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Alpha Showdown 2014 Round 8: Acheron vs. Sabina Kane

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VBC: Home of Alpha Showdown

Update: Sabina put up a good fight, but in the end Acheron took home the victory. He’ll advance in the Showdown.

Round 8 of the Alpha Showdown is the first-timers’ round. If we hadn’t changed our rules this year—taking off the “published in…” limitation—these two wouldn’t have made the bracket. So we’re pleased we made the change, because your nominations showed both of these characters are long-time favorites of yours.

How are you going to decide between Acheron and Sabina?

We’ve lined up great bloggers to explain why each alpha deserves to advance. Read the pitches, and then make the call.

ACHERON PARTHENOPAEUS

You know him from: The Dark-Hunter Universe by Sherrilyn Kenyon (The Dark-Hunter series, The Chronicles of Nick series)
First appeared in: Fantasy Lover (VBC Review | Amazon)
Supernatural status: The first Dark-Hunter and more

Championed by: Jill from Vampire Book Club

Acheron by Sherrilyn KenyonI wish that I could fully tell you why Acheron (or Ash to his friends) is the biggest, badness, most awesome Alpha out there; unfortunately, I don’t like spoilers, so I won’t ruin it for you. Suffice it to say that it takes fourteen wonderful, totally-worth-it books for the author to *finally* tell us Ash’s story. (The wait is so worth it.)

We first meet Ash through the Dark-Hunter series as the mentor who first trains a new Dark-Hunter, telling them their purpose and the rules in the Code of Conduct. He’s the first Dark-Hunter that the goddess, Artemis, created and he’s eleven thousand years old. They say that since he was the first Dark-Hunter made, that the gods didn’t quiet get the conversion correct, and this left Ash with some “strange side effects.” We learn, however, that this isn’t quite the case, and Ash has a tragic, terrible history that makes his determination to save humanity simply awe-inspiring.

He’s described as having mesmerizing eyes, with colors that swirl. He stands over six feet tall, usually dressed in all black, always with sunglasses on to protect his sensitive, Dark-Hunter eyes. His hair changes color constantly from lime-green to plum purple. Women are literally stopped in their tracks when he’s around, grabbed by his presence and held hostage until he releases them. Kenyon says it best in Seize the Night;

“He held an aura that was dangerous and wild; and by his slow, languorous moves, it was obvious that he would be incredible in bed. It was something you knew intrinsically when you saw him and it rippled through your body like hot, seductive chocolate…He wore his long black hair loose and flowing around his shoulders. It was a perfect drape for a face that was eerily pretty and yet wholly masculine. Flawless. There was something about Ash that made every hormone in her body stand up and pant for more.”

Ash can obliterate you with a thought, and yet, is one of the most gentle, kind male characters around. He would never, ever turn his back on anyone in trouble, or that needed his help, no matter how insignificant the character is to the “big picture.” Which after eleven thousand years is truly remarkable, and admirable.

So, not only is Ash the kind of guy that you would totally date, and bring home to mom, but he’s a hero. A guy that kept getting kicked down by Fate, and refused to give up, or to turn to darkness. The kind of strength needed to simply remain “good” in the face of all that he has endured, is definitely worthy of Alpha status. He has had to organize, control, and maintain the network that helps the Dark-Hunters fight the Daimons from killing humans. Which includes wrangling all the stubborn, rude, egotistical, powerful, and damaged Dark-Hunters into a cohesive working unit.

Ash is powerful, compassionate, intelligent, and honorable, not to mention sexy, dark, and mysterious. He definitely deserves your vote for Alpha status!

SABINA KANE

Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye WellsYou know her from: Sabina Kane series by Jaye Wells
First appeared in: Red-Headed Stepchild (VBC Review | Amazon)
Supernatural status: Half vampire, half mage

Championed by: Christen from Goldilox and the Three Weres | @Goldilox3Weres

Sabina Kane is quite the hybrid supernatural, with her heritage being half vampire and half mage. She has the best of both worlds and she is one seriously lethal lady. I could go on and on about Sabina’s Chthonic mage abilities. I could scare you with her vamp skills. I could impress you with her crazy proficiency with a pistol. I could brag about how many supes she killed during her time as an assassin. But, honestly, Sabina’s best strengths lie elsewhere.

Of all Sabina’s powers and abilities, her best assets are her unwavering sarcastic bitchiness and her “You can’t tell me what to do” attitude.

I know what you’re thinking. How on earth does a bad attitude equal Alpha greatness? But, with Sabina it does. That attitude is what keeps her fighting even when absolutely all hope is lost, family and friends are dying around her, and the supernatural world as she knows it seems like it’s crashing to an end. She doesn’t give up, even if the other guy is beating her, even if her body tells her she needs to stop, even when she is literally in Hell. Her will to win saves her and those she loves again and again. And, okay, her vamp/mage/gun skills do come in handy.

Sabina is also surrounded by a little something called “Team Awesome.” How can you not see the greatness in a supe who heads up a team with that name? She’s got a mage boyfriend and a demon best friend to back her up when things don’t go as planned…and they never do. But, that’s okay because Sabina’s a bad mamma jamma and she can handle everything from evil vampire grandmothers to dirty mages to the father of all vampires himself, Cain. The father of all vampires. Only a real Alpha chick could handle a big baddie like that, right? And Sabina is a real Alpha.

WINNER – ACHERON

VOTE!

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 8, we’re giving away a copy of Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson, compliments of Orbit Books. This 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

124 Responses to “Alpha Showdown 2014 Round 8: Acheron vs. Sabina Kane”

  1. Samantha Newbury says:

    I voted for Sabina Kane 🙂

  2. Sandy Lion says:

    Ash

  3. Liz says:

    Sabina

  4. Aly P says:

    Ash!

  5. Betul E. says:

    Of course Acheron!

  6. Alison says:

    Acheron

  7. Amy Ryan says:

    Acheron! 😀

  8. Never read Dark Hunter series so I’m going with Sabina.

  9. Maryline says:

    Hands down Ash!!!!

  10. Mary Preston says:

    Acheron

  11. Susan says:

    No question it is Acheron

  12. Theressa Griggs says:

    Ash- no contest…The Simi knows this is true and will probably bring out her BBQ sauce if he doesn’t win 🙂

  13. Simi Xiamara says:

    Akri Ash of COURSE!

  14. sheila says:

    Archron my vote

  15. Heidi B says:

    Acheron

  16. Kaye Tomlin says:

    Acheron

  17. Rose Dudak says:

    Acheron is and always will be the A #1 top…

  18. Nikki Noffsinger says:

    ASH HANDS DOWN ACHERON ALL THE WAY

  19. cynthia massey says:

    Acheron

  20. Chanthon says:

    Hands down Ash…..

  21. Bronwynn says:

    Ash, has to be, no one better…….

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