Guest Post by Kelly Oram
Name your top 10 favorite characters in fantasy/paranormal fiction, and tell us what makes them so special?
This was so hard to narrow down! Even harder than having to narrow down my top ten fantasy books because sometimes I’ll love a character and not love a book, and all of my favorite fantasy books have more than one character that I love. That said, here is the best I could do at narrowing down my top ten favorite fantasy characters.
10. Edward Cullen (Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer)
Who doesn’t love at least one Cullen? Dear Edward won my heart with his boyish charm, rapier whit and gentlemanly manners. Edward is smoothness personified.
9. Chloe Saunders (Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong)
First of all, necromancers have never been so cool. Kelley Armstrong does a fantastic job at making necromancy seem terrifying and fascinating and powerful. Very awesome. What I love about Chloe is that she’s scared a lot but it’s okay. She rises above her fear and gets the job done. I love her!
8. Puck (Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa)
Smart-mouthed prankster? Yes please! It’s funny that in the books I was always on Team Ash, but Puck was always my favorite character. He’s comical but deadly at the same time, and you never know exactly what he’s going to do. He’s too entertaining not to love.
7. Tod Hudson (Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent)
And speaking of smart-alecky troublemakers… Mm, mm, mm am I ever in love with Tod Hudson! The guy reaps souls for a living and I love him anyway. He seriously makes me wish I could meet the grim reaper. Sexy, dangerous, willing to bend the rules, and has the world’s biggest heart. Oh yeah, I’m a total goner for him. *swoon*
6. Suze Simon (Mediator series by Meg Cabot)
Suze is fun. She’s every bit as mouthy as Tod and Puck but at the same time she’s all girl. She kicks major butt and makes sure that she always looks fantastic doing it. Her attitude combined with her girlie boy-crazy side make her one of my favorite characters.
5. Kate Daniels (Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews)
Sassy seems to be a theme with me. Apparently I love sarcasm. Kate Daniels is constantly getting herself into deep trouble because she can’t ever stop running her mouth. But at least she has the skills to back up all her talk. This is one seriously bad-a chick. Fearless fighter with a hint of uber-powerful magic = one action packed adventure. With Kate Daniels you’re always in for a ride!
4. Number 6 (Lorien Legacies series by Pitticus Lore)
While we’re on the subject of bad-a chicks, I have to mention my serious girl crush on Number 6! I’m sorry Number 4, I just don’t know what you were thinking, choosing sweet, little Sarah when you had hot, sexy, fierce alien chick with powers cooler than your own. I wouldn’t. Number Six is so hard-core I can’t help but swoon every time she saves the day. Seriously. Girl crush. And casting Teresa Palmer in the movie only made my crush worse. LOVE HER!
3. Clary & Jace (Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare)
These two tie for the number three spot because I can’t bear to separate them. I love them together. They compliment each other so well it’s hard for me to think of them individually. I think what I love about them is that they are both so tough, and always do what has to be done, but you can always see their vulnerable sides too. These characters both have multiple layers to them. They can do fun and sassy and still deep and angsty, yet pull off strong and fierce all in a single scene.
2. Beka Cooper (Beka Cooper series by Tamora Pierce)
Beka is so different from any other character I’ve ever read. She’s just so… understated. She’s the kind of person who stands on the back wall, never in the spotlight, blends into the crowd, never says a word, and yet you just know that she’s the one going to save everyone in the room. Beka is smart, resourceful, determined, and seriously everything I wish I were. I loved these books because of this character.
1. Katsa & Po (Graceling by Kristin Cashore)
These two tie for my all-time favorite fantasy character, not because they make an awesome couple (which they do!) but because I honestly can’t decide which one I like better. They both have strengths and faults but they are equally intriguing. Po is charming but Katsa is resourceful. I would love to travel with these two and see them in action. They are a couple of the deadliest characters I can think of, but also some of the most likeable. I love their strength and just who they are as people. They’re both just as amazing inside as out, and together they make Graceling one of my all-time favorite books. Well done Kristin Cashore!
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She’s obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.
Kelly’s Newest Novel
Chameleon
Add it to your Goodreads shelf!
For small-town rebel Dani Webber magic and monsters are no more real than the Easter Bunny… until the day she accidentally stops time. Dani quickly discovers that not only do supernaturals exist, but she herself is one of them. This is great news for her life-long best friend Russ, who can finally come clean about his own supernatural status and his undying love for her. Before the two can start to enjoy the long overdue relationship, Dani is taken by a powerful council of supernaturals who believe she is the Chosen One destined to save them from extinction.
As if being kidnapped and expected to save the world isn’t bad enough, an ancient prophecy warns of the Chosen One’s dark nature: “Only the truest love will keep her an agent for good.” The council believes they know who this “true love” is and, unfortunately, that person isn’t Russ. The mysterious, powerful and devastatingly handsome Seer is the last person Dani wants in her life, but when she starts having visions of a horrific future, she has no one else to turn to for help.
Soon Dani finds herself torn between two very different boys with two very different opinions of whom she can trust. With the visions getting worse and time running out, Dani is forced to put aside her feelings and work with both the Seer and Russ before an ancient evil is unleashed upon the earth.
The Giveaway!!
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Great list! Chameleon looks like an awesome book to read. Thanks for the chance to win!
My all time favorite fantasy series is The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Though Harry Potter has become a close second.