Books Like My Dark Vanessa

Ancilla

Sera Maddox drake

She had it all - riches, a college honors program scholarship, a girlfriend - until her conservative, hyper-religious parents discovered the sapphistry and forced her to choose between conversion therapy and disownment. That choice marked the end of her academic career and everything she thought she knew. Now, three years later, she is starting her life over and meets a shy public librarian in a bookstore. He has been waiting his whole life for her. What unfolds between the two lovers feels almost like magic. Given that he is about to become her tutor in the magickal and erotic arts, perhaps that should come as no surprise. But at what cost? The mysterious older man may be everything she has ever longed for, yet she may be forced to choose between her developing identity and the most profound love she has ever known. Ancilla is a study of hunger. It is a dark, philosophical tale exploring forbidden passion, power, devotion, trauma, sacrifice, and the complicated path toward becoming oneself. The conservative early 1990's in northeast Ohio's Rust Belt sets the stage for a slow-burning, forbidden love. Surrender... ════════════════════════════════════ "Magic and philosophy sandwiched in between some of the hottest scenes I've read in recent years... Loved it!" - Hannah Gonzalez, Reedsy Discovery "Love is brutal, bloody, and ecstatic in this passionate romance... BDSM aficionados will love it... A richly imagined, lurid love story that's not for the faint of heart. (Our verdict: Get it!)" - Kirkus Reviews Since its launch in January 2024, Ancilla has won multiple literary awards, including the 2026 Passionate Plume for Erotic Literature and finalist status for the 2026 Hawthorne Prize.