ALC Book Review—Rose in Chains by Julie Soto—Spoiler Free

Briony Rosewood ends up on the losing side of a war and is sold at auction to her school nemesis Tovan Hearst. Now, they’re stuck playing a part in a war over heart magic vs mind magic.

I enjoyed learning the unique magic systems of this world. The story is captivating and heart wrenching. The themes are very dark, but there’s still a feeling of hope and of “not being alone” throughout the story.

We learn a lot of the backstory of the two MCs and what led them to their current situation through flashbacks. I felt these were done nicely and didn’t make the story feel choppy.

As someone who read The Auction I was curious how this story would hold up on its own and if I would care about these characters. The story set up was done very well and I can say that I am excited for the next book to come out and find out what happens to our MCs. I think readers will enjoy this story as a brand new dark romantasy.

I felt the audio was well done. With just one female narrator I enjoyed the voice for Briony and felt like the sneering voice fit perfectly for what I imagined for Tovan. I felt like the speaking was clear and I was able to follow along on audio without text.

Overall, I’d highly recommend this to my friends and anyone looking for a dark, slow-burn romantasy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

Julie Soto throws you right into the action from the very start. Rose in Chains was absolutely angst ridden, sexy, and full of tension that I just ate up. The flashbacks were a great way to get a lot of history in small sections, so it never felt like it took away from the main plot. The flashbacks were placed in just the right spots to really enhance the emotions of moment.

This story is dark, the actions of some of the characters are cruel and unthinkable, but the balance with Briony and Toven's interactions was great. I am a massive fan of Raven Kennedy's Plated Prisoner series and I found that this had a similar impact on me. Not all is at it seems, and you never know who you can trust.

Briony goes through so much character development, even just in this first book. I really felt like she went from the smart, out of sight sibling who props up her brother, to a fearless, intensely strong character. She learns to stand on her own and I loved seeing that.

If you love a high-stakes, slow burn romance with amazing world building, female friendships, and twists and turns, this book is absolutely for you.

I could not get into this - every time I stopped listening to the audio version, it became harder and harder to want to listen again. The characters were flat, the world building non existent, the emphasis on purity/virginity annoying, and I have very little interest in enslavement (which is most of the book).

Story: Briony's kingdom is prospering - until a rival kingdom launches a surprise attack and quickly defeats them. The survivors are rounded up to be used as slaves - either sexual or to drain their magic. Briony, as a virgin princess with power, is the most valuable of the new slaves. She is bought by Tovan - a former schoolmate who she once thought she had feelings for. But she has never understood Tovan in the past and certainly hasn't any idea what he is going to do with her now.

I found Briony to be boring. On one hand, I like a heroine who thinks things through rather than just acting on impulse. But nearly half the book is Briony bemoaning her fate/feeling helpless or being threatened with sexual assault. There's even a plot device that causes even greater power of magic if done through sex, even forcibly. I wanted more intrigue and Briony outsmarting her captors rather than mooning over Tovan or bemoaning her fate endlessly. Similarly, Tovan is a cardboard cutout. Yes, he is supposed to be hiding his big attraction to Briony but even in the flashbacks he isn't much of a character. There is only one interesting supporting character but even she feels more like a construct rather than an organic person in the world.

The world building is never really shown. We only see inside her personal house or Tovan's, for the most part. Even the tragic event at the beginning in which her kingdom is taken passes by quickly and without us really getting a feel for any kind of build up, battle, or major event change in the world. I had no understanding of the magic system and was never really given a reason to care. We just get a very small bubble through which to view the world.

I think for the most part I found the novel distasteful. Briony gets a chance to be most impactful on her world (and is even freed from the shackles of caring for her brother) when she is enslaved. It's not a good message.

Of note, I listened to the audio version and did not care for the narrator. It felt very prissy and made the characters feel even more one dimensional. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Rose in chain by Julie Soto is the first book in The Evermore Trilogy.

Let me start by saying this: OBSESSED!!!

I’ve been chained by this book, it had me crawling for it in no time! This is a DARK fantasy please read your trigger warnings! This book is everything we needed, a new world with new magic and darkness, but is it that dark? From my point of view, NO. I would say that the elements of dark have highlighted even more this world and characters, shaped them and put them in so many different shades.

The MMC, Toven, is fascinating, grumpy and brooding but brilliant in every way, with a very very steamy sexappeal. He is very protective and cunning, so multilayer that makes him not only complex but also addictive.

The FMC, Briony,a princess, has a very interesting character development, initially she is the women behind a man, her brother, the one that can’t shine, then she becomes a toy in a long game, but underneath, is a badass FMC in making.

