This was so unserious lmao. I don't even know how to review it. This sure was a book, I guess! I do not understand the cult following it has at all because so much in this book made absolutely no sense! Actually laugh out loud funny.

Absolutely loved this book. A unique fantasy with tons of spice without compromising plot. Dramoine fans are gonna eat this one up!

I knew that this one was a fan fiction turned book before I read it, but I never read the original fanfic so I thought I would give this one a try. The magic sounded interesting and I was curious about the story, but this book is entirely just degradation of women. Nearly every single woman character is abused or misused in someway, and I just could not stomach it.

SA & the mistreatment of women is a big time trigger for me, and maybe its just my personal tastes, but I cannot believe that someone would want to read this let alone write about it. I was skim reading so much of it that I just ended up DNFing it. Maybe it is fault for not realizing just how dark this one is before trying to read it, but it is definitely not one that I can recommend.

I would like to put here just "No notes, perfection." but I know you all want more.

I couldn't put this book down, and when I did, all I was doing was thinking about picking this book back up. I absolutely love Julie writing, she truly is so versatile.

This fantasy with a slow burn romance that has SO MUCH TENSION is utter perfection. I read this back when it was in its fanfic stage, and I have absolutely LOVED the changes she made to be able to publish this. I cannot wait to have my physical copy on my shelf.

basically...no notes, perfection.

In Rose in Chains, Julie Soto delivers a dark and gripping fantasy about survival, sacrifice, and unyielding hope. When the forces of evil claim victory and Briony Rosewood’s castle falls, she finds herself stripped of her magic, dignity, and freedom, auctioned off to a cruel family known for their ruthlessness. The story plunges into a world where alliances are fragile, and trust is scarce as Briony navigates her new reality among enemies.
Despite her grim circumstances, Soto skillfully weaves a tale of resilience and the possibility of rebellion. Briony’s journey from despair to determination is both emotional and empowering, showing that even in the depths of darkness, hope can bloom in unexpected places. The story’s blend of high stakes, complex characters, and a touch of light amid the shadows makes it a compelling read for fans of dark fantasy and epic resilience. Rose in Chains is a powerful reminder that sometimes, strength is born through suffering—and even the most shattered can find a way to rise again.

Thank you Netgalley, Julie and the publisher for sending me an eARC.

Read if you like:
Rivals to enemies to lovers
Dark academia
Dramione (The Auction)
Dark romance
Civil war settings
Dual timeline
Nothing is what it seems
Good amount of geopolitics
Original magic system

My thoughts:
I've been a Dramione fan for a long while and seeing fic authors be given the chance to go trad with their books makes me believe in the fate of this world again.
Because if there's something we need more of, is talented writers who are a master of their craft.

Julie has managed to create a new world and a new magic system so unique and original, I am still bewildered.

This is of course a dark fantasy romance in which SA is a constant lingering phantom. It may not happen on page most times, but its ever present stain is a constant in the development of the story, so I beg you to be careful and be aware of all the TW.

However, RIC isn't ONLY a fantasy romance, and that's what surprised me the most: the depths of the crumbling geopolitical climate illustrated in here. The way we're given these stunning examples of how fanatism is bred within the educational systems until it turns into a hatred so vivid and raw, it will then be exploited for the benefit of those in power. Those aspects together with the dark academia vibes drew me in instantly.

Moreover, I truly enjoyed how the story mixed the action in the present with the chapters from the past. The dual timeline is so well done and the cliffhangers so tense, you are constantly aching for more from each period. The atmospheric setting, the little hints and Easter eggs here and there, and the great banter between the main characters made for a honest to God fantastic 1st book.

I'm not going to lie, though: I would've loved tad more tension between Toven and Briony. Their chemistry is phenomenal and I adored knowing about their past as former classmates and all the little moments they shared, but while there were parts where their forbidden desire was palpable and had the power to make me just melt and squeal, there were others where it suddenly stopped and their exchanges became monotonous and boring, for some reason.

