Update: Voting in this round is now closed. Curran emerged the victor with 68% of the vote.
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 6 features another former Showdown Champion, Curran from Ilona Andrews’s Kate Daniels series. He’s up against Nalini Singh’s Archangel Raphael who’s appearing in his sixth Showdown. This is sure to be a tight race as these Alphas from two of our favorite series battle it out.
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 today to vote in Round 5 if you haven’t done so yet.
CURRAN
You know him from: Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
First appeared in: Magic Bites
Supernatural Status: Werelion shapeshifter—A Prime, carrying the essence of a god, extremely hard, neigh impossible, to kill.
Championed by Robin from Books of My Heart
Come one, come all, to meet the biggest baddest alpha of them all, and my Knight in Furry Armor: weighing in at a whopping 700+ lbs in beast form, the former Beast Lord, current MASTER OF THE MERCENARY GUILD, Consort and General to the Guardian of Atlanta, His Furriness Curran Lennart!
Only a true Alpha can rule side by side with another Alpha, but Curran does one better, because he not only accepts Kate’s Alphaness, he helps her thrive. All of that is enough to crown Curran King of Alphas IMO, but if you need more convincing, how about this: he chose his mate knowing full well that his Daddy-in-Law would be none other than the biggest Bad Guy of all, Nimrod, immortal magician, and megalomaniac extraordinaire (and you thought your family dynamics were hard).
His Furriness has been known to rock luscious locks to rival Fabio when the magic is high or when on a special diet. *whispers* He did eat something divine recently. Not to mention he has the sexiest eyes that shimmer golden when he’s “excited” *waggles eyebrows* or when the time has come to kick some ass.
“Curran’s eyes went gold. His clothes tore, falling in shreds to the street, as the massive meld of human and lion spilled out.”
He takes charge of any and all situations, and he gives and commands friendship, loyalty and respect. This means that when the trouble comes knocking, he is bringing a big ass army full of shifters to protect his family. But wait, there’s more, he’s added some Mercenaries, a frenemy *cough* Hugh *cough* and maybe a god or two as well. Curran’s good at covering all the bases.
There isn’t a Big Bad out there he isn’t willing to challenge, and it has been that way since he fought a Kodiak Shifter at the tender age of fifteen for control of the Pack. Which is nice for his Mate, because she knows that he will always come for her…Like that time she was stuck in a different dimension, or that other time she got roped into fighting (to the death) in secret gladiator-style games, or that other, other time she was held captive in a magical prison, or you know, whatever…Basically, he’s got it covered.
“I will always be there. I will walk across the whole planet if I have to.”
Other alphas might talk the talk, but this alpha walks the walk…He’ll show anyone he’s up against why other Alphas cower and fall to their knees when Curran roars.
Raphael
You know him from: The Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh
First appeared in: Angels’ Blood
Supernatural Status: Archangel
Championed by Jessie H. aka Rose Red from Goldilox and the Three Weres
Find her at @BookishJessi on Twitter and Instagram
In the world of the supernatural, what is more powerful than an archangel? Nothing. And Raphael is not just any archangel. He’s the Archangel of New York, the son of two archangels and one of the most powerful archangels in the world. Raphael creates vampires, commands angels, and rules over all of North America with an iron fist. He inspires such loyalty that the other archangels in the Cadre of Ten both covet and fear his Seven, a badass group of vampire and angel warriors who have given their allegiance to Raphael. Not to mention, he’s the ONLY archangel to have MADE an angel.
Raphael may be young for an archangel but he is the ultimate warrior. He radiates power and authority and has beaten foes the other archangels wouldn’t dare go up against. He can be ruthless and brutal to those he rules, but he is always fair. He is powerful and is not afraid to love a mortal even though that might made him look weak. He is committed to Elena and is willing to give his life for hers.
“If this is death, Guild Hunter, he thought to his mortal as angelfire scored through his bones and touched his heart, then I will see you on the other side.”
His love for his hbeebti is what truly makes Raphael the ultimate Alpha. It’s fierce and unbreakable. Some of the other members of the Cadre think Elena weakens him, but she doesn’t. Their love for each other makes him stronger every day. She may have changed his world and forced him to adapt but she also centered him. She’s made him fiercer and stronger in all the ways that matter. He would destroy the world for her.
“He watched her leave in a sweep of midnight and dawn, her wings unlike any other, and he knew he’d damn his own honor and take vengeance on the world should anyone dare lay a finger on her.”
No matter how ruthless he can be, when Raphael gives his love, his loyalty, and his friendship, he does so with just as much raw power and savagery as he puts into ruling and defending his territory. He is a warrior in every sense of the word and will fight to even his own death to ensure those he loves and governs survive.
“Eternity would mean nothing without you. For no power on this earth would I trade my Elena.”
How can one expect to win against a being so ruthless in his devotion, brutal in his passion, and yet unexpectedly tender when a moment rises? There can only be one winner here and it is obviously the Archangel of New York.
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 6 enters you to win a copy of Dark Hope by H.D. Smith. 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.
Though I like both Curran will always have my vote! He has killed things that are suppose to be unkillable/ hard to kill all by himself. He has already fought things that could fly and killed them every time.
Someday I’ll figure out how to comment without it being a reply 🙂 I’m not looking forward to the next round votes
Curran!
I adore both. But I have to go with Raphael.
Curran!
LOVE BOTH… but CURRAN is it!
Curran, for sure!
I think his attitude is much, much more mature than Raphael, plus he takes care of others and leads more (the pack, then the Guild) than Raphael ever does with the vampires and the Angels and the vampires, the latter having a lot of leaway in terms of their self-authority.
I like both – but Curran is my favorite!
Curran all the way. He’s the ultimate Alpha and would die a thousand times for Kate if it means she’ll live. He’s so intense y’all!
I love them both, but I have to go with Curran.
Curran!
Raphael, He has relationships with many, yet they are all their own even with the 7.
I love them both but I am in love with CURRAN, here kitty kitty
Still don’t see the vote button!
Is the white giveaway button at the bottom of the books
Curran!
Curran!
Raphael for sure!
Curran!
Difficult choice…. Raphael!
If my last baby had been a boy she would have been named Curran. He is the best!
Raphael
Curran!
Curan
This one is so not fair. I love them both.
Curran!
Curran!
I missed rounds 4 & 5! I am sad. I am going to remind myself to vote!
Curran, of course.
I love Curran, but I must vote for Raphael as he is the more powerful of the two. Difficult choices.
Curran
I love both but Curran
Curran *swoon*
Curran all the way
Curran
#teamcurran
Curran
Oh dear most difficult decision in this ever!!
Curran has my vote!
So hard to choose.
Curran!
This one was easy. Curran all the way! The next one will be impossible. Has the Alpha Showdown ever matched a pair of mates against each other? If they were to actually fight, Kate would win easily. Curran would just lie down and say “I give up. Your move.”
It happened twice last year! We had Kate vs Curran and Mercy vs Adam. The ladies won.
I really think Raphael is likely to be able to kill even the most powerful shapeshifter imaginable: he’s an archangel, after all! I suspect Curran’s clear victory is a sign of his understandable POPULARITY (he’s really grown on me from his first, annoying appearances (as has the series as a whole!)), rather than based on his actual ability to come out on top in this battle.