Puppet Strings and Promises

Skylenna, haunted by her twin sister Scarlett's death, sketches puppets to calm her panic. Scarlett's trauma at Emerald Lake Asylum and her mission to change its cruel treatments now fall to Skylenna. Driven by guilt and a promise to her sister, Skylenna steels herself for an interview at the notorious asylum, determined to face her fears and continue Scarlett's work. The memory of lighting Scarlett's house on fire, and the weight of responsibility for her death, hang over Skylenna as she prepares to enter a world of suffering, secrets, and control.

Into the Dollhouse

Skylenna is thrust into the rigid, appearance-obsessed society of Dementia, where women are expected to follow the Lady Doll Regimen—starvation, beauty rituals, and strict conformity. An older woman prepares her for the asylum interview, warning that any deviation from perfection leads to institutionalization. Skylenna, from the working-class outskirts, is now forced to play the part of a "pretty little doll," her body and identity scrutinized. The city's obsession with control and beauty foreshadows the deeper rot within its institutions.

Asylum of Shadows

The journey to the asylum is fraught with anxiety and memories of Scarlett's suffering. The imposing castle-like building, surrounded by judgmental staff, embodies the cruelty and hypocrisy of the society. Skylenna recalls Scarlett's pain and their shared promise never to leave each other. Stepping out of the carriage, Skylenna is determined to keep that promise, even as she enters a place built on the suffering and dehumanization of its patients.

Interview with the Damned

Skylenna's interview is a performance, with the head conformist Suseas and her staff probing for weakness. Rumors about Scarlett's death and Skylenna's supposed guilt surface, testing her composure. The staff's coldness and the asylum's true purpose—to contain, not cure—are revealed. Skylenna's empathy is both her greatest asset and her greatest risk, as Suseas warns that detachment is necessary to survive. Skylenna's resolve is hardened by the memory of Scarlett's compassion and suffering.

Baptism by Drowning

Suseas leads Skylenna through the treatment rooms, exposing her to hydrotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and simulated drowning. Skylenna must watch as a mute patient, Chekiss, is repeatedly drowned in the name of "treatment." The experience is harrowing, but Skylenna's outward composure impresses Suseas. Inside, she is horrified and determined to find another way. The asylum's methods are revealed as both punishment and spectacle, designed to break the will of the patients and the empathy of the staff.

The Forbidden Door

After being offered the job, Skylenna is shown the patients' rooms—each a cell of suffering. The thirteenth room, however, is strictly off-limits, shrouded in fear and secrecy. Suseas's reaction to Skylenna's curiosity is one of terror, warning her never to approach the door. The existence of a patient so dangerous that even the staff are afraid hints at deeper mysteries and the possibility of hope or horror behind the forbidden door.

City of Masks

Skylenna moves into Aurick's estate, experiencing the opulence and emptiness of city life. The Lady Doll Regimen is enforced, and the city's women are revealed as both victims and enforcers of the system. Fainting sofas line the streets for starving women, and Skylenna's own body becomes a battleground. Aurick, her benefactor, insists on conformity for her safety, but the cost is Skylenna's autonomy and identity. The city is a gilded cage, mirroring the asylum's cruelty.

Rituals of Beauty

Skylenna endures the nightly beauty rituals, stripped of agency and comfort. Alone, she is haunted by memories of abuse—her own and Scarlett's. The rituals are both a means of control and a reminder of the violence women endure. Skylenna's resolve is tested as she remembers the closet where Scarlett was imprisoned and the basement where she herself suffered. The past and present blur, fueling her determination to change the system from within.

The Snake's Smile

On her first day, Skylenna is paired with Meridei, a sadistic conformist who specializes in drowning. The other staff ostracize Skylenna, spreading rumors about her and Scarlett. The asylum's treatments are revealed as both torture and spectacle, with patients like Sun Ravendi suffering for their "correction." Skylenna's empathy isolates her, but she finds small ways to comfort the patients. The thirteenth room remains a source of fear and fascination, its secrets calling to her.

Monsters and Men

Skylenna's own history of abuse is mirrored in the patients' stories. She is assigned to Chekiss, the mute patient, and slowly builds a rapport through small acts of kindness. The line between monster and victim blurs, as Chekiss reveals he killed his family to spare them from the asylum's cruelty. Skylenna's empathy becomes a tool for survival and resistance, as she begins to see the humanity in those labeled as monsters.

Breaking the Silence

Skylenna's breakthrough with Chekiss—getting him to speak after years of silence—shakes the asylum. The council takes notice, and Judas, a powerful member, offers Skylenna a deal: use her methods to reach the most dangerous patient, the one in the thirteenth room. Skylenna's compassion is weaponized, becoming both her greatest strength and the asylum's greatest threat. The possibility of change is real, but so is the danger.

