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A review by maheen_m
The Pawn and The Puppet by Brandi Elise Szeker
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
look i don't know what kind of crack this author put in this book, but i devoured this.
the story follows skylenna (sorry but what is that name? ðŸ˜âœ‹) and the mysterious hawt patient 13 as skylenna works here way through the dreaded asylum to help the patients, rather than torture them the way that the asylum instructs them to. all the patients are there because they either have committed crimes or they just don't fit in with the way society dictates them to.
the fantasy element was quite subtle in my opinion, we don't get much apart from the mysterious powers patient 13 has - and even that's not magic, he can just resist all forms of torture.
dessin was really well written (patient 13) and he was really charismatic. i loved the chemistry with sky, it was well developed and fully written out. no insta love here!
now.. the DID thing has me confused as hell. first we see that dessin is the more dominant alter, protecting the weaker one, kane. i loved kane too, he was such a sweetheart (like an old soul). but greystone?? at the end?? i am scared for sky he is a literal creeep.
how scary though - you fall in love with dessin, really like kane and then he changes and has a complete different personality?? stop because i'm scareddddd. how will it be resolved? will all the alters just live together and pop out when they like?
anyway, the plot was a bit all over the place, i still don't know where it's going; it kind of bounced from the asylum to sky's sister to the general soceity and i have no clue what really happened. i was here for dessin and sky tbh. it was really interesting though - for her first book the author managed to keep me captivated.
i would check cw's because it is quite graphic with torture at times, and it mentions assault and abuse quite a bit.
4.75 stars! buzzing for the second one!! (less)
the story follows skylenna (sorry but what is that name? ðŸ˜âœ‹) and the mysterious hawt patient 13 as skylenna works here way through the dreaded asylum to help the patients, rather than torture them the way that the asylum instructs them to. all the patients are there because they either have committed crimes or they just don't fit in with the way society dictates them to.
the fantasy element was quite subtle in my opinion, we don't get much apart from the mysterious powers patient 13 has - and even that's not magic, he can just resist all forms of torture.
dessin was really well written (patient 13) and he was really charismatic. i loved the chemistry with sky, it was well developed and fully written out. no insta love here!
now.. the DID thing has me confused as hell. first we see that dessin is the more dominant alter, protecting the weaker one, kane. i loved kane too, he was such a sweetheart (like an old soul). but greystone?? at the end?? i am scared for sky he is a literal creeep.
how scary though - you fall in love with dessin, really like kane and then he changes and has a complete different personality?? stop because i'm scareddddd. how will it be resolved? will all the alters just live together and pop out when they like?
anyway, the plot was a bit all over the place, i still don't know where it's going; it kind of bounced from the asylum to sky's sister to the general soceity and i have no clue what really happened. i was here for dessin and sky tbh. it was really interesting though - for her first book the author managed to keep me captivated.
i would check cw's because it is quite graphic with torture at times, and it mentions assault and abuse quite a bit.
4.75 stars! buzzing for the second one!! (less)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia