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Update: The voting is now closed. With 70% of the vote, Round 3’s winner is Griffin Sinta! He will advance in the Alpha Showdown.
Welcome to the 2018 Alpha Showdown at Vampire Book Club where each year we crown the Biggest Book Badass in the paranormal world based on your votes. This is our eighth Showdown, but the competition is just as fierce as ever. Check out the bracket here.
Round 3 features one of our newer Alphas taking on an old favorite. Griffin from Amanda Bouchet’s Kingmaker Chronicles made his Showdown debut last year, besting Jane Yellowrock in his first match. Sierra Dean’s Secret McQueen is making her first Showdown appearance since 2013. Hers is actually one of the series that I discovered through Alpha Showdown. We hope that some of you will find a new favorite series this year too.
Each round of voting is open for 48 hours. (That means you still have time to vote in Round 2 if you haven’t done so yet.) Vote using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the post. You’ll also be entered in an awesome giveaway.
Griffin Sinta
You know him from: The Kingmaker Chronicles by Amanda Bouchet
First appeared in: A Promise of Fire
Supernatural Status: Human, but immune to magic
Championed by Suzanne from Under the Covers Book Blog
Find her at Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube
In a world packed full of magic, gods, and mythological creatures it would be easy to discount a human. Until that human knocks on your door with his army and conquers the kingdom, that is. Which is exactly what Griffin and his family have done. Griffin is immune to magic but human in every other way. His discipline, loyalty and hard work have conquered the world and won him the love of a stubborn and powerful woman.
“I conquered a kingdom and found a treasure.”
A born leader, men and women follow him and battle for him. But not content to idly stand by, Griffin leads from the front, showcasing his deadly skill and combat prowess to anyone stupid enough to get in his way … or threaten someone he loves.
“I will never let you go, and I will never leave you. I would defy creatures, and Gods, and terrible, brutal queens to keep you safe and by my side. I would move Mount Olympus itself to hold you in my arms and feel your heart beat against mine. You are my soul, and yes, I will fight for you and protect you until my dying breath.”
So, anyone who wants to try and take down this Warlord better watch out, he’s faced mythological creatures, gods and pure evil. Yet, he always comes out bloody and victorious. Bring. It. The last thing any challenger sees will be cool grey eyes looking down at them.
Secret McQueen
You know her from: The Secret McQueen series by Sierra Dean
First appeared in: The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters
Supernatural Status: half vampire/half werewolf
Championed by Jennifer from The Book Nympho
Jennifer retired from blogging earlier this year but she’s still reviewing on Instagram.
Find her on Twitter Instagram
Vampires are alpha. Werewolves are alpha. So when you put the two species together you get . . . gun-toting, sword-wielding, badass Secret McQueen.
At the tender age of 16 Secret was already making a name for herself as an elite assassin for the vampire council. She took on the hardest jobs they had. As an adult, she graduated from assassin to actually having a seat on the Vampire Tribunal – she was the first person with a heartbeat to ever hold the position!
For most of her life, Secret only connected with her vampire side. Drinking blood, sleeping during the day and killing rogue vampires at night. Until two sexy werewolves walk into her life, forcing Secret to start embracing her wolf side. She became the pack protector then later the Queen of the Eastern American wolf pack.
Talk about an Alpha move, Secret literally came back from the dead! Her books were also rereleased with gorgeous new covers in 2017 and she has a new one on the way later this year. And the cherry on her comeback sundae? She’s back in the Showdown after a four year absence!
Whether you’re dealing with the fanged assassin side, the werewolf Queen side, or Secret’s upcoming role as an FBI agent, there is no doubt she is THE ALPHA to end all Alphas.
Remember, you only have 48 hours to vote using the Rafflecopter form. Once you log in to the Rafflecopter, the poll is the first entry. By voting you’re entered to win a copy of Jeaniene Frost’s Once Burned (aka the first Vlad book—so good). BONUS: your vote unlocks more chances to win this round’s giveaway!
Convince your friends to back your candidate using #AlphaShowdown and feel free to share your opinions in the comments.
Love this comp. vote every year!
Haven’t read either, but Secret sounds kinda good.
Griffin!
Griffin
I haven’t heard of either ‘alpha’ nor have I heard of either author. More new authors to try. From the blurb, I would prefer to read Griffin first.
Yay! We love to help people find new authors. I also love comments like this which say that you actually read the post.
Griffin
Griffin Sinta has my vote!
Griffin
Haven’t read these, but have them in my tbr pile!
This is tough as neither are familiar….I think I’ll go with Griffin.
I went with Secret because she is next on my reading list.
Griffin!!
Griffin
I love, love, love Amanda Bouchet’s books! It’s Griffin for me!
Griffin is a very worthy. Vote for the amazing man
Secret McQueen
Griffin!
Griffin!
Everyone should read both series! However, I vote for my King, Griffin! (Sorry Secret)
Secret. Griffin is good but I believe Secret can take him.
Griffin Sinta has my vote!
Two new books to read. Yay!!
I’ve only started The Kingmaker Chronicles by Amanda Bouchet and Griffin he knows how to make a speech I’m with him!
Griffin
Griffin all the way!
Griffin for my vote. Love this competition! Just wish voting lasted a little longer.
Secret!
I’m just not into Griffin and thought the third book in the Kingmaker trilogy was just bad…DNF actually for me. I voted for Secret as a badass woman. Sisters before misters!!!!
I don’t know either so I went with the blue cover – Griffin.
Griffin from Kingmaker Chronicles
I picked Secret.
Griffin all the way.
Just finished this series. Griffin!
Go griffin!
I vote for Griffin Sinta. 😀
Picked Griffin Sinta
I really enjoyed the Kingmaker Chronicles (one of the few present-tense narratives I can say that about!), but I’m not sure human Griffin could defeat a vampire/werewolf hybrid one-on-one. It’s not spells she’d be throwing at him! I’m torn: I’ve never read anything by Sierra Dean, so it’s hard to judge. This shouldn’t be just a popularity contest!
I notice Secret’s book 1 is currently free (Kindle, US), so maybe I’ll give her a try… or maybe not. It sounds like the relationship side is one of those “horny for every guy in sight” types, not even just her main triangle, which I could tolerate if it gets resolved within a couple books.
Secret McQueen gets my vote this round!
Griffen
I will have to vote for Griffin.
I have not read either series! I now have an even bigger TBR list!
I love this showdown! It’s getting really interesting.
I have to go with Griffin!
Griffin
I haven’t read or heard of either…..
Secret
Griffin
Voted Griffin.
Griffin Sinta!
Griffin Sinta! I love this series!