Stripped of Innocence

Skylenna's work with other patients, like Niles (who believes himself to be Cupid), exposes the deep wounds inflicted by society and the asylum. She endures a treatment herself, stripping naked and subjecting herself to hydrotherapy to earn the patients' trust. The experience is both humiliating and empowering, forging a bond of solidarity. The patients' stories—of abuse, survival, and fractured identity—mirror Skylenna's own, deepening her commitment to their cause.

Cupid's Confession

Niles reveals his own history of abuse and the twisted logic that led him to kidnap couples in search of true love. Skylenna's empathy allows him to reclaim his identity, moving beyond the persona of Cupid. The theme of love as both salvation and curse runs through the asylum, as Skylenna and the patients seek connection in a world designed to isolate and destroy them. The possibility of healing emerges, but only through confronting the ugliest truths.

The Thirteenth Patient

Skylenna is finally granted access to the thirteenth room, where she meets Dessin—a man with a split identity, feared by all. Dessin is both dangerous and magnetic, his intelligence and trauma making him both a threat and a potential ally. Their conversation is a battle of wits and wills, with Skylenna refusing to be intimidated. The connection between them is immediate and electric, hinting at a shared destiny.

The Madman's Game

Dessin and Skylenna engage in a psychological chess match, each probing the other's weaknesses and secrets. Dessin's dissociative identity disorder is both a shield and a wound, the result of unimaginable trauma. Skylenna's empathy and courage begin to break through his defenses, but the danger is real—for both of them. The asylum's power games are mirrored in their relationship, as trust and betrayal become weapons.

Pawn to King

Dessin's escape from the asylum, aided by Skylenna, sets off a chain reaction. The council and Demechnef, the ruling government, move to crush the rebellion. Skylenna's loyalty is tested as she is caught between her love for Dessin and her duty to the patients. The truth about Dessin's past—his creation as a weapon by Demechnef, his trauma, and his capacity for violence—comes to light. The line between savior and monster blurs, as Skylenna must decide where her allegiance lies.

Exile and Escape

Skylenna and Dessin (now revealed as Kane, the original host) flee into the wilderness, pursued by the authorities. Their journey is one of survival, healing, and discovery. The truth about Kane's past, his connection to Skylenna, and the existence of other alters within him are revealed. The bonds of love, trauma, and destiny tie them together, even as new dangers emerge. The promise of freedom is real, but so is the cost.

The Secrets We Keep

In the treehouse sanctuary, Skylenna and Kane find a fragile peace. The patients are freed, the asylum's power broken, but the scars remain. The emergence of a new alter, Graystone, hints at further challenges and mysteries. Skylenna's journey—from puppet to pawn to partner—culminates in a hard-won sense of agency and hope. The story ends with the promise of continued struggle, love, and the search for wholeness.

Characters

Skylenna Ambrose

Skylenna is defined by her trauma, empathy, and fierce loyalty. The death of her twin sister Scarlett propels her into the heart of Emerald Lake Asylum, where she is both an outsider and a catalyst for change. Her relationships—with Scarlett, Aurick, the patients, and especially Dessin/Kane—are shaped by her need for connection and her struggle with guilt. Skylenna's journey is one of reclaiming agency, confronting her own darkness, and learning to wield empathy as both shield and sword. Her psychological depth is rooted in her history of abuse, her artistic coping mechanisms, and her refusal to abandon those she loves, even at great personal cost.

Dessin / Kane

Dessin is the dominant alter of a man created by unimaginable violence and loss. Feared as Patient Thirteen, he is both a product and a victim of Demechnef's experiments, trained to be a weapon and broken by betrayal. His intelligence, charisma, and capacity for violence are matched by his vulnerability and longing for connection. Kane, the original host, emerges as a gentler, more remorseful presence, haunted by the deaths of his mother and brother. The interplay between Dessin, Kane, and other alters (like Graystone) reflects the complexity of dissociative identity disorder and the struggle for wholeness. His relationship with Skylenna is both redemptive and fraught, as love becomes both salvation and risk.

Scarlett Ambrose

Scarlett's suffering and death are the emotional core of Skylenna's journey. Abused by their mother, traumatized by the asylum, and ultimately driven to suicide, Scarlett embodies both the cost of cruelty and the possibility of hope. Her promise with Skylenna—to never leave each other—drives the narrative, even after her death. Scarlett's memory haunts Skylenna, shaping her actions and fueling her quest for justice. She is both a symbol of what is lost and a guide for what must be reclaimed.

Aurick Dawson

Aurick is Skylenna's benefactor and friend, offering her shelter and support in the city. His position as a Survivah bureaucrat gives him influence, but also ties him to the system's corruption. Aurick's own trauma—the loss of his fiancée, his complicated feelings for Skylenna, and his eventual violence—reveal the dangers of power and repression. His relationship with Skylenna is marked by both genuine care and the threat of control, mirroring the larger dynamics of the society.

