>BadAss Week: Noa’s Favorite BadAss(es)

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It is finally my turn to discuss that firm favorite of male types, the diamond in the rough, the epitome of fictitious male hero perfection, the BadAss. To me, BadAssery (thank you to author Courtney Allison Moulton for coining that term at the Teen Author Carnival) has always been something every male hero should aspire to. Take the romantic, poem writing, soulful men, I don’t want them! I need a guy who has that glint in his eye, that upturned lip with just a hint of a ready smile that could, in second, change into a look that would inspire fear in any person stupid enough to cause you even a moment’s worry or pain.

There are in my opinion, several sub-types of BadAss as each of our Dolls and guests has proven this week, to me, there are certain categories by which one might divide the badassedness…

1. The Knight in shining armor with a BadAss twist:

The golden locks, the pretty face, seems very innocent until you realize there is so much more behind those baby blues. Deadly to all but those select few he chooses to let in, this Badass will never forget a courtly gesture as he poisons your dinner, steals your jewels and flirts with your wife.

Not usually a fan of Jude Law but he seems To fit the bill

Francis Crawford of Lymond (16th Century)
Age: Unknown, apparently series starts off when he’s 20. But back then 20 was totally like 30.
Occupation: Not much he hasn’t done.
Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles

Francis Crawford is a Scottish nobleman but he is also an outlaw.
The reader follows him through six books from outlaw to nobleman to court jester of sorts to soldier to nomad and always, always a political genius.

We never really know whose side he’s on until he wants us to know. At first it would seem that family means very little to him but then you realize that family and country mean everything to him. He’s an arrogant, brilliant troubled man.

His dissipated life and his past (and present) addictions makes him believe he will never be good enough for the one woman he loves, but that doesn’t mean he won’t protect her from any man or woman who thinks to harm her. And this guy? He doesn’t play fair. If there is need for cunning, for convoluted plans only unravelled at the final moments, just when it looks like everything is lost, Francis is your man. But don’t be fooled, he is an accomplished swordsman, and a man who knows how to use his fists if need be. After all, you learn a trick or two being enslaved on a French galley prison for two years….

This series is one of my all time favorites and Francis is most definitely a BadAss for the generations.

2. The Mysterious BadAss

You will probably come across these badasses when you least expect it. A dark alley, while hiding away from the crowds at a party, he lurks in the shadows preferring to be the one standing on the outside looking in. Usually these dark and dangerous types have some tragedy in their history – a mother who left them, a gypsy or unknown heritage… their need to prove themselves means they are likely to go way out of their usual comfort zone to Learning all sorts of Badass tricks along the way…

Mark Frankel as Brisbane

Nicholas Brisbane (19th century)
Age: late 30s
Occupation: Enquiry Agent
Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey mysteries

Born to a gypsy mother and an aristocrat father, he was persona non grata with both his families. He is now a successful enquiry agent whose dark look and blunt ways get our heroine quite…uncomfortable. Brisbane’s sexy demeanor, and that feeling,that there is something deep and dark just under that cool suave surface make this hero a perfect candidate for mysterious BadAss…See, we don’t quite know what he will do, but we know it won’t be pretty! As we get to know him we find out he has many demons to fight and many issues to solve, but seeing how he solves all those deadly situations in ‘real life’ we know he’ll be able to deal with whichever dark things are lurking in the dark – whether in his mind or in the alley just ahead.

Sebastian St. Cyr (19th century)
Age: 28
Occupation: Aristocrat, former soldier, amateur detective.
C.S. Harris’ Sebastian Ct. Cyr mysteries

Henry Cavil as Sebastian St. Cyr

Unlike Mr. Brisbane this young buck was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Heir to an Earldom, one might think he has it all. So where did he get his BadAss streak? Growing up with a father you feel despises you and a mother who died when you were young while secrets and lies surround you could do that to anyone… Sebastian earned some BadAss kudos for his years a soldier in he peninsular wars, and for having amber-yellow eyes that give him super-sight, reflexes and hearing (Bithil syndrome don’t’ya know). If that wasn’t enough to keep you heading in the other direction, he really became badass when he decided to solve a murder…one he was being accused of committing. As a fugitive he still manages to solve the case and leave you feeling you know very little more about him than you did when the story began. That’s just the way he likes it too.

3. The BadAss who loves you (and only you)

Michael Fassbender (when blonde)

Rupert Campbell Black (20th century)
Age: Starts at 20s but he’s now heading for 50 and still BadAss
Occupation: Landowner, Horse Breeder, and major thorn in your side.
Jilly Cooper’s books. (Mainly Riders and Rivals)

To me, Rupert Campbell Black is the ultimate BadAss though I was wondering if I should even include him. You see, he starts out as a bit of a S***. OK, actually, on many level he stays one for pretty much every book he’s in. In Riders the first book Rupert makes an appearance in, he is for all intents and purposes the bad guy. Mean, cruel, does what he likes when he likes it. Thinks being sinfully sexy and handsome means he can do anything he wants… Where are his good points you ask? Well, in Rivals that all changed… sort of. You see, this BadAss just needed a woman who could understand him. Now, now, no eye rolling! Do you think I would lead you all astray in that evil way? Say he’s a BadAss then start sprouting nonsense about poetry, romance and being the perfectly reformed rake who was just waiting for that sweet little innocent to mend his dissipated ways? No, no, no! Rupert Campbell Black remains a bit of a S***, in a good way. But this selfish so and so also realizes his life would be quite miserable if his one and only wasn’t pleased. So while he does become her knight in shining armor, he is in fact still the baddest BadAss there ever was. And there are millions of women around the world who would trade places with his one and only love. In fact he has quite a cult following. On many levels he’s like a non-vampiric Eric Northman. He’d do anything for his Dear One.

4. The Alpha (seriously) BadAss

Don’t look him in the eye, you might end up dead before you can look away, don’t touch what is his, or you’ll end up dead before you can move away. Don’t… Ok, basically, just don’t. This is a BadAss whose BadAssery is of the animalistic variety. if you’re family or friend he will protect you to the death, but if you aren’t…retreat now and live to see another sunrise!

I’m sorry, but no image would do him justice… I’m still considering this one.

Curran Lennart
Age: 31 years old
Occupation: Beast Lord
Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series

Curran managed to become Beast Lord at the age of 15. Now, if taking over as the leader of hundreds of shape-shifters when still in his teens isn’t enough to prove his BadAssedness I don’t know what will! Looking into his grey eyes is extremely difficult and when they take on a golden hue it really is best to stand still and play dead. He is also very hard to say no to, and acts as a man who has been giving orders since he was 15 would act – bossy. But he is honorable, his pack and family are everything to him and he’s a sexy funny beast. But he is a beast – and those lionine traits are always lurking beneath the surface so always come prepared, a bout with this BadAss might leave some serious scars….and not just the good kind 😉

I can’t choose just one BadAss… I have to have them all and hey, why choose one when you can sit down with a pile of books and enjoy a tower high-helping of endless BadAssery….

Don’t forget – there is still time to enter our BadAss Week giveaway!