Who holds the title as the strangest character in fantasy?

That, my friends, is for you to decide.

It’s time for the voting round of the 2018 Silmaril Awards.

Big shout out to everyone who participated in the nomination phase last week. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS! It’s always fun to learn about new characters and find out other people love the same characters you do. 😀

The Strangest Character Award saw a wonderful turnout, with 28 nominations and a fierce competition for the top five spots.

Finalists for the Strangest Character in Fantasy Award

This year, we have quite the interesting range of finalists. Introducing the nominees deemed worthy of being considered the strangest character in fantasy.

Peet the Sockman – The Wingfeather Saga (17 nominations)

A man living in the depths of the dreaded and deadly Glipwood Forest, who seems to fear neither Toothy Cows nor any of the other horrible creatures lurking beneath (or above) his treehouse. Estranged, it seems, from humanity. And yet…infinitely more intriguing than appearance suggests.

Peet the Sockman is his name, for he wears tattered socks on both his arms. At least, that title is the one he goes by. Despite his babbling and madness (such would ordinary folk deem it), an air of inviting mystery hangs about the Sockman. A mystery deeper and darker than Glipwood itself, and yet glinting at the edges with more beauty than the light-kissed horizon at sunrise.

Truly a character one cannot judge at first glance, with inspiring courage, fierce loyalty, unexplained dedication to protecting the Igiby children, and an uncanny ability to kill Fangs of Dang. And yet prone to the oddest quirks and tongue-twisting words this side of The Dark Sea of Darkness.

Calcifer – Howl’s Moving Castle (10 nominations)

Calcifer has a crackly, fiery personality… likely because he is, in fact, a fire. A magical fire-demon, he has a unique partnership with the wizard Howl and is in fact the one who powers the moving castle of the book’s title. He lives in the fireplace and “eats” logs, and historically only lets Howl cook on him (until, of course, the strong-willed Sophie shows up…).

He’s cranky, opinionated, and occasionally devious, but underneath he has a heart of gold, is actually extremely loyal to Howl and his friends, and Howl trusts him with his life. As an eccentric fire who is persnickety and prone to complaining, he’s definitely strange.

Winter – The Lunar Chronicles (9 nominations)

Winter is a Lunar princess known for her stunning beauty and for the scars on her face. Few know the pain she willingly shoulders every day, a pain that drives her slowly to madness, to see blood running down the walls and ice encasing her hands and feet. Though her words may be odd at times, her heart is true.

Nidawi – Tales of Goldstone Wood (8 nominations)

Nidawi the Everblooming is a faerie of three forms: a feisty little child, beautiful young woman, and an old, old, crone. Flowers grow at her will, and each of her forms wears a dress made of leaves, flowers, and vines. She was once a Faerie Queen, and romps or roams around with her faithful Lioness. She shifts between each form at will and emotion.

Laura the Doorkeeper – The Rizkaland Legend (8 nominations)

Laura the Doorkeeper is an individual with the ability to see and manipulate the doors between worlds. She can travel through them at will, and has lived a VERY long time. The way she looks and acts… varies depending on what age she is when you meet her… as traveling through these doorways also entails traveling through time, and not always in a chronological sort of way.

Naturally curious and extremely high-energy, Laura is a force for good – though sometimes her actions bring pain to others, which she regrets.

To learn more about Laura, check out this blog-post by her author.

Cast Your Votes in the 2018 Silmaril Awards

Unlike last week, you have one vote for each category. Which means for this award you couldn’t vote for Peet and Winter, etc. So think carefully before making your decision.

All the finalists from each category are listed on the form below, but be sure to stop by the other awards to get a quick description of the characters who made it to the voting round.

• Abbey Stellingwerff – Most Mischievous Imp
• E. Rawls – Most Epic Hero
• Deborah O’Carroll – Wisest Counselor
• DJ Edwardson – Silver Tongued Character
• Jenelle Schmidt – Least Competent Henchman
• Kyle Robert Schultz – Most Nefarious Villain
• Madeline Rose – Most Epic Heroine
• Savannah Grace – Most Loyal Friend
• Tracey Dyck – Most Magnificent Dragon

To cast your votes, fill out the nifty form.

VOTING ENDS FRIDAY, SEPT. 14 AT 11:59 PM, SO DON’T WAIT.

Let the voting commence!

Which character do you want to see win?