This is the slowest slow burn romance of my life so do prepare yourself to survive this enemies to lovers ! The banter will keep you at the edge of your seat squealing and giggling!
I love that this book is not predictable and will keep you guessing, what will happen next, as next in the story, next in the war , who is in danger and who is not.

This book ends in a cliffhanger … that’s had me growling , screaming and yelling! Ruthless and brilliant Julie!!!

Let’s talk a bit about audiobook as I got it as an ALC. This audiobook is performed by Ella Lynch, and man oh man she blown this performance out of the park! Wanna imagine how a princess or a noble talk? No need, this was the most accurate posh princess performance. She breathes life into the characters and captured their personalities to a T. As a third person POV she paid attention to every detailed and took amazing decisions that highlighted the story. The production was done by Hachette Audio and the team speared no detail or fault, is absolutely spotless and amazing!

Rose in Chains starts right in the middle of war, during a prophesied battle that turns south, leading to the capture of Briony Rosewood, the princess of Evermore. She ends up being auctioned off and sold to the ruthless Toven Hearst, the man she’s been unfortunately infatuated with for years.

The transition of this story from it’s origins to a whole new world was well executed. While a good part of it followed the timeline and events from The Auction, I was very pleased with the changes made, and believe the future books will have significant deviations that I’m super excited to see unfold. The worldbuilding wasn’t overwhelming (yay!), but I am left curious about certain aspects of it; since this is the first book in a series, I don’t consider that a flaw.

The story at the moment focuses more on the “behind the scenes” mechanics and consequences of war, and as such makes for a great setup for what’s to come. The cliffhanger at the end absolutely took me out in the best possible way, and opened up the story to so many new possibilities.

Both of our main characters are very complex and layered individuals. They are simultaneously vastly different, and yet still similar to each other, and while their methods might differ, their goals are somewhat in the same vein. The story is told from Briony’s POV (which was expected), but I do hope we’ll get Toven’s as well in the future books, because that would be very interesting to see. The cast of supporting characters was also great.

The buildup of tension and romance was absolutely delicious! Julie sure does know how to tease the readers. This book is the definition of a SLOW burn. I loved that we got flashbacks scenes that shed light into their history, and show Briony’s feelings throughout the years. I especially enjoyed the conflicting feelings she experiences in the present. It’s all so messy, and I love it.
I really enjoyed the production, pacing and narration of this audiobook! The narrator’s accent and soothing voice made the listening experience immersive for me.

Lastly, if you haven’t read The Auction and are wondering if you should, I recommend that you read Rose in Chains first, as to not take away from your experience.

Thank you to Hachette Audio | Forever for providing me with the ALC via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and completely my own.

I absolutely loved this audiobook. The story, world building, political schemes, slow burn, secrets, and magic are all phenomenal. It's paced really well and I can't wait to find out how the rest of the story continues. The narrator, Ella Lynch, does a fantastic job bringing the Briony and the story to life. Will be highly recommending!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this ALC!

DNF'd at 30%

Absolutely could not do it anymore, I was bored to tears.

Also, I understand that Hermoine is not a pretty name to begin with, but we really chose Briony out of all the names we could have chosen?

Every time I heard her name I CRINGED (which was a lot)

Absolutely obsessed. I like the flipping back and forth timelines, but in the past we get the highlights/what matters versus getting bogged down with minute details that don’t matter in the long run. I was hooked from the beginning and on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. I need book 2. Briony and Toven have a war to disrupt a kingdom to win. Loved the narrator

Rose in Chains
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶.5

Once again, Julie Soto proves that she can write in any genre. This book was so good, and I'll definitely be buying ALLLLL the editions. There wasn't a lot of spice, but it is a slow burn and I think there is going to be much more spice in book 2.

That ending... 🤯 I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next!

I loved the narrator, but I wasn't the biggest fan of Toven's voice. I think I've just been listening to so many duel and duet narrated audiobooks lately, that it's hard to go back to a single narrator. I loved her accent, though, as well as her voices for all the girls.

I highly recommend this, as well as everything else Julie has written.

Thank you, Julie Soto, Hachette Audio, and Netgalley for this ALC.

I found this book to be a rather disappointing read. It's evident that it originated as a Dramione fan-fiction, and unfortunately, this background shines through in ways that detract from the overall experience.

One of the primary issues was the lack of substantial world-building and a coherent explanation of its magic system. This left me feeling unable to connect to the narrative. Furthermore, the characters, despite supposedly being in their mid-twenties and attending a later-in-life magical school, often came across as flat, one-dimensional, and strikingly juvenile. It seems the author aged up the characters from the original fan-fiction (where they were 18), but their actions and maturity levels didn't reflect this change, making their behavior feel out of place with their stated age.

