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- [00:00]
Kennedy
Foreign.
- [00:11]
Reggie
This episode is sponsored by Rouly. Your go to for cozy Feel good outfits whether you're headed to the bookstore or snuggling up with your latest read. And guess what? You can get 15% off just for listening today.
- [00:23]
Mikayla
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- [00:41]
Kennedy
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- [00:54]
Reggie
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- [01:01]
Mikayla
Cozy up in style and feel amazing with the latest items from Rouly.
- [01:05]
Reggie
Hello everybody. Welcome back to I'll read what She's Reading. I'm Reggie.
- [01:09]
Mikayla
I'm Mikayla.
- [01:09]
Kennedy
And I'm Kennedy.
- [01:11]
Reggie
We're discussing Manacled today, you guys. It's been a long awaited episode. I can't remember. I know Michaela finished it was it last summer and then I read it next. I think I finished it in December. I don't know. It just. We've been meaning to do an episode because you guys have asking before we start discussing spoilery things, we kind of want to give a little bit of an explanation of this book to people who are maybe skeptical about starting it. Because if you're not aware, it is a pretty dark book and there are a lot of triggering elements to it. And ever since we've posted about Manacold and our reading experience, I feel like we get a lot of messages asking about the book. Do you think I would like it? And so before we'll tell you guys when the spoilers are about to start. But we just want to give any of you who are curious just a little synopsis of it. But before we do that, let you know that it is a fan fiction of Harry Potter. It is going to be traditionally, traditionally published in September under a new name Alchemized by Xin Lin Yu. And you currently cannot find it on the fanfiction websites on AO3, but I'm sure if you were to search, someone's got it on a Dropbox download on a Reddit page that you can find it from and you can read it online. But it's not something you can go purchase to read and. Yeah, so you could wait till September if you would like to read the new version of it. But here's kind of a little synopsis of what to expect, maybe without spoiling anything. Does someone else want to talk? I've been talking.
- [03:07]
Mikayla
Michaela, you do it pretty much. It's like an alternate ending to Harry Potter. And where this fanfic begins is Harry Potter is dead and Voldemort has won. And it's kind of just. It's through the perspective of Hermione and her character. She is captured by Voldemort's army, the Death Eaters. And it just kind of starts right there. Yeah, she doesn't have memories. Yeah, they're. They're doing, you know, scientific, you know, experiments on, like, they're trying to create, like, purebred wizards. Yeah, purebred wizards. And that's just kind of where it starts.
- [03:58]
Reggie
Yeah, that's great way to explain, like, what. Yeah, and it's also, if you're familiar with hands, Handmaid's Tale, Very similar vibes in a sense. I mean, I haven't read or watched Handmaid's Tale, but from what a lot of people have said, if you're familiar with that, you can kind of understand what we're getting into at this point. But, like, to go along with what Michaela said, they're trying to create a. What did you. How did you say? A full bread. Purebred. A purebred wizard.
- [04:29]
Mikayla
So, yeah, I would say there is a lot of triggering things, but I personally don't like reading trigger warnings because it spoils the book. So if you feel like you would be triggered by things, definitely go read the trigger warnings. But if you feel like you wouldn't, maybe don't, because it will spoil things for the book for you.
- [04:50]
Reggie
I'd even say, like, maybe look into what the premise of Handmaid's Tale is about that could give you a clue into, like, what you can expect when you read this book. Just prepare yourself before you start. I know we've had a few people. I know there was a girl that messaged us the other day saying she's like, I don't know if I can keep reading it. Just know your limits. And if you feel like you want to be done, there's lots of recaps out there, or you can just listen to this episode. But it's a really, really great book. Now we're gonna get into the spoiler spoil spoilers. So let's start with our ratings. Like, we do with our book club episodes. Who would like to go first?
- [05:33]
Mikayla
Five stars.
- [05:35]
Reggie
Five stars. You didn't get five stars, did you?
- [05:38]
Mikayla
I here.
- [05:40]
Kennedy
Okay, I'll go first to sharing my thoughts. So I gave it four stars. I think now reading Harry Potter first is not a prerequisite to reading this book. If you have seen the movies, if you know Harry, you, you know the world of Harry Potter, you can obviously understand what's going on. However, in my opinion, I know Reggie's opinion differs on this. I wish I would have read the full Harry Potter series before reading this book. I think I would have just had a bigger appreciation for the story and a bigger appreciation for the characters. Having had read. Having read Harry Potter first. Honestly, after I read Manacled, it really inspired me to start the Harry Potter series, which I since have. And I've even considered after finishing Harry Potter, going back and reading Manacled or even reading Alchemized when it comes out in September. For me personally, especially the first portion, part one, it just felt really repetitive to me and I understand why it had to be repetitive. I just personally felt like the book was a little bit too long and it did drag on a little bit for me. I also think that, I hate to say it was overhyped for me, but I do think it was a little bit. And I really think, I just wish I would have read Harry Potter first and then I probably would have rated it 5 stars. I really truly think that. But what's sad is it's the first fan fiction I ever read and I probably will never read another fan fiction that's as good as that. I know there's really great fan fiction out there. I'm not saying that there isn't anything better, but it was truly just such a well written book that I was surprised reading it. It just felt like it wasn't fan fiction. It felt like a traditionally published book, which is why it was picked up to be traditionally published. And I'm so excited for her that she will have it be traditionally published. There were a lot of things I did love, like the connection. There were a lot of quotes that were so sweet and you know, once you made it through part one, I did enjoy the books a lot more. I was stoked when the flashbacks came. I was really entertained by that. But then also it got to a point where I was like, okay, let's get back. So for me, I just think it was a little bit too long, but still liked it. It was great.
- [08:00]
Reggie
I gave this book five stars, but I Will say that this is like one of those books that is like a God tier book for me. I truly was shocked when I was reading this book. I was getting towards the end and I was thinking to myself, this might be the best book I've ever read. And then I was like, wait, this is fanfiction. I thought it was very brilliant, especially having. I mean, I've only read it once, but I just know when I reread it. And I want to reread it in the chronological order because that's what everyone recommends because things just like hit a little harder when we can get into this a little bit later. But I just thought it was very well done. And I didn't read the Harry Potter books beforehand. I've read like the first two or three or something when I was a kid. Don't really remember it, but I've seen all the movies and I probably would have preferred to read all the Harry Potter books first. But I started Manacles kind of on a whim. It was like I was having a hard time falling asleep. It was only thing downloaded on my Kindle and I didn't want to think about what other book I should read. I just opened it, started reading and it just like gripped me and I couldn't stop. So yeah, I mean, after I finished it I thought I'm like, I don't know, like, should I read Harry Potter first? But I think I just really read it for me at least the most perfect time. And I didn't feel like I needed to read them. However, I mean, I definitely want to read them at some point, but I don't feel like it changed my reading experience for me. If anything, it would have made my reading experience better, which makes me wish I would have read them first. But I thought it was just very. A very beautiful, heartbreaking story. And truly there is no, I don't think there will be a better Enemies to Lovers book. If there is out there. If there is one out there, there probably is. I don't know. Please tell me to read it at some point because I just. It was so great. I remember texting Mikaela and I was like, I don't think I can read Enemies to Lovers ever again. Because I thought it was just executed so well. Yeah, I wish I could like lose my memory and read it again.
- [10:14]
Mikayla
So I don't have a lot to say. I rated it 5 stars. I thought it was really good. I'm sorry I read it so long ago. I think it was eight months ago. I really, really, really Liked it. I read it in Mexico. Not the greatest place to read Manacled. I had just finished Harry Potter in February. I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I had heard a lot about the fanfic and I decided to pick it up and read it and it was, it was great. I really, really enjoyed it. It took me like three months to finish it because I was reading it on my phone and I despise reading stuff on my phone. But when I Mexico, it was like the time where I didn't want to bring a book into a pool. So I brought my phone and yeah, I. I finished it and I, I loved it and it was really good. So.
- [11:21]
Reggie
And so because it's been a while, but like, I know, like Michaela's read it and I mean, it's. We've read so many books. No, Kennedy and I most recently finished it, but we've read so many books since then. We're not going to do like a crazy deep dive on the book, but we just kind of want to share just our overall likes, dislikes, maybe share a few things about Alchemize coming out and some of our thoughts on that. And I don't know, I've been really excited to talk about it because like I said, it's just like unlike anything I've ever read. I don't know, I'm just really. I also think I'm kind of riding the high because I now have a physical copy and it just feels really special to have that in my hands. And so I'm really excited to see what my reading experience is going to be like when I do read it again. But let's maybe start with dislikes rather than loves.
- [12:18]
Kennedy
I think for me, I already touched on this just a little bit. My main dislike was that it just kind of felt a little repetitive. And that's honestly the only reason I didn't give it five stars. I just kind of at times felt like I was just pushing myself to get through it because, you know, first part, same thing happens over and over again. And then I did enjoy the flashbacks and part three a lot more. Other than that, I can't truly point out anything else that I disliked. Just the repetitiveness for me. And maybe they don't even have any dislikes. They probably don't.
- [12:50]
Reggie
Honestly, there's nothing that's coming up off the top of my head. And I think that's why I was like, maybe let's do dislikes first. To me, it's so funny that, like, I remember I know that you were texting us a lot and like saying how you felt like it was really repetitive and dragging a little bit. And it's funny cuz I never felt that way when I read this book. And Michaela, I think it took her three months to read it. I think I read it in like a week. Maybe. It just, it just really not saying there's anything wrong with you thinking that it was like slow or whatever. It's just really interesting to see how everyone's reading experience can be so different because yeah, I don't. And it's funny because looking back I'm like, yeah, there were parts that were maybe a little slow and a little more repetitive. I just was like eating it up the whole time. So a part of me thinks like that could have been a dislike for me. But then I'm like, no, I actually didn't feel that way. So I don't know. I don't know if I have any dislikes. Did you have any Mikaela?
- [13:47]
Mikayla
I don't.
- [13:47]
Reggie
Do you guys have a favorite part throughout? If you had to pick one favorite part from the full book, it's hard.
- [13:52]
Kennedy
Because I'm going to let you guys kind of take over this portion because like, I think you guys loved the book way more than me. And I'm not saying there weren't a lot of things that I loved. I really enjoyed the book. But I'm gonna let you guys go after me because I think you guys are gonna have a lot more things to say than I will. First of all, we kind of already touched on this, but like, I love that how this is a true enemies to lovers, you know, True, true enemies to lovers. And I also think the relationship development between Draco and Hermione is really sweet. And for me, I think my favorite part was the flashbacks. For me, that was my favorite part of the entire book because you got to see them, you know, Hermione comes to meet Draco because Draco was going to betray Voldemort. And Hermione is teaching Draco, Draco how to heal and she's also healing him. That whole portion of them navigating their hate for each other, but they're coming together for the common good and then falling in love. I think that was really special and I would probably say that was my favorite part of the whole thing. But I don't have anything that was like specific moments that I was dying over. So I'm gonna let you guys kind of take.
- [15:03]
Reggie
Yeah, I mean, it's hard to like pick One thing, when there was so much I loved, the thing that maybe stands out to me the most was the ending. And I think it's because I wasn't expecting to get so much. I thought, you know, as the ending got closer, I was like, oh, okay, so, like, it's gonna end, like, once I got away from Malfoy Manor. Is that what they call it? Yeah. I didn't want to say that wrong. Once they get away from Malfoy Manor. In my mind, I was like, is everything okay now? Like, if everything's. If this is going to be a happy ending, I thought it was just going to be, you know, she has the baby, the end. And then these epilogues were like, I'm on my Kindle thinking, I'm almost. I sat down because I was recording my reaction to the ending, and I thought, I going to be done reading the book in, like, 30 minutes. No, the epilogues took me, like, two hours to read. But I loved that because I loved getting to see. I feel like in a lot of books, you know, you kind of get your little happy ending, and it's just kind of like they get married, the end kind of thing. And for me, it was really cool to see one. All the effort that Malfoy put into making sure he saved her and what that would look like for her, and he wasn't going to. He didn't see himself being in the picture at all. And so for me, I loved seeing how he got to fit into this ending that he didn't think he was going to get. And, like, when he. He fills the room with the books, I guess I'm just going over the whole ending of what I loved about it, but I loved seeing. I guess maybe this is my favorite part, just to summarize that. But, yeah, getting to see him put in this ending that he didn't think he got to have. And, you know, I didn't think he was gonna get to see the birth of his daughter. And so getting to see that and then also just like. And you know me, like, I'm a mom, so anytime there's, like, a kid involved and, you know, a dad with a baby just, like, melts my heart into a million pieces. But getting to see that was really special because. Although I would not want a point of view from Draco, because I know it would just be so heartbreaking and so sad. I loved getting. I loved that for him, that he got to be part of all of that and then see how everything played out. I loved how much we got to see of Aurora because I didn't think we were going to get anything from her at all. I guess I could, and I could really go off on a million things, but I think that's maybe overall, if I had to pick one thing, what I really love to see because it's not what I was expecting. I can go into more loves, but. Did you have a favorite, Mikaela?
- [17:45]
Mikayla
Yes, I did. I cried at a. On a beach chair. Uncle's like, are you okay? I'm just gonna read a little quote, okay.
- [17:54]
Reggie
Oh, am I gonna cry?
- [17:57]
Mikayla
Yeah, maybe I might cry. He stared down at his daughter for several seconds. When he moved, she could tell that he stopped breathing. His fingers spas as he stared, started to reach out. He hesitated and then just barely brushed the baby's palm as though he expected his touch to poison or break her. The tiny hand reflexively closed around his finger, gripping it. Draco sat frozen. Hermione watched him and recognized the expression in his eyes as he looked down at the little person who is clinging tenaciously to him possessively and adoringly.
- [18:33]
Reggie
Possessively. Yeah, that broke me. Yeah, in the best way.
- [18:38]
Mikayla
That was probably my favorite part because I'm a sucker for happy endings and I truly thought that Draco wasn't going to get it and. Yeah, because he, I don't know, was, I think, the hardest on himself and. And so it was just really, I think, cute to see him think of himself outside of the world where he was going to die and sacrifice himself. And to think that he could actually have a happy ending with Hermione and his daughter. So I just thought that was probably my favorite part, so.
