What do you think?
Rate this book
Deadgirl #2.5
Daphne
A story set in the Deadgirl universe . . .
Daphne is one of the Keres, an ancient line of women from Greek myth. Part Fate, part battlefield Valkyrie, she can sense violence and death wherever she goes.
After Daphne transforms into a monster and is taken away by her family at the end of "Deadgirl: Ghostlight," she finds herself on a journey of fear, flight, and self-discovery. Hounded by monster hunters and her own inner demons, Daphne must find a way to cope with who and what she is, or lose her mind and soul forever to the Beast within.
While Lucy, Morgan, and the others begin their road trip in another part of the country, Daphne takes her first step down a new path.
Who's more dangerous: the hunters, or the monster?
Daphne is one of the Keres, an ancient line of women from Greek myth. Part Fate, part battlefield Valkyrie, she can sense violence and death wherever she goes.
After Daphne transforms into a monster and is taken away by her family at the end of "Deadgirl: Ghostlight," she finds herself on a journey of fear, flight, and self-discovery. Hounded by monster hunters and her own inner demons, Daphne must find a way to cope with who and what she is, or lose her mind and soul forever to the Beast within.
While Lucy, Morgan, and the others begin their road trip in another part of the country, Daphne takes her first step down a new path.
Who's more dangerous: the hunters, or the monster?
90 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2018
4 people want to read
About the author
B.C. Johnson
12 books59 followersB.C. Johnson lives in Southern California with his beautiful wife Gina, his fluffy/angry Corgi-mix Luna, and his destructive Viking sons Dash and Wyatt. He writes about snarky characters being snarky while supernatural things try to eat them. When he’s not playing video games, watching Marvel movies, or just generally being a ninth-level dork, he’s thinking about doing all that stuff. All of his books, blogs, essays, and manifestos can be read at bc-johnson.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 21, 2019
Flash Book Review: A blend of Greek & Norse mythology, a body count, and a wlw romance. You had me at eat them alive.
---
There are mild spoilers ahead for the Deadgirl series. Daphne has always had a link to Fate; she can tell when someone near her is going to die soon and how it will happen, but she’s forbidden to interfere. When she finally comes into her full power, transforming into a near-indestructible creature that is part woman, part bird, and part Valkyrie, her mother and sisters whisk her across the country before the organization that has been hunting their kind for centuries can discover her. Plagued by hunters and guilt, Daphne has to find a way to control the monster inside her or be at its mercy forever. Trigger warnings: death, gore, body horror, eye horror, violence, guns, severe injury, homophobia, slurs.
I rarely find extra content such as novellas or short stories in a series as compelling as the actual series, if it’s even relevant at all. However, Daphne is an exception to the rule, and I might even love it a bit more than the Deadgirl series; it’s just so much my kind of book. Additionally, I don’t think it’s strictly necessary to read the rest of the series to understand what’s going on here, so if you need a violent, lesbian harpy in your life (as I apparently did), then I strongly suggest picking this up.
There are so many things I like about this novella, beginning with the mythology. The Keres are one of the more interesting aspects of the Deadgirl world-building, and Johnson is able to fully explore it here. They’re a fascinating mix of Norse and Greek mythology (with actual Greek characters) that I’ve never seen anywhere else. They’re fierce, remorseless, and utterly terrifying, and there’s no small amount of carnage every time Daphne is forced into her monster form to feed or defend herself. The Deadgirl series has never been afraid of being dark, and this is no exception. It’s not for readers with weak stomachs.
Daphne is awesome. She’s always reminded me of a gleeful, female Mad Hatter with her bright hair and outrageous outfits. She’s scraped down to bare essentials in this novella, until there’s little left of her but grit and blue hair. Her character development is top notch while she struggles to come to terms with being a part-time monster, and there are strong themes of self-acceptance and self-understanding (along with heaps of sass because it’s Daphne–yas queen). There’s also a super cute wlw romance (and I maintain that romances can still be cute even when there’s a body count). Johnson mercifully refrains from letting the romance solve any problems, which isn’t surprising based on the track record for romances in the Deadgirl books, but both girls bring out interesting aspects of the other’s character. (There is a scene with some homophobia/slurs that made me want to punch an ignorant bigot, so if that’s triggering for you, abort.)
If the novella is missing anything, it’s a sense of closure. While most of the plot wraps up, it leaves off on a fast and furious cliffhanger for the next Deadgirl book. It’s possibly the one aspect that makes it difficult to stand alone from the rest of the series (though, truthfully, I’m not sure it’s meant to). The novella raises some interesting questions about Daphne’s abilities, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that develops in the final book, along with seeing more of Daphne’s new love interest. TL;DR: More people should be reading this, and I’d eat a man in giant bird form for a pretty paperback copy to go with the rest of my series.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
---
There are mild spoilers ahead for the Deadgirl series. Daphne has always had a link to Fate; she can tell when someone near her is going to die soon and how it will happen, but she’s forbidden to interfere. When she finally comes into her full power, transforming into a near-indestructible creature that is part woman, part bird, and part Valkyrie, her mother and sisters whisk her across the country before the organization that has been hunting their kind for centuries can discover her. Plagued by hunters and guilt, Daphne has to find a way to control the monster inside her or be at its mercy forever. Trigger warnings: death, gore, body horror, eye horror, violence, guns, severe injury, homophobia, slurs.
I rarely find extra content such as novellas or short stories in a series as compelling as the actual series, if it’s even relevant at all. However, Daphne is an exception to the rule, and I might even love it a bit more than the Deadgirl series; it’s just so much my kind of book. Additionally, I don’t think it’s strictly necessary to read the rest of the series to understand what’s going on here, so if you need a violent, lesbian harpy in your life (as I apparently did), then I strongly suggest picking this up.
