Manacled by SenLinYu

This is likely the greatest modern, popular fiction story I have read.

But before moving forward, I would like to begin this review by saying two things:

1. Anyone who dismisses fan fiction as an artless form of storytelling should reevaluate their pretentious proclivities. Is there a mountain of poorly written fan fiction on the internet? Yes. But there’s also a mountain of traditionally published books that should never have seen the light of day.

2. Anyone who dismisses Manacled as a Handmaid’s Tale remake that glamorizes rape, I want you to know: that is not at all what this book truly is. So if you have avoided reading Manacled thus far, I’d encourage you to set your preconceived opinions aside and give it a try. Because it is so much more than the unfortunate and misguided assumption it has been saddled with.

Now, moving forward.

I don’t think you can understand SenLinYu’s intentions with this story until you read it in full. Yes, the first quarter (maybe first third) of the book can seem quite traumatizing, but I assure you that the depths of the human experience she covers within these pages is worth your time.

SenLinYu exploits the full potential of non-linear storytelling. She confronts real-world issues such as trauma, trauma-bonding, memory loss, and the moral ambiguity faced by individuals thrust into war. She takes her extensive knowledge of the Harry Potter universe and expands it so brilliantly that you start to forget where the original world ends and her retelling begins. She evolves Harry Potter magic and weaves it into the narrative so naturally that it never reads as a device, only as an extension of the story itself. Everything—the world she built and the story she tells—feels effortlessly organic.

I’m not typically a reader of spicy books. I have nothing against them; they’re simply not my preference. This is a spicy book. But every moment of sex or sexual tension is entirely earned, and remarkably well written for an unedited work serialized on the internet. SenLinYu’s strength as a storyteller prevents the narrative from slipping into gratuitous smut. Instead, each intimate moment serves the story, pushing it forward rather than distracting from it.

Manacled may be a diamond in the rough, but it is far from the only one. Many writers with prolific careers began in fan fiction. To dismiss a writer’s merit because they did not begin with a strictly “original” story is shortsighted at best and willfully ignorant at worst. Art begets art; creativity and imagination flow on the rivers of our experiences. SenLinYu stands as a near-perfect example of how inspiration can be transformed into something singular and powerful.

Rating: 5 stars, easily