What do you think?
City of Bronze, City of Silver
431 BC. Greece is torn apart by war. The city states split into leagues: one headed by the militarized Sparta, the other by the sophisticated Athens.
Alethea, a young Spartan woman, leaves her home to accompany her brother on the military campaign. Taken prisoner by the enemy and enslaved in an Athenian household, Alethea’s heart is set on revenge. However, her feelings are complicated as she is drawn to her abductor’s amiable cousin, Eucleides.
Meanwhile, Efigenia, a child bride and Alethea’s new mistress, struggles to navigate in a world dictated by men. The rigid norms she lives by are consuming her little by little. Can the arrival of the Spartan help her break loose from her chains?
City of Bronze, City of Silver is a tale of bloodshed and vengeance, oppression and love, set against the backdrop of an ancient civilization steeped in myth.
Saga Hillbom is the author of three historical novels. Her previous works include A Generation of Poppies and Today Dauphine Tomorrow Nothing.
Alethea, a young Spartan woman, leaves her home to accompany her brother on the military campaign. Taken prisoner by the enemy and enslaved in an Athenian household, Alethea’s heart is set on revenge. However, her feelings are complicated as she is drawn to her abductor’s amiable cousin, Eucleides.
Meanwhile, Efigenia, a child bride and Alethea’s new mistress, struggles to navigate in a world dictated by men. The rigid norms she lives by are consuming her little by little. Can the arrival of the Spartan help her break loose from her chains?
City of Bronze, City of Silver is a tale of bloodshed and vengeance, oppression and love, set against the backdrop of an ancient civilization steeped in myth.
Saga Hillbom is the author of three historical novels. Her previous works include A Generation of Poppies and Today Dauphine Tomorrow Nothing.
376 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2020
About the author
Saga Hillbom
7 books45 followersI am the author of several historical novels, such as Princess of Thorns (2021), A Generation of Poppies (2018, 2021), and most recently Wretched Young Things (2024). Currently, I am pursuing a History BA at Magdalen College, Oxford.
You can find more about me and my books on my author website https://sagahillbom.blog/ . If you want to reach out, you can email me sagahillbom02@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram @saga_hillbom_ .
You can find more about me and my books on my author website https://sagahillbom.blog/ . If you want to reach out, you can email me sagahillbom02@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram @saga_hillbom_ .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 12, 2020
As most of you probably know, I love history. Ancient history especially. And I've found it often quite hard to find good books set in ancient times, in the case of this one it's ancient Greece, which I love reading about. So I'm really happy that I found City of Bronze, City of Silver on Booksprout and decided to give it a chance because I highly enjoyed reading it.
The story is set in the 5th century BC with a young woman from Sparta named Alethea as the main character. Another thing that's not easy to find with books set in ancient times, a woman as main character. I'm always looking for those. But anyways, the premise of the book basically is that she goes on military campaign with her brother because she's worried something might happen to him but she gets taken captive and forced to be a slave in a household in Athens.
I'm always drawn to beautifully written books and this one was no exception. The writing style was really gorgeous. Also the characters weren't lacking. I really enjoyed reading about Alethea and how she managed her new life as a slave. Her spartan personality definitely stood out with all the Athenians.
I also wanna say that there were several unexpected twists that I definitely didn't see coming, especially at the end. Oh boy. It definitely took me by guard and kind of broke my heart. But at the same time it made this book all the better because of it. I love books that keep surprising me. And if you do also you should definitely give this book a shot!
The story is set in the 5th century BC with a young woman from Sparta named Alethea as the main character. Another thing that's not easy to find with books set in ancient times, a woman as main character. I'm always looking for those. But anyways, the premise of the book basically is that she goes on military campaign with her brother because she's worried something might happen to him but she gets taken captive and forced to be a slave in a household in Athens.
I'm always drawn to beautifully written books and this one was no exception. The writing style was really gorgeous. Also the characters weren't lacking. I really enjoyed reading about Alethea and how she managed her new life as a slave. Her spartan personality definitely stood out with all the Athenians.
I also wanna say that there were several unexpected twists that I definitely didn't see coming, especially at the end. Oh boy. It definitely took me by guard and kind of broke my heart. But at the same time it made this book all the better because of it. I love books that keep surprising me. And if you do also you should definitely give this book a shot!
