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A review by itsjxssica
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While reading, I felt every emotion from grief, hate, to fangirling over Toven Hearst. Without spoilers, this book follows a bright princess named Briony Rosewood, who has a strong affinity for mind magic. Her kingdom is invaded, and Briony and many other women are kidnapped and auctioned into slavery. The mysterious Toven Hearst, her former crush at school, purchases her at the auction. As the people from her kingdom continue to rebel, Briony has to find out where her friends are, and if there is any hope in escaping her new "home," Hearst Hall. The book switches between present day and flashbacks, and slowly unravels the characters' backstories and their relationships with each other.
For those who don't know, Rose in Chains is based off of Julie Soto's fanfiction, The Auction, which is one of the holy grails of the Draco x Hermione fandom community. The Auction was one of the first fanfictions I read when I was first getting introduced to Dramione, and it is one of my favorite fanfictions of all time. I feel like those who read The Auction will also love Rose in Chains. I wonder what inspired her new naming conventions as well (i.e. Hearst Hall vs. Malfoy Manor), and I'd honestly like to see a behind the scenes on how she went through editing this book. Getting to see this story given new life and new fans makes me so happy, and I'm so happy for Julie Soto. I already know this book is going to be a huge hit and I'm excited to see where it leads next.
I thought it might be weird seeing this story rewritten with a new cast of characters --- I felt the Harry Potter characters and universe was so crucial to the original story --- but I enjoyed meeting Toven Hearst and Briony Rosewood and seeing a new magic system take place. I loved seeing flashbacks of their academic rivalry and the scenes under the willow tree at the lake. The slow burn tension between them is SO good, and I love their dialogue banter. Toven Hearst is definitely being added to the list of book boyfriends (I have a soft spot for misunderstood, morally grey characters; bonus points if they're Draco Malfoy-coded haha).
Just a note: This book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with very dark themes, and essentially human trafficking/slavery. Trigger warnings for this book include: death, murder, bullying, confinement, drug use, misogyny, physical abuse, racism, sexism, sexual assault/violence, slavery, xenophobia/bigotry, trafficking, kidnapping, grief, sexual harassment, war, drug use, rape, torture, abortion, etc. Be warned!
There isn't spice in this book; however, I have a feeling there will likely be spice in the sequel. Julie Soto, you are amazing and I cannot wait for the next book in the Evermore Series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced copy!
For those who don't know, Rose in Chains is based off of Julie Soto's fanfiction, The Auction, which is one of the holy grails of the Draco x Hermione fandom community. The Auction was one of the first fanfictions I read when I was first getting introduced to Dramione, and it is one of my favorite fanfictions of all time. I feel like those who read The Auction will also love Rose in Chains. I wonder what inspired her new naming conventions as well (i.e. Hearst Hall vs. Malfoy Manor), and I'd honestly like to see a behind the scenes on how she went through editing this book. Getting to see this story given new life and new fans makes me so happy, and I'm so happy for Julie Soto. I already know this book is going to be a huge hit and I'm excited to see where it leads next.
I thought it might be weird seeing this story rewritten with a new cast of characters --- I felt the Harry Potter characters and universe was so crucial to the original story --- but I enjoyed meeting Toven Hearst and Briony Rosewood and seeing a new magic system take place. I loved seeing flashbacks of their academic rivalry and the scenes under the willow tree at the lake. The slow burn tension between them is SO good, and I love their dialogue banter. Toven Hearst is definitely being added to the list of book boyfriends (I have a soft spot for misunderstood, morally grey characters; bonus points if they're Draco Malfoy-coded haha).
Just a note: This book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with very dark themes, and essentially human trafficking/slavery. Trigger warnings for this book include: death, murder, bullying, confinement, drug use, misogyny, physical abuse, racism, sexism, sexual assault/violence, slavery, xenophobia/bigotry, trafficking, kidnapping, grief, sexual harassment, war, drug use, rape, torture, abortion, etc. Be warned!
There isn't spice in this book; however, I have a feeling there will likely be spice in the sequel. Julie Soto, you are amazing and I cannot wait for the next book in the Evermore Series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Rape, Torture, Abortion