Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
You read that headline right. It’s time to start playing favorites here at VBC. The annual Alpha Showdown will be back in May, and we need to know who you want to see in the event.
If you haven’t experienced Alpha Showdown before, it gets a little crazy. Here’s the gist: VBC readers nominate their favorite characters who exemplify alpha status—male or female, leaders, warriors, general badasses—and we place the top 16 vote-getters into an NCAA-style bracket. We’ll have bloggers champion for the different characters and matches will be posted on this site where readers will get to vote on which character advances.
Previous Alpha Showdown champions have included Karen Marie Moning’s Ryodan, Ilona Andrews’ Curran and Moning’s Jericho Z. Barrons. So, you know, mega alphas.
We’re changing a couple things up this year. While previously we limited nominations to characters in books published the 12 months prior to the showdown, it’s hard to determine who counts as a lead character in long-running series. So, this year it’s your favorite regardless of publishing date. That means you’re welcome to nominate anyone provided they’re from a novel with paranormal or supernatural elements (a.k.a paranormal romance and urban fantasy, mostly).
The other is we’re going to make everything a giveaway. Who doesn’t like that part? We’ll be utilizing Rafflecopter widgets to handle nominations (below!) and the actual voting when the Showdown happens. As a matter of fact, we’ll be picking three people who nominate characters for the Alpha Showdown 2014 to receive their choice of any book VBC has reviewed—hundreds of choices! Not too shabby, right? (And, yes, it’s open internationally provided the Book Depository can ship to your location.)
THE DETAILS
Zsadist from blackdagger brotherhood,Charles Cornick form Alpha and Omega, Nico Leandros from the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman…..
Nice picks, Gabby! Don’t forget to submit your nominations via the Rafflecopter form so they get tabulated.
We all know the usual male alphas that make the list but I thought for this year I would just nominate my favorite FEMALE alphas.
Gin Blanco – Heart of Venom by Jennifer Estep
Evy Stone – Requiem for the Dead by Kelly Meding
Secret McQueen – Secret Unleashed by Sierra Dean
I’ve entered them into the Rafflecopter.
Thanks! The ability to export to Excel is going to make the tabulations WAY easier. Plus, when it comes to the actual event, we’ll use the poll function and eliminate spam votes, etc. Yay Rafflecopter!
My votes:
1) Kate Daniels (LOOOOVE her)
2) Reyes Furrow from the Charley Davidson Series (Major swoon)
3) Andrea (can’t remember her last name) from the Kate Daniels series. (so badass)
I love the alpha showdown! So much fun!
I look forward to this every year!! YAY
Zsadist from JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Secret from Sierra Dean’s Secret McQueen series
Clay from Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series
Love the Alpha showdown!
Clay is a great choice and would have been on mine if I had more choices. 🙂
I voted for:
Simon Wolfgard (The Others) by Anne Bishop
Kate and Curran by Ilona Andrews
I could’ve voted for many more. 🙂
Gin – Elemental Assassin
Raphael – Guild Hunter
Simon – Written in Red/Murder of Crows. I do love me some growly men 🙂
Nominate Simon Wolfgard from Anne Bishop’s The Others series. Let’s get some new blood in the bracket.
I’m mixing it up a bit this year and including more female alphas in my nominations. 😉
1.) Sabina Kane-Jaye Wells
2.) Amanda Feral-Mark Henry
3.) Chess Putnam- Stacia Kane
Jane Yellowrock!!! Let’s here it for a female and Cherokee!!
Sabina Kane – Jaye Wells
Mercy Thompson – Patricia Briggs
Anna Strong – Jeanne Stein
Secret McQueen – Sierra Dean
Mercy Thompson – Patricia Briggs
Elena Deveraux – Nalini Singh
All Bad Ass women Alphas.
I’ve already enetered them in the rafflecopter but my suggestions are:
Kate Daniels (Ilona Andrews’ Magic Series)
Jericho Barrons (Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series)
Sabina Kane (Jaye Wells’ series)
For me the Alphas will always be:
1. Jericho Barrons from the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning
2.Rourke from the Death Series by J.D Robb
3. Zadist from the BDB by J.R Ward
4. Wraith from Larissa Ione’s Demonica Series
5. Acheron from the Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon
6.
Sorry and 6. Reyes Farrow from the Charley Davidson Series by Darynda Jones.
I think since Jane Yellowrock (by Faith Hunter) did so well last year, that she should definitely be in it this year!
Let’s turn this to a female winner? There are so many females worth being alpha! Here are my favourite 3:
1. Kate Daniels
2. Charley Davidson
3. Elena Devereaux
It was so hard to choose, Chess Putnam, Mercy Thompson, Sabina Kane, Andrea Nash, Caroline Merit, MacKayla Lane, Dani O’Malley….and so many others would go fine for me!
Charles Cornick from Alpha&Omega by Patricia Briggs
Curran from Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews
Raphael from Archangel Series by Nalini Singh
I would love to see either
Jane Yellowrock – from the series of the same name – Faith Hunter
Elena Deveraux – from the Archangel series – Nalini Singh
Mercy Thompson -Patricia Briggs from the series of the same name
And this is without the guys So many choices so many great series
Jane Yellowrock – from Faith Hunter
Mercy Thompson – from Patricia Briggs
Anita Blake – from Laurell K. Hamilton
Would love to see Trent Kalamack from the Hallows series, have nominated him before but he never makes it. Also Wrath Black Dagger Brotherhood series and Ethan Sullivan from Chicagoland Vampires
No! I got through my First nomination and clicked enter to go onto another line, and it submitted it!
