Underbelly by SenLinYu: Where to Read the Alchemised Story

“Underbelly” is a short story by SenLinYu set in the world of Alchemised, published on October 1, 2026, in Grimdark Magazine #48. It is original fiction, not fan fiction, so anyone looking up Underbelly SenLinYu on AO3 will come up empty: the story is only published in the magazine, in print and as an ebook, including on Kindle. Grimdark Magazine introduced it as “the first ever Alchemised short story.”

Below you’ll find what the story is, what SenLinYu has said about it, where to buy it and whether to read the novel first. This page is spoiler-free for both the story and Alchemised.

Underbelly by SenLinYu at a Glance

Detail	“Underbelly”
Author	SenLinYu
What it is	A short story; original fiction, not fan fiction
Setting	The world of Alchemised
Published in	Grimdark Magazine #48, the Autumn 2026 issue
Release date	October 1, 2026
Why it was written	To mark the first anniversary of Alchemised
Formats	Print, ePub and PDF, plus Kindle through Amazon
On AO3?	No
A sequel?	No. Alchemised is still a standalone novel
How dark?	Very: the author’s brief was “the darker and grittier the better”

What Is Underbelly About?

Neither the magazine nor the author has published a plot blurb for “Underbelly”, and we won’t guess at one. What we do have is SenLinYu’s own description, from a newsletter post on September 23, 2026, the novel’s first anniversary.

They wrote that they had not expected to return to the Alchemised universe so soon, but that when the invitation came, they knew exactly which story they wanted to tell. One challenge of writing the novel, they explained, was “not overfilling the world in Helena’s periphery but still hinting at the circumstances beyond her.” “Underbelly” gave them the chance to explore “an aspect of Alchemised only hinted at”, which allowed for “a glimpse into the broader tragedy of the war.”

In other words, the novel keeps close to Helena Marino, its healer heroine, and a lot of the war happens at the edge of her view. “Underbelly” steps outside that view. SenLinYu also told readers of the novel that “you will recognise some names and faces.” They haven’t said whose, so treat any claim you see online about which characters appear as unconfirmed unless it comes from the author or the magazine.

Is Underbelly on AO3?

No. “Underbelly” was written for a paid magazine and is set in SenLinYu’s own world, so it was never posted as a fic. We checked two things:

• It was never in their AO3 list. The archived December 2024 listing of SenLinYu’s works has no “Underbelly” among the titles.
• Their AO3 profile shows nothing now. When we checked in October 2026, logged-out visitors saw no works at all on the senlinyu profile.

It’s easy to see why people look there first. Manacled lived on AO3 from April 2018 until it was removed on January 1, 2025, and SenLinYu later limited the rest of their fics to registered users, partly because of AI scrapers. Our guide on where to read Manacled explains the removal, and the Manacled book page covers the original fan fiction without spoilers.

For “Underbelly”, the only authorized copies are the magazine’s own editions, listed below. Buying the issue pays the people who made it: the author, the magazine and its other contributors.

Sin Lin Yu, Sen Lin Yu or SenLinYu?

If you searched for Underbelly Sin Lin Yu, you have the right story. The author’s pen name is written as one word, SenLinYu, and according to the author “Sen Lin Yu” means “forest rain”. The author also goes by Sen.

The spelling matters when you shop. The magazine’s contents page credits the story to “SenLinYu”, their AO3 handle is senlinyu and their social handle is @senlinyuwrites. If a store search for the author’s name turns up only Alchemised, search for “Grimdark Magazine 48” instead.

Where to Read Underbelly

“Underbelly” is not sold as a standalone story. You buy the whole of Grimdark Magazine #48, and it is one of eight stories in the issue.

Format	Where to get it	Good to know
Print	Grimdark Magazine webstore	When we checked, the store could not ship print copies to Europe, the Middle East or Africa
Print (Europe, Middle East, Africa)	The Broken Binding	The magazine printed an extra thousand copies, distributed by The Broken Binding, to meet record pre-orders
ePub or PDF	Grimdark Magazine webstore	Works on most e-readers, tablets and phones
Ebook on Amazon	Amazon, including Kindle	SenLinYu confirmed it is “also available through kindle”
Print subscription	Grimdark Magazine webstore or The Broken Binding	A subscription supports the magazine beyond one issue
E-subscription	Patreon	The magazine runs its digital subscriptions there

The issue’s store listing ranged from $3.99 to $13.49 depending on format when we checked in late October 2026. Prices and stock change, so check the store before you order.

