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Meg

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Meg is currently reading

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World

by Robin Wall Kimmerer

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4 hours, 14 min ago

Meg rated a book did not like it

Alchemised

by SenLinYu (Goodreads Author)

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Meg said: " Once you know that Alchemised is a reworked Harry Potter fanfiction, you can't unsee it. I'm not a fan of fanfiction or romantasy, let alone a Dramione pairing, but I did try to read Manacled when it was still available because I wanted to know what Once you know that Alchemised is a reworked Harry Potter fanfiction, you can't unsee it. I'm not a fan of fanfiction or romantasy, let alone a Dramione pairing, but I did try to read Manacled when it was still available because I wanted to know what the hype was about. I didn't get very far because the writing was the typical shallow tripe that most fanfiction tends to be, but after discovering that I have some unsavory mutual acquaintances with the author, I had to try this again for research's sake. Manacled is no longer available (I mean, it is, but I absolutely hate reading books via ereaders or phones.), so I went with the next "best" thing.

Where Alchemised fails the most is in its world building. It's so utterly apparent that words and phrases were merely replaced, that it leaves the reader with little hope that the world might be believable and immersive. In the world of Paladia (wizarding world), there is a war brewing between Lucien Holdfast (Harry Potter) and Voldemort (Morrough). The novel itself takes place after the war, which Luc has lost, leaving his best friend Helena Marino (Hermione Granger) as a survivor and captive of Morrough's High Reeve, Kaine Ferron (Draco Malfoy). Easy to follow so far? Yes. Draco--er, Kaine is charged with restoring Helena's memories for Mordemort, and there is a bit of rape involved as well because Voldough wants captive women bred with alchemically inclined offspring.

Don't worry, though! The rape is romantic because eventually it triggers Helone's memories and she remembers the war and the massive cast of characters who played roles in said war. Over a several hundred page flashback, the reader is made privy to the secret romance between Hermelia and Kraino before the whole rape thing happens. So they were in love, guys, and the rape is okay, she just forgot that she had consented. Also, she has this inexplicable self loathing about being sexual, even though there is no well founded assumption in this world that sex outside of marriage is bad? I didn't get this, but Hernia calls herself a "whore" several times to the point that I was really uncomfortable. Okay. So... long story short, none of the events really matter because all of the massive cast of characters are dead in the time that the book starts anyway, Drain bang happens, memories restored, baby made, happily every after, okay? Got it.

The problem I have with this book isn't really even the sexual stuff. It's more the fact that riding on the established narrative of another book for a stand alone novel doesn't really work. I mean, I think the premise of a novel that starts after catastrophe is very compelling. Having a story's revelations built around flashbacks is a structure that works. I'll cite Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary here, because that main character doesn't know what has happened or who he is and somehow has to undo an ongoing catastrophe to save the planet. It can work, but it doesn't work here because SenLinYu does not build any world. There are no stakes. We can't be invested. Worst of all, whatever investment we might gain would be born on the back of someone else's intellectual property. Why was Manacled so popular? Because people were invested in the world of Harry Potter. Why does anyone care about Paladwarts and the Order of the Spicy Chicken? Uh... sex...? Maybe? It can't be the magic system, because it's basically just some pre-existing terms thrown together because they all ended with "-mancy" and they can't be Harry Potter specific.

What does this war even look like from the perspective of the... fuck, I can't remember what they called muggles, but whatever... the muggles? Rowling throws in a few vignettes from a muggle point of view to give us an idea, but what is Paladia even like? There's so much sitting around for days and months on end... are you SURE this is a war? Or is it just a bunch of neighborhood kids factioning themselves off and coming up with team names and hurling insults at each other over cardboard barricades? That's what the whole war felt like. It's exciting when you're eight to play war and romance and high stakes, but SenLinYu... you're a grown ass adult.

Then again, though... are you? I mentioned some unsavory mutual acquaintances earlier, if you recall. I won't reveal specific identifying information, because I can understand why SenLinYu uses a pen name. From what I can tell, they are very careful with who from their family they associate with, and as a neighbor of their father, a published author himself and a pedophile apologist... I can understand why this book is so fucked up in the way it romanticizes some gross shit. I don't know why SenLinYu thinks it's okay, or whether they are just trying to process some childhood trauma. I don't think they have the mental fortitude yet to face the accusations of transphobia they are facing, even as a nonbinary person, because they grew up in a very fucked up value system and are probably very stunted. I don't believe they are responsible for answering for the trauma and abuse (including mine, thanks) that has come about because of their family's many publications promoting Christian fundamentalist bullshit. I do, however, think they should consider using their new platform to speak out against the damage done by their father and siblings, and kind of by them too, now that they've published a book romanticizing rape. There is one sibling who has done this, and I applaud that, but like... SenLinYu, are you okay? Your book suggests otherwise.

At the very least, please come pick up your dad and have him committed. He is literally the village idiot and a villain, and we don't want him. ...more "

12 hours, 22 min ago · see review