I feel like this was a case of it’s not you it’s me. I enjoyed the story and read it fairly quickly, but for some reason I just couldn’t feel that emotional pull.

I'm not sure if this book was a good fit for me. Something felt missing from the storyline and I had trouble connecting to the main character. That doesn't mean I hated it, though. I just didn't love it either.

"Silverlegs" happens to be set in a Romanian Empire like set, with all the advantages and disadvantages of living in this time. Its a book about a girl, that would rather be a man in these times, where woman and gay men were only slightly better than stock, and where only brutal strength had a say. The story is brutal, gory, fascinating and absolutely homobophic and women hating, like these times were. Its more of a historical fiction book mixed with a strong heroines story, than anything else. So if you don't like to read books about women be treated like trash, about rape of homophobe man, then this isn't the right one for you.

But I loved it. I loved the honesty of the story, the brutal truth that hid in every sentence. I loved the strong feelings one got while reading and I loved Constanter and Victoria in the end. So much. Like it was so perfect to see, that all this jugular slashing maniac soldiers also have hearts and souls and care for each other as a team.

Would I could have lost without a thought was the ending, that put me into despair and sorrow. I will never recover after this ending! The middle was also a little bit too stretched. But all in all this was a book I would totally recommend, because it was so different from my usual reads and also super exciting and gory.

In the end I can only say you have to read the authors description of the book on Goodreads, because it is hilarious, and I loved the book! It surprised me and is the perfect read for lovers of Nevernight, Kirsten Whites "And I Darken" and Victoria Schwab.

Silverlegs is the first novel in the Seed of Rage series by Camilla Monk. The series is mostly fantasy, but with some darker elements woven into the mix. In short, it’s a grimdark tale. It’s perfect for fans looking for something that’ll give them chills and strong emotions.
It’s a dark and violent world that Constanter has grown up in. And it seems to only get darker with each passing day. Forced to go on the run Constanter finds herself caught up in the life of being a forced soldier – all because she dressed like a boy. Now she’s trying to find a way out of this situation, ideally with her life.
I absolutely love that Silverlegs’ description came with a trigger warning. You don’t see many novels doing that these days. I wish more would do so. Silverlegs’ warnings remind us that the novel is set in a time where homophobia and sexism were common. It also warns of sexual violence, rape, graphic violence, and more. Having read the novel, these warnings are spot on.

Warnings: Read above, the trigger warnings provided by the description were more than enough in this case.
Silverlegs lives up to the expectations set on it as a grimdark tale. It’s dark and heavy and at times ominous. But it has other elements and moments that really bring something new to the plot. Think Gladiator meets grimdark, and you’ve basically got a good feel for this novel.
Constanter’s life has been a tough one. I’ll admit the flashbacks to her past – and the reason she ran – were a little rough for me. Even with the warning that was given. But it was well written, and it made me feel so much sympathy for her character – while also hoping she gets a chance for a better future.
Of course, this is a grimdark tale, so nothing is ever that easy. Constanter instead finds herself in a life shockingly similar to that of a Gladiator. Forced to be a soldier, to train and fight to the death. Here she is in a world where everyone thinks she’s a man – and she’d prefer it that way.
This novel did a good job of showing the biases and dangers of the time. This novel covers everything from homophobia and misogyny to the very dangerous and fatal consequences of those beliefs. And let’s not ignore the impact of religion. How many battles have been waged because of differing beliefs? The war in Sivlerlegs is just another tally on the scale.
Silverlegs is a dark tale, but still an interesting one worth reading. I absolutely adore that they gave readers a warning to the darker content inside (I would not have wanted to be blindsided by some of it). But that’s obviously not the only thing I loved about this book. Really, I loved Constanter and her drive to live and make something for herself.

Okay, first of all. THE COVER. Stunning.

Camilla Monk is so gifted with her story telling. This original novel, has background similarities to Ancient Roman times, but is a completely original book. I 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.

At a deeper level, Silverlegs is a cautionary tale about politics and religion, witnessed through the eyes of a girl who hasn't yet the intellectual tools to understand it and tries to navigate the collapse of her world as best as she can. Constanter is our guide, but unlike her, we readers do understand the big picture of the events unfolding before her eyes —meaning that Silverlegs's premise is basically a potpourri and a retelling of the collapse of the Roman empire, concomitant with its slide into the throes of religious fanaticism, and, ultimately, its descent into the dark age.

This was such a refreshing read, and to have the chance to follow Constanter throughout her journey was both insightful (as someone who hasn't read much about the Roman Empire) and offered me as a reader the chance to offer insight to Constanter's rage. This rage is both her drive and her poison throughout her saga, and, if nothing else, her internal struggle and empowerment will resonate most definitely with readers who've been down that same road, and felt the same anger at being trapped in a body someone else has broken into.

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.

The setting of this book means that women are treated very badly, they are considered the very bottom of the social ladder. It is set in a mercenary camp, during a war, it is as violent as you can get. Our main characters arc is covered in blood. There is nothing light and fluffy about it. And these are all of the reasons I loved it. The author didn't pull any punches, their was no pussy footing around the brutal realities, she laid it all out there for you to see.

I also want to give a huge thanks to both the author and the publisher for including trigger warnings for this book.

