A review by nicolelaughslemonade
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

So here's the thing, I actually really enjoyed this book; the setting was eerie and engaging, the character interactions were subtle, and the book felt like its own world even though it was based upon a fanfiction. While I could identify certain characters and settings from the source material (not the fanfiction), I found that the premise was unique and fleshed out enough that it felt like a completely different much moodier world. 

Now here's the problem, why are we still hyper focused on virginity in 2025? I understand that this world presents a dark fantasy and is suppose to have questionable dystopian features but if I have to hear about Briony's virginity one more time, I will have an absolute fit. I think the problem with this topic is that her "purity" remains a huge topic throughout Rose in Chains without actually assigning meaning to it's significance. The entire concept of her virginity is danced around like some all important omnipotent power without actually explaining WHY it's supposedly so important. The book talks about bonds of different kinds and their significance and how deeper bonds create stronger magical ties, but virginity seems to be a completely separate magical entity entirely. Is it her Rosewood bloodline that makes Briony so "powerful", her virginity, her above average intelligence? Rose in Chains just keeps dancing around the topic of why is so important as to

literally perform an ancient ritual to fool the virginity detector.

Anyways all this being said, I still liked it and I'll still read the next book.