Alpha Showdown 2014 Round 14: Jericho Z. Barrons vs. Kate Daniels

Update: Barrons advances to the finale!

We’re letting two fan favorites—Jericho Z. Barrons and Kate Daniels—battle it out today in the Alpha Showdown.

Barrons took out first-timer Simon swiftly, but only squeaked by Acheron. Will Kate be the one to take him down? She’s already defeated her husband and the original vampire Vlad.

Who continues on to the final round 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.

JERICHO Z. BARRONS

You know him from: The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning
First appeared in: Darkfever (VBC Review | Red Hot Books Review | Amazon)
Supernatural status: No One Knows

Championed by: Jen at Red Hot Books | @RedHotBooks

It’s been years since I have had the chance to get down and dirty with Jericho Barrons. Years. But time hasn’t dulled the memory. He is not a man you could ever forget. Maybe it’s the barely restrained animal in him. Maybe it’s the tightly controlled violence. More likely, it is the way that he oozes sex. Dominance. Strength.

Barrons is a unique blend of primal and polished. His veneer is slick and civilized. But underneath, you know he would probably be just as comfortable doing it in the dirt as he would be a top silk sheets. Hell, he’d like it better.

Barrons uses whatever is at his disposal to get what he wants. His mind, his experience, and his body are all weapons—to intimidate, to seduce, or to destroy at will. Skilled in the Druid arts, he can bend your mind to his control. That’s if his sex appeal doesn’t do the trick. The dark hair, golden skin and strong, chiseled features are likely to make you weak in the knees long before he needs to use The Voice.

His beast form is a creature so base and raw, there isn’t even a name for it. But you want to know him anyway. You want to put your hands on him. You want to fuck him. And you know it will be the best you’ve ever had.

He’s not perfect, but that’s not what Alpha means. It’s not about gentle and sweet; or pretty words and poetry. It’s about all those things that may make you uncomfortable even as they turn you on. It’s about power and knowing what to do with it. Jericho Barrons definitely knows what to do with it. Whether it’s love or war, he is sure to come out on top.

KATE DANIELS

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 – BARRONS

VOTE!

Who will make advance to the finale? Time to decide.

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.

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