In September 2025, SenLinYu published “Alchemised,” an ambitious dark fantasy novel that is often striking on a sentence-by-sentence level but uneven in its overall execution. “Alchemised” has many strengths: its characters are compelling, its themes are intriguing and its writing is evocative and emotionally resonant. Unfortunately, Yu draws on a relatively narrow emotional palette, which blunts the force of their powerful prose. Yu strives to craft a tragic story in shades of gray and black, but when a narrative consists of unrelenting despair, the tragedy loses much of its impact.
Warning: the rest of this review contains spoilers about the structure and themes of “Alchemised.” It also includes discussion of torture and suicide, which, while not graphic, may be disturbing to some readers.
The novel is divided into three distinct sections. It follows the conflict between the morally complicated but well-intentioned Palladian Resistance and New Palladia, led by the evil High Necromancer Morrough.
The first third of the novel, set in the present, is the weakest. It begins when the protagonist, Helena Marino, a magical healer, emerges from a stasis tank into enemy captivity with many of her memories blocked off. She soon finds herself imprisoned by the implacable High Reeve, Kaine Ferron, who serves Morrough and is tasked with retrieving her hidden memories.
The remainder of this part follows Helena as Ferron’s prisoner, dwelling on her hopelessness and her complicated relationship with her captor. Over a several-hundred-page arc, Helena never once leaves (or even tries to escape) her prison, and the plot comes to a near-complete standstill. Because she doesn’t develop a clear goal or exercise meaningful agency, this third of the book feels static and often tedious to read. The dynamic between Helena and Ferron has potential, but it struggles to carry such a long section when the protagonist’s role is largely to endure rather than to act.
The book’s middle segment is much more engaging, but has its own flaws while compounding some of the earlier ones. It follows Helena through the episodes contained in her lost memories, providing context for the events and characters introduced in the present. Here, Helena’s characterization becomes far richer, as her flaws and strengths finally begin to shape what happens around her–though even here, she remains mostly reactive, responding to crises rather than pursuing clearly defined objectives. On the whole, the plot and characters in this section are stronger than in the other two, and the worldbuilding and relationships come into sharper focus.
Still, the tone stays almost monochromatically hopeless. If the plot were happier, there would be tragedy in watching things unravel; if the reader didn’t already know how the section ended, there would be tension in hoping the situation might still improve. “Alchemised” offers neither path. Because this section is set in the past, readers already know it ends badly, and there is little narrative oxygen left for suspense or heartbreak. Fortunately, Helena and Ferron’s evolving romance, as well as their individual arcs, are absorbing enough to sustain attention despite these structural limitations.
The final section returns to the present and is the strongest. Although it suffers from uneven pacing and fails to fully resolve certain elements introduced earlier in the book, it’s intense, propulsive and genuinely enjoyable to read. Helena at last fights consciously against her lack of control, using her skills and intelligence to work toward a better outcome. After so much passivity, seeing her take deliberate action feels like a long-delayed payoff to the earlier portrayal of her helplessness.
This section also strikes a much better tonal balance. While the world remains grim and the stakes dire, there are occasional quieter or lighter moments that provide contrast and weight. The conclusion resolves key plot lines in a way that feels earned, if not entirely tidy, and delivers an emotional impact that earlier sections don’t quite achieve.
For all of its problems, “Alchemised” is a thought-provoking novel with vivid prose, memorable characters and a distinctive structure. While its erratic pacing, limited emotional range and constrained character agency keep it from reaching its full potential, I certainly don’t regret the time I spent with it.
