Thursday 14 February 2013

My Antihero Valentine Blog Hop + GIVEAWAY!

When I saw Kara was hosting an Antihero Valentine Blog Hop, I knew I wanted to take part. So many heroes in books are leather jacket wearing, stubbly, motorbike riding bad boys but with a heart of gold that the right girl can bring to life. These may be yummy men, but to my mind they're not antiheroes. Antiheroes are those guys who know they're doing wrong - but THEY DO IT ANYWAY. No heart of gold. Yet, despite that you can't help but feel for them...

The Vampire Lestat
My first ever antihero was the Vampire Lestat. He revealed in drinking blood, never hesitated to take what he wanted and turned those he loved into vampires. Yet, somehow I still routed for him because I knew he did struggle over big questions - like could he ever do good as a symbol of evil? Unlike Angel from Buffy, he never mourned the evil he did. While he might want to do good, he never did - always embracing the dark. To my mind that makes him a true antihero.

Other antiheroes that I have loved are Terrible from the Downside Ghosts series, Hannibal Lector from Silence of the Lambs, Gollum from Lord of the Rings, Spike from Buffy (pre-soul)....

So who are your favourite antiheroes? Why do you love them?

In order to celebrate Valentines day, I'm giving one winner a book of their choice (up to £10)...as long as it has an antihero in it!

Open Internationally
(Don't have to be a follower of my blog)
Ends 20th February 2013
Extra Entry if you leave a comment telling us your favourite antihero from pages or screen!
Check out the other wonderful blogs in this hop!

Nocturnal Book Reviews (INT)
Mel's Random Reviews (INT)
My Keeper Shelf
Hazel The Witch (INT)


<<GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED>>

42 comments:

  1. Ahaha, Mel! I would have posted the same picture as you because I ADORE Lestat! :D I always thought that Louis was a wimp, and Lestat (especially in his own book) was a proper bad boy. I also love him in Queen of The Damned - Stuart Townsend was smoking hot!

    My antiheroes are pretty much the same as yours, and I still don't think anyone can beat Spike - he is such a perfect, sexy, insanely charming character. "Out for a walk, bitch!" - remember? :)))

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    1. I so agree with Stuart Townsend! :)
      And I just remembered other antihero I like. It's Wickham, but only the one from Lost in Austen! :)

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  2. I love Hannibal as a character - I read the 3rd book (which I think is just called 'hannibal'?) over the summer, and was totally rooting for him.

    I think another antihero I like, if you can call him that, is the hunter guy from Firefly - yeah he's the bad guy, and we don't want him to get River & Simon & the gang, but I can see why he does what he does - he has really strong convictions, and they power what he's doing.

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  3. My favorite anti hero is Damon Salvatore from Vampire Diaries. He's totally HOT!!

    Thanks for this giveaway and happy valentine for you :)

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  4. It would be Spike from Buffy the Vampire Hunter. Also, the Phantom from the Opera. They seemed tortured and needed love.

    strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com

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  5. My favorite anti-hero is Barrons from the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning!
    Lacey T

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  6. Gonna go with a different one now, Spike of course! I hated him, I loved him. Spike is the best

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  7. For me it would be Ian from the night huntress series...he intelligent , sexy and so infurating!!

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  8. Daemon and Lucivar from Anne Bishop's Black Jewel series.

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  9. Well, I couldn't say that I have a favorite antihero. But, the one who's been testing me lately is Tahereh Mafi's Warner. :D

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  10. My favourite antihero- definitely Warner from Shatter Me :D
    Entered under name Nara

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    1. umm, by the way, not sure, but I may have accidentally entered twice. If so, please delete one of the entries. Sorry about that!

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  11. I'm not sure if i ever read an anti-hero book recently, but i'm curious with your description. Out of the few i've read, i pick gollum as my fave ;)

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  12. Hmm.. I'd say Dexter.. he's no good definitely but you just cannot feel for him!
    Karina

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  13. My favourite is Eric from True Blood. mmm.....
    Irene

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  14. Jared from Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan! He's kind and caring despite this very tough and very broken personality. Love totally heals him:)

    Thank you:)

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  15. My first anti-hero was probably Kiryuu Zero from Vampire Knight (manga)! The I discovered Adrian Ivashkov from VA/Bloodlines and Warner from Shatter Me!

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  16. Spike! He stole my heart and still has it.

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  17. Thank you so much for the giveaway and for making it international! :) Mine has to be Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. And I agree with Ailsa, I was rooting for Hannibal too - I actually really liked him :D

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  18. My favorite Anti-hero is The Darkling from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. He'll do anything for power, kill, manipulate and kill some more. But still.. I'm in love with him :)
    Thank you for the international giveaway!

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  19. Damon from The Vampire Diaries!

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  20. Gotta love Eric from True Blood :)

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  21. Mine is Terrible and Bump from Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series, who would have thought I would fall for a drugs overlord and his hired muscle!

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  22. Eric from True Blood and Daemon from the Vampire Diaries (TV show) are good examples. You really hit it on the head with Spike and Lestat. I hated Lestat in the first book but after the second I really loved that anti-hero. He is a perfect example of one!

    I see Barrons, but really wasn't he good in a bad way? Hm...

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  23. It has to be Spike from Buffy...he makes me go weak at the knees!

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  24. Hmm.....it would have to be Blake from the Lux series. :D

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  25. Eternally? Lestat <33333333
    Now? Klaus <3

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  26. It has to be Spike from Buffy, before he got a soul and so forth.

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  27. Pestilence from Lords of Deliverance by Larissa Ione.

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  28. My favourite antihero is Eric from the Sookie stackhouse books :)

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  29. Adair from Alma Katsu's The Taker Trilogy.

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  30. I love Terrible too! Also Barrons from the Fever series.

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  31. I definitely love Hannibal Lector. He is such a great character :)

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  32. Jerricho Barrons from Fever series. Yum, but a bit of a sociopath :)

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  33. Terrible is definitely one of my favorites!!!

    Thanks for the giveaway!!

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  34. Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris and Damon from The Vampire Diaries, because they are so unashamedly bad, but still have a hidden soft side. Very hidden:)

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  35. Barrons from KMM's Fever series is the ultimate anti-hero, in my opinion. :D

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  36. Eric Northman form the Sookie series
    thanks for makign this international

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