ARC Review: Rose In Chains by Julie Soto

 

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YOUR NEXT ROMANTASY OBSESSION!

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 knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead.

Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction – and as the heir-apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price.

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven a high ranking Bomardsun – and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests.

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…

Title: Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy #1)
Author: Julie Soto

Publisher: Hachette Audio/Forever

Expected Publication Date: July 8, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I will say, Julie Soto breaking into fantasy had me worried. I enjoy her romances but wasn't sure how well her writing would translate into a different genre. To say I was pleasantly surprised and even think this may be where she should settle is an understatement.

I have not listened to any books narrated by Ella Lynch before, I'm always worried I won't enjoy a new narrator but Lynch surprised me as being a perfect voice for the main character, Briony Rosewood. She did a wonderful job making me feel connected to Briony and helping me to experience all the emotions that were wound together in this book.

The characters of this book are so well fleshed out and developed. It was easy to understand them, to feel their emotions, and to be swept away by their circumstances. Briony knows her place in her world, which is not to put herself ahead of her twin in any way. Her country rules by typical misogynistic ways with heirs only ever being male. Of course once her brother is not longer in the picture, her worth changes, especially for her enemy. Toven Hearst has always been a thorn in Briony's side. But you can see there is so much more to him than what Brony sees. Because the book is told from her POV, we don't get to see what it truly in Toven's mind. But we do see him well enough through Briony to know the struggles he is truly experiencing. He cones off as morally gray, but I don't truly think he is. Again, we don't see things through his eyes and we are not in his mind to experience what he does, we only experience him through Briony. This helps keep the mystery of him throughout the book. However, there is so much Briony does not see about him. I'm not sure if it's because she is naive or because she is just not in tune enough to know. I won't say more than that because if I do, I'll spoil things for everyone.

While there is romance in this book, that is not the main focus at all. There are a few scenes of spark, and one which is a bit spicy, but it is the slowest of slow burns. Yes, this book is billed as a Romantasy, and I can see where the romance aspect may have more impact in the future, but this book was all about building the world, sorting out the magics that exists, and figuring out who is on what side of the fight. The world is immersive and lush. At no time was I confused by the system being portrayed. Soto made it hard to see who could and could not be trusted. To be expected in a book where treason is a high stakes game.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Soto's amazing use of side characters in this book. She never introduces someone who is not someone important to the plot. Even if they play just a small part in the story. Her characters are all important and all bring something to the mix. Some of those characters are important in how they form a found family. 

I loved how the book was set up with flashbacks to give the back story in understanding Briony and Troven Hearst's relationship from the very beginning. Their enemies vibe was palpable from the very first scene we see with them together. That tension was perfect for the story to come. It fueled the pacing and made the plot that much more interesting.

Did I figure a few things out from the beginning? Yes, yes I did. Did I care? Not one bit. I needed to see how Soto would get me through the story and show me on the other end the things I knew were going to happen. 

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. I honestly did not want it to end. I kept stopping my reading at short intervals towards the end because I just needed to soak it all up and slow my pace. I loved absolutely everything about it. From the characters to the magic system to the political intrigue. Soto reeled me in and kept me turning pages to see where she would take me. And I must say, what a ride it was. I am already itching to read the next book in this series to see where it goes.

Author:

JULIE SOTO is a USA Today bestselling author, playwright, and actress originally from Sacramento, CA. Her musical Generation Me won the 2017 New York Musical Festival’s Best Musical award, as well as Best Book for her script. She is a musical theater geek, fandom nerd, and the author of many spicy fan fictions. Julie now lives in Fort Bragg, CA, with her dog, Charlie. She is probably drinking coffee as you read this.