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Please read the content warnings at juliesotowrites.com.
The world building and magic system was thoroughly defined. I really liked the complexity of the main characters. However, this book was much darker in theme than I expected. The on page sexual assault and frequent crude and abusive language was difficult for me to get through. Despite the heavy content, I do think Julie Soto is an amazing storyteller.
The world building and magic system was thoroughly defined. I really liked the complexity of the main characters. However, this book was much darker in theme than I expected. The on page sexual assault and frequent crude and abusive language was difficult for me to get through. Despite the heavy content, I do think Julie Soto is an amazing storyteller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Abortion
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, War, Classism
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Oh gosh what can I say. First, thank you NetGalley, Hatchett Audio, and Julie Soto for allowing me this ALC. I will be honest, I read The Auction years ago and it is one of my favorite Dramione fics. So this is probably my most anticipated read of the year and it did not disappoint! My perspective IS as someone who knows the source fic, so I cannot separate my knowledge and expectations; however, I think she did a good job creating her own world inside the story.
Worldbuilding: The world isn't too complicated for the most part. Two sides are at war and have their own beliefs about the source/use of magic that plays into their societal and political stances. We are dropped into what is essentially the end of this conflict and our FMC side lost. The introduction of the auction and why it started seemed to fit the narrative of their political/magical world. Because we follow the FMC around and she, due to her situation, is confined to limited travel, it is a lot of telling instead of showing.
Characters: There are a lot, haha. You are introduced to a lot of characters at once, which can feel slightly overwhelming. Our FMC is the twin to the heir, and she was raised as such. She is very opinionated, but at the same time, has been slightly conditioned to lower her own needs and thoughts in favor of her twin. I do think this plays a role into a lot of her decisions, which depending on the reader will appear frustrating or not. We've barely scratched the surface of our MMC but it is obvious that he is morally grey.
Romance: I think this is where the book is going to face some issues. It is being marketed as a romantasy when in reality it is a dark romance. It is also a sloooow burn. Our MMC tries to push our FMC away but she cannot leave his property, so they are forced to interact (love forced proximity).Honestly, a lot of development hinges on moments via flashback .
To the Dramione girls. I was initially worried about how Julie planned to transform The Auction into not only its own original story, but also a trilogy. I can comfortably say she introduced enough underlying plots to uncover and some major twists and changes that even I couldn't predict where the story was going by the end. My jaw was on the floor by the end, and I felt joy to know that even as someone who read the original fic I could be surprised.
I thought this would be my favorite read of the year, and as of now it definitely is!
Worldbuilding: The world isn't too complicated for the most part. Two sides are at war and have their own beliefs about the source/use of magic that plays into their societal and political stances. We are dropped into what is essentially the end of this conflict and our FMC side lost. The introduction of the auction and why it started seemed to fit the narrative of their political/magical world. Because we follow the FMC around and she, due to her situation, is confined to limited travel, it is a lot of telling instead of showing.
Characters: There are a lot, haha. You are introduced to a lot of characters at once, which can feel slightly overwhelming. Our FMC is the twin to the heir, and she was raised as such. She is very opinionated, but at the same time, has been slightly conditioned to lower her own needs and thoughts in favor of her twin. I do think this plays a role into a lot of her decisions, which depending on the reader will appear frustrating or not. We've barely scratched the surface of our MMC but it is obvious that he is morally grey.
Romance: I think this is where the book is going to face some issues. It is being marketed as a romantasy when in reality it is a dark romance. It is also a sloooow burn. Our MMC tries to push our FMC away but she cannot leave his property, so they are forced to interact (love forced proximity).
To the Dramione girls. I was initially worried about how Julie planned to transform The Auction into not only its own original story, but also a trilogy. I can comfortably say she introduced enough underlying plots to uncover and some major twists and changes that even I couldn't predict where the story was going by the end. My jaw was on the floor by the end, and I felt joy to know that even as someone who read the original fic I could be surprised.
I thought this would be my favorite read of the year, and as of now it definitely is!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking
Moderate: Death, Medical trauma, Classism
Minor: Abortion
Abortion: mention of a forced abortion on a side character
Medical Trauma: characters undergo forced steralization
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you NetGalley & Hachette Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this honest review.
This book shouldn't have worked for me - I'm no longer the target demographic - but I was approved for the audiobook so in I went with trepidation and low expectations. I had moved on from the romantasy genre because I found most - particularly those that are hyped - to be cut from the same cloth and unique stories were few and far between. It's ironic then, given the books origin as FanFiction, that the book managed to be something different.
Don't get me wrong - there are absolutely still the classic romantasy tropes. Forbidden romance. Enemies to lovers. Touch her and die. But it wasn't insta-love (my beloathed) - Briony and Toven have a history (albeit possibly unrequited from Briony's POV) and we get to explore that past and how it complicates their current situation through carefully placed flashbacks.
I think it takes a lot of care to execute a book that contains the content this one does the way Julie Soto did. I don't want to say tasteful, because I don't think there should be anything tasteful about themes of sexual assault / sexual slavery - but it isn't done for shock value and we don't linger on it. We're aware it's happening - and of course we, the audience are appalled so we want to see how the story is going to unfold to fix everything.
And the story is unfolding, but slowly like a rose trying to bloom in winter. I think the pacing of the book struggles - I understand it's a trilogy and this is certainly a set up for the rest of the series but I would've liked a little less pining and a little more world and story building. We're given glimpses - Orion's parents and their roles in everything, who is loyal and who isn't, I think more interactions with Mallow - or at least a bigger exploration of how *she* specifically took power - would have benefited the story. We're shown too much of these aspects for them to be teasers, it just seems like the author doesn't know how to leave hints leading to a big reveal.
I appreciate that a content warning list was provided at the start of the audiobook as I went into this pretty blind. The audiobook narrator Ella Lynch was enjoyable, but I disliked the voices that were put on for masculine characters. They were a bit distracting at times and kind of pulled me out of the story, Easy to understand, even at 2x speed.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and will likely continue the series via audio and I look forward to seeing how the story progresses and how Julie Soto progresses as an author of her own merit.
This book shouldn't have worked for me - I'm no longer the target demographic - but I was approved for the audiobook so in I went with trepidation and low expectations. I had moved on from the romantasy genre because I found most - particularly those that are hyped - to be cut from the same cloth and unique stories were few and far between. It's ironic then, given the books origin as FanFiction, that the book managed to be something different.
Don't get me wrong - there are absolutely still the classic romantasy tropes. Forbidden romance. Enemies to lovers. Touch her and die. But it wasn't insta-love (my beloathed) - Briony and Toven have a history (albeit possibly unrequited from Briony's POV) and we get to explore that past and how it complicates their current situation through carefully placed flashbacks.
I think it takes a lot of care to execute a book that contains the content this one does the way Julie Soto did. I don't want to say tasteful, because I don't think there should be anything tasteful about themes of sexual assault / sexual slavery - but it isn't done for shock value and we don't linger on it. We're aware it's happening - and of course we, the audience are appalled so we want to see how the story is going to unfold to fix everything.
And the story is unfolding, but slowly like a rose trying to bloom in winter. I think the pacing of the book struggles - I understand it's a trilogy and this is certainly a set up for the rest of the series but I would've liked a little less pining and a little more world and story building. We're given glimpses - Orion's parents and their roles in everything, who is loyal and who isn't, I think more interactions with Mallow - or at least a bigger exploration of how *she* specifically took power - would have benefited the story. We're shown too much of these aspects for them to be teasers, it just seems like the author doesn't know how to leave hints leading to a big reveal.
I appreciate that a content warning list was provided at the start of the audiobook as I went into this pretty blind. The audiobook narrator Ella Lynch was enjoyable, but I disliked the voices that were put on for masculine characters. They were a bit distracting at times and kind of pulled me out of the story, Easy to understand, even at 2x speed.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and will likely continue the series via audio and I look forward to seeing how the story progresses and how Julie Soto progresses as an author of her own merit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping
Moderate: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Torture, Death of parent
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
HOLY SPELLS AND SLOW-BURNS!!! This book was pure magic. Julie Soto didn’t just knock it out of the park—she lit the whole damn stadium on fire. Rose in Chains is easily a top read of the year for me. The storytelling? Immaculate. The worldbuilding? Like stepping into a dream stitched together with ink and thunder. And the way she wove together the layered the feuding magical systems? Intricate, dazzling, and utterly addictive.
Briony and Toven’s tension could strangle a god—it’s this taut, sizzling thread stretched to its limit, and I swear I could hear it hum between the lines. I need more of them immediately. That boy is one heartbreak away from combusting, and Briony? My girl needs to pull her nose out of her books and realize she’s walking emotional circles around a man who would burn down kingdoms for her. Like, bestie—connect the dots before Toven bursts into stardust.