July 27, 2020
Since she was a little girl, Alethea had never felt anything but pure fondness towards her older brother Apolonio. their special bond never seized to exist even after his departure for his military training.
Right after the declaration of war, Alethea's younger sister Delina predicted, after having a vision, that Apolonio is going to die if he ever participated in the battles. Alethea was distraught and shattered. but she nonetheless has decided to do the impossible to prevent his doom: she disguises herself as a male soldier and followed him in his military campaign, to fight by his side and protect him.
her heroic plans never came to fruition. She soon was attacked, exposed, and sent home. On her journey back she was taken by the enemy then enslaved in a wealthy Athenian Oikos. enraged and humiliated by her new status, she was adamant about hating and getting revenge from her captures. But doing so was not an easy task when it came to Eucleides. He was ever the gentle soul. Since the first day she steps in their household, she knew he was different. Unlike the other members of his family, he was kind and gentle to everyone. Then he immediately took a special interest in her, asking about her thoughts and opinions as she was his equal.
"City of Bronze, City of Silver" is a beautiful historical fiction, following fictitious characters during accurate events like the war between the Delian and Peloponnesian leagues
I really enjoyed the prose and the characters were diversified and did easily grow on me.
Being a huge fan of mythology, I should by now be immune to all the heartbreak that follows the death of my favorite character, oh but no-no. As much as I was surprised by the twist at the end, I couldn't help feeling also sad about what happened. But then again tragedy is always expected in this genre.
I loved all the mentions of other Greek myths- Medea going mad and killing her children and Jason's wife, Circe, and Persephone descent and ascent to and from the underworld.
Right after the declaration of war, Alethea's younger sister Delina predicted, after having a vision, that Apolonio is going to die if he ever participated in the battles. Alethea was distraught and shattered. but she nonetheless has decided to do the impossible to prevent his doom: she disguises herself as a male soldier and followed him in his military campaign, to fight by his side and protect him.
her heroic plans never came to fruition. She soon was attacked, exposed, and sent home. On her journey back she was taken by the enemy then enslaved in a wealthy Athenian Oikos. enraged and humiliated by her new status, she was adamant about hating and getting revenge from her captures. But doing so was not an easy task when it came to Eucleides. He was ever the gentle soul. Since the first day she steps in their household, she knew he was different. Unlike the other members of his family, he was kind and gentle to everyone. Then he immediately took a special interest in her, asking about her thoughts and opinions as she was his equal.
"City of Bronze, City of Silver" is a beautiful historical fiction, following fictitious characters during accurate events like the war between the Delian and Peloponnesian leagues
I really enjoyed the prose and the characters were diversified and did easily grow on me.
Being a huge fan of mythology, I should by now be immune to all the heartbreak that follows the death of my favorite character, oh but no-no. As much as I was surprised by the twist at the end, I couldn't help feeling also sad about what happened. But then again tragedy is always expected in this genre.
I loved all the mentions of other Greek myths- Medea going mad and killing her children and Jason's wife, Circe, and Persephone descent and ascent to and from the underworld.
August 7, 2020
This was a pretty good book! I found it very slow in the beginning but picked up pace halfway through. The settings were described beautifully and you really got a clear picture in your head. I really enjoyed the character Alethea. There is a lot of usage of Greek words in the book...I don't generally like to be flipping back and forth to a Glossary so it was confusing in some places.
*Thank you to the author for the copy in exchange for a honest review*
*Thank you to the author for the copy in exchange for a honest review*
July 30, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up
**Thank you to the author for this gifted ARC, all thoughts are my own**
City of Bronze, City of Silver follows the lives of two women in ancient Greece, Alethea, a Spartan captured and enslaved in an Athenian household, and Efigenia, a child bride married to Alethea's captor.
While I love historical fiction, I have never read any set in ancient Greece, and I have to say that I absolutely loved the setting of this book. Saga Hillbom is so well-researched, and the many accurate historical details helped the story really come to life. I really felt like I could've been living in 431 BC while I was reading, and it was such a cool experience to live through a book like that. Note that this book also made me very glad I was not alive then, and kudos to the author for her care on some really tough subjects that were unfortunately the norm then.
