logo

Alpha Showdown 2018 Championship Round: Mercy Thompson vs. Kate Daniels

logo

VBC: Home of Alpha ShowdownUpdate: The round is now closed and your 2018 Alpha Showdown Champion is Kate Daniels. The final count was 63% Kate, 37% Mercy. Thanks to all who voted for making this another great battle!

This is it!

The final round!

And it’s going to be a good one!

When the dust settles, we’ll either have our second consecutive female Showdown Champion or our first repeat Champion. (To see how we got here, check out the bracket.)

But first you’ll have to choose between two of our favorite heroines from two of our favorite authors. Mercy Thompson defeated Mad Rogan by the narrowest of margins (possibly ever) to advance to this final round. Kate Daniels beat out Adam Hauptman with 64% of the votes in her semi-final match. Now these two formidable female Alphas will face off for the Alpha Showdown title.

Did I mention that this round is also a rematch of last year’s finals? It was a close one with Kate earning 58% of the vote. Will Mercy get her revenge this year?

You have 48 hours to vote using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the post. You’ll also be entered in this round’s giveaway.

Mercy Thompson vs. Kate Daniels

Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs // VBCMercy Thompson
You know her from the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
First appeared in Moon Called
Supernatural Status: Native American walker

Championed by Beth from VBC
Find her at @biblioholicbeth on Twitter

Mercy Thompson is unique—she is a Native American walker, so she can shift into a coyote at will. While many would not be willing to pit a coyote against other creatures such as vampires or werewolves, it is those coyote qualities that will give her a leg up (HA!) here.

While Mercy doesn’t have magic of her own, she can use the pack bond to access THEIR magic. In addition, she is immune to most magic—so anyone attempting to use their magic to best her had better have a backup plan. And unlike most, Mercy can see ghosts—and command them.

Like the coyote, Mercy is quick and smart. She may not be as strong as some of the other creatures, but she can find her way around almost any rule, and she is incredibly adaptable. Like the original Native American Coyote, she can—and will—use deception to achieve her goals. She knows her strengths—and her weaknesses—so she also carries a gun, just in case. She is also mechanically inclined, which is helpful. Just watch any Scooby Doo episode to know how important it is to be able to fix a broken vehicle before all hell breaks loose.

Also like the coyote, Mercy is “highly flexible in social organization” and that works to her advantage. She has varied friends and family—werewolves, a gremlin, and even a vampire. There are few that can take on Mercy and her group and hope to come out on top. She is also fiercely determined and has a lot of heart—she will fight for what she believes in, and she is willing to die for it. That heart, believed by opponents to be a weakness, becomes the last mistake they will ever make. She is loyal to her loved ones—and they are loyal to her.

Mercy Thompson is unique—and that is her biggest strength. She embodies her animal form even when human, and those she faces often underestimate her because of her size and lack of magic. They do so at their peril. Mercy is a force of nature—and a force to be reckoned with. Add in her friends and family? She may be damaged, even close to death, but she will be damn sure she takes her enemy with her if she goes.

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews // VBCKate Daniels
You Know Her From: Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews
First Appeared In: Magic Bites
Supernatural Status: Magical Sword-wielding Badass

Championed by Amy from VBC

All Hail the returning Champion!!

That’s right folks, last year’s winner is back to defend her title!

So why vote for Kate again this year?

As if I even need to answer that question, but here we go:

It’s because everyone knows Kate is the only Alpha on this list who could easily best any of the other contenders. Vampire? Staked it. Shifter? Beat it. Mage? Ensorcelled it. God? Banished it. Etc., etc.

And as of this year we can add badass mother to this list! Nothing is fiercer than a mother and I think this new addition only adds another advantage for Kate. When the stakes are higher she’ll fight harder.

There is nothing that Kate has faced that she’s backed away from, no fight that she didn’t triumph. Even putting herself in the line of fire to protect the innocent and those she loves, and she’s got an equal number of people who support and love her right back.

We’ve seen her push back against her megalomaniac father and come out on top time and time again, and each time she gets stronger. But unlike her equally powerful father, Kate doesn’t let her power go to her head. She could probably build towers and be the precursor to the rise and fall of civilizations, but she doesn’t take that path. She remains humble and modest preferring to do what is right and just.

You obviously know Kate is worthy of the Alpha Champion title since last year she was the first female winner. Let’s give her another first and make her the Two Time Consecutive Alpha Showdown Champion! Has a nice ring to it huh? 😉

VOTE

Remember, you only have 48 hours to vote using the Rafflecopter form. (Once you log in the poll is the first entry.) Plus, your vote unlocks more chances to win awesome books. Voting in the 2018 Alpha Showdown Championship round needs a good prize right? So one lucky VBC reader is going to get three hot pre-orders. We’ll pre-order Kindle copies of Shadow’s Bane by Karen Chance (out July 31), Slaying It by Chloe Neill (out July 17), and Rogue Souls by Chelsea Mueller (out July 9), and you’ll get to have new urban fantasy novels throughout July!

