by Peter Straub
First published 2003
Two friends venture deep into the Vermont wilderness for what they believe will be an educational summer. They arrive at a remote house where a Master Magician has agreed to teach them his craft. The lessons begin innocuously enough, but the friends soon discover they are learning far more than basic tricks and illusions. Their mentor introduces them to secrets that should remain hidden, drawing them into a world where ancient evil predates death itself. The dark forces they encounter prove more real and more terrifying than anything they imagined possible. As the season progresses, the friends realize they have entered something they cannot easily escape. The evil surrounding them grows stronger, and survival becomes uncertain. Only one of them will emerge from this apprenticeship alive.
Genres: mystery, horror, supernatural, dark-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: dark-academia, found-family
Setting: Vermont
Period: 20th-century
14 pages · Audio Cassette · Chivers Sound Library
Content warnings: violence