A Roman style setting, vicious, well written battle scenes, epic sword fights. A female mc who refuses to be used and abused. Hell yes. Fantasy has been spoiling me lately with some fantastic books and Silverlegs by Camilla Monk is another top notch read. (How badass is the title and cover by the way!!)

Constanter knows how to run. She can run for hours and after being brutally attacked by her step father she draws on this innate talent. She refuses to be his victim anymore, she runs and hides, far away from the family who want to use her and control her. Unfortunately she runs from one danger straight into another. After being mistaken for a boy she is forced to fight for Clearchos, if she loses she dies. Constanter faces each challenge head on, refusing to be cowed. With her supreme speed and savage lust for violence, she slowly says goodbye to Constanter and becomes the feared Silverlegs.

What a fucked up world! The religion of the day is slowly murdering those who worship the old gods, religion is taking over the ruling body, controlling the war. It is happily destroying everyone who doesn't conform to their views. We spend the majority of the book in a mercenary camp, so we don't get a big picture of the outside world, it's all very one sided but I feel as though this will change in book two.

The characters were so well put together. There were characters who were so fleshed out, they were practically leaping off the page, I was convinced they would be in the story for the long haul, next thing you know they are dead. No-one is safe here and I love that. It reflects war and a mercenary camp much better than if everyone had survived.
Constanter is a main character that I know a lot of my bookish friends will love. She works hard to become the badass she is, it doesn't come easy to her. But what sets her apart is her drive, she refuses to backdown. She takes her natural ability and uses it to her advantage. She is burning with rage and uses the opportunities given to her to let it out.

I loved the way Silverlegs came together. I was certain I knew exactly where it was heading only to have all of my expectations blown out of the water. I feel like this is a book where I have to be really careful what I say as I don't want to spoil anyone else's reading experience. Hence the super vague review. I don't even want to mention the supporting cast to much. The setting of this book means that women are treated very badly, they are considered the very bottom of the social ladder. It is set in a mercenary camp, during a war, it is as violent as you can get. Our main characters arc is covered in blood. There is nothing light and fluffy about it. And these are all of the reasons I loved it. The author didn't pull any punches, their was no pussy footing around the brutal realitlies, she laid it all out there for you to see. My poor heart! I cannot wait for book 2.

Silverlegs: Seed of Rage by Camilla Monk, 400 pages.
Camilla Monk, 2019. $4.99
Language: R (163 swears, 51 “f,” 8 “c”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: R
BUYING ADVISORY: HS – NO
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Before she was Silverlegs, she was a girl living on a farm. When events forced her to run away or else be punished severely for her actions, she was mistaken for a boy and taken by mercenaries to fight for them. Slowly, she becomes Silverlegs, but being the best at what she does doesn’t make her life as simple as she imagined.
I was constantly appalled by the crass language used—I never got used to it. With so much disturbance by the language, I found myself distracted from the story and just hoping it would finally end. The premise was exciting, and I did like the story of a girl who works hard to beat a man’s world, I just feel that the story wasn’t put together in a way that helped me enjoy read it. The mature content rating is for rape, prostitution, and mentions of sex (without going into graphic details); the violence rating is for torture and battle gore that permeates most chapters.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

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

it took me a while to get fully immersed in the story but one I did I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed this take on the Roman Empire and found the characters story quite interesting.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. This was fantastic in my opinion! There were other people talking about the cussing in areas bothering them so if that triggers you be aware. However for me as a reader I am pretty resilient and it didn't affect my enjoyment or reading quality at all! I loved the writing, story, characters, details, all of it! Very great reading ride!

An absorbing and interesting journey that follows a young girl's path towards war and violence. The premise and setting of a Roman Empire-like society was novel and though there have been multiple books about a girl fighting as a man I was really drawn by Constanter's inner strength and grit.

I found the end of the book slightly jarring regarding the outcomes of certain characters however, as a whole Monk produced engaging and well defined characters. The plot occasionally meandered however, ultimately became a very interesting, engaging read.

I quite enjoyed this book! It was quite different from many books a read. It has a much darker tone to it, making it seem like a perfect fit for those who enjoy more themes of death and madness. It actually reminded me a teeny bit of Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. While a very loose resemblance, I found the MC to be similar and strong in her own way.I did have some major issues with character development, but otherwise it was above average. We do get to learn a lot about the world though, which more than makes up for it.

Silverlegs :

This book took me a while to get into but once I was in I was truly in. I was invested in the main character and all of their battles; emotional and physical.

It’s not often that you find a book based on war and battle with a heroine. Silverlegs is strong and brave, she is fearless and capable.

Silverlegs hides in plain sight and does a fantastic job at doing so.

The training leading to war, the twists and turns of the storyline. The brutal execution of some beloved characters; this book had me turning pages faster than I initially thought it would.

This book is not my normal ‘go to’ genre and yet it captivated me.

Advance reading copy provided by NetGalley and Red Rogue Press for review purposes.

I decided to pick this book up because of the AMAZING cover. But, never judge a book from its cover as they say.
This book is not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, just was not for me.
I found myself having a hard time to finish this book and to relate with the characters.

When this book popped up to read I jumped on it. This cover is just so amazing and dark. However, this one was a little to dark for me. I don't generally read what books are about but this one I wished I had. I ended up deciding that this one just was not for me. It's very very dark and really I think it would be better suited for New Adult readers as things that happened were a little much for the ya age group.