I wish i had the right words to describe how this book made me feel, ESPECIALLY in the first 30%, i was so anxious i was pacing my room at 2 am and it got to a point i had to open my window for air THAT S HOW ANXIOUS I WAS. But man it was so worth it.
I found myself enthralled by the whole storyline you lose track of time, you won't even know when the book is over. The whole story was perfectly executed.
The characters are very complex but so well written.
Briony is an inspiration when it comes to even when you feel like you want to give up, you have to push yourself in order to succeed.
And Toven?? I fear even if we saw only 35% of his personality and how he is, he might be our new boyfriend.
Excuse me but that CLIFFY???? Yea i will be unwell until the second book is out.
And if not another love song did nit cement julie soto as one of my favourite writers then this one for sure did the job.
Truly one of the best openings to a new story.
Thank you to the publisher for the arc

As a fan of The Auction, I was beyond excited when I got approved for the ARC. And it did not disappoint!

I am totally here for 2025, the year of Dramione.

I spent the first several chapters comparing it to all the HP characters and examining the differences, but quickly became lost in the world and the new magic system.

I loved all the changes and really look forward to seeing where she takes this in the next book.

Enemies to lovers is one of my faves and this is so well done.

All the stars! I need more!

Thank you HarperCollins UK for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Pleaseeeee give me book two asap.

I know that romantasy is kind of a buzzword, and there are millions of trilogies in bookstores right now. But I already knew Julie Soto, plus here we have DRAGONS, which as far as I am concerned makes a big difference. The story also unravels relatively slowly, without the pace being particularly affected, as does the relationship between Toven and Briony, but the thing I regret most of all is having to wait two more books to see how it ends up as it obviously will.

Io lo so che ora romantasy é una specie di parola d'ordine e ce ne sono milioni di trilogie in libreria attualmente. Peró Julie Soto la conoscevo giá inoltre qui abbiamo i DRAGHI, che per quanto mi riguarda fanno una grande differenza. La storia si dipana anche relativamente lentamente, senza che il ritmo ne risenta particolarmente, cosí come la relazione tra Toven e Briony, ma la cosa che mi dispiace piú di tutte é di dover aspettare altri due libri per vedere come arriva a finire come ovviamente finirá.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I went into Rose In Chains without ever having read fan-fic and now I’m asking myself WHY?!

Rose In Chains was spellbinding from the first page to the last, I devoured it. I reread it. And I need MORE. Immediately if not sooner.

The slow burn between Briony and Toven was something else - the enemies to lovers trope is forever my favourite for a reason!

I was captivated by the unique magic system Julie has created in this world and I can’t wait for future books so we can fully understand just how far it can go.

Welcome to your newest obsession - Rose In Chains will live rent-free in your head. Read it. Read it again. You’re welcome.