- [19:24]
Kennedy
Well, also, when you sit and think about like, how much Draco really had to do in his entire life, the fact that he gets to rest and actually be happy, I mean, he deserves to be happy after everything he's been through. And honestly, for how dark this book is, I'm surprised it had a happy ending. I thought for sure something was. Actually, I was just telling these two what I thought was going to happen at the end of the book was that Hermione, the book was going to end and Hermione was still sitting in the cell and she dreamt this entire thing and none of it was real. That's how I thought the book was gonna end. So the fact that it ended with a happy family threw me for a loop for sure.
- [20:04]
Reggie
But the little speech that she gives him where she basically is telling him, she's like, you promise to care about her and she's like, starts to, like, get really emotional. If you were going to leave after she was born, you should have told me. This is. This was a new beginning. All three of us. Remember, we left it all behind, all of it, so we could be together. You haven't even looked at her. And then she gets, like, mad at him. She's like, you have to look at her. And then that's when that moment happens.
- [20:30]
Kennedy
Well, I mean, just imagine the guilt he's going through in that moment.
- [20:33]
Reggie
Oh, yeah.
- [20:34]
Kennedy
Yeah.
- [20:35]
Reggie
I just think that it was really beautiful to see, like I said, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but to see all of his hard work pay off, because I don't feel like all the moments that he was truly happy were with Hermione. It was probably so. And he probably still hasn't forgiven himself for everything that he had to do to get to that point. And I think that the baby was like a reminder to him of everything that had happened. But then, so cool to have that moment. And then after that moment, the next page basically goes on to say how he spent every moment with her he wanted. He was absolutely obsessed with her. And I think that she got to heal a part of him that he didn't think was going to be healed, which I really loved.
- [21:27]
Mikayla
So, so good. Yeah, so good.
- [21:30]
Kennedy
I have a little quote, I think, another reason. I mean, I think part of the reason Hermione was the way that she was towards the end of the book is because of Draco. You know, she was kind of working for the Order of the Phoenix.
- [21:43]
Mikayla
Right.
- [21:43]
Kennedy
She's working for the Order. Is that. That's what it's called. Right. And I felt like in the flashbacks, once again, the flashbacks were my favorite part. So that's. I feel like what I'm gonna be focused, what I'm gonna focus on. But, you know, I kind of felt like everybody in the Order just kind of brushed Hermione aside, wouldn't listen to her ideas, wouldn't listen to her views. And they just kind of put her as this, you're just a healer type thing, you know? And she. She was never listened to. And I felt like Draco did listen to her. And so one quote that I found that I think is really sweet. And I remember getting emotional. I can't remember. I don't think I cried in this book, which makes me sound heartless. Okay, I'm not heartless. I cry plenty. Thank you.
- [22:22]
Mikayla
It's.
- [22:23]
Kennedy
You are not replaced. You are not replaceable. He said his hands were shaking. As he gripped her. You are not required to make your own death convenient. You are allowed to be important to people. The reason I took that vow was to keep you alive, to keep you safe. And in the flashbacks, I felt like Draco was the only person that was rooting for Hermione and that listened to Hermione and took what she said and really applied it, which I think is part of the reason why I loved that portion of the book. And it was weird to, like. Not that, you know, Harry and Ron and everybody were villains, but they were a little bit. I mean, when you watch Harry Potter and you read Harry Potter, they're kind of put on this little pedestal. But in this book, not that they're the villains, but they do seem a little bit more, for lack of better words, like douchey. You know, so it was weird to see them in that light. For me, anyways.
- [23:15]
Mikayla
No, I feel like people do get upset about the way that, you know, the Order is kind of portrayed. But I think when you're five years into war, I think that's just kind of how life goes in that aspect. Because I feel like when they're in the movies, you know, they're young, life is a little bit more hopeful. And when you've seen so much death. And, yeah, I think people easily make a lot of mistakes when they are in that kind of, you know, time in their life. Not that I would know, but, like, I see their actions as very justified actions because, yeah, considering the circumstances. Considering. Yeah, considering all that they have gone through. So I think. I think she did a wonderful job at portraying what that would actually be like.
- [24:16]
Kennedy
Well, and you have to also think, had she painted the Order in this book, as people who were willing to deal out the Death Curse and use dark magic, that would basically take everything away from the true Harry Potter world. Because they had to draw a line at some point. They had to say, okay, we are not willing to cross this line in order to win this war. And that's the line that they drew. Even though Hermione wanted to use dark magic. And I can see why she wanted to. You know, it's interesting to see all sides, and it's just interesting to see the Order painted. I thought it was interesting to see it painted in a different light than it is in the Harry Potter books. And you have to draw a line in your mind as well. This is fan fiction. It's not canon. It's fan fiction. You have to suspend disbelief just a little bit because it's not the actual Universe. Yeah. So the people that get upset about it maybe don't read fan fiction. That sounds harsh, but.
