10 Favorite New (to Me) Characters of 2015 (and Fabulous Fanart)

Happy Christmas Eve Everyone! I hope you are all getting some time off/rest or family time :)
I have been working almost nonstop, so I haven't gotten around to those year end posts I wanted to do, but I am trying to squeeze a few in before -- gulp -- next year.

As much as I hate to admit it, 2016 is right around the corner. 2015 was a pretty good year for reading and writing, and I started off the year-end posts last week with my Top 10 Favorite Reads of 2015. Today, I'm back with another list (because I love them).

If you ask me my favorite character (in books, movies, tv, etc), I usually can't answer. Unless it's the original Star Wars (Han Solo is the best. Period). And naturally, I acquire new favorites every year!*

So here is a list of my top 10 *new* favorite characters that I discovered in 2015, along with why I liked them so much, and cool art of each character. 

(All art belongs to the respective copyright holder, and sources are linked. This blog is strictly non-profit, and all known sources are credited.)

1. Ken (Kaneki) - Tokyo Ghoul (Ishida Sui) Manga + Anime

Official art Copyright Ishida Sui

Where do I even start? All that bookish, quiet, adorable college student Ken wanted to to do was go on a date. Instead, he gets turned into a literal monster and the world goes to hell in a hand-basket. That's basically the story of Tokyo Ghoul.

Ken's story is not for the faint of heart - not only is Tokyo Ghoul quite violent - Ken himself has a downward spiral arc that rivals a Victorian melodrama, as he fights to retain his humanity in a brutal, bloody world. Think of anything bad that has happened to a character - and Kaneki has probably had something worse happen to him. Still, his fight to survive (physically, mentally, and spiritually) makes him an incredibly compelling character. And in case you couldn't tell from the cover art, Ishida Sui's art is fantastic. His style is so dreamy and beautiful, it just adds a layer of horror to the story. Tokyo Ghoul has spawned some incredible fanart as well, such as the gif of Ken's transformation below.

Copyright 量産型 source pixiv.net

2. Kaz Brekker (and Inej!) from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Official art by Kevin Wada

Six of Crows was one of those books that you read more for the plot than the characters, in my humble opinion, but that didn't stop me from loving Kaz and Inej. Kaz slightly edges Inej out, because I'd rather read a solo novel about him, but they are a pair of characters that are better together. And they really do make a great pair, with her skills and sense of honor, and his schemes and, well, drive to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Sort of like a criminal Batman and Alfred, if the roles were a bit reversed.
Anyhow, this was one with a lot of cool fanart, so I had to post a couple of my favorites.

Love this one! It's so atmospheric and eerie. Art Source -Copyright Waricka @ Metempsychosis

Fantastic depictions of Kaz and Inej by Gillian @ The Art of Young Adult  

3. Yael from Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

I know, I know, I have been like a song on repeat about this book, but I really loved it! One of the main reasons was definitely the strong heroine, Yael. She's Jewish, a "victim" of Nazi experiments, and absolutely awesome. Here's what I had to say about her earlier this year:

"I loved Yael so much. A little Winter Soldier and all survivor, she was sympathetic, hardcore, and brave. She (understandably) had a hard time trusting others, but she wasn't afraid to love or feel for the people in her past. She wanted to think well of people, and she put her mission ahead of her own interests." 5 star review, Wolf by Wolf

Sadly, I have yet to see any fanart (I'll have to draw some, I suppose). But Ryan Graudin has a cool Pin-spiration board for it here. And did I mention motorcycle racing??

Image: Roland Sand - Source

4. Rey (and Finn) from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

No spoilers here - but it is safe to say that when I first saw Star Wars: A New Hope (I was 7), it rocked my world. Han was my favorite (see above), but if Rey had been in that movie, I might have changed my mind. She is the SW movie character I've been waiting for. Fiery but not stereotypical - tough, relatable, and practical, and with a sense of humor, Rey was just the sort of strong female lead I was wanting to see (and Daisy Ridley's performance was top notch). I will happily follow her adventures in the next few films. (I also loved Finn - he was cheeky and so lovable, but Rey people)

