Book Lovers Inc.
Romance Novel Reviews, Author Interviews, Commentary
Guestpost Author Sherry Ficklin + Giveaway
Let’s look at a few archetypal villains. I’m going to Star Wars (please don’t sue me Mr. Lucas) for just a second. Let’s examine Darth Vader. In movies 4 and 5 Vader was a class one villain, mean and nasty through and through. He even had the black cape. But we never connected with him, at least not in those movies. He was simply evil. Someone to hate. And that’s fine. Sort of. As a reader, I look for more depth in my villains than that. A really good villain can tell you the world is purple and you kind of believe them. They aren’t all bad, often they have some really good qualities, but back to that later. In movies 1-3 and 6 we get to see Vader/Anakin in a whole new light. He was a good guy with legitimate complaints who was lured into making all the wrong choices, both by external and internal influences. But we see him struggle with those choices later in life, and ultimately, we see him redeemed.
Another classic villain is Lord Voldemort. Voldy is a bad seed, through and through. He has no redeeming qualities and is another bad guy you love to hate. To me, however, voldy wasn’t really the villain of the HP books. It was always Snape. From the word go we suspected the big nosed, greasy haired potions teacher who took every opportunity to demean and ridicule our hero. But wait, and the end of the FIRST book, we learn that he was actually trying to save poor Harry? Why? And that brings the point home. Voldy was a silent movie villain, while Snape was the one we cared about, the one who amassed so much fan loyalty. If you can make people root FOR your villain, you know you’ve done your job as a writer.
So you tell me, who are your favorite literary villains?
About the Author:
herry is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other.
About the Book:
All Grace Archer wants is to graduate from high school and get on with her life. But the Gods of Fate have other ideas. Attacked at graduation by a mysterious woman with gruesome henchmen, Grace is lucky to escape with her life. Rescued by a Fae warrior named Chris and her Aunt Phoenix, Grace learns that her mother was the Greek Goddess Pandora. Now Grace must protect her mother’s urn from the crazed demi-goddess Lilith, who is determined to unleash its horrors on an unsuspecting Earth. As if her blood legacy is not bizarre enough, Grace begins to develop frightening powers that threaten to destroy her from the inside out. Can Grace find the strength to defeat Lilith? Can she learn to control her powers before she loses her mind?
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my favourite villians would have to be Valentine -Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series, Victor Dashkov -Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, and Sergei -Lili St. Crow's Strange Angels series… I love how well they are written that it makes you hate them.
-Elzar
Email: elzar_valdivia@msn.com
When I think literary I tend to think classics first off. So in a way Dracula was sort of villainish. But with new modern twists he really wasn't a villain but yet he was in the original version. I thought he was anyway.
With modern novels, my fave might be Al from Kim Harrison's Hallow series. He can be devious yet funny and sometimes helpful. Jarbari from Jocelynn Drake's Dark Days series is also good, totally evil and manipulative, but a good villain in the definition of villains. 😉
jessbess2505[at]yahoo[dot]com
I was going to mention Al from The Halllows too! . I like it when the villian seems so bad for a while then you start to get glimpses of who they could become under the right circumstances. The whole bad boy thing . I also like Edward from Anita Blake.
I think Voldemort is the first that springs to my mind- but then also Saruman and the Ring Wraiths from Lord of the Rings. They were very scary.
k_anon[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk
The literary villain that first popped into my head was Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. I think, for me, he's so notable because, in a strange way, I understand his villainy. I know WHY he acts the way he does. Jealousy is a strong motivator.
Of course, another that pops into my head, and I've mentioned before in one of your blog entries is Dolores Umbridge. There are very few characters that fill me with such rage, such fire as she does. I loathe her with the fire of a thousand suns. I don't know that she's someone I would call a favorite villain, but boy is she a villain.
Julian from L.J. Smith's The Forbidden Game trilogy was always a favorite villain of mine. I guess ever since I was little I wanted to be kidnapped by David Bowie's Goblin King Jareth, and Julian reminded me a lot of Jareth.
I also have to mention from Stephen Donaldson's Mordant's Need Duology (The Mirror of Her Dreams, followed by A Man Rides Through) Master Eremis. He is such a creepy, slimy bastard! It is difficult to understand why Terisa feels drawn to him and yet it isn't. When I first read Harry Potter, Snape reminded me quite strongly of Master Eremis. A creepy, slimy, hateful man with power…
marvolosriddle (AT) gmail
🙂
My favorite villain is Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. He was so tragic that I had to love him. I also love Dracula. It's a vampire thing :).
vsloboda@gmail.com
The first one to pop into my mind is Valentine from the Mortal Instruments, but another favourite love to hate is Sauron from Lord of the Rings.
This might sound old school, but I do like Iago from Othello. He's so devious and so cunning, which of course makes him my favourite literary villain!
dwaynehalim@hotmail.co.uk
Hi Sherry!
Well, my favorite villain yet is Somerled from Juliet Marillier's "Wolfskin". He just scares the hell out of me through the entire book…I can never tell what he's going to do. It's actually heartbreaking watching him being evil, because he loves the hero so much (it's not a gay thing, they're like brothers), that in a way it pains him to be and to do evil…he has a lot of issues. I love to hate him 🙂
jen7waters(at)gmail(dot)com
My favorite literary villains are ones that are "grey." Villains that are all "black" are no fun. Lord Voldemort is the "go to villain" for potters, but I LOVED Snape. I loved how complex he was. Was he evil? Was he good? Was he really protecting Harry or was he trying to get Harry killed? He abused his powers, he was petty, but, oh! the backstory! What he REALLY TRULY did for Harry because of Lily.
akbabcock at gmail dot com
Hmmm, I like Darroc from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, Valentine from Mortal Instruments, and Victor Dashkov from Vampire Academy. Those are the guys that I love to hate.
Res498(AT)aol.com
My favourite literary villain is definitely The Joker from the Batman comic books. Oh, he is so manipulative and planned – he is always ready.
mashimaro_18@hotmail.com
I love Snape, but one of my favorite villains is the sheriff of Nottingham as played by Alan Rickman.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
My favorite literary villain is Voldemort from the harry potter series.
Misha
mishamary@gmail.com
Mab Monroe from Jennifer's Estep Elemental assassin series.
Littopandaxpress(at)yahoo(dot)Com
Usually my favourite villains are from books have Queen Mab or King Oberon as the villain. There is always something unsettling about fey royalty.
spettolij AT gmail DOT com
my fav is somerled from wolfskin by juliet marillier.
reginamayr@aol.com
My favorite literary villain is Damon from The vampire Diaries by L J Smith.
forceofstars(at)yahoo(dot)dk
My favorite villain would have to Jean Claude from the Anita Blake series but only in books 1 thru 6. He really begs the question can you love someone and hate them at the same time?
Thanks for the great giveaway.
danasandstrom@sbcglobal.net
Can I say my fave villian is 'Maleficent' from 'The Kingdom's Keepers' by Ridley Pearson. Since I doubt you might read this book, she's described as 'black-stockinged legs,green hands, as green as a lizard, the knuckles bent and bumpy, the nails as long as claws, she wore a robelike black dress with jagged purple fringe and a purple stripe running up the middle, her face all green,wretched, yet somehow beautiful'. this is directly quoted from the book, the book is rightly published by scholastics.
:DDD
regards: maidenhealer@hotmail.com