"The Puppeteer" by Tatyana Korsakova, summary Automatic translate

This book is a mystical thriller set in 2024, blending the rich atmosphere of Slavic folklore with detective intrigue. The action unfolds around an anomalous swamp zone that blurs the boundaries of time and physical reality. This book is part of the author’s "Mary" series. It is the second in the cycle, continuing the events of the novel "Mary" and preceding the finale in "Puppets."

The Riddle of Snake Pool

Businessman Stepan Tuchnikov, who answers to the name Stef, and black digger Ares arrive at an old house near Zmeina Zavod. Their main goal is to explore the dangerous swamp. They are accompanied by a local resident, Agrafena. Agrafena possesses an astonishing ability: she can unerringly remember faces under any mask and intuitively navigates the swamp thanks to a genetic connection to her great-grandfather, Seraphim.

Stef is trying to unravel a family secret. During the war, his grandfather miraculously survived in these dark lands, but the young nurse, Stesha, who saved him, disappeared. Recently, Stef acquired an old army canteen at auction. Inside was a fresh note from Stesha. This incredible fact convinced Stef that she was still alive and trapped in a temporal anomaly.

On the eve of the expedition, they are joined by the Commander, an experienced and cynical searcher from Moscow. He tells the terrifying story of an SS company that perished in these parts along with Stesha and the German soldier Felix Fischer. The Germans were fanatically searching for a local source of power, forcing the girl to lead them through the quagmire. Stesha sacrificed herself to save her family — her grandmother Marfa and her younger sister Katyusha. That night, the Commander disappears without a trace, stealing a priceless artifact from the house — the relic skull of a giant serpent.

Invasion of the swamp

The group boldly sets out in the Commander’s footsteps. The zone’s unique climate immediately makes itself felt — the scorching heat and the complete absence of sound quickly disorient the travelers. At the edge of the swamp, they find the mummified body of a German officer, bearing bite marks from marivkas — dangerous swamp monsters that feed on memories and lives.

That night, the heroes encounter a new, far more serious threat. The uglariki (smoke-bug) — former local residents who have transformed into fiery undead after a horrific death in the burning peat bogs — come to the house. Local nurse Anyuta and carpenter Vasily, still possessing the pitiful remnants of human consciousness, deliver a message from the owner of the peat bogs. They demand that the people leave.

Soon, the squad is attacked by a pack of giant dogs, their bodies covered in impenetrable steel scales. The animals act in unison and with remarkable intelligence. They carefully push Agrafena toward an old wooden boat at the water’s edge. The girl jumps inside, and an invisible, powerful force instantly drags her to the bottom. Ares falls into profound despair, but Stef maintains an icy composure, understanding the mystical nature of the incident.

Master of the Shadow World

Upon returning to the house, the men discover Anton Pavlovich standing on the porch. This elderly, intelligent man is widely known in certain circles as the Puppeteer — a cruel and virtually omnipotent leader of the criminal underworld. The old man firmly asserts his rights to the house by the backwater and insists on Stef and Ares’s immediate departure.

The Puppeteer possesses profound and sinister knowledge of the swamp anomaly. He openly states that the interference of mere mortals greatly angers an ancient entity named Mary. The old man unsuccessfully attempts to bribe Ares with an expensive painting, masterfully painted by Agrafena under the pseudonym Phoenix Graywing.

The conflict is abruptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of Veronica and her friend Galliano. Bold and self-assured, Veronica openly calls the dreaded Puppeteer "Uncle Tosha." The girl is Stesha’s great-niece and possesses a very powerful magical gift. Veronica drives the old man away, declaring that she will deal with the cursed swamp herself and save her friends.

Voices from another dimension

Inside the house, Stef turns on a portable radio frequency scanner. Veronica’s magic acts as a repeater — a device that receives and amplifies a signal — and the equipment begins to intercept radio broadcasts from the parallel dimension. Agrafena’s cheerful voice breaks through the terrible radio interference. The girl joyfully reports that she has survived and is with Stesha on a floating green island.

Agrafena describes a strange, frozen world where time is completely nonexistent. The island itself turns out to be the lumpy back of a giant fish, sleeping on the seabed. This place was created by Mary herself — an intelligent and capricious entity of the swamp. Communication is quickly severed due to the aggressive intervention of the Thirteenth, the fiery master of the peat bogs.

Veronica uses her pet snowy owl, Busya, as a guide for souls. The bird easily pierces the magical fog and delivers encouraging messages to the prisoners. On her return, the owl brings a bone amulet in the shape of a snake, skillfully carved by the blessed Seraphim. This ancient artifact serves as a kind of key for passage between worlds.

Crossing the Water Gates

Veronica uses the artifact to reestablish direct contact with Marya. She resonates with the spirits and summons a localized downpour with the help of wading ducks. The rain drives away the fiery embers and forms a small, deep lake. The pool serves as a secure gateway to the dimension of sleeping fish.

The brave heroes swim across the fragile boundary between worlds. In the cold, black water, they are constantly accompanied by an ancient Guardian — a monster that takes the form of a gigantic underwater dragon. The creature graciously allows the swimmers to pass, recognizing Veronica as the rightful heir to the swamp’s magic.

Having reached the rocky, glaucous shore, the team joyfully reunites with Agrafena and Stesha. The joy of their reunion is marred by the sudden appearance of the marivaria. The eerie children declare that Marya will never let her captives go. The swamp entity constantly feeds on their bright dreams and vivid emotions. For someone to leave safely, someone else must voluntarily remain.

The Redemption of Seraphim

Kind Stesha decides to sacrifice herself. She feels completely out of place in the harsh realities of the twenty-first century. Stef tries unsuccessfully to dissuade her. Suddenly, the Puppeteer emerges from the thick fog. The old man calmly announces that he will forever take Stesha’s place in the swamp trap.

Veronica suddenly perceives the old man’s true nature. Many decades ago, he was the same naive, blessed Seraphim. To save his uncle Gordey, who had become a fuming idiot, the young man made a cruel deal with Marya. He forever gave his living soul to the swamp in exchange for a brilliant, sharp mind and incredible longevity.

The soulless Seraphim quickly became a cynical Puppeteer. Throughout his unbearably long life, he secretly cared for his family’s descendants. Now the old man has decided to repay an old debt. A meeting with Stesha and a sincere, bright forgiveness awakens a long-lost soul within him. Seraphim finds long-awaited peace and remains on the island, allowing the others to return home.

Echoes of ancient magic

A year passes. The lives of all the characters change dramatically. Agrafena enjoys her well-deserved fame as a successful artist. Veronica boldly assumes control of Serafim’s colossal financial empire. The experienced Stef helps her quickly reorganize the criminal enterprise into a legitimate corporate structure, conducting a thorough audit and compliance check of all financial activities for strict compliance with the law.

Stesha adapts easily to modern urban realities. She lives in a restored house near a backwater with her swamp dog, Zveryonysh, and is preparing for her entrance exams to medical school. Stef deliberately maintains a cool distance, mistakenly believing that the beauty’s heart is still occupied by his late grandfather.

Everything changes during a raucous evening concert at the Toska bar. Stesha boldly steps onto the stage with her enormous dog. While performing a song, she catches Stef’s eye with a lingering gaze. The hall instantly fills with wild, untamed swamp magic. Stesha’s eyes darken, glass bottles explode from the colossal tension, and the faithful dog’s skin becomes covered in steel scales. The ancient power of MarI is unleashed, forever intertwining the destinies of the heroes.