War of the Beasts: Barrons vs Curran

WARNING: This post contains bitchiness, Barrons burning & Curran slapping. But it is all for fun and Jen and Suzanne love both series!

Welcome to War of the Beasts where we have decided to pit two of the biggest, baddest babes in Urban Fantasy against each other in a series of categories to see who comes out on top.

In one corner Jen from Red Hot Books will be defending the mysterious Jericho Barrons from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. In the the other corner our very own Suzanne will be defending Atlanta's Beast Lord, Curran from Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series.

*ding ding*
 Let the battle commence

When you're an Alpha hero, your heroine has got to know you can kick some arse.So between Barrons and Curran, who would win in a fight?

Suzanne on Team Curran:

Curran. He is the King of the Jungle. He would use not only his shifter strength, dagger-like claws and mighty fangs but also his wiles. Curran is clever and patient and would stalk his prey, tease out their weaknesses until he is ready to pounce, then BAM - buh bye Barrons! I am not saying Barrons is useless.  If I ever needed a spider removed or a lid unscrewed from a particularly stubborn jar, I would call him. Well, maybe if Curran wasn't around.

He gave an impression of coiled power, a contained violence that if released, would explode with terrifying intensity.

Jen on Team Barrons:

As a man, Jericho Barrons uses whatever is at his disposal to get what he wants. His mind, his experience, and his body: all weapons - to intimidate... to dominate... or to dessimate at will. Skilled in the Druid arts, he can bend your mind to his control. He may carry a thin veil of civilitity, but it doesn't hide what lurks underneath. And believe me, the monster hiding beneath the face of a man, terrifies beasts far more powerful than a mere lion.

"Electric, wild, one foot in the swamp. Never going to crawl all the way out."

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

So now your Alpha has won the fight. He can defend your honour - not that you need it, you are a UF heroine after all - but how good will your Alpha look on your arm?  Which Beast is a sexy beast?

Jen on Team Barrons

If you're in the market for a Ken doll, with a pretty face and golden locks, Curran is your man. I think Mac put it best when she said, "I'd never been turned on by the Ken doll—even before I looked down his pants and saw what was missing."

But Barrons is dark, exotic, and dangerous. 6'2 with dark hair, golden skin and dark eyes. Strong, chisled features. As for conversation, who needs laughs, when a man can make you lose your breath just with the promise of sex in his voice?

"When he comes, he makes a noise deep in his throat that is so raw and animal and sexual that I think if he merely looked at me and made that noise, I might explode in an orgasm.”

Suzanne on Team Curran:

Oh Curran, you smexy studmuffin with your gorgeous golden mane of hair and amber eyes and body that makes my body go all a-quiver! Curran is definitely the sexiest-  his rugged masculity; his aura of leashed violence; his wittiness and sense of honour he makes my girly parts sit up and beg.

"...you expect me to fall on my back with my legs spread."
"Not necessarily. ... You can fall on your hands and knees if you prefer. Or against the wall. Or on the kitchen counter. I suppose I might let you be on top, if you make it worth my while."

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Your sexy beast has emerged victorious in a fight, but how alpha is he? How Alpha is your Alpha?

Suzanne on Team Curran:

The Beast Lord of Atlanta, or Your Majesty for short, has been the big bad in the shapeshifter world since the age of 15. Ruling all the shifters in Atlanta from rats to bears, his Alphaness is the only thing preventing a legion of shifters becoming cannibalistic killing machines, does it get more alpha than that?

"Curran is the Beast Lord. Tremble."

Jen on Team Barrons:

Tremble, huh? Barrons doesn't need a pretentious title. Mac may call him her beast, but his underlying animal is so primal, so visceral, there isn't even a name for it. He does what he pleases. If it doesn't interest him, he ignores it. Otherwise, he'll kill it, eat it, or fuck it until he has his fill.

He once told Mac, "In the Serengeti, Ms. Lane, I would be the cheetah. I’m stronger, smarter, faster, and hungrier than everything else out there. And I don’t apologize to the gazelle when I take it down.”

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Your Beast has shed his human skin, what fearsome creature lies beneath? Who has the best beast form?

Suzanne on Team Curran

Why have one shifter form when you can have two? Both of which are mightyly fierce!  We have the maginificent form of a prehistroic lion - powerful, lethal, he is death tied up in a beautiful package. Then there is the warrior form, half human and half lion, the strength and claw of his lion with a grotesque human twist.

"Half-man, half-beast, all nightmare. The shapeshifter warrior form."

Jen on Team Barrons:

In his beast form, Barrons can terrify even the most vile and wild things. His scent alone makes them run in fear. Nine feet tall, massively muscled, with horns and talons. Against a mere lion? Please.

"The thing was a natural born predator. It was at the top of its game. Powerful, uncomplicated animal. It had few purposes in life. It had been born and bred to kill, conquer, reproduce, and survive."

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Behind every great man there is a woman. So how does your hero compare in the heroine department? Which Beast has the best Beastess?

Jen on Team Barrons

Mac had a lot of growing up to do when she first crossed paths with Barrons. But through hardships, torture, trauma, and loss, she became a stronger, better version of herself. She comes back from things no one ever has. She risks her life to give our world a future. She ends up a fierce and powerful force in her own right. One that even Barrons cannot resist.

"Nobody looks good in their darkest hours. But it's those hours that make us what we are." In the end, Mac's actions define her.

Suzanne on Team Curran

A man is only as good as the woman he feels for and Kate feels fantastic! She possess all the great aspects of a heroine: sarcasm and a sword, with the skills to back up both. And as an added bonus she makes the Beast Lord crazy with love, lust and a healthy dose of angry. Curran's choice of mate is impeccable.

“What kind of woman greets the Beast Lord with 'here, kitty, kitty'?”

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

The Last Word...

Suzanne on Team Curran

There is no doubt in my mind the Curran in the King of the Beasts. He transforms into a primal monster that was terrifying our ancestors in the depths of time and hasn't ever been tamed.  Curran is King.

Jen on Team Barrons

There is something so appealing about a man who carries within him a beast which seethes just beneath the surface. Barrons' thin veneer of civility and sex appeal is just the icing on the rich and delicious cake of the barely restrained alpha predator within.

He is sex. He is violence. He is undeniable. He's Barrons.

Disclaimer: All words in this post are meant to be taken lightly. Both Jen and Suzanne love each series dearly and for the purpose of this post only, they have brought the claws out. Special thanks to Jen at Red Hot Books for being such a good sport! We love you! No beasts were harmed in the making of this battle.

TIME TO VOTE!!!



Ilona Andrews is graciously giving away TWO SIGNED copies of Fate's Edge to one International reader and one US reader.

Audrey Callahan left behind her life in the Edge, and she's determined to stay on the straight and narrow. But when her brother gets into hot water, the former thief takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with a jack of all trades...

Kaldar Mar-a gambler, lawyer, thief, and spy-expects his latest assignment tracking down a stolen item to be a piece of cake, until Audrey shows up. But when the item falls into the hands of a lethal criminal, Kaldar realizes that in order to finish the job, he's going to need Audrey's help...

To enter, please:
1. Be a follower
2. Fill out the form below