The Doll and The Domination

The Pawn and The Puppet #4

by Brandi Elise Szeker, Lara Gathmann (Translator)

Als Skylenna, Dessin und ihre Freunde einen entscheidenden Fehler an Bord eines feindlichen Kriegsschiffs machen, landen sie in den höllischen Käfigen des Vexamen-Gefängnisses. Dort gibt es alles, von Vergnügungshaus-Nächten bis hin zu öffentlichen Hinrichtungen. Was passiert, wenn Patient Dreizehn nicht der einzige Großmeister ist, der das Spiel genießt? Lerne Kaspias Valdawell kennen, den Zwillingsbruder von Kane, aufgezogen von den wahnsinnigen Führern der Vexemen, um den perfekten Kommandanten zu erschaffen. Er ist der ultimative Aufseher für seine besonderen Insassen. Während ihres Aufenthalts kämpfen Dessin und Skylenna darum, ihre Familie zu schützen, Skylennas neue Fähigkeiten im Kampf zu verstehen und den bedrohlichen Methoden ihrer neuen Gefangenschaft zu widerstehen. Werden sie Zeit haben, um eine große Flucht zu planen? Oder wird diese grausame Gefangenschaft das geschickteste Spiel von Patient Dreizehn dominieren und sie zu gehorsamen Puppen in einem Zirkus machen?

Genres: Dark Romance, Fantasy, Romance, Dark, Dystopia, Romantasy, Mystery Thriller

380 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[itsjessamess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can‘t even describe how I feel right now… I‘m so fckn heartbroken
I‘ve been crying the whole night

[Teodora · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word.. EPIC ❗️🔥

This book series took the biggest turn imaginable. When I compare the fourth book to the first one, there are barely any similarities, which in my opinion is a good thing. Brandi created a big plot and perfectly scattered it across the whole series because as I adventured through the books, I’ve noticed how everything slowly came together until it all made sense. And trust me, you will have thousand questions once you start this series but that’s the beauty of it. Being left in the dark only to discover how meaningful their journey really is.
That’s what it feels like to be part of the ‘TP&TP Series’. 🎭

The fourth book genuinely had the best ‘found family’ trope I’ve EVER read. I was there with them the whole time. I was part of their team. I laughed, cried and feared with them. I felt their family bond grow stronger each passing day until it was unbreakable.
When I started this series I never thought it would end up being this crazy fantasy-prophecy journey with two destined soulmates that the world constantly wants to break apart. I’ve loved it from the moment when book 2 started mentioning “soulmates”. I knew from the moment when Skylenna and Dessin’s eyes met that their bond would both captivate and destroy me.
I was drawn into their world so fast, I didn’t know how to get out and neither did I want to.

I’ve finished every single book at 3-4 am, my god that’s how invested I was.
I’ve grown to love every single character in a different way and it breaks my heart to know what they all went through. The characters we lost, the characters we still have by our sides, I’ll never forget them. Everyone (ok not EVERYONE haha) deserves their own happy ending.

Thank you for putting your heart and soul into this beautiful story, Brandi. You truly never disappoint and I’m so happy my reading journey brought me to your books. You have a beautiful mind and continue to share it with the whole world ♥️

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

*major spoilers*

From for the vast majority of book 4, Skylenna and her friends are imprisoned on enemy territory. They suffer through torture, starvation, dismemberment, cruel games, and THEN SOME. Not only that, but them being in the prison for so long did NOTHING to progress the plot. It really felt like they were needlessly tortured, and for chapters upon chapters, they made no attempts to escape. They hint at a plan to escape at the beginning of the book, putting Skylenna in charge of removing the magnets in their ears (which she conveniently never does), but other than that, they are just sitting ducks in their cages.
As the reader, I wanted so badly for them to just get through this so that Skylenna and Dessin/Kane can have their happy ending.

Having said that, I have never been so disappointed by the ending of a book. Skylenna and Dessin have been through HELL, and hooray they win the war but at what cost?? Dessin/Kane gets put in a coma for at least 21 years?? And the explanation was "we injected him with something that would put him in a coma if he slept with you." How does that make sense?? Him putting his peen in Skylenna magically puts him in a COMA for that many years??? Why was this the ending? Did we, the readers, not deserve to see them happily together after all the heartache we endured from reading these past 4 books? I am crushed. I can't even bring myself to read the next books that are currently unreleased. 21 years is far too long for them to be separated, he couldn't even raise his own children! They didn't deserve this, and we didn't deserve this.

[SAV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t talk to me, I’m so upset

[Kaley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first three books of this series, but this book really disappointed me. I’m just holding out hope for the next one to fix whatever that ending and epilogue was.

[ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

ONCE A-FUCKING-GAIN GOODREADS CLOSES WHEN IM IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF MY REVIEW. ITS BS.

Anyway,

-stares into the void-

You know what? For the first 37% of the book, and yes I checked at what page I lost all fucks, the book was gaining my respect back. The new location, the addition of multi-POV, and fleshing out the side characters? It was giving actual thought out book. I was VIBING.

However, the entire middle of this book gets right back to -sighs-. The carnival of crazy is another hard right turn in this series attempting to be too many things. It was just unnecessary for a lot of it. Too shocking to be shocking, too whimsy and weird in other places. And, tbc, I'm not talking about the smut. Just, the whole thing. At one point, I highlighted a passage, and just in the annotated notes on my kindle wrote. "James McAvoy who? Split part 2?" Because that's where this goes btw. This thriller mystery turned botched fantasy has now turned into a carnival gore show with poorly constructed mental health issues.

But, BUT, once we got to the bit where the script is flipped on Des, I got pulled back in. It was different finally, it was actually coping with trauma. Even though, it he logistics of getting there is so messy. Not to mention how it affects the end? (The bs meter went off big time.) I liked the escape, I liked the brother at the end, even tho getting him that way was also hella msssy and bs meter. I even good tolerate the battle and how it ended... up until that last few paragraphs.

Sis, cus? Mi amiga... stop please. You could've ended it there. It would've honestly been better to make them work hard for it back because more real. But, the snatch at the end? It's not me being salty, it's me being TIRED. I'm 28, and I suddenly felt like old Ross on the Titanic.

AND SPOILER....






How does a chemical torture suddenly make someone go into a coma cause their dick gets wet?

Should've been a well planned duology sis! Why are we still doing this?

***My one positive note I will give is Niles is a great character. Made me choke laugh several times. There are good characters in this series.

[Jessica Rodriguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved this book. Until the last fucking chapter. I have no words. I devoured this series and was so excited to see how it would pan out. And I just so upset.

[Dariann McBurney · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I want to thank the author for the ARC. Secondly, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!? 😩😭😭😭

This book, no scratch that, THIS SERIES, has been written to perfection. Literal freaking perfection & to not spoil anything for anyone, I’m not going to go into full detail.

From the beginning, this book consumed me, mind, body and soul. There’s laughs, there’s tears, there’s action, there’s smut 😏, there’s just so. much. stuff to unpack. I have to say, this book was the most heart wrenching of them all. I have never screamed, cried, laughed and wanted to throw my kindle so much. From the very first page, I was sucked into this book. Reality was a thing of the past because I was too busy living in Dessin & Skylennas world. The amount of crap they had to go through, physically, mentally and emotionally in this book was rough to say the least. I really enjoyed the story line and the obstacles they had to overcome. Reading about the all of the lies, heartbreak, challenges they had to conquer, people they had to defeat, wars they fought, creatures they had to escape from, ETCCCCC. Was so consuming and I’m so fucking heartbroken right now though. I’ve honestly never felt so freaking betrayed. 😭😩 they went through so much for THAT?!?! THATS the ending they get?? Like come onnnnnn. You’re kidding right?? Say sike right now….Please say sike. 😭😩🥲

My rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Betrayal rating:😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

Definitely, undoubtedly recommend this series. Just be prepared okay? 😭

[Sahara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the most absurd story, with no real plot. I think the author tried to add as many genres as she could without proofreading anything. So much of nothing happened on repeat 🙂

[Booktastically Amazing · Rating 2 out of 5]

2024 is beginning horribly with these book omg

[Mattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shite. I just finished it and I'm really not sure what to say. It ripped my heart out and stomped on it. Left me hanging. Had me sobbing. Had me laughing. All in the best possible ways. I love these characters so much. All the stuff they go through, breaks my heart. I'm so so ready for the next books! Not a want, but a need!