I also just really loved Alethea and Efigenia, who endure so much as women during this time but are determined to grow and make something of themselves. As the author's note at the end describes, we actually do not have many accounts of what women were up to ancient Greece. Therefore, it's awesome that Saga Hillbom has given women a voice through her work, and I recommend this for anyone interested in strong female heroines.
I do think the pacing could've been a little bit firmed up. There were some moments when the scene switched so drastically from one paragraph to the next that it was hard to keep up. There was just so much good stuff going on! I felt like there were some important moments I missed because they were hidden within paragraphs of other information, but overall, the writing was very good.
The ending was VERY unexpected for me, but I love a good twist!! Overall, I enjoyed this, and I would encourage it to anyone hoping to learn more about ancient Greece.
Trigger warnings: r*pe, attempted r*pe, child marriage, slavery
**Thank you to the author for this gifted ARC, all thoughts are my own**
City of Bronze, City of Silver follows the lives of two women in ancient Greece, Alethea, a Spartan captured and enslaved in an Athenian household, and Efigenia, a child bride married to Alethea's captor.
While I love historical fiction, I have never read any set in ancient Greece, and I have to say that I absolutely loved the setting of this book. Saga Hillbom is so well-researched, and the many accurate historical details helped the story really come to life. I really felt like I could've been living in 431 BC while I was reading, and it was such a cool experience to live through a book like that. Note that this book also made me very glad I was not alive then, and kudos to the author for her care on some really tough subjects that were unfortunately the norm then.
I also just really loved Alethea and Efigenia, who endure so much as women during this time but are determined to grow and make something of themselves. As the author's note at the end describes, we actually do not have many accounts of what women were up to ancient Greece. Therefore, it's awesome that Saga Hillbom has given women a voice through her work, and I recommend this for anyone interested in strong female heroines.
I do think the pacing could've been a little bit firmed up. There were some moments when the scene switched so drastically from one paragraph to the next that it was hard to keep up. There was just so much good stuff going on! I felt like there were some important moments I missed because they were hidden within paragraphs of other information, but overall, the writing was very good.
The ending was VERY unexpected for me, but I love a good twist!! Overall, I enjoyed this, and I would encourage it to anyone hoping to learn more about ancient Greece.
Trigger warnings: r*pe, attempted r*pe, child marriage, slavery
July 11, 2020
ARC reviews are always the hardest, being trusted by an author's precious hard work.
The events are taking place in the 5th century, where the Greek city states are fighting against each other. You can smell the greediness in the air.
It was a very descriptive book as close to the historical facts as possible, the surroundings and characters were well written.
"Haven't all the tyrants painted themselves as heroes promoting their own truth?"
However, it wasn’t an easy read for me. I got distracted very quickly, didn't enjoy the philosophical/poetical language of the characters. The inner dialogues were too many, although, I understand why the author felt the need to have them.
"You sometimes remind me of a blackbird who used to soar high but forgotten how to fly."
My favorite twist was at the very end, which made the book worth reading. Wishing the author a lot of success wholeheartedly. Hope she continues following her passion for history and writing.
The events are taking place in the 5th century, where the Greek city states are fighting against each other. You can smell the greediness in the air.
It was a very descriptive book as close to the historical facts as possible, the surroundings and characters were well written.
"Haven't all the tyrants painted themselves as heroes promoting their own truth?"
However, it wasn’t an easy read for me. I got distracted very quickly, didn't enjoy the philosophical/poetical language of the characters. The inner dialogues were too many, although, I understand why the author felt the need to have them.
"You sometimes remind me of a blackbird who used to soar high but forgotten how to fly."
My favorite twist was at the very end, which made the book worth reading. Wishing the author a lot of success wholeheartedly. Hope she continues following her passion for history and writing.
