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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.
Jane! Im sorry Mercy still love you too
This is a difficult match up! I feel in love with Mercy before I met Jane. I love them both, but I’m going to have to vote for Jane.
Mercy!
Tough choice, but I’ve gotta go with Mercy.
Sorry Mercy, but Jane is hard core.
Mercy
Love them both, but I have to go with Jane.
I am going for Mercy Thompson! You guys need to remember who her father is, Coyote! They may die but they always come back, it just might take a while.
No contest. Mercy all the way!
I’m going to vote for Mercy. Even though Jane is pretty hardcore, I have no doubt our wiley coyote would win.
Love Mercy, but it’s always Jane for me.
This was tough but I went with Mercy
Mercy. I haven’t read Jane yet.
Love both, but Jane ( & Beast) has the be my choice
My vote is with Mercy Thompson
Mercy all the way…
Why do you do this to me? In the end, I had to go with Jane.
I had to go with Mercy. I love Jane, too, but Mercy wins today.
Miss Yellowrock by a slim margin.
love you both but Jane takes this one
There’s no contest whatsoever!! Jane Yellowrock all the way!!
Mercy all the way. I stopped reading Jane after she fell in love with the man who basically helped rape her mind and enslaved her.
Mercy all the way!!
Mercy
Jane, no doubt
Mercy. Hands down.
I enjoy the Mercy-verce but I MUST have the new Jane book the day it is released! And I have re-read (technically re-listened) to the Jane series many times as opposed to the one re-read for Mercy. So, though I enjoy both series, I had to go with Jane! Thanks for making this one so tough! lol
Mercy
Mercy me I hope Mercy wins
I love them both but would have to go with Jane.
Mercy Rocks! Coyote Lives!
This is tough. I love both characters but I think Jane would be the winner.
Beast/Jane all the way.
Mercy!!!!!
Mercy all the way!!
such a tough decision but I think Mercy edges out Jane by a hair
Really tough one, but I am with Mercy.
Mercy
Those saying Mercy obviously never read a Jane book and haven’t see her shift or fight. Mercy can fight … Barely … But always has to get rescued.
Mercy, hands down!
Mercy!
I vote for Jane.
Mercy !!!!!
I haven’t read the Jane Yellowrock series yet – it’s on my TBR though – and I LOVE Mercy, so it was an easy choice this time 🙂
Jane is alpha all the way! Sorry Mercy, you are awesome too.
I’ve read both and have to go with Mercy.
Mercy
Jane & Beast. Obviously. I do enjoy Mercy so much, but she is not the killer Jane & Beast are.
I love them both
I vote for Mercy this time
Mercy, I love ya,
But JANE is my girl!!!!!