What’s Wrong with Alchemised by SenLinYu? | A Guide To Manacled and Alchemised by SenLinYu

Is Manacled and Alchemised Same? Or Should I read Manacled Before Alchemised by SenLinYu? – Hope this guide will help you with all your questions.

*Important – I don’t own all the pictures used in this post or on my edits, so I always mention the source and credits as all the rights go to respective owners. But I only claim the editing so please contact me if you have any problem. Thank you.

*Disclosure : Some of the links in this post are affiliated, which means if you make any purchase through the link I gain a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a great way to support the blog so thank you!! <333

Related to A Guide To Manacled and Alchemised by SenLinYu :

• If You Liked Wednesday, You Will Love These 25 Gothic, Dark Academia, Mystery & Romance Books
• What is Going to Happen in Wednesday Season 2 part two? | Ending Explained + 10 Theories and Easter Eggs
• 20+ Gothic, Romantasy, Dark Academia Book Recs
• 90+ Thriller & Dark Romance Book Recs to Get You Out of a Reading Slump <3
• Enigma by RuNyx Review Guide
• Reputation by Taylor Swift Songs as Books Part 1
• Find all the book guides here <3

If you are active in the booktok and bookstagram community, you have probably heard about Manacled by SenLinYu. A very popular Harry Potter Fanfiction about two of the popular characters, Hermoine Granger and Draco Malfoy. It has been talk of the booktok for years being the most popular dramoine fanfictions. And recently another book by the author got released, Alchemised by SenLinYu. 

And there has been some confusion. As the first book Manacled was removed from Ao3 (Archive of your own) where the book was free to download. But it was removed at the end of 2024 from the platform after the author shared on socials that the book is being removed and a new debut novel will be out this fall 2025 (Alchemised by SenLinYu) which is a reimagined version of Manacled. 

But many readers, including me, who have no idea about the books are wondering which one to read first, what the books are about, do we have read in order and more. So, I did some digging and made a guide with all the information I could find. I think this guide will help you with all the confusions and also the drama that is going on with the book.

But, before you dive into this guide I would suggest you to search up the trigger warnings as the book deals with many darker elements. I will also add them at the end of the summaries and also request you to keep a safe and respectful space with later details with drama. 

Let’s start with knowing about the author! 

Who is SenLinYu?

SenLinYu is a biracial Asian American Author known for her booktok viral Manacled, which is a Dramoine fanfiction. They debuted the book in the Harry Potter fandom, a super dark, dystopian Dramione fic, which was in an internet chokehold with downloads over 20 millions and being translated into 23 languages worldwide.

What began as something they wrote in note app, when their baby took a nap to one of the most discussed harry potter fanfics ever. Currently residing in Portland with her family, Sen was raised in the Pacific Northwest, where they learned classical liberal arts and culture. 

Their writing? Imagine a lot of war, trauma, survival and everything rough, raw, dark and dystopian in between. After 7 years in the publishing journey on 23rd September, 2025, SenLinYu released their first debut novel Alchemised, a dark fantasy that proves that they are also as good at breaking hearts as they are within the fanfic world. No wonder it is dramatic, emotional and frankly speaking the type of storytelling that will be remembered for a long time. 

What is Alchemised by SenLinYu About?

Alchemised is a debut dark fantasy romance novel that follows a promising Alchemist and healer Helena Marino. After the brutal war in the kingdom of Paladia, she wakes up as a prisoner and of her own fractured memories. Having lost the Resistance, Paladia is now a part of guild families and necromancers who rule legions of the undead. Helena must be merely an unknown healer, yet there are unexplainable lapses in her memory implying that there is something hidden in her that can redefine what the war left behind.

Helena is set on the mission of uncovering her long lost past, and thus she is sold to the High Reeve, a cold-blooded necromancer whose crumbling mansion is her prison and her war field. When espionage, loss of memory, and perverse games with power are weaving her in a web, Helena has to choose whether to survive by holding to the remaining pieces of her old self  or by digging to her dangerous secrets which lie within her mind.

The book is set in a dark dystopian world, following morally gray – complex characters, heavy trauma, memory loss, identity survival and the darker side of a war. It also has romance with booktok favorite tropes, enemies to lovers with a healer x soldier/spy relationship. But, as the book deals with many darker elements, check out the trigger warnings before reading.