[always reading ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this series when it started. It was original and unique. But this was a trainwreck, and the whole series has slowly gone downhill. I was so disappointed to slog through just to find out it got drug out more. The majority of this book was unnecessary brutality, violence, and smut.

[Ellie Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts were so cringe I genuinely had to put the book down and sorry that ending? Stop dragging it out ffs

⭐️⭐️⭐️

[J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I painfully got through the entire series just to reach the end of the 4th book and audibly gasp bc what the fk
Kanes has kids w the love of his live and doesn’t even get to raise them and be the good dad his evil af dad never was??? That’s so unfair on the character

There are so many things that don’t make sense

Phoenix plant explanation - why does skylenna just have this plant btw in a place that isn’t magical how does she even know what it does???
How would the injection know when dessin was intimate with her??
Where is daiszek while all this is happening??
Why did it take months for her to think of taking him to the waterfall???
Jude was never rly explained he’s just all knowing or what ?
Who even wrote the prophecy? Where does it come from ?
The tribe they thought didn’t exist wasn’t rly mentioned much or its importance
Reason for war makes no sense?
When skylenna finds her memories she’s meant to be a baddass who was trained by Kane since she was a kid and can’t even lift a sword and complains it’s heavy ??
Warrior angels battle vs good and evil
??? Dementia vs vexehem???
Like what is this war even for ??
The gravity is not big enough
Ur telling me all these people are going to war to support Kane and skylenna just cus they’re in love ?
Or that they’re angels sent from god to do what exactly ? What’s the REASON

AND THAT ENDING
the twins better go back in time and stop dessin from getting injected or ima throw hands

[Lilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

holy f*ck. what was thatttt.
i am still not sure how i feel about this series. it pulled me under but now i finished all published books and feel so damn lost.
the whole story contains torture and at some points it gets a bit too much, not because it is too gory but because the aftermath is too brutal for some characters. they live under extreme conditions and some times i think it is a bit over the top. all in all its a crazy story but i didn’t like the ending:(

[Alyssa fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve cried many times in this new year and 95% of it was because of this book. This series is so well written that it really pulls you in. I swear, sometimes it feels like skylenna is pulling you into the void so you’re able to really live what’s happening. I never knew what was going to happen next. characters ripped my heart out that I didn’t think we’re going to.
I had a huge countdown for this book. I was biting to the nail for Amazon too release it. This is by far one the best book I’ve read in a while. I reread the first three in anticipation for this book, and it still did not prepare me for the twist and turns that happened. I had a nickel for every time I gasped, or my hand flew to my mouth I would be rich. I’m trying so hard not to give spoilers, but oh my God, if you’re not reading this series, I don’t know what you’re doing.
This book in particular in the series, so I’ve the new things that were introduced. Everything that was for them to go through was so creatively done, and so meticulously wielded to allow the characters to grow in the absolute best way possible. Everyone of the characters are in my heart for the rest of my life. Reading what they go through how they handle it and what drives them really pulls you into the family as well. So when they’re crying out when they’re in a group or when they’re running after one another, you’re there every step of the way. To be able to write that way is so magical. Even with everything that I’m saying, I still feel that I am unable to express just how much this book impacted me and how much I love it. I feel heartbroken, curious, excited and filled with pins and needles. I can’t wait for the fifth book to come out to see what happens. Because even though I’m excited for the next book, I’m so angry on behalf of the characters. the epilogue had me in a chokehold. I literally screamed and that was after having used even more tissues to try to calm myself down from what I just read.
The carnival of emotions that I have been thrown through during this book renders me speechless. I hope everyone is able to experience this series.

