Take a photo of a barcode or cover
nocteacakes 's review for:
Alchemised
by SenLinYu
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wish I could give this more stars. Absolutely the book of the year.
Alchemised is a beautifully written gothic fantasy about the lengths one will go to, to save those they care about. Interwoven in the story is commentary about the horrors of war, the dangers of blind devotion, ethics of necromancy, and the unseen labour of women. The world is entirely engrossing and immersive, and I was drawn into the mystery of Helena's circumstances from the get-go.
If you think you know what's going to happen because of reading the original work, think again. If you think you can 1:1 every character in comparing the two, think again. SenLinYu has absolutely broken my heart even worse with Alchemised and I'm thanking them for the opportunity. I finished the book and I would realise things days later that absolutely made me scream. There was a one word sentence a character says that made me burst out crying.
With that said, I wanted to answer some questions that have been asked about the book. Slight spoilers ahead:
About that plot element:Alchemised does not have the Handmaid's Tale aspect as a major part of the story. The focus is on Helena's lost/hidden memories.
Regarding potential trigger warnings, here is the TW page at the beginning of the book:
This is a work of fiction which explores many of the darker aspects of war and survival. Reader discretion is advised. For more details, please see the back of the book for content notes.
Then in the back:
Alchemised is a work of dark fantasy containing wartime violence, religious abuse, depictions of complex trauma, suicidal ideation, self-harm, human experimentation, medical torture, eugenics, cannibalism, sexual assault, rape, and allusions to necrophilia. Please remember that depiction is not authorial endorsement. Because Alchemised is told in third-person limited point of view, it necessarily involves some distortions of vision as well as missed or misconstrued events. Reader discretion is advised.
A more detailed review to come. I cannot wait for the world to read this masterpiece.
Alchemised is a beautifully written gothic fantasy about the lengths one will go to, to save those they care about. Interwoven in the story is commentary about the horrors of war, the dangers of blind devotion, ethics of necromancy, and the unseen labour of women. The world is entirely engrossing and immersive, and I was drawn into the mystery of Helena's circumstances from the get-go.
If you think you know what's going to happen because of reading the original work, think again. If you think you can 1:1 every character in comparing the two, think again. SenLinYu has absolutely broken my heart even worse with Alchemised and I'm thanking them for the opportunity. I finished the book and I would realise things days later that absolutely made me scream. There was a one word sentence a character says that made me burst out crying.
With that said, I wanted to answer some questions that have been asked about the book. Slight spoilers ahead:
About that plot element:
Regarding potential trigger warnings, here is the TW page at the beginning of the book:
Then in the back:
A more detailed review to come. I cannot wait for the world to read this masterpiece.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Medical content
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism