Update: This round is now closed, and Mercy Thompson took the win with 72% of the vote. She’ll advance in the 2018 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.
We started this year’s Showdown with five female contestants and two of them are going head to head here in round 7. We haven’t seen a lot of close matches yet in this year’s Showdown, but I’m thinking this one will a nail biter. Both Jane Yellowrock and Mercy Thompson have made it to the final round in previous years, though neither of them have won. And only one will advance this time.
Polls are open for 48 hours. Cast your vote using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the page. You’ll also be entered to win an awesome book!
Mercy 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.
Jane Yellowrock
You know her from: The Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter
First appeared in: Skinwalker
Supernatural Status: Cherokee Skinwalker
Championed by Anne from Books of My Heart
Find her at Facebook Goodreads
Twitter @BooksofMyHeart and @Northwomn
Jane Yellowrock started out as a rogue vampire hunter but has become much more. She is still a Harley-riding, leather wearing, weapons toting badass but Jane has also become knowledgeable about other species, history, magic, families, and vampire politics. Intelligence is a powerful weapon. She has fought all types of enemies and survived – rogue vampires, rogue skinwalkers, werewolves, dark witches, and other legendary creatures. It was often challenging but she succeeded.
“I didn’t need protecting and men seemed to sense that. It bothered a lot of them.”
As a two-souled ancient being, Jane, a shape changing Cherokee war woman, combined with Beast, a mountain lion, is a Dual Alpha. Over the years, in thirteen books, Jane and Beast have both developed their skills. They can shift into different animal shapes, use time-slowing magic, and can battle with many weapons – guns, knives, blades. Well, Jane does that last one, not Beast.
“Beast had once informed me that humans were hunters only by luck and because they had opposable thumbs.”
The truest sign of an Alpha is their ability to lead and work with a diverse set of beings and skills. Alphas show compassion, integrity and the ability to sacrifice themselves for others. Jane is the best. She manages to work with the head of the Mithrans (vampires) in America to take down rogues and make sure humans are protected. She also ends up protecting witches, shifters and even the Mithrans. She collects her own family group over the years. Jane speaks to this here:
“I do good for humans and for others,, outcasts, people in need, . I protect the innocent when I can. There may not be others like me, but I have found a place for myself. Found friends, people who came to me and we made a family. I have a purpose.”
Jane and Beast are double trouble, double the power and skills, and double the Alpha female to take down all comers. Everyone else is prey.
“Beast is not prey.”
Remember, you only have 48 hours to vote using the Rafflecopter form. (Once you log in, the poll is the first entry.) And there’s still time to vote in yesterday’s match.
Voting in Round 7 enters you to win a copy of V.E. Schwab’s Vicious, which it’s Chelsea from VBC’s favorite Schwab book.
Convince your friends to back your candidate using #AlphaShowdown and feel free to share your opinions in the comments.
Don’t know either so I picked Jane.
Oh, my! These are two of UF’s best series!
MERCY!
Mercy for me, although I do like Jane too.
Mercy. No question.
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Jane is amazing. She knows how to get things done. And Beast is best ambush hunter
Jane-and-Beast, Jane-and-Beast, Jane-and-Beast!!
Mercy
Like them both but had to choose 1. Voted for Mercy…
Mercy!
Mercy
This is an impossible choice!
Definitely Mercy!
Mercy!
I can’t! I just can’t!
Mercy all the way
Two of my favorites, it’s cruel to choose between them… But I think Jane would win.
Jane!
No question for me here. Mercy all the way!
This was another tough one for me as I really love both of these series. I can’t wait to see the outcome of this.
Mercy all the way!
Mercy!
Both are awesome but for me it had to be Jane, especially after the last book.
I love Mercy, but I think Jane is the stronger of the two. Beast trumps a coyote.
It has to be Mercy!
Mercy !!!!
Mercy all the way!
Ahhh Love Mercy but Jane is so much more Alpha.
Mercy!!!
Jane, especially after Dark Queen, it can only be Jane
One of the hardest match-ups! I love Mercy and like Jane, but in an “Alpha-ness” contest, I keep going back and forth.
Mercy, even though I love both . This was a hard choice.
Jane and Beast
Mercy Athena Thompson
I found this vote to be extremely hard!
I have been a loyal and avid reader of both these authors for a lot of years and love both Jane and Mercy! Like choosing my favorite between two of my childern! I did vote through and hope Jane wins! Or Mercey! How ever impossible that seems I guess I seem to be standing behind them both!
Mercy!!
Go Mercy!!
Mercy
This is certainly a tricky showdown.
Gotta go with my girl Jane. Can’t have Jane without Beast and you can’t have Beast without Jane.
Mercy!!!