5 STARS.

So, dear readers, as you may know, I typically have a template for my reviews. They're fun and relate books to music and emojis, because I enjoy that. I am NOT a controversial, nor a scathing review type of person.
BUT... this book has been everywhere. It's SO hyped and highly anticipated and I regret to inform you that it's just not worth it.
I also don't usually write reviews with spoilers, but in this case:
SPOILERS AHEAD (also TW for... so many things.)
I have to admit I was already nervous because another book had made waves earlier this month for being a slave/master romance and while it didn't even cross my mind that this might be that while requesting, I was a little terrified that that is what I was walking into. Thank god, it was not. While the blurb does already mention an auction where the main character Briony (terrible name, I know), is bought, it becomes clear very quickly in the aftermath that Toven is not interested in that kind of dynamic with her and is doing what absolutely must be done to keep up appearances and allowing her every possible freedom outside of that. That is not where my gripe with this book is. My first issue is that it took FOREVER for the actual storyline to start. We didn't reach the actual part that was in the BLURB of the book until like 35-40% into it, and we had no way to know whether it was going to be a master/slave dynamic until like 50%. It was boring, and I thought about DNFing multiple times before that point. Especially because everything up until that point was traumatizing and heavy, but I did see potential for a lot of discussion on misogyny, oppression, forced sterilization and sexual assault. Sadly, those discussions fell flat. While the sisterhood and female rage I was expecting was hinted at later in the book, it took a back seat to Briony's flashbacks to her teen crush on Toven. While I do like the pacing of the actual romance, the fact that we don't even meet the love interest in the present time until about 50% into the book, the marketing as a romantasy felt really out of place. The whole story is framed as a dark romantasy, when it would have been served better written as a grimdark fantasy with a romance subplot. That would have allowed for a different focus and more room to explore the (in my opinion) real, important issues being discussed and the network of underseen and underappreciated women building resistance.
I also struggled with the writing of the story. It came off choppy and short, and while the simplistic style made it easy to read, it also didn't serve the story well. The writing tended toward telling rather than showing outside of the romance between the main characters, which made other relationships feel unrealistic and bland.
Also the only queer character in this story hates himself for being gay and is also evil. There is one not evil potentially queer character, but she kisses Briony in front of men as a distraction for slipping her a note (my feelings on this are a little complicated) and she dies pretty much right after. So, I don't know, but that feels weird overall.

I was hooked from the start! This is a book about friendships and resilience. Briony Rosewood is my girl! She is smart and powerful. I love how her character evolved and developed over the course of the book.

There’s something magnetic about a protagonist who carries layers of hidden depth beneath a carefully guarded exterior—and that's exactly what Toven Hearst brings to the story.

I came into this book without any background knowledge of the original fanfiction it draws inspiration from, and frankly, I’m not particularly fond of the pairing it was originally based on either. Yet none of that mattered. This novel feels like a standalone work, rich and complete on its own. If I hadn’t been told it started as fanfiction, I would never have guessed.

The war has ended—but not in victory. The forces of darkness have prevailed, and the chosen savior has fallen.

As enemy soldiers seize her family's stronghold, Briony Rosewood finds herself stripped of her powers and sold at auction to Toven Hearst, heir to a dynasty infamous for its brutal domination of magic. Toven also happens to be the object of Briony’s long-buried, complicated feelings. Amid the devastation and cruelty of her new reality, Briony discovers that resistance—and perhaps even redemption—may come from the places she least expects.
What really hooked me was the way the plot steadily unfolds, blending past and present to reveal a vivid, layered world and an intricate magic system. The story plunges you straight into the chaos, and the history of this broken world is woven in naturally, without overwhelming info-dumps.

It’s gripping, tightly paced, and filled with tension. The tone is unflinching—it’s dark, sorrowful, and raw, never glossing over the brutal consequences of war. Yet amidst all the pain, there’s a thread of hope that makes the story even more powerful. Soto’s writing captures that delicate balance masterfully.

The momentum never falters, and I found myself completely immersed. And of course, the slow-burn tension and yearning between characters are absolutely electric.

I can’t speak to how loyal it feels to long-time fans of the original work, but as a first-time reader, I was completely won over. I would absolutely recommend it.

I like a main character who's complex and has more going on behind than the scenes than first meets the eye and that's Toven Hearst for you.

I went into this not having read the initial fanfiction it's based on, and to be honest not a fan of the couple it's initially based on either. And yet I loved this. It felt so far removed from the initial source material had you not told me it was originally fanfiction- I'd have not noticed!
~~~~~
The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood is stripped of her magic and auctioned off to the highest bidder. She’s sold to Toven Hearst: scion of a family known for their cruel control of magic – and her long-time and unresolved infatuation. Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…
~~~~~
I loved the plot development in this, and the slow building of the world and the magic systems shown through past and present tense. You're thrown straight into the action and you learn the background details along the way which I appreciated.
It's fast paced, but still takes time to introduce characters and show you their links to each other. And it's tense. Make no mistake it's dark, and tragic at points, and doesn't shy away from the horrors of war and the loss people face. But Soto's writing also manages to give you hope in amongst the bleak setting, as if maybe not all is lost.

