"Sonya and the Witch" by Dakha Taratorina, summary Automatic translate

This 2019 book is a humorous urban fantasy about an ordinary girl. Her life changes dramatically after accidentally interfering with a magical ritual. The protagonist suddenly becomes the vessel for the soul of a wayward, dead witch. The plot actively mixes elements of everyday office routine with the mysteries of parallel dimensions.

The beginning of the story

Sonya Shkurkova works as a regular staff photographer at the tabloid magazine "Yellow Mockingbird." She constantly suffers from her own shyness. She meekly endures the attacks of her boss, Georgy Vitalyevich, and her arrogant secretary, Nastya. One rainy autumn evening, she agrees to investigate an old woman’s rumor about Satanists in an old wooden house on Sretenka Street. The mansion stands out sharply from the neighborhood with its creaking swings and beautifully painted columns.

In the basement, the heroine discovers three men on a stone altar about a meter high. They are performing a terrifying ritual on a naked woman. Sonya decides to immediately save the stranger and causes quite a commotion. She desperately attacks the priests, actively using a heavy camera as a weapon. During the scuffle, the girl accidentally shatters a shimmering red artifact. The soul of the dead witch Nelya instantly transfers into the body of her savior.

New acquaintances

A girl wakes up in a strange, luxurious apartment. The place sparkles with gilded doorknobs and shiny wallpaper. A smiling, red-haired man named Dan stands nearby. He confidently claims to have heroically saved the heroine from aggressive cult members. Dan behaves extremely provocatively. He actively charms the shy photographer and solicitously gives her a ride to work in a stolen sports car.

At the editorial office, Sonya begins to clearly hear a cynical inner voice. Neli easily seizes control of her physical form. The witch is openly rude to her secretary, Nastya. She throws a coffee cup right at her boss’s shoe and skillfully beats him. Having resigned amidst a huge scandal, the heroine hastily leaves with Dan, who is waiting for her, on a fast motorcycle.

The red-haired gentleman readily confesses his secret. In fact, he is a mage-smuggler named Galvin. He explains in detail about the multitude of parallel universes. Earth suffers from an extremely weak magical background. Dan explains clearly: the priests from the abandoned house will certainly try to recapture the escaped witch. Sonya makes the bold decision to face the jailers face to face.

Customs between worlds

The employees of the strange house, upon inspection, turn out to be guards of an interdimensional customs office. The head of this unusual office is the cold and aloof blond man, Kirill. Several gifted magicians obey him unquestioningly. The lop-eared Vadim is a master at slowing down time to open portals. The huge, good-natured Semyon, wearing a ridiculous yellow sunhat, possesses invincible, heroic strength. The bitchy Lina works as a corporate empath.

Kir dryly delivers the sad news. Neli is firmly ingrained in Sonya’s consciousness. Any attempt to amputate the witch’s soul will inevitably result in the host’s death. The boss insistently offers the girl a secretary position. This job is necessary to constantly monitor such a dangerous partner. Sonya meekly accepts. Customs officers remain the only qualified specialists with the ability to consistently monitor the situation.

At her new job, Sonya immerses herself in routine. She brings lunch to her perpetually hungry colleagues and neatly files piles of reports. She watches with interest as tourists pass through the magical Tree. Nelya’s mocking voice constantly echoes within her. The witch mercilessly mocks those around her. Over time, she develops a genuine liking for the naive owner of the body and confesses, "Baby, you’re too good for this world!"

Revealing secrets

Sonya and Neli successfully learn to coexist. Together, they skillfully fend off street thugs in a bar. The witch menacingly breathes flames at her attackers. The girls deftly subdue a spirit imprisoned in a wooden box. Dan continues to persistently court Sonya. However, his frightening persistence alarms Sonya. She unconsciously finds herself drawn to the withdrawn and sullen Kirill.

The conflict escalates late one evening on the playground. Dan uses black magic to force Sonya to fall in love with him. Kirill rudely intervenes and throws the arrogant smuggler a few meters away. During a brutal brawl, escaped prisoner number 406 takes possession of the body of his alcoholic neighbor, Tolik. The battle is suddenly interrupted by the feisty neighbor, Evdokia Abramovna. The old woman calmly knocks the criminal unconscious with a heavy baseball bat.

Soon, Kir fully reveals his painful past. He previously went by the name Kyrian and belonged to a powerful, ancient coven of mages. Neli had been his legal wife for many years. The gifted sorceress’s power steadily grew. The elders issued an ultimatum demanding that she hand over her magic to the council. Refusing to comply, the enraged witch began methodically killing the mercenaries sent to her. She openly reveled in cruelty and abundant bloodshed.

Kirian decided to stop his wife’s bloody madness. He tricked her into tranquility. The mages solemnly promised to strip Neli of her powers and release her safely. The elders vilely deceived the trusting husband. They mercilessly burned the woman at the stake in the town square. Kirian, at the last moment, managed to tear out his beloved’s soul and securely lock it in stone. Since then, he has obediently worked as a warden in the prison of souls. He is constantly tormented by an unbearable feeling of guilt.

Collision at the airport

Kirian skillfully conceals his emotions behind an icy mask. However, Sonya clearly notices his genuine concern. She catches a severe autumn cold. The boss keeps watch by her bedside around the clock. A mutual attraction blossoms between them. Neli is wildly jealous and terrified of her ex-husband. She firmly believes in a terrible threat: the sorcerer intends to destroy her soul completely.

The Chief schedules an important meeting with the remnants of the coven at Arkh-elb-Brus station. The place resembles a vast hive, filled with thousands of hurrying alien passengers. Elders Eldor and Karra pronounce a harsh sentence. They willingly agree to burn Neli’s soul with a purifying magical flame.

Events suddenly take a completely unexpected turn. Dan masterfully orchestrated all the incidents beforehand. The red-haired smuggler deliberately weakened the artifact. He tricked Sonya into participating in the ritual and deliberately provoked the witch’s awakening. Galvin also fanatically loved Neli. He passionately hoped to give her a new, obedient body. The young man falsely promised Lina to transfer the sorceress’s magic. This way, he was guaranteed to secure the support of the offended empath.

Lina discreetly disperses an intoxicating golden pollen. A powerful spell instantly incapacitates Semyon, Vadim, and the decrepit elders of the coven. Galvin commandeers the empath to extract Sonya’s soul. Redhead firmly plans to leave his body entirely at the disposal of his beloved Nelya. Kirian struggles to resist the magic of his former friend. The Chief is physically unable to stop the ritual. Lina grabs Sonya tightly.

The end of the story

Neli flatly refuses to help her crazed admirer. The witch offers Sonya the opportunity to use their shared magic. The naive girl and the cruel sorceress work together like a single mechanism. They cast a powerful spell. The magic is based entirely on love, not the usual destruction. A colorless, dense veil quickly lifts the daze from all the magicians present.

The freed Kirian and Galvin furiously attack each other with heavy fists. Lina, in a wild panic, runs for the hall’s exit. Sonya understands one thing clearly: none of the sorcerers will ever leave her and Neli alone. The girl tearfully begs Vadim to slow down time. She urgently needs to open a portal to a safe, unknown world.

The mages, having come to their senses, desperately try to intercept the elusive fugitive. Semyon courageously rises to Sonya’s defense. Dobryak securely holds Galvin in place with a firm grip. Lina successfully calms Kirian, expertly influencing his raging emotions. The girl boldly turns her back on the wound between worlds. The heroine resolutely steps through the open portal. The two inseparable new friends set off toward their long-awaited freedom.