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dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, War
Minor: Animal cruelty
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Medical trauma
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book sealed the deal. Julie Soto is NOT for me.
Rose In Chains is a reworked adaptation of a Harry Potter fan fiction originally published as The Auction. However, even with the agonizingly slow narrative pacing and lackluster attempts at exposition and character development, it does not stand on its own. The world described on page is odd. Not quite historical but certainly not modern. Is this a normal convention for “romantasy”? Rose In Chains is still relying on its readers to know the “Dramione” vibe. This book has triggering content, so I hope the print version includes a list. They were not in the audio.
The characters are flat. The world building is lacking. And most importantly, the relationship between Bryony and Tolvin is non existent. There’s no chemistry, no banter, no insight into why they should or do care about each other except that they’re “hot.” And for a story that moves so slowly, this book is LONG. The audiobook is 15+ hours. The narrator does a decent job with the performance, but at times it came across as monotone.
Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC.
Rose In Chains is a reworked adaptation of a Harry Potter fan fiction originally published as The Auction. However, even with the agonizingly slow narrative pacing and lackluster attempts at exposition and character development, it does not stand on its own. The world described on page is odd. Not quite historical but certainly not modern. Is this a normal convention for “romantasy”? Rose In Chains is still relying on its readers to know the “Dramione” vibe. This book has triggering content, so I hope the print version includes a list. They were not in the audio.
The characters are flat. The world building is lacking. And most importantly, the relationship between Bryony and Tolvin is non existent. There’s no chemistry, no banter, no insight into why they should or do care about each other except that they’re “hot.” And for a story that moves so slowly, this book is LONG. The audiobook is 15+ hours. The narrator does a decent job with the performance, but at times it came across as monotone.
Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am absolutely speechless, this book consumed me right from the first page! I read this book in just one day, I honestly could not put it down!
We follow Briony's (princess of Evermore) life/journey after the death of her father. The horrors, challenges and relationships she experiences through the 4 years afterwards and how She and her Twin brother are fighting to keep Evermore out of Veronika Mallows control. The Bermardi (heart magic) are trying to control and wipe out the Eversuns (mind magic).
This book contains spoiler warnings and I would say to make sure you read these before you start, this book can be very dark and triggering for some.
The twists and turns of this book kept me on the edge of my seat. When I finished i absolutely gasped and need book 2 and 3 right now!
The worldbuilding is absolutely fantastic, the character development is absolutely insane. I have a love for so so many characters and not just the FMC and MMC and even those who are on the 'wron side' which I feel is so rare nowadays!
I feel like this series is going to go down like Forth Wing and Acotar and become a staple Fantasy/Romantasy Read!
I'd also like to add in that I attended the Launch Day event for Rose in Chains and Julie Soto is absolutely hilarious, an amazing sense of humour, so lovely and I could honestly listen to her talk about Rose in Chain - and her love for interview with a Vampire for hours!!
We follow Briony's (princess of Evermore) life/journey after the death of her father. The horrors, challenges and relationships she experiences through the 4 years afterwards and how She and her Twin brother are fighting to keep Evermore out of Veronika Mallows control. The Bermardi (heart magic) are trying to control and wipe out the Eversuns (mind magic).
This book contains spoiler warnings and I would say to make sure you read these before you start, this book can be very dark and triggering for some.
The twists and turns of this book kept me on the edge of my seat. When I finished i absolutely gasped and need book 2 and 3 right now!
The worldbuilding is absolutely fantastic, the character development is absolutely insane. I have a love for so so many characters and not just the FMC and MMC and even those who are on the 'wron side' which I feel is so rare nowadays!
I feel like this series is going to go down like Forth Wing and Acotar and become a staple Fantasy/Romantasy Read!
