I loved The Auction! So when I saw this was available I ran to request. I also loved the narrator’s voice, she really helped bring this story to life. I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit thrown off at first because I went in with The Auction in mind, but if you think of it as its own book or for someone who has never read the other, then it’s easier to catch up with the storyline. After a few chapters, my brain was able to accept the difference and it was easier to understand. I ended up loving this story just as much especially with its unique magic system. I found it to be pretty clever on the authors part and it’s a perfect twist. I’m obsessed with Toven and Briony! That ending had me shocked and I did not expect that. I cannot wait for the next book. I need it by tomorrow!😩

Thank you to Julie Soto, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for this audiobook.

I loved The Auction! So when I saw this was available I ran to request. I also loved the narrator’s voice, she really helped bring this story to life. I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit thrown off at first because I went in with The Auction in mind, but if you think of it as its own book or for someone who has never read the other, then it’s easier to catch up with the storyline. After a few chapters, my brain was able to accept the difference and it was easier to understand. I ended up loving this story just as much especially with its unique magic system. I found it to be pretty clever on the authors part and it’s a perfect twist. I’m obsessed with Toven and Briony! That ending had me shocked and I did not expect that. I cannot wait for the next book. I need it by tomorrow!😩

Thank you to Julie Soto, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for this audiobook.

there’s the art of precision and there’s this book: the meandering, feet-dragging counterpart. i was waiting for this book to get to the point the entire time but instead i got a flashback, more flashback, world-building, a further flashback to expand the magical system, and seemingly endless misery (which i will not that the trigger warnings did exist for them). the point (i guess is my enjoyment? when things actually get rolling and interesting? the romance in my romantasy?) is still nowhere to be seen. julie soto is still trying to perfect this amazing backdrop behind the play while i’m just waiting for it to start.

i’m not the kind of reader to wade through the slog to get to the pearl anymore these days. and there’s a lot of slogs in this book. the ending promises a real treat in the next instalment, where things may or may not pick up — i hesitate to say that i will pick this series up again but i welcome soto’s redemption and the chance to be surprised.

established fans of the original fic will obviously have a better time with it than i did.

I love this so much and I cannot WAIT until the next book! This definitely put the SLOW in slow burn and I loved it. I am definitely a Tovin stan. I am really looking forward to the further word building and character building as this trilogy goes on. Very exited to see what direction this goes in. I didn't read The Auction on purpose because I wanted to go into this trilogy without any bias or spoilers and I am happy with my decision. Julie Soto is one of my favorites! 10/10.

Let me tell you, Rose in Chains is one of the most bingeable books I’ve read in a long time. I should have known better than to doubt Julie Soto because I’ve loved everything she’s written, but this one had me hooked from the very first page. I finished it in a single sitting because I simply couldn’t put it down.

The story follows Briony Rosewood, princess of the Eversuns, who loses her twin brother and sees her kingdom fall into enemy hands. She’s then sold in a brutal bidding war to none other than her rival.

I didn’t expect this book to be SO DARK. Themes like human trafficking and sexual assault caught me off guard. I’ve read a fair amount of romantasy and dark romance, but this still managed to surprise me with how intense it got.

The pacing was fantastic. Julie Soto throws you right into the action and lets you figure things out as you go. The dual timeline structure worked really well. It gave us just enough context without any info-dumping and helped deepen our connection with the characters.

The slow burn romance is very slow. I waited forever for a single kiss, but honestly, it made the payoff so much sweeter. The chemistry between Briony and Toven is intense. Toven is your classic morally grey antihero, and every argument and clash between them only built the tension. I was completely invested in their dynamic.

If I had one critique, it’s that the plot was a bit predictable. It didn’t ruin the experience, but I was hoping for a twist that never came. Still, I was too hooked to care much.

I also hope the female villain gets more development in the sequel. Right now, she feels evil just for the sake of being evil, but the final chapter hints that more is coming. That POV switch at the end was such a good move, and I’m excited to see how that plays out in Book 2.

All in all, this was dark, addictive, and emotional with just the right amount of spice. I already know I’ll be counting down the days until the sequel.

I really thought I wasn’t going to like this and I’m so shocked that I did. We had a rocky start, to be honest. Between the wild trigger warnings (definitely read those) and the unnecessary accent in the audiobook, I was sure this would be a flop. I figured out pretty quickly this was based off Dramione fan fiction which also had me iffy but ultimately I realized it was really just inspiration so it was fine.

The world building and magic system were really well thought out. I can’t remember the last time magic was so described and such detail. I do feel like it takes a while to truly get into though because there is just so much to digest.

