Manacled

This is my July book recommended by a friend. Why yes, it is June. But when Kat started raving about this book, I decided I'd start giving it a listen every now and then on Spotify, hoping that by the time it got to July I'd have wandered my way through it. But then....I got a few chapters in....and then....I couldn't stop. Last weekend I had to just give up and declare myself obsessed and plow my way through. And what book has me so obsessed, you ask?

It's.....Harry Potter fanfic??!? In this dystopian re-imagining of the HP world, Voldemort wins, Harry Potter is dead, and there is a Handmaid's Tale-style “repopulation” program. It is pretty dark (all the trigger warnings!). It is difficult to talk about the plot too much because there are lots of twists and turns and I really don't want to spoil anyone on anything. It is really, really good. Like....I think it's my favorite read so far this year?? (I'm willing to explore the possibility that I had low expectations going in.) The darkness is handled so well, and the ending is so on point, it never felt like the answers were too easy but it also never felt as if there was no hope. If this sounds interesting at all to you you should really give it a read.

And about that - I'll link to an online copy of the book below, but as I understand it this will likely only be available until the end of this year? The author, SenLinYu has a book deal to write a similar (but non HP) story that will be available for sale (Alchemised) in the fall of 2025. I will likely read that one as well!

Anyway, this book is great, read it!

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