This 'Emotionally Brutal' New York Times Bestselling Dark Fantasy a Best Audiobook of 2025 According to Audible
In the world of fanfiction adaptations, Alchemised by SenLinYu is a behemoth to be reckoned with. Not only is the adaptation of AO3's legendary Manacled over a staggering 1000 pages, but it been on almost every bestseller list and reader's choice list possible in the eight months since it was published. In addition to the numerous records and accolades, Audible just ranked Alchemised as one of the best audiobooks of 2025 according to their editorial staff.
Alchemised was an instant New York Times, USA Today, and Los Angeles Times bestseller, and it spent over 15 weeks on the New York Times list for combined print and e-fiction.
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SenLinYu (the author's original AO3 pseudonym) originally published her reimagining of Harry Potterand The Handmaid's Tale as the story titled Manacled. The fanfic was a dark, war epic retelling of a romance focused on the characters Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, a fanfic trope and fandom typically known as "Dramione." SenLinYu began reworking Manacled into what would become Alchemised in 2022. Film rights were acquired in 2025, though production on the adaptation is not yet under way.
Alchemised takes place in the land of Paladia at the end of a devastating civil war between alchemists and necromancers who walk the fantasy world. Helena Marino, once a promising alchemy student and resistance healer, wakes up 14 months after the end of the war to discover (through being tortured) that her mind and memories have been magically altered. She is subsequently sent to the home of Kaine Ferron, her former academic rival and now High Reeve for the The High Necromancer who now rules the country, Morrough. Kaine is overseeing experimentation on Helena in an effort to recover her memories. The story jumps between timelines as the reader and Helena discover the truth behind where she was before and during the war, and the secrets she must uncover, no matter the cost.
Readers and listeners alike know Alchemised is a dark and complex story, but Audible editors praised the book for being "brutal and emotionally relentless" as well as, "a story that completely consumed [them] in the greatest possible way."
While the story is definitely not a light or easy one, it's one that will stay with you long after the 1000+ pages and 36 hour listening time.
Related: 'Harry Potter' Fanfiction Novel Just Got a Multi-Million Dollar Movie Deal
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 9:15 AM.