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.

20 Things to Do INSTEAD of Working on Your Novel: A Complete Guide to Procrastination (and gifs, because, gifs)

Just in case you didn't know:

It is November 23.

I'm not ready to part from 2015, people.

Thanksgiving is on Thursday. And NaNoWriMo is over in one week. I have not yet reached the 30K mark.

I am finally sitting somewhere that is A. Not work, or B. Not a car, so I really have no excuse for not writing. But if you're like me, and you're looking for reasons to procrastinate, here are some tips from a Master* (Note: I have tried every single one of these, and they are guaranteed to work)

1. Write a Blog Post

You sit down, flex those writing fingers, turn on some music to set the mood, and . . . you can't remember what you were writing. It's all gone. Your plot, your characters, what are words? Before you panic, you can always stretch that writer's brain by writing a blog post. You'll end up with a page full of writing, and feel a sense of achievement. So maybe none of it was your novel, but you did something productive! Give yourself a pat on the back, writer.

2. Read a Book, or Three

It's American Thanksgiving this week - which might mean a day or two off from work! Time for food and family, or even writing . . . or you could just read one of those delightful shiny books that are already written for you! Imagine that?

3. Go to a Book Event

If you are feeling down about your book, I highly recommend going to watch another author talk about how wonderful it was to see their book in print. I had the (incredible) privilege of going to the final event of Marissa Meyer's Winter Tour** - and it was so much fun! Hearing her talk about her books and her characters made me want to write, and I really would have - if I hadn't had to drive home!

4. Go on a Roadtrip

Whether it's books on tape, or just a playlist of your favorite writing tracks, you can think about your book a lot if you have to spend several hours in the car. Or you could just listen to 4 straight hours of K-pop for no apparent reason.*** I did one of those things while I drove down to Tennessee on Sunday.

5. Go Outside and Enjoy the Bizarre November Sunshine****

 

There's nothing like a little fresh air to jumpstart that creative writer's brain. Go walk outside and talk over your plot problems with a bosom friend. You may not get anything on paper, but you'll feel refreshed.

6. Watch Death Note

Death Note was an anime I never watched, but heard a ton about. Mostly about how incredible it was. So, naturally, I ignored it. But when I was too tired to write, I started watching Death Note instead, entirely on a whim. From the fascinating moral quandaries, to the great plotting and pacing, it's one of the most interesting distractions I've ever come across. And it inspired some great discussions!

7. Work on Christmas Presents

I don't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving - but since I like to make handmade Christmas presents, I usually start those a few months in advance. Or at least, I try to. But I take it a little more seriously by November. And just look at all those half-finished projects you could be doing!

8. Take a Nap

Snoopy has it right. Sometimes you just need to curl up and take a nap. Scientists and other knowledgeable people also recommend it. And who argues with Snoopy and science?

9. Go Grocery Shopping

After three weeks of NaNo-ing hard, that pantry and fridge are starting to look bare. And as much as you love instant ramen, it isn't the healthiest choice. An no one needs to subsist on tea alone.

10. Sort All Those Emails Sitting In Your Inbox

 

And consider unsubscribing to the 2.5 thousand newsletters that are trying to get you to buy things.

11. Cook a Gourmet Meal

Remember #9 had you at the store? Well, there were a lot of Thanksgiving sales, and now you have too many ingredients. Google is your friend: just type in what you have, and then make something awesome.

11. Wash the Dishes

Trust me, you'll feel better if you have a clean working environment. Even if you're not writing in the kitchen. Just because you can't see the pile of dishes, it doesn't mean they're not there.

12. Scroll Through Your Twitter Feed

#amwriting #NaNoWriMo #noamrlywritingsrsly #stahp . . .

13. Or If You're Not Into Twitter, There's Instagram

Looking at everyone's vacation photos, food snaps, or book hauls strategically placed to look incredible, might make you feel like writing about your own far off adventure?

14. Facebook? Tumblr?

Hey, you never know where an idea might come from.

15. Let's Not Forget Pinterest

Because sometimes, pinning pictures to my book themed boards ACTUALLY helps. As long as I don't get too distracted . . .

16. And Catching Up On Your Favorite Blogs is Always a Good Idea

Writer-bloggers usually have something very useful for you to read.

17. Work

I can't write at work. However, I am off of work today. But there's a lot of other kinds of work that I need to finish (reviews with a deadline, for example). I need to do these things. Really.

18. Play a Board Game

It's good for your brain. And it's something you can do with your relatives, if you're at a loss this week.

19. Research

This is a very useful thing to do, and it always makes you seem so studious and focused. So if you sit down to write, and nothing happens - you can always look up that rare strain of bacteria. Just don't blame me if after five hours of research, you're reading about someone's scheme to rehydrate deserts.

20. Write a Different Novel

Because words on the page are words on the page. Even if they aren't on the same page.

Need more ideas? Too bad - I'm going back to writing my novel, :)

How is your November going? If you're doing NaNo, how is your word count?

Footnotes:

*Not to brag, or anything, but I am really good at procrastinating.

**The book event was masquerade ball themed! It was worth missing two days of writing. And Marissa Meyer was fabulous to listen to :) (Author of The Lunar Chronicles)

***To be honest, I don't even know how we ended up with the K-pop. I've never really listened to it before. Okay, other than this Shinhwa song/video. But it's strangely mesmerizing.

****Bizarre for Michigan. Michigan November usually means pouring rain, and then loads of snow, or both. So I wanted to spend as much time outside as possible.