- [25:08]
Mikayla
Well, yeah, and people were upset about the vulgar words that were used. And like, they would never use. I'm like, they're adults. Yeah, they're. They're 20 something years old and they, they're in war. People are dying. I think those terminology, like words would be used.
- [25:28]
Kennedy
Yeah.
- [25:29]
Mikayla
And I mean, Harry Potter is for young adults, so this is definitely adult fanfic.
- [25:37]
Kennedy
Oh, for sure.
- [25:38]
Mikayla
Not young adult at all. So, like, I think, you know, I think if Harry Potter was a young adult written, they would be swearing all the time.
- [25:48]
Kennedy
Oh, 100%. Yeah. It would be way more violent. There'd be way more swearing.
- [25:53]
Reggie
And that's power of fan fiction. You can kind of just. Yeah, do what you want. Yeah, it was very violent, very sad. I wanted to read. Okay, so a lot of people say that if you reread Manacled, that you need to read it in chronological order. And Xin Lin Yu has said that she was. She intended to write it with the flashbacks in the middle, but it can be read in chronological order for a reread. And I really want to do that because it just. I've seen so many people post things on Instagram and TikTok that they missed the first time around. And I just want to read this as an example because there are so many conversations that Draco repeats that Hermione doesn't know are repeated so he can try to help her regain some of that memory.
- [26:52]
Kennedy
Okay.
- [26:54]
Reggie
And so there's multiple examples of this, but I'm just going to read one. Okay. So before. So in the flashback, Draco says, are you needing a confession for something, Granger? Should I tell you everything I've done? He drew closer so that he towered above her. She forced herself not to shrink or cower back. She stared up into his eyes. Do you want to? She asked then. This is at Malfoy Manor, present day. Are you needing a confession or something? For something? Should I tell you everything I've done? He asked in a careful drawl. He drew closer so that he towered above her. She forced herself not to shrink or cower down further than she was already slumped. She stared up into his eyes. A question rose to her lips and she felt somehow that it was vital that she ask it. Do you want to? She said. He stared at her as though he were considering something. Then his eyes grew flinty and he stepped back. So there were a lot of moments where he. Because he's been able to, like, replay everything in his brain. He's just doing everything he can to try to help her remember. I also loved when she's. Is it in the middle of the night, she's walking down the hallway and he's drunk and he, like, comes up to her and he calls her Granger.
- [28:07]
Kennedy
Oh.
- [28:08]
Reggie
I was like, wait, that's. Yeah. And she was like, wait, what? And he kisses her. I was kind of mad in the moment because I was like, what is he doing? But then that kind of had me thinking. I'm like, okay, there's. There's something here that I'm missing. And so I would be interested to.
- [28:25]
Kennedy
Know the people who read this first. I mean, not to say we're Bandwagon fans, but, you know, we're kind of on a bandwagon because I think Manacold's been out for a while. People thought as it was coming out. Do you think it was advertised as an enemy to lovers? Because obviously, I don't know about you guys, but I went into this knowing that Draco and Hermione were going to be together. So the entire time, the first portion, I was like, well, he actually loves her, so what's going on? I kind of wish I would have read it not knowing anything. But I'm curious to know, even the people who read it as it were coming out, did they have any inkling that they were going to be together? Do you know what I'm talking about?
- [29:00]
Reggie
I would guess so, because there's.
- [29:02]
Kennedy
It's called the Almighty.
- [29:03]
Reggie
Yeah. So I would guess so.
- [29:06]
Mikayla
Yeah.
- [29:06]
Reggie
But here's a fun fact. I think you guys maybe knew this. I didn't know this. I didn't know there were flashbacks in this book.
- [29:14]
Kennedy
I did.
- [29:15]
Reggie
I had no idea. And I was on my Kindle reading it, and I remember. Yeah. I didn't ever need to, like, skip back for anything. So I just. I never looked ahead at, like, the chapters, because the chapters went from, like, what is it, like, 28 to flashback one or something. And anyways, I go to start, and it was a flashback. And then I was, like, freaking out. Then I was like, oh, okay, okay, okay. Had I known that there were flashbacks, I think I would have pieced together things a little better than I did. But I liked that. I didn't know that because I kept thinking, I'm like, this is such a long book and there's gotta be so much more that happens. But it was cool to see that there was stuff that happened before. So that was a fun surprise. For me. I like that you didn't know that either.
- [30:00]
Mikayla
No, I literally knew nothing. I didn't read the trigger warnings. I didn't know the Handmaid's Tale stuff. Didn't know anything.
- [30:07]
Reggie
Yeah. I only knew Handmaid Tell Vibes.
- [30:10]
Kennedy
I didn't read the trigger warnings either, but I knew it was a Handmaid's Tell vibes just based on the fan fiction I had. Or not. Whoa. The fan art I had seen because it's so hard.
- [30:18]
Mikayla
How did you know there was flashbacks?
