Rose in Chains

Julie Soto's Rose in Chains is a dark, slow-burn fantasy romance rooted in Dramione fanfiction. A gripping tale of magic, war, and forbidden connection.

Rose in Chains

Author: Julie Soto

Series: The Evermore Trilogy #1

Release Date: July 8, 2025

Genre: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Adult

Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1)
This beautiful DELUXE EDITION hardcover featuring gorge…

Book Review

Content Warning: This book contains mature themes including violence, abuse, and war. It is not suitable for children.

I was a big fan of the Harry Potter books when I was in grade school and high school. As an avid reader, I also got into Harry Potter fan fiction and became familiar with the Dramione sub-genre. As I got older, I forgot all about it and had no idea that people were still writing Harry Potter fanfiction – until recently. This year, a few popular Dramione fanfictions are being traditionally published, and Rose in Chains is one of them. It’s based on The Auction by Julie Soto. I’ve never read that story, and I heard it’s quite long (which explains why this book is part of a trilogy). So I went into this one blind, with only the knowledge that it’s Dramione-coded.

This book is dark. It’s set in a post-war world where the bad guys won. After a five-year war, the Eversuns lost to the Bomardis. Our two main characters are on opposite sides: Toven Hearst is a Bomardi, and Briony is an Eversun. The women of the defeated Eversuns are auctioned off to the Bomardis to serve as familiars, used to strengthen the heart magic that fuels Bomardi power. The mistreatment and abuse these women endure is horrifying, enraging, and heartbreaking.

Briony, as an Eversun princess, is highly coveted and eventually sold to Toven Hearst. She and Toven already have a complicated history from their school days. The story weaves flashbacks with the present timeline to show the depth of their past and the tension in their current situation. Toven and his friends were cruel to Briony back then, but there were also moments of mutual fascination between them.

When Briony is auctioned off to Toven, she expects the worst. But she gradually realizes that Toven may not be what he seems. The slow-burn relationship that unfolds between them is intense and emotional. The most romantic moment in this first book is a single, all-encompassing kiss. That’s it – and honestly, it works. This is only the beginning of a trilogy (did I mention the original fanfiction was long?), and I’m so excited to read more about these two, especially now that they’ve begun to understand each other and are hesitantly teaming up.

The plot is primarily driven by their evolving relationship, but I also appreciated the magical world-building – although it’s not as fully fleshed out yet. The contrast between mind magic and heart magic is intriguing, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this develops in the next installments. Both Briony and Toven show skill in both types of magic, which adds another compelling layer to their characters.

By the end of the book, I was left with so many questions: What happened to Briony in the three days before the auction? Why can’t she remember? What does Mallow really want from Toven?

At 464 pages, this book is a slow burn in every sense. But I loved it. It was completely unputdownable, and I finished it in three days. I couldn’t stop thinking about the story until I reached the end. I’ll definitely reread it before the next book comes out. I’m giving this a solid 5 out of 5 stars – one of those favorite, no-notes kind of reads. The story was engaging, the plot was gripping, and I’m fully invested in Toven and Briony’s relationship.

I’m already looking forward to my next Dramione-coded read in September when Alchemised by SenLinYu comes out. That one is based on the iconic fanfiction Manacled, and I can’t wait.

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