Beyond these foundational issues, the most significant concern for me was the portrayal and treatment of women within the story. While the premise involves a world where women are essentially auctioned off into magical servitude, my real issue lies with the main female character's reaction to this reality. Her flippant attitude and tendency to pout when the male lead doesn't conform to these societal norms, even going so far as to imply it's due to her own perceived inadequacy, was deeply unsettling and difficult to reconcile with.

Perhaps the die-hard fans of the original fan-fiction might find more to appreciate here. However, as a reader coming to this story fresh, I found it to be significantly lacking in several crucial areas.

The narration of this book is pretty good, and the story itself, adapted from a popular Dramione fanfiction, probably benefits from that demographic and audience knowing at least a little bit about it. I think Julie Soto's other works (Not Another Love Song, Thrashers, Forget Me Not) were pretty great, but this one might have needed to pivot harder from the source and build out the fantasy world a little more. It's hard to compete in the romantasy genre, but I think Julie Soto still has a unique writing style that will appeal to the audience. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC audiobook.

If we’re gonna keep doing the same romantasy over and over, let’s at least do it better

Clumsy world building, a bit annoying main character (your brother just died and you’re thirsting over some dude while the palace is being attacked???)
I didn’t really cared about the flashback chapters.

Best part was the narration, even if the British accent made it harder to follow.

This book is for anyone who loves romantasy. Captivating story, interesting worldbuilding and a headstrong FMC. The chemistry and tension between our maincharcters were intriging and slow burning and the magic system was great.
The story was somewhat dark but definitely worht a try!
However the audiobook was a bit confusing, giving the time-jumps/Flashbacks but otherwise nicely done.

4,5 ⭐️ and a thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook!

This is a wonderfully dark romance, I cannot wait for the next book! I am familiar with the fan fiction that is adapted from. I think this did an excellent job of setting itself apart and also keeping to the best parts of the plot. I really like the magic system, it was easy to understand but complex enough to have a variety of uses through the story. I love slow burn, lots of tension. There were a lot of surprises that I like - Rory alive, dragon!!

I do not think the characters were developed enough. I am unsure of the motivation of Mallow (sorry if spelling is off, I listened to audiobook), Toven and the Herst family. Maybe this will be explained more in the next book. I don't understand Mallow's backstory or why she wants to rule. I don't understand why mind vs heart magic would cause a war. Is it simply so heart magicians can use mind magicians as familiars? I also can see that Toven has had feeling for Brione for a long time. Is this his only motivation for disobeying Mallow? Is it enough motivation for his family to also act against her?

I think the fan fiction this is adapted from had the benefit of the characters being previously developed and an entire world being built before the story even began. It was easier to make these connections.

I listened to the audio book and really enjoyed most of it. The narrators pacing, inflection and emphasis at certain points was excellent, especially during heated/tense scenes. I did not like the voices used for male characters, especially Toven.

Following the defeat of Evermore by Bomard, Briony Rosewood is taken captive. Stripped of her magic and sold off at auction to the highest bidder to be used as a heartspring, a magical well for her new master. As the Evermore princess, Briony incites a fierce bidding war, which is won by Toven Hearst, one of the cruel Bomard boys she was forced to attend joint schooling with. Despite her dire situation, Briony finds that hope might be found in the most unlikely of places.

Okay, I'm obsessed! This book is the reason why I prefer to read finished series - because I need to know what happens next. Immediately.

I read a lot of fantasy so I love when a magic system feels unique. The story centers around two kingdoms that use different types of magic. Evermore uses mind magic while Bomard uses heart magic. As the story progresses, we get to see how the two types of magic can be used to do different things, and how outside influences, like familiars and other bonds, can allow for the strengthening of magic. I also appreciated that there was enough world building to give a sense of the different places that the story takes place.

There's also a large focus on the relationship between Briony and Toven. They have a bit of a 'he likes me so he pulled my hair' relationship at school initially, and Briony is definitely attracted to Toven, but as the tension between the two kingdoms builds, he, along with the other Bomard boys, becomes more cruel toward Briony. By the time he purchases her at auction, Briony has a firm hatred for Toven, which is part of why she struggles to understand why he gives her so much more freedom than he should. There's a lot of tension between them, and it takes a while for either of them to act on the attraction that clearly still exists for both of them.

I listened to this one on audio, narrated by Ella Lynch. I feel like having a single narrator for a book, especially one with a large cast of characters, can be difficult, but Ella did an incredible job. She had unique voices for each of the characters that were easy to distinguish and felt appropriate to the characters, and her narration was full of emotion while also being clear.

