Book Review: Manacled by SenLinYu

Publish Date: Apr 27, 2018
1,017 Pages [ebook edition]
Self-Published

SYNOPSIS:

Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a re-population effort. Hermione Granger has an Order secret, lost but hidden in her mind, so she is sent as an enslaved surrogate to the High Reeve until her mind can be cracked.

Author’s Notes:
This story diverges from canon following the conclusion of Harry Potter and "The Order of the Phoenix". The initial inspiration of this plot occurred when watching the first episode of The Handmaids Tale. In homage there are elements of it maintained throughout the story. This work is dark. Rape and non-consensual sex are a significant and ongoing aspect of the plot. There are also character deaths, psychological trauma, descriptions of battlefield violence, and references to torture. Reader discretion is advised.

REVIEW:

I have wanted to read this for so so long. I was reminded of it when I kept seeing book binding videos of it on TikTok. Then I discovered you could send it to your Kindle and it was all over. I honestly wanted nothing more than to just read this book. I would drive my youngest to school and go back to bed just to read this until I had to get dressed and leave for work (literally leaving myself 10 min each time). I'd get home and make dinner, eat, and do the same thing - straight to my comfy bed with my gooseneck and page turner. 

For those that don't know, this is a Harry Potter fanfiction that revolves around the idea that after Order of the Phoenix (book 5), Voldy and the Death Eaters win. All the main players die, except Hermione, who a la Handmaid's Tale, gets assigned to Draco Malfoy for the wizard repopulation program with the extra caveat that a magical pregnancy will unlock memories of the final member of the Order who Voldy believes is hiding somewhere. She has magical manacles on her that prevent her from harming him or Draco.

I knew this was a Dramione story but I was struggling to see how that was going to happen until the flashbacks started. The flashbacks were a bit repetitive in nature but I ate them up. Overall, I really did enjoy the ride. I know that SenLinYu is set to release published works in Fall 2025 and I'm very ready. Whatever they write is going to be incredible because the writing in this fanfiction was unbelievable. Hermione has always been my favorite and she was such a badass in this version. I really like what SenLinYu did with the character.  

Spice level: Kinda wavered on this because it really isn't graphic (despite the tw for rape), so 4 on the spice level scale. Trigger warnings for rape, violence, self harm, suicide, torture (some pretty hefty graphic descriptions of the violence in this)

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