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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
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely Yes!
Going to start off by saying that I have not read any of the dramione fanfics, including the The Auction, that this is based off of.
The book bounces back and forth between past and present following Briony Rosewood who story start with lineage of a royal family, the death of her twin brother, the heir to their kingdom, then eventually leads her to being captured by another kingdom and auctioned off to basically be a a magical slave to take power from her.
Despite the premise of the book, the FMC and MC are primarily a slow burn romance throughout that book. However, there still are darker themes in this book that should be taken into account when going on this adventure with #RoseInChains including: SA, graphic violence, explicit sexual content, mentions of non-consensual sex, buying and selling of humans into captivity, and death.
Overall, the story that Julie Soto brought to our pages and our ears through Ella Lynch's narration was captivating. I cannot wait to see where the story will lead and what will happen next.
Thank you to Hachette Book Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Going to start off by saying that I have not read any of the dramione fanfics, including the The Auction, that this is based off of.
The book bounces back and forth between past and present following Briony Rosewood who story start with lineage of a royal family, the death of her twin brother, the heir to their kingdom, then eventually leads her to being captured by another kingdom and auctioned off to basically be a a magical slave to take power from her.
Despite the premise of the book, the FMC and MC are primarily a slow burn romance throughout that book. However, there still are darker themes in this book that should be taken into account when going on this adventure with #RoseInChains including: SA, graphic violence, explicit sexual content, mentions of non-consensual sex, buying and selling of humans into captivity, and death.
Overall, the story that Julie Soto brought to our pages and our ears through Ella Lynch's narration was captivating. I cannot wait to see where the story will lead and what will happen next.
Thank you to Hachette Book Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence
Moderate: Death, Violence
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
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ALC! Julie did her big one for this. Such an immersive world with gorgeous magic systems. This is a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, so if you love those tropes give this a try immediately. The narrator was amazing and captured the Hermione inspo for Briony!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder
Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence
Minor: Abortion, War
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
📚 24yr old Briony has spent her life having to dim herself while also shining her light on her twin, Rory - heir to the throne because only males can inherit in her country. She and Rory attended magic school with their neighboring country - a country they have a tenuous peace treaty with. Then, their tenuous peace is shattered by war with Briony's side losing. Her castle is captured and she's taken prisoner, to be sold along with the other captured prisoners. Unable to access her magic, she's trapped and lost. And then who buys her at auction but her magic school nemesis, that she always felt attracted to - Toven, who hails from a family known for their cruelty and close connection to their country's extra cruel ruler. Briony has to figure out how to survive, even if that means playing along, even when it feels like all is lost as she feels more alone than ever.
💭 Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next book. I didn't love everything about the book, and until the last 25% wasn't sure I would continue the series. I wish more of the book was as exciting for me and evoked more emotion from like the last quarter did. But the last quarter gave me enough excitement and feels to feel invested in learning more.
📓 Told in a somewhat then now style, you get to experience some of 24yr old Briony's childhood and time at magic school.
Overall, I really enjoyed the plot. I found it interesting and easy to fall into. I can't say I found the twists and turns to be unexpected, but I still enjoyed them. There was one twist that I didn't see occurring in the way it did though, that was fun and interesting.
✍🏼 The writing is solidly good. It reads easily and smoothly. The dialogue feels natural and fits the characters.
This is the first Julie Soto book I've actually finished (I've struggled to finish any book for months, no fault of the book/author, just my brain/MH). Anyway, I can't say how it stacks up to her other works since I haven't read enough of any of them to say.
There were a couple instances of repetition that I feel were unnecessary. With the current state of my brain, I'm surprised I noticed them. They're short, but the repetition is there.
⏳ It started off strong. I feel like it bogs down just a bit in the middle, but then it picks up and that's when it really shined for me.
That last +/- 25% truly sold me on picking up the second book, immediately once it's available.
🗺️ The world building is ok, imo. I think if you're primarily a romance reader, it probably wouldn't be an issue for you. But if you're primarily a fantasy reader, I think you're likely to feel similarly to me - that world building was a bit lacking. I don't have a grasp of the layout, geography, religion (even though Godparent is mentioned once), or government structure of the world, etc beyond vague generalities anyway.
🔮 The magic system is ok, it's good, but I wouldn't say great or well developed. It's an interesting take on heart vs mind - I actually love that as a concept. How they can be both different and also the same. But I feel it's lacking in depth and explanation.
