Time to talk about characters! I included technically more than ten, since I chose multiple characters from some books, as I sometimes do, but I’m sure you all don’t mind. And I’ve run out of things to say in these intros, so here are my favorite characters of 2022!

Eugene – Real Hero Shit by Kendra Wells

Eugene was always so bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Always flirting. Always horny. Always doing heroic poses while fighting. Loved being the center of attention. He’s the kind of character who could easily be insufferable, but instead he’s so hilarious and ultimately a good person (if naive about his privilege at the start) that he’s just lovable instead.

[ My Review ]

Decibel Jones & Oort St. Ultraviolet – Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

Although they were sort of in a throuple once, they didn’t really get along during the book. But both were glamorous (or not so glamorous, in Oort’s case) aging former rockstars making mistakes but doing their best. Decibel was quirky and unapologetically his unique self, while Oort currently did his best to be as absolutely average as possible to protect himself from the world but still stood out to me.

[ My Review ]

Nigel & Lance – The Dragon Squisher by Scott McCormick

Nigel was a troublemaker, but he had a good heart and was a good friend and usually didn’t mean to cause so much trouble. Lance was a sweetheart, just trying to get by, forgiving and loyal to his friends. These teens were just a lot of fun to spend time with, and their friendship was so fun and cute too.

[ My Review ]

Solari – Tasmanian Gothic by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky

I really felt for Solari, and I couldn’t help but like her. She had so much strength and so much fight in her. She kept trying so hard to survive, and she did what she had to when it came down to it, and I couldn’t blame her. She was hardened by the life she’d had to live, and she made some mistakes, but she didn’t become cold or heartless because of it.

[ My Review ]

Howl – Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

I saw a tweet about how for every number of badass moments a character has, they need a pathetic one, like Howl. And then a bunch of people replied to say book Howl is actually the opposite, mostly pathetic and occasionally badass. And that was what finally convinced me to read this 😅

Howl was dramatic and whiny. He had a meltdown that scared a whole town and covered his house in slime when his hair was tinted the wrong color. He acted like he was dying when he had a cold. He wanted people to think he was tough and scary. And yet, he was kind. He took people in. He helped people. He protected people. And honestly, even when he was being whiny, he was entertaining.

Dali – The Dali Tamareia Missions Series by E.M. Hamill

Dali was so angry and filled with grief and could come across as hard and cold on the outside, but they were a good, caring person on the inside. They also had some lovely healing and growth throughout the series. And they seemed to be attracted to everyone, and I’m always fond of those characters 😁

[ My Review ]

McQueen & Dooley – The Darkside Detective

Ok, so this is not a book, but I wanted to include it anyway! Because McQueen is a great guy, and Dooley is a hilarious himbo you can’t help but love.

[ My Review ]

Dixon + Yuri – The ABCs of Spellcraft Collection Volume 3 by Jordan Castillo Price

This is more about the couple than a specific character, but I feel like I never get to talk about these two. I’ve come to love their relationship more and more with each book. They’re so adorable together. Even things that could be considered flaws or quirks or frustrating, they love about each other. And they really care and respect each other and try to do right by each other.

[ My Review ]

James – Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth by J. V. Hart

Captain Hook is my favorite character in the original Peter Pan story, and I loved how this author portrayed him. He was intense, calculating, cunning, and willing to do what it took to get what he wanted, but also charming, polite, and weirdly likeable, as well as loyal to the few people he felt deserved it. I especially loved it when James would calmly say the absolute most terrifying, sinister things to his bullies with a smile.

[ My Review ]

Kadou, Evemer, & Tadek – A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

Three characters in one this time! I loved Kadou’s kindness and could relate to his anxiety, Evemer was judgy at first but grew on me with his loyalty and devotion, and Tadek was a loyal guard/friend and also just a lot of fun because he was so charming and clever and flirty.

[ My Review ]

Check out my other end of the year posts!

Gamer Musings: Top Ten Games I Played in 2022
Cover Characteristics: Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2022
Bookish Musings: Top Ten Characters from Books I Read in 2022
Bookish Musings: Top Ten Books/Series I Read in 2022 + Some Non-Bookish Things