My only real grief with this story, however, is the villain: I found her rather dull and not complex nor charismatic enough, so to me it wasn't believable she had gained such tremendous following. She's obviously intelligent enough to exploit the already existing societal weaknesses, but other than that I found her a bit monochromatic.

Nonetheless, and beyond those things, Rose in Chains delivered everything it promised and I can't wait for book 2. I'll know no peace until I have it in my hands.

4.5 stars

How could you, author?!!! You kept me awake till 2 AM and gave me a cliffhanger. And this book isn’t even officially published yet!!! 😭 😭
This was originally a Dramione fanfic (yes, that one—The Auction), and it’s now been rewritten and published as an original novel. Funny thing: I DNFed The Auction despite all the Reddit recs. It’s still sitting in the corner of my Kindle, unfinished. But when I heard this new version was getting published, I got excited to try it again. And here I am—not disappointed and loving this one!!! I’m actually happy I didn’t read the fanfic, because the author kept me in the dark. I didn’t know what would happen until it happened, and I loved that.

I enjoyed the world-building, how the world is divided into the Summer and Winter realms. Loved that. Honestly, I was so curious how the author would weave the story and the magic, knowing this started as a Harry Potter fanfic with such incredible world-building and magic. But it didn’t disappoint. But I really needed more details, though. I would’ve loved it if the mind barrier part had been more fleshed out—like actually showing how Briony trained for it, not just thinking about the lake, reading a book, and then boom, she’s suddenly specialized in it.

AND GUYYSS THE TENSIONS!!!! The tensions between them. Oh I love how the author teasing us. The slow burned really burning guys, I mean i waited for like eternity for them to finally touched sexually and it is in the briefesttt of momeeent. I want mooooreee.
The characters are definitely Dramione-coded. I love my Dramione, so I absolutely loved Toven and Briony.

Oh, and I didn’t cringe—not even once. Zero cringe. Nonexistent!! If you know me, you know how much that matters to me lol.

Note : Huge thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending me my dream ARC. I’ll be impatiently counting the days until the next book drops.

of my most anticipated of the year! So excited to be able to read it early.

I really enjoyed this. I LOVED the Auction (the fanfic this book started as) and really enjoyed seeing how Soto made changes to the story and the lore to make it entirely her own. You truly are dropped into the action but loved the flashbacks to understand more of the world and history of the war going on.

I think have some additional tension between Toven and Briony would have been helpful. I found myself not quite believing that Toven had any motivation to be helping Briony or acting the way he was. It’s certainly a slow burn, no smut here, but we do get a lot of character building.

I loved the cliff hanger and am so excited for the rest of the trilogy. It really gets set up for diverting from the original story which will be fun. I’m intrigued to hear more reviews from people who did not read the “source” material!

Evil has won, the foretold hero is dead, but the story isn’t over for everyone else. For Briony Rosewood, sister to the now-dead heir to the throne, it means she and her allies are captured, stripped of their magic, and enslaved. And despite Briony now being held captive by Toven Hearst, a high-ranking noble and former classmate known for his cruelty, hope is not lost.

So, I didn’t know this was a Dramione fan fic with the serial numbers off when I started this. But obviously it is. To be clear, I’m not holding my nose at this– I recognized it because I read the original a few years ago. And it’s definitely the year of Harry Potter fan fic– we’re getting three (3!!) Dramione stories traditionally published this year. Wild times. That said, the reskinned fan fics I’ve read so far have a lot going for them versus original (independently or traditionally) published romantasies. The stories rose to prominence in an anonymous, fairly egalitarian forum. The stories have already been shaped by their serial writing process, getting feedback from not only alpha and beta readers but thousands of others. And these writers, more than anyone else, know how to do a slow burn right.

