Faves of 2011 (So Far).... The Characters

So heres the next round of faves from Inkcrush's super list-o-rama, this time it's al about the Characters.

1. Best female POV - Raine Benares in Bewitched and Betrayed by Lisa Shearin. I love Raine, she's fiercely loyal and knows how to bring the pain to the bad guys. She also has the most awesome family of lovable criminals ever written and isn't afraid of taking the things she wants (like hot man kisses!)

2. Best male POV- Oh I have to choose Locke Lamora in Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. He starts this book completely broken, full of self pity and ready to give it all up. But over the course of the story (and with the help of the most wonderful hatchet wielding friend, Jean Tannen) Locke really pulls it together and his lovely mischievous brain pulls off another incredible con.

3. Best couple <3 - Mid-shipman Deryn and Prince Alek from Behemoth by Scott Westerfield. Ok so Alek STILL doesn't know Deryn is really a girl, disguised so she can serve her country from the amazing flying whale airship Leviathan. But Deryn is all too aware of her growing feelings for the hunted prince and as they become greater friends she's starting to find it harder not to cross that line. I cannot wait for the final installment!

4. Who i so want to be best friends with - Agatha Heterodyne from the Girl Genius Webcomic. Where to start? Er she's a genius, she can build amazing contraptions in her sleep, she's the last in a long line of evil mad scientists and heroic adventurers and every single person she meets wants to be her friend. Of course I may have to wrestle Zeetha Warrior Princess for the honour of BFF but it'll be worth it.

5. Who i fell completely in love with (new literary crush) - Ooooh Finn in Song of Scarabeaus and Children of Scarabeaus by Sara Creasy. He's the classic strong, silent type (can't really help the silent part at the start) with the mysterious past that may or may not make him a seriously dangerous man to know. He can also kick many shades of bottom and doesn't ever shy from doing what's right. Swoooooony.

6. Worst (best) villian - No contest, Mayor/President Prentiss from the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. He is truly a monster and the worst part is the way he beats Todd in to this hopeless acceptance in the face of all the horror he creates. And all the time he seems so reasonable, he is a dangerous evil man.

7. Best character twist (who you loved then hated or vice versa) - Vaughn from Unsticky by Sarra Manning. I really disliked Vaughn to start with, he was demanding, unfeeling and, at times, psychotically controlling (adrenalin shot to the thigh? Wack job) But thanks to him Grace finds herself growing into a tougher, more mature person who finally figures out what she wants. And she totally ends up bringing out the best in him, by the end I fully loved both of them.

8. Best kick-arse female - Kat from City of Dreams and Nightmare by Ian Whates. Look up the definition of Arse-Kickery in the Dictionary of Hardcore and you'll probably find a picture of this young lady wielding her beloved blades. She is a one-woman army and the only reason Tom is able to continue breathing throughout the whole book is thanks to her superior fighting skills and just full on ballsyness. One things for sure, I would never, ever, piss her off.

9. Best kick-arse male - Er still Finn, see above for reasons. Or better yet READ THESE BOOKS.

10. Broke your heart the most - One of my most beloved characters from The Dark Road To Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn. I'm not going to say who in case of spoilers but my heart completely shattered when I got near the end of this book, those who've read it will know what I'm on about and probably had their share of the weepys too, unless there's lump of poop where their heart should be.

11. Best/worst character names - Best? Eugenides for sure, I like saying it Youuuu-gen-ni-deeeeez. Awesome. Worst? Jeff MARTINI, from Touched by and Alien by Gini Koch, great fun book, awful awful name!

BONUS: 5 fave covers (from books i have read)