Susan Maddison

Susan Maddison
Race	Earth
Other names	Ana (pseudonym)
Born	2008
Age in “Snow”	17
Age in “Sequel”	21
Occupation/rank	Student
Family	Luke (brother) Meg (sister) Emily (sister)

Susan Maddison is one of the four Maddison siblings who enter Altierra in the novel The Snow Beyond the Wall. She is the second eldest of the group and is 17 years old when she first enters the world. She becomes one of the central figures of the resistance to the Bestia system. She develops a romantic relationship with Raf.

Appearance

Susan is a young woman of about seventeen, described in the novel as attractive — Luke refers to her as his "gorgeous sister" and Madesto calls her "pretty". She has dark brown hair worn in different styles across the story: when young in a ponytail, later loose and cascading over her shoulders. Her build is slim, and she favours tight, modern clothing — a tight red jumper with tight blue jeans when the group meets Mrs Navarro, and tight jeans worn regardless of fashion.

After crossing into Altierra she adopts local dress to blend in: a blue dress or gown with a belt, then a brown long-sleeved dress with apron and headscarf. When disguised as a Bestia (slave) she wears a white chemise with a blue belt and a cloak. She burns her underwear rather than retain anything that would mark her out as foreign — a pragmatic piece of cultural adaptation.

The formal portrait shows the following details not all explicit in the novel text: long, softly wavy deep-brunette hair with parted fringe; warm brown/hazel eyes; a fair complexion with faint freckles; an oval face with a soft jawline; full pink lips; a slim build.

When in Altierra, Susan wore her hair up within a scarf to hide her appearance from the Guardia.

On Earth, she tended to wear tight clothing, jeans and sweatshirts.

Character

Susan is defined above all by protectiveness and resolve. She is fiercely loyal to her younger siblings and willing to put herself in degrading or dangerous situations to keep them safe — most strikingly when she submits to Madesto's demand in order to learn where Emily is being held. She does not hesitate to fight, either: she kicks Madesto in the groin, punches soldiers, and fights alongside Luke during the rescue.

She is stubborn and assertive in the face of opposition. When Luke tries to leave her behind, she answers: "Well, unless you intend to tie me up, I'm coming. So you'd better get used to it." She insists on joining rescue missions despite being told to stay back, and she is quick to take charge — short, decisive sentences and firm commands when action is needed.

She is resourceful under pressure. To get past Yago the porter she distracts him by kissing him and getting him drunk; alone in Rocosa at night, she confronts a cleaning woman to ask for directions. She is pragmatic about cultural adaptation, burning her underwear rather than keep anything that would betray her origins.

She is tough with her siblings but caring underneath. When Emily runs away, Susan spanks her hard — then slumps with remorse afterwards and lets Raf comfort her, the vulnerability showing through the discipline. She can be dryly sarcastic with Luke, giving him "you ass" looks when he deserves it.

In summary: protective, determined, brave, resourceful, tough-but-vulnerable. She leads from the front and absorbs the cost of her decisions herself.

Speech

Susan's natural register is modern British English — direct, blunt, and dryly sarcastic. She uses mild profanity freely: "bloody", "dammit", "for God's sake". Her sarcasm is economical and often aimed at Luke: "Lock the door, Luke. She's a pain in the neck." She gives him "you ass" looks without needing words.

She is firm and commanding with her siblings, using short, decisive sentences when taking charge. She is assertive about her own competence — "I'm quite capable of rowing" — and does not hedge. Occasional colloquialisms and fillers ("I bet", "like") mark her everyday speech.

When operating in disguise as the Bestia Fiel, she adopts a different register entirely — imperious and formal: "You there", "Is that the way you address a superior, girl?". This role-play voice is a tool she switches into deliberately, not her natural mode of speaking.

A representative line that captures her usual voice: "Well, unless you intend to tie me up, I'm coming. So you'd better get used to it." — firm resolve, no hedging, a flash of dry humour.

Images

Susan

Susan at Elisal

Susan in Altierran clothing

Susan pregnant at 21