Several years ago, I found myself in a reading slump. On a whim, I turned back to the comfort of Harry Potter, and when I closed the last book, I felt that familiar ache – there was no more time left with these characters I loved so much. That longing led me, a bit late in the game, into the world of fanfiction. I often wish I’d discovered it in my teens or twenties, but finding it in my thirties was no less life-changing. Fanfiction reignited my love of reading and writing. It reminded me that characters can be deeply flawed, messy, broken even- and still deserve love, redemption, and a happy ending.

The very first fanfiction I ever read was Manacled by SenLinYu. To this day, I consider it one of the most extraordinary things I have ever read in my entire life –  fanfiction or otherwise. There is a “before” and “after” to reading Manacled, and I will never be the same. That it is now re-emerging, reworked, as Alchemised, with a traditional publishing deal and even a film option, feels surreal. This story was a gift given freely to the world, and seeing it now celebrated so widely feels like the recognition it has always deserved.

Everyone who knows me knows this: when asked for a book recommendation, my first and loudest answer is Manacled. Now, I am counting down to the release of Alchemised – so much so that I’ll be at the midnight launch in New York City. I’ll be going alone, but I know I’ll be surrounded by others who were changed by this story just as much as I was.

When I first read Manacled, I tore through it in two days, thousands of pages devoured in a blur. This time will be different. I want to savor Alchemised, to sit with it. I plan to share not just one review, but several: a first-read impression, a reflection after revisiting the original, and maybe even more. It has been over a year since I last opened Manacled (and that’s saying something, because I’ve read it at least eight times, in every possible format). I gave myself that space so that when Alchemised arrived, I could meet it on its own terms – as the standalone story it has now become.

I don’t know who will read these words or care about my thoughts. But I care. I want to mark this moment, to remember the first time I turned the pages of Alchemised. Because for me, this book isn’t just a release on the calendar – it’s the continuation of a love that reshaped how I read, how I write, and how I connect with stories forever.