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Oct142009
All Hallow’s Eve Guest Post: Mandi from Smexy Books
by Carolyn • Posted in Uncategorized
Halloween is right around the corner and that means it is time to be spooky. What is spooky to Smexy? Besides the thought of running out of books to read or the alpha male going out of style – villains. When I read a book, I enjoy a really evil villain. One that when you read, you think to yourself, oh that baddie will never do that..and then he does! I love it when they go above and beyond and tortures the hero or heroine with merciless joy. While I also enjoy good prevailing, the journey getting to the end is the fun part. Here are three of my favorite villains:
Number three: Lash (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series – J.R. Ward) Lash is a young villain, a product of really another villain, The Omega. But Lash has potential. He has an extreme hatred for the brothers and everything they stand for. He enjoys power and the attention that The Omega gives him. Throughout the series he has been more of a pain in the ass for the brothers, but in the latest book, Lover Avenged, his powers have grown and I think he wil
l be a force to be reckoned with as the series progresses.
“From out of nowhere, a meteor formed in Lash’s palm and went flying, coming straight at John and the Brothers, a metaphysical bowling ball from hell. As it made contact, its glowing shock waves knocked all of them off their feet, a full strike. [...] John started shooting, as did the others, even though he suspected that they were going to need more than bullets to take down the new and improved Lash. (Lover Avenged)”
Number two: Artemis (Dark Hunter Series – Sherrilyn Kenyon). Artemis may not fit the mold of a typical villain, but she does propose evils and difficulties for Acheron. In Acheron, we learn his past and why he loves and hates Artemis. As a younger man, he loved and trusted Artemis and trust does not come easy to him, not with his sordid past. He gets past those feelings and soaks in the attention she gives him only to turn on him when he gives her the physical love she asks for. More than the physical abuse, she plays mind games with him. Although she has put Acheron through hell and back, I still feel this villain has a chance to be redeemed later in the series.
“In that moment she hated him for what they’d done. How dare he make her want him like this. Make her forget who she was and why her virginity was so important. Dear gods, what had she done? She wanted to kill him and yet she couldn’t. How could she hate him so badly and still crave him? (Acheron)”
Number one: Vadim Maur – Tairen Soul series by C.L. Wilson.
Vadim Maur goes above and beyond all villains I have read about. He has imprisoned Elfeya and Shan for years. They are soul mates, they need each other and he uses that against them. Shan was a great warrior and has physically been reduced to nothing. His spirit still holds strong, for the love of Elfeya. They had a child together, Eleysetta, that escaped from The High Mage’s clutches. He lets them have time together and then thrusts them apart. The only reason they hold on through all of the torture is because of their daughter, who doesn’t even know about them! He breaks them, tortures them, abuses them, mentally and physically. He is absolutely brutal and there is never a reprieve from him. Even when he lets them have a few precious minutes together, he punishes them for that shared joy. I don’t consider myself an emotional reader, but when Vadim Maur is in a scene, I find myself holding my breath. This character can not be redeemed. He needs to be tortured for all of eternity. I can not wait to see what C.L. Wilson has in store for him.
“The High Mage brought his whip down in a brutal blow, shredding flesh from bone. Shan’s body arched, every muscle seized in agony. His scream was a roar that echoed off the carved rock walls oh his prison. Beside him, sobbing, Elfeya screamed too. (Lady of Light and Shadows)”
So tell me, who are some of your favorite villains?
17 Comments
Vadim Maur is The Baddie of the baddies, you pick a good one there. I thought of two but they are kinda spoilery so I don't want to say which book. Just that they are vicious fairies who revel in torture, a brother and sister team.
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Hmmm….now I'm curious
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Great list. I haven't read the last book, but I may have to since the villian is #1.
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and I LOVE that header picture. Very hott!!
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Casey – The Tairen Soul series is really great – great romance, action and a very creepy villain. Definitely start with the first one, Lord of the Fading Lands.
ps – Thanks – I like smexy men..LOL:)
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Smexy has a fantastic web site
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what a great list of villains. I don't have any current favorites, but I love Lestat from the Anne Rice series. And I guess now, I would say Erik from the Sookie Stackhouse series, though is he really a villain?
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I definitely think Lash is an ass. And now he's like an evil ass. I agree that he will be a force to reckon with and all I know is that it won't be hard to hate him all that much =)
I haven't read the Tairen Soul series yet but I'm definitely planning on it. I have the first 2 in the series and I've heard its fabulous.
I also love that you mentioned Artemis. I too have a love/hate relationship with her. I hate her for her attitude and the way she treats people in general. And yet I still find myself feeling bad for her at times… then she goes and does something bitchy and I hate her again lol.
Great list!! I enjoyed the post =)
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Juju – Thanks
Serena- Yes, Lestat is awesome. I don't know if I consider Eric a villain..he is definitely a bad boy! (and I like it)
Mishel – Now that Lash has more power, he is becoming more than just an annoyance. And yes, Artemis – I feel bad for her sometimes, but she really has been evil to Ash!
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I like Lash too. I thought he stole the show in Lover Avenged, but I was never a huge fan of Rhev, though.
I liked Catriona in Highland Dragon by Kimberly Killion. It's not a paranorma, but medieval. I liked that Catriona had some depth to her. There was a unique twist to her character that I didn't see coming and it was refreshing to get something different than the standard "jealous ex-lover".
I also just read A Perfect Darkness and there is this one secondary character, Eric and the reader is not sure whether he is a good guy or a bad guy. This book is part of a psychic series and Eric will be showing up in future books. He may even get his own. I hope so.
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Out of the two books I've read so far in Nalini Signh's Psy/Changeling series I have been very intrigued by the villains. They give us such insight into the Psy race and are great foils for the H/H.
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Vadim needs to die a slow painful death. Just wait till you see what more tortures he does in Queen of Song and Soul.
For some reason I find Lash so sexy but in a evil way.
Great list!
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Jill – A Perfect Darkness sounds right up my alley!
Lusty – oh the Psy!! They are great villains!!!
KB – Yes, Vadim is so evil in Queen!! I loved it!!
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This is a media villain, vs. Lit villain, but The Mayor on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On the one hand, here's a guy who plans to eat an entire high school graduating class, plus parents, faculty & what have you in order to live forever. And on the other hand, here's a guy who took an orphan girl on a picnic & bought her pretty things; in an avuncular fashion. Of course, one of those pretty things was a really big knife, but let's not quibble over small things.
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Sewicked – *whispers* I have never seen Buffy. I know!! What is wrong with me???
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I loved this guest post. And I've also never seen Buffy!
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That is quite a list! Very entertaining! Who doesn't love a good villain?!
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