And yes, I read the original AO3 version back in the Dramione days, but this? This feels reborn. Like Soto took the bones of that story and wrapped them in fire, grief, and glittering originality. Every twist carved into me, every moment pulled me deeper.
Honestly, my brain is still short-circuiting because I just finished it and I’m reeling. But if you love fantasy with gut-punch stakes, masterfully slow-building romance (seriously—it simmers like a charm waiting to be cast), and characters that ache with complexity—Rose in Chains is your next obsession.
Only bad thing about this read is that I now have to wait for next book to come out😭
Thank you so much to Forever Publishing and Julio Soto for granting me this e-ARC on Netgalley! Review is my honest opinion!
Briony and Toven’s tension could strangle a god—it’s this taut, sizzling thread stretched to its limit, and I swear I could hear it hum between the lines. I need more of them immediately. That boy is one heartbreak away from combusting, and Briony? My girl needs to pull her nose out of her books and realize she’s walking emotional circles around a man who would burn down kingdoms for her. Like, bestie—connect the dots before Toven bursts into stardust.
And yes, I read the original AO3 version back in the Dramione days, but this? This feels reborn. Like Soto took the bones of that story and wrapped them in fire, grief, and glittering originality. Every twist carved into me, every moment pulled me deeper.
Honestly, my brain is still short-circuiting because I just finished it and I’m reeling. But if you love fantasy with gut-punch stakes, masterfully slow-building romance (seriously—it simmers like a charm waiting to be cast), and characters that ache with complexity—Rose in Chains is your next obsession.
Only bad thing about this read is that I now have to wait for next book to come out😭
Thank you so much to Forever Publishing and Julio Soto for granting me this e-ARC on Netgalley! Review is my honest opinion!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Murder, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC!
I'll be honest here I didn't read what this book was about before I requested it. I'm a simple woman, I see new Julie Soto book, I read book.
This was darker than I expected, heavy content warning, if you think you might need the warning read the one provided at the beginning of the book. It also brings up some important themes that we probably should talk about in current society unfortunately.
I think this book did a good job setting up the trilogy and while I do need the next book asap, I found it lagged a little bit in between the auction and the mid point of the book but it was probably necessary because it's the first book and we need Lore.
In general I am very picky about flashback scenes because I think they take away from the present day story, but I didn't hate them here and, again, I think it added to the world building in most cases although a few of them I didn't see much of a point to them.
I'm excited to see shit hit the fan and some bad people die a really terrible death in the next two books.
I'll be honest here I didn't read what this book was about before I requested it. I'm a simple woman, I see new Julie Soto book, I read book.
This was darker than I expected, heavy content warning, if you think you might need the warning read the one provided at the beginning of the book. It also brings up some important themes that we probably should talk about in current society unfortunately.
I think this book did a good job setting up the trilogy and while I do need the next book asap, I found it lagged a little bit in between the auction and the mid point of the book but it was probably necessary because it's the first book and we need Lore.
In general I am very picky about flashback scenes because I think they take away from the present day story, but I didn't hate them here and, again, I think it added to the world building in most cases although a few of them I didn't see much of a point to them.
I'm excited to see shit hit the fan and some bad people die a really terrible death in the next two books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Slavery
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I‘m so grateful that I got to listen to this book before its release date! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher!!
Julie Soto is one of my favorite authors, I‘ve loved all her books and Rose in Chains is no exception. This was way darker than I expected it to be, the stakes are freaking high in this, its so sad to see what all these women have to go through just because of some disgusting people. I felt so much all of them because of the shit they have to endure!
The magic is also so interesting and I already can not wait to get my hands on the next book to see how the magic, the world, this story and the characters continue!! Hopefully we‘ll get to know why some specific people act the way they do! I can‘t wait to read more about Briony & Toven, all the others and their world!
Thank you Julie, for dipping your toes into so many different genres and continuing to be one of my favorites!
Julie Soto is one of my favorite authors, I‘ve loved all her books and Rose in Chains is no exception. This was way darker than I expected it to be, the stakes are freaking high in this, its so sad to see what all these women have to go through just because of some disgusting people. I felt so much all of them because of the shit they have to endure!
The magic is also so interesting and I already can not wait to get my hands on the next book to see how the magic, the world, this story and the characters continue!! Hopefully we‘ll get to know why some specific people act the way they do! I can‘t wait to read more about Briony & Toven, all the others and their world!
