"Mom, I Love a Demon!" by Dakha Taratorina, summary

This book is a humorous romantic fantasy, published in 2021. It tells the story of an ordinary girl from the small provincial town of Nivoli, who decides to take revenge on her betrayed lover. The text stands out for its unusual approach to the mythology of light and darkness: demons are capable of sincere self-sacrifice, while the clergy of the light hide their vices behind a false sense of righteousness.

Introduction and summoning of a familiar

Trista McCloth is going through a painful breakup. Antoine publicly cheated on her and cruelly mocked her. The insulted heroine sets off at night to the town cemetery. She takes with her an ancient magical tome. The book belonged to her father, Lain McCloth. The fanatical scholar abandoned the family long ago. Trista casts a spell, hoping to frighten her offender. She awaits the emergence of a menacing monster from the depths of darkness.

She accidentally summons a lesser second-tier demon. His name is Roc. The man appears wearing a leather jacket and is distinguished by his attractive appearance. Horns, wings, and a tail reveal his nature. Roc turns out to be a sarcastic, boastful, but surprisingly caring companion. The heroes sign a contract for thirty-three days. The dark guest becomes Trista’s familiar. The familiar serves as a living conduit for the magic of the Underdark. Without it, no witch can cast spells.

Trista hides the demon in her house. The girl’s mother, Brid McClot, is a stern and practical woman. She categorically disapproves of her daughter’s decision. Brid often threatens Roc with a heavy rolling pin, threatening to throw out the insolent guest. The demon can take the form of a black cat. This shapeshifting provokes intense jealousy in the family’s pet, the ginger cat Benjamin. Benjamin constantly fights with the tome. The magical book possesses the rudiments of intelligence, grows tiny legs, and enjoys stealing sugar from the table.

Training and first tests

Harsh lessons in witchcraft begin. Trista struggles to master dark magic. The power of the Underdark demands anger and fury. Dark magic burns away the lara — the invisible vessel of a person’s life force. The girl is too kind by nature. Nevertheless, the heroine makes progress. With the help of Roc, she throws the insolent Antoine out of her herbal shop. Antoine comes to mock his ex-fiancée. A powerful gust of wind throws the young man straight out onto the street.

Trista also punishes the local gossip, Lita. The nagging neighbor constantly spreads offensive rumors. The girl makes a wax doll and casts a mute rune on Lita. The gossip immediately falls silent. Lita’s quiet husband, Niko, secretly rejoices at the respite from his wife’s screams.

Later, Trista and Rock visit the abode of the Moon Priestess. The heroine had previously dreamed of becoming a servant of the goddess. The companions meet Trista’s former mentor, the Ora Camila. The holy woman had been intimate with Rock in her youth. Recognizing the demon, the Ora Camila causes a panic. The former lovers quarrel loudly. Camila sets the guards on the guests. Trista and Rock barely escape the armed guards. They use a delusion. The guards are frightened by the illusory monster and retreat in terror.

The Werewolf and the Forest Sabbath

While trying to train outside the city, the partners get caught in a pouring rain. Familiar insists on training in the field. Rock and Trista find shelter in the gloomy mansion of the aristocrat Agatha. The mistress of the house is openly provocative, playfully flirting with Rock. Trista is jealous of her demon.

During dinner, Agatha attempts to eat her guests. She suffers from an ancient curse. She transforms into a bloodthirsty monster at nightfall. In anger, Trista accidentally extinguishes all the candles with a powerful burst of magic. The monster takes on a bestial form. The companions miraculously survive. They hide under the table and then lock themselves in a cramped basement. In the morning, the werewolf releases their captives. Agatha advises Trista not to trust demons. She assures them that fiends always lie.

That evening, Rock organizes a true forest sabbath for Trista. They light a bonfire. Trista discovers within herself a source of new, bright magic. The girl heals the burns on Rock’s palms. Silvery energy requires no malice. The witch and her familiar dance around the fire. The lovers share heartfelt confessions and kiss passionately. Trista realizes that Rock truly cares for her.

Revealing secrets and betrayal

Trista soon learns the bitter truth about her family. Lain McClot deliberately orchestrated Antoine’s betrayal. The scholar gave the young man advice and generously paid for his courtship. Lain wanted to drive his daughter to despair. He knew for certain that Trista would summon a demon. The scholar dreams of finding true magic, untouched by the darkness of the Underdark.

