Rose in Chains

De: Julie Soto

Narrado por: Ella Lynch

USA Today bestselling author Julie Soto crafts a lush romantic fantasy that’s filled with intrigue, magic, and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance.

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…

©2025 Julie Soto (P)2025 Forever

The story

I Loved every second of it! I can’t wait for the next book! I am going to read more of her books.

Great performance, solid story, not sure about some worldbuilding choices.

The plot and characters are solid, although some of the choices regarding world building and the magic system are a little questionable. it's only book one of a trilogy though so maybe we just need to wait for more details to be given to us. The Narrator did an incredible job and I'll definitely be picking up the next book day one.

Love when I find a good one!

I go through so many stories.. and so many have such similar basics. To me it’s mostly about the characters but if the story is too forced or gets inconsistent that can ruin it too. But this stayed on course and I still can’t tell where it’s going, just that I’m very curious to find out.
I really, really like the main character, Briony. Rosewood. I seldom really really like many characters, ha.
She’s strong and smart, been pushed to side a bit for a sibling, but there’s none of the oh so common “snark” that seems to be desirable these days but being a mouthy snot isn’t attractive. No self-pity or over-explaining.
Like Torvan just as much.
Feels familiar - a more thoughtful, finely tuned version of relationship in Cruel Prince maybe, not sure.
Very much like that parents/a married couple too are involved and they’re actually just as intelligent as the young people! Good attributes usually reserved for dead parents. Living ones are often sick or not capable in some way. I know it’s to clear stage for young people to take up the cause and act, so it’s kind of remarkable these can fit into story. Love Serena, Torvan’s mother.
Narrator did an excellent job! Thank you for that.

ACOTAR + MEDIEVAL HANDMAIDS TALE

The title is the best way to sum it up!

-Smart prim and proper FMC
-Season 2 Bridgerton style yearning between FMC & MMC
-leaves off on a GREAT cliffhanger- a world of questions to be answered in book #2!

Amazing read! NOT for anyone under 18

Loved the story and boy some of it was a tear jerker. Very graphic thus not appropriate for under 18 but amazing story and characters. Can’t wait for book two!

Amazing narrator!

Really loved this narrator’s voice and her expressions were really nicely done throughout the story.

great storyline

fantastic storyline - it captured my attention right away, but damn was this book a lot darker than I was expecting. I felt it to my core and I wasn't expecting that. can't wait for book 2

Heartspring

It is full of world building. Very slow burn romance. A war and hunger for power. A beautiful story and cant wait for book 2.

Much anticipated, much received

Anyone who is a fan of the original will love this. It’s less steamy but I believe it’s worth the listen probably gonna be a slow slow burn.

One of My Favorites of 2025

Spice: 2.5/5
Tropes & Notes: Dark Romantasy • Magic • Slow Burn • Enemies to Lovers (ish) • Forced Proximity • Dual Timelines • First in Series • Check Trigger Warnings • Based on Harry Potter Fan Fic

Recap Quickie
Princess Briony Rosewood’s kingdom, Eversun, has fallen to Bomard after years of war. Briony and the remaining Eversun women are nightmarishly auctioned off to Bomard’s highest bidders. They will be expected to “bond” with the Bomardi men providing magic, that will strengthen Bomardi magic giving them even more power. The winning bid for Briony comes with twists and turns as she navigates a new dark world and tries to find a way back to her loved ones.

​Narrator
Ella Lynch was fantastic! I’ve come to truly appreciate narrators who solo narrate Romantasy! I don’t know how they keep track of all the different voices. Rose in Chains, especially, had many MANY male voices and Ella did a great job making sure each one was distinct. I particularly enjoyed her calm narration of Serena Hearst. She has an excellent fairytale-esque voice that is perfect for Romantasy narration.

Thoughts
This is one of my top reads of 2025 as it was so well written by Julie Soto. It was giving Handmaids Tale and modern day reproductive rights. It also had the whole “What the hell is going on here?” puzzle vibe that made me unable to put it down! MANY unanswered questions to be answered in the next book(s).

40+ Appeal?
No issues unless you struggle with the content which is legit- check those TW’s. Otherwise, again, I couldn't put it down!