There are so many things I like about this novella, beginning with the mythology. The Keres are one of the more interesting aspects of the Deadgirl world-building, and Johnson is able to fully explore it here. They’re a fascinating mix of Norse and Greek mythology (with actual Greek characters) that I’ve never seen anywhere else. They’re fierce, remorseless, and utterly terrifying, and there’s no small amount of carnage every time Daphne is forced into her monster form to feed or defend herself. The Deadgirl series has never been afraid of being dark, and this is no exception. It’s not for readers with weak stomachs.
Daphne is awesome. She’s always reminded me of a gleeful, female Mad Hatter with her bright hair and outrageous outfits. She’s scraped down to bare essentials in this novella, until there’s little left of her but grit and blue hair. Her character development is top notch while she struggles to come to terms with being a part-time monster, and there are strong themes of self-acceptance and self-understanding (along with heaps of sass because it’s Daphne–yas queen). There’s also a super cute wlw romance (and I maintain that romances can still be cute even when there’s a body count). Johnson mercifully refrains from letting the romance solve any problems, which isn’t surprising based on the track record for romances in the Deadgirl books, but both girls bring out interesting aspects of the other’s character. (There is a scene with some homophobia/slurs that made me want to punch an ignorant bigot, so if that’s triggering for you, abort.)
If the novella is missing anything, it’s a sense of closure. While most of the plot wraps up, it leaves off on a fast and furious cliffhanger for the next Deadgirl book. It’s possibly the one aspect that makes it difficult to stand alone from the rest of the series (though, truthfully, I’m not sure it’s meant to). The novella raises some interesting questions about Daphne’s abilities, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that develops in the final book, along with seeing more of Daphne’s new love interest. TL;DR: More people should be reading this, and I’d eat a man in giant bird form for a pretty paperback copy to go with the rest of my series.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
September 22, 2024
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Strong, unique twist on classic mythology. Compelling writing.
Cons: Fast romance. It's not always easy to get one's bearings at the beginning of a chapter.
WARNING! Blood, gore and monsters.
Will appeal to: Those who wanted more of Daphne. Those who like unusual creatures. Those who like their human (but resilient) side even more.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I received this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review. And the author being B.C. Johnson, you all know I've been campaigning for his first Deadgirl book with all my might since 2013, when I read the original version. Also, B.C. Johnson and me have stayed in touch, if sporadically, for the whole time. I'm not what you would call a friend of his though, only a fan of his work. And an unbiased one. As usual, this review is the love child of my penchant for quirky, uniquely worded books and B.C. Johnson's ability to deliver them.
DOUBLE FACE
For a character whom we didn't see much of in the Deadgirl series (except in Book 2), Daphne sure is a pivotal one - and, Lucy aside, the most unique of the bunch. The blurb mentions her being "part Fate, part battlefield Valkyrie", but she also calls herself a Harpy at some point. Either way, she's a welcome detour from your usual supernatural creatures. But more than anything, it's her monster/human duality that fascinates the reader. A literal duality in this case, with the two entities (for lack of a better word) fighting for control. Like Lucy in Deadgirl: Ghostlight, Daphne will have an epiphany about herself that is, hands down, the best part of the story - heartbreaking and epic at the same time. Johnson is never afraid to have his characters suffer, yet fight (and sometimes win, if at a high cost) even in the face of despair, and each and every time, what comes out of it is a work of art, and of - sometimes funny, often tragic, always epic - beauty. [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Strong, unique twist on classic mythology. Compelling writing.
Cons: Fast romance. It's not always easy to get one's bearings at the beginning of a chapter.
WARNING! Blood, gore and monsters.
Will appeal to: Those who wanted more of Daphne. Those who like unusual creatures. Those who like their human (but resilient) side even more.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I received this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review. And the author being B.C. Johnson, you all know I've been campaigning for his first Deadgirl book with all my might since 2013, when I read the original version. Also, B.C. Johnson and me have stayed in touch, if sporadically, for the whole time. I'm not what you would call a friend of his though, only a fan of his work. And an unbiased one. As usual, this review is the love child of my penchant for quirky, uniquely worded books and B.C. Johnson's ability to deliver them.
DOUBLE FACE
For a character whom we didn't see much of in the Deadgirl series (except in Book 2), Daphne sure is a pivotal one - and, Lucy aside, the most unique of the bunch. The blurb mentions her being "part Fate, part battlefield Valkyrie", but she also calls herself a Harpy at some point. Either way, she's a welcome detour from your usual supernatural creatures. But more than anything, it's her monster/human duality that fascinates the reader. A literal duality in this case, with the two entities (for lack of a better word) fighting for control. Like Lucy in Deadgirl: Ghostlight, Daphne will have an epiphany about herself that is, hands down, the best part of the story - heartbreaking and epic at the same time. Johnson is never afraid to have his characters suffer, yet fight (and sometimes win, if at a high cost) even in the face of despair, and each and every time, what comes out of it is a work of art, and of - sometimes funny, often tragic, always epic - beauty. [...]
Whole review here.
February 18, 2024
One of my favorite characters gets their own novella! Enough said.
In truth, if you find Daphne as captivating as I did in BC Johnsons “Deadgirl” series, then this is a must read. We get further insight into her background, powers, and it’s a privilege to watch her own adventure unfold.
This has all the wonderfully chaotic, funny, blue haired, hot mess Daphne energy you can handle. Great addition to the series!
In truth, if you find Daphne as captivating as I did in BC Johnsons “Deadgirl” series, then this is a must read. We get further insight into her background, powers, and it’s a privilege to watch her own adventure unfold.
This has all the wonderfully chaotic, funny, blue haired, hot mess Daphne energy you can handle. Great addition to the series!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews