Rose in Chains

In this thorny, series-launching romantasy, Soto (Forget Me Not) introduces a war-torn world split in half by magic forces. Princess Briony Rosewood, twin sister to the heir of Evermore, Rory Rosewood, is a master of mind magic. The people of neighboring Bomard, meanwhile, practice heart magic and the country has outlawed all mind magic following the ascension of Veronika Mallow to the Seat of Bomard. Veronika declares war on Evermore, which falls to her dark forces, leaving Briony captured and vulnerable. Along with other Evermore hostages, she is sold at auction to serve as someone’s heartspring, a living source of magic more powerful than an animal familiar. To Briony’s shock, her new owner is her former classmate Toven Hearst, heir to the sadistic Bomardi family. Briony won’t surrender her dignity without a fight—but Toven is not what he seems, and Briony’s time with him soon leads her to the heart of a brewing revolution. While allusions to sexual assault and on-page human trafficking place this firmly in the dark romance subgenre, Soto handles these difficult topics with delicacy and respect. The worldbuilding is robust, with Soto not shying away from the realities of war, and the political intrigue and enemies-to-lovers romantic drama keep the pages turning. Readers will be eager for more. (July)