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A review by megatza
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There are a lot of things that should not work for me in a book like Rose in Chains. And yet it absolutely does work with this character dynamic. This is dark [slow burn] romantasy with a captive/owner relationship, in which the [anti]hero Tovan purchases POV heroine Briony in an auction, with the public intent to siphon her for her power. There are dark scenes, so check CWs (but seriously, I'm not kidding), and where those aren't things I enjoy or seek out, I found them very effective. With its roots in fanfiction, but a very strong edit, it stands well alone from its origin world and what remains is the best of ff that explores particular character development.
I've seen a number of people talk about the lack of worldbuilding, but it actually works really well for me. The magic system slowly unfurls over the course of the book, and as Briony learns to regain her magic and plunge into unknown magics, we learn alongside her. But really the reason the worldbuilding works is that I'm in it for the relationship building. I am not often a slow burn reader, but I savored this one because they are on opposite sides of a war.
A few things to note:
1) check CW, especially if you are sensitive to SA
2) if you struggle with timeline shifts on audio, make sure you have a tandem read ready
3) the narration is fine - the narrator feels a little lighter than the darker tone of the book suggests, but I think it works for Briony's character POV. That said, I don't think the narration is extra special, and I enjoyed the parts I read with my eyes a little more than the parts I listened to.
4) this is the first book of a trilogy.
I have not read the original ff, The Auction, but I have heard that there were significant changes to the story, characters, and setting. I guess I'm going to go read the 1300 pages and report back....
Thank you to Forever for an eARC and Hachette for and ALC. Rose In Chains is out 7/8/25.
I've seen a number of people talk about the lack of worldbuilding, but it actually works really well for me. The magic system slowly unfurls over the course of the book, and as Briony learns to regain her magic and plunge into unknown magics, we learn alongside her. But really the reason the worldbuilding works is that I'm in it for the relationship building. I am not often a slow burn reader, but I savored this one because they are on opposite sides of a war.
A few things to note:
1) check CW, especially if you are sensitive to SA
2) if you struggle with timeline shifts on audio, make sure you have a tandem read ready
3) the narration is fine - the narrator feels a little lighter than the darker tone of the book suggests, but I think it works for Briony's character POV. That said, I don't think the narration is extra special, and I enjoyed the parts I read with my eyes a little more than the parts I listened to.
4) this is the first book of a trilogy.
I have not read the original ff, The Auction, but I have heard that there were significant changes to the story, characters, and setting. I guess I'm going to go read the 1300 pages and report back....
Thank you to Forever for an eARC and Hachette for and ALC. Rose In Chains is out 7/8/25.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Moderate: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma
Forced sterilization
All major CWs are listed at the beginning of the book (and on audio)