- [30:21]
Kennedy
Did you see it? I can't remember if I saw a tick tock or I might have like looked at the chapters on my Kindle and then I scrolled and then I saw there were flashbacks. I can't remember if I saw a TikTok first or if I did that on my Kindle first. I don't remember. But I did know there are flashbacks, so it wasn't a surprise. Which I don't think that would have impacted my reading experience not knowing there are flashbacks. In fact, I think if I wouldn't have known there are flashbacks, I would have been like, this is dragging on forever. Not to. Once again, I'm sorry, I feel like I'm sounding so negative, but I really did struggle with part one and I think if I would have not known there were flashbacks, I would have been like, this is never ending. I'm never going to finish this book. But I knowing that there was something else coming kept me motivated. Yeah, that makes sense.
- [31:05]
Reggie
Yeah. Can we also talk about. This is another thing. I loved that Jenny was the one that got to go back and defeat Voldemort. I love that so much. Obsessed.
- [31:16]
Kennedy
Here's one thing I will say that I'm glad that I read it later than everybody else is the amount of fan art I had access to was so great. And actually this was not annoying of me, but I read it on my Kindle and my Kindle is old as tar. It's like from 2013. So when I click on the links, I don't know if Reggie's Kindle will take her to like a website. My Kindle will not. So I, after I read every chapter, I'd pull out my phone and click on all the links at the end of the chapters to look at the fan art on my phone. You know, shout out to everybody who has fan art. Because the fan art, I think made this book 10 times better for me.
- [31:48]
Reggie
The fan art for Manacled is so great.
- [31:50]
Kennedy
Yeah. Who's that main girl that. Ava. Ava.
- [31:53]
Reggie
Ava. I am Obsessed.
- [31:56]
Kennedy
Who's the one girl that does a lot of fan art? That. What's her name? Avon?
- [31:59]
Mikayla
I don't know.
- [32:00]
Kennedy
It's like at the bottom of every.
- [32:02]
Mikayla
I don't remember.
- [32:03]
Kennedy
Yvonne Dell or something. I don't know.
- [32:04]
Reggie
Shout out to you. I love you. Yeah, fantastic.
- [32:08]
Mikayla
Build it sled.
- [32:10]
Kennedy
Slay the house down boots.
- [32:11]
Reggie
Oh, I just found a quote I highlighted, so I'm gonna read it. If I could change the past, I'd save you every time.
- [32:18]
Mikayla
I can't because I'm so dumb. I didn't know that you could download it to your phone. I literally was reading on the AO3 website.
- [32:27]
Reggie
Oh, you were? Yeah, yeah, I remember you saying that. And I was like. Because you were saying you had a scroll on, like the. Was it a PDF version or was it literally just the website?
- [32:36]
Mikayla
No, it was literally just the website.
- [32:38]
Reggie
I had no idea.
- [32:39]
Kennedy
That's okay.
- [32:40]
Mikayla
I'm not. I was very unskilled or uneducated in the fanfic world. I didn't know you could download it. I have since then downloaded six fanfics of Harry Potter, so I have them on my phone. I have them. I know. Now you can download them. Uploading your Kindle. Didn't know that was a thing. I mean, I don't have a Kindle, but I didn't know that was a thing. Anyways, we're going to get you a.
- [33:14]
Kennedy
Kindle just so you can read your fan fiction.
- [33:17]
Reggie
Just for that reason.
- [33:19]
Kennedy
No, seriously, think about it.
- [33:20]
Mikayla
It'd be so much nicer. I would. I hated my life reading.
- [33:24]
Kennedy
Even if it's just for your fan fiction. That makes it worth it.
- [33:27]
Mikayla
Yeah, it's true.
- [33:29]
Reggie
And I was trying to read a few chapters of Dark Age yesterday on my phone because I forgot to take my book with me to the super bowl party. Shout out to me reading during the super bowl, but I was like, I can't do this. So props to you. That's a. That's. That's quite the book to have to read that way.
- [33:49]
Kennedy
Also, just imagine you liked it that much reading it on your phone. Just imagine how much you would have liked it if you would have had a physical copy or on it.
- [33:55]
Mikayla
Yeah, but it was actually kind of nice because you were in the pool. Yeah, I was in the pool. And the links.
- [34:04]
Kennedy
Yeah, True, true, true.
- [34:06]
Mikayla
For all the fan art.
- [34:07]
Reggie
Fan art's so good because at the.
- [34:09]
Mikayla
End of every chapter, she has, like five or six links for that chapter.
- [34:14]
Reggie
That you could click on stuff, which.
- [34:16]
Kennedy
I'm not kidding, really made the Experience so much better. I wish every book was like that, honestly. Yeah, it just really helps paint a picture. And also, I had such a hard time, and I don't. I don't know about them, but I had a really, really, really hard time. Picture anybody else than the people who are in Harry Potter, which. The fan fake. No, sorry. The fan art helped me separate it a little bit more because obviously Draco does not look like the guy who plays Draco in the movies. And I do feel like the Hermione fan art resembled Emma Watson a tiny, teeny bit. Just a little. But for some reason, I couldn't separate. What is his name, the guy that plays Draco.
- [34:59]
Reggie
Tom.
- [35:02]
Kennedy
Felton.
- [35:02]
Reggie
Felton.
- [35:02]
Kennedy
Yeah. I kept picturing Tom Felton, but I was like, this does not feel like it's this Draco. So anyways, no, this Draco is like 6, 5.
- [35:10]
Reggie
Yeah, yeah.
- [35:12]
Kennedy
More like chiseled Tom Felton's gray. Okay. We're not dissing on his short.
- [35:15]
Reggie
I know he's a cutie. Yeah, he's just more cutie to me.
- [35:19]
Kennedy
He's just not what I pictured for this Draco. But I couldn't separate my brain from it.
- [35:22]
Reggie
Yeah, the fan art was breaking my heart. Like this picture.
- [35:25]
Mikayla
So cute. It's Aurora on Draco's shoulders.
- [35:30]
Reggie
Oh, yes. For those of you who are wondering, all of the fan art is so good, though there is a guy that everyone says. Because I thought, I'm like, should we do a fan cast? There's a guy everyone says for him. I don't even know if he's an actor, though. He might just be a model.
- [35:44]
Mikayla
You know, if there's one thing I love doing on this podcast is fan casting models.
- [35:50]
Reggie
But, yeah, I. Because, yeah, I couldn't. I. I couldn't. What's weird is that I completely didn't picture the actual actors from Harry Potter. I don't know why. I mean, maybe I did with Hermione, but, like, I just knew in my brain that I needed to know.
- [36:08]
Mikayla
Well, I think in my mind, for this Draco and the Draco in the movies, he just had a major glow up. Like, it wasn't Tom Felt. Felton.
- [36:21]
Reggie
Felton.
- [36:21]
Mikayla
Felton. Like, Draco was just like, he's cute. He's cutie. He's a cutie in the movies. And he just had this major glow up. And it's. I just disassociated, like, the actor.
- [36:34]
Kennedy
Wish I could have done that. You know, he was hardened by war. Literally. Yes, yes, yes.
- [36:41]
Reggie
The chiseled chest.
- [36:42]
Kennedy
Yeah.
- [36:43]
Reggie
I just. I don't think I will ever be the same after reading this book. And I. I could share so many more things that I loved and things I see that people share on TikTok that just break me into a million pieces. So keep it coming, because let's just.
- [37:00]
Kennedy
Put it this way. If you guys want to talk Manacled, feel free to DM us on Instagram. I'll send it over to these two so that they can. They can talk all things manacled.
- [37:11]
Reggie
I'm actually surprised I haven't gotten too late teary during this episode, because I don't know if you guys remember when I was reading this and we were recording one day, I literally couldn't talk about it without crying. I think there's just something about the way that she wrote these characters and how everything came together and also just everything in it that was just so heartbreaking and tragic that just. Yeah, I will never be the same.
- [37:42]
Kennedy
Which I guess this can be kind of a segue if we want to talk about Alchemized at all. I'm really excited to see what Senlin Yu comes out with. Even after Alchemized, I think.
- [37:50]
Reggie
Oh, yeah.
- [37:51]
Kennedy
She's such an incredibly talented writer. The way she described everything, there was a vivid picture in my brain. She wrote, you know, great, like, tragic lines. There was great banter. Well, I don't even know if I would say there's great banter, kind of, but not really. She's just extremely talented, and I think whatever she comes out with next is going to be equally as good. And I hope. I hope she doesn't stop. I just alchemized. I hope she continues to write something else.
- [38:17]
Reggie
A lot of people start writing from writing fanfiction.
- [38:20]
Kennedy
Oh, yeah.
- [38:20]
Reggie
Like writing published books, so.
- [38:22]
Kennedy
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
- [38:23]
Reggie
I'm very happy for her, and I'm hoping that it does well. And I didn't think I would want to read it, but, like, now, I don't know. I'm really intrigued to see what things are going to be changed because she had to. In case you're confused, I feel like if you're listening to this at this episode, you have a good understanding of why she had to change so many things. You know, she can't copyright. Copyright. Yeah.
- [38:49]
Mikayla
Yeah.
- [38:50]
Reggie
So it's gonna be interesting to see what she changes. I mean, let's get. Let's get around the podcast. Anyone have any connections, let us know. I would love to pick her brain, but, yeah, I mean.
- [39:01]
Kennedy
Michaela, do you think you'll read It, I don't know.
