What do you think?
Rate this book
A Cyberpunk Saga
Deadly In Pink: A Cyberpunk Novella
Before she was a wise-cracking Street Samurai, Ynna was a genetically modified designer baby perfectly crafted for the pride of her parents. After an unfortunate event forces her to leave the lap of luxury for the mean streets of BA City, she has to learn to fend for herself.
With nothing more than her wits and a desire to unlock her potential, Ynna discovers that the world is not what she thought it was. With the help of some local kids, a slimy weapons dealer and a kind man who offers her shelter, she makes opportunities out of hardship. While difficulties and poor decision-making dog her steps, she is forced to unlock a strength she had within her all along.
How does a young person trade in their silver spoon for a machine gun?
Find out in Deadly in Pink: A Cyberpunk Novella.
With nothing more than her wits and a desire to unlock her potential, Ynna discovers that the world is not what she thought it was. With the help of some local kids, a slimy weapons dealer and a kind man who offers her shelter, she makes opportunities out of hardship. While difficulties and poor decision-making dog her steps, she is forced to unlock a strength she had within her all along.
How does a young person trade in their silver spoon for a machine gun?
Find out in Deadly in Pink: A Cyberpunk Novella.
- GenresCyberpunk
130 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2020
11 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Matthew A. Goodwin
34 books59 followersMatthew A. Goodwin has been writing about spaceships, dragons and adventures since he was twelve years old. His passion for fantasy began when he discovered a box set of the Hobbit radio drama on cassette tape in his school’s library at the age of seven. He fell in love with fantasy worlds and soon discovered D&D and Warhammer miniatures.
Not wanting to be limited by worlds designed by others, he created Thutopia (now called the Thuton Empire), a fantasy world of his own which he still writes about to this day.
Like many kids with an affinity for fantasy, a love of science fiction soon followed. He loved sweeping space operas and gritty cyberpunk stories which asked questions about man’s relationship to technology. That led him to write his first published work, Into Neon: A Cyberpunk Saga, which takes place in a larger science fiction universe.
He has a passion for travel and wildlife and when he is not off trying to see the world, he lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.
Not wanting to be limited by worlds designed by others, he created Thutopia (now called the Thuton Empire), a fantasy world of his own which he still writes about to this day.
Like many kids with an affinity for fantasy, a love of science fiction soon followed. He loved sweeping space operas and gritty cyberpunk stories which asked questions about man’s relationship to technology. That led him to write his first published work, Into Neon: A Cyberpunk Saga, which takes place in a larger science fiction universe.
He has a passion for travel and wildlife and when he is not off trying to see the world, he lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 25, 2021
Must read cyberpunk features an ultra rich teen girl dumped homeless in the tough ghetto. Easy read but avoids being YA-ish. Cyberpunk but solid even if you don't call that your thing. Prequel, but works as standalone.
May 16, 2020
"Deadly in Pink" is a 2020 novella by Matthew A Goodwin. The book is part of Goodwin's excellent Cyberpunk Saga, and is set before book 1 of the series - "Into Neon." I would at least read "Into Neon" before picking up "Deadly in Pink."
Readers of "Into Neon" will be intrigued by the mysterious, dangerous, and sexy heroine Ynna. While "Into Neon" drops a few tasty morsels about her background, you will be left wanting more. Where does this more-than-capable freedom fighter come from? What are her motivations? Where did she get her extensive skill set? "Deadly in Pink" answers these questions and more, giving you the inside scoop you've been waiting for.
As with Goodwin's other works, you can expect a tightly written, fast-paced adventure set against a convincingly rendered cyberpunk backdrop. All of Goodwin's great characterization, action, and cyberpunk-isms are present and accounted for. Ynna is a beautifully rendered specimen that the author nails, a kind of "riches-to-rags" heroine. Her psyche is compelling and convincing, as are her reactions to the extreme situation she is thrust into. She is developed quickly--though skillfully--into the mayhem maven that readers know from "Into Neon." The novella also features some great action scenes and explores a number of cyberpunk themes, such as broken families, corporate control, poverty, and technology. All these themes are given a real sense of depth in the story, despite the relatively short length of the novella.
"Deadly in Pink" comes recommended. Matthew A Goodwin has a winning series on his hands, and whether explored through novels or novellas you are sure to be sucked into the incredibly unique and compelling world he has created.
Readers of "Into Neon" will be intrigued by the mysterious, dangerous, and sexy heroine Ynna. While "Into Neon" drops a few tasty morsels about her background, you will be left wanting more. Where does this more-than-capable freedom fighter come from? What are her motivations? Where did she get her extensive skill set? "Deadly in Pink" answers these questions and more, giving you the inside scoop you've been waiting for.
As with Goodwin's other works, you can expect a tightly written, fast-paced adventure set against a convincingly rendered cyberpunk backdrop. All of Goodwin's great characterization, action, and cyberpunk-isms are present and accounted for. Ynna is a beautifully rendered specimen that the author nails, a kind of "riches-to-rags" heroine. Her psyche is compelling and convincing, as are her reactions to the extreme situation she is thrust into. She is developed quickly--though skillfully--into the mayhem maven that readers know from "Into Neon." The novella also features some great action scenes and explores a number of cyberpunk themes, such as broken families, corporate control, poverty, and technology. All these themes are given a real sense of depth in the story, despite the relatively short length of the novella.
"Deadly in Pink" comes recommended. Matthew A Goodwin has a winning series on his hands, and whether explored through novels or novellas you are sure to be sucked into the incredibly unique and compelling world he has created.
August 4, 2020
If you are a reader like me then you love a well done prequel and Matthew A. Goodwin's Deadly in Pink does not disappoint. The backstory of one of Into Neon's more intriguing characters, Ynna, Deadly in Pink is grittier than Into Neon but is still full of Goodwin's signature "heart" that he brings to the otherwise dark genre of cyperpunk. A true page turner, I consumed it in a single sitting and I challenge you not to do the same. Matthew has a knack for adding a punch of humor and emotion to his tales and this one had me actually laugh out loud and brought tears to my eyes. My favorite of the Thutoworld universe so far.
June 26, 2021
I'm hooked; this story kicks butt.
The little rich girl’s life is turned upside down and inside out. She has been forced into the mean streets of despair. And then the fun begins… Fast-paced, complex, and very enjoyable. A must read for cyberpunk fans.
The little rich girl’s life is turned upside down and inside out. She has been forced into the mean streets of despair. And then the fun begins… Fast-paced, complex, and very enjoyable. A must read for cyberpunk fans.
August 16, 2020
5/5 - oh boy, my journey down the rabbit hole of cyber-punk has begun...
This is my first foray into a new genre for me, cyber-punk... and I loved it. I think this is a great story to read as a jumping off point into a cool sci-fi addiction.
The world and characters were easy to submerge oneself with and I wanted to read more when the novella was finished.
My next read is, Into Neon ⚡️
This is my first foray into a new genre for me, cyber-punk... and I loved it. I think this is a great story to read as a jumping off point into a cool sci-fi addiction.
The world and characters were easy to submerge oneself with and I wanted to read more when the novella was finished.
My next read is, Into Neon ⚡️
April 19, 2020
I wanted to like this book more, but things didn't come together as nicely as I had hoped.
I like the world. The lore was a little sparse, but what I could see was interesting. I can tell this is a prologue for the author's other books, so maybe he thought people who already read them wouldn't want repeat info, but a book should be able to stand mostly on its own, even if it's part of a series. There were also portions that I could tell were references to later events or inside jokes that I'm sure were great, but they fell flat since I haven't read the other books, which is too bad.
Ynna started out okay and I was interested to see where she ended up, but as the story went on and she interacted with more people, she became more and more of a Mary Sue, which is really too bad. People either loved her because she was smart and pretty and a natural leader, or they disliked her because she was smart and pretty and a natural leader. She had some false modesty about herself but clearly the world revolves around her, right up to her mentor character giving her the "destined for greatness" speech.
The dialogue was a little flat in places, and some of the key characters did and said things that didn't fit their character or the context. The way her friends immediately switched from loving her to hating her for something that wasn't even her fault, and when they knew the risks involved, really hurt the story for me.
And in the latter portion of the book, a lot of things just kind of happened because they needed to happen. The reveal of what happened to her brother came out of nowhere and fell flat emotionally since I didn't know she had a brother until 80% into the book, and the logic didn't really check out with the prison sequence. The ending was very rushed, and obviously I'm supposed to know these characters, but they're paper thin and their taking her in as a random stranger off the street makes no sense. Her fixation on Carcer at the end rather than Killian, who caused literally all of her misery during the book, also didn't check out. I didn't get any sense of realness out of that last chapter, and it wasn't satisfying.