I'm going through some stuff currently, including short term memory issues, so maybe that's why this next part stuck out for me, but maybe not idk. The magic system confused me a bit - as in I couldn't keep straight which side was supposed to have
which type (heart vs mind magic). Especially since I couldn't really tell or understand the difference in their usage. We're told they're different, one is "superior," etc. But I still don't have a firm grasp on the magic system. Or why is one superior? etc
- Why are they thanking the waters? It reads as maybe something to do with religion, but idk.
- How (and why) does water come into play with strengthening magic?
👥 There are a lot of characters, and I feel like the development of the main cast is ok, it's good. I wanted more. Their histories, their motivations, etc. I didn't feel their connections the way I like to. We're told Briony and Rory are super close, but I didn't feel it (or really see it). I didn't feel an emotional connection to anyone, and as a character focused reader I didn't love that. I want to feel what they feel.
Characters are all cishetero - except maybe one, but he is angry about it. I currently don't have enough info to even say if this character is, in fact, queer, I'm going to leave it as if they are, I hope that's explored in future books.
Anyway, it's not necessarily an issue, per say, for me that they're all cishetero, but I always appreciate a diverse cast (and inclusion). There are non-white characters.
💜 This is a SLOW burn. If the romance in Daughter of No Worlds was too slow for you, you may not like that aspect of Rose in Chains. I love slow burn, the slower the better, personally, so this was a W aspect for me. You get yearning, longing, and angst. I enjoyed the will they/won't they.
I would have loved to really get inside Toven's head. I think that would've elevated the longing, yearning, and angst a ton.
I can't say they're true (imo) enemies to lovers, or even really rivals. Enemies vibes, maybe, more along the lines of being unsure where they stand with one another since they're from opposing worlds who have a tenuous peace treaty.
🌶️ 0.5 or maybe 1 when someone tells another character what he would do to her. other than that, we get make out session. the build up is there, so I expect the subsequent books to have more spice. If you like a lot of spice, this book may not be as enjoyable for you. Personally, I'm a take it or leave it. As long as it fits the plot and characters, I'm down for whatever.
Up until the last +/- 25%, I thought this was gonna be somewhere in the 3s for me. But then it got rolling and I was thoroughly invested and need the next book ASAP, so I was going to give it a 4. But writing the review reminded me of all the stuff I didn't love and so I'm at a 3.5 or 3.75.
⚠️ Please check CW/TW for this one - I was caught off guard by a few things. www.juliesotowrites.com for details on CW/TW
➖ some other things I didn't love, didn't fully grasp, etc:
- what caused this war to start? like, what was the catalyst?
- how did they just take over? or was there more to it than we weren't told/shown?
- why the mind magic hate? and did people fight back when one country outlawed it? I need more info, especially after the last 25% of the book
- I wish Toven had either been more morally grey, or less. He fell in the middle for me
- the recurring importance of her virginity. I know it's not exclusive to this book, but this book really went hard for her purity. I just... I greatly appreciate that Toven wanted her to have a choice and for her to not feel pressured.
- what happened with a certain female character?? I need more info. or is she exclusively a plot device? cause I'm more invested in her character than I feel like I should be. I want a thorough backstory.
** I wasn't aware this started off as a Dramionie fanfic (that's been rewritten, or something like that) until after I read it. Having said that, I didn't pick up on the MCs being similar to Hermione/Draco. Looking back, other than their looks being kinda, sorta, similar-ish, in a vague way - I still don't really see it. I've only knowingly read 1 Dramionie fanfic (Manacled), and that was years ago. So maybe it's just that I'm too far removed from Dramionie, or something, idk.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC.
💭 Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next book. I didn't love everything about the book, and until the last 25% wasn't sure I would continue the series. I wish more of the book was as exciting for me and evoked more emotion from like the last quarter did. But the last quarter gave me enough excitement and feels to feel invested in learning more.
📓 Told in a somewhat then now style, you get to experience some of 24yr old Briony's childhood and time at magic school.
Overall, I really enjoyed the plot. I found it interesting and easy to fall into. I can't say I found the twists and turns to be unexpected, but I still enjoyed them. There was one twist that I didn't see occurring in the way it did though, that was fun and interesting.
✍🏼 The writing is solidly good. It reads easily and smoothly. The dialogue feels natural and fits the characters.
This is the first Julie Soto book I've actually finished (I've struggled to finish any book for months, no fault of the book/author, just my brain/MH). Anyway, I can't say how it stacks up to her other works since I haven't read enough of any of them to say.
