8.5

Rose in Chains Is a Highly Addictive Dark Romantasy That Does Right By Its Fanfic Roots

By Lacy Baugher Milas  |  July 8, 2025 | 11:00am
Books Reviews Julie Soto
Rose in Chains Is a Highly Addictive Dark Romantasy That Does Right By Its Fanfic Roots
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If you pay any attention to romantasy, the white hot publishing sub-genre that mixes the world building of high fantasy with the emotional stakes of romance, odds are decent that you’ve probably heard about Julie Soto’s Rose in Chains. One of the buzziest romantasy releases of the year, it’s driven no small amount of online chatter prior to its release, not only for its dark, boundary-pushing story, but its origins.

The latest in a growing trend of traditional publishing titles with roots in the world of transformative fandom and fanfiction, Rose in Chains is a reworking of one of Soto’s Harry Potter stories, which, in an accident of timing, is arriving on shelves alongside several other titles from former big-name authors in that particularly corner of the internet. (The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is another July new release, and Alchemised by SenLinYu arrives this Fall.) But, while fans of the original “The Auction” will likely delight in seeing such a popular fan story reborn in a new way, readers who have never heard the of the relationship pairing known as “Dramione” before will still be able to dive right in to Soto’s world. 

Given the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling’s abhorrent views toward trans people, the book community has been (quite rightly, I think) discussing how much titles such as Soto’s can be separated from the source material that inspired them. While the choice about whether to read or not to read any particular work is obviously up to the individual reader—and either decision is certainly valid—Rose in Chains stands on its own as a story outside Rowling’s world. Yes, the story has some familiar elements—a magical boarding school, a prophesied hero, and a years-spanning conflict that involves an authoritarian dictator—but so do many stories in this particular subgenre. But Soto’s story is much darker than most of its romantasy brethren, its characters more morally compromised, and its themes of survival and sacrifice more sharply and brutally drawn. It’s a genuinely addictive read in its own right, and the fact that it’s clearly been penned by someone who knows how to leave an Archive of Our Own audience breathlessly waiting the release of the next chapter is only to everyone’s benefit here. 

The story follows Briony Rosewood, a princess of the kingdom of Evermore, whose residents are all practitioners of mind magic. Her brother is the prophesied Heir Twice Over meant to bring an end to their devastating war with the neighboring kingdom of Bromard, populated by heart magic users who use animal familiars and human heartsprings as living founts of power. But the prophecy proves false, Rory is killed, and Evermore is overrun by Bromardi Seat Veronika Mallow and her armies. Captured, stripped of her magic, and held hostage along with many of her friends, Briony is sold at auction among her new conquerors for an eye-watering price, thanks to her royal heritage and rumors of the depths of her power. But she’s shocked to discover that her new owner is a former classmate—Toven Hearst, the heir to the powerful Hearst clan, with whom she shared a fraught and complicated relationship while they were students together. 

What follows is a story of suffering, survival, and unrealized strength, as Briony navigates a dangerous and complex new reality, one in which she is a prisoner and a pawn, but determined to hold on to her dignity and sense of self. Perhaps unsuprrisingly, Toven is not entirely what he seems, and Briony is drawn into a complicated web of power, political intrigue, and family secrets. The relationship that develops between them is the slowest of slow burns (so much pining!) and flashbacks spanning several years’ prior help fill in gaps and make their connection deeper than a rich boy simply turning out to be in the right place at the right time. And as Briony skirts closer to the edges of a secret resistance movement, the more she begins to question where Toven and his family fit into the larger world of Bromadi politics. (Toven’s parents,  Serena and Orion Hearst, are particularly fascinating is all I’m saying.) 

The novel’s darker than average themes—human trafficking, sexual assault, enslavement, torture, and forced sterilization are only a few of the horrifying elements it touches on—mean that Rose in Chains certainly won’t be for everyone and readers should check the trigger warnings before embarking on this journey. But Soto doesn’t navigates these difficult topics with delicacy and respect, and the terrible events on the page don’t feel exploitative or present for shock value. 

The story’s worldbuilding is dense but easily digestible, though you may find yourself wishing for a bit more detail when it comes to the history of the conflict between between Evermore and Bromard, not to mention how any of the other briefly kingdoms factor into this mess. But the story’s propulsive pacing is maddeningly addictive, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you find yourself speeding through its pages at a breakneck pace. (I finished it in under 36 hours, for the record.) And its cliffhanger ending will leave readers desperate to know where the story goes next. 

It’s true, Rose in Chains won’t be for everyone, whether that’s due to its darker tone, frequently uncomfortable subject matter, or Harry Potter-adjacent origins. But many romantasy fans are going to find themselves pleasantly surprised that for once a story more than lives up to its prerelease hype. This title will probably be one of the biggest hits of the year—and it’s success will be more than deserved. 

Rose in Chains is available now, wherever books are sold.

Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor and an Assistant TV Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB

 
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