Alchemised

The 2025 debut novel phenomenon everyone is talking about and no one can put down

By: SenLinYu

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

***The record-breaking debut and instant Sunday Times Bestseller***

In a world ruled by necromancers, a woman with missing memories threatens the dark order that keeps her captive - and the man sent to break her. Gothic in tone, epic in scope - this debut is destined to become a modern classic.

Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner – of war and of her own fractured mind. The Resistance is crushed, her allies dead, her abilities suppressed.

The world she knew is gone.

Paladia’s corrupt guild families and their necromancer overlords, aided by vile undead creatures now rule - and hold Helena captive.

Resistance records claim she was a healer of little importance. Yet, Helena’s inexplicable memory loss makes her enemies wonder: Is she truly insignificant, or do her missing memories conceal the Resistance’s final secret?

To uncover the truth, Helena is delivered into the hands of the High Reeve – Paladia’s most feared and merciless necromancer.

Trapped on his crumbling estate, she must fight to protect what remains of herself and unearth the secrets buried in her mind, her prison, and her captor . . . whatever the cost.

‘A work of quite staggering ambition. Detailed world-building, intricate plot, Gothic claustrophobia, wraps the readers in its dark embrace’ Daily Mail

‘A superb dark fantasy novel set in a war torn world of black magic and alchemy’ Sun

© Forest Rain Inc 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critic reviews

A work of quite staggering ambition. Detailed world-building, intricate plot, Gothic claustrophobia, wraps the readers in its dark embrace

Very readable

A superb dark fantasy novel set in a war torn world of black magic and alchemy

Couldn’t stop listening.

I finished this book in record time for myself, I recommend this book to anyone who loves enemies to lovers, magic and fantasy!

Complicated and amazing!

I felt like I maybe needed to re-listen to chapters of this book to follow along with what was actually happening but kept going and it all started to make sense.
A great read! Highly recommend.

loved this book

this book altered my brain chemistry. it is well written, the story line is amazing, the world building is on another level

Best Book 2026

This is the best read ever! The story line is strong and makes you part of the story. Will I be able to read anything after all the information in this story! The bare emotions and the outcome will have me thinking for ages. I will reread this book again and again because I'm sure I missed important info as you are hammered with all this detail. Wow!!!

amazing and heartbreaking

Honestly one of the most beautyful and gutwrenching stories i've ever "read". (At times Helena's behavior was so contradicting and it frustrated me to no end.)

(Also had to really get used to the narators voice, how she was nearly growling at the end of every sentence, and the way she sometimes pronounced Helena's name was realy confusing.)