To make sure you buy the right copy:

1. Search for the issue, not the story. Look for “Grimdark Magazine #48” or “Grimdark Magazine Issue 48”.
2. Check the contents. The fiction list should include “Underbelly by SenLinYu” alongside Ken Liu’s “The Rule of the Isotope”.
3. Don’t confuse it with Issue #44. That 2025 issue carried an interview with SenLinYu and a review of Alchemised, both by Beth Tabler, but no SenLinYu fiction.
4. Pick print or digital by where you live. Readers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa should order print from The Broken Binding; digital editions avoid shipping entirely.

Should You Read Alchemised First?

We’d say yes if you can. SenLinYu addressed their note about the story to readers of the novel (“you will recognise some names and faces”), and it explores something the novel only hints at. Both of those land harder when you already know the world, its alchemy and its war.

You do not need Manacled. SenLinYu has said it plainly: “Stop telling people that it’s necessary to read Manacled before reading Alchemised.” That applies twice over here, because “Underbelly” uses the novel’s names and world, not Harry Potter’s. If you know Manacled but haven’t read the novel, our guide to Manacled vs Alchemised shows what changed, including who became whom.

Alchemised is a commitment at 1,040 pages, or 36 hours 15 minutes on audio. If you want to test the world first, the prologue and Chapter 1 were posted free on the author’s newsletter in 2025, and the publisher offers a free sample.

How Dark Is Underbelly?

Dark, by design. SenLinYu warned readers that their prompt from the magazine was “the darker and grittier the better, and feel free to lean into the horror”, and followed it with: “If you remain undeterred…” Grimdark Magazine describes itself as presenting “the darker, grittier side of fantasy and science fiction”, so the story is in the right home.

We haven’t found a separate content warning list for “Underbelly”. For a sense of what this world contains, the author’s warnings for Alchemised include wartime violence, religious abuse, self-harm, human experimentation, medical torture, eugenics, cannibalism, sexual assault and rape. Our Manacled trigger warnings guide covers both versions of the main story in more detail. Like the novel, this is adult fiction.

Is Underbelly a Sequel to Alchemised?

No. It is a short story set in the same world, not a continuation of the novel. Here is where the rest of SenLinYu’s work stands:

• Alchemised is a standalone. In English it is a single-volume novel.
• The deluxe edition is the same book. The Deluxe Three-Volume Slipcase Edition, released on October 13, 2026, splits the same novel into three hardcovers with 24 Avendell illustrations, 12 of them new.
• The next novel is unannounced. SenLinYu’s publishing deal covers two books, but there is no title or date. In the same post that announced “Underbelly”, they declined to share writing news “because if I speak too soon, I may jinx myself.”
• The film is still early. Legendary Entertainment bought the film rights to Alchemised in September 2025, and we haven’t seen a director or cast announced.

What Else Is in Grimdark Magazine #48

The issue is headlined by Ken Liu, and “Underbelly” shares the fiction section with stories by Alex Fox, Peter Orullian, Stephen Graham Jones, Gemma Files, Caroline M. Yoachim and Laurel Hightower. The nonfiction includes interviews with Peter Orullian, Alix E. Harrow and qntm, a conversation with Ken Liu and Caroline M. Yoachim, and an essay asking whether Beowulf is grimdark. The cover is by Carlos Diaz.

If “Underbelly” leaves you wanting more of the same mood, the rest of the issue is a good next step. For longer books, our list of books like Manacled groups read-alikes by what they share with the story, from gothic necromancy to war and its aftermath. Our SenLinYu books guide lists everything else the author has written, from Alchemised to their earlier fan fiction.

SenLinYu announced “Underbelly” in their newsletter eight days before it came out, so that newsletter is the place to watch for news of the next book.