Ancilla

Ancilla: Master, Teach Me by Sera Maddox Drake is a bold, captivating work written for mature readers. The story follows an unnamed heroine, who seems to have everything set for her life — a scholarship, wealth, and a girlfriend. But everything changes when her conservative parents discover that she is queer and force her to make a difficult choice, which leads to the end of her academic dreams. Three years later, she meets a public reference librarian in a bookstore, and something magical happens to them in the name of love. She defies the rejection she has suffered, the religious repression, and her family’s conservative views and indulges in a journey of self-discovery that plunges her into a world of arcane knowledge, ritualistic sex, and esoteric teachings. The narrative unfolds as a symbolic initiation, blending dreamlike interiors and ritual chambers with the protagonist’s quest for sovereignty over her body and spirit, culminating in a series of explicit, boundary-pushing scenes that serve as both acts of submission and avenues for transcendence.

Sera Maddox Drake’s exploration of sexuality and sex is unhinged, and she weaves elements of methodology and philosophical musings into the narrative. There is a lot of sex in this book, and the scenes are vividly drawn and depicted in visceral detail. The author writes elegantly about BDSM romance and deftly explores the inner worlds of the characters as well as their psyches. She explores power, pain, and enlightenment, positing submission as a philosophical act and questioning the very nature of freedom and self-ownership. Characters such as the enigmatic master become guides through a metaphysical landscape rooted in mystical traditions like the Kabbalah and Hermeticism, each step ascending a Sephirah toward spiritual awakening. Drake’s beautiful prose and dense symbolism will challenge you to think about profound questions about the body, mind, and spirit, particularly in the context of queerness and ritual mysticism. Ancilla: Master, Teach Me might be psychologically disturbing for some, sexually exciting for others, and intellectually stimulating; it is deft and balanced.