Gideon the Ninth
Tamsyn Muir
Like Alchemised, it mixes necromancy with a claustrophobic, decaying setting and a prickly heroine pulled into a dangerous household of powerful, secretive masters.
12 books to read next
Books Like Alchemised
If you loved Alchemised by SenLinYu
Readers who loved Alchemised usually come for its grim, atmospheric dark fantasy: a post-war world ruled by necromancers and corrupt guild families, and a captive heroine piecing together memories she cannot trust. The pace is steady and tense, with a strong focus on secrets, loyalty and the cost of survival. The tone is bleak but intimate, and the magic is tied closely to the politics of power.
Necromancy and gothic dread
Ninth House
Leigh Bardugo
It follows a damaged protagonist who sees the dead and uncovers hidden institutional secrets, offering the same dark magic and slow reveal of buried history that Alchemised readers enjoy.
Mexican Gothic
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young woman is trapped in a decaying estate with a sinister family, a setting much like the High Reeve's crumbling home in Alchemised, and the gothic atmosphere builds steadily.
War-torn worlds and resistance
The Poppy War
R. F. Kuang
Its brutal war, scarred protagonist and magic-as-weapon themes match the grim aftermath of conflict at the heart of Alchemised, with a similarly unflinching view of violence.
Red Rising
Pierce Brown
A rebel fights her way into an oppressive ruling class, echoing Alchemised's resistance-versus-regime setup and the pain of discovering that the enemy's world runs on lies.
The Blade Itself
Joe Abercrombie
Its morally compromised characters and cynical view of war and power suit readers who liked the hard edges and political brutality of Alchemised's ruling class.
Guild families and scheming
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Scott Lynch
It centres on a criminal guild, cunning plots and layered deception, which will appeal to readers who enjoyed the guild-family politics and hidden agendas in Alchemised.
Foundryside
Robert Jackson Bennett
Magic is tied to a corrupt merchant system and a thief's dangerous schemes, a close match for the way Alchemised links alchemy to the power of ruling families.
Jade City
Fonda Lee
Rival clans, inherited power and violent loyalties drive this story, reflecting the family dynastic tensions and hard choices that define Alchemised's ruling class.
Go deeper into memory and mystery
Witchmark
C. L. Polk
A wartime healer and a mysterious case draw readers into a magical society with buried secrets, much like Helena's healing background and the hidden history she must recover.
The Priory of the Orange Tree
Samantha Shannon
Its sprawling, morally complex world and carefully hidden histories reward the same patient attention to secrets and political intrigue that Alchemised readers appreciate.
Piranesi
Susanna Clarke
A quiet, puzzling narrator slowly uncovers the truth about his strange world, offering the same gradual unlocking of memory and identity that drives Helena's story.
We earn a commission if you buy through these links. Learn more