I'd also like to add in that I attended the Launch Day event for Rose in Chains and Julie Soto is absolutely hilarious, an amazing sense of humour, so lovely and I could honestly listen to her talk about Rose in Chain - and her love for interview with a Vampire for hours!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Abortion
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, War
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Death of parent, Colonisation
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love Julie Soto as an author and have read all of her books (non fanfiction). I’m not much of a fantasy reader, but I wanted to give it a try since she was writing it. Overall, I did enjoy this book and I certainly will be reading more in the series. The cover is gorgeous and I love how well it represents the content of the novel. When I started reading this novel, I knew it had been adapted from Julie Soto’s fanfiction story based on a relationship between Draco and Hermione from the Harry Potter series. This novel certainly was changed from that world as the explanation of magic is very different along with the overall time and location being otherworldly. Getting into this novel was hard - there was so much going on very early on with so many names and new concepts being thrown at the reader. I was overwhelmed and kinda lost at first. Once I picked up what was happening, it started to make more sense. To help it make sense, I did Google the major plot points from when this was a fanfiction and the timeline of it in the Harry Potter world helped me get on pace for the land of Evermore (and the surrounding areas? Not sure if they were ever given a real name?). Briony is an interesting main character- at times she is terribly naïve but also incredibly headstrong. She is also incredibly intelligent, but has to appear not as smart for the sake of her twin brother, the prince. Toven comes off as a snob, but really develops more complexity as the story goes on. The flashbacks of Briony and Toven were my favorite part of the story because it really led their character development and allowed more explanations to the fantasy world. The content of the book can be dark - while it says the “dark forces” have won, what they do with the losing side is “dark” but I don’t understand what really made them “dark” to begin. It didn’t seem fully explained to me. The losing side is sold to the highest bidder, primarily for magic use, but non-consensual sex is mentioned as occuring to some characters, as well as sexual violence, sexual harassment, forced sterilization, torture, abuse, death, gore, and war violence. While those dark themes do take place and are a huge motivation to Toven and Briony throughout the novel, their story and relationship of being on opposite sides really is front and center. The novel did run long for my taste and I felt really found its pacing much more in the last third of the novel. However, that cliffhanger ending?! I did not see that coming (and from my understanding, is a complete departure from her original fanfiction)! I am being picky in saying I also didn’t love all the naming, from new locations, various magic things, and people’s actual names - they were too complicated, too many named characters, and just difficult to keep track of. I fear I will have to reread this novel before the second comes out or I will forget who all the characters are! I did listen to the audiobook for this novel and I actually wish I hadn’t. I have no idea what accent the narrator was using (I know it’s fantasy and made up!) but I didn’t like it. It also really didn’t make me like Briony (narration in her presumed voice) because it was too formal and also snobbish and whiny at the same time. Overall, this is a dark fantasy read, where most dark moments happen to side characters, but is a war-time fiction. Read with caution, but also enjoyable for a fantasy debut. 3.75⭐️, 1.5🌶, ⚠️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and this audiobook narrated by Ella Lynch was done so well. Her voice was able to really transport me into the world of Briony Rosewood and Toven Hearst. When I finished it in 5 days, I was surprised at how the book had a lingering effect on my thoughts.
Note: Please take the time to listen/read the content warnings. This book is not meant for children and is marketed as New Adult.
As a reader of the original fanfiction that Julie Soto posted on Ao3, I made sure to separate the two works in my mind. Although there are similar story beats, the world she built is pretty well thought out. With the use of a non-linear timeline, it does help build out a map of the world if you are just listening to the book. While I wish I could physically see the map, the descriptions of the places and how the seasons were still gave enough context clues of how far north one might be.
Continuing on to the characters, Briony's flaws and motivations were really easy to pick out. Toven, on the other hand, is kind of a grey area. I would not really classify this as a full enemies-to-lovers, but it still has some semblance of that. All of the surrounding characters give extra life to the story and help flesh out the overall threat to Briony's world. I do wish she was given just a bit more interaction with certain characters to really drive home the importance they may have in any future plots.
The reasons for the context warning are pretty evident just a few chapters in. While not as intense as some other books readers may be experienced with, it is still a rough subject matter. Is it necessary to the story? Yes. It actually is a major plot point and is not really something that can be skipped.
Finally, when the epilogue happened, I was surprised and look forward to all future books set in this universe!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Classism
dark
emotional
sad
tense
I'm conflicted about this one. To start with, if you don't know - this is a rewrite of a Dramione fic (The Auction). I never read the Auction, but you can still sometimes see the scaffolding of the stories and characters that this used to lean on.
please check all trigger warnings before reading this - there are a lot of horrible things that happen to women in this world.
So yes, this originally was based on a story based on characters by JKR. Just want to make it clear that I do not support her in any way, and intend, to the best of my abilities, to treat this as a work separate from its source material.
To start, I love Julie Soto's writing, and this book solidly confirms my opinion on that - I just love how she builds relationships and layers tension so perfectly so that when romance eventually happens (at the 97% mark!!!!! talk about a freaking slow burn), it feels earned. Her characters feel real and solid in their world. I really just enjoyed the relationship between Briony and Toven - their shared history, the tension and slow burn between them, their whip-quick banter and interactions. (Toven had me yelling and shaking my fists at him for how slowwwwwww he's making things go)
However, the world building is a bit rough. Don't think too much about it, and it won't bother you (I got over it quickly). If you're a stickler for strong world building, maybe stay away from this one. But there are dragons, and I have a feeling that they're going to be a larger part of future stories. So there is that. I'm also intruiged by the greater things going on in the rest of the world that we haven't gotten much of a peek at yet.
That being said, this is a rough book. I like fantasy for how much it can remove me from what's going on in the real world. This is not a great book for that. the men in power are horrendous and abusive to women. there are talks of racial purity and racially motivated hatred and violence. lots of talk of sterilization and the value of virginity (among many many other things). it is a captive/captor/slave romance.
But it is, still, a romance. As someone who believes that we can still continue to have good things while the world burns around us, I am a huge fan of the romance against a bleak, horrendous backdrop.
I listened to the audio, and I would say that the narration is fine. not the most spectacular thing I've ever heard, and there were a lot of moments that I wished I had a physical copy in front of me. The narrator did a solid job.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Forever for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
please check all trigger warnings before reading this - there are a lot of horrible things that happen to women in this world.
So yes, this originally was based on a story based on characters by JKR. Just want to make it clear that I do not support her in any way, and intend, to the best of my abilities, to treat this as a work separate from its source material.
To start, I love Julie Soto's writing, and this book solidly confirms my opinion on that - I just love how she builds relationships and layers tension so perfectly so that when romance eventually happens (at the 97% mark!!!!! talk about a freaking slow burn), it feels earned. Her characters feel real and solid in their world. I really just enjoyed the relationship between Briony and Toven - their shared history, the tension and slow burn between them, their whip-quick banter and interactions. (Toven had me yelling and shaking my fists at him for how slowwwwwww he's making things go)
However, the world building is a bit rough. Don't think too much about it, and it won't bother you (I got over it quickly). If you're a stickler for strong world building, maybe stay away from this one. But there are dragons, and I have a feeling that they're going to be a larger part of future stories. So there is that. I'm also intruiged by the greater things going on in the rest of the world that we haven't gotten much of a peek at yet.
That being said, this is a rough book. I like fantasy for how much it can remove me from what's going on in the real world. This is not a great book for that. the men in power are horrendous and abusive to women. there are talks of racial purity and racially motivated hatred and violence. lots of talk of sterilization and the value of virginity (among many many other things). it is a captive/captor/slave romance.
But it is, still, a romance. As someone who believes that we can still continue to have good things while the world burns around us, I am a huge fan of the romance against a bleak, horrendous backdrop.
I listened to the audio, and I would say that the narration is fine. not the most spectacular thing I've ever heard, and there were a lot of moments that I wished I had a physical copy in front of me. The narrator did a solid job.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Forever for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Sexual harassment, War