The pacing is perfect and I absolutely did not want to put this book down, and of course. The yearning is palpable.

I cannot speak for how this will read to long-time fans, but as someone new to this story I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.
*please check you trigger warnings*

‘rose in chains’ was such a suprise for me - i went n nervous of what to expect as i knew this was a fanfic ( sometimes when not done well i can be horrendously confused ) and it was meant to be more of a dark fantasy but i absolutleyloved this book.

plot
for a fanfic with a predetermied setting and base this Soto did an amazing job with reworking the novel to be understandable in context, while being engaging and managing to build a whole world of her own complete seperate from the world these characters were based on.
the whole premise and plot of this book, while dark and difficult to stomach at parts, was very well balanced with genuine mystery and intruige into more action towards the end of the book.

characters
i absolutley loved brioney - her fire always staying despite her confusion, fear and sadness was the perfect FMC - she demanded answers and stood her ground despite the horrendous situations she is in throughout the book. toven - what can i even say. this man had layers and we never truly get to the bottom of it, even towards the end of the book.

overall, i absolutley loved this book, the themes and topics are dark and may be hard to read for some, however if this isn’t so much of an issue for you - i absolutley reccomend. the ending has left me wanting and needing more!

I get it, but why did it have to end right where it did :'I
(for your own wellbeing, please check all trigger warnings as the story gets incredibly dark in places.)

[...]When the sun shines at night, he who will bring an end to war on this land shall be victorious. He shall be an heir, twice over, and a rightful sovereign over the continent.[...]

First off, I'd like to note that I know where this story originated from, so I have a very good idea of what's to come in Briony and Toven's story.
So, while I understand that, I think the world-building was rushed just to get to the main plot of the story. Unfortunately, I feel that the character development thus suffered quite a bit. The characters didn't feel fleshed out and established enough within their own world to tell a compelling, original story. This is most notable for almost all of the supporting characters and their motivations in the story.

[...] “Of course you do. I prefer Bomard to Evermore any day,” Larissa said. “At least in Bomard they abolished patriarchal succession. A woman could never be ruler of Evermore. Despite how high and mighty they may act . . .” [...]

That's why it's a little hard for me to outright recommend Rose in Chains.
I like it, I'm also incredibly happy for Julie Soto that this story got traditionally published, and I definitely want to read the next book in the series. With that in mind, please be aware that you may feel very differently about this book, and I wouldn't blame you for it!

[...] Not alone. *written in grape* [...]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for approving this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, I didn't have very high hopes as I'm not a big fan for Draco/Hermione fanfics but I must admit I did enjoy reading it. Julie Soto's writing style is phenomenal and it will keep you hooked from page one.

I liked the flasback chapters as they were giving context without being potentially boring if the book had been written in chronological order. I did feel however that halfway through the book nothing was happening, the FMC's situation was simply not progressing and we could've done with a faster development BUT saying that I kept on reading and didn't feel like a slower pace was damaging the story.

The MMC is your standard morally grey, big hearted baddie and I truly enjoyed his character, probably more than the FMC.

If you are a big Dramione fan, I would 100000&% recomend the book, and if you're not I'd still recommend it as you can look past the similarities with the HP world and just enjoy a cool romantasy.

I'm looking forward to receiving my physical special edition when it's published and, oh WE NEED PART 2 LIKE NOW

TOVEN HEARST 👏🏻🔥
What. A. MAN.
At first I was like ‘Toven?? Be serious’ But now? I would risk it all for this man. I would write his name in my will. I would let him emotionally ruin me and thank him for it.

From the very first page, I was feral. I had ridiculously high expectations going in, which should’ve set me up for disappointment BUT instead Julie Soto reached into my chest, stole my heart, whispered ‘you’re welcome’ and walked away. And honestly? She was right to do it.

