A summary of "The Shadow Conjurer" by Maria Danilova

This book is the author’s bold attempt to combine elements of urban fantasy, classic detective fiction, and young adult romance within the confines of a boarding school in 2017. The plot revolves around an inexperienced sorceress who finds herself at the epicenter of a massive hunt for a hidden artifact. The author abandons the usual heroic pathos, emphasizing the characters’ weaknesses and their gradual internal growth. An ordinary magic academy here transforms into a dangerous survival zone.

This book opens the "Enchantress" series. The series consists of seven stories. The following installments include "The Enchantress of Cold," "The Enchantress of Lightning," and others. This is the very first story in the series.

The Riddle of the Redeemer

The main character, Violante Solenclaire, or simply Vilu, practices applied magic. Her skills are modest. She can only lightly charge amulets with the energy of the basic elements. One day, she receives a call from her friend, Olya. Olya possesses a genuine gift of foresight. Olya tells her friend of a new vision she has had: the Redeemer.

She is an unknown girl with black hair. She has a cross-shaped scar on her left shoulder. A drop of the Redeemer’s blood can grant immense magical power to demons and lesser beings. The Redeemer herself lives among humans, unaware of her true nature.

Vilu decides to find the mysterious bearer of the gift. The girl wants to sell the magical blood on the black market and become very rich. Olya gives her approximate location. The Redeemer is studying at an ordinary, prestigious academy. Vilu quickly arranges a transfer and sets out to find her.

New life at the academy

The Academy is striking in its colossal size. The buildings rise amidst the old autumn forest, like a separate city. Vilu moves into the women’s dormitory. She’s lucky enough to be assigned a small, single room. This used to be a laundry room. The local matrons, Meredith and Scarlet, strictly enforce a strict daily routine.

On her first day of school, Vilu gets into trouble. She addresses the young history teacher informally. Mr. Wilmore turns out to be a strict and extremely demanding teacher. Noticing Vilu’s progress, he forces her to re-study thick chapters of the textbook. Vilu becomes angry and begins to genuinely hate history.

Vilu soon notices other teachers. The math teacher and the gym teacher look too young. They have perfectly athletic physiques. The heroine begins to suspect them of being secret hunters of the Redeemer.

Vilu meets new classmates. The annoying Oddette is constantly chatting. Quiet Zoe often helps her escape Oddette’s company. A shy boy, Daren, kindly carries Vilu’s heavy textbooks. In the cafeteria, Vilu accidentally drops her books. A local bully roughly pushes her. Suddenly, another senior stands up for her, forcing the bully to pick up his fallen books. Vilu instantly warms to her protector. Later, she learns the boy’s name: Gray.

Magical threats

Oli continues to look to the future. He warns his friend of a hidden danger. The Academy is teeming with secret enemies. Oli asks Friedrich to help Vil. Friedrich is a very powerful sorcerer. Soon, the Academy’s director strengthens security. He hires a squad of Ravens.

The Ravens are artificially created demonic mercenaries in black robes. They are ruthless, powerful, and sensitive to any use of magic. Vilu is terrified of the new guards. In an empty corridor, one Raven grabs a girl. He pins her against the wall, pressing painfully on her spine. Vilu screams in piercing pain. The Raven suddenly releases her, hands over the lost pendant, and vanishes into thin air.

Oli explains the situation over the phone. This Raven is Vilu’s personal security guard. Friedrich reprogrammed the demon to protect the girl. Raven’s actions on Vilu’s spine unlocked Vilu’s hidden chakras. Now her magic should become stronger. The girl names the silent demon Raven. Soon, her magic begins to work. The door to Vilu’s room shocks all the uninvited female students with a powerful electric shock.

Friends and enemies

Vilu gives a protective pendant to a frightened, black-haired student named Elaine. Oli has a nightmare about the pendant, telling her that the amulet will explode with magic and scatter the students. Vilu secretly trades the artifact for simple jewelry. However, the next day, Elaine still repulses the bullies with an electric shock. Vilu mistakenly thinks it’s Elaine. But the student ends up in the infirmary. Vilu examines her left shoulder. The scar is gone. Elaine is not the Atonement.

