I preordered Alchemised, but it took me four months to actually start reading it. At first, its size intimidated me. But I’m so glad I pushed through, because this book quickly rose to the very top of my favorites.
This book absolutely plunged me into depression, broke my heart, made me fall in love with its main characters — and ultimately became the story that pulled me out of a long reading slump.
Finally, a book that made me feel something. A book that shook me out of my depressive lethargy — at least enough to make me want more. Because of it, I fell in love with reading all over again.
When I preordered Alchemised, I knew almost nothing about it, except that it was inspired by Dramione — the popular fanfiction trope from the Harry Potter universe. I’ve never really been into fanfiction. I might have had a brief teenage phase where I skimmed a few stories, but they never truly captured my interest. I’ve always preferred inventing wild theories and alternate stories in my own head.
And yet, for some reason, I’ve always been drawn to the Dramione dynamic — even though there isn’t even a trace of it in the original books or films. There’s something about the enemies-to-lovers trope that makes my slightly stagnant heart beat again.
When I ordered Alchemised, I didn’t even realize how often Dramione serves as inspiration for fantasy romance. This book opened the door for me — and I definitely fell down the rabbit hole.
At first, though, I was overwhelmed. Over 1000 pages. That’s a commitment I wasn’t sure I was ready for. I was expecting a standalone novel that might gently pull me out of my reading slump (I was stuck halfway through the Kate Andrews series — you know that moment when the main couple finally gets together and the tension disappears, and the plot just isn’t strong enough to keep you going?).
I wanted something light but intriguing.
Instead, I got a brick.
The sheer size of the book discouraged me so much that it sat on my shelf for four months before my sister finally convinced me to read it.
And then I fell.
I fell in love with this book almost immediately.
I couldn’t put it down. I turned the pages in constant tension. This was exactly the kind of slow burn I didn’t know I needed. The kind of story I didn’t even realize I was craving — until I had it. And ever since I finished it, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
After finishing, I became aware of some of the controversy surrounding the book — particularly regarding its depictions of brutality, sexual violence, and cruelty. Some people accuse it of romanticizing abuse and toxic dynamics between Kaine Ferron and Helena Marino.
I completely disagree.
I believe everything in this book has its place. I think people who criticize the pacing or the brutality may not fully understand what the story is trying to do.
In my opinion, this is not a romance.
It is a book about war — with a love story layered on top, adding complexity rather than defining the narrative.
The protagonists are thrown into the heart of an ongoing war, on opposing sides. They are trying to survive each day and keep the people they care about alive. Yes, it is a story about love — but perhaps even more so, it is about suffering and sacrifice. About the loneliness of sacrifice. About how heroes are often overlooked — or, conversely, placed on pedestals despite morally gray decisions.
I think Alchemised does a powerful job of showing the kinds of choices people face in crisis situations. It’s easy to judge others from the comfort of a warm, safe home. Of course, this is fantasy — many elements are simplified for dramatic effect. Helena is conveniently rescued from danger multiple times. Seemingly impossible situations resolve themselves at the last moment.
Yes, those narrative conveniences are there.
But they make the story gripping — and the risk of failure always feels real.
I was completely captivated by the narration. Helena Marino’s inner turmoil and internal dialogue are written so beautifully that it’s hard to believe they weren’t pulled from the diary of someone who actually survived a war. The author’s empathy and ability to translate emotion and tension onto the page is poetic and masterful.
As a writer myself, my heart felt both a sting of jealousy and immense pleasure absorbing those sentences.
It’s been a long time since I read something so well written. I wanted to absorb not only the world and the characters, but the language itself — the beautiful phrases and words that built Helena’s inner world so vividly. Even in the early chapters, when much of the story unfolds inside her mind, I was never bored. I devoured her thoughts.
Helena occasionally gives off slight “Mary Sue” vibes, but throughout the story she’s shown to be highly competent. She doesn’t just solve problems — she creates new strategies and shifts the balance of power. It’s clear that without Helena — just as without Kaine Ferron — the fate of the world would have been completely different. That level of agency and control over events is not easy to write convincingly.
Kaine Ferron is a phenomenal male protagonist. Despite his obsession with Helena, he has his own mind, his own life, and a solid backstory. Both characters feel deeply grounded — shaped by their pasts, motivations, and goals.
This is a story that keeps you tense until the very end. Throughout the entire book, I was afraid for them. I waited for one of them to die, to be harmed, to disappear. I hoped for a happy ending and feared the book would break my heart by denying it — right until the final pages.
A month later, I still struggle to let this book go.
Despite its “good” ending, the realism of the suffering we experience alongside the characters lingers. I can’t fully explain why this story affected me so deeply. It feels incredibly believable. The emotional intensity, the length, the slow development — they allowed me to sink into that world and grow accustomed to it.
The relationship between Helena Marino and Kaine Ferron was like a red rose in a cemetery — beautiful amid cruelty, death, and the heaviness of reality. It was an escape from grim circumstances into something comforting, safe, and familiar.
To me, this is a beautiful, painful story about struggle and sacrifice. About morality and impossible choices, where every available option is bad. It’s about not losing your humanity in the face of unimaginable cruelty. About soul-crushing loneliness. About rejection and the desperate need to be accepted, loved, and meaningful — if only to one person.