Reviews with content warning for Violence - Rose in Chains

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

112 reviews

gtures's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book was a rollercoaster. You go back and forth between past and present events. Navigating Briony's journey in this new world. Who can she trust? Who SHOULD she trust? The end?!? 🤯

I've never read anything by Julie Soto before and I enjoyed her storytelling. The world building was amazing. This is book one of three and I cannot believe I have to wait for the conclusion. Truly a remarkable start to what I think will be an incredible trilogy.

Enemies to lovers
Magical prophesies
War between two magical groups
Dark themes throughout

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC.

Content Warnings

cosmocarlie's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark tense 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

I absolutely devoured this book. The tension between the fmc and mmc was so amazingly done. Definitely left me wanting more and have so many unanswered questions. Can’t wait for more books in this series!

Content Warnings

chemistryreads's review

3.75

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

asims723's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Rose in Chains is, in my opinion, a horror fantasy, Dramione-based, and honestly I think that is the core problem. Dramione assumes readers know HP, but RIC decides to devote chapters to how Tovan and Briony were lab partners in agonizingly slow flashbacks. The chapters that do not reflect their time at the magical school NOT called Hogwarts instead focus on Briony's ubervaluable virginity, forced sterilization, and incels ruling the world. Most of this is extremely uncomfortable to read, and by the end there were not enough answers and development to justify the pages I endured more than read. I don't understand the hype with this one. I liked reading The Thrashers by Soto more than this. I wish I had a Kindle to get a word count on the number of times "collarbone" shows up. I'd estimate it at more than 30?

As far as representation goes, a character is ridiculed for being suspected of homosexuality resulting in the character exhibiting anger and shame. It is described in this way with zero character development. I will sadly not be continuing this series.

A note about the audiobook: the narrator was not for me, but I'm not sure if that experience is tainted by my dislike for the content.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC.

Content Warnings

lauraelovesbooks's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Julie Soto is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. Her storytelling and characters are so rich and captivating. I couldn’t stop reading

The world building was so accessible and I find the premise so intriguing. I cannot wait to see where this series goes.

I absolutely love how slow burn the romance is, the kind where you relish every interaction and where it’s obvious what to come will be nothing short of epic.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ALC. I highly recommending checking this out on audio. The narration was excellent!

Content Warnings

kaatzoetekouw's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

How would it affect a young woman... when the young man she developed a crush on back in school, the boy she thought maybe, just maybe... liked her back, turns out to have become a foot soldier of a ruthless usurper responsible for killing her father and twin brother?
How it would it affect this young Princess... when she is royalty no more, but a woman shackled, muted, confined in a cell with a group of other survivors – to be sold like cattle?
How would it affect this young survivor... to be purchased in a slave auction by that same young man... a young man who once had the key to her heart and now holds the key to her shackles?

Rose in Chains begins by turning Princess Briony Rosewood's world on its axis immediately: there's a war in Evermore, and her twin brother Rory – the King – has just been killed. Briony had been sure, so so so sure, that her brother would emerge the victor. It was prophesied, after all. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, Briony has no choice but to attempt to flee the castle, her home.

The first book in the Evermore trilogy has an instantly dark start, and gets even darker once Briony's captured and put up for human auction. (Take care of yourself and make sure to check the trigger warnings at the bottom of this review – please be advised that they are spoilers.) Julie Soto's writing is vivid and descriptive; reading about Briony's experiences through her point of view is compelling and heart-wrenching. Because we only get her side of the story, we are expected to read between the lines a lot, particularly when it comes to the motivations and actions of her eventual buyer/captor Toven Hearst and his family. Why did he buy her?

Us being kept in the dark along with Briony is a fantastic approach. Briony's fear and anger are tangible, and because we don't have all the information, moments of kindness are met with skepticism by both her and the reader. Because she still IS a captive who isn't told anything, and Toven sometimes treats her rather poorly, though one can hazard a decent guess at his not-so-nefarious reasons why. So at the same time, when these kind moments do happen, you can't help but share in Briony's hope.

Rose in Chains' lead character is complex and layered, at times naïve - complementing the mysterious, morally grey Toven Hearst beautifully. In a book with heavy themes and a decidedly serious tone, levity isn't always appropriate; hope and regard (seen in Briony and Toven, respectfully) are all the more necessary to carry a romance in this setting. There is a stunning slowburn (like, truly slooooow, snail slow, *sloth* slow) love story, its credibility aided by flashbacks focusing on the couple's dynamic over a span of 8 years.