Read if you like:
Enemies to lovers
Multiple timelines
Prophecy
Heart and mind magic
Magic based on connection
Mutual pining
Animal familiars
Single-POV

I already knew that Rose in Chains was a winner for me from a content standpoint but the audiobook exceeded all of my expectations. I adore Ella's style and way of approaching the different characters. She really brought them to life and I never had trouble distinguishing one character from another. The production quality of the audio as a whole was also very well done - everything was clear and the noise balance was great. Prior to this I had never listened to a story narrated by Ella but I'm looking forward to hearing her more in the future and hopefully for the next two Rose in Chains titles!

As for the book content:

I was hooked from the very beginning and read it all in a single evening, I literally could not put it down. Soto manages to create such a vibrant world and I honestly don't know how I'm going to be able to wait for book 2 (and 3, let's be real).

The relationship between Briony and her brother is so realistic and infuriating - we watch Briony constantly try to make herself "less" in order to allow her brother to be the shining star for their father (at their father's request). She loves him and does it willingly, but at what cost? He doesn't seem to fully grasp what she's doing for him (hello, every man ever) and it's equally angering and understandable.

Toven Hearst. I have so many thoughts but honestly, he is going to be the internet's next top book boyfriend without a doubt. He is everything that romantasy readers love nowadays - attractive, rich, former enemy, etc.

The flashback scenes are done really artfully and placed in really well thought out moments. It's nice to be able to catch glimpses of these characters before the war really took over - to see how they interacted with their friends and enemies. I honestly wouldn't mind getting entire prequel novellas dedicated to their times at school prior to the war.

I have, like many others, read the original fanfiction version of Rose in Chains but honestly while there are obviously scenes taken from it, this feels like a completely different world and story. I don't think I would ever have guessed its origins if I had gone in blind. I am really impressed at Julie's ability to take one story and turn it into something else entirely while still preserving the emotional aspects that we all loved.

I truly don't know what I'm going to do with myself from now until book 2 comes out. I guess just reread it over and over? I haven't had a book put me into this kind of post-read book slump in a VERY long time.

I want to start by saying I am a huge Dramione fan and read Julie Soto’s Auction last year. I loved the Auction and of course I loved this. Now you can definitely see The Auction in this book, the sameish characters, the places they go, etc. but Soto does an amazing job making this all hers.

The story is about a Princess named Briony who is on the losing side of the war. She gets auctioned off to her enemy (?) Toven Hearst who belongs to a family that is loyal to the new regime. Briony comes to find out things aren’t always as they seem and starts looking at Toven and his family differently. Along with the present storyline, Soto takes us back in time when both Briony and Toven are at school together. She does a great job showing the dynamics between the two as the flashbacks start coming closer to the future.

Soto’s world building is well done and I don’t feel like I’m missing much. I do wish we had a better look at the other countries and what exact time frame we are looking at. Are we medieval times or present? There are castles but also mansions. It’s not a huge deal it’s definitely not distracting but it’s something that may bother others.

The characters are well developed and multi faceted. I’m in love with Toven. The smirks, the snark, drool. Briony is your classic romantasy female but less whiny, and less best at everything they do. The chemistry between the two is fantastic. It’s not insta lust or love. It’s very much a slow burn where you can actually see how the characters are falling for each other. We still don’t know all of Toven’s motivations but the audience can definitely make some predictions.

I love the slow burn, it’s fantastic, but my romance loving heart is like whhhhy Julie?! I want more nooow, but she’s going to make us wait for that in the sequel.

The narrator is well spoken and does a great job with the voices.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year! I can’t wait to get all the copies, and of course the sequel!

Thank you to Forever and Hachette audio for the arc!

This was such a lush updated version of the original. That epilogue! The story is very dark but ultimately hopeful. And, of course, that good old dramione tension is unbeatable. Loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced reader copy.

Receiving the audiobook ARC of Rose in Chains by Julie Soto felt like waking up on Christmas morning. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year by an author who consistently releases five star material and I am so thankful that Rose in Chains lived up to all my expectations. Julie Soto has upgraded a former Hermione-Draco fanfic into a fantasy with actual stakes and so much sexual tension it will make you scream. Narrator Ella Lynch is excellent with a story that doesn't have excessive world building to bog down a listener. I will be talking about this book to everyone I know, it's an absolute must read!

Wow, just wow
Julie Soto has left me deceased. My emotional roller-coaster needs to be studied.
The tension
The slow burn
I need the next book immediately.