The tension. The yearning. I’m blushing, sobbing, screaming into the void. If you hear someone howling at the moon, it’s just me after finishing this. I need book two like I need oxygen. Julie, if you’re reading this, I will accept crumbs. I will trade my soul. Just say the word.

I'm going to give this a 3 star review because it may be quite good but the trigger warnings on other sites have updated since I was approved and this book is no longer one I can read. Thank you for the advanced copy though!

I absolutely DEVOURED this book, and I am at a loss as to how I’ll wait for the next in the series!!! Fantasy romance lovers — this is a must-read. Filled with atmosphere, magic, and so much romantic yearning I wanted to rip my hair out, Julie Soto has crafted a darkly sinister tale woven with gilt and glamour.

'Rose in Chains' throws you right into the action as we follow Briony, the main protagonist, whose kingdom falls before she is captured and subsequently sold at auction. The themes in this book are dark (please read the trigger warnings at the beginning — protect yourselves!) — women are treated as objects, and there’s a significant amount of male-dominated violence — but I thought Soto navigated this line well. Nothing felt overtly gratuitous, though it did leave a sour taste in my mouth and a simmering rage in me over how various characters were treated.
While this is fantasy, many of the themes seem to be in conversation with real-world issues, and I’m intrigued to see whether Soto expands on these in future books. Even with the heaviness of the subject matter, the novel never felt slow or overly depressing. In particular, the structure of the book was excellent — the intricate weaving of flashbacks with present moments really kept the momentum going.
However, the real highlight of this novel is the characters and the romance! If you want Yearning (with a capital Y) — please, PLEASE read this!! This is exactly what slow burn should be. The main love interests have so much chemistry, and the slow drip-feed of their shared history just builds and builds until it finally culminates at the end of the novel. If you love romances where the characters are pining for each other, where the smallest physical touch sends you reeling — this is definitely a book for you.

I truly cannot recommend this book enough! Fantasy and romance fans alike will love it, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next instalment. Clearly, this is a sign I need to read the rest of Soto’s backlist as well.

I should also note: I haven’t read the original fanfiction ('The Auction' by lovesbitca8 — though I fear this might have to change), nor have I read any Harry Potter fanfiction (I know, I know — how have I made it this far in life without reading any? Forgive me). So, going into Rose in Chains, I had no prior knowledge of the plot or tone. That said, I never felt like I was reading a Dramione fanfic. Soto has changed and built her own world enough that it stands on its own, even though the inspiration from the original Harry Potter characters and universe is clear. Personally, I believe the characters and world Soto has crafted in 'Rose in Chains' stands up independently.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. Rose in Chains by Julie Soto was initially Dramione fan fiction (originally titled 'The Auction' and available via AO3) but has been completely adapted for mainstream press. It's the first book in a new dark romance/fantasy trilogy.

First of all, this book was a lot darker than I had been anticipating. For example, in just a few chapters the FMC is threatened with rape, collared, stripped of her magic and forcibly sterilised. This book is being marketed as a 'romantasy', when I think 'dark romance' would be more appropriate. It definitely takes enemies-to-lovers to a whole new extreme.

Toven has his own agenda and in theory rescues Briony from a horrific fate and even though their chemistry is undeniable, I still find any possibility of romance a little strange considering the constant threat of sexual violence. Her friends are being routinely assaulted, drugged and degraded for the entertainment of others and I felt like Briony came across as whiny and belligerent in comparison to the horrors surrounding her.

That being said, I'm interested to know where the story is headed. I'll definitely read the sequel just for the hope that the horrific crimes of the successors are avenged.

Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. I read the trigger warnings, but like most books, I thought it might be a small part of the book. Instead, there was *ape and potions to allow *ape was mentioned and implied multiple times through the book. Think a book about the daughter's view in the Taken movies but with magic.