There were a couple instances of repetition that I feel were unnecessary. With the current state of my brain, I'm surprised I noticed them. They're short, but the repetition is there.
⏳ It started off strong. I feel like it bogs down just a bit in the middle, but then it picks up and that's when it really shined for me.
That last +/- 25% truly sold me on picking up the second book, immediately once it's available.
🗺️ The world building is ok, imo. I think if you're primarily a romance reader, it probably wouldn't be an issue for you. But if you're primarily a fantasy reader, I think you're likely to feel similarly to me - that world building was a bit lacking. I don't have a grasp of the layout, geography, religion (even though Godparent is mentioned once), or government structure of the world, etc beyond vague generalities anyway.
🔮 The magic system is ok, it's good, but I wouldn't say great or well developed. It's an interesting take on heart vs mind - I actually love that as a concept. How they can be both different and also the same. But I feel it's lacking in depth and explanation.
I'm going through some stuff currently, including short term memory issues, so maybe that's why this next part stuck out for me, but maybe not idk. The magic system confused me a bit - as in I couldn't keep straight which side was supposed to have
which type (heart vs mind magic). Especially since I couldn't really tell or understand the difference in their usage. We're told they're different, one is "superior," etc. But I still don't have a firm grasp on the magic system. Or why is one superior? etc
- Why are they thanking the waters? It reads as maybe something to do with religion, but idk.
- How (and why) does water come into play with strengthening magic?
👥 There are a lot of characters, and I feel like the development of the main cast is ok, it's good. I wanted more. Their histories, their motivations, etc. I didn't feel their connections the way I like to. We're told Briony and Rory are super close, but I didn't feel it (or really see it). I didn't feel an emotional connection to anyone, and as a character focused reader I didn't love that. I want to feel what they feel.
Characters are all cishetero - except maybe one, but he is angry about it. I currently don't have enough info to even say if this character is, in fact, queer, I'm going to leave it as if they are, I hope that's explored in future books.
Anyway, it's not necessarily an issue, per say, for me that they're all cishetero, but I always appreciate a diverse cast (and inclusion). There are non-white characters.
💜 This is a SLOW burn. If the romance in Daughter of No Worlds was too slow for you, you may not like that aspect of Rose in Chains. I love slow burn, the slower the better, personally, so this was a W aspect for me. You get yearning, longing, and angst. I enjoyed the will they/won't they.
I would have loved to really get inside Toven's head. I think that would've elevated the longing, yearning, and angst a ton.
I can't say they're true (imo) enemies to lovers, or even really rivals. Enemies vibes, maybe, more along the lines of being unsure where they stand with one another since they're from opposing worlds who have a tenuous peace treaty.
🌶️ 0.5 or maybe 1 when someone tells another character what he would do to her. other than that, we get make out session. the build up is there, so I expect the subsequent books to have more spice. If you like a lot of spice, this book may not be as enjoyable for you. Personally, I'm a take it or leave it. As long as it fits the plot and characters, I'm down for whatever.
Up until the last +/- 25%, I thought this was gonna be somewhere in the 3s for me. But then it got rolling and I was thoroughly invested and need the next book ASAP, so I was going to give it a 4. But writing the review reminded me of all the stuff I didn't love and so I'm at a 3.5 or 3.75.
⚠️ Please check CW/TW for this one - I was caught off guard by a few things. www.juliesotowrites.com for details on CW/TW
➖ some other things I didn't love, didn't fully grasp, etc:
- what caused this war to start? like, what was the catalyst?
- how did they just take over? or was there more to it than we weren't told/shown?
- why the mind magic hate? and did people fight back when one country outlawed it? I need more info, especially after the last 25% of the book
- I wish Toven had either been more morally grey, or less. He fell in the middle for me
- the recurring importance of her virginity. I know it's not exclusive to this book, but this book really went hard for her purity. I just... I greatly appreciate that Toven wanted her to have a choice and for her to not feel pressured.
- what happened with a certain female character?? I need more info. or is she exclusively a plot device? cause I'm more invested in her character than I feel like I should be. I want a thorough backstory.
** I wasn't aware this started off as a Dramionie fanfic (that's been rewritten, or something like that) until after I read it. Having said that, I didn't pick up on the MCs being similar to Hermione/Draco. Looking back, other than their looks being kinda, sorta, similar-ish, in a vague way - I still don't really see it. I've only knowingly read 1 Dramionie fanfic (Manacled), and that was years ago. So maybe it's just that I'm too far removed from Dramionie, or something, idk.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Medical trauma
Minor: Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail