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It’s officially time for Alpha Showdown 2013! You made your nominations and we have 16 of the most badass, alpha characters from urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels locked into the bracket. Only one will be named champion and today’s first bout is sure to end in a knockout.
Round three offers two very different princes. A vampire of legend with a penchant for fire finds a suitable opponent in the always-changing, wants-to-be-good and can’t-help-but-be-bad Christian MacKeltar. Will they use weapons of old? Will their icy stares work on one another? You decide.
Read the pitches, then make the call. Who should advance to the next round in the Alpha Showdown? The poll at the end of this post will be open for two days. Remember, alphas don’t share titles. Your votes decide who advances in the Alpha Showdown 2013.
New for 2013! Every (non-spam) comment on an Alpha Showdown post will enter you to win books featuring the final four alphas. So make sure to join the discussion and cheer on your favorite alphas.
VladYou know him from: The Night Huntress and Night Prince books by Jeaniene Frost
First appeared in: The first book with Vlad as the main character was Once Burned (VBC review)
Supernatural status: Master vampire with bonus pyrokinetic skills
Championed by: Candace from Vampire Book Club | @cpblackburn73
*cracks knuckles* Okay, listen up. It’s time. Hell, it’s past time. Hot Hands stepped off Menchere’s helicopter in elegant fashion in At Grave’s End, and he’s been patiently waiting for his moment to be recognized as the true Alpha that he is. Me? I’m not so patient. I’ve been screaming VLAD IS ALPHA, HEAR HIM ROAR! for three years now. But Vlad’s been patient and reckoning has arrived.
I’m not even looking at the other names in the Showdown right now because they don’t matter. I’ve got a 600-year-old pyrokinetic vampire with regal origins who has a torture chamber. Yeah, that’s right, a bonafide dungeon in the bottom of his Romanian castle. They call him the Impaler. Uh huh. The. Impaler. Just let that double entendre sit a bit and let’s get back to the Vlad the Fanged Pyrokinetic Torture King who makes weaker vampires wet their pants. These guys facing him probably have Depends stashed in the bathroom. Why? Vlad is power personified. Feel that? It’s Vlad and he’s here to fight.
In a field fighting people raised from the dead, Vlad simultaneously tore through the undead and sent his pyrokinetic prowess to destroy someone without even looking at them. He flambéd a ghoul’s goodie bits. He sat in a graveyard and let himself be used as bait for wraiths and begged for more. His closest friend is Mencheres and we all know what kind of power that older-than-dirt vampire wields. Power hangs with power, my friends.
Now let’s get back to that Impaler business. No one, and I mean no one, has ever made scars sexier. If you have an argument against that, fine, bring it. While Vlad effortlessly roasts your guy, we sit off to the side, have coffee or hot chocolate and when he’s done, Vlad can toast marshmallows for us.
Once Burned…with Vlad, that’s all it takes.
Christian MacKeltarYou know him from: The Highlander, Fever and Fever World series by Karen Marie Moning.
First appeared in: Kiss of the Highlander, by mention only, but got his feet wet in Darkfever (VBC review). He played a prominent role in Iced, but we won’t hold that against him. Other things will get held against him.
Supernatural Status: He is a super-powerful druid by birth and a walking lie detector. However, a series of events, including a stint in dark fae prison, change him into Unseelie royality. Every girl wants a prince, right?
Championed by: Mary from Vampire Book Club
Och. There are very few men with the stamina to keep our interest across multiple series of books, but Mr. MacKelter manages to find a way to please his fans. Doona be thinking that he takes a conflict lying down. This Alpha manages to stay on top of all conflicts. No matter what the situation, performing sacred druid rituals, hurtling through dimensions, or doing a pub crawl, he gets the job done with finesse and authority. This is a character whose presence grows more sizable with each encounter, who knows his way around a fae love shack, and who has said that he believes in making a lasses dreams come true.
Okay, enough innuendo. A true Alpha is someone that is continually evolving, being tested, and struggling, but who always comes back better and stronger. Christian has changed significantly over the course of the Fever books, but he always asserts himself as one of the top players, critical to the success of every endeavor, and managing to do things his way.
So, as you vote for this year’s Alpha, keep Christian in mind. If you haven’t read the Fever series, check it out. You won’t be disappointed, not with Christian on the page. I will leave with my favorite quote from Christian, found in Shadowfever:
“Bring that sweet ass over here and I’ll show you what God made women and well-hung Scotsmen for.”
Well, okay.
This poll will be open for 48 hours. Alpha with the most votes will advance.
I love the Fever series….but Christian is starting to really disturb me. I mean….that thing under his bed when Dani was there. WEIRD. Vlad is also an idiot, as most men are. I suppose he is more alpha though.
Vlad hands down! Read Once Burned and you will be obsessed with this top Alpha!
I liked Vlad, but had to go with Christian.
After reading both series, Vlad definitely has my vote.
Two of my favorite series and I have to pick?? Oh man..not fair!
Vlad Vlad Vlad Vlad Vlad
I love both the fever an Vlad stories. But, Vlad is just to hot to pick over Christian. But I still love him tho.
Definitely Vlad is more alpha, although I like Christian.(Christian being Iced though is a strike against him, not for him!) If you haven’t read Vlad’s story, you really should, as any PNR fan that loves alpha males will love it.
For me it’s Vlad, he knows good and well what he is and he has full control of it. It’s his love life that needs polishing. But he’ll get use to it.
Christian just became a dark prince so he has no control over what he’s become and he’s already killed women over it. And his fixation on Dani is disturbing to me.
I love both of these guys and series but for me Vlad is my winner!!