Flashbacks aren't always welcome but THESE are - they give angst, they give yearning - and they give world building. Apart from providing us with that foundation for Briony and Toven's relationship, they give insight into the magic system and a timeline of how the war between Evermore and Bomard unfolded. The magic system allows heart- and mind magic (Toven being heart, Briony being mind) to bond together – another promising dimension to the romance between the leads. And the timeline of the war gives us the basics, including a skin-crawling introduction to a truly abhorrent villain, Veronica Mallow (I do love that she's female). All in all there's enough for it to be a proper set-up to a “first book in a trilogy”, with Soto holding back plenty of material for the books that are to follow. I reckon the plot – which is at a bit of a simmer in Rose in Chains - will be cooking nicely in future books.

I listened to the audiobook edition, narrated by Ella Lynch, a talented and engaging British performer. What impresses me most about her, is that she is able to provide several distinct voices for not only female, but also male characters. I knew whose dialog she was reading based purely on her voice. Furthermore, Ella is pleasant to listen to, with a clear and easy to follow English accent, perfectly suitable for Briony and for the story's setting. The audiobook narration also manages to weave in subtle emotions; I'm not sure these would have translated as well in text only. The audiobook narration, in my opinion, made one scene in particular (a scene which I cannot spoil) all the more impactful on the rest of the story. Ella Lynch's interpretation of Toven added depth to how I perceived his character, as well.

I'm interested in seeing how the rest of this trilogy plays out. Rose in Chains holds me by the throat: it solidly lays the groundwork for some thrilling, sexy, intriguing further story-telling.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for generously providing me with a copy of this audiobook; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

Trigger warnings (spoilers)
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Forced abortion (not to the FMC, or by the MMC), forced sterilization (not by the MMC), forced prostitution (not by the MMC), gore, gruesome deaths, rape (not by the MMC), sexual assault, sexual harassment, violence, slavery / human trafficking, abuse, confinement. Based on Harry Potter fanfiction. My apologies if I've missed some.

Content Warnings

ritualreads's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The war is over and the dark forces have won - princess Briony Rosewood and the remaining citizens of Evermore have been captured and auctioned off to the people of Bomard, their rival nation. Her brother is dead, her friends split up, and her childhood crush… purchased her.

The story goes between present day and the past, providing a good foundation of backstory throughout the novel to prepare the reader for what comes next. This provides helpful context, and helps the reader build an emotional bond to characters who are talked about in the present day, but seldom seen. Julie Soto does a great job of building the world, explaining how the magic works, and not overwhelming the reader with all the information at once. Instead, we are introduced to certain topics and explanations only as it becomes relevant, which really helped with the flow of the novel.

Once I felt up to speed on the inner-workings of magic in this realm, and the tensions between Evermore and Bomard, I had already developed a fairly emotional bond to Briony. I loved that even from the beginning, the story felt both unique and comfortable. While not necessarily groundbreaking, it was creative and inspiring, and kept me intrigued. I always had a list of questions about what would happen next - and it was hard to predict.

There were many nuances as we were introduced to essential characters, but only slowly learned what we needed to know about them. Briony’s curious mind helped keep the reader enthralled about what each person’s role was in the bigger picture of the Bomardi line, and who was loyal to it.

The relationship building was particularly good. We saw it first with how connected she was to her people, and to her brother, Rory. While their childhood could have driven a wedge between the twins, their relationship was stronger due to their hardships - because he saw her value, and made sure she saw it too.

“When they were very young, he used to say that they were answering the questions together, as a team”

We next saw the relationship grow between Briony and her captor, Toven Hearst. Throughout the book, we see the two as classmates, as enemies, and as captor/captive. The slowest of slow burns - politics mean that facing any feelings would risk the safety of many.

If you’re expecting a nice, magical romance, you’re in the wrong place. To me, the romance was secondary to the rivalry between worlds, the other relationships, and the plot to save Evermore. This is a fantasy through and through, with dark themes of captivity, human trafficking, non-consent, and s*xual humiliation. Definitely read your trigger warnings before jumping into this. That said, I thought they were handled very well and I was tied into every moment, desperate to learn more.

This was the longest audiobook I’ve listened to, but I was so impressed that I never once felt bored or like the story wasn’t moving. There was always something to unravel and explore. I’m completely hooked and eager for book two.

I only found out after reading that this was adapted from a fanfiction, but honestly, I never would’ve known if I hadn’t Googled it - it truly didn’t feel like one. If you love fantasy, adventure, and dark, brooding men… you will love Rose in Chains.

“She stared…listening to the echo in her ears of him calling her family”

I really think my only qualm with this book was how heavily it is marketed as a romance - I didn’t think the romance was the primary story, nor do I think it was developed enough to be considered the genre of the book. I would barely categorize this as romantasy… but I really hope book two changes that for me, because I can’t wait to see more of these two. In the end, the adventure and the mystery is really what captivated me, not the love story.

Content Warnings

mrsjoylovesbooks's review

3.75

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.

Content Warnings

allisonisbooked's review against another edition

5.0

Content Warnings

bookishvistareads's review against another edition

5.0

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!

Content Warnings

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