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Update: It was a very close fight this round, but Kate Daniels and her vampire-slaying sword prevailed! She’ll advance in the Showdown.
Is it just me or does each Alpha Showdown round get harder? Today’s is no exception.
Can Kate Daniels defeat the original vampire Vlad?
Which one advances in the Showdown is up to you!
We’ve lined up great bloggers to explain why each alpha deserves to advance. Read the pitches, and then make the call.
You know him from: Night Prince series by Jeaniene Frost (and Night Huntress books, too!)
First appeared in: Once Burned (VBC Review | Amazon)
Supernatural status: Master Vampire
Championed by: Candace from Vampire Book Club
“Vlad’s seething masculinity was matched only by his incredible power, and though both were way out of my league, I was drawn to him like the proverbial moth to a flame.”
Vlad the Impaler, Showhound, Vlad Tepesh and, lastly, Dracula. There have been many names for the iconic vampire based on a Romanian Prince, and this one blows all the others to shame. There are many Draculas, but only one Vlad and baby, it is this one.
Vlad caused ripples from his introduction into the Night Huntress World. By the end of At Grave’s End, he had talked Cat down from suicide and burned his way through a zombie attack.
“Ecstasy grew along with an inner ache that demanded more without caring if it was too much. He was too hot, too big, too rough – and I’d die if he stopped.
Really, does that need more explanation? Over six centuries of refined lethality combined with a body honed by killing and keeping his people in line, and his domain is not the only thing Vlad is master of.
I could make arguments and give you examples all day long, but Jeaniene Frost has done the best job of this. She has given a whole new life to a character that has captured fans for centuries, and in doing so, has given his a sexual charisma that others only dream of. Vlad is everything other vampires want to be, he has a line of loyal followers and sated lovers in his wake and is second only to Mencheres in power.
If Vlad Tepesh isn’t the definition of Alpha, then I don’t know what is.
Don’t you think that it is time for a Night Huntress vampire to hold the Alpha Showdown title? I do. Vote for Vlad and let’s get him in the finals.
You know her from: Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews
First appeared in: Magic Bites
Supernatural status: Sword-Wielding Magic Badass
Championed by: Krista from Vampire Book Club
From the moment Kate walked on the page, we wanted to be her, we wanted to be her friend, but mostly we wanted to watch her kick the ass of anyone stupid enough to get in her way. The only person who is oblivious to the impact she has upon entering a room is Kate herself.
“At first glance you looked at Kate and thought “fighter” maybe merc. Five inches taller than me, she was all muscle-well and some boobs. She moved like a predator and when she got pissed off, she exhaled aggression like a hot breath on a winter evening. Still men looked, until they saw her eyes. Kate’s eyes were crazy. It was that hidden-deep crazy that you had no idea what the hell she would do next but whatever it was, the bad guys wouldn’t like it.”
Kate began the series in a purposely created mediocrity, but by book seven she is standing as the Consort to the Beast Lord. A position she didn’t earn by just being the Beast Lord’s mate but by killing all challengers in a two-week period. That was 22 “homicidal maniacs who grow teeth the size of switchblades and erupt into violent frenzies” in case anyone has forgotten. She made an army of demons kneel before her with one word. She has killed mythic creatures with her will alone, while lying in a gilded cage bleeding to death. She cuts down her enemies when she can’t even stand on her feet.
“Look at her, she’s half dead. She isn’t even on her last leg. She can’t fucking stand and she’s cutting you down like children.”
With every day Kate becomes more deadly and powerful. And I apologize to all her competitors but you all have peaked. Seriously. She has a sword that eats vampires for lunch. So lets us watch all the vamps leave the playing field with their tails tucked between their legs.
For you children of gods, she made “The Morrigan” goddess of battle, strife and sovereignty retreat and promise to never cross her path. So I highly doubt you would be any different. She could pluck Raphael like an overgrown thanksgiving turkey. Oh, you are evolving and growing more powerful. That’s a Tuesday for Kate. For Barron and Ryodan, the events have proven you can be permanently killed and really Kate has all the time in the world. What about the shifters? I refer you back to the 22 in two weeks. Yes, even Curran.
I have doubts that Curran could have dispatched Hugh if he had not been sparring with Kate on an almost daily basis. So yes, I believe that in a match to the death Kate could take Curran.
That being said every battle Kate has fought, survived and won was never for gain. It was always in protection of those she loved or just because it was the right thing. Her adopted father may have failed in his pursuit of making her into sociopath but she definitely focuses on her goals with an unrivaled single-minded ferocity. So readers don’t let your hormones sway you towards the pretty (unless they are swaying towards Kate, we know she can be a bad ass and still rock panties with little bows). To all the competitors out there I leave you with Kate’s own words.
“If you come, you better come in force because I will kill every single one of you. My hand won’t shake, my aim won’t falter. My face will be the last thing you see before you die.”
WINNER – KATE DANIELS
Only votes submitted via the Rafflecopter form below will be counted. This means your vote is tied to your email address. It also means we’re giving away something awesome.
For Round 10, we’re giving away The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty. The contest is open internationally.
You can get additional entries into the contest by tweeting, following and the like, but your vote is still only counted once.
Damn I missed voting but its KATE ALL THE WAY!!!!!!