Rose in Chains (Standard Edition)

As someone who’s only read the first four Harry Potter books, I came into this published Dramione fanfiction with limited background knowledge. Unfortunately, that gap proved to be a major hurdle. The author, Soto, seems to assume a deep familiarity with the original series and its characters, leaning heavily on backstory and character dynamics that simply aren’t explained or developed within the book itself. Instead of building a self-contained narrative, Soto invents a backstory that felt disjointed and confusing. There was little effort to ground new readers or give existing ones fresh insight. If you're not already emotionally invested in the original Hermione and Draco, the book doesn't do much to make Briony and Toven (this version’s main characters) stand out on their own. They came across as flat, lacking distinct traits or meaningful arcs, and the tension between them (clearly meant to carry the story) never really landed for me. Pacing was another issue. The plot dragged in several places, often stalling to focus on interactions that didn’t push the story forward or reveal anything new about the characters. Add to that a few concerning moments, particularly scenes that involved thinly veiled homophobia, where a character is ridiculed for his sexuality, and my experience became increasingly frustrating. And then there’s the length. The book is simply too long for what little substance it offers. With more editing, deeper character work, and a broader consideration of its audience, this could’ve been much stronger. But as it stands, I can’t recommend it to readers who aren’t already Dramione fans; and even then, some might take issue with its tone and content.

Jolie Soto hat aus "The Auction" ein tolles Werk fernab vom Harry Potter-Universum gemacht. Die Stimmung ist gleichgeblieben, das Werk ist unglaublich spannend! Unbedingte Leseempfehlung! Das Buch ist natürlich gespickt mit Rückblicken, anders wäre das Worldbuilding nicht möglich. Die Welt und die Mechanik der Magie ist toll gemacht und logisch. Achtung, dieses Buch ist ein Slowburn und enthält noch wenig Spice. Das wird sich aber beim nächsten Band ändern, da kommt um einiges mehr. Ich freu mich drauf. Ich warte jetzt schon sehnlichst auf den nächsten Band!

I’m in love and in pain and utterly amazed. Rose in Chains blew me away and even with an idea of what to expect, I was swept away by this breathtaking tale of love and pain, loss and devotion. Spending time with these characters felt like coming home. She lured me in. I can’t say much without spoilers but I will say that Julie Soto made me feel safe and secure, only to drop twists and surprises when I not only least expected it but also had deluded myself, comfortable in my assumptions as to where this was going. The pace is amazing, building just enough impatience before introducing the next arc, dropping information and conflicts at exactly the right moments. Honestly, the build up in general is as cruel as it is brilliant. Julie Soto has an undeniable talent for playing with shades and differentiation, challenging the divide of good and bad, even with her side characters. And the main characters? Well, to me they were perfect - intricate and three dimensional, multi layered in ways that feel consistent even when we get only glimpses. Briony is exactly what she needed to be for this story And Toven? Toven is everything and I love him deeply already.

Rose in Chains by Julia Soto really impressed me. I especially enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers dynamic — it was emotional and well-developed. The worldbuilding was strong and worked well for the first book in a fantasy series. The story was full of unexpected plot twists that kept me hooked the entire time. I also liked the variety of characters, even though I wasn’t a big fan of many of the names — but that’s part of the fantasy charm ( names you can‘t pronounce ). Overall, it’s a great start to the series and definitely makes me want to read more.

This was just so interesting. The concept felt a bit inspired by The Handmaids Tale and so the themes did get a little bit darker at times. And important to note is that despite this being a Romantasy, it is very slow burn. But especially the dragon plotline got me really hooked at the end. I am looking forward to see how this story unfolds, since this is only the first book in a series.