Lain plans to use his daughter’s pure Lara for a powerful ritual. The scientist hopes to bring back his estranged wife, Brid. Trista’s mother has long been disillusioned with her fanatical husband. Lain tricks his daughter into coming to his office. He locks Trista in a magical circle of unknown runes. The enchanted circle drains the girl’s life force.

Meanwhile, a distraught Antoine attempts to escape from the rebellious tome. The artifact-book bites the young man and pursues him throughout Nivoli. Antoine encounters Camila at the monastery gates. Ora Camila takes advantage of the escaped boy. She takes the spellbook from him and summons another demon. The fiend’s name is Celie. Celie enslaves Thomas’s companion, turning him into a weak-willed sorcerer.

Camila truly hates Trista. The former Ora is terribly jealous that the Moon Priestess once bestowed her blessing on a young, careless student and not on her. Camila, Celie, and Thomas break into Lain McClott’s house. Antoine is captured.

The Fight and the Scream’s Spell

A fierce battle erupts in Lain’s office. Trista is trapped in a magical circuit. The circle is draining her of life. Roc teleports directly to her. The demon willingly sacrifices himself, stepping into the circle to share his beloved’s torment. Roc’s leather jacket melts from the terrible heat of the runes.

Trista uses witchcraft to lift Antoine, who betrayed her, into the air. Darkness tempts the girl to kill her attacker. Roc begs Trista not to succumb to the dark magic. The girl maintains the purity of her soul and allows the young man to live.

Celie loudly mocks Rok. The demoness considers him a failure. She reminds him that demons who do not renew their contract with the witch return to the Underdark. Eternal torment awaits them beyond the Veil. The dead devour all memories and human feelings from the fiends.

Brid McClott comes running at the noise. Trista’s enraged mother stuns Camila with a well-aimed throw of a rolling pin. Camila rises with the last of her strength. The former Ora realizes she has lost. She resolves to destroy everyone around her. The woman casts a suicide spell, the Scream. A devastating sound wave shakes the room. The spell obliterates Camila and Celie into fine ash.

Trista is saved by awakening the true light within herself. Silvery moon magic protects the girl and her familiar. Lain rejoices wildly at the success of the experiment. The scientist is absolutely certain he can now win back Brid’s love. Brid angrily rejects her ex-husband. The woman declares that true love is not subject to magic. She throws Lain out of the house with a rolling pin.

The Fall of the Underdark

Rok realizes Trista won’t renew the contract. The demon refuses to force the girl. He leaves at night to surrender to the First Dark One. The Lord of the Underworld drags Rok behind the black Veil. The First Dark One intends to cruelly punish the younger demon for his disobedience.

Trista voluntarily steps into the darkness after her beloved. She flatly refuses to leave Roc alone. The girl sees terrifying, hungry corpses. Monsters roam the edge of the Veil, dreaming of living flesh. The First Dark One engages Roc in battle. The ruler of darkness beats the lesser demon. Roc fights desperately and bravely. The familiar manages to scratch the First Dark One with Brid’s enchanted kitchen knife.

The enraged First Dark One draws a massive fiery sword. The Overlord splits the blazing sky of the Underdark with its blade. The Ruler single-handedly destroys the source of dark magic. The starving dead burst through the torn Veil. They seek to break through to the world of the living and destroy Nivoli.

Trista unleashes all the accumulated power of the Moon Priestess. The girl casts the Scream spell, but imbues it with silver light rather than darkness. A powerful wave destroys the Veil completely. Light mingles with darkness. The dead find long-awaited peace. The Underdark vanishes without a trace, giving way to renewed, benevolent magic. Trista and Roc fall into the void, but their mutual affection saves them.

Return and new life

Trista and Roc return to the world of the living. The Moon Priestess restores the disturbed balance. The girl realizes that Roc has genuine feelings for her. The contract no longer holds power over them. The familiar and the witch regain complete freedom. They confess their love and remain together.

Trista takes Rock back to his family home. Lain tries unsuccessfully to apologize to Brid. The scientist fills the yard with fresh flowers. A stern Brid finally drives her ex-husband away. She burns dinner and loudly curses at the men.

Trista and Rock’s romantic relationship grows stronger with each passing day. Now the partners bravely help the townspeople. They capture the scattered monsters that managed to slip into Nivoli before the Underdark’s destruction. Thomas is safely restored to his senses. Rock cheerfully laughs off Trista’s questions about defeating the First Dark One. True love overcomes all obstacles and brings long-awaited peace to the town.