The writing was good but it wasn't for me. I like romantasty but unfortunately dark romantasty isn't for me.

As someone who loves “The Auction”, this reworked version hit so many of the aspects that I loved in the fanfic. While I can see the Dramione inspiration throughout, Soto created her own world and magic system that maintains the heart of the story.
This is a dark romantasy that has flashbacks to add clarity to the current timeline. The flashbacks would be my one complaint as while they do add clarity, they cause the book to feel slightly scattered if you don’t have a previous basis to go off of.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

WHEN I CATCH YOU JULIE SOTO! HOW DARE YOU WRITE THIS ABSOLUTE MASTEPIECE THAT HAUNTS MY DREAMS. YOU MUST COMPENSATE FOR ELEVATING MY HEART LEVELS BECAUSE I NEARLY HAD MUTLIPLE HEART ATTACKS READING THIS.

Warning- this book is DARK. If you do not like DARK romantasy, you should not be picking this up and honestly, I don’t care for your review. The whole premise of the book is on the synopsis- these women are being AUCTIONED off after war to the victors of the war and are being exploited! Princess Briony starts the book by learning her brother, the prophesied, one is dead. Their kingdom has been taken over, their mind magic has been banned, and Mallow has won the war. Yes, awful things are going to happen in this book.

I know I am biased because this book has all my favourite tropes

• Childhood rivals to something more
• Slow burn
• Forced proximity
• Hidden agendas
• Flashbacks
• Familiars
• Morally grey characters
• Heartbreaking sisterhood

Yes, I have read the Auction (only after I read Rose in Chains) We of course do not review fanfiction- but I want to make it unequivocally clear that I love Rose in Chains more. I really think the magic system, world building and the relationship dynamics between Toven and Briony show that amazing fanfiction can absolutely be adapted for publication and be elevated and turned into something truly original. I want to give Julie Soto her flowers in this regard (a blooming rose bouquet of course).

The magic system and world building

Julie Soto put thought and time into developing her magic system and the world building aspect of this book and it shows. I absolutely loved the conflict between using mind magic (Briony’s kingdom) and heart magic (Mallow’s kingdom) and the philosophical questions each one brings. I loved that Soto fleshed out how these two magic systems actually work and showed us how our main characters were able to enhance their magic. The incorporation of meditation into the magic systems was very interesting and made a lot of sense. I also like how the magic systems form a seed of conflict between Toven and Briony as each character looks down upon the use of the other’s magic system.

I also really enjoyed the flashback to their school days. You realize all the different connections and underlying tensions between the characters. It is also a horrifying example of how when some men are given power and agency over women, the true beast within them come out. Many of the vile men we see in the books went to school with the women that later became their slaves. Because they of the political regime at the time, they were unable to act out their grossest fantasies. At most, they were jerks who made vague, sinister threats.

However, when given that full power and agency, they treat these women, their former classmates like playthings to be used! What a sinister parallel to the world we live in today. This book also really highlights the “hive mentality” as particularly when the boys come together, we see the women being used as a social tool to establish dominance within the group. Would any of these boys have the balls to act the way they do if they were not supported by Mallow’s regime? The simple answer is no. That is what makes their behaviour even more disgusting to watch. Even Toven is forced to perform – a true reflection of how everyone, even men, are hurt by toxic masculinity and unhealthy patriarchal systems.

Toven and Briony

I adored our two main characters. With Briony, I think in a heavily saturated romantasy space often female main characters bleed to one another. However, Briony was someone I found unique, relatable and her perspective was a joy to read. Despite being in captivity and having her agency stripped away from her, Briony found meaningful ways to assert and resist Mallow’s regime. I found her dynamic with her brother interesting to read through and reflect upon because she does so much invisible labour for him and is clearly restricted as a woman when she is more competent than he is to rule. I love that Briony is not completely naïve to Toven’s feelings towards her. The question is- how far do those feelings stretch? Are the feelings enough to seduce him into turning over his ideals to spare her further captivity? Or is his families ambivalent nature more of a reflection that the war has not truly been won?

