Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
It’s been a wicked Alpha Showdown so far. Both the characters in today’s match had lots of fans come out for them in their first rounds. But they both won by only a handful of votes.
Will this round be the same? Kate Daniels from the Ilona Andrews’ series of the same name took out Bones, and Wrath from J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood beat the archangel Raphael.
It’s going to be a close one, and your votes will decide the winner.
We’ve lined up excellent bloggers to fill you in on why each alpha deserves to advance. Read the pitches, and then make the call.
You know her from: The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
First appeared in: Magic Bites (VBC Review | Amazon
Supernatural status: Good question
Championed by: Jen at Red Hot Books | @redhotbooks
You don’t have to be a man to be the top dog alpha. It’s something intangible that separates you from the sheep. It’s about strength of the body and mind. It’s about power. For a man, strength can be more obvious in the physical sense. His dominance can be downright sexy at times. But a woman who can burn the world with a strong sword arm and an iron will, to me, is even more impressive.
K
ate owes a lot of her strength to her lineage, but she is more than the sum of her parts. Her father passed on many of his powerful gifts, like the ability to manipulate blood. He can’t take credit for her years of training, though. He can’t compete with her drive to protect those around her and to save the day at all costs. The fire that is inside of Kate is all her own, and she will destroy you without hesitation if you are a threat to someone she loves.
She uses every weapon at her disposal, and is willing to risk everything to protect others. She’ll throw herself into a fighting pit, face off with her own deranged relatives, battle deities, and stare down supernatural baddies of all shapes and sizes –not for her own gain—but do what needs to be done for people who can’t do it themselves. She is strong, but not infallible, which is what makes it all the more meaningful when she puts herself in the line of fire. She could die, but she doesn’t. She prevails and lives to fight another day.
Kate’s abilities keep getting stronger. And she keeps getting smarter. Whether she is leading hundreds of shapeshifters or slapping down detractors; whether she is fighting alongside members of the Guild or against them; whether she is battling a legend or edging closer to becoming one herself… she is fierce. She is relentless. She doesn’t stop until she is done.
What other woman could be a worthy mate to Curran? Could hold her own with Aunt B? Who else could face off with Roland and walk away with an entire city under her protection? No one. Kate is in a category all her own.
And she could kick your ass. Without breaking a sweat.
You know him from: The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward
First appeared in: Dark Lover (VBC Review | Amazon
Supernatural status: The Blind King, the last purebred vampire
Championed by: Jill from VBC
Wrath is a no-hold-barred badass. He’s the king of the vampire race, but don’t let that fool you, he’s not some pompous politician. He could, and often does, take on anyone and anything. He’s a fierce protector of his people. He would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. He’s exactly the kind of man that you would want to be your friend, your bodyguard, the leader of your people, or your sexy, badass, alpha boyfriend.
He is a very reluctant king. He just wants to be a simple soldier like the rest of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Wrath isn’t made for the simple soldier life, though. He’s way too much of an alpha to be just a warrior. Oh no, he’s the literal king of the warriors.
When some obnoxious posers decide that his chosen mate Beth isn’t vampire enough to be his wife, Wrath takes the throne so that no one will take his leelan. He has single-handedly fought off assassination attempts, evil soul-less demons, and smart-ass brothers, all in day’s work for this alpha king.
Throughout his few years as King, we see him grow as a man and as a leader. We’ve watched him discover love and loyalty, struggle with the heavy burden of leadership, and find the balance in being an understanding leader and not a political push over, all with his sexy shades and ass kickers on.
Wrath has a lot more coming his way, especially with the development in the newest book The King starring Wrath and Beth, set years after their first encounter. Wrath is compassionate, strong, intelligent, loyal, honorable, and this alpha king deserves your votes!
Who are you putting your money on: Kate or Wrath?
At the request of last year’s voters, we’re going back to traditional polls for the voting, but keep reading for your chance to win awesome books. Your to-be-read pile could always use more. Trust us.
Participating in the Alpha Showdown is all about fun, and free books totally lead to fun, right? We hope you’ll find lots of great new reads during the Showdown, and to help that along, we’re giving away some stellar reads.
With Round 11 we’re giving away a signed copy of Lion’s Share by Rachel Vincent. Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.