The characters were…alright. I was disappointed at the remaining tension by the end of book. Like we’re still enemies. For literally no reason. ACTUALLY. For a reason. It’s just a stupid one. I think Toven needs to show some personality that isn’t just ✨stressed ✨ and Briony needs to take a step back and look at the situation she’s in. The utter LACK of gratitude and awareness was shocking. Like girl read the room. Thank your kind captors more and put them in danger less. Please.

I will say though, as much as I liked the last 40% of this book…the ending pissed me off. It was building, building, building…and then epilogue. And it’s not a cliffhanger. I like a good cliffhanger. This was more of a…that’s it? That’s the moment you stopped on?

Anyway. That was a lot of words to say I loved it. And no one is more shocked about that than I am.

**thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for sending me an advanced copy!**

Just finished this audiobook and absolutely loved it. Julie did an amazing job with the world building and explanation of the magic system. The narrator did an amazing job with the different characters and kept me engaged. I cannot wait for the next book.

This review took a little longer to write only because I've been processing.

I went into this read not knowing what to expect. The only thing I knew was it was highly anticipated. Well, this book was my top read of June. I was not expecting this book to be so dark. So please, if you do decide to read this, please check your TW. Julie's writing was fantastic and had me questioning why I hadn't picked up one of her books before. All the words just flowed off the page and threw me into this magical world that had me guessing the whole time. I was so invested in the story I forgot all adult responsibilities.

Narration

I am not one for an audiobook that has one narrator, but she did a fantastic job. She had such a good range switching between characters. I never had to guess who this is again.

Characters—

Briony—

O sweet Briony, she is that character that looks like a cinnamon roll but will kill you. Her strength throughout the book was admirable. She took every situation and came out smarter and stronger.

Toven

I love him, that is all.

This was such a good read, everything about it.

The magic system was interesting.

The story was engaging.

and the characters were relatable

I do want to shake my fist at the author and ask, Why did you make me wait until 95%? (If you know, you know.) But the yearning, ahh, so refreshing.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio Forever, and Julie Soto for the ALC

Rose in Chains had me confused for most of the book. I kept waiting for things to click, but they never really did. There were hints of a bigger story or magic system, but it never got fleshed out, which made the world feel kind of empty. The romance didn’t really land for me either, it was there, but I wasn’t invested. A lot of scenes felt like bits and pieces of something interesting, but overall, not much actually happened. I kept hoping it would pick up, but it just never did.

The narrator honestly did a great job with this one. Even though the story itself wasn’t super gripping, their delivery kept me listening. They brought the characters to life and added emotion where the writing sometimes fell flat.

The way that I BEGGED for this book for so long will haunt me forever, but I prevailed! The biggest thank you to Hachette Audio for absolutely making my entire summer. To say that I was fiening for this arc, would be an understatement. I needed this book like I needed air.

We’re not going to go too far into the lore of this title, because honestly, we don’t need to rehash it. Everything has already been said. Let’s simply celebrate the way an author reclaimed characters from someone heinous. Better yet, let’s use this hype to encourage others to donate to those who were harmed by the creator of the original source material. I chose two different foundations to support, and hope you’ll do the same.

I was very curious to see how this story had evolved from then original fanfiction, and LOVED hearing it unfold. The changes were so interesting, and I enjoyed diving into this reimagined story.

The narrator Ella Lynch knocked it out of the park. Her voice is so soothing, and I enjoyed the way she read each character’s lines. Her ability to create distinct voices for each of Julie Soto’s characters really brought this story to life. I especially appreciated the way she brought so much personality to the men. While I initially had wanted the addition of a male narrator; I found that her performance alone made me forget about those feelings. She absolutely slayed!

In Rose in Chains, there’s a power shift that turns Briony’s life upside down. Now she’s adjusting to her new normal after her powers are stripped, and an auction puts her in the hands of her former school rival. It was so fun watching the relationship between Briony and Toven develop, especially under the pressure of this new regime. I was eating up every little morsel of their interactions. The forbidden love aspect had me squealing with glee.

This book takes place over the course of two distinct timelines. One in the past where the characters meet in school and don’t exactly get along, and the other in the present where they are even more at odds. It felt like enemies to lovers twice over which was double the fun. I enjoyed bouncing back and forth between the timelines. Both storylines had me so eager for more.

Overall, I enjoyed myself and was able to ignore some of the complaints that I had seen about the lack of solid world building. That being said, I will agree that some of the complaints had merit. I loved the explanations of the magic system, but I felt like in general there wasn’t much development beyond that. I wanted to know more about what this world looked like beyond my own assumptions. My hope for book two is that we’ll dive a little deeper.

I’m so very excited to see where this series goes from here. Book one ends on such an exciting note, and I cannot wait to see how it picks up in the next book!