August 27, 2020
Fascinating Historical Greek Fiction
This book is steeped in ancient Greece, starting as trouble brews between Sparta and Athens. The story features three primary people whose lives are linked. The author provides a rather long vocabulary list of Greek words before the story. That was helpful, as the author did use a lot of Greek words in the novel. Too much so, to my view, because it's hard to remember such a long list of unfamiliar words, and it's a bit of a pain to have to flip back and forth between the story and the vocabulary list. Interestingly, I found the narrative portions of the book more interesting than the dialogue, as quite often dialogue was reserved for only telling important things—so not like natural dialogue at all—and it read awkwardly and stiffly in my ear. The author was able to paint word pictures of what Sparta and Athens were like well. The story of these three intertwined lives was a fascinating one, and I like the way the author chose to emphasize the lives of women, as two of the three main characters are women. Both of these women had very different lives. The writing felt a little uneven at times, as did the pacing. There were also some odd or wrong words chosen, like the idea of churning to make olive oil (to my knowledge, it was pressed) and calling eyes “globes.” At times, I felt a little confused by all the references to Greek history and mythology. While I consider myself relatively well read in both, it certainly wasn't enough to understand all the references in this book. Still, all in all, I found this to be an interesting read about three fictional characters in ancient Greece.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
This book is steeped in ancient Greece, starting as trouble brews between Sparta and Athens. The story features three primary people whose lives are linked. The author provides a rather long vocabulary list of Greek words before the story. That was helpful, as the author did use a lot of Greek words in the novel. Too much so, to my view, because it's hard to remember such a long list of unfamiliar words, and it's a bit of a pain to have to flip back and forth between the story and the vocabulary list. Interestingly, I found the narrative portions of the book more interesting than the dialogue, as quite often dialogue was reserved for only telling important things—so not like natural dialogue at all—and it read awkwardly and stiffly in my ear. The author was able to paint word pictures of what Sparta and Athens were like well. The story of these three intertwined lives was a fascinating one, and I like the way the author chose to emphasize the lives of women, as two of the three main characters are women. Both of these women had very different lives. The writing felt a little uneven at times, as did the pacing. There were also some odd or wrong words chosen, like the idea of churning to make olive oil (to my knowledge, it was pressed) and calling eyes “globes.” At times, I felt a little confused by all the references to Greek history and mythology. While I consider myself relatively well read in both, it certainly wasn't enough to understand all the references in this book. Still, all in all, I found this to be an interesting read about three fictional characters in ancient Greece.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
August 11, 2020
It wasn’t easy for me to get into it at first with all the history and a very different kind of world but I liked how the author was able to write everything so historically accurate.
The book is very descriptive with lots of rich history and revolves around 5th century Greece and the wars between Greek cities.
I enjoyed reading it and it was nice to see a strong female protagonist and I liked how Alethea managed her new life as a slave. There are several unexpected twists and the end I didn’t see that coming. I loved all the Greek mythology parts added in it as well.
Overall the writing is really beautiful and precise. My only problem was with there being lots of Greek words/terms I had to flip back and forth to glossary for the meaning and it got me confused and broke the link sometimes.
If you enjoy historical fiction, war , politics, Greek mythology etc you should definitely pick this up!!!
Thank you for the ARC!!!!
The book is very descriptive with lots of rich history and revolves around 5th century Greece and the wars between Greek cities.
I enjoyed reading it and it was nice to see a strong female protagonist and I liked how Alethea managed her new life as a slave. There are several unexpected twists and the end I didn’t see that coming. I loved all the Greek mythology parts added in it as well.
Overall the writing is really beautiful and precise. My only problem was with there being lots of Greek words/terms I had to flip back and forth to glossary for the meaning and it got me confused and broke the link sometimes.
If you enjoy historical fiction, war , politics, Greek mythology etc you should definitely pick this up!!!
Thank you for the ARC!!!!
November 7, 2020
It has been a long time since I've read a historical fiction book and this one was a great one to resume with! I loved everything about it from the fantastic world building and scene creations to the characters that were actually unique and individual and came to life on the page!
The beginning might be a little slow for some people but I felt it was well paced and necessary to built up the scene.
Greek mythology is something I haven't explored previously in books but this novel has definitely made me want to explore it even more!
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves greek mythology and or historical fiction! Or anyone who wants to read something fantastic from an emerging author! All the stars!
This was a book given to me for free in exchange for a 100% honest review (which is well overdue!)
The beginning might be a little slow for some people but I felt it was well paced and necessary to built up the scene.
Greek mythology is something I haven't explored previously in books but this novel has definitely made me want to explore it even more!
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves greek mythology and or historical fiction! Or anyone who wants to read something fantastic from an emerging author! All the stars!
This was a book given to me for free in exchange for a 100% honest review (which is well overdue!)
