Top Ten Villains of 2012

Top 10 of 2012 is hosted by A Life Bound By Books, Confessions of a Bookaholic, Fiktshun, Magical Urban Fantasy Reads and Two Chicks on Books. Clicking on any of these links should give you more information about the event if you're interested.

 

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Naughty John - The Diviners by Libba Bray

 

I get shivers down my spine just thinking about Naughty John. He haunted not only the entire novel but my every waking thought after reading it. I'd go into this novel expecting quite a high creep factor if I were you.

 

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The Lynburn family - Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

 

This family is both creepy and fascinating... quite the winning combination ;) I can't WAIT to unearth more of their secrets in the coming novels.

 

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Shar - (You) Set Me on Fire by Mariko Tamaki 

 

I actually really hated Shar the entire time I was reading this novel. She's selfish, manipulative and destructive but I guess this list would be a little incomplete without some of those classic villains.

 

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SS-Hauptsturmführer von Loewe and Fräulein Anna Engel - Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

 

I suppose this could be the Gestapo in general but these two characters really started to feel personal as I was reading. I don't even know what to say about them... just... top ten villains for sure.

 

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Cole Stockton - Everneath by Brodi Ashton

 

There is clearly a lot of emotion and information hiding just under the surface with Cole and I loved the little glimpses of them, whether it was genuine affection for Nikki or something much darker. This boy was such an enigma and I'm having a blast trying to figure him out!

 

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The Darkling - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 

I am at such a loss for words that I'll just quote the amazingly talented Brodie here: "Whether he's on the page or not, he still leaves a lingering trace of darkness so you won't, you can't forget he is still there, waiting in the shadows. He is a fascinating character, with frighteningly delicious appeal."

 

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The Hotel Staff - Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

 

This is the kind of villain that lurks in the background. It's that evil that you know exists but don't know the ways in which it functions. The hotel staff of Illuminate were so perfect that it was kind of freaky.

 

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Leck - Graceling by Kristin Cashore

 

I'm late to the party with this one but it makes my list since I just read Graceling this year :) Ahh, LECK. So horrible. So very horrible.

 

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Queen Levana - Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

 

Queen Levana gives me the CHILLS! She knows she's evil, everyone in the novel knows she's evil and you as the reader sure as heck know she's evil but she's so powerful that you have no choice but to wait for her next move.

 

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The Creepy Dystopian Government - Every Dystopian Novel

 

I'm still on that dystopian kick and the power systems aren't getting any nicer.