Convince your friends to back your candidate using #AlphaShowdown and feel free to share your opinions in the comments.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

132 Responses to “Alpha Showdown 2018 Championship Round: Mercy Thompson vs. Kate Daniels”

  1. Diane_D says:

    I’d rather be able to KNOW Mercy, a coyote you can’t keep down, but this is not a popularity contest, so I’ve got to go with my SECOND-favorite UF heroine. It’s Kate all the way, with terrifying sword, a wide range of lore, and magic in her words and blood, plus a Pack of backup right there: primordial lion mate, plus bears, and wolves, and lots besides.

  2. Kimberly C says:

    Kate. Always my first choice, in all things!

  3. BookAttict says:

    Kate!!!

  4. Aliyah says:

    Kate for the win!

  5. Ellen says:

    Mercy Thompson

  6. Teresa says:

    Go Kate!

  7. Jacki S says:

    Kate.

  8. Darchelle says:

    Definitely KATE!

  9. Laura Lovejoy-Brunk says:

    Both are awesome series and heroines !

  10. Adelaide says:

    Don’t get me wrong, I like Mercy. But Kate is so going to win!

  11. Janelle says:

    Kate!

  12. Lisa says:

    See? Reading all these comments, in Mercy’s case it’s all a popularity contest. If she has to be rescued all the time, she’s not an Alpha. And just because Kate won last year doesn’t mean it’s fair for Mercy to win this time. I’ve never seen this Alpha contest before but honestly if an Alpha has won in say, the last 5 years, I don’t think they should be allowed to participate, because the most badass *IF you’re voting by criteria* would always win. I go agree there’s no fun on that.

    • sarafina says:

      Kate’s last book is coming out in August, so this will probably be her last chance at Alpha. Mercy is continuing into perpetuity.

    • JESSIE says:

      I agree it is a popularity contest. To be an alpha I think you have to lead people. Also can you be the alpha if someone in the same book series is more alpha? It’s not even an ass kicking contest because how could Kate take out someone who doesn’t die like Barrons or Ryodan? How does Mad Rogan take out Reyes when he can attack on another plane of existence? So as you said it’s a popularity contest (that is super fun to participate in each year!!!!!)

  13. Shereece says:

    Kate is the ultimate female alpha!

  14. Gerd Duerner says:

    The two First Ladies of UF meeting head on, should be interesting. 🙂

  15. Faith says:

    My 2 favorite heroines, & I am currently rereading both series. Mercy is amazing & has managed to survive everything thrown at her. However, Kate has survived everything mostly on her own strengths. This is a tough one, but I’ve got to go with Kate.

  16. Gretchen says:

    Mercy all the way.

  17. Tais S says:

    Kate, without a doubt. She is THE Alpha

  18. wkonsunshine says:

    It’s like choosing a favorite kid…Impossible. Going with Kate because she was the first.

  19. Elenariel says:

    I tried to read Mercy and I didn’t like her, while I can’t live without Kate’ stories, old and new!

  20. Preethi says:

    Kate always! Mercy is okay, but Kate is just… spectacular and awesome. When it comes to a one-on-one fight between Mercy and Kate, Kate will easily decimate Mercy.Without even using her magic, too!

    Kate has worked at the Guild killing all manner of nasty beasties. She has gone toe-to-toe against her evil megalomaniac father. Kate has survived impossible odds and even more impossible adversaries and come out successful. And let’s not forget the city that Kate has claimed as her own, and is now responsible for in every way!

    Of course Kate is the better alpha of the two!

  21. J says:

    Mercy is great, but
    It’s got to be Kate
    Always.

  22. Mon says:

    Definitely Kate!

  23. Toni says:

    Mercy was treated as high as a alpha if not higher when wolf told she was the most dangerous. I think they are equal. Just different.

    • sarafina says:

      Well, Kate can actually kick ass, and Mercy can call on her friends to do the kicking. I don’t see them as exactly equal.

      • Sarah says:

        I really don’t understand how people keep saying Mercy relies on her friends to do the kicking. She’s done loads of butt-kicking on her own, and survived in her own wily ways.
        That’s not to mention that in the idea of who would be most Alpha… Alpha isn’t just about brute strength; an oppresive leader may be strong, but a reign of terror will inevitably fall by your people revolting. Being an Alpha is about being able to lead, and to inspire the people around you to loyalty that has them fight for you. That is what Mercy does.
        Mercy for the win!

  24. Anna says:

    Mercy

  25. Alex zivkovic says:

    Mercy hands down

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

logo
logo
Powered by WordPress | Designed by Elegant Themes
Malcare WordPress Security