What is it about February that makes us look over significant other relationships from our favorite works of fiction? Oh yeah, Valentine’s Day. Maybe we are in love with the character. Or maybe we are comparing our own relationships to theirs. One thing authors want is for you to fall in love with their characters. It’s even better when those characters we love fall in love with each other. Sometimes it’s a great love story, while other times it is a complete disaster. Among my favorite “Valentine’s Day” books are those that portray love in its many forms, be it passionate, complicated, or even tragically unrequited. These stories remind us of the power of love to transform characters and, by extension, the readers who grow attached to them. For the upcoming romantic holiday, here are some of my favorite relationships from books.
My first to share are Damien Maslin and Jack Twist from the House of Night series by P.C. Cast. The House of Night is a young adult series that has a nifty twist on the whole vampire lore. Teenagers are marked by the Goddess Nyx and they will be vampires. They are sent to a special school for those who are marked. In any case, Jack and Damien are two such teens. They meet, fall in love, and have an amazing relationship. That is all I am going to say on that. Those who know them, know why.
Also on this list is Anita Blake and Jean-Claude or Anita and Micha Callahan and Nathaniel Graison from the Anita Blake series Laurell K. Hamilton. Ok, here’s the deal. For the longest time in this series, I was rooting for Jean-Claude and Anita to get together and stay together. I must admit though, the problems those two have getting and being together had as been great for books but frustrating at the same time. Anyway, I digress. Nathaniel was one I never thought would happen. Micha, I didn’t have long to love or hate before it was clear they were a thing but I ended up falling in love with him like Jean-Claude and Nathaniel. Ideally, they will find a way to all coexist given the impending nuptials.
Next, we have Elena and Stephen Salvatore The Vampire Diaries book series by L.J. Smith. Now, this series I have been reading since I was a teen. I hated what they did with the show, but again, I digress. Elena and Stephan were made for each other so it is a good thing that Stephan was made into a vampire. No matter what transpired with Damian, I continued to root for Elena and Stephan. That was the kind of love I wanted when I grew up.
On to Skylar Daratrazanoff and Dimitri Tirunul from the Dark series by Christine Feehan. Ms. Feehan did an awesome job creating the Carpathian world. Now the Carpathians are a race of blood drinkers that are good guys. The vampires are nonredeemable, evil, and soulless monsters. In the modern world of Feehan’s world, Carpathian mates are being found in human women. Skylar isn’t fully human but is the perfect mate for Dimitri. Skylar was horrifically abused and Dimitri is fighting to hang on and not turn vampiric.
Finally, we have Sookie Stackhouse and Vampire Bill from the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlene Harris. The Sookie Stackhouse novels are also known as the HBO series True Blood. As with any adaptation from book to screen, there are differences but I found these more palatable than The Vampire Diaries. Bill Compton, aka Vampire Bill, loved Sookie and she loved him. For a little while, I was rooting for Sookie and Eric Northman, but Bill won out.
Honorable mention: Lina and Hades from Goddess of Spring in the Goddess Summoning series by P.C. Cast. The Goddess Summoning series is a series by P.C. Cast without her daughter that’s premise is a human woman takes the place of someone from history, fiction, or even another Goddess, as seen in Goddess of Spring. A goddess general pushes the spell through. In this one, Lina takes the place of Persephone and Demeter’s request. Sparks fly and I hope their love is forever.
Huh! Looking at my list, they are all vampires of a sort. Well, almost all. Lina and Hades are not. That is too funny. What kind of preternatural creature do you want a relationship with? Let me know in the comments below. I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Until next time!
