PMJ spellbound by SenLinYu's standalone dark fantasy

Penguin Michael Joseph (PMJ) has acquired Alchemised, billed as “a spellbinding and addictive fantasy novel” by SenLinYu. 

Rebecca Hilsdon, editorial director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Suzannah Ball at WME in a two-book deal with the first novel being published in hardback in 2025. North American rights were sold to Emily Archbold at Del Rey.  

Alchemised is a standalone dark fantasy with an enemies-to-lovers romance that is “by turns tender, toxic and all-consuming" PMJ said. “Grappling with themes of trauma and survival, legacy, and the way that love can drive one to extreme darkness, Alchemised follows an amnesiac [someone who is suffering from amnesia, a medical condition in which they lose their memory] young healer taken as a prisoner of war who must fight to protect her lost memories and the secrets hidden among them."

SenLinYu rose to international prominence on Archive of Our Own, a non-profit open source repository for fanfiction and other fanworks contributed by users. 

SenLinYu said: "I’m so thrilled by Penguin Michael Joseph’s immediate enthusiasm and vision for bringing Alchemised to print. I can’t wait for both long-time and new readers to discover this new world of alchemy through this story about the struggle for survival and the role of non-traditional heroism within the crucible of war.” 

Hilsdon added: “Alchemised is a beautiful work of fiction which explores an undying love and an endless sacrifice. Sen’s characters are ones that are so beautifully drawn and will stay with readers long after they’ve finished the last page.”