Favorite Fictional Characters
At the start of every new year, everyone flocks to Goodreads to announce their goal of reading XX number of books during the year. Some people crush it, others flounder. Some pick lofty goals they will never reach, some prefer to pick a number that they’ll easily reach.
For the first time in a long time, I decided to join in. I’ve been in a reading slump for years. That is not an understatement. Between school and work, I barely found time for anything I wanted to do. But in March this year, I decided that it was time for me to get back into what I loved. I found a book that started on a bang… and I didn’t stop.
I thought 50 books would be a good challenge, considering I started the challenge in March.
I’m currently at 67 books. It’s the end of July.
It’s been fun. And I’ve still found a way to do my own writing, read my own books, and pile my TBR list a mile high.
I thought it would be fun to do a bit of a recap of some of my favorite fictional characters that I’ve discovered this year. So, if you’re looking for new books, you can check out some of these awesome characters or find a new one on my book review page!
Vice and Knigh: Beneath Black Sails by Clare Sager
Never in my life have I picked up a pirate book. Honestly, Pirates of the Caribbean gave me bad vibes and I have never had a thing for ships or open seas.
Holy crap did this book change everything for me.
Clare does an excellent job of creating a huge cast of characters, each with their own unique voice, but none more delightful than our main characters Vice and Knigh. I have never cackled so loudly from banter, never loved so fiercely a duo, nor swooned so dang hard for a story.
Literally all of it. Give me a fierce and stabby woman, a man who lifts her up and is a badass in his own right, and a romance that has me melting on the floor. Vice and Knigh have it all.
Reid: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Yes, the third book just came out. Yes, I’m still in love with Reid.
I think what sold me so hard on our red-head giant was his emotional journey from page one to the end of the first book. As a writer myself, I know how hard you work on a character to show their growth in subtle ways that result in a massive revelation by the end.
I have never—never—seen it done as well as Mahurin did with Reid in Serpent & Dove. I won’t dive into all the spoilers, but some of Reid’s final lines in the first book had be absolutely screeching with joy. It started with subtle hints here and there (the benefit of being told in first person, we get their more in-depth thoughts) before ending in the most epic way. I can’t get over it. He might be one of my favorite characters of all time.
Dorian: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
Fight me all you want, but Dorian was by far the best character in this series. He deserved so much better in the middle, but hey, we love to torture our favorites.
I think it was wonderful to see a character that was somewhat underestimated through the early part of the series turn into such a strong lead. Is he perfect? Absolutely not, which is why he’s so much more lovable. He makes mistakes, he thinks some cringey things (which were totally unnecessary, but I’m not going to hold it against him), but he also is strong enough to put his foot down and stand up for what he believes.
I think he got the shit end of the stick with Chaol and Caelena/Aelin but rose to his proper throne by the end of the series.
Poppy: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
One of my biggest pet peeves are female characters who are immediately good at everything they do.
Poppy has fought to get where she is. She’s strong, she trains, and she is wonderfully stubborn. She comes from struggle and still has a mind of her own, which makes it all the more wonderful when she finds Hawke who supports that behavior (in a world that is shaming her for it).
Yes, their growing romance is a huge part of the first book, but the unfolding mystery in the rest of the series is absolutely delicious. She’s still fierce, still adventurous and curious, and still owning her scars. Poppy gives us someone to root for, and yes, I’ll say it, her romance with Hawke throughout the series is a guilty pleasure I will not be ashamed for.
Brela: The Curse of Broken Shadows by Laura Winter
Yes, Brela is on this list. No, I will not apologize for including her.
Assassin, thief, and possibly the most dangerous woman in all the kingdoms. And the most wanted. From hunted to huntress, she’s found a way to survive and hide her shadow magic, but of course, complications happen.
Brela is fun to write because even though she’s suffered a lot, she still has the ability to love and banter and bring the entire world crumbling around her. Her flexibility to fit into any scene, any emotion, is both a challenge and a reward. It’s also quite a treat to write a functional polyamorous relationship between her, Farrah, and Elias. Healthy relationships are not a weakness in fiction, y’all.
What makes Brela special—besides being an incredible badass while also being insanely, inappropriately flirty—is her capacity for appreciating humanity. As her friends will say about her, no matter how many times you shove her away, she will always extend her hand out to those who are willing to take it. And, as she would say, “Magic isn’t good or bad. I’m not afraid of your fire, nor am I afraid of any magic. I’m afraid of the people who wield it with closed minds.”
Who are some of your favorite fictional characters?
