"I Draw You" by Marina Surzhevskaya, summary

Marina Surzhevskaya’s 2016 novel "I Draw You" is a romantic fantasy about an artificially divided magical world. This book tells the story of a brutal confrontation between two races, where the magic of art can literally shape physical matter. Eva perceives emotions and magic through a prism of rich colors, blending visual images with tactile sensations.

The Fall of Idegorria

The young princess of Antareya, Euantreida, lives in the summer estate of the kingdom of Idegorria. She possesses a unique gift of creation — the ability to materialize what she draws. Her older brother, Lucretius, harnesses the power of words, composing poems that directly influence reality. Brother and sister constantly quarrel, and Luc often calls the red-haired Eva "enke," comparing her to wild forest maidens. While swimming in a lake, Eva encounters a frightening-looking man. The stranger turns out to be an Arman — a descendant of dragons from a race isolated from the rest of the world by the magical Wall. Mistaken for a forest savage, Eva miraculously manages to escape into an underground grotto.

Soon, a delegation of the Foir marine amphibians arrives at the palace. The old ambassador insistently urges Eva to leave Idegorria, presenting her with an inconspicuous shell before her departure. The next day, the Armanians secretly infiltrate the estate. The invaders dispatch the winged guards and kill King Enger on the steps of the throne room. Mentor Tara, at the cost of her life, gives the heirs a chance to escape. Eva places the Foir shell around her brother’s neck, and the artifact transports Luke to the sea. The princess herself falls into the hands of the demon leader Lintar. Lord Ranhar, not recognizing the soiled girl as the heir to the throne, takes her as a trophy slave, imprisoning her in an iron cage along with his tame mountain cat, Sherry.

The Road to Ranhar

The journey through the mountains proves a difficult ordeal. Eva conceals her origins, posing as a simple servant, though Lintar quickly deduces her intelligence. One of the soldiers, the aggressive Hear, attempts to rape the captive during a rest stop. Eva manages to escape, and Lintar unhesitatingly executes the disobedient warrior for disobeying orders, demanding absolute obedience.

The Lord of Ranhar decides to gift the unusual captive to his bride, Princess Ayarna. Before arriving in the capital, Lintar forces the frozen Eva to bathe in the dorhham — a source of life energy. The sulfur-scented yellow water restores strength and heals wounds, simultaneously suppressing the will and awakening primal instincts. In the spring, strands of the Arman’s white hair and the princess’s red hair intertwine. According to the customs of the descendants of dragons, this signifies the choice of a true mate. Lintar resists the call, trying to maintain his sanity, and orders the girl to dress.

Secrets of the Wall and captivity

In the Armanian capital, Eva faces Ayarna’s jealousy. The serene princess orders the rebellious captive thrown into a damp basement with rats. Using a tiny piece of chalk, the girl draws an invisible protective wall around herself. Lintar frees Eva, transfers her to his private quarters, and appoints a guard.

The princess learns the true story of their world’s division. Three centuries ago, the rulers of humans and the Firstborn united against the Armans. King Enger, Eva’s father, created the deadly Flower of Decay and bound it to a magical barrier. The poisonous pollen kills the Armans every season, depriving them of the ability to bear healthy offspring. Lintar intends to collect the five lost artifacts of the First Dragon, destroy the barrier, and save his dying people. The artifact of Idegorria — the Medallion of the Creators — is already in his possession.

Ayarna insists on performing the marriage ritual. In the waters of the spring, while tying his life to his unloved bride, the lord loses control under the influence of dragon blood and cries out Eva’s name.

Tlena Gorge

Upon learning of her fiancé’s affair with the slave, the enraged Ayarna uses a portal and secretly sends her rival to the Gorge of Decay to her certain death. In the wilds, Eva is attacked by an iron — a terrifying predator with a serpentine hood. Lintar, rushing through the portal after the girl, manages to save the princess.

They are surrounded by beaters — bloodthirsty creatures, mutated lizard-like descendants of dragons. Armanets engages in an unequal battle, receiving wounds from poisoned blades. Eva takes out the remains of the paper and draws a dragon with a black pencil. The infused elixir of creation alters reality: for the first time in centuries, Lintar transforms into a huge, fire-breathing lizard. He incinerates the attackers and carries the wounded girl to the high cliffs.