5. Maven from The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Image Credit: wrathful-deity.tumblr.com

I really enjoyed The Red Queen - it was just the right mixture of action, intrigue, and superpowers. Like an X-Men movie, none of it paved new ground, but I was surprised by how much I liked Mare, Maven, and Cal's interactions. Normally I despise love triangles, but this wasn't *really* a love triangle at all. Instead, it's a complex and dangerous relationship between three people, one of whom is an outsider in every way (Mare). Maven and Cal were actually more interesting to me (their brother dynamic, you know), especially Maven. In some ways, he's that character I always love - the neglected younger son who is desperate for his father's approval and overshadowed by his "perfect" brother. However, he was also willing to give up everything and go all the way to get what he wanted. Add that to his considerable brains and sharp wits, and you have a character that I get very invested in.

This fantastic piece is by allarica on deviantart.com

Surprisingly, there is not very much Maven art.** He tends to draw the Loki crowd, so he has plenty of fans, but . . .

6. Sakurako from Beautiful Bones (Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru) - Anime

This is a gorgeous anime, by the way.

Sakurako (Kujo) is a brilliant but eccentric osteologist who is generally more interested in bones than people. Using her knowledge of bones, her experience as the niece of a forensic scientist, and her own considerable powers of observation, she solves mysteries somewhat on a whim. Aided by a high-school student, Shotaro (the Watson to her Holmes) who incidentally helps Sakurako with normal social interaction, and helps her out of scrapes. Sakurako is hilarious, and the dynamic between her and the empathetic, gentle Shotaro really makes the show.

Hitomi as envisioned by Porotto

7. and 8. - Hitomi and Val from Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Sadly, there really isn't ANY fanart for Sunbolt.*** Intisar Khanani has a great Pinterest inspiration board here.

Anyhow, I love both of these characters so much that they get their own numbers :)

It's sort of spoilery to say anything about why I love Val (all you need to know is that he is A. A Breather****, B. An actual threat, and C. Awesome.)

Hitomi, our young heroine, is a racial + cultural outcast with hidden abilities and a lot of spunk. She's flawed and real, but still cool. The one piece of fan art I managed to fine captured her attitude pretty well. The second picture is a stock photo that kind of evokes her description. You'll have to read the book to find out what Val looks like . . .

9. Utsuho from Itsuwaribito by Iinuma Yuuki (manga)

Azako Utsuho by Saiyuri-Taiyou on DeviantArt

Another strangely dark yet comic manga - Itsuwaribito has an extremely sketchy protagonist (Utsuho) who aims to help people by lying. Sound curious? It is. Utsuho is one of the most enigmatic characters I've come across - you really can't trust anything he says!  You don't know where he stands, or if he really stands anywhere (he has a bit in common with Kaz - see #2), and he can be downright scary. Still, Utsuho is hilarious, and his interactions with the uptight Doctor Yakuma are golden.

Itsuwaribito Utsuho by WiiWiipyon on DeviantArt.com

10. Vin (and Kelsier) from Mistborn

Mistborn: Vin and Kelsier by Shilesque on DeviantArt.com

These two kind of have a master-apprentice meets father-daughter relationship. I loved everything about it, and them. Vin was another strong heroine who was a joy to read about. Feisty, smart, a survivor, and a Mistborn, Vin is the sort of character who could have easily been annoying. Instead, she was nuanced and believable, and I can't wait to read more about her (soon!)

Vin by sgfw on deviantart.com

Honorable Mentions: I was trying to keep this list strictly to characters I was completely unaware of until this year, however, there are a few that deserve a side note. 

1. Levi Ackerman. While I first read some Attack on Titan/SnK last year, I didn't read the spinoff No Regrets series until a few months ago. It centers on Levi pre-AOT, and it made me love (and appreciate) Levi even more.

2. Everyone in Naruto (well, except Madara). Similarly, I was familiar with the very large group of characters that make up Naruto, but I grew much more attached to them all once I read the whole series end to end! Also, the "new Team 7" in Boruto were pretty adorable.

3. Foggy Nelson. I also loved Foggy in the Netflix Daredevil. To be honest, I'd never really cared about him either way (though I like Daredevil [comics!] a lot), but the Netflix series changed that! Matt and Foggy's friendship really pulled my heartstrings, and it was a highlight of the show.