There's lots of potential for this world, and maybe the character of Ynna gets written batter in the other books, but this one didn't work out for me. It felt a little hasty and unedited in terms of story and flow. I think maybe he started with a solid idea--which I enjoyed in the beginning--and didn't know quite how to end it. Wish I could give it a better rating.
I like the world. The lore was a little sparse, but what I could see was interesting. I can tell this is a prologue for the author's other books, so maybe he thought people who already read them wouldn't want repeat info, but a book should be able to stand mostly on its own, even if it's part of a series. There were also portions that I could tell were references to later events or inside jokes that I'm sure were great, but they fell flat since I haven't read the other books, which is too bad.
Ynna started out okay and I was interested to see where she ended up, but as the story went on and she interacted with more people, she became more and more of a Mary Sue, which is really too bad. People either loved her because she was smart and pretty and a natural leader, or they disliked her because she was smart and pretty and a natural leader. She had some false modesty about herself but clearly the world revolves around her, right up to her mentor character giving her the "destined for greatness" speech.
The dialogue was a little flat in places, and some of the key characters did and said things that didn't fit their character or the context. The way her friends immediately switched from loving her to hating her for something that wasn't even her fault, and when they knew the risks involved, really hurt the story for me.
And in the latter portion of the book, a lot of things just kind of happened because they needed to happen. The reveal of what happened to her brother came out of nowhere and fell flat emotionally since I didn't know she had a brother until 80% into the book, and the logic didn't really check out with the prison sequence. The ending was very rushed, and obviously I'm supposed to know these characters, but they're paper thin and their taking her in as a random stranger off the street makes no sense. Her fixation on Carcer at the end rather than Killian, who caused literally all of her misery during the book, also didn't check out. I didn't get any sense of realness out of that last chapter, and it wasn't satisfying.
There's lots of potential for this world, and maybe the character of Ynna gets written batter in the other books, but this one didn't work out for me. It felt a little hasty and unedited in terms of story and flow. I think maybe he started with a solid idea--which I enjoyed in the beginning--and didn't know quite how to end it. Wish I could give it a better rating.
October 11, 2023
This was so much fun!!! This book is a cyberpunk coming of age story with an awesome main character and seedy futuristic setting that had me instantly hooked! I really loved the journey that the main character went through as she tried to rise from her fall and carve out a life for herself. The decisions she was making as the story went on kept getting wilder and wilder making it hard for me to put the book down! The only place where the story faltered for me was the ending, I felt like it was a bit too easy and wrapped up too neatly but other than that this book is extremely enjoyable and I look forward to checking out more from this author.
June 9, 2020
Finally a backstory that will captivate you from the very beginning! It’s nice to be introduced to a character from the “Into Neon” series, especially a character like Ynna. Although the book was a quick, yet suspenseful read, it was just the perfect length filled with twists and turns in every chapter leaving the reader suspecting her next move in life. Being introduced to how Ynna creates herself into the Badass character that readers fall in love with from “Into Neon” was a real treat! I would have never imagined her life to unfold the way it does. I can’t wait to see what this author releases next!
August 9, 2020
Deadly in Pink fills in Ynna's backstory nicely, providing the context of how she gets involved in the underground world. It's a coming of age novel in ways as she's forced to rely on allies that push her far from her comfort zone. I recommend reading Into Neon first, and then Deadly in Pink, even though Deadly occurs first chronologically. I think that the reader will identify more with the character after reading Into Neon.
April 8, 2020
You think you know someone....
Turns out I didn’t and boy did I love getting better acquainted with Ynna. Her backstory is interesting and engaging. I hope this isn’t the last character who gets a stand alone story.
Matthew A Goodwin has done it again. He continues to deliver perfectly paced , enjoyable reads. Keep me coming !
Turns out I didn’t and boy did I love getting better acquainted with Ynna. Her backstory is interesting and engaging. I hope this isn’t the last character who gets a stand alone story.
Matthew A Goodwin has done it again. He continues to deliver perfectly paced , enjoyable reads. Keep me coming !
May 25, 2021
I enjoyed the story and the characters, but both the language and the character development seemed a bit rushed. Absolutely worth a read, and I will probably also read some of the author's other books in the series to see where this leads to.
May 5, 2021
Deadly in Pink - This book does not disappoint. Great writing, excitement galore and lots of plot twist and surprises in this action packed page turner.
June 23, 2024
Good Short back story about Ynna. Would recommend reading this between the 1st and 2nd books
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews