Old Soul by Susan Barker Summary, Characters and Themes
Old Soul by Susan Barker is a psychological and metaphysical novel that intertwines speculative horror, mysticism, and emotional trauma.
Set across shifting geographies and timelines, the novel explores the lingering imprint of a malevolent, ancient force known as the Tyrant, which invades lives through visions, possession, and mysterious deaths. Structured as a blend of testimonies and a haunting desert journey, the story unfurls like a puzzle—each chapter revealing more of the truth behind spiritual corruption and cyclical evil. Told through fragmented narratives and haunted perspectives, Barker crafts an eerie meditation on grief, identity, reincarnation, and the cosmic weight of human suffering.
Summary
Old Soul opens in the high desert of Taos County, New Mexico, in 1982, with a contemplative scene between two characters—referred to only as “T” and “E.”
They discuss Venus, its symbolic significance, and its destructive beauty. This quiet, enigmatic prologue establishes the novel’s central tension between cosmic mystery and intimate human suffering.
From there, the narrative unfolds in alternating patterns: personal testimonies intercut with episodes titled “Badlands,” which trace a sinister journey through the New Mexico wilderness.
The first testimony belongs to Mariko, a refined and reclusive woman who misses a flight and unexpectedly meets Jake at an airport hotel.
Over dinner and drinks, Mariko reveals a tragic and surreal tale involving her twin brother Hiroji, who died under uncanny circumstances.
She also recounts a haunting encounter with a mysterious woman named Damaris. After this cathartic confession, she disappears, leaving Jake bewildered and intrigued.
In the Badlands, a dark-haired woman travels with Rosa, a bright, idealistic teenager with dreams of becoming a spiritual influencer.
The woman appears supportive but conceals deeper intentions. As they venture further into the desert, Rosa’s excitement turns to dread.
The woman’s charisma masks a cold, methodical drive, suggesting she is a vessel or agent for something far more sinister.
Further testimonies—Sigrid, Bedwyr, and Jürgen—each contribute pieces of the puzzle.
Sigrid, Hiroji’s widow, shares her tumultuous life with him, the emotional toll of his infidelities, and her own strange encounter with Damaris.
Bedwyr and Jürgen add more fragmented accounts of uncanny experiences, many tied to a woman who may be eternal or otherworldly.
A shadowy force—the Tyrant—emerges as a recurring presence across generations and continents. It haunts those who come too close to this dark energy.
As the Badlands narrative progresses, the woman’s physical and mental state deteriorates.
Despite illness and psychic burden, she pushes Rosa toward an occult ritual that involves photographing her at dawn.
Rosa, increasingly fragmented by a spiritual infection, becomes a vessel for the Tyrant.
The woman, both tormented and driven, captures the moment, believing it to be the culmination of a metaphysical contract.
The ritual is part possession, part artistic creation, and part sacrifice.
Jake reappears as a central figure, offering his own testimony about Lena, a woman he loved.
Lena experienced an internal, inexplicable transformation—organs reversed, a presence growing inside her—before dying by suicide.
The horror of her autopsy confirms supernatural interference, deepening Jake’s obsession and guilt.
Zsófi, a Hungarian academic with lifelong sensitivity to the supernatural, contributes a scholarly and emotional testimony.
She connects her personal hauntings with those of others and helps trace the Tyrant’s influence through time.
Theo, a sculptor and former lover of the woman, adds a final layer of remorse and foreshadowing.
She is aware of Jake and his brother Eddy’s plan for revenge.
By 2022, the cycle nears its climax. Jake visits Theo one last time before setting out to stop the woman—now weakened but still dangerous.
Their goal is to end the Tyrant’s cycle of corruption.
Theo begs for peace, but Jake and Eddy proceed, hoping to interrupt the ritual and undo what’s been done.
The result is ambiguous. A photo appears online, hinting that despite their efforts, the Tyrant may still persist.
It may be finding new vessels and new ways to endure.
In the epilogue, Jake reflects on everything lost and gained—chiefly Lena.
He questions whether the evil they fought was real or a shared delusion.
The book closes without full resolution, underscoring the central idea: evil may not die, only wait.
And the soul, like memory, may live many lives, each haunted by the last.
Characters
Mariko
Mariko emerges as a deeply complex character defined by discipline, spirituality, and trauma. Initially presented through her chance meeting with Jake at the airport, Mariko’s outward poise and minimalist lifestyle mask profound inner wounds.
Her twin brother Hiroji’s mysterious death and her chilling encounter with a spectral woman reveal her connection to supernatural or metaphysical forces. Mariko’s narrative reflects themes of grief, loss, and the struggle to reconcile past trauma with present realities.
She embodies both fragility and strength, caught between the tangible world and enigmatic forces.
Rosa
Rosa, the teenage girl journeying with the woman into the wilderness, embodies youthful hope, ambition, and vulnerability. Her aspiration to become a spiritual influencer suggests a desire for meaning and recognition, yet her growing unease signals the loss of innocence and impending victimization.
Rosa’s transformation throughout the story—from confident and hopeful to disoriented and possessed—mirrors the destructive power of the forces at play. She is both a tragic figure and a focal point for the narrative’s exploration of spiritual corruption and control.
Jake
Jake is a crucial connective character whose experiences weave through the testimonies and present-day narrative. His initial encounter with Mariko and his later emotional burden linked to Lena’s tragic fate paint him as a man haunted by guilt and loss.