- [39:04]
Mikayla
I am curious. I do wonder if, because I forgot to mention this, I do feel the same way as Kennedy when it comes to reading Harry Potter first, because I just had this, like, more not saying Reggie didn't have this more emotional connection because she obviously did, but I feel like I was just like, so entranced in the world and like, the magic system especially, just like, she did so well with that because it just fits so perfectly. She had to have had such a great understanding of the magic system and, like, you know, how everything is used. So I, I, I, I'm curious if I'll like it. I, you know, I'm, She's a beautiful writer and I think the story will still be good, but I wonder if I will like it as much as I liked Manacles because of the characters, the magic system, because I just have such a, like, love for Harry Potter itself.
- [40:11]
Reggie
Understanding the backstory.
- [40:12]
Mikayla
Yes. Where.
- [40:13]
Kennedy
Yeah, I wonder if you would, you would. Not to say you would have had a similar experience to me, but I wonder if you would feel the same as me reading a new book because it's, you're not. I, Yeah, I know Harry Potter. I just wasn't super emotionally connected.
- [40:27]
Mikayla
Well, I feel like I maybe would not have liked it as much if I hadn't had read the Harry Potter beforehand because. Yeah, I just think I maybe would have had a similar experience that you had not reading them first. But the COVID art is beautiful. It is stunning. And I feel like that made me a little bit more excited. I, I think I kind of want to read Manacled again closer to an alchemized comes out and kind of see what she changes and, you know, what she adds to, like, make the story make sense. Because the story wouldn't make sense. Yeah. If you took away all the Harry Potter stuff. So I'm genuinely and very curious.
- [41:17]
Reggie
She has a very brilliant mind, from what I can see from reading Manacled, that I'm feeling confident that she's gonna come up with something really amazing. It's just gonna be. Yeah. Interesting to see how she knows I'm.
- [41:35]
Mikayla
Confident in her abilities 100%, but I just, I can't see how you take away everything that has to do with Harry Potter and it would literally make no sense.
- [41:45]
Kennedy
Part of me, I'm sure this isn't what she's gonna do. I wonder if she just changes all the names if that's enough. Like, changes the names. Changes the names of the spells, if that's enough.
- [41:52]
Mikayla
I wonder, I wonder because the magic system, I don't know, is also I.
- [41:59]
Kennedy
I think for me, I'm for sure gonna buy the book, number one, because. For a few different reasons. Reasons number one, correct me if I'm wrong. I don't believe authors make money off of AO3. Is that correct?
- [42:11]
Mikayla
No.
- [42:11]
Kennedy
No. So I want to buy it to support her because I read her book when it was free. Like, I want to support her so that she gets a check. You know, not that it matters, but I think this is a book that I would be. I don't think I'm gonna read it right when it comes out. I think give me maybe a year and then I'll read it. Just not, not to say it's not.
- [42:32]
Reggie
Like anything's going to really get spoiled for you.
- [42:34]
Kennedy
Right. And also, maybe I liked the book. I wasn't super obsessed with it. I'm also interested to see if I'll like it better. I don't know. I'm just interested to see. And maybe one day when we all read it, we can do another episode and compare and contrast. But I for sure am going to buy it and read it in the future. For sure. I'm very confident in saying that.
- [42:54]
Reggie
So, yeah. Props to you, Sin Lin Yu. I'm so impressed by you.
- [43:00]
Kennedy
You're amazing.
- [43:01]
Reggie
So congrats on your success. Can't wait to see what Alchemized brings. And I'm really interested, too. Like, to see what I will think of it when I do read it. And also what other people are going to be saying about it. So is there anything else you guys want to add before we close?
- [43:20]
Kennedy
Ivana Kedavra?
- [43:22]
Mikayla
I, I, I. I'm having a hard time remembering the paper cranes. But I know that her dad.
- [43:29]
Kennedy
Her parents.
- [43:29]
Reggie
Her parents.
- [43:31]
Kennedy
Her parents.
- [43:31]
Reggie
Yes. They said Chinese thing.
- [43:34]
Kennedy
And they said, if you make X amount of paper cranes, you get a wish. Yeah.
- [43:38]
Mikayla
Oh, yeah. Because she made that when she didn't have her memories. She made a bunch of paper cranes.
- [43:43]
Kennedy
Yeah.
- [43:43]
Reggie
Yeah, yeah. All right. Anything you guys want to say? We good?
- [43:48]
Kennedy
Can you please cut out the Vatican?
- [43:50]
Reggie
Like I like people. Speaker Debra Expelliarmus. I don't really know all of them. I kept asking when I was reading this book. I had to ask Kendall. I was like, do you know what the spell means? He could remember all the spells.
- [44:03]
Kennedy
I asked Kyle, too, and he'd be.
- [44:04]
Reggie
Like, oh, that's this. And I'd be like, oh, okay. We hope you enjoyed this episode. Feel free to give us a rating and review. We always appreciate that. And we'll see you guys on Instagram and TikTok over at what She's Reading Pod. Check out our merch at all. Read what She's Reading.com and have a great week. We'll see you next Wednesday.
- [44:25]
Kennedy
Bye.