Ancilla
Sera Maddox Drake
Lavande Mistral Press (2025)
ISBN: 979-8889408604
Reviewed by Rachel Jitsawat for Reader Views (09/2026)
What is a journey of sexual self-discovery if not one born from a strictly conservative upbringing? Ancilla: Master, Teach Me by Sera Maddox Drake is one story to begin in such a way, but it escorts the reader on a unique journey.
Ancilla takes place in the 1990’s, a welcome reminder of how people lived before a life online and dominated by modern technology. The female main character struggles through a sexual awakening while in grade school, under the care of her conservative, maddeningly strict father and ill, ever-shaming mother, while trying to navigate an academic career in Catholic school.
In order to actually unveil her true self and allow the exploration of her bisexuality, the main character must cut ties with her family and make it on her own in the world, without the wealth and security her family once provided. As the author so cleverly notes, “Few things, after all, are tastier than forbidden fruit.”
As she attempts to keep herself afloat financially, she stumbles upon an elder, handsome librarian one afternoon, and a friendship is formed. As she continues to interact with her “Magister,” the friendship blooms until it is consumed by passionate fire (then later, water, air, and earth). What begins as a teacher/student relationship develops into something soul-shaking. Because both student and teacher are academics, the conversations between the two explore many subthemes including, but not limited to: feminism, misogyny, monogamy, philosophy–both in real-world and magical spaces.
Through beautifully written prose, the author crafts an original experience, not only in the exploration of sexual discovery through BDSM, but through the blend of magical realism parallel to the erotic theme. The character’s exploration of magic is not only adjacent, but an added layer to the means of self-discovery. Like sex, magic never would have been allowed in the confines of her Catholic environment, and through her lessons in magic, she is able to enhance not only her sense of self, but also her sexual discovery.
Also unique in the telling of this journey is the nonuse of names for both the female main character (FMC) and protagonist and the male main character (MMC) and romantic interest. Though this unique tactic may seem odd to those outside the world of Ancilla, it is never confusing to the reader who is speaking or being spoken to. The use of pet names the FMC and MMC have for each other assists with this. The lack of a formal name could be seen as an experiment as to whether or not the reader develops a closer relationship to the characters and the bonds they form, making the tactic both more intimate and less intimate at the same time.
Sera Maddox Drake’s Ancilla is a great read for those who are curious to explore sexual expression in many facets: BDSM, magic, and academics. It is also for readers who enjoy art, as each chapter is separated by unique and interesting artworks that enhance the reader’s feel for the tone of the story. Ancilla is more than just a tale of erotica, but a tome to assist each reader in expanding their mind.
If you are not ready to consume a story that “hurts so beautifully…like a flower made of fire,” then the story of Ancilla and Magister is not for you.
At a Glance: An erotic magical realism novel follows a young woman escaping a restrictive religious upbringing as she explores bisexuality, BDSM, intellectual freedom, and occult practice through an intense mentor relationship. Set in the 1990s, it blends explicit sexuality with philosophy, feminism, and self-discovery.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy: erotic fiction, BDSM romance, bisexual awakening, magical realism, forbidden relationships, sexual self-discovery, feminist themes, academic romance, occult fiction, 1990s settings