Suseas Parlomon

Suseas embodies the institutionalized violence of the asylum. Her fear of the thirteenth room, her insistence on detachment, and her complicity in torture make her both a formidable antagonist and a tragic figure. Suseas's own vulnerabilities—her failing marriage, her moments of doubt—hint at the costs of survival in a system built on suffering. Her interactions with Skylenna are a constant negotiation of power, empathy, and fear.

Meridei

Meridei is Skylenna's primary antagonist among the staff, specializing in simulated drowning and psychological torment. Her hostility toward Skylenna, her enjoyment of cruelty, and her role in poisoning and hazing new staff make her a symbol of the asylum's rot. Meridei's own motivations are shaped by the need to survive and thrive in a world that rewards brutality, but her actions also reveal the ways in which victims become perpetrators.

Chekiss

Chekiss's story—murdering his family to spare them the asylum's fate—exposes the horror of the system. His silence is both a shield and a wound, broken only by Skylenna's persistent empathy. Chekiss's relationship with Skylenna is one of mutual recognition, as both are marked by trauma and the need for redemption. His eventual freedom is a testament to the possibility of healing, even in the darkest circumstances.

Niles Offborth (Cupid)

Niles's belief that he is Cupid, and his history of kidnapping couples, are rooted in his own experiences of sexual abuse and the search for love. His interactions with Skylenna allow him to reclaim his identity and confront his past. Niles's story highlights the ways in which trauma distorts reality, but also the possibility of recovery through connection and understanding.

Judas

Judas is a rare ally within the asylum's power structure, recognizing the potential for change in Skylenna's methods. His own history with Scarlett and his willingness to make deals reflect the complexities of survival and resistance. Judas's role is both mentor and gatekeeper, offering Skylenna opportunities while reminding her of the risks and costs.

Ruth

Ruth's arrival at the asylum and her friendship with Skylenna offer a glimpse of solidarity and support in a hostile world. Her innocence and vulnerability are tempered by courage and loyalty. Ruth's survival and escape with Skylenna and the others suggest the possibility of building new bonds and communities beyond the asylum's reach.

Plot Devices

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

The novel uses DID as a central metaphor for trauma, survival, and the struggle for wholeness. Dessin/Kane's multiple alters reflect the ways in which the mind copes with unbearable pain, but also the dangers of being seen as monstrous. The interplay between alters—Dessin, Kane, Graystone, and others—drives the narrative tension and deepens the psychological complexity. The DID is both a source of fear and a path to healing, challenging the stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental illness.

Gothic Setting and Social Satire

The Emerald Lake Asylum and the city of Dementia are gothic spaces of horror, beauty, and hypocrisy. The Lady Doll Regimen, the rituals of beauty, and the obsession with control are both literal and symbolic prisons. The setting amplifies the themes of surveillance, conformity, and the violence done to bodies and minds in the name of order. The contrast between the opulence of the city and the suffering of the asylum exposes the rot at the heart of the society.

Empathy as Rebellion

Skylenna's empathy is both her greatest vulnerability and her most powerful weapon. Her refusal to become desensitized, her insistence on seeing the humanity in the patients, and her willingness to suffer alongside them are acts of rebellion. The novel uses empathy as a plot device to challenge the logic of cruelty and to suggest the possibility of transformation, both personal and systemic.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

The recurring imagery of puppets, strings, and doors symbolizes control, agency, and the boundaries between self and other. The forbidden thirteenth room foreshadows the central mystery and the possibility of hope or horror. The use of art, memory, and ritual deepens the emotional resonance and connects the characters' personal struggles to larger themes of power and resistance.

Narrative Structure

The novel moves between past and present, memory and action, weaving together the stories of Skylenna, Scarlett, Dessin/Kane, and the other patients. The use of flashbacks, dreams, and confessions allows for a gradual revelation of secrets and motivations. The structure mirrors the fragmentation of identity and the process of healing, as the characters piece together their histories and forge new futures.

Analysis

Brandi Elise Szeker's The Pawn and the Puppet is a gothic psychological thriller that interrogates the boundaries between victim and monster, control and agency, cruelty and compassion. At its core, the novel is a meditation on trauma—how it fragments the self, distorts reality, and perpetuates cycles of violence. Through the lens of dissociative identity disorder, the story challenges the stigma surrounding mental illness, insisting on the humanity and complexity of those labeled as dangerous or broken. The asylum and the city serve as mirrors of a society obsessed with perfection, control, and the punishment of difference, exposing the ways in which systems of power dehumanize both victims and perpetrators. Skylenna's journey—from guilt-ridden survivor to empathetic rebel—offers a blueprint for resistance, suggesting that healing is possible only through the refusal to turn away from suffering, the willingness to bear witness, and the courage to love in the face of despair. The novel's emotional arc is one of descent into darkness and the hard-won emergence into hope, leaving readers with the lesson that freedom is not the absence of pain, but the reclamation of agency and the forging of new bonds in the aftermath of loss.

Last updated: October 13, 2025