Well, If I had had a chance to finish here was what I would do
Raphael (Nalini Singh)
Death (Arcana Chronicles by Kresely Cole)
Curran… again
I nominate Jennifer Estep’s Gin Blanco, Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock and Jeaniene Frost’s Cat Crawfield.
Jane Yellowrock, from the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter. Jane kicks ass!
Nominate:
1: Adam Hauptman – Mercedes Thompson Series – Patricia Briggs
2: Raphael – Guild Hunters Series – Nalini Singh
3: Jean Claude – Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series – Laurell K. Hamilton
I tried to enter all three of these and was only able to enter one up above.
Simon Wolfgard from The Others series by Anne Bishop
I really liked all the above nominations but for my choices, I went back a couple of years.
Taryn Warner from Feral Sins
Annwyl the Bloody from Dragon Actually
Elijah Reynolds from A Hunger So Wild
Apparently, I like my Alphas to be a little crazy…
I wish we could vote for 3 males and 3 females. Anyways, I added my options to the pool, here they are:
1) Bones from Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost
2) Judd Lauren from Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh
3) Ethan Sullivan from Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill
Hey – let me remind everybody that Up From the Grave was the last Night Huntress book. If you want Bones to EVER hold the Alpha Showdown title – THIS IS THE YEAR TO NOMINATE HIM AND VOTE LIKE HELL WHEN HE GETS ON THE BALLOT!
Kate Daniels from Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews
Jericho Barrons from the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning
Adam Black From the Highlander Series by Karen Marie Moning
Curran from Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews
Wrath Black Dagger Brotherhood -JR Ward
Acheron Dark Hunter – Sherrilyn Kenyon
Wrath- Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Curran- Kate Daniels series
Reaver- Demonica series
Love this showdown. 🙂
I accidentally pressed enter after only one name.
Bones (Night Huntress) by Jeaniene Frost
Reyes Farrow (Charlie Davidson) by Darynda Jones
Curran (Kate Daniels) by Ilona Andrews
Reyes Farrow (darynda jones)followed closely by Adam Hauptman & Charles Cornick (patricia briggs)
Bones – Final Night Huntress Series
Reaver – Demonica series
Raphael – Guild Hunter Series
Bones- jeanine frost, ethan Sullivan- chloe neil, and Liam oshea- shannon mayer. Top pick: bones, always bones!
Bones- Jeaniene Frost
Adam Hauptman- Patricia Briggs
Wrath- J R Ward
love your 3
Lee from Elisabeth Staab’s Chronicles of Yavn series. Eidolon from Larissa Ione’s Demonica series. Valin from Tes Hilaire’s Paladin Warrior series.
Reyes Alexander Farrow from Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. Cause how much more bad-boy-trying-to-do-the-right-thing can you get really??
My three are as follows:
1) Wraith from BDB Series.Seriously..he is THE KING and kicks butt until he is around Beth
2) Nick Gautier from Chronicles of Nick series.
3) Kevin Hearne’s Atticus from his Iron Druid Series. Who doesn’t love a 40000+ yr. old druid ticking off gods aplenty and a dog that loves sausages and Dirty Harry Movies.
you almost had me confused(lol). Wrath-BDB..Wraith-Demonica
It’s going back a bit, but I had to throw Lucivar from Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series in!
Reyes Farrow- Charley Davidson series
Half human half supermodel son of Satan
Reyes Farrow, Adam Hauptman & Curran!! Love them!
1) Terrible: Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghost series
2)Reyes: Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series
3) Lily: Scarlett Dawn’s Forever Evermore series
Simon Wolfgard-Murder of Crows
Adam Hauptman-Mercy Thompson
Clay Danvers-Kelley Armstrong Otherworld
Hmmm, all wolves.
So many greats to choose from, but my 3 would be:
1. Reyes Farrow (Charley Davidson Series) by Darynda Jones
2. Kate Daniels (Kate Daniels Series) by Ilona Andrews
3. Bones (Night Huntress Series) by Jeaniene Frost
1. Jane Yellowrock – Jane Yellowrock series
2. Simon Wolfgard – Others series
3. Trent Kalamack – Hollows series
I nominated:
1) Phelan- Donna Grants ‘Dark Warrior’ series.
2) Malcolm- Donna Grants ‘Dark Warrior’ series.
3) Acheron- Sherrilyn Kenyons `Dark Hunter’ series.
1) Wraith- Demonica
2) Zsadist- BDB
They are so much alike.
Wow, this was difficult because there really are so many I would love to nominate…but, after careful thinking, I came up with these:
1. WRATH – BDB (how can you NOT nominate this alpha of all badasses!!!
2. LOTHAIRE – Immortals After Dark – He isn’t called The Enemy of Old for nothing!!
3. ANNWYL the Bloody – Dragon Kin series cause yeah, she is an unbelievable, kick ass, badass heroine!