Sarah Mac’s review of Alchemised > Likes and Comments
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Yes! This was very Mary Shelley and Poe-esque! The dark gothic atmosphere along with all the tiny tragedies aligning to make a dark and heavy, depressing mosaic.
I agree that this could have used some editing in terms of cutting down the length and clearing up the magic system. I get what Shen was trying to do and they did their research however it was 100% comprehensive in terms of the alchemical based magic system.
*it wasn’t 100% comprehensive in terms of the alchemical based magic system. I got confused at times is what I meant.
So glad this book was an immersive experience for you, Sarah Mac! I’m glad the time investment paid off in a major way!
Is it ... a bodice ripper? O.O sure sounds like one from the emotional wringer and the length
@Izzah - Yeah, the metallurgy & alchemy I was ok with, but the soul stuff was a bit confusing & hard to picture. That kind of thing can bother me a lot if I’m not already attached to the characters & story, but in this case I was able to overlook it. This is one of the areas where the dyed HP roots showed, methinks—all the Horcrux & soul-splitting in HP was part of that reality, but this one could’ve stuck to the necromancy, alchemy, & metallurgy.
@Clarice - Agreed re: the magic. (See my above comment to Izzah.) It really didn’t need that many layers & varieties; sometimes less is more when it comes to paranormal abilities. I know most AO3 writers are accustomed to meandering stories, but Sen’s editor should’ve been a bit more aggressive—it would’ve showcased their story’s strengths more without the fat.
But…I did like the overall ambiance & writing style, & appreciated that Sen was trying to make it something more than cookie-cutter surface romantasy. They def felt a purpose in writing it, & that shines through. The talent is there! I’d like to see them write something from scratch next time, & not have to worry about converting it.
@Gloria - Yes, it was what I needed right now—something dark & weighty & immersive. I’ll always be fond of it for that reason alone. 👽
@Caro - There’s def some 80s bodice-ripping ‘traitorous body’ elements to the romantic storyline. I appreciate that the author didn’t try to water it down. 😈
Yeah the magic system was a little bit confusing at times, I had to re-read certain portions to make sure I was understanding what each of the terms meant. But, I liked how the magic system was unique and different to what I’ve read before.
For sure. I don’t remember running into alchemy or metallurgy very often. 👽 Overall it had more positives than negatives, which is a big deal in such a lengthy novel.
On a hyped book, no less! Whaaaat. 😱
Wow, are you feeling ok? Hehe kidding, must have been hyped by sufficiently jaded people like us.
5 stars?!?
That must mean that it’s good!
I’m tackling this bad boy during vacation next month lol
I’m still too scared to commit to a 1000 pages of bleakness? 😅 but I know it will be worth it…? Stunning review 💜
@Kristina - I checked my own vitals periodically, just to make sure I hadn’t fallen ill. 🫣 (But seriously, it was dark & sad & demanded my full attention, which is what I needed atm. So it was perversely fun, lol.)
@Sonia - I think you’ll like this one. 😈 Poor Kaine gets put through the wringer, lol.
@LC - Thank you kindly. 👽 I think it’s ultimately worth the bleakness, yes, but it doesn’t pull many punches.
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Yes! This was very Mary Shelley and Poe-esque! The dark gothic atmosphere along with all the tiny tragedies aligning to make a dark and heavy, depressing mosaic. I agree that this could have used some editing in terms of cutting down the length and clearing up the magic system. I get what Shen was trying to do and they did their research however it was 100% comprehensive in terms of the alchemical based magic system.
*it wasn’t 100% comprehensive in terms of the alchemical based magic system. I got confused at times is what I meant.
So glad this book was an immersive experience for you, Sarah Mac! I’m glad the time investment paid off in a major way!
Is it ... a bodice ripper? O.O sure sounds like one from the emotional wringer and the length
@Izzah - Yeah, the metallurgy & alchemy I was ok with, but the soul stuff was a bit confusing & hard to picture. That kind of thing can bother me a lot if I’m not already attached to the characters & story, but in this case I was able to overlook it. This is one of the areas where the dyed HP roots showed, methinks—all the Horcrux & soul-splitting in HP was part of that reality, but this one could’ve stuck to the necromancy, alchemy, & metallurgy.
@Clarice - Agreed re: the magic. (See my above comment to Izzah.) It really didn’t need that many layers & varieties; sometimes less is more when it comes to paranormal abilities. I know most AO3 writers are accustomed to meandering stories, but Sen’s editor should’ve been a bit more aggressive—it would’ve showcased their story’s strengths more without the fat. But…I did like the overall ambiance & writing style, & appreciated that Sen was trying to make it something more than cookie-cutter surface romantasy. They def felt a purpose in writing it, & that shines through. The talent is there! I’d like to see them write something from scratch next time, & not have to worry about converting it.
@Gloria - Yes, it was what I needed right now—something dark & weighty & immersive. I’ll always be fond of it for that reason alone. 👽
@Caro - There’s def some 80s bodice-ripping ‘traitorous body’ elements to the romantic storyline. I appreciate that the author didn’t try to water it down. 😈
Yeah the magic system was a little bit confusing at times, I had to re-read certain portions to make sure I was understanding what each of the terms meant. But, I liked how the magic system was unique and different to what I’ve read before.
For sure. I don’t remember running into alchemy or metallurgy very often. 👽 Overall it had more positives than negatives, which is a big deal in such a lengthy novel.
On a hyped book, no less! Whaaaat. 😱
Wow, are you feeling ok? Hehe kidding, must have been hyped by sufficiently jaded people like us.
5 stars?!? That must mean that it’s good!
I’m tackling this bad boy during vacation next month lol
I’m still too scared to commit to a 1000 pages of bleakness? 😅 but I know it will be worth it…? Stunning review 💜
@Kristina - I checked my own vitals periodically, just to make sure I hadn’t fallen ill. 🫣 (But seriously, it was dark & sad & demanded my full attention, which is what I needed atm. So it was perversely fun, lol.)
@Sonia - I think you’ll like this one. 😈 Poor Kaine gets put through the wringer, lol.
@LC - Thank you kindly. 👽 I think it’s ultimately worth the bleakness, yes, but it doesn’t pull many punches.
So glad this was a positive experience for you~~