Rose in Chains. Deluxe Edition Exclusiv Deluxe Edition with sprayed edges

It was a 4.5 for me

Bewertung am 16.07.2025
Bewertungsnummer: 2541597
Bewertet: Buch (Gebundene Ausgabe)

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.

lack of worldbuilding and character development

Johanna aus Bamberg am 15.07.2025
Bewertungsnummer: 2539929
Bewertet: Buch (Gebundene Ausgabe)

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.