Well I’m not exactly sure were to start… I truly believe this will be the next BIG romantasy that everyone’s reading.

It was a book that had everything you needed: Thrill, peril, and ROMANCE 😍

I listened to the audiobook ARC can truly can’t wait for everyone else to read it so I have people to talk about it with!

The audio I felt was a little slow paced I listened at 2.5X but I enjoyed the narrators emotion and tone

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for this ALC in exchange for an honest review. Truly, it made my year.

As someone who has read the original fanfiction of this novel, I was wondering how Julie Soto was going to fill the gaps of the Harry Potter world. While I had no doubt that she would do so well based on how I have loved everything she’s ever written, my curiosity was peaked. And, I would like to confirm that she did not disappoint.

Julie Soto has taken a beloved fanfic and turned it into something that can stand on its own. The magic system was wonderfully woven into this world and the characters identities. I love the choices she made in differing the two works while keeping the heart and depth of the original work.

Briony and Toven have history and warring magical ideologies. We see some of their past as well as their present, which is dark (please read the trigger warnings). I fell in love with these characters and their complexities, as they each had such depth, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of as the series continues.

The audio itself was also such a masterpiece. Ella Lynch added so much to the reading experience.

I feel like I was able to read one of my absolute favorite books like it was the first time.

Foaming at the mouth for the next one — the ending will surprise everyone, including people who have read The Auction!!

6 wonderfully crafted stars

So…I didn’t enjoy this book. I didn’t know until after finishing it that this is a traditionally published adaptation of a fanfiction called The Auction, which was originally a Hermione/Draco fanfic. That info might’ve helped going in, but even knowing that now, it doesn’t change how I feel.

I don’t think the writing was bad, and the narrator Ella Lynch did a good job with the performance. But personally ever but especially given today’s political climate, I’m just not in a place where I can read a book centered on women being sold into sexual slavery and somehow be expected to try to root for the romance.

This is a dark romance, and there are multiple scenes of rape, including scenes where it happens to other characters while the main character and others are present and do nothing. That’s just not something I’m comfortable reading.

There were content warnings at the beginning, but because I received an advance copy, I felt like I should read the entire book. That wasn’t something the publisher required, but I just felt an obligation to since I was given early access. But if I’d picked this up from the library or bought it myself, I would have stopped reading around the 20% mark.

This book is basically a slave/master romance, the FMC Briony is captured after her kingdom falls in a war and is sold at auction, where the MMC buys her. The story tries to paint him as one of the “better” ones when it comes to slave owners…but I’m just not interested in reading a romance where the central dynamic is ownership. On top of that, the women in this world are either sterilized or constantly threatened with forced sterilization and SA as punishment, which was another thing I wasn’t okay with.

I do think this book will probably take off on BookTok, it’s beautiful to look at, the cover is eye catching, the sprayed edges look amazing, and that’s usually enough to make something go viral. Add in the Dramoine connection, and I see why people will pick it up. But I really want readers to know how dark this book is. Just because it’s pink and purple doesn’t mean it’s light or romantic. But if you are into very dark romances with heavy themes, and Dramoine fanfic, this may be for you.

This wasn’t for me, and I won’t be continuing the series. But I do appreciate getting the chance to listen early.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

initial thoughts: this was amazing and i loved it and cannot wait for the next book (like legitimately can’t wait sos).

Julie did an amazing job of setting up an entirely new world that feels fresh and unique from the auction, with a new magic system/lore etc, while still staying true to our OG babies in so many ways.

I know there’s SO much to come but man this is the slowest of all slow burns 🔥🥵🥲😩

as of now I think im giving this a 4.5/4.75 because i feel like something was missing?? I think that’s very likely just me having insane expectations because the auction is my favorite book ever and it’s hard to separate the two. I know we’re supposed to be left on a cliffhanger and dying for more but I feel like I just needed like 1% more.

that being said, i still absolutely loved this and am so thankful to have received an advanced audio copy from hachette. I cannot WAIT to re-read it as soon as i have the physical book in my hands.

spoilery thoughts/theories below:

-okay tbh i had a feeling Rory was gonna be alive but im kinda annoyed about it bc I hated him??? like he clearly sucks as a brother lol
-need more dragon backstory???
-are dragon and rory gonna fall in love (say yes)
-I can’t believe they only kissed once omg
-toven ur really gonna let our girl keep thinking she means nothing to you???
-I can’t believe briony still doesn’t know the “vision” he gave her was actually his own fantasy

DNFd @ 44%.

