Top Ten Favorite Characters in the STEAMPUNK Genre!

Today's topic on Top Ten Tuesday (A weekly meme hosted by the lovlies at Broke and the Bookish) is to pick your Top Ten Characters in Genre X! So obviously, that was a PERFECT setup for one of my favorite topics! The amazing characters that you come across in Steampunk Literature!You've got dashing dandies, svelt sweeties, dastardly villains...and all of it with their own particular flavor of fabulous! I'll not leave you hanging and get right down to my favorites across the board!

1. Alexia Tarabotti from Gail Carriger's epic Steampunk series The Parasol Protectorate! I think this quote, one of our first impressions of Alexia in the first book Souless,  does both our heroine and her attitude justice. "Miss Tarabotti was not one of life's milk-water misses--in fact, quite the opposite. Many a gentleman had likened his first meeting with her to downing a very strong cognac when one was expecting to imbibe fruit juice--that is to say, startling and apt to leave one with a distinct burning sensation."As you can probably guess, Miss Tarabotti is NOT your typical victorian heroine, as she is VERY capable with a parasol and should anyone attempt any shenanegans on her person, they will learn to fear the little lady. 

2. Ivy Tunstell. This miss also hails from the Parasol Protectorate series and though she is Alexia's best friend, she's also her polar opposite . With a ridiculously silly nature and a penchant for odd hats, she can't help but capture your heart. Her hats tend to be a mixture of Alice in wonderland and Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory and thought she tries very hard and is very sweet, she misses a lot and seems to need rescuing more than even the most distressed damsel should. 

3. Asami Sato from The Legend of Korra. You may recognize miss Sato from my post last week of "Wait...That's Steampunk??"  She lives in a world where the majority of those around her have kick ass powers and she...doesn't...so what's a girl to do? Well...she kind of steals all sorts of steampunk gadgets and weapons from her mad-scientist dad so that she can fight him and his revolutionary ways...still...she kicks butt in a world where she's at a HUGE disadvantage and I love her for it.

10. Two words. Rhys Trahaearn. He is the male lead in one of my all time favorite Steampunk series, The Iron Seas. His book is The Iron Duke...and a more swoonworthy man I've never read about IN MY LIFE! I will leave you with this quote, though I take no responsibility for any swooning, panty-dropping, or drooling this quote may instigate...

“He cupped her face in his hands, made her meet his gaze. Solemnly, he said, “I heard you say that when two people love each other, they fight through everything together. Every doubt, every challenge, every pain. Fight with me, Mina. Please. You are the only one for me, for as long as I live. And if you love me, fight with me.”