Rose in Chains started out as Draco/Hermione fanfiction. I found it almost impossible to imagine how that couple could become a romantic duo, but I needn’t have worried. This novel’s hero, heroine, and world bear little resemblance to those in the Potterverse.

Briony’s twin brother, Rory, is the Heir Twice Over, foretold in prophecy and sure to win the war between Evermore and Bomard. She doesn’t even hug him goodbye as he heads off to battle because why would she? They are certain to meet again once victory has been secured.

They don’t. Rory falls during the fight that was the Evermore forces’ final stand, and moments later, Briony’s home is overrun by enemy warriors. Combat spells blast through the corridors as all those gathered to celebrate Rory’s victory now find themselves dueling Bomardi magicians set on their capture. Briony makes several foolish choices (so not like Hermione) and is apprehended.

She is imprisoned alongside friends and family members. While locked in a collar that counteracts her mental magic, and chained to a wall that restrains her physical body, Briony learns that she and the others from Evermore will be auctioned off as heartsprings. A barbaric practice that allows a Bomardi heart magician to pull power from another human who is bonded to them, the heartspring is left drained of magic, and sometimes killed if the owner is not careful. What makes the whole thing especially horrifying is that the people involved all know each other, because an ancient peace treaty had the elite of both nations attend school together. The Bomardi are treating as human chattel people they were once well acquainted with.

As the princess of Evermore, Briony is the most sought-after prize. The Rosewood Dynasty is known for their golden blood, something which makes them especially powerful heartsprings. Sacral Magic (sex) enhances the bond between a master and the heartspring, and although it works best when the sex is voluntary, the Bomardi have created an aphrodisiac which ensures the prisoners will definitely be willing, desperate, in fact, to copulate with their owners. A vile, middle-aged villain makes it clear to the beautiful Briony that he plans to win her and finds numerous ways to take liberties before she is sold. But Toven Hearst, son of one of the ruling elite and a boy (now man) she once had a crush on in school, makes a bold play and becomes her new master.

If this story gives off any vibes, it’s more Disney’s Beauty and the Beast than Harry Potter. The Hearst family lives in an encsorcelled castle with a giant library, of which Briony, an avid reader, is enamored. There are no dancing spoons or talking clocks, but magic provides the services typically done by staff.

Toven is our proverbial Beast, a power player in the enemy camp and the now ‘owner’ of our heroine. Like the titular character from the Disney version, his (mild) bark is far worse than his bite. Unlike that character however, he is gorgeous – a tall, silvery blonde with gray eyes and a slender but muscular physique. It’s apparent from early in the story that his family is walking a deadly political tightrope. Their wealth and magical prowess place them in a key leadership position, but they have to be careful not to give the tyrannical new leader of Bomard any reason to view them as a threat. It’s also clear that Toven has few genuine friends. He is forced to hang out with the other young bucks of the Ten (the ten families in line for the Seat (throne) of Bomard), but he only likes/trusts a few of them. He comes across as aloof and proud, but beneath the surface is a genuinely good man taking risks to do the right thing in difficult circumstances.

Toven is meant to be draining Briony of her power/banging her brains out, but aside from making a few cutting remarks to her, he does nothing but treat her as an honored guest. His parents are similarly courteous to her, if cold and distant, but they never do her any harm, not even when Briony unwittingly almost kills Toven. It may be a prison, but it is a luxurious and enchanted one where no demands are placed on her.

Other Evermore citizens are not so lucky. When Briony does encounter her fellow countrymen, she sees first hand how some are suffering from the effects of the aphrodisiac, helplessly in lust with their captors and willing to be subjected to all sorts of humiliations in public just to have an orgasm, while others are mere husks of themselves, drained of their magic and vitality. She feels a responsibility, as their Princess, to lead them in a rebellion, but she isn’t certain how. I am certain she isn’t the best person for the job.

Like many a Beauty in that fairytale’s recent retellings, Briony is meant to be a clever girl who uses her wits to survive her (seemingly) untenable situation. She is a reader and an excellent student, but booksmarts aside, the author does not write Briony as exceptionally intelligent. One of her shining moments is to tell Toven to get some dirt on a person pressuring him to do things he doesn’t want to do, an idea that young man sees as completely original and brilliant. (What?!) Another is when she tries to convince him that, despite her virginity, she’s a sex goddess, which goes about as well as one would expect. She’s likable enough; she loves her people and is a good friend, but she doesn’t have the wisdom to navigate a world in which she doesn’t yield power. The author’s determination not to write a weak heroine leaves us with one who doesn’t seem to understand that she technically is quite helpless. Briony also doesn’t pick up on just how much the Hearst family is helping her, which makes her seem kinda clueless.

Despite that, I liked this book. It has a lot of gothic vibes, from the delicious tension between Briony and the enigmatic Toven to the gloomy, dangerous atmosphere of the setting. The Hearst patriarch and matriarch are absolutely fascinating. The world-building isn’t detailed, but it’s solid enough to immerse you in the story.

Others might be triggered by the scenes depicting people being physically and sexually abused. For those who struggle with old-school romances, with their dominant heros, virgin heroines and forced seductions, this tale has echoes of those. Toven technically has power over Briony. He has no desire to rule her, though, and for her part, she is fiercely outspoken and demanding. She never acts like the slave she is, and he never treats her as one.

Rose in Chains is the first in a series, and this volume ends with a cliffhanger. It’s a good story with strong prose, a fascinating narrative, and a to-die-for hero in Toven, but Briony’s naiveté kept it from being a DIK. Think of this as a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and you’ll have a general idea of whether or not it’s for you.