Students often hold secret parties in the forest. During one gathering, Vilu spots a brunette running away. The heroine runs after her. She falls right into an earthen trap. A young groundskeeper, Kian, appears in the forest just in time. He pulls Vilu out. He’s attractive and openly flirtatious. Kian walks the heroine back to the dorm. Vilu impulsively kisses him.

Later, Kian confesses his true profession. He’s been working as a witch hunter for a long time. Kian recognized Vilu’s witchcraft after she fell in the forest. The hunter promises not to harm the girl. She’s too weak to pose a serious threat. A spark rekindles between them. They kiss. Kian abruptly pulls away, declaring their union impossible. Kian is older, he’s a hunter, and she’s a witch. Moreover, Kian knows about Gray’s attraction to Vilu.

Battles for survival

Her relationship with Gray develops rapidly. He causes a flood in the academy basement. The administration and security are completely distracted by the accident. The students escape to a Muse concert. Gray and Vilu have a great time among the fans. Another day, Gray takes Vila to a hidden flower garden. There, he gives her a pendant with a white rose. Vila is truly happy. Only a slight sense of guilt toward Kian torments her heart.

Suddenly, half the academy’s students fall into a deep, lethargic sleep. The doctors are completely helpless. Darren reveals his true hand. A shy classmate turned out to be a powerful sorcerer. He cast a powerful insomnia curse. The mass sleep was intended to lull the ordinary students and reveal the hidden Redeemer. Darren had been deliberately carrying books to Vilu for espionage. The sorcerer challenges Vilu to a fight.

Vilu calls out to Ravin. The demon instantly appears before her mistress. Daren employs a cunning ploy. The use of magic provokes a reaction from the other Raven guards. Five Ravens brutally attack Ravin. Vilu flees. Daren intercepts the girl in the depths of the forest. The sorcerer holds a cold knife to his victim’s throat. He viciously mocks Vilu’s weakness. Suddenly, Kian emerges from the trees. The hunter throws Daren aside and raises his heavy sword for execution. Vilu loudly begs for mercy for her classmate. The girl refuses to take responsibility for someone else’s death. Kian reluctantly agrees. The hunter simply cuts the spell tattoo on Daren’s stomach with his sword. The black curse lifts. The sleeping students begin to awaken.

Victims and Epiphanies

In the forest, Vilu stumbles upon Rocky. She’s another black-haired suspect. Rocky mockingly laughs at the failed detective. Right before his eyes, the girl transforms into a huge black panther. Darren attacks the beast with a magical blast. The panther’s belly is severely ripped open. The animal quickly bleeds out. Vilu orders the wounded Ravin to save the beast. The demon uses his dark energy. The wound heals. The panther disappears into the thicket.

In the academy’s hallway, Vila is attacked by aggressive Crows. The history teacher, Mr. Wilmore, notices the scuffle. A normal human bravely shields the student with his body. The Crows brutally beat the teacher. The historian hoarsely screams for Vila to run. The girl flees. The wounded teacher is rushed to the hospital.

The next day, the geography teacher hands out the final test to the class. Vilu reads the questions carefully. With growing horror, she understands the gist of it. The questions repeat word for word the very same paragraphs Mr. Wilmore had forced her to cram in the evenings. The teacher had known about the upcoming test in advance. He was simply trying to prepare a struggling student. Vilu weeps bitterly with shame in the empty hallway. She realizes her own arrogance and ingratitude. She passes the test with flying colors thanks to Wilmore’s efforts. The girl’s attitude toward learning changes forever.

Epilogue

Academic life returns to normal. The director temporarily cancels all entertainment. Vilu reads an old book on energy management, given to her by Ravin. The girl firmly understands the need to become stronger. She abandons her foolish plan to get rich off the blood of others. Now her primary goal is simple survival. She must learn to stand up for herself and her loved ones.

The book ends with a calm, bright scene. Vilu sits on a wide windowsill on the eighth floor. A girl is attentively reading a history book. Gray arrives. He thoughtfully brings his friend a hot meal. Gray jokingly asks about the historian’s nitpicking. Vilu smiles softly. She sincerely replies that history is now her favorite subject.