Name: The Pawn and the Puppet
Rating: 3.56 (50 reviews)
ISBN: 9798985593402

Brandi Szeker

The Pawn and the Puppet

Brandi Elise Szeker

The Emerald Lake Asylum is not a place most desire to go. Nineteen year old, Skylenna, however, made a promise that she must keep. Once hired, she only has one purpose—prove to the council that barbaric treatments, such as waterboarding, scalding baths, and beatings, are no longer the answer. But that all takes pause when she meets the source of terror in the asylum. A patient with a split personality—on one side, he’s the bloodthirsty genius, Dessin. On the other, a hidden persona that is buried deep in his subconscious.

When Dessin is caught in an attempted cell break, he faces execution if Skylenna can’t bring out his core personality and reveal his humanity. She has ninety days to save his life, and the only way to do that is to let him consume her into his world of moves, counter-moves, and master puppeteering.

With each passing day, their bond deepens, a forbidden attraction forming against her best judgments. Little by little, Skylenna uncovers the sinister secrets of his past that turned him into the monster everyone else fears. And Dessin proves to have one weakness despite the terrifying, indestructible persona he presents to the world: her.

The Pawn and The Puppet #1

The Pawn and The Puppet

Triandafylia 🎃

I could not put down this book! I read it in two days! I loved everything about it. It is extremely dark which is my kind of book. I loved the story lines and the characters. I usually read books that are very spicy and for once I was surprisingly happy that this wasn’t all spice. Brandi has built up the sexual tension which I loved 😍 I hope they act on it in the second book!! 
I also want to add that I was reading some reviews and I was confused as to why so many people complained about how dark it was. This book has Trigger warnings. Literally in the beginning of the book and in the synopsis. If you are sensitive then this book isn’t for you. Brandi Szeker did an amazing job with this book! I can’t wait for book two! 🖤

Lisa <3

- transphobic 
- lack of world building 
- definitely lack of research 

+ i did like the characters 

Franccesca Jimenez 

You guys have NO IDEA how hard it was for me to review this book. I still don't know if I should give it 2 stars or 3 stars.

It wasn't an easy read. The writing style is quite difficult to understand and the world-building from the start is so strange. I could never figure out if they had electricity or not, why they used candles, or the buggy (is it a small car, a golf cart, or a small van?). I never understood in what time it is, medieval times or more 1900s?
Then we have the settings with the society, their mindsets, and characters. Why, God why, the fatphobia? I mean I get it, shock value, but the way it was described... just no. Then we have everyone being just so sexist, AND OK WITH IT. No one thinks different? Does no one do anything? I don't know, again, weird.
The characters have potential... THEY REALLY DO HAVE POTENTIAL BUT THEY JUST DIDN'T GET WHAT THEY NEEDED TO REALLY SHINE. I'm talking about the asylum patients, ok. If they would have had more spotlight or BETTER WRITING, they could've been AMAZING. The backstories were dark and twisted (again, better writing, no transphobia or anything) and it could've been a total hit.
Now, Skylenna (our main FMC)... pick me girl at its finest butttt I'm not entirely mad at her being like that. I just got bored of her, her personality fell flat and I only got excited reading about her about two times (won't say cause spoiler).
Patient 13, the one we were all excited to meet thanks to Booktok and Brandi really made him be ALL THAT we could ever want to read. He was interesting... but I can't say I love him? I mean yeah, the DID part is refreshing and different, he's in an Asylum and supposedly the most dangerous one. But, like everything else, the writing just makes the characters (even the main ones), fall flat.
THE PLOT. Where was it? Cause we just went from one to another and the story always changed. Especially in that ending. I just... expected more.

I'll be reading the next book cause I really do see this book having potential IF written properly, staying to one plot and better character appreciation. So yeah, 2.5 stars.

Delaney Rietveld

I was really looking forward to this book. I wish I could say I loved it, that I enjoyed reading it... AND I TOTALLY DID OMIGOSH!!!! This book was SUCH a fun read! The story sucks you in, so much that I couldn't stop thinking about it well after I finished it.

I absolutely love reading books about smart characters, and the character of Dessin certainly delivered. I cannot get over how clever an idea it was to make the love interest a patient with DID. (And the twist at the end?! Holy cats) I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out, along with anything else Brandi writes. Such a good read!

Adele 

Very invested in this series. There are a few parts of the story that didn’t quite add up or come together properly, but still I enjoyed it. The slow burn is sloooow. And the Spotify playlist was an excellent added feature. I love when Authors take the time to create them! 
So yeah, I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book (the spice to come is surely going to be excellent!!!)
That ending though…CRAAZYY. Okay, I need book 2 like now . 

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Well, I'm running on 2 hours of sleep after binging this book. Um, WHAT DID I EVEN READ?! Miss @brandibookthought, where have you been hiding?

Most of this story is set in an asylum, in which our fmc, Skylenna, gets a job. She's there to change the ways patients are treated and say goodbye to torturous treatments. She starts making progress until she meets Patient 13, a man with a split personality who's the terror of the asylum. Unfortunately, once Patient 13 shows he can escape, Skylenna gets a warning: 90 days to reach his core personality or he'll be executed. Slowly, their bond gets stronger as they start to open up about their past traumas and secrets that are sinister.

I'm in true awe at the story telling and world-building. From the first few chapters, I was desperate to find out what the fuck was happening. Brandi became the puppeteer with her masterful way of trapping the reader in this sinister world where you have no idea what's coming.

The slow-burn made me burn for the romance. We get just a hint, but the tension is always there from the start. I don't even know how to process this story, the romance, the characters... I'm at a loss and confused as heck! My mouth dropped wide open with some revelations and my mind is still reeling!

Excuse me while I go hound the author to write book 2 because I need answers, as well as more from these characters that I now want to protect with my very being, even if I won't survive the aftermath.

Ashley Hernandez

Finished in a day and a half, so happy we only have to wait until June for the next book! Compelling characters, beautiful world building and intense plot. 

The Pawn and the Puppet

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