Wrath
I voted for Wrath. I haven’t read the Kate Daniels books yet.So I guess my vote is by default 🙂
If you get a chance, read the Kate Daniels books, they get better as they go along…
Vote Kate everyone!! 🙂 Wrath is seriously lame…
No-brainer. You couldn’t pick an easier opponent for Kate. She can either use Sarrat to lop off his head or use her magic to explode it like an over-inflated baloon. She might even make him kneel first. Then she might use his blood to make armor for the fight against Mad Rogan. Wrath should have zero chance here.
Woooow u are short sited.
I like the way you think.
Hahahahahaha lol
Love you, joe xD
Kate can control pathetic zombies with no brains that require navigating because they are literal brain dead zombies. Dont get zombies and vampires mixed up, its a completly different universe. Wrath is extremely intelligent and can match many of her skills and more. Wrath all the way, baby!!!!!!!!!!!
Kate
Wrath?? Really? It’s Kate all the way. She is totally kicka$$.
Wrath and the Brothers hold a special place in my heart!
Kate!!!
It seems people feel strongly about their chosen tonight!! lol my vote goes to Wrath!! 🙂
Wrath!!!
HUZZZAHHH!!!!! WRATH IS IN THE LEAD!!!!! WHOOOOOOOO
Kate only!
NEVER!!!!!!
definitely Kate 🙂
No.
Kate!
No brainer Kate.
Kate….would be so cool to have the two finalists be Kate vs Curran!
Come on, Kate!
go Kate!
Kate.. Love her and Curran.
Kate, with her magic and her sword, would easily win.
Just sayin I dislike tweeter.
It’s time for a female alpha! Kate!
Wrath all the way
Kate Kate Kate!
Wrath all the way…
Love Wrath.
It’s got to be Kate on top of Kate being totally aw sum her partner is Curren and do you know who her DAD is if you know all this you would know she has to be a total badass to keep up with these two.
Kate!!!!
Go Sharrim….. I mean Kate, of course!!
Kate!
Love Wrath
Kate!!!!
Such a hard choice but had to go with Kate. She can kick butt like no other.
only KATE!!!!!
Love both these characters! Chose Wrath
Wrath, my darlings, is Vampire King and would pulverize Kate. I read all her books and am very much so looking forward to the next but there’s no question of who would win in a fight. People overestimate her, Wrath would win hands down. Still luv Kate but Wrath is the better alpha and the bigger opponent.
Preach the truth, sista!!!! Your like my favorite commentor
Kate all the way!!!
Very hard choice! But I have to go with Wrath. Sorry Kate!
Go Kate!
It saddens me that Kate isn’t blowing this one out of the water. I would totally prefer to have Kate watch my back than Wrath. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he is the blind king.
I think Kate would kick butt.
Wrath!!!!
Wrath All The Way!!!
Wrath
I like Wraith but Kate has skills, magic, and a killer attitude. PLUS she can control vampires so what’s to say that won’t work on Wraith?
KATE FTW!
Definitely Kate, who has no problem controlling, head-destroying and using the blood of vampires.
HUZZZAHHHH!!!!!!! THE KING WINS!!!!!! KATE IS DEFEATED!!!! ITS ABOUT TIME!!! WHOOOOOOOOO!!!! SO GLAD SHE LOST!!!!!
LOL YES!!!!!!! I hated her ever since she took Bones down, although to be honest I never liked her or her books very much even before that. Wrath deserved to win, xoxoxo
I can’t believe it. Kate could pop his head like a pimple. Come on, Kate supporters, vote for Mad Rogan and Curran.
No she cant, its to different universes. She can control brain dead zombies who require navigating by humans. Wrath is not one of those. I hate when people say Kate should win because she can control vampires. SHE CAN ONLY CONTROL THE VAMPIRES IN HER BOOKS! And I wouldn’t even call them vampires, they are zombies without the slightest scrap of intelligence. Dont think for a second that she’d be able to control Wrath, they are completely different universes. She can control the vampires her father made because her father made them, thats not going to stand up against a completely diffetent world of vampires that function and think differently, she’d have no control over them. I am going to repeat this one more time: KATE CANNOT CONTROL ANY VAMPIRES OUTSIDE HER UNIVERSE.
Agreed. The only reason she can control the vamps in her books is because her father made them. Theres no way she’d be able to control different universes of vampires, she has no power over them.
Agreed.
I waz so surprised I kept seeing comments saying she would obviously win against a vampire because she can control vampires. Even the humans in her book could control the vampires, their called navigators. Kate just has more power then them, she could take control over them and pop their heads like a balloon but thats not going to hold up in a fight with a Vampire King thats a completely different species of vamp. Kate cannot control any vampires outside of her books, get that idea out of your heads.