431 BC. Greece is torn apart by war. The city states split into two 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.
Efigenia, a child bride and Alethea’s new mistress, struggles to navigate in a society 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 available as paperback. You can find it here:
Quotes from Goodreads reviews:
”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!”
/Emma
”If you likeA 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. ”
/ Elizabeth Rose
”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!”
/Stephanie
”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.”
/Kathryn
”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.”
/Pati
Saga Hillbom 