Vlad got my vote!
gigi
VLAD it has to be VLAD!!!! You just want more of him after reading him 1st with Cat (Nigth Huntress series) and how he knows exactly how to get under Bones Skin, it’s classic then you read him in Once Burn and then Twice Tempted, he is has to be the Alpha hands down. We just want more of him… Just Love HIM!!!
Plus, he is so super confident of himself and is always right. I too am a fan of the Vlad and Bones exchange and I love the fact that Cat is a friend to Vlad while loving Bones. To see how she interacts with Vlad and to know how Bones stews knowing that Vlad is a ‘showhound’. LOL
Oh wow, hard choice. But I’ve been a fan of Vlad before he and Ms. Frost started dancing and the cha-cha that she’s spinning is really, really great. My vote goes to the dark vampire from Once Burned…
Vlad is clearly the stronger choice here.
I went with Vlad because Christian is not my favorite at all. Well, neither is Vlad, but I like him better than Christian. My favorite on this whole Alpha Showdown is Curran and I hope he wins!
Voted Vlad! I couldn’t help myself, I like him better. 😉
This was not a fair choice! Two of my favorite series
Vlad can’t wait for the next one.
Ummm ya Vlad all the way!!!! Not a hard choice at ALL!
Mandy 🙂
Vlad can just burn someone up long before anyone ever gets near him.
It has to be Vlad every time scrummy and deadly all rolled into one
Vlad is clearly the more alpha male with skills that christian doesn’t have!! No brainer there!!
Given the choice of taking the Fever series or Night Huntress series with me to a deserted island… I’d have to choose Fever. Christian certainly makes me fangirl harder, but… He’s a baby Alpha right now. He doesn’t know himself or his strengths anymore. Vlad’s had 800 years of practice. Christian would hardly stand a chance against him right now.
I kinda feel bad for Christian, there isn’t really any contest between the two.
Although what I’ve seen of Christian I would definitely consider him Alpha I think he caught a tough break in this showdown… Who can argue with Vlad, I’ve seen what he can do throughout the Night Huntress novels and Think he’d definitely win this battle!
Vlad, Vlad, Vlad, Vlad. I think Vlad leaves Christian in the dirt….
Vlad leaves Christian in the dirt. Vlad all the way!!!
No doubt about it. I have read both. Vlad, all the way!!!
Vlad I have read all of Jeaniene Frosts books and I mean all. She is one hell of a writer…..I like Vlads character very much but love a series with Mencheres as the main charcter and I am patient so I will wait but as bad-asses Vlad is one of the best and as long as he doesn’t come up against Bones or Mencheres it will always be VLAD
That was a truly hard one! Love Vlad,and Christian man! <3
No competition. Vlad is closing in on my favorite vamp of all time. Move over Jean Claude and Eric Northman, Frost has created something sultry–yet historical–with this hottie.
Vlad all the way. I love Christian, but I think of him as an alpha-in-training. He’s still developing as a character and growing into his alphaness. Give him another book or two and then he can be in the running.
I voted Christian. I love Vlad, but I do not see a lot of growth in him as a character. I liked what was happening with Christian, but apparently I am missing something freaky with him and Dani. I have not read Dani’s books yet, so stand by what I know so far.
Love them both but have to go with Christian here. But it’s very close!!
I love both series and both men, they are very interesting characters who have dark sides that keep us coming back. Christian, though is a baby Alpha, who is just coming into his own. Vlad on the other hand has 800yrs and the whole fire-starting thing. Yeah hands down Vlad would totally toast Christian, and then roast marshmallows!
Christian of course
Neither are my cup of tea but I liked Mary’s pitch for Christian so Christian it is!
Vlad over Christian, any day!
Oh, Vlad. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
Vlad- hands down…He is just too “HOT” to resist and although Christian is powerful he is just not alpha material…plus the whole becoming Unseelie prince thing really does not work in his favor…Can’t wait for more Vlad though…
Vlad – super sexy alpha.
Christian – creepy dude who pervs on Dani.
Christian started out a college kid with a wicked smile, and has evolved into a sexual deviant with wicked everything. He is no longer even likable to me. Vlad, on the other hand, has always been the same scarred, sexy hellion that absorbs the attention and theatrics involved in every situation. He is Alpha to the core and wins my vote no matter who he is up against, sorry Christian.
This is a hard one for me.. I LOVE them both!! Gonna have to go with Vlad this time but give Christian a few more books and he’ll be kicking all the alpha’s arses!! 😛
That’s my point. Christian is clearly from an Alpha lineage (hello Uncle Drustan and Uncle Dageus) but he is not there yet. Give him a few books and absolutely. If the Fever fans want to rally behind someone to support KMM (who is one of my favorites), then vote for Ryodan next round.
I have to go with Christian because I love hot Scottish men…
VLAD es el mejor, voten por él **
Vlad has my vote!
All the paranormal guys are hot…but he had me at
The. Impaler *snicker*
WHY?!?!
Why must the fates play such a cruel joke on me? Why must it pit my two favorite princes up against one another? It’s just not fair. (OK, fine. I’m being over dramatic but I just really love these two characters.)
Christian is capable of some very bad things but he tries so hard. I can’t help but to love and admire him for it, even though sometimes I want to slap him. But I can also say the same for Vlad! I just finished reading Twice Tempted and, though I really LOVED the book, Vlad frustrated me so much! So I’m leaving this one up to you guys. I’ll be happy with whoever wins. Choose wisely!
Christian is great, but he isn’t Alpha yet, as others have pointed out. I definitely have to go with Vlad. He’d melt Christian into ashes after he impaled him. No contest.
I love both series, but after the last book I think Christian is gone completely off the deep end. I have loved Clad since he was first introduced, and if I wasn’t already completely enamored with Bones I would’ve liked Cat and him together. Love that he has his own series now.