I’ve been editing my MS Once Upon a Dungeon, and I thought it was fun to compare my hero (Prince Alec) to some of my favorite heroes from other upper MG/lower YA titles. I wanted to see how he stacked up in the romance department. Was he swoon-worthy? What made these other heroes so appealing?
Let’s check out the love interests, shall we? (Ha ha, get it? Check out? I kill myself).
*Clicking on the book cover will take you to the description in Goodreads.
Taran of Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain – Sure, he starts out as an Assistant Pig Keeper, so his profession isn’t all that glamorous, but later he becomes king of practically everything, so, it evens out in the end. He’s just clueless enough to make him adorable and he never deserts his friends. He’s willing to give up guaranteed eternal happiness in order to do the honorable thing, so you know, he’s pretty heroic and all that stuff. Plus, he’s nice to scruffy animals that continuously mooch off him for “crunchings and munchings”.
Prince Char of Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted – He likes to slide down banisters and doesn’t understand why “proper” dinner etiquette requires more than one fork. He puts up with obnoxious ugly stepsisters and isn’t intimidated by Ella’s smarts and talents. Also? He writes love letters. Enough said.
Zach of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls Series – He has some of the best lines. Ever. He’s mysterious, which is always appealing, and he’s pretty much solid muscle (comes with the whole “spy” territory). He’s suave, despite the handicap of being a teenager, and he speaks a bazillion different languages. He could probably kill me with one move, but when he’s with Cammie, he’s sweeter than a Popsicle on a hot summer’s day. Well, when he’s not busy teasing her, that is.
Hale of Ally Carter’s Heist Society Novels – I know what you’re thinking. Another one by Ally Carter? And the answer is yes, yes it is necessary. Because Hale is another prime example of a male love interest done right. He might not be too “mushy gushy”, and sure, sometimes he’s a little bit on the surly side, but Hale will always be there to help a gal in need. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he’s more loaded than the Queen of England.
Percy of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series – First of all, he’s the son of a Greek God. So, yeah. He’s fiercely loyal (sometimes to the point of stupidity) and he loves his mother. He has a knack for getting in trouble, which probably has something to do with his general disrespect of authority figures, but he always manages to scrape by. He’s a trouble maker, a smart aleck and kind of a player, but we love him for it.
A pretty nice list, no? With my analysis, the biggest thing I noticed was all these love interests had flair. They each had their own personality and lovable traits that make readers want more. When crafting my own heroes (like Prince Alec), I try to do the same thing.
Who are some of your favorite romantic leads? I’m always looking for book recommendations!
Melissa Bradley says
September 16, 2013 at 3:57 pmHI Tiana, stopping by very late from the Blog Blitz. Sorry for the delay. You have a terrific site here. I love a good romantic hero, too. Some of my faves include Tobias March from Amanda Quick's Lake and March trilogy as well as Jamie Fraser in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.
Dianne K. Salerni says
September 16, 2013 at 9:56 pmHaving read your manuscript, I can say that I really enjoyed Prince Alec!
And I love your take on Taran and Percy (I'm not familiar with the others). Some other swoon-worthy MG heroes (gosh, it's not sick or anything to talk about 14 year olds this way, right?!) are Wallace Wallace from Gordon Korman's No More Dead Dogs and Mikey McGill from the later books in Neal Shusterman's Everlost series. (In the first book, Mikey is a monster … but even so, he had pizzazz. In the later books, I just wanted to squeeeeze him!)
tianasmith says
September 18, 2013 at 1:16 amDianne – Well, even if they are MG books, not all the characters are 14, so that kinda helps 🙂 Plus, a lot of them grow up during the books!
Courtney Barr - The Southern Princess says
September 16, 2013 at 11:34 pmLike Melissa above I am very late to the blitz but am so happy to visit your blog. The site is beautiful, I have enjoyed perusing your posts. This one is fabulous! Oh I'm not sure if there are enough pages on the 'net to cover my love of fictional characters. I love falling for a character that surprises me. You know the guys, those who seem rough around the edges, slightly sensitive on the surface but when it comes to the girl/woman they love those edges are what help to protect/support/aid or just plain accent her in every way and their sensitivity is not simple, but complex and compelling. They make 'her' stronger while also being 'manly' enough to allow her to support them when needed. I like characters that utilize each others strengths but can stand alone throughout the story, showcasing individuality without being preachy. lol I hope that makes some sense. Percy Jackson and Annabeth are a great example. I will have to check out the others you list above….
Nisa Swineford says
September 17, 2013 at 7:58 amI think Prince Alec stacks up very well and I love all the choices you picked. They are great examples!
Morgan says
September 17, 2013 at 1:58 pmCan I freak out again with your new design??? (Gaaaaaah… LOVE IT!!!!)
Okay, back to normal/cool Morgan. 🙂
Fun post, Tiana–you always come up with fun/original topics. I'm shocked that Percy Jackson is the only book up there I've read. Must get on that. I don't read a lot of MG–but I should–maybe I have a middle grade book in me. And I definitely agree with Dianne up there–Prince Alec is fabulous. (You're so talented!)
😀
tianasmith says
September 18, 2013 at 1:16 amMorgan – Yes, you NEED to read some of these! I'd highly recommend the Ally Carter books if you're not normally an MG reader.
Julie Dao says
September 17, 2013 at 9:59 pmThis post made me want to read the Chronicles of Prydain all over again! I LOVED Taran and had the biggest crush on him back in school! Have you read SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater? I loved the way she wrote Sean in that.
tianasmith says
September 18, 2013 at 1:17 amJulie – No, I haven't, but now I've put them on my list!!
Cortney Pearson says
September 20, 2013 at 7:46 pmI'll never forget the look I got when I was talking about Twilight with this girl in my ward and I said I was in love with Edward Cullen. You'd think I had bolts coming out the side of my neck! But I so do this! And I loved Zach in Aly Carter's book! Haven't read many of the others you listed, but it's obvious that I need to! Lots of swoony guys! 😀
Jamie Burch says
September 20, 2013 at 8:09 pmCan't wait to meet your hero, Tiana! Hmm…no one really stood out in the YA trilogy I just finished and the only hero I can think of at the moment is Max Ruskova from the 13 to Life series by Shannon Delany. He's the older brother of the main hero to the story, but I always seem to fall for the secondary heroes. 😉
Shelley Sly says
September 20, 2013 at 8:54 pmI'll have to check out these books (except the Percy Jackson series, which I've read) – I like great heroes. I really enjoyed the romance in your book, Tiana!
Pk Hrezo says
September 21, 2013 at 12:19 amThat top pic is so cute. I'm in love with prince Char too. Hee hee
Pk Hrezo says
September 21, 2013 at 12:20 amThat top pic is so cute. I'm in love with prince Char too. Hee hee
tianasmith says
September 21, 2013 at 12:31 amI think anyone who reads it is in love with Prince Char – he's just too adorbs!
sjp says
September 21, 2013 at 2:02 pmHaha, love that first picture, brilliant. Some interesting sounding love interests there might have to check them out.
Laura Marcella says
November 13, 2013 at 11:44 amTotally agree about Taran and Prince Char! I always had a crush on Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery.
Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines