Update: Round 4 of Alpha Showdown 2018 is now closed. With 74% of the vote, the winner is Adam Hauptman. He will advance in the bracket.
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 4 features a couple of Showdown veterans. Karen Marie Moning’s Ryodan was the 2013 Champion. Though Adam Hauptman from the Mercy Thompson series has never won, he’s making his fifth Showdown appearance. It should be a tight race between these two fan favorite Alphas!
Vote using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the post. You’ll also be entered in an awesome giveaway!
Each round of voting is open for 48 hours. That means you have the rest of Friday to vote in Round 3 if you haven’t done so yet. Round 4 voting will close at the end of the day Saturday and Round 5 will start on Monday.
Ryodan
You know him from: the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning
First appeared in Dreamfever
Supernatural Status: Trust me, you’re not ready for the truth
Championed by Annie from Under the Covers Book Blog
Find them on Twitter Instagram Facebook Youtube Pinterest
Six feet four, two hundred and thirty-five pounds of lean, cut muscle, Ryodan may look urbane and professional in a business suit but he has a ruthless appetite for blood and sex and he indulges early and often. Easily capturing your attention with his dark hair and silver eyes, nobody knows exactly what he is. But being called “un-killable” is proof that he will always be the last one standing. His opponents might as well not show up. He is, after all, Barron’s second-in-command.
Make no mistake though. Ryodan is no Barrons 2.0. While he may try to act civilized by running Chester’s, he is the brains behind the Nine’s business empire. He is their voice, their alpha leader. Ryodan is also the only person who has survived a fight with Barrons.
“They don’t call him the master of manipulation for nothing. Barrons breaks heads. Ryodan turns them inside out. Barrons fucks you up. Ryodan makes you fuck yourself up. He pushes buttons and rearranges things to his own private, coolly sociopathic plan.”
Despite the many scars on his skin, he regrets nothing and fears no one. His power lies not just in his capable, lethal body but also in his ability to get under your skin and inside your mind. Nothing slips past this guy. “With Ryodan, you don’t even see it coming.”
Karen Marie Moning sums it up best: “Never been defeated. Never will be.”
Adam Hauptman
You know him from: The Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs
First appeared in: Moon Called
Supernatural Status: Werewolf, Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack
Championed by Jessie H. aka Rose Red from Goldilox and the Three Weres
Find her at @BookishJessi on Twitter and Instagram.
As we all know, not all werewolf Alphas are created equal and Adam Hauptman is way above the others. So, what makes Adam so different?
No one can deny that as an Alpha werewolf, Adam is as strong as they get. He is one of the most powerful Alphas in the world, second only to the Marrok and his sons. He’s fought off vampires, fae, demons, and even gods. He doesn’t shy away from a fight no matter how bad the odds are. And not only will he wipe the floor with you, he will be one step ahead of you the whole time he’s beating you into the mats in the most efficient way possible.
“Adam understood the end game all right, but to him, the people mattered more than the game.”
He controls a large pack of half-tamed, dangerous werewolves and helps guard the Tri-Cities with the sheer power of his will alone. The man is not only intelligent and strong; he’s extremely loyal, and aggressively protective when it comes to his own. He’s the kind of Alpha that takes care of everyone in his charge, plus those he hasn’t even sworn to protect. Plus, the man can rock a suit!
While Adam is fiercely protective of his mate, he also knows who she is and what she’s capable of. He loves Mercy just the way she is.
“I like her just the way she is, Bran.” And he meant it, greasy overalls, broken fingernails, and all.”
He is supportive and lets her fight her own fights and I can’t think of anything that is sexier than that. But the moment Mercy needs help, he’s right there to rescue her or defend her.
“Mercy is a tough, smart woman. She can defend herself— I do not have to protect her. She is not weak or dependent or needy. She doesn’t need the pack. She doesn’t need me.”
I shot to my feet. “That’s not true,” I said hotly.
He tilted his head a little, his eyes meeting mine. His eyes softened. “I misspoke,” he said in a steady voice. “She doesn’t need me to make sure she has enough food or a place to live— that is my privilege, but she doesn’t need me to do that. She doesn’t need me to keep her safe or to make her a whole person. She doesn’t need me to do anything except love her. Which I do.”
**swoons**
Powerful. Intelligent. Dominant. Respectful. Gorgeous. Adam is the whole package. When he talks, everyone else shuts up and listens. Ladies and gentleman, we clearly have a winner and his name is Adam Hauptman.
Remember, you only have 48 hours to vote using the Rafflecopter form. Once you log in to Rafflecopter, the poll is the first entry. Voting in round 4 enters you to win a copy of Borrowed Souls by Chelsea Mueller. Plus your vote unlocks even 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.
This was a hard one. I like them both. Adam won out but not quite sure why
Adam
Adam!!!
Adam
Definitely going with Ryodan for this one
Adam
Adam!
Ryodan!!!
This was tough one, but I went with Ryodan. I really enjoyed him in this last book. I still love Adam though
Adam definitely. I live the way he loves and respects Mercy just the way she is. He’s a great Aloha to his pack as well.
Adam Hauptman! He is such a sweetie that can also rip your face off! Lol.
There is no better than Ryodan! Loved him since we first met him.
Ryodan…he is quite possibly the sexiest man ever written!
Adam. I must admit I couldn’t get into Faefever and lost interest years ago, so never met up with Ryodan. I’ll have to try the series again and see how I go this time.
Ryo!
Had to go for Ryo also. The last few Merci books didn’t really do it for me but KMM does every time.
Team Adam all the way!
ADAM!!
Another tough choice! But gotta vote Ryodan who helped all of Dublin not just the 9 .
This is a hard one but Ryodan
I’ve never liked Ryodan. Adam, however, is fantastic!
Adam!
Adam
Dude, Adam, hands down!
Adam!
Definitely Adam!
Adam
Adam
Adam
Adam
Adam
I love Adam but he has been saved by Mercy way too many times to be able to beat out Ryo! Ryodan is a bad ass alpha!
Adam
Ryodan
I’d got with Adam Hauptman 🙂
Hauptman
Adam 🙂
ADAM!!!!!!!!!
Adam
Ryodan,no contest!
Adam!
Rowan for sure.
Ryodan that was
Adam!!!!
Adam<3
Ryodan
Adam.
Adam rules
Adam
Ryodan