Out of curiosity, I reread part of the original fan fic to see if this was a simple find and replace. And no. The author did some substantial work on developing a world that holds its own to any other romantasy book and changed numerous parts of the story while maintaining that excellent tension. My only qualms are that Narcissa’s role seems slightly reduced and this is now a multi-volume work (my kingdom for more standalones). But I’m genuinely excited about the next one.

Note: this is one of those books for which you should really read the content warning at the beginning of the book. This was originally published to AO3, which gives authors the ability to tag potentially triggering content clearly.

Set in the aftermath of a lost war, Rose In Chains follows Briony Rosewood, a princess stripped of her magic and sold at auction to the heir of a brutal family. With evil in power and hope dwindling, Briony must navigate captivity, power dynamics, and unexpected alliances. The premise is gripping and darkly intriguing, but unfortunately, I just don’t think Julie Soto is the author for me—and that’s totally okay. The worldbuilding felt disjointed, and I often found myself pausing to recall information that had only been mentioned once. That’s not necessarily a flaw, but I wasn’t invested enough in the story to give it the mental focus it seemed to require.

i absolutely love julie soto’s story telling abilities. she really sets a scene and creates characters that are so dynamic that you can’t stop reading. i was able to meet her as well and she is so sweet and funny. i haven’t been able to start this one quite yet BUT i cannot wait to finally get my hands on another work by her

What in the cliffhanger??

What will I do while I wait for this next book?? This next book could possibly be one of my most anticipated books quite literally ever.

I am blown away. Julie Soto is going to wreck us all I fear.

Rose in Chains is a dark, emotionally charged entry into the romantasy genre, blending political intrigue, forbidden romance, and a richly imagined magical world. As the first instalment in the Evermore Trilogy, the novel introduces readers to a realm where the aftermath of war, when the enemy has won, has led to the conquering of the vanquished, setting the stage for a narrative steeped in tension and complexity.

The story centres on Princess Briony Rosewood, who, after her kingdom's fall, is stripped of her magic and sold into servitude. Her purchaser, Toven Hearst, hails from a family notorious for their oppressive control over magic. The dynamic between Briony and Toven is filled with power imbalances and unspoken histories, creating a slow-burn romance that unfolds amidst themes of captivity and resistance. I felt as though Soto handles this relationship with more nuance than others in the book, carefully addressing questions of consent and agency. That said, the premise, and some other elements of the plot, may push the boundaries of reader comfort. I’ll admit that certain aspects caught me off guard and I didn’t realize the extent of the darker content going in, and that’s on me for not researching more thoroughly.

That said, I did enjoy Soto’s writing style. The world-building is immersive, and the magic system is intricate without being overwhelming. The alternating timeline of shifting between Briony’s present and glimpses of her past was a particular highlight for me, enriching both the emotional stakes and the broader political backdrop. Soto’s prose is sharp and engaging, striking a balance between the bleakness of Briony’s reality and moments of quiet resilience and hope. Secondary characters, such as Serena, Orion, and the other captured women, are given sufficient depth to evoke empathy and investment in their fates. However, the single POV narrative limits insight into Toven's internal conflicts, and at times I found myself wishing for more insight into his thoughts and motivations. I was also left with a few unanswered questions that I hope (and assume) will be addressed in future instalments.

Though I haven’t read The Auction (the fan fiction that inspired this story), I could sense its origins. Certain moments and dynamics do carry that distinctly fanfic-like intensity and flair. Still, Rose in Chains stands on its own, and Soto clearly took care in adapting the original material into a fully realized novel.

The book ends with a major cliffhanger, setting up what promises to be an intense continuation in the series. While not every element worked for me, Soto’s command of world-building and character-driven storytelling is evident. For readers who enjoy darker fantasy with romance, moral greyness, and complex power dynamics, Rose in Chains will likely hit the mark.