Jake’s journey involves grappling with the inexplicable and seeking closure or redemption. His interactions with other characters reveal a layered personality—someone who is empathetic and determined but also vulnerable to the weight of the metaphysical horror surrounding him.
Sigrid and Theo
The secondary but significant characters such as Sigrid, Hiroji’s widow, and Theo, the sculptor, add depth and perspective to the story’s tapestry. Sigrid’s background as a butō dancer and her reflections on Hiroji’s troubled life provide insights into the fractured family history and the spread of trauma across relationships.
Theo’s artistic descent and solitary existence highlight themes of guilt, complicity, and the emotional toll of the dark events unfolding. Both women illuminate different facets of grief and confrontation with evil, broadening the narrative’s emotional and psychological scope.
Zsófi
Zsófi, a character who recounts lifelong sensitivity to strange phenomena, introduces the motif of intergenerational trauma and psychic resonance. Her story underscores the persistent and pervasive influence of the Tyrant and its metaphysical legacy.
Zsófi’s testimony connects personal history with broader supernatural elements, emphasizing how deeply evil can embed itself in individuals’ lives across time.
Jürgen and Bedwyr
Jürgen and Bedwyr, introduced in their testimony chapters, further contribute to the layered narrative of haunted lives. Their stories continue to expand the network of characters affected by the mysterious woman and the Tyrant’s influence.
Each testimony deepens the mythos, revealing shared experiences of trauma, supernatural possession, and psychological disintegration.
Themes
Perpetual Cycle of Cosmic Trauma and Intergenerational Haunting
Old Soul intricately weaves the idea that trauma—both personal and metaphysical—does not simply reside in a single moment or individual but reverberates endlessly across time and space, manifesting in different bodies, memories, and realities.
The testimonies scattered throughout the book reveal how each character is linked through a shared encounter with a malevolent cosmic force, often referred to as the Tyrant, whose influence transcends physical boundaries and temporal limits.
This theme portrays trauma as a spectral presence that inhabits the psyche and flesh, infecting new generations and different geographies with echoes of past horrors. Rather than straightforward trauma recovery, the narrative suggests a darker, almost Sisyphean repetition, where pain is continually inherited, ritualized, and inescapable, reflecting a cosmic burden rather than a finite wound.
Metaphysical Possession and the Fragility of Human Identity
A profound tension underpins Old Soul between corporeal selfhood and metaphysical invasion. Characters like Rosa become vessels for otherworldly forces, illustrating how human identity can be porous and vulnerable to external, sinister influences that disrupt bodily autonomy and mental coherence.
This theme probes the boundaries between the self and the “other,” especially through supernatural possession, which here functions as both a literal and symbolic violation.
The unsettling transformations—such as Lena’s reversed organs or Rosa’s spiritual takeover—raise questions about the integrity of the human form and mind when subjected to inexplicable cosmic forces.
The fragility of identity is further emphasized through the testimonies, where memories, perception, and even physicality become battlegrounds between personal will and alien domination. This blurs the line between victim and instrument of evil.
The Obsession with Ritual, Symbolism, and the Inescapability of Cosmic Mythology
Throughout the novel, ritual acts—whether the Polaroid photo capturing the Tyrant’s image, sunrise offerings, or spiritual performances—serve as gateways to cosmic horror and entrapment. These rituals are not merely cultural or religious but are tied to an overarching cosmic mythology that defines the characters’ fates.
Barker uses these symbolic acts to illustrate humanity’s futile attempt to impose meaning or control over incomprehensible forces. The repeated emphasis on rituals reveals how myth and belief systems can both bind and doom individuals, as the characters become ensnared in rites that perpetuate the Tyrant’s power.
This theme interrogates the human craving for narrative and order in the face of chaotic, uncaring universes. It also explores how such attempts can inadvertently deepen one’s subjugation to cosmic forces beyond understanding or escape.
The Psychological and Physical Corruption Wrought by Unseen, Inescapable Evil
Old Soul explores evil not as a straightforward villain but as an insidious force that corrupts body and mind through slow, invisible means. The mysterious woman who manipulates Rosa and others embodies a pervasive malevolence that manifests in illness, madness, and physical transformations.
This theme delves into how unseen evil permeates everyday existence, sometimes camouflaged by charisma or benevolence, making it harder to recognize and resist. The juxtaposition of physical ailments—such as infections or anatomical reversals—with psychological disintegration underscores a holistic corruption that attacks the whole person.
Barker’s narrative suggests that such evil is systemic and viral, a creeping entropy infecting the very essence of life, leading to despair, alienation, and eventual destruction.
The Ethical Ambiguities and Futility of Revenge within the Cosmic Horror Framework
The latter sections of Old Soul emphasize a dark meditation on revenge and justice against a backdrop of cosmic horror. Jake and Eddy’s pursuit of the mysterious woman and the Tyrant is fueled by grief and a desire for closure, yet the narrative consistently reveals the futility of such vengeance.
The cyclical nature of trauma and the ambiguous outcome of their confrontation suggest that revenge is not a means of healing but rather an extension of the cosmic entrapment itself. This theme interrogates moral complexity in a universe indifferent to human notions of right and wrong, where personal vendettas become entangled in larger metaphysical struggles beyond comprehension.
The unresolved ending reinforces the idea that in the face of incomprehensible evil, traditional concepts of justice may be powerless or irrelevant, leaving characters trapped in endless cycles of violence and loss.