realities in the dark, and Camilla Monk has tapped into that harsh world in the depiction of her novel.

I loved every part I read in SILVERLEGS and was captivated with the guts of the novel as I was with the cover. I rated SILVERLEGS 5/5 STARS. Thank you, Camilla Monk for writing such a standout novel. I can't wait to read the rest in the series. I'm truly an avid fan.

I received an ARC of SILVERLEGS by Camilla Monk in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of the review.

Let’s be honest here. If it was great or sucked I have no problem writing it out.

Want to see the fabulous Cover Critique of SILVERLEGS? Head on over to the Mother Cover Lover website www.jenarcollins.com

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Let me start by mentioning that I am a Fantasy/PNR lover and literally search out new books and authors to keep up with my past time. So when I came across this book on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read it, and I wasn't disappointed.

Constanter is a young girl living in a "all man" world so to speak. You know, women are better off in the kitchen and used as whores type of world. So when she runs away from home after being assaulted by a family member, returning wasn't an option. Especially after she found a dead soldiers armor and dressed herself in it.

Now that she's wearing the armor and searching for a way to survive, she's kidnapped by mercenaries and thrown in to yet another world. A world she either acts like a boy to survive, or admit her true nature and risk her life as whore. Which one would you choose? I don't blame her one bit.

But something happened while she was "acting" like a boy. She became more. She starting enjoying the bleed shed and the way her rage freed her. So the "acting" continued. But how long can she keep up the act?

This has so many layers of stories and conquests. There are many characters that worm their way in to your heart so much that you'll continue to feel their story even when this one is over.

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!!!

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*TRIGGER WARNING* This book contains several scenes of sexual abuse and rape and may be disturbing to, well, everyone.

I am having a hard time writing this review. I find myself at a loss for words. The graphic and boldly accurate representation of the misogyny of the Roman era society is deeply disturbing and yet enthralling. I was enraptured by the Silverlegs character, the charade of a girl acting as a man, a gritty and hard Mulan-esque story.

Mulan, I’ll run with that comparison. Except our protagonist has run away not to protect her family, but to protect herself from them.

The girl, I'm not sure we know her real name, runs from a disgusting stepfather and his equally abusive sons, and a mother who does not protect her from their leers and touches. When her stepfather finally takes things too far one day, she bashes him in the head and finds herself hiding in a cave, contemplating her seeming love of the violence of it, and sorting through her emotions and battered heart at his assault. In the midst of her rage, she shears off all of her hair, to purge herself of the beauty that damned her.

She is found by a group of mercenaries, who believe her to be a teenage boy. They take her to their camp, where she decides to keep up the charade, and finds freedom in being a man, while being kept against her will, at least at first, as a soldier. She takes her father's name, Constanter, and finds that she is very good at violence. She moves with a grace and lethal swiftness, and the men gift her the name Silverlegs.

Her psychological battle with herself is beautifully written. I love a book that makes me look up words. A book that makes me think, along with feel. If her name is said in the book I can't remember it, I don't think it is. And that says quite a lot. She doesn't just charade as the boy. She becomes him, embraces the power and freedom that a man has versus a woman. She loses all of her identity in becoming him. There is no girl, there is just Silverlegs.

There is a deep exploration in this book of misogyny and homophobia. The Ancient Roman culture is rife with a strangely dysphoric machismo. There is a boy in the book who is raped, and while he is filled with shame, his rapist is not even laughed at for his obvious like of young boys over women. Constanter will obviously never grow a beard or fill out a man's form as she grows, so the camp leader covers it up by calling her a eunuch. There is a distinct hierarchy of manliness that has no logical sense, it goes:

-hetero man
-homosexual man who is the penetrator
-eunich
-mollis (a man who is the penetrated, whether he chooses it or not)
-woman

The plot is suspenseful. The characters are the kind I love, deeply flawed, could easily be the villain, but intriguing. This is the first book in a series, and I will most definitely be buying the rest of the series as it comes out.

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This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:

5*
Let me just leave a simple note: F*ck yessss! This is a freaking masterpiece, I can't believe I didn't hear of it before being given an ARC. I am feeling blessed 😍
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Pros: Bloody, gory, violent and full of anger and revenge. Enthralling portrait of Ancient Rome and war life, sexism and homophobia at the time. Well-written characters, with a great female lead. Very down-to-earth, no sugarcoating. Amazing fight scenes that will take your breath away. Talks about important society issues. Romance takes a background seat in favor of character development.
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Cons: I mean, it broke my heart (aside from that, can't think of a con).
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Trigger warnings: rape scenes and sexual harassment; homophobia, gore and violence.

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Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

Loved it! Not a story for the faint of heart but a story of survival of the fittest. Constanter is a young girl trying to make her way in a world filled with war and hurt. Caught by a band of vicious men who wage war they train her to fight unbeknownst that she is a girl. She survives the only way she can...

What did I like? It’s well written and engrossing. I didn’t want to put it down once I started reading, I really liked the character Constanter and how true to character she stayed. Once she became silverlegs she became unstoppable!

Would I buy this book? Yes, I’m not sure how the author characters this book or what genre, but I was totally lost in the story. Definitely recommend for people who like fantasy and heroines who survive some horrible stuff.

Thoughts for author? I’d definitely beta read for you again. Loved the book!

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