Update: five minutes later: I’m sitting here PHYSICALLY nausea over the emotional trauma I have endured from this BOOK! My family thinks I’m crazy “it’s just a book” *insert ur crazy look* it doesn’t feel like a book!!!!! Feels like imma be patient 14 for my heartbreak. I swear I get to invested but I can’t help it it’s to good and the writing makes u have no choice but to love them

[Kainat Ish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg, what!!!!!!!!!
This was truly epic , the suspense build up around the prophecy and the war did not disappoint but my sweet Nightingale 😭 .
The only point I didn't like was the slow drag I mean they could've done something while they were in the enemy territory but I think the torture and all was necessary for the found family trope to sit in .
My heart aches for Ruth , wth!
Also the ending, Skylenna deserves so much better please miss author you're paying for my therapy. A ran to get the next book since it was supposed to be out on 1st of this month but then I checked the authors profile and it's been postponed and I'm devastated.
Definitely worth investing your time in. This series literally has me hooked !

[Brittany |planted.library · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 12:30am and I have once again stayed up too late because I can’t get enough of this series. I have laughed, gotten angry, and just finishing balling my eyes out. And now I’m sitting here in disbelief. I fear I may never emotionally recover from this.

This world just doesn’t cease to amaze me. There is so many twists and turns, and different key points to the plot. And this is honestly a work of art, I love when a series like this can keep me on the edge of my seat.

I am desperate for more, I love each and every side character, and I want to read more…but yet I also find myself tempted to leave this as is. Remain heartbroken, traumatized, and full of love for Skylenna, Dessin, Kane and every person in their family

[Belén Nova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amé todo en este libro. Cada cosa por la que iban pasando, la iba viviendo junto a ellos, pero el final... Dios, el final me destrozó. No me importa que haya un quinto libro en el que Kane/Dessin pueda despertar. No pudo ver a Skylena embarazada, ni criar a sus bebés. Ganaron la guerra para qué? No tuvieron su final feliz 😭 Odié el final, pudo ser mejor. Incluso, podría haber quedado herido o en coma por algún golpe en la guerra, pero en serio por algo que le inyectaron? Después de todo lo que pasaron me parece ridículo

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finally finished the pawn and the puppet series back to back, let me tell you something - I’ve cried, my heart has been broken, it’s been fixed again then it was shattered into millions of tiny pieces. I don’t think I will ever recover!

My love for Kane/Dessin has grown so much in these 4 books, the plot was a fucking rollercoaster which left me hooked.

Skylenna is a bad bitch and I understand why Kane loves her, that’s all I’m gonna say about her

I NEED BOOK 5

[Cortney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Genuinely feel like I wasted my time reading this series after finishing this book. A major disappointment and the characters deserved so much better. After everything they went through THAT is how it ends? Truly an awful end to what was a super unique story.

[Isobel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t cope with the sad ending after too much heartbreak throughout the book…

[Nessa☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

what did I just read there..?

[Gretaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book and series would have been an easy five star read but what the fuck was this end??? Why the hell would you let characters go through hell so many damn times and then not letting them have their happy ending? The story was fantastic and heartbreaking and so good to read. I loved the way Skylenna was finally strong and independent. And Dessin was so proud of her. She had the biggest character development and i loved it. From the shy girl that always needed the protection from Dessin to the independent woman who lead a whole army by herself. And Dessin is just as brave as her. I loved the way they were as a couple.
But why the hell should they get a ending like this? I am just dissapointed with the way their story ended. No doubt Skylenna did a great job raising the kids but thats just too damn sad.

All in all without this ending it would have easily been a five star read but because of the ending only four stars.

[Allee Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The whiplash of emotions this book gave me … I love it. The little twists & turns at every corner, I couldn’t hardly keep up … but like … in a good way?? It doesn’t make sense but read this book & you’ll get what I’m saying lol can’t wait for book 5 to come out, onto book 4.5 while we wait!

[April Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandi, what did u do to me. My heart is broken. I can't wait to read the other 2 books. This is a must read series

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚠️⚠️Check all TW⚠️⚠️
This was such a good book. I enjoyed it so much, I highly recommend this book. Brandi you outdid yourself once again.

[Jesica Baier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously my heart cannot take the twists and turns. Anxiously awaiting the next book.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just....why?
Why breaking my heart like this?! I CAN'T!

[Alyssa Geibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I thought the last books took me on an emotional roller coaster, I was dead wrong. I’ve never laughed, cried, or been on the edge of my seat like this book. I can’t believe the ending and the next book can’t come soon enough!