Rose in Chains
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4.5 • 225 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Soto crafts a lush, dark romantic fantasy filled with intrigue, magic, and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance.
“A dark fever dream of a fairytale. Rose in Chains is a heart pounding, spellbinding, forbidden love story that kept breaking my heart and putting it back together again.” ―Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Alchemy of Secrets
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, the world as Briony Rosewood knows it is changed forever. Evil has won, and her people face imminent servitude, imprisonment, or death.
Stripped of her Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly sold off to the highest bidders in an auction—and as Evermore's princess, she fetches the highest price. After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven Hearst, scion of a family known for their cruelty.
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 ...
“A stunning romantasy that had me riveted to the pages. Julie Soto has spun an unforgettable tale, weaving luminous and dark threads alike into a beautiful, heartrending romance. Lush, complex, and utterly engrossing.” ―Rebecca Ross, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals
“Spellbinding … Julie Soto is a must-read author.” ―Abigail Owen, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“The dark romantasy that has lived rent free in my head for years.” ―Ali Hazelwood, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Deep End
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this thorny, series-launching romantasy, Soto (Forget Me Not) introduces a war-torn world split in half by magic forces. Princess Briony Rosewood, twin sister to the heir of Evermore, Rory Rosewood, is a master of mind magic. The people of neighboring Bomard, meanwhile, practice heart magic and the country has outlawed all mind magic following the ascension of Veronika Mallow to the Seat of Bomard. Veronika declares war on Evermore, which falls to her dark forces, leaving Briony captured and vulnerable. Along with other Evermore hostages, she is sold at auction to serve as someone's heartspring, a living source of magic more powerful than an animal familiar. To Briony's shock, her new owner is her former classmate Toven Hearst, heir to the sadistic Bomardi family. Briony won't surrender her dignity without a fight—but Toven is not what he seems, and Briony's time with him soon leads her to the heart of a brewing revolution. While allusions to sexual assault and on-page human trafficking place this firmly in the dark romance subgenre, Soto handles these difficult topics with delicacy and respect. The worldbuilding is robust, with Soto not shying away from the realities of war, and the political intrigue and enemies-to-lovers romantic drama keep the pages turning. Readers will be eager for more.
Customer Reviews
A Dark Fever Dream Fairytale
This book was SO good. I did not want to put this down; a total page turner and a masterclass in writing and storytelling. I finished it in a little less than two days; once I started, I couldn't stop.
This is a published adaptation of the Draco/Hermione fanfic called “The Auction”, and let me tell you, Julie Soto did not disappoint. I LOVED this book. The storytelling is perfect. The yearning is impeccable. The world building is beautiful. It's dark, it's romantic, it's everything I wanted and more.
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is handled with such care and tension. You can feel every charged moment between the characters, every glance, every word that hangs in the air. It's not just about the romance—it's about the power dynamics, the magic, the intrigue, and the way these two people are forced to navigate their relationship in a world that's constantly trying to tear them apart.
The world building is lush and immersive. Julie Soto creates a magical world that feels lived-in and real, with its own rules, its own dangers, and its own beauty. It's the kind of setting that pulls you in and makes you want to stay forever.
I cannot wait for the next installment of this series. If you're into dark romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, magic, solid world building, and characters who feel real and complicated, this is it.
Can’t wait for book 2
Slow burn, no smut, angst
Only read if you have 48 hours straight.
I am not info romantasy but I loved Julie’s other two books. Then I learned that Rose in Chain was a rework of her fanfic. If you are a Reylo, you will love this book. There are so many parallels. This book is so well written…. It felt like I went on a really cool roller coaster ride. Thank you!
LOVED
Finished in 48 hours. Couldn’t put it down. The change between past and present made the story so much more interesting. So sad I have to wait for the next! Slow burn for sure.