This book was a rollercoaster in the best way. I am not a big fantasy reader but this book hooked me. The magic system was interesting and I liked learning more about heart and mind magic. Briony was a very engaging main character and I liked how we were along for the ride with her, gradually learning more about the world. I will note that there are mentions of sexual assault, harassment, violence and trafficking in this book and I would not recommend this to someone who may be uncomfortable reading about these subjects. That being said, I thought that the use of these dark themes were used appropriately to underscore the cruelty of the world. The ending had me desperate for the next book!

Rose in Chains completely drew me in with Julie Soto’s fresh take on fantasy. The worldbuilding is rich and dark, with a magic system that feels both inventive and deeply personal. It’s not just spells and powers—it’s magic that’s tied to identity, sacrifice, and consequence, which adds so much emotional weight to every choice the characters make.

The romantic tension is thick in the best way, and the slow-burn pacing made each development hit harder. The political undercurrents and morally gray characters give the story real bite, and I loved how nothing felt predictable.

Soto has created a world that feels dangerous, beautiful, and alive. If you're into lush, immersive fantasy with high stakes and characters that stay with you, this book is absolutely worth your time.

okay i’m speechless. no notes. perfect book. deserves more than 5 stars but review setting won’t allow it. buckle up friends && read those trigger warnings!

Pub Date July 8 2025

ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley. Thank you.

review posted to NetGalley & Goodreads

Whew. Okay. This one is like if The Selection, Game of Thrones, and your worst Monday morning had a magically traumatic baby.

The war? Lost. The chosen one? Very dead. And Briony? Homegirl gets tossed into a magical Hunger Games version of Facebook Marketplace where she’s auctioned off to the literal enemies. (Like girl, blink twice if you need help- oh wait, she can’t. She’s shackled.)

Our princess ends up with Toven Hearst, whose family name might as well be “Red Flag.” And yet… he’s broody. Mysterious. Possibly a war criminal with a redemption arc? Say less.

The enemies-to-lovers vibes are STRONG, but so is the “I need therapy after this” energy. There’s court politics, twisted power dynamics, stolen magic, and enough tension to snap a chain (pun 100% intended).

But here’s the thing: I wanted a little more. The middle dragged in places and while the angst was angsty, sometimes it felt like it was doing laps in a fog of vibes instead of charging ahead with plot. Still, the writing? Gorgeously lush. And the potential? Massive.

I’m invested, I’m slightly emotionally damaged, and yes- I will absolutely be reading the sequel.

If you like dark romantasy with morally gray chaos and a dash of “why am I attracted to this man??” then you’ll want this one on your TBR. Just maybe prep a cozy blanket and a snack for emotional support.

Final verdict: 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) and one very reluctant crush on a war criminal.

I'm so sad. I was so excited for this but I can not for the life of me get into the world here. I think there is world building happening but i also felt too thrown into the mix without enough lead up.

Julie Soto truly never misses!!!

First off, please check your trigger warnings because this was a lot darker than I expected.

Rose in Chains is an incredibly strong start to the Evermore trilogy; the characters, the world building and magic system was truly chefs kiss. Please inject this book in my veins because this pulled me out of a reading slump real quick. It was so action packed and incredibly dynamic.

This book has a past/present dynamic where you see our FMC Briony & MMC Toven first interact during their schooling and how that builds up their relationship in the present. For me, I’ll eat up yearning and tension ANY. DAMN. DAY. And you know who delivers that? Miss Julie. She had me biting my fist, kicking and, screaming at some parts of this book.

This book is mostly about how Briony navigates being captured and held for auction and how she faces the hardship. What I loved though was the thread of female empowerment when all hope seems lost. It really made me root for the underdogs and I can’t wait to see where they go in the next one.

Thank you for the arc.

This was a release that was talked about by many and I had to check it out. I went into this as not a dramione fan and without any knowledge of the original fanfic. I ultimately DNFed this book. I have no strong feelings against it or for it. It was just not my cup of tea. I'm sure some people will love it but I just personally didn't want to continue reading it.