Thank you Julie, for dipping your toes into so many different genres and continuing to be one of my favorites!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Murder
What in the Handmaid’s Tale, Stockholm syndrome, sexist crap is this?! This is so tone deaf with current events. Today women all around the world are at a higher risk for sexual abuse along with having their human rights taken away. The amount of blatant sexual harassment, disgusting and repulsive behavior towards women in this book is astounding. I had to quit at 60% for my own sanity. I’m all for reading whatever you want but I cannot believe this is being published, especially targeting a younger demographic. Glorifying incel ideas about women as property/slaves and dressing it up as enemies to lovers is low.
The world building was underdeveloped and magic system not explained clearly. There were a lot of characters and an attempt at creating political intrigue, but it was too difficult to keep track of - all tell, no show. So much fluff, using a lot of words to say a whole lot of nothing. Name inspirations courtesy of r/tradgedeigh and characters were killed off early on and no one grieved anyone or showed any emotion. The FMC was flat and robotic, there was no chemistry between her and the MMC, it was an abusive master/slave situation. I’m just so confused about the plot and how a woman came to be in power, yet all the men abuse women they see as inferior like it’s the norm.
A lot of questionable writing used to fly back in the day with fanfiction, it’s 2025 and time to retire these ideas for good. Also it’s weird that at some point these characters were modeled after children’s books…
The audiobook production was good, the narrator has a British accent but has a very juvenile sounding voice, it just made the whole book feel YA but the themes were dark and violent.
Disappointing - I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book to anyone.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copies.
The world building was underdeveloped and magic system not explained clearly. There were a lot of characters and an attempt at creating political intrigue, but it was too difficult to keep track of - all tell, no show. So much fluff, using a lot of words to say a whole lot of nothing. Name inspirations courtesy of r/tradgedeigh and characters were killed off early on and no one grieved anyone or showed any emotion. The FMC was flat and robotic, there was no chemistry between her and the MMC, it was an abusive master/slave situation. I’m just so confused about the plot and how a woman came to be in power, yet all the men abuse women they see as inferior like it’s the norm.
A lot of questionable writing used to fly back in the day with fanfiction, it’s 2025 and time to retire these ideas for good. Also it’s weird that at some point these characters were modeled after children’s books…
The audiobook production was good, the narrator has a British accent but has a very juvenile sounding voice, it just made the whole book feel YA but the themes were dark and violent.
Disappointing - I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book to anyone.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Sexual harassment
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5⭐️2.5🌶️
Dark Romantasy
Non-linear timeline
Flashbacks
Magical schools
Rival kingdoms
War
Political intrigue
Dragons
Failed prophecy
Enemies to lovers
Secrets
Rebellion
Slow burn
Forced proximity
High stakes
Tw: grief, war, SA, human trafficking, murder, enslavement, forced sterility, forced termination of pregnancy (off page), non-consensual relationships, misogyny, gore
*note- trigger warnings are not reflected in spice rating. Read responsibly.
I love Julie Soto’s highly bingeable writing style, and as a fan of her contemporary romances, I was thrilled to be approved for the audiobook galley on NetGalley!
Many readers will recognize her from AO3, where she’s widely respected for her fanfiction. While those familiar with the source material may notice a few parallels, the story here stands firmly on its own. The changes are creative and distinct. You’d never know it was a reimagining unless you were looking for it.
The audiobook was fantastic! The narrator’s pacing, inflection, and melodic tone were spot-on, and each character had a clearly defined voice. Even at 1.75x speed, the narration felt perfectly paced and immersive.
The magical system and historical elements felt fresh and well-developed. Some aspects of the world were repeated a bit more than necessary, but not enough to pull me out of the story.
The plot was compelling and the tension, especially the romantic tension, was absolutely top-tier. There’s just something about a character quietly pining for someone they shouldn’t that always lands. While I’m not usually a fan of flashbacks, the ones to their school days were effective. Scenes occasionally replayed from different POVs or slightly altered timelines, which added depth, though the repetition was noticeable.
This is a dark fantasy romance, and the themes are heavy, particularly around human trafficking. It’s handled with care, but definitely worth noting.
This is a very slow burn. At times I wondered if any spice between the main characters would happen at all in this book… but the tension was so deliciously drawn out that I didn’t mind one bit.
Briony and Toven are wonderfully developed, and I loved seeing the slow reveal of Toven’s parents. However, most of the other characters felt less fleshed out—likely due to the story’s secluded setting. I especially wished for more development in Briony’s relationship with her twin brother, which felt underexplored.
I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to explore more of the characters, world, and magic in future books. A strong start to what promises to be a gripping series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, War