August 1, 2020
This is a great read that combines historical fiction with strong female characters. Set in ancient Greece, Alethea and Efigenia are two fascinating female characters who go through so much despite different walks of life. They are strong, and display great endurance. The author has taken care to depict the historical setting as accurately as possible and I commend her effort.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 1, 2020
Just have to say I love this time in history.City of Bronze City of silver did not disappoint me. Well written with a engaging story line that I could not put down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 2, 2020
This was a great historical novel that has amazing characters and great atmosphere. Overall the plot was great and I really enjoyed reading this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 31, 2020
Ancient history brought to life
Very well written and researched tale of the classical age. Not the kind of book I would normally read but the intertwined stories of three citizens of the age proved compelling.
Very well written and researched tale of the classical age. Not the kind of book I would normally read but the intertwined stories of three citizens of the age proved compelling.
June 5, 2020
Thank you, Saga Hillbom, for providing a copy of this book in return for an honest review! It was a delight to read.
If you like A Song of Ice and Fire, you will love City of Bronze, City of Silver. I say this as a long time fan of the series who actually found myself enjoying this book quite a lot more. It has the same level of deep, complex character development and intrigue fraught with gray morality, yet it’s joined by stark and unapologetic feminism in a historic Greek setting. The more discomfiting aspects of life in the past aren’t sugar-coated, but shown in the full truth without being glorified. Alethea, one of our main characters, is a tough and resourceful woman of Sparta, easy to love even as you question her decisions, a sharp contrast to soft-spoken and well-read Eucleides and meek, quiet Efigenia. Themes of freedom, equality, and the conflict of desire and duty abound as the three characters navigate their lives and the changes brought by the war between Athens and Sparta. The story is a slow burn, spending long paragraphs setting the scenes as Athens goes through several historic events, but the wait is worth it as subtle details weave through every paragraph. The stakes only get higher as you read on, joined by a heart-warming romance that blooms despite all opposition. Without giving too much away, the ending both broke and warmed my heart, yet despite the pain left me with a feeling of satisfaction as I read the last line. I don’t often read historic fiction, as few catch my eye, but this one is well worth the read.
If you like A Song of Ice and Fire, you will love City of Bronze, City of Silver. I say this as a long time fan of the series who actually found myself enjoying this book quite a lot more. It has the same level of deep, complex character development and intrigue fraught with gray morality, yet it’s joined by stark and unapologetic feminism in a historic Greek setting. The more discomfiting aspects of life in the past aren’t sugar-coated, but shown in the full truth without being glorified. Alethea, one of our main characters, is a tough and resourceful woman of Sparta, easy to love even as you question her decisions, a sharp contrast to soft-spoken and well-read Eucleides and meek, quiet Efigenia. Themes of freedom, equality, and the conflict of desire and duty abound as the three characters navigate their lives and the changes brought by the war between Athens and Sparta. The story is a slow burn, spending long paragraphs setting the scenes as Athens goes through several historic events, but the wait is worth it as subtle details weave through every paragraph. The stakes only get higher as you read on, joined by a heart-warming romance that blooms despite all opposition. Without giving too much away, the ending both broke and warmed my heart, yet despite the pain left me with a feeling of satisfaction as I read the last line. I don’t often read historic fiction, as few catch my eye, but this one is well worth the read.
May 24, 2020
City of Bronze, City of Silver is set in 5th century BC Greece and follows the story of Alethea who follows her brother, Apolonio, to war after her sister predicts his death if he is ever to fight in battle. Alethea unsettled by this, follows him but after she is attacked she is forced to return home. However on her journey back, she gets ambushed and gets kidnapped and placed into slavery where her story begins to intertwine with Efigenia’s, who’s a child bride forced into marriage with Alethea’s captor.
I really enjoyed the different point of views that we got, which allowed us to see the story from all sides. The world and mythology was immersive, while the writing was beautiful and thoroughly descriptive. It was hard not to fall in love with the characters and the ending was something that I did not expect at all. I did think that the story was a little slow at the beginning but it was also crucial to set the scene before everything picked up.
Overall it was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves hard hitting mythology or historical fiction.
I really enjoyed the different point of views that we got, which allowed us to see the story from all sides. The world and mythology was immersive, while the writing was beautiful and thoroughly descriptive. It was hard not to fall in love with the characters and the ending was something that I did not expect at all. I did think that the story was a little slow at the beginning but it was also crucial to set the scene before everything picked up.
Overall it was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves hard hitting mythology or historical fiction.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews