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dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Happy release day to Rose in Chains by Julie Soto! A dark romantasy following Rose, a political prisoner enslaved in the home of a powerful man from a rival kingdom. It is not a light read, but it is gripping if you are a dark romance fan.
As a fan of the original Dramione fanfiction, it was hard not to compare the two. The story is romance centric and carries the ruinous, morally grey energy of the original well but, ultimately, I have the same complaint with the traditionally published novel that I did with the original fan work. It's too long. Easily forgiven with the creation of a whole new world but the world-building felt pretty thin, and unfortunately, the book dragged in the middle for me. Soto nails the tension and messy, complicated dynamic between the characters though and it is absolutely worth the ride if you're into dark romance with lots of angst. Thank you NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Hachette Audio for the ALC.
As a fan of the original Dramione fanfiction, it was hard not to compare the two. The story is romance centric and carries the ruinous, morally grey energy of the original well but, ultimately, I have the same complaint with the traditionally published novel that I did with the original fan work. It's too long. Easily forgiven with the creation of a whole new world but the world-building felt pretty thin, and unfortunately, the book dragged in the middle for me. Soto nails the tension and messy, complicated dynamic between the characters though and it is absolutely worth the ride if you're into dark romance with lots of angst. Thank you NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Hachette Audio for the ALC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, War
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It’s pretty clearly Dramonie, which it was never hidden that it was, but it’s even more obvious than I expected. A different review mentioned that you literally need to know the HP lore to get this story and I genuinely think that’s true. Without that, it feels like such a flat world. At times it felt like the author just did ctrl-R to replace names and places, versus actually writing up the world from the ground up to make this a logical story.
There were some weird parts of the story, even setting aside the slavery aspect—mainly the FMC’s virginity. Apparently virgin blood is a hot commodity… but then later they take the spiritual representation of her virginity and store it in a jar for later (I’m serious). This is stuff I kind of expect from fanfiction so I’m not too shocked by but it just felt strange in print. I wish the whole part about her virginity has been irrelevant tbh. It just felt off, and I get it was a way to complicate things with MMC, but it was solved relatively quickly (10 pages, or like 12 hours in the story’s timeline) when it became an issue. Maybe the weird ball of virginity will become important in book 2??
Was it well written? It was okay. FMC is not overly outspoken most of the time, and seems quite passive in general. A lot of things just happen to her and she just puts up with it. MMC is brooding and dark, and for some reason FMC loves him even though he has consistently been apathetic to her. Both characters are kind of just hot messes honestly. There’s no logical explanation for them liking each other beyond that they kind of flirted as teens and have some physical attraction. I would expect it a bit from Dramonie fic adjacent lit, but that’s because in a fanfic you understand the backgrounds of the characters without needing it all laid out again. Author could have rewritten parts to make the story more cohesive.
One plot moment I thought would be important never shows up again. FMC is kissed by a gross slaver, notes her lips feel weird after, and then someone else who is also enslaved starts kissing her and runs her tongue over her lips as if she’s trying to wipe something off. I’m surprised that this didn’t end up being addressed further. It was used as a way to pass notes, but I’m shocked the author didn’t use it as a way to discuss a new version of the horny elixir used by that same slaver (yes, it is a thing) or poison or something. Missed opportunity? Or maybe next book?
Will I read the next one? Yeah. This books was a very easy read as someone who has read HP in the past and it held my attention well. I’m interested in what’s going on politically with everything and I’m interested in what is going to happen with the main characters. The few spicy scenes were well written. Is it kind of a weird book? Yeah, but I think you have to guess that going in with the premise. Will you like it without having read HP? Doubtful, because you’ll be missing a big chunk of what’s going on that the author doesn’t really touch on.
There were some weird parts of the story, even setting aside the slavery aspect—mainly the FMC’s virginity. Apparently virgin blood is a hot commodity… but then later they take the spiritual representation of her virginity and store it in a jar for later (I’m serious). This is stuff I kind of expect from fanfiction so I’m not too shocked by but it just felt strange in print. I wish the whole part about her virginity has been irrelevant tbh. It just felt off, and I get it was a way to complicate things with MMC, but it was solved relatively quickly (10 pages, or like 12 hours in the story’s timeline) when it became an issue. Maybe the weird ball of virginity will become important in book 2??
Was it well written? It was okay. FMC is not overly outspoken most of the time, and seems quite passive in general. A lot of things just happen to her and she just puts up with it. MMC is brooding and dark, and for some reason FMC loves him even though he has consistently been apathetic to her. Both characters are kind of just hot messes honestly. There’s no logical explanation for them liking each other beyond that they kind of flirted as teens and have some physical attraction. I would expect it a bit from Dramonie fic adjacent lit, but that’s because in a fanfic you understand the backgrounds of the characters without needing it all laid out again. Author could have rewritten parts to make the story more cohesive.
One plot moment I thought would be important never shows up again. FMC is kissed by a gross slaver, notes her lips feel weird after, and then someone else who is also enslaved starts kissing her and runs her tongue over her lips as if she’s trying to wipe something off. I’m surprised that this didn’t end up being addressed further. It was used as a way to pass notes, but I’m shocked the author didn’t use it as a way to discuss a new version of the horny elixir used by that same slaver (yes, it is a thing) or poison or something. Missed opportunity? Or maybe next book?
Will I read the next one? Yeah. This books was a very easy read as someone who has read HP in the past and it held my attention well. I’m interested in what’s going on politically with everything and I’m interested in what is going to happen with the main characters. The few spicy scenes were well written. Is it kind of a weird book? Yeah, but I think you have to guess that going in with the premise. Will you like it without having read HP? Doubtful, because you’ll be missing a big chunk of what’s going on that the author doesn’t really touch on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Slavery
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I haven't read the fic this book is based on, but reading this did kinda just make me want to go read that instead *shrugs*
The beginning 1/3 ish is extremely clunky with the worldbuilding and we are introduced to so many characters that I had no idea who anyone was. I think without being able to relate back to original fandom, I'm not sure the characters/plot/world really stands on its own which is probably problematic for anyone coming across this book without that background. Perhaps this is because Julie is a romance writer first and foremost, that the development of the high fantasy elements were not the strong suit of this book.
The plot and character development settles in a bit better in the latter half of the book, which was more focused on Briony and Toven's relationship. I love a slow burn so that was definitely tasty and the tension is well written. Here you can really see Julie's skill as a romance writer shine. Honestly the romance by itself is what kept me going and what will continue to fuel my interest in this series.
Ultimately yes I will continue the series because I think perhaps with how things have now been established there's a potential for the future books to really find a good stride.
Audio wise I thought the narrator did a good job - even if the voices used were very reminiscent of the fandom.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!
The beginning 1/3 ish is extremely clunky with the worldbuilding and we are introduced to so many characters that I had no idea who anyone was. I think without being able to relate back to original fandom, I'm not sure the characters/plot/world really stands on its own which is probably problematic for anyone coming across this book without that background. Perhaps this is because Julie is a romance writer first and foremost, that the development of the high fantasy elements were not the strong suit of this book.
The plot and character development settles in a bit better in the latter half of the book, which was more focused on Briony and Toven's relationship. I love a slow burn so that was definitely tasty and the tension is well written. Here you can really see Julie's skill as a romance writer shine. Honestly the romance by itself is what kept me going and what will continue to fuel my interest in this series.
Ultimately yes I will continue the series because I think perhaps with how things have now been established there's a potential for the future books to really find a good stride.
Audio wise I thought the narrator did a good job - even if the voices used were very reminiscent of the fandom.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, War
Minor: Death, Abortion, Death of parent
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
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't even know where to begin when it comes to discussing this book. I had mixed feelings the entire time I was reading, so I guess it's understandable why I don't know what to feel now.
Rose in Chains was adapted from Dramione fanfiction. I want to open with that fact, as this affected my feelings when I was reading. As something of a connoisseur of fanfiction, and having dipped my toes into Harry Potter fanfiction (maybe it's more I dipped my feet... possibly a whole leg... actually, I dived in head first), I couldn't help but look for those glimpses of the source material. It truly is a very good adaptation from the original fanfic. I think a lot of work has been done to develop a unique world with a different magic system and history. The villain is not the same, and this truly did feel original, which says much to the skill of Julie Soto as an author.
But although the world felt different, and I do feel like many of the secondary characters did feel different to the characters I would expect to see from Harry Potter, the characters of Briony and Toven? They just screamed Hermione and Draco, and I couldn't help but see it throughout. For example, Briony said at one point she was very good at research, and I agree, Hermione is great for research, but I don't think this was ever truly explained in the book, how bookish she was. She had to hide her intelligence, I know that was clearly explained, but she was never truly shown to be the bookworm she is meant to be. I could be picking at nothing, but things like that stood out to me when reading.
The pacing also needed work. I know this is going to be a series, and I fully expected to be left dying to know more with a cliffhanger of sorts, but the first half of the book moved too slowly. I felt like we had a lot of repetition before the plot truly got going. I got it when the world-building was occurring, and there were a lot of characters to introduce, but even later, once Briony was in chains, I felt like we saw the same thing over and over with no movement.
That being said, this did grip me by the end. I finished the book and was sad to see I had to wait another year for the next one. I know I'll reread this book again. I even know now I need to read quickly and can happily gloss over the harder parts of the book to read, such as the allusions to rape and the violation of bodily autonomy these women experience. It wasn't always enjoyable reading, but I don't mind that as I know what to expect from fanfiction. I feel like I'm willing to put myself through more trauma in a fanfiction read and go through the emotional wringer, but I'm not sure everyone will know what to expect here. I've added content warnings and feel no judgment if people give this a miss.
This is a good book which explores a lot. I think the potential for the next book is great if written well. I never read the original fanfiction for this, so I can't say how close it is, but I did really enjoy it. If this is what we'll see from all Dramione adaptations coming, I'll be happy, but I am waiting for a bad one to come along and ruin things. If nothing else, this book proves, once again, that adapting fanfiction to be original fiction is possible and so we can all ignore how awful 50 Shades was and not use that as an example of fanfiction making its way to the mainstream anymore.
Rose in Chains was adapted from Dramione fanfiction. I want to open with that fact, as this affected my feelings when I was reading. As something of a connoisseur of fanfiction, and having dipped my toes into Harry Potter fanfiction (maybe it's more I dipped my feet... possibly a whole leg... actually, I dived in head first), I couldn't help but look for those glimpses of the source material. It truly is a very good adaptation from the original fanfic. I think a lot of work has been done to develop a unique world with a different magic system and history. The villain is not the same, and this truly did feel original, which says much to the skill of Julie Soto as an author.
But although the world felt different, and I do feel like many of the secondary characters did feel different to the characters I would expect to see from Harry Potter, the characters of Briony and Toven? They just screamed Hermione and Draco, and I couldn't help but see it throughout. For example, Briony said at one point she was very good at research, and I agree, Hermione is great for research, but I don't think this was ever truly explained in the book, how bookish she was. She had to hide her intelligence, I know that was clearly explained, but she was never truly shown to be the bookworm she is meant to be. I could be picking at nothing, but things like that stood out to me when reading.
The pacing also needed work. I know this is going to be a series, and I fully expected to be left dying to know more with a cliffhanger of sorts, but the first half of the book moved too slowly. I felt like we had a lot of repetition before the plot truly got going. I got it when the world-building was occurring, and there were a lot of characters to introduce, but even later, once Briony was in chains, I felt like we saw the same thing over and over with no movement.
That being said, this did grip me by the end. I finished the book and was sad to see I had to wait another year for the next one. I know I'll reread this book again. I even know now I need to read quickly and can happily gloss over the harder parts of the book to read, such as the allusions to rape and the violation of bodily autonomy these women experience. It wasn't always enjoyable reading, but I don't mind that as I know what to expect from fanfiction. I feel like I'm willing to put myself through more trauma in a fanfiction read and go through the emotional wringer, but I'm not sure everyone will know what to expect here. I've added content warnings and feel no judgment if people give this a miss.
This is a good book which explores a lot. I think the potential for the next book is great if written well. I never read the original fanfiction for this, so I can't say how close it is, but I did really enjoy it. If this is what we'll see from all Dramione adaptations coming, I'll be happy, but I am waiting for a bad one to come along and ruin things. If nothing else, this book proves, once again, that adapting fanfiction to be original fiction is possible and so we can all ignore how awful 50 Shades was and not use that as an example of fanfiction making its way to the mainstream anymore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Abortion, 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
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, War
Minor: Death, Abortion, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After Princess Briony's brother, King Rory Rosewood is killed in battle, her life transforms overnight when she is captured by the enemy and sold to the highest bidder; her childhood rival, Toven Hearst.
This is a traditional adaptation of a fanfic by Julie Soto and although I have not read the FF, I really enjoyed Rose in Chains. The audiobook brought the characters to life.
What to expect:
- Dark Romantasy
-touch her and die
-enemies to lovers
-slowburn romance
-morally grey MMC
The world building is immense and easy to follow, with a new magic system which is not overly complex, mind magic versus heart magic and the strengths of both and how they influence the practitioner. Although Dragon influence is mentioned it is not central to the plot (yet).
Briony is a fierce FMC. The underdog in the story who is worth so much more than what she gets, constantly sidelined or estimated by her loved ones, she however leads with empathy and compassion for others and readers will root for her from the very beginning.
Toven is our true morally grey MMC to the point of *chefs kss*. Working within enemy lines, Julie Soto is skilled in her writing ability in that although Briony remains unawares and feels the pull between them is one-sided, readers will be observing and reading all that is unsaid between the protagonists and how it really isn't until the very end that Toven's mask starts to fall and we find out how he really feels. Eep!
Every single moment in this book felt like living on a knife-edge; this is a dark romantasy so please check out trigger warnings (sexual assault/harassment/r*pe/violence) but also the plot was unpredictable, suspenseful and chemistry between the protagonists was charged so I was really holding my breath alot during this read. This is a *very* slow-burn romance but I still loved reading how the relationship changes over time - again, its those nuanced moments where smaller gestures have greater meaning and I loved Toven and Briony together.
Special mention also to Selina Hearst (given what Rose in Chains is based on it was nice to see parallels were not consistent the whole way through and Julie Soto has formed her own world here where we had an anti-villain/supportive and kind maternal presence in Briony's life).
Some of the content did make for an uncomfortable listening experience (and I'm a sucker for multiple narrators where there are male and female characters) else Ella Lynch was phenomenal in narrating the different parts and I could not put this book down. Please be sure to check trigger warnings. I flew through this read and already can't wait for the next book to be published! In the meantime, I'll have to re-read all of Julie Soto's other works!
Thank you @HachetteAudio @Forever and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest unedited review.
This is a traditional adaptation of a fanfic by Julie Soto and although I have not read the FF, I really enjoyed Rose in Chains. The audiobook brought the characters to life.
What to expect:
- Dark Romantasy
-touch her and die
-enemies to lovers
-slowburn romance
-morally grey MMC
The world building is immense and easy to follow, with a new magic system which is not overly complex, mind magic versus heart magic and the strengths of both and how they influence the practitioner. Although Dragon influence is mentioned it is not central to the plot (yet).
Briony is a fierce FMC. The underdog in the story who is worth so much more than what she gets, constantly sidelined or estimated by her loved ones, she however leads with empathy and compassion for others and readers will root for her from the very beginning.
Toven is our true morally grey MMC to the point of *chefs kss*. Working within enemy lines, Julie Soto is skilled in her writing ability in that although Briony remains unawares and feels the pull between them is one-sided, readers will be observing and reading all that is unsaid between the protagonists and how it really isn't until the very end that Toven's mask starts to fall and we find out how he really feels. Eep!
Every single moment in this book felt like living on a knife-edge; this is a dark romantasy so please check out trigger warnings (sexual assault/harassment/r*pe/violence) but also the plot was unpredictable, suspenseful and chemistry between the protagonists was charged so I was really holding my breath alot during this read. This is a *very* slow-burn romance but I still loved reading how the relationship changes over time - again, its those nuanced moments where smaller gestures have greater meaning and I loved Toven and Briony together.
Special mention also to Selina Hearst (given what Rose in Chains is based on it was nice to see parallels were not consistent the whole way through and Julie Soto has formed her own world here where we had an anti-villain/supportive and kind maternal presence in Briony's life).
Some of the content did make for an uncomfortable listening experience (and I'm a sucker for multiple narrators where there are male and female characters) else Ella Lynch was phenomenal in narrating the different parts and I could not put this book down. Please be sure to check trigger warnings. I flew through this read and already can't wait for the next book to be published! In the meantime, I'll have to re-read all of Julie Soto's other works!
Thank you @HachetteAudio @Forever and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest unedited review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Sexual harassment