Rose in Chains

Publishes 2nd July 2025. Pre-order now through orders@lanebook.com.au or call us at (08) 9384 4423

Darci's Review 

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto is an unashamedly decadent novel. Soto’s debut romantasy reels you in with its dark and beguiling narrative and ensnares you with its charming characters and romantic plot.

Rose in Chains uses the perspective of Briony Rosewood, Eversun Princess of the Evermore kingdom, and twin sister to the Heir Twice Over, Rory Rosewood. Bomard and Evermore, two magical countries which share a continent, have an increasingly strained political relationship. Ever since a prophecy hundreds of years earlier detailed a male Eversun heir taking back power of the continent under one rule, the Bomardi have been plotting, and the powerful Veronika Mallow has been making moves. As the fall of the Evermore empire begins, Briony finds herself captured by Mallow’s henchmen, and the continent is thrust under her tyrannical rule. Will Briony be able to help save the enslaved Eversun women while she is enslaved herself?  And will she be safe under the roof of the one man she cannot trust herself around - Toven Hearst, successor to his father’s place in the Bomardi line of power.

A re-working of her fanfiction the Auction, and inspired by the Dramoine ship, Soto has created a spectacular world imbued with dark magic and vivid descriptions. Her plot line is fast-paced and the prose is engrossing, while the characters and the unrelenting tension thread through the narrative in a delightful way. Her romance writing had me on the edge of my seat in heated moments between Briony and Toven. This is a brilliant first instalment in the Evermore trilogy, I can’t wait for the sequel. Rose in Chains is a perfect read for fans of romantasy, but especially for those who enjoyed Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. I would definitely place this on your TBR for July.

Publisher's Review

HE'S HER GREATEST ENEMY … AND HER DEEPEST DESIRE

'Lush, complex, and utterly engrossing’ - Rebecca Ross, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals

‘Absorbing, unique, and addictive’ - Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

'A delicious, darkly tender slow-burn romance’ - Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

‘The scintillating romantasy of my dreams. The all-consuming, captivating chemistry between Briony and Toven has changed my life’ - Lindsey Kelk, Sunday Times bestselling author of Love Story

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Princess Briony Rosewood is stripped of her magic and auctioned off to the highest bidder.

She’s sold to Toven Hearst: scion of a family known for their cruel control of magic – and her long-time, and unresolved, infatuation. 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…

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

‘An intoxicating tale of forbidden love’ - Sarah Hawley, USA Today bestselling author of A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

‘Dark and steamy, beautifully written, magical and nuanced, and completely unforgettable’ - Thea Guanzon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

‘Captivating magical world, tension-filled intrigue, and riveting enemies-to-lovers romance’ - Abigail Owen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Games Gods Play

‘Dark and gripping and full of twists and turns’ - Nisha J. Tuli, international bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

'A darkly luscious, unputdownable romantasy debut. Soto weaves together a complex and captivating world of magic, lust and longing' - Kate Golden, USA Today bestselling author of A Dawn of Onyx