Alchemised by SenLinYu – 3.5

Overall, I was genuinely impressed. I’ve read some pretty bad dark romances, and this was not one of them. The prose is strong, and the author writes like a seasoned storyteller. That said, I got completely lost in the magic system; by the end, it was so overwhelming that I just defaulted to Harry Potter logic.

Setting the war and its darker themes in the background was brilliant, raising the stakes for the romance. The story is dark and intense, with influences from Harry Potter and The Handmaid’s Tale. One of the most striking elements is the persistent theme of Helena’s lack of bodily autonomy. Kaine, the male lead, is written with enough depth and respect to feel more than a romantic or sexual catalyst.

Some aspects didn’t work as well. Published fanfiction often leans on the original material, and Helena is not a fully reliable narrator, her trust in and feelings toward Kaine can feel sudden and unexplained. Part Three was weak, and the religious element, which had potential, was quickly sidelined in favour of the romance. Finally, the sexual assault scenes did not sit right with me, which has been a major point of online discussion.