Ancilla: Master, Teach Me (The Magnum Opus, #1)

An age gap and a forbidden, slow-burning mentor-student relationship, an academic occult setting.

 The conservative early 1990's in decaying rust-belt Ohio sets the stage...

She had it all - riches, a college honors 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 when she meets a shy public reference 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 dark, deliciously decadent study of hunger, a philosophical tale exploring forbidden passion, power, devotion, trauma, sacrifice, and the complicated path toward becoming oneself.

An Author Shout Winter 2025 Top Pick

Second Place: Literary Fiction; Second Place: Visionary Fiction; Best Unconventional Love Story - The Firebird Awards, 2025

Pencraft Spring 2026 Winner, Erotica/Romance

Third Place: LGBTQ; Honorable Mention, Romance; Honorable Mention, Best Character ("ancilla"), Best Character ("Magister"), Hottest Character ("ancilla") - Spring 2026, The Outstanding Creator Awards

Indies Today Awards - 2026 Semi-Finalist

The Hawthorne Prize - 2026 Finalist

Literary Titan - Gold Award

WHAT CRITICS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE FIRST EDITION:

“Magic and philosophy sandwiched in between some of the hottest scenes I’ve read in recent years... Loved it!” - Hannah Gonzalez, Reedsy Discovery

"A singular tale, braided with mystery and intellect, that dares to fuse the sacred and the profane" - The Prairies Book Review

“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

"The author writes elegantly about BDSM romance and deftly explores the inner worlds of the characters as well as their psyches... 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." - Meg McKinnon, The Book Commentary

This is the second edition of the original manuscript. It contains new supplemental material. It has also been subjected to some revision.