Toven is a testament to what a great writer Julie Soto is. We always filter our opinion of Toven through Briony and her feelings towards him. Yet, Soto tells us a lot about Toven with the tiny observations she makes, that Briony herself cannot fully understand. She does so in a way that doesn’t make Briony totally naïve and does not paint Toven in a fully heroic light. Toven is morally grey- he is a man full of plenty of internal struggles not just towards Briony but his ideals and beliefs about the magic system.

If you are a sucker for slow burn, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. Most writers who attempt slow burn do not know how to do tension, relationship dynamics changing, pacing and pining. This book on the other hand, has done it perfectly. These two already had mutual feelings for one another and were classmates who knew one another before the war which greatly helps this book from veering towards the Stockholm syndrome” problem. There was a good possibility of them ending up in an arrange marriage to preserve the political alliance between the two kingdoms, prior to Mallow’s ascension to power. All of this forms an added complex layer to their relationship. There is very little spice in this book between Toven and Briony which is perfect because you can focus on the deeper bond forming between the two characters. I love how they challenge each other’s beliefs about the world yet also subtly influence the other to see things in a different way.

Sisterhood

What sets this romantasy apart from the others is the sisterhood displayed among the girls during the auction. They all are going though a horrific traumatic experience, and it is horrifying and heartbreaking to see the different ways these girls cope with their prolonged captivity and their degradation. The small acts of defiance and bonding with one another really digs at your heart, especially when you know this has happened throughout history. It really made me reflect on the resilience of women and the complexities of trying to survive unimaginable horrors. Will never look at grapes the same way again.

Mallow

What a villain! I love that Julie Soto decided to make the antagonist of this story a woman because, unfortunately, many women in power do co-sign/directly cause the sexual and criminal exploitation of other women in real life. That is what makes Mallow such an amazing villain. Her villainy is rooted in the evil we see in the world today. However, because Mallow is still operating in a fundamentally patriarchal society, we understand why she is so ruthless. (Doesn’t justify her behaviour; it only makes her more complex.). Particularly at the end, we realize how fragile a hold on power is, which is very reflective of real-life revolutions.

Overall writing

The pacing of this book was phenomenal, particularly considering this is only book one in a trilogy. There was a nice blend of world-building, plot reveals, and character development. I was always fearful for Briony’s safety, dignity, and mental wellbeing and for the other girls too. As strange as it sounds, Soto was not afraid to “hurt” the girls (which is necessary to establish the stakes and the trauma they are going through), but none of the sexual and emotional violence felt gratuitous. I commend both Soto and her editors because clearly, they thought through how to write a war story with inherent violence and subjugation of women central to the plot.

Conclusion

My favorite romantasy of 2025! Yes, I said it. So happy we have two more books to look forward to (although my impatient self may have binged the Auction afterwards). It doesn’t matter because I can see this story is diverging from the Auction so excited to see what happens.

I am eternally grateful to Netgalley UK and Harper Collins UK for gifting me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review,

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, and Julie Soto for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. I do not wish to go into detail as to why.

This. Was. Everything.

I’m so, so annoyed at myself for waiting this long to pluck up the courage and read this piece of art. I had no knowledge of the originating story, The Auction. In a way I’m glad I didn’t as I got to come into this story with a fresh mind.

I just loved everything about the premise. I found the heart and mind magic systems to be so well thought out and written. The yearning between Briony and Toven throughout the story. The secrets going on between the Hearst family.

This is one that kept me guessing throughout and I’m still annoyed at how many questions I have after reading it. What happened with Toven and Larissa? Are the Hearsts the good guys? What’s up with Rory and the Dragon?

Just please give me the second book ASAP, I beg of you.