 

August Wrap-Up Post, Some Art, and Shingeki no Kyojin

Image Credit

It's time for the Monthly Rewind link up, hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction (a great book blog that you should check out). Nicole also has some great tips on how to participate/ideas on what to include here.

Just like July, August flew past. I looked back through my posts, expecting there to be precious few. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. 12 posts is pretty good for me - with my intense workload, so I'm quite happy about it.

Again, though I have been reading a lot, I haven't had the chance to catch up on reviews (or sometimes, the inclination. It's hard to keep up review mojo when you aren't liking anything you are reading!

And any other spare time I had was eaten by Titans. Not kidding.

Art Copyright - PriyoNewvKy

I first caught wind of the manga/anime sensation Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin a year or so ago. It was recommended to me because I like the (similar but not nearly as popular) Claymore, and so I checked out the first couple chapters. I quickly realized that I shouldn't go near it until there were a few more chapters, and then episodes. I hate waiting for that sort of thing to come out! Nevertheless, I finally watched the first season of the anime (since there is a whole season), and I am waiting very impatiently for Chapter 73 to come out (and be translated by wonderful human beings). I am actually someone who loves it when something they like becomes popular (Survey Corps stuff you don't have to buy from Japan!! Fan art! People who understand!), so I am excited that the SnK rise is on.



If you are interested, here's the official synopsis (thanks Goodreads!):

In this post-apocalytpic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what's left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 100-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.

  Of course, what that doesn't tell you is that SnK is a story about a group of scrappy teenage soldiers and generally strange people (somewhat reminiscent of Les Mis' Barricade boys) fighting for survival in a world where humanity is almost extinct (Walking Dead comparisons = pretty accurate). The Titans (terrifying naked giants that eat people) rule the earth, but humanity is fighting back and trying to understand why it all happened. And the anime is one of the most beautiful things (despite the high grossout factor) I have ever seen. Honestly, it's reminiscent of Princess Mononoke.

A word to the wise: Reports of the bloody violence are not exaggerated. The story is great (and the anime is gorgeous), but like Claymore, SnK is not for everyone. Just because it's animated doesn't mean it's punch is softened (on the contrary, the futility of the battle, and the likability of everyone involved, makes the violence hit harder). There are also minor adult themes, some crude humor, and PG-13 language.

Overall Ratings:

Art: Anime-5 out of 5 stars. Manga-3.5 out of 5

Plot: 4 out of 5 stars

Characters: 5 out of 5*

Story: 4 out of 5

Music: 4 out of 5

Originality: 3.5 out of 5


 I am still working my way through the rest of Naruto as well. Have some fan art (artist unknown):

I don't know who the artist is-so if anyone knows please tell me!

 

And if you missed one of my posts (or my awesome writing news), check out the links below. And there's more art:

• Most importantly, I am going to be a published novelist (next year!)

August has also been a good month for a few more reasons. I introduced my upcoming novel (Summer 2016!!!) Knight of the Blue Surcoat. I am super excited about this milestone, and I did a character feature on the protagonist, Melora, daughter of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.

Stay tuned in September for a companion post about my secondary protagonist, Orlando of Thessaly, and more. In the meantime, here are two rough sketches of Melora (hair cropped for adventuring!) and Orlando. I plan on coloring them eventually (therapeutic!)

The Scanner did a number on her eye . . .

My favorite part of this picture is the smirk. Aaaand, that's the hardest part to see!

• More about my current WIP, The Last Coffee Shop, and my MC's friends

In the always delightful Beautiful People meme, I explored Mads' relationship with her two best friends.

• I managed one tag and 2(!) Liebster posts - Thanks guys!

Liebster 1 came from Sara Letourneau - she had some great questions (but they made me think for a long time before I posted, which was a good thing!) The easy one? My favorite season.

Liebster 2 was from Paein and Ms4Tune - who also had some brain twisters. I also thought very deeply about why I would want to be Morgan Le Fay. Regardless, it was a ton of fun, and I was honored :)

E. Rawls tagged me for a fun 5 minute writing prompt, which also challenged me. It was hard to write without going back before posting. Her prompt was Underwater World, and it was great! )

• I waxed philosophical about the great YA versus Adult novels smackdown If you ever wondered where a 26 year old novelist and bookseller fell in the divide, you can check that post out here.

• TOP TEN TUESDAYS! Where my opinions and gif collection are aired.

The fairytales I want to see retold. They are pretty strange ones.
The authors I have read the most titles by (three are Australian)
The authors I will always buy - no matter what they are writing.

Speaking of fairytales, look at this amazing genderbent Snow White art by Jon-Lock (deviantart.com)!

Copyright Jon-Lock 2015

 And this incredible Mulan and Shang fanart by Lanzenritter and colored by chugulle (deviantart.com)

Image Source Here

• And sadly, I only managed one book review. 

But it was for two books, so that counts for something, right? Moribito books 1 and 2. Great reads if you are into Asian (especially Japanese) culture.

Still, August was an awesome month. September should be fun though. And there's always Hobbit Day! If you like the fanart above, you can find more like it on my "Favorite Characters" Pinterest board.

So how was your month? Productive, or not so much?

And I'll leave you with this ridiculous video that I have watched too many times. Warning, it may scar you for life, or make you sob with laughter. And it probably won't make sense unless you are familiar with SnK/Attack on Titan.

Footnotes:

*Jean, in particular, is that character we all need in anything dystopian/post-apoc/young soldiers/ahem, Mockingjay!/etc. I love how he is terrified, selfish, and whiny at first, and his character progression. (Hint: he is still terrified and selfish, lol. And so relatable)