Smashing & Dashing Characters of 2016 Awards
Cait at Paper Fury created this awesome book tag and I had to do it. Because fictional characters! So, here are the best and worst characters from the books I read this year (the books don't have to be published in 2016, otherwise I couldn't do the challenge). Not spoiler-free, but I won't go into too much detail.
MOST RELATABLE CHARACTER
The character I most related to was Marya Bolkonskaya (War and Peace). Apart from the fact that she's very religious and I'm not, I definitely identified with her.
MOST PURE AND PRECIOUS ANIMAL COMPANION
Maruman, the cat from The Red Queen. He's grumpy and cynical, and that is what makes him pure and precious.
FIERCEST FIGHTER
Colonel Jack Collins in Ancients. Some of the fighting he does is so he doesn't have to think about his dying girlfriend. Ouch.
MOST AMAZING SIDEKICK
I haven't read many sidekick characters in 2016, but Ana and Swallow in The Red Queen are both cool sidekicks.
ONE YOU’RE SURPRISED YOU LOVED
Nikolai Rostov (War and Peace). I was neutral about him in the BBC mini-series, which I watched first, but I found him hilarious in the book. He's a problematic fave and not the nicest person, but still a fave.
BEST SASSMASTER
That's Maruman again.
BEST ANTI-HERO AND MORALLY GREY GRAPE
Frances Wray in The Paying Guests. She has an affair with a married woman and covers up the manslaughter of her lover's husband, but it's with the best intentions.
BEST WORST VILLAIN TO HATE
Anatole Kuragin (War and Peace). I cannot stand him. He gets his comeuppance in an emotionally traumatic scene, though.
TRULY ASTOUNDING WORST YA PARENT
Old Prince Bolkonsky from War and Peace is a shit dad. He's completely awful to his daughter. You can't just treat people like that.
TRULY ASTOUNDING BEST YA PARENT
Countess Natalya Rostova's relationship with her sons and her daughter Natasha in War and Peace is very cute. She loves them and is so proud of them. Too bad she forgets about her other daughter Vera and treats her niece Sonya shockingly.
TOOT TOOT BEST SHIP OF THEM ALL
Andrei and Natasha (War and Peace). Because happy ships are boring.
THE MOST IN NEED OF PROTECTION
#ProtectMaryaBolkonskaya
MOST BORING AS A BARNACLE
Masha in Enchantments had a very interesting history but still managed to not have a personality. Given the overall quality of the book, I can't even be surprised or disappointed.
BEST LITTLE ROYAL
Dragon from The Red Queen, who is, in fact, the Red Queen. She just rides up to the city centre on a horse and the people make her their queen and revolt against their oppressive system. Goals.
VERY SURPRISED YOU’RE STILL ALIVE
Elspeth Gordie. Actually, a lot of characters in The Red Queen survived when I thought they wouldn't.
BEST AT HORRIBLE DECISION MAKING
It's a tie between Nikolai "Gambled Away My Family's Money" Rostov and his sister Natasha "Cheated On My Beloved With A Man I'd Known For 3 Days" Rostova.
CUTEST DORK
Florence Banner (Tipping the Velvet). Don't ask how a serious, Victorian socialist can be a cute dork. I don't know.
CLEVEREST LITTLE HELLION
Nancy King (Tipping the Velvet) wins this award for always making her way in the world.
MOST IN NEED OF A NAP
Elspeth Gordie deserves a long sleep by her choice this time.
WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT YOU
Mademoiselle Amelie Bourienne from War and Peace. She's a minor character who's there in the background throughout the entire book, but she's so mysterious. She's a Frenchwoman in Russia during the Napoleonic invasion - what does she think about it all??? I want to know!
