Monday, December 29, 2014

Top 14 of 2014: Top 14 Favorite Characters


Hey everyone! First off Happy Holidays! Second, 2014 is coming to a close and a few of my favorite bloggers are ending this year on a high note with their very own "Top 14 of 2014" blog series! Each day from now until New Years, a host of bloggers will be posting their "Top 14" answers to the following questions:


Sounds exciting, right?

As you can see, today's topic is "Top 14 Favorite Couples". This one is not a 2014 exclusive category. These 14 will be picked from all the novels I read in 2014 and not just those published in 2014. Fair warning, several of these authors will be reappearing throughout the next week!

In no particular order, I present to you: my 'Top 14 Favorite Characters of 2014"...
*Click each book's/series' title to be taken to its' Goodreads page.

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Seth, The Return
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Seth. I could probably write a novel about why I like Seth so much. He gets all the ladies and he has a mouth like a sailor. Sarcastic as can be and still can put anyone in their place. If I thought Seth was awesome in Covenant, I think he's about the greatest guy ever now that I've read The Return. Holy Hell. Go Seth!

Jace (The White King), The Collectors' Society
Heather Lyons
This one surprised me in a big way. Sure I was excited about Alice's trip back to Wonderland in Heather Lyon's latest novel, but did I expect The White King to be a former love interest? No. Just as brought up in the novel, we all picture The White King as an old man, full of wisdom and white headed. Clearly Heather Lyons saw a little more than that! I'm not complaining. I think that Heather brought a lot of character to his... character. I don't know how else to word that.

Stacey O'Neale
GUYS. Have I mentioned how awesome Marcus is? Only about 287386478648 times, right? A Hellhound like no other who would take a bullet for his best friend in a heartbeat? Seriously. Marcus is awesome. The most devout and respectable character I have read this year, hands down. I don't have a single negative critique of Marcus, I only hope to one day have a friend like Marcus!

Chelsea Fine
"Wait Ethan, isn't she the villain?" Yeah, and? Raven is everything I look for in a villain: smart, sinister, and incredibly attractive. Well, in my head she is anyway. I think Raven is probably one of the most misunderstood characters of all time. She goes right up there with Snape. Forreal. I'm #TeamRaven all the way. I tease Chelsea all the time about writing a spinoff series: "The Archers of Avalon: The Wrath of Raven". It's coming people. Just you wait and see.

Rachel Aukes
So I mentally made this list a week or so ago and had NO idea I had a Jase and a Jace on it until just now. How crazy? Coming from one of my absolute favorite reads this year, Jase quickly became one of my favorite parts of the Deadland saga. He grounded the story in a way that was very important very early on. From losing his parents to learning to survive alongside strangers, Jase grows from boy to man in this awesome series. Jase also has one of the most emotional scenes I read all year. I still haven't forgiven Rachel Aukes for that one!

Baba Yaga, Egg & Spoon
Gregory Maguire
I'm laughing as I write this now just thinking about all the hilariousness that came from Baba Yaga's mouth during Egg & Spoon. I don't know if any of you guys have read it yet, but man, it's incredible. A timeless Russian witch who lives in a magical hut with chicken legs? Yes, please. Also, she's old, cranky, and more sarcastic than anyone you've ever met. I could not get enough!

Cora Carmack
Silas and Seth go hand in hand here. He's got the ladies eating out of the palm of his hands, yet he's the biggest douche-lobster around. I would be lying if I said I didn't have massive respect for that. Haha! Seriously though, Silas has to make some huge decisions in this series and in the end he comes through not just for himself, but for his team, proving Silas can be so much more than what everyone thinks of him!

Liz Long
Ugh, it's hard to write this without spoilers. When I close my eyes and picture Elias, I see Morgan Freeman with a top hat and a monocle. I'm not sure why, but I do. Elias is the perfect mixture of class and perseverance. Elias knows that his gift (time travel) is among the most useful, but knows how careful he has to be. Elias is one of the most logical thinkers I have ever read about. I have to say that Elias is one of my all time favorite characters, I cannot wait to see how you guys feel about his role in Hunted, the third book in Liz's series!

Danielle Paige
Glinda's 'evil' twin sister, Glamora gave me everything I was looking for and then some. As someone who is so close to Oz, I really can't describe how I felt about Glamora. I have never been a huge Glinda fan, so I was excited to see that Danielle Paige was able to take most of the things I disliked about Glinda and throw them into an entirely different character, contrasting her completely. My favorite part about this series is the impending throw down between Glinda and Glamora. It's going to be epic people. E.P.I.C.

Jon Messenger
I will be the first to admit that this series really grew on me. If you go back and read my review for the first book, I really tore it a new one. By the time I got to book three, I could not put this series down. I don't know what in particular turned it around for me, but I do know that Sammy played a rather large part. Her role in the story is huge and gives the story the emotional anchor that it needs. Sammy goes through hell, literally, over the course of this series, and is now left in an awful predicament. How will Messenger see her through? I cannot wait to find out! One of my most anticipated reads of 2015, that much is for sure!

Claire Cooper, The Devil's Assistant
H.D. Smith
I did not know what to think about this series when i first started it a few month ago, but since then it's really grown on me. Claire plays a pretty great character. You would think being the Devil's assistant would could with some awesome perks. Think again. Claire goes through Hell, haha, on more than one occasion to help some pretty ungrateful people. Even after all of that, I'm still not entirely sure Claire is ever going to get her HEA. I'll tell ya what though, I can't wait to find out!

Atticus Riggs, The Periodic Series
Megan Curd
I have a thing for villains you love to hate. I'm here to tell ya that Atticus Riggs is one villain I loved to hate. He was such an incredible villain... until he wasn't. To be completely honest, I'm still not entirely sure what team Riggs is playing for, but I'm telling you one thing, I know I can't wait to see what happens in book three!

K.A. Tucker
A strong, beautiful French woman who just so happens to be one of the most powerful witches in the world? Sign me up. I loved everything about Sophie in this series. The dual POV told partially from her side was among the most unique I have ever read. Sophie played the motherly mentor and a kick ass ally. Who could complain about any of that?

Amy Gumm, Dorothy Must Die
Danielle Paige
I know I already have one DMD character on this list so I really didn't want to add another, but I just can't forget Amy. Amy will forever hold a very special place in my heart. She was the first breath of fresh air that I believe Oz had in... a very, very long time. The last time I remember someone going to Oz that wasn't Dorothy was... 1974? For the record people, I wasn't even alive in 1974. My mother was barely alive in 1974. Oz needed a new face and Danielle Paige gave it that and so much more. Amy is real. Amy has so many problems and is indicative of so many young adults in the twenty-first century. Amy doesn't go into Oz with eyes wide and a big smile on her face. She's the pessimistic-realist from the MTV Generation that Oz so desperately needed. Amy isn't falling for Dorothy's Perma-smile anytime soon! I could seriously type my own novel about how proud Danielle Paige I am and of how happy I am to have met her, she is truly shaking things up in the Oz world and I could not be more excited!
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Alright guys, there you have it. My Top 14 Favorite Characters of 2014! Did your favorite make the cut? Let me know in the comments below!

Head on over to the hosts' blogs to see their awesome posts as well:
Kim @ KimberlyFaye Reads | Krista @ Krista's Dust Jacket | Jessica @ A Midsummer Nights Read

Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

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