This book is also a reimagined version of Manacled, a harry potter fanfiction the author first wrote on Ao3 back in 2018 (No longer available, as of 2025). But it was set in the Harry Potter universe following Hermoine and Draco after the war as she lost her memories. 

Trigger warning of Alchemised by SenLinYu : Violence from war, physical and mental assault, abuse, human experiments, medical and torture with magic, complex trauma. 

What is Manacled by SenLinYu About ?

Manacled by SenLinYu is a dark and dystopian fanfiction of the Harry Potter series, which follows Hermoine Granger and Draco Malfoy after Harry is no longer alive and set in the same world where Voldemort had won the war and the Order of the Phoenix was defeated. The final survivor of the Resistance is Hermione Granger who has spent 16 months in solitary confinement. 

The magic inside of her is caged, her memories are broken prior to the war, and the memories that have been lost are the secret, which the Dark Lord is in need of. Hermione is also captured by Voldemort into his cruel repopulation programme, forcing a woman of the Resistance to become his surrogate just so that she might bear children of his pure blooded families. 

Being given to Draco Malfoy, who is the High Reeve in fear and the right hand of Voldemort, Hermione has to endure captivity, trauma, and broken memories that gradually find a way to tell her the truth of what has happened in the course of the war. Written in a single, third person point of view, Manacled is a story of life and survival, of trauma and power, of what is left when hope and freedom were all but ruined.

Trigger warning of Manacled by SenLinYu About : Violence from war, physical and mental assault, abuse, human experiments, medical and torture with magic, complex trauma, 

Is Manacled and Alchemised Same?

Not exactly but the books are connected. Alchemised is a reimagined version of Manacled and both of the books are written by the same author.

• Manacled is a Harry Potter fanfiction focusing on Dramoine, Draco Malfoy and Hermoine, characters from the Harry Potter universe. The story is set in the same world as Harry Potter where Voldemort wins the war with more familiar characters but a slightly different timeline and plot.
• Alchemised is a reimagined version of Manacled, published as a debut novel by the same author SenLinYu by Penguin Random House. It follows Helena Marino and Kaine Ferron and is a more different and original character than Manacled with necromancy, alchemy and more different world building.

Long story short, the main themes are similar but the character, plot, worldbuilding are very different. Manacled is the blueprint but since it was a fanfiction set in the Harry Potter universe, Alchemised is a better way for the author to explore and share the fully different and original universe.

Do I Have To Read Manacled Before Alchemised?

No, you definitely don’t have to. I know some readers really want to. I would have recommended it but since it’s not available anymore I don’t. And, honestly there is no need for that too. Alchemised is the better version, a completely standalone published novel with original characters from the author’s own universe. It has no connection to Manacled, other than the connection with the themes and vibes. Which you are getting in this book in a better form.

Why are people talking about Manacled and Alchemised by SenLinYu?

After the release of Alchemised by SenLinYu, it was all over booktok, bookstagram, booktube and literary in every bookish platform. Everyone is currently reading and sharing their thoughts on this book on their socials, blogs and goodreads. One for the hype and the book being very good.

But here are some other reasons why everyone is talking about the book :

• Firstly, Manacled being removed and no longer available to read. And the illegal Manacled free downloads from different websites.
• The confusion regarding the reading order. Which one should you read first? Are they connected and more.
• Is the book profiting JK Rowling? Some readers no longer support J.K Rowling for her statements shared publicly. Therefore, as much as they want to support the author they don’t want to profit J.K Rowling in any way.

Where Can I Read Manacled by SenLinYu ?

After being removed from Ao3, the book is no longer available. Therefore, there is no way to read the book.

In an interview with Today.com the author shared  “People are being given lots of time to save a copy,” referring to 2018 to 2024 which is almost 7years. “So if they want that version, if that’s the version that’s the most special to them, they are welcome to keep that. … But this is sort of my way of taking ownership back.”

Alchemised by SenLinYu Movie

An adaptation of Alchemised has been officially planned into a movie, with film rights being acquired by Legendary Entertainment in a seven figure deal. The adaptation was mentioned prior to the release of the book, though, there is currently no definite release date, cast, or production information.

The movie will focus on bringing the original world of Paladia to life and, as Alchemised will be an original reimagining, it will be a standalone fantasy, not something connected to Harry Potter.

Frequently Asked Question about Manacled and Alchemised by SenLinYu: