Alpha Showdown 2018 Wrap Up

Another Alpha Showdown is in the books. If you missed any of the action, you can find the bracket here and the individual posts under the Alpha Showdown 2018 tag. Thank you to everyone who voted.

Our 2018 Alpha Showdown Champion is Kate Daniels!

With her victory, Kate becomes our first ever repeat champion. She was also our first female winner. Congratulations Kate and author Ilona Andrews! Now we’re even more excited about the release of Magic Triumphs later this summer.

I think it’s worth noting however that Mercy Thompson also made it to the final round in the last two Showdowns. Urban fantasy is defined, at least in part, by its powerful heroines, and I’m glad that the Alpha Showdown is starting to reflect that. Though perhaps we still have some work to do since only five of the sixteen contenders were female. I’d also love to see more POC characters in future Showdowns.

I also think, as I said at the beginning of the Showdown, that it’s important to reclaim the term “Alpha” from the “alphaholes” and articulate exactly what we expect from our heroes and heroines today, which may not be the same as it was a few years ago. When we talk about alphas here, we’re really talking about heroes—characters who accept the great responsibility that comes with their power. These men and women use their positions to uplift their families, werewolf packs, vampire clans. And often avert an apocalypse in the process. They entertain us with their fighting skills and inspire us by fighting for a cause. Kate Daniels certainly exemplifies those traits.

Finally, I’d like to thank all the bloggers who championed the alphas this year. I loved seeing all the “this post made me want to try this series” comments. I hope that you’ll also check out their blogs. Thank you to Tanya from Rantings of a Reading Addict, Suzanne and Annie from Under the Covers, Gladys from Nerd Girl, Melissa from LilyElement, Anne and Robin from Books of My Heart, Jessie from Goldilox and the Three Weres, Tiffany from The Novel Girl Reads, Melanie from Hot Listens, Leona from Books Inside the Keep and the entire VBC team.

And thanks again to everyone who voted and tweeted and shared. We hope you had as much fun as we did with Alpha Showdown 2018!

Note from VBC HQ/Chelsea: Margaret was Alpha Showdown coordinator this year, and did an amazing job. VBC is lucky to have her, and I hope you’ll also give her some love in the comments for making this year’s Alpha Showdown so much fun. (And giving Chelsea time to meet some writer deadlines, etc.)