First, I've never read or seen Harry Potter. I don't know anything about Dramoine (and I don't know if that's spelled correctly because my phone keeps changing that to Dramamine which is apt because this book made me nauseous), and I was only made aware that this was A03 fanfiction reimagined after I'd been approved for an ALC.

The narration was fine; I didn't have any issues with it.

However, the story is flat. In the places it is not flat, it is flawed. There are eugenics, self-hating internalized homophobia, anti-semitic tropes and descriptions, words and phrases that feel racially charged, and a bully romance that desperately wants the reader to believe that a master-slave dynamic is taking place. All of it is uncomfortable, which is fine, fiction can make me uncomfortable, but it is also irresponsibly-written in a way that makes me think attempts to stick to Rowling's original casual tone of racism and bigotry were made. Which is not only inappropriate in this day and age, but also insensitive to marginalized voices that have come to see Julie Soto's novels as a safe place to land.

Soto has written two of my favorite contemporary romances, so I was fully on board for her romantasy debut. I'm devastated that not only has she underwhelmed me, I also think this might be my last time picking up a book by her because in the midst of everything circulating about this book, she is also apparently adamant about still giving Harry Potter's terrible creator money. I used to read and write fan fiction—I am not completely against it being traditionally published—but efforts to distance from the source material need to be made, and, if the author of the original work is a bigot, how about we don't market with that author's characters, aesthetic, vibes, etc.?

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I am sad.

4.75⭐️ Just, yup. Another absolutely solid read from @juliesotowrites. Definitely check trigger warnings for your own protection and peace of mind. There are some heavy moments as the story deals with a takeover and belittling certain people for power and humiliation. @juliesotowrites, I feel, handled these topics in a very careful manner. Some of these triggers were more of a mention rather than a full-blown scene played out. Personally, I appreciated that.

5⭐️narration from @narrator.ella! For such a book to be narrated by one person, truly wonderful job. There are so many different characters in this book. The personalities are all over the place, which is one of the reasons why it’s such a solid read. Ella managed to portray every personality so well. You hated a few characters, pitied another, wanted to weep for some, shocked by others, and cheered some on.

Briony has been captured. The war is over and their enemy has won. Now, many of the women are being captured, sterilized, and treated like slaves. they’re also being drained. There’s a magic that allows for others to drain the magic from one to empower themselves. These slaves are being used in such a manner while also being humiliated in other ways. Briony has been bought at the highest price because she holds the highest potential. Toven sees this as an opportunity and wins her as his slave in the auction. However, there are some things that are not as they seem.

Thank you so much @hachetteaudio for the advanced listener copy through @netgalley.

4.75
The way I devour this audiobook book is amazing. This was my first Julie Soto book and I absolutely love her writing. this story and the world are phenomenal. Dark fantasy, slow burn. this is definitely a must-read and audiobook listen. the narrator did a great job and kept you engaged in the story.
Thank you, Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy.

Thank you Forever Pub & NetGalley for the ARC!

Your Honor, I fear this is a complete masterpiece, and the only crime is that we will have to wait ages for the next books in the series. My level of investment was scary.

You get these flashbacks intermixed with the current nightmare that Briony finds herself living in, which serves to gradually paint a picture of why she feels the way she does about Tovin, and allows us to come to (almost) understand his and his family’s motives up to the present. The political intrigue! The unjust takeover! The desperation! The magic! The yearning!

I love Briony because she’s a brewing storm- always demanded to be less, to hide, and to settle. I need her to harness all of her might and destroy the entire patriarchy while Tovin just bends the knee and follows her to the ends of the earth. I need her to enact justice and revenge.

AN AMAZING BOOK, with a perfect setup for book 2 that will leave you angry with the need for MORE.

Incredibly disappointed to say that this did not work for me, at all, especially after it was so highly recommended. Not Another Love Song was one of my faves last year (particularly after the music making scene--IYKYK), but that hype didn't translate to this world for me. I wasn't attached at all to either of the main characters, so I had a hard time relating to this one. I did like the narrator's voice, but she made Briony sound so ditzy and I just hated Toven. While it wasn't bad, I just couldn't really get into it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced ALC of this book!

The narrator was excellent. She had an extremely pleasing voice and accent and spoke very clearly. I did not especially care for the voice she made for Raven or some of the male characters.

Omigosh I wish I would have realized this wasn't a stand alone going in XD now I have to wait for the sequel.

I was gripped from the beginning and thought the world building and magic was well fleshed out and explained, without being bogged down in details. It's refreshing not to have info-dumping in a fantasy.

I like all the characters and the relationships. I'm especially interested to see how the romance develops as the series continues. Surprisingly, Toven's parents are probably my favorite characters. They are intense and mysterious.

Keeping the characters and the bloodlines straight was a little confusing, however.