Okay, okay, this Top Ten Tuesday was supposed to be top ten favorite all-time characters, but I have so many favorite characters that I had to split the list into two! Now, I know I did this a while ago, but the list has changed slightly since then -- and even for those who haven't, who doesn't like talking about their favorite characters!?
I did the women last week -- and now, onto the men!
Honorary mentions: Ariel (The Theatre Illuminata series), The Hatter (The Looking Glass Wars), Cinna (The Hunger Games)
10. Firepaw
Book: the Warriors series
Author: Erin Hunter
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Rusty starts out as an ordinary house kitten, but his travels deep into the forest involve him in the epic battles of the cat warrior clans who roam (and rule) the wild.
With a new name - Firepaw - and a position as a Thunderclan apprentice, our feline hero faces his destiny, struggles with issues of friendship, honor, courage, and betrayal, and learns what it truly means to be a warrior.
It's less Firepaw-is-one-of-my-favorite-characters and more DAMN-FIREPAW-YOU-ARE-BADASS. Seriously. He's a house cat who runs away from home, sweeps himself into the world of the Warriors -- wild cats -- and then SAVES ALL OF THE CLANS.
You can't get more badass than Firepaw. And considering he's just a cat, that's mighty impressive. (Ha. JUST a cat. THE BEST OF CATS.)
09. Edward Fairfax Rochester
Book: Jane Eyre
Author: Charlotte Bronte
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Born into a poor family and raised by an oppressive aunt, young Jane Eyre becomes the governess at Thornfield Manor to escape the confines of her life. There her fiery independence clashes with the brooding and mysterious nature of her employer, Mr. Rochester. But what begins as outright loathing slowly evolves into a passionate romance. When a terrible secret from Rochester's past threatens to tear the two apart, Jane must make an impossible choice: Should she follow her heart or walk away and lose her love forever?
There's no denying Rochester can be an asshole. But he's also clever and kind and passionate and just kind of ridiculously attractive in every way. (It helps that he's been portrayed by some very attractive men. Michael Fassbender? Toby Stephens? Excellent.) His history and his character are also one of the things I've debated over most with my boyfriend. You don't quite know what to make of him -- and I love that.
08. Lan Mandragon
Book: the Wheel of Time series
Author: Robert Jordan
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The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
Lan is fabulous. I love the relationship between him and his wife; I love how he carries himself; I love how he tries not to put people in danger. I love that he was a king but doesn't place any value on that -- he places value on how he works. I love how he talks, for some reason. I just love him.
07. Rannoch
Book: Fire Bringer
Author: David Clement-Davies
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Young buck Rannoch was born on the night his father was murdered and into a herd of deer where hunger for power has gradually whittled away at all that is true and good. He knows he must escape to survive. Chased by stags, with their fearsome antlers sharpened for the kill, he begins a treacherous journey into the unknown, and ahead of him lies a shocking and formidable search for truth and goodwill in the shadow of the Great Mountain.
One day he will have to return to his home and face his destiny among the deer to fulfill the prophecy that has persistently given them hope: that one day a fawn will be born with the mark of an oak leaf on his forehead and that fawn's courage will lead all the deer to freedom.
Rannoch is a more human character than most humans I read. He's so flawed, but so honest, and so good, and so determined. Not only is story fabulous, but what he does is just absolutely amazing. He's somebody who's open to the world without being this flawless creature. And he's just so very strong!
06. Fitzwilliam Darcy
Book: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
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Elizabeth Bennet is the perfect Austen heroine: intelligent, generous, sensible, incapable of jealousy or any other major sin. That makes her sound like an insufferable goody-goody, but the truth is she's a completely hip character, who if provoked is not above skewering her antagonist with a piece of her exceptionally sharp -- but always polite -- 18th century wit. The point is, you spend the whole book absolutely fixated on the critical question: will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hook up?
There's a reason Mr. Darcy is considered the most romantic man in literature. The chemistry with him and Lizzy is absolutely unbearable, and everything he does is just - gah - so good. Studying Pride and Prejudice made me love the little things about him even more. Honestly, he's just swoon-worthy.
05. Ruth & Jaxon
Book: The White Dragon
Author: Anne McCaffrey
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Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed between the daring and adventurous young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary white dragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth was a dragon of many talents, though almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt that would never amount to anything.
But Jaxom knew better, knew he could teach his dragon to fly and to destroy the deadly silver Threads that fell from the sky. Disobeying all rules, Jaxom and Ruth trained in secret. Their illicit flights seemed but a minor disobedience -- until they found themselves in the path of danger and in a position to prevent the biggest disaster of all!
You can't have Ruth without Jaxom and you can't have Jaxom without Ruth; they're two halves of the same whole, and I love them both. Ruth is adorable and feisty and clever, and Jaxom is intelligent and determined and kind. They're both always trying to do what's right, and to defy the odds, and I adore them for that. Besides, they're just plain fun to read about.
04. Lord Connal Maccon
Book: Soulless
Author: Gail Carriger
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Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.
With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?
Do you understand my love of Lord Connal Maccon?
Let me explain.
He is not only gorgeous, but he is a werewolf. He is not only a werewolf, but he is an Alpha. Not only is he an Alpha, but he's a bad-ass British citizen who helps control supernaturals. Not only is he a bad-ass British citizen, he's from Scottish and has an amazing accent. And on top of that, he's hilarious and funny and witty and totally in love with Alexia, which I absolutely adore. I mean, come on!
03. Robinton
Book: The MasterHarper of Pern
Author: Anne McCaffrey
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In a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries--and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again--a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability to speak with the dragons, he is called Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known.
It is a perilous time for the harpers who sing of Thread--they are being turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself--so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when at last it returns...
Robinton first appears in the original DragonRiders of Pern trilogy, and I loved him there. You can't not. He's sweet and honest and smart and always seems to try to do what's best for the people and the world around him. It's clear that he loves it.
And then you read this book and sweet Oz, you fall in love with him. Everything he had to go through, and yet all that passion he still put into his work, and he could have become so mean, and he just became kind...
02. Artemis Fowl
Book: the Artemis Fowl series
Author: Eoin Colfer
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Who is Artemis Fowl? A genius. A criminal mastermind. A millionaire. And he is not twelve years old. Yet crafty as he is, Artemis may have met his match in Captain Holly Short, and elf from the LEPrecon Special Forces, when he plots to steal the richest treasure the world has ever known- the timeless treasure of the fairies!
He's the smartest child to ever have existed and goes from being a selfish spoiled brat to actually trying to help the world. His relationship with the fey are absolutely hilarious and sweet, and I just love watching him develop from a young boy to a young man.
I also ship him and Holly with the passion of a thousand burning suns, but that's not relevant.
01. Merlin
Book: the Lost Years of Merlin series
Author: T.A. Barron
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So begins the tale of the strange young boy, who, having washed up on the shores of ancient Wales, is determined to find his real home and his true name. One day he will become the greatest wizard of all time, but he knows nothing of this now.
Everybody's love of something came from somewhere. My love of pirates came from Jacky Faber and Grace O'Malley. My love of Arthurian legend springs from this fantastic series, and most importantly, Barron's take on Merlin.
I mean, this is my permanent headcanon for whenever I see anything with Merlin crop up, because it's just so damn good and explains so damn much -- how Merlin got his powers, why he has a staff, why he sends Arthur to Avalon, how he gets trapped in time, everything. And it's done so good and so beautifully and all while developing Merlin from young Emrys to young adult Merlin and sending him out into the real world and it's just so good.
What are some of your favorite male characters?