4. Agent Peggy Carter. I always liked Peggy, but she didn't really stand out to me. The tv series Agent Carter made me love her. From her banter with Jarvis, to her determination to live as her own woman in a "man's world," I can't wait to see more of her. Season 2 is soon!

Did you discover any new favorite characters this year? Who were they, and why did you like them? Are you familiar with any of the ones on my list?

Footnotes:
*I even started a board on Pinterest for them. My lists were too long, :P
**Most of the stuff I found . . . did not look like Maven's description. It looked like Justin Bieber (?)
***Maybe that should be my Christmas project?
****Read the book.

"Be Thankful" Challenge Accepted! (via E. Rawls)

Thanksgiving might be weeks gone, but thankfulness and gratitude shouldn't ever be a seasonal thing :)

Elizabeth (A.K.A. Rawls E.) tagged me for this back in November, and I am delighted to finally post it. Make sure that you check out Elizabeth's blog here. She is a fantasy author who features chapters of her ongoing Madnes Solver blog series, haiku, movie reviews, writing advice, and much more.

Thanks again!

And here are the rules:

– Share this image in your blog post
– Write about 5 people in your life you are thankful for
– Write about 5 things in 2015 that you are thankful for
– Spread the love and challenge 5 other blogs to take part

5 People in My Life that I am Thankful For

1. I've mentioned my adorable niece Beatrice several times on the blog, and as the youngest addition to my family, I am listing her off first. She just turned one, and she has big blue eyes and a sweet smile, and I am so thankful that she is a part of my life <3
2. My sister-in-law Erin. Though she is Beatrice's ^ mother, she was my friend and "new" sister first! Kind, generous, thoughtful, wise, hospitable, and a godly young woman, Erin is a blessing to everyone who knows her. And she is a great person to play Pandemic* with!
3. My friend Stacy. I have a handful of close friends, but Stacy was my earliest best friend. Though we currently live on opposite sides of the state and are too busy to see each other often, we can always fall easily back into our comfortable friendship pattern, and we will always be in the other's corner. <3<3
4. All of the lovely readers and bloggers who have been so incredible this past year. I am still technically a newbie in the blogging world (I only really got serious in 2015), no one has ever made me feel anything but welcome and valid. You are all awesome, and my only regret is that I haven't (yet) met any of you offline! Drop me a line if you're ever in West Michigan :)
5. My lovely coworkers at The Book Nook and Java Shop. I am truly blessed to work with some classy ladies who are always kind and help things flow smoothly - even when it gets crazy!

5 Things in 2015 That I am Thankful For:

1. A book deal! Neverland Publishing picked up the rights to my debut novel, Knight of the Blue Surcoat, earlier this year. Though waiting isn't easy (Mo Willems is right), I'm trying to be patient as I wait for revisions, edits, advance readers copies and all that jazz.
2. BEA 2015! I had the amazing opportunity to go to Book Expo America back in May. I met authors and bloggers, and came back with a bunch of books. It was my first time in NYC, and I can't wait to visit Manhattan again.
3. A car that runs. Trust me, this is not something you take for granted. Though I have been dogged by car problems since last year, I am still more or less able to make it to work and back.
4. Friends and Family all over the country. Since I couldn't name off everyone above, I'm putting it in here. From the new friends I made in New York and Pennsylvania, to the supportive local community, I'm grateful for you all (even though I don't talk about my feelings much irl!)
5. Books and words and writing. Seriously. From the words of Scripture, to Shakespeare, to modern novels, to poetry and beyond. Literature is the love of my life and a great joy even at the worst of times.

Well, it's time to "spread the love," and instead of tagging people, I am challenging everyone who reads this post to think about all the wonderful things in their lives this year. If you want to, feel free to share something you are thankful for in the comments, or repost this challenge on your own blogs and spread it that way.

Adorable gif from Jackie @ chibird.tumblr.com - click the link for more cuteness!

Footnotes:

Pandemic is an awesome cooperative game. You have to have a calm head and be capable of working with other people, all while thinking several moves in advance.

Dragon's Loyalty Award (With Lots of Dragons)

2016 is looming and I am behind on basically everything but work. And though I didn't forget about a handful of tags and awards, I just had a lot of other things to do :)

But it is December, and my fellow dragon-loving blogger Sara Letourneau awarded me with this at the end of September (eep!), and I knew I wanted to do it right away. So, yes, December . . .

Anyhow, thanks again Sara! If you don't follow her blog, be sure to check it out here. She is also an author, and she features her writing process (and helpful tidbits for fellow authors) in her Chronicling the Craft series. Sara is full of awesome writing advice, but my favorite recurring posts are probably her new Character Evolution Files. She takes well known fictional icons such as Katniss or Bilbo and uses them to show how the authors have developed and evolved such lasting, resonant characters. And of course, there is a ton more to like about her blog, but you'll have to go check it out for yourself ;P

Here are the "official rules" for accepting the Dragon's Loyalty Award:

1. Announce your win with a post, and link to whomever presented your award.
2. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.
3. Present 15 7 awards to deserving bloggers. (I like symmetry - today)
4. Drop them a comment to tip them off after you’ve linked them in the post.
5. Display the award certificate on your website.

Since this is called the Dragon's Loyalty Award, I decided to incorporate as many dragons as possible into this post. And now it's time for interesting facts (which was hard - I feel like most everything about me is in other similar posts, or my "About Me" page!):

1. I have eleven siblings (yes, that makes me one of 12) - and I love every single one of them.

So, maybe they drive me bonkers at times, but I can't imagine life without my brothers and sisters (lots of sisters). Though sharing a bathroom was sometimes trying (boys take forEVer to do their hair on Sunday morning).

2. I have the same birthday as Jules Verne (though he was slightly older)

Okay, so Naruto isn't 20K leagues under the sea, but, whatever.

Though I didn't notice this until years later. Around the World in 80 Days is still one of my favorite novels.

3. I love to dance, but I'm not very good at it

The word "drake" is often used for a dragons in fantasy novels (when we're going OE "Draca"), though it more commonly refers to a "male duck"

From swing to the waltz to whatever craziness I come up with. But I don't make music videos of it for a reason. I'd love to take some classes someday!

4. The first dragon I ever read about was actually Ryūjin/Ryo-Wo, not Smaug

The underwater Dragon King of Japanese legends fascinated me as a (very) young child. I started reading fairy tales and myths from all over the world as soon as I could read. Smaug was the first dragon I ever read about in a novel. But thanks to my childhood myth-binges, I still tend to pattern the dragons in my novels after the ones in Chinese and Japanese lore.

5. I love dressing up, whether it's formal wear or costumes

Smaug feels pretty, oh so pretty . . .

6. I'm fascinated by mirrors and all of the lore surrounding them

This might have started when I watched a particular Lost in Space episode as a kid: as I recall, there was a guy trapped in a mirror, and his reflection was all that was left of him (because he'd been in there so long, he'd be dead in the real world). The Kabbalists (offshoot from traditional Judaism) believed that if you didn't cover a mirror after a person's death, you might catch a glimpse of the evil spirits drawn to the sadness of death (mirrors were the only way to see them). This is really interesting if you contrast it with the idea that vampires or other soulless beings wouldn't have a reflection. I could go on, but suffice it to say that mirrors often find their way into my novels.

7. I have always wanted to make a music video

Here's a Dragon, there's a Dragon, everywhere a Dragon Dragon

While I have no desire to be in it (see #3), I'm always getting epic ideas for music videos, and I wish I had the ability to make them. If I ever had a novel made into a movie, I would want to help make a music video for a song involved in the movie. That's all I ask.

So, there are my 7 facts, and now it's time for the nominees:

As always, don't feel obligated to do this :) But if you do decide to do it, please make sure that you link back so I can read your posts!

1. Sarah @ Ink and Paper Tall Ship

2. Tracey Dyck

3. Bogdana at @ Bogdana the Booknerd

4. Jane @ Greenish Bookshelf

5. Áine @ Writing on a Vintage Typewriter

6. Skye @ Ink Castles

7. Bethany @ Forgotten Featherpen

I tried to tag people that I haven't/haven't in awhile. And I know you are all probably as busy as I am, so don't feel pressured! <3 RH