Elder Ao, a hermit with the power of mental creation, helps Eva heal the ruler. The girl infuses pure dragon blood into his mouth. The powerful magical elixir erases all barriers, and an uncontrollable passion flares between Eva and Lintar. The girl gives her virginity to the Arman, linking their destinies with the ancient magic of true mating.

Fall of the barrier

Returning to the capital, Lintar breaks his fictitious alliance with Ayarna and announces to the Council of Five his intention to attack the barrier. The valley rulers, terrified of the risk, refuse to support his plan, attempting to strip Lintar of power. Deprived of support, the ruler harnesses the magic of the recovered artifacts and the life energy of the resisting Council. A powerful magical strike obliterates the wooden Wall across all planes of existence. The shackles fall, the Armanians gain their long-awaited freedom, and their united army advances to meet the forces of the Primordials.

During the chaos, Eva uses a hidden magic rupture point, creates a door in space, and escapes. She finds herself in the castle of Arviel, the ruler of the Originals. He has long been obsessed with Eva and is blackmailing her into marrying him by refusing to provide military aid to Idegorria. Luke, who has lost his creative gift due to despair and the death of his father, approves of this political alliance.

Lintar breaks free from the stone prison where he was imprisoned by Ruler Khrom, in the form of a winged lizard. Eva secretly visits the captive Arman before his escape. She pretends to come to mock him, secretly using a magic stylus. She draws a dragon on his whip-scarred back to restore the ruler’s ability to transform.

Clash of armies

The armies of the Armanians and the allied forces of Idegorria and the Firstborn converge in a wide valley. Eva calls upon the aid of the young dragon Chloe, daughter of the elder lizard Orian Al. The girl persuades the flyers to intervene in the conflict. Chloe carries the princess to the battlefield. To stop the bloodshed, Eva uses a scrap of her wedding dress as a canvas: she paints a thick cloud of snow and a deep ditch with green fir trees, physically dividing the advancing ranks.

Lintar lands nearby. The vengeful ruler, Chrom, fires poisoned bolts at the girl, attempting to kill her. Arviel shields the princess with his own body and is fatally wounded in the chest. Eva saves the Primordial with the last fragment of the magic pencil, drawing the sacred Oer flower over the wound. Overwhelmed by the nobility and power of magic, the Armanians and humans lower their weapons and retreat.

The dragon Chloe accidentally transforms into a beautiful woman. Luke instantly falls in love with her, recites poetry, and the lost elixir of creation returns to him. The mountain slopes are covered in white flowers from his magic. Chloe resists her feelings, staying to visit Idegorria’s castle.

New life

Eva returns to the summer residence. Her marriage to Arviel has been declared invalid. The princess immerses herself in state affairs, helping her brother govern the country. One day, a flock of stone statues — living statues from the Arman capital — land on the park lawns. Lintar approaches Eva and asks to marry him. The princess accepts, dropping an album filled with portraits of her beloved. The marriage is sealed by a natural magical bond, without unnecessary rituals.

Nine years later, Lintar and Eva’s family welcomed twins Loria and Ren. The children inherited the Arman fire and the magic of creation, gaining the ability to transform into dragons from an early age. The lands have changed: the Five Valleys trade with the Primordials, and demons live in harmony with humans.

During an official visit to the capital of the Snow Feathers, little Loria vanishes without a trace from a closed courtyard. It turns out that the Feathers have lost children before. Lintar, Eva, and Arviel join forces and share blood, creating a ruby memory crystal. Visions reveal that the girl has been taken by an invisible being.

Loria’s parents find her in an ice cave. The princess desperately protects the hatchling of a rare ice dragon, which had accidentally frozen local children while trying to play with them. The creature transforms into a little blue-haired girl named Icicle. Lord Oer Arviel, whose cold body is immune to freezing magic, takes the snow dragon into his care. The frozen children are saved by the living flames of the Armanians. Lintar and Eva return home, enjoying the peace and their newfound tranquility.