Yuliya Khlynina

In a fairytale kingdom, in a small hut on a marsh, lives a ginger-haired witch Yaga along with her inventor cat and merry house elves. Yaga is trying to get better at magic, but in order to cast spells like a pro she needs her Book of Spells, stolen many years ago by the evil sorceress Belladonna. One day, an unexpected visit from Princess Sapphire offers Yaga a chance to get even with her sworn enemy. The outcome will prove the true power of genuine magic, and decide who the real villain is.

Returning to Saint Petersburg after a long exile, the dashing Yakovlev, a retired army officer, makes a comfortable living by winning other people's duels. An enigmatic, focused, and extremely skilled professional, he leaves a trail of dead bodies behind him as he swirls through polite society, frequently called upon to wield a pistol as a surrogate in duels at dawn. But when Yakovlev meets the naïve young Prince Tuchov and his beautiful sister, Princess Martha, the normally cold-hearted mercenary is surprised by hitherto undetected emotions. What transpires uncovers a series of revelations about his past and his present self.