Irina Syromyatnikova is one of Moscow’s finest writers of science fiction and fantasy. In Russia, “My Path to Magic” is a very popular series of three novels in the subgenre of technomagic. The first book of the same name is followed by “A Combat Alchemist” and “Benefits of the Dark Side.” Against a backdrop of numerous fantasy novels, this book stands out as a wolfhound among lapdogs. It features intrigue, eclectic ambience, easily relatable characters, a detailed and convincingly pictured world, and a balanced, well-developed plot. The number of characters is not so large as to get lost in them, but not so few as to lose interest. The series stands out as a surprisingly strong technofantasy