I’ve covered many Jacqueline Carey characters in this column. They’ve all been from the Kushiel’s Legacy series. Now it’s time to switch from her epic fantasy series to her latest urban fantasy trilogy, Agent of Hel. I was a bit shocked when Carey announced she was writing a new genre three or so years ago. However, I soon got over my misgivings and fell in love with the series and its heroine.
Who is She?
Daisy Johanssen is the main protagonist in Jacqueline Carey’s Agent of Hel trilogy. She is half hell-spawn due to her human mom playing around with a Oujia board. She is the Norse Goddess Hel’s liaison to the human world. She has a tail and a bad temper she must keep under control. She is constantly tempted to take up her demonic birthright but she is strong willed. She doesn’t want to be responsible for unleashing Hell on Earth.
Fun Fact:
Daisy’s television guilty pleasure is Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. She finds the show very cathartic.
Why So Crushworthy?
Daisy is a good soul. Despite the hell-spawn lineage, she is determined to be a good person. She is loyal to her mom, friends, Hel, and the town of Pemkowet. Daisy had it rough growing up. She had to learn to control her temper or something would explode around her. No, really, she got suspended for bursting school pipes. She’s always had to deal with her father tempting her to the dark side. She never went to college but nothing ever stopped her. Daisy stood up to all these things.
Daisy is adorable and funny. I think her tail is the cutest thing about her, along with her lovely Scandinavian looks (black eyes notwithstanding). Daisy enjoys the small things in life like jazz and good scotch. You would have a great time hanging out with Daisy. She is down to earth despite her otherworldly parentage. Her job as Hel’s liaison, even her file clerk for the police, leads her down some dark roads but she always chooses the light.
