AlchemisedAlchemised
What it's about
Helena Marino was a healer for the resistance in a war against necromancers who raise the dead to fight for them. The resistance lost. Now Helena is a prisoner with gaps in her memory, and the regime believes those gaps hide a secret that could matter to the war. She is sent to the house of Kaine Ferron, one of the regime's most feared enforcers, who is ordered to extract it. What follows is a long, dark, slow-burning story of survival, memory and an unlikely bond.
Why it's worth reading
It debuted at #1 on the New York Times list, spent months on the lists, and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It was one of 2025's biggest books, with a huge readership.
You'll love it if you liked
Fourth Wing
A Court of Thorns and Roses
The EverlastingGood to know
It's over 1,000 pages and very dark, with torture, sexual violence, self-harm and abuse. It began as Harry Potter fan fiction called Manacled, rewritten as an original world.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz49 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #20 of the 233 romances we rank
- #35 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #49 of the 481 new books we rank
- #270 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Dark, Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Alchemised worth reading?
Yes. It debuted at #1 on the New York Times list, spent months on the lists, and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It ranks #270 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Alchemised about?
Helena Marino was a healer for the resistance in a war against necromancers who raise the dead to fight for them. The resistance lost. Now Helena is a prisoner with gaps in her memory, and the regime believes those gaps hide a secret that could matter to the war. She is sent to the house of Kaine Ferron, one of the regime's most feared enforcers, who is ordered to extract it. What follows is a long, dark, slow-burning story of survival, memory and an unlikely bond.
How long does it take to read Alchemised?
About 26 hours (1054 pages), or about 7 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Alchemised?
If you liked it, try Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas or The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow.