I’ve really missed doing Friday Favorites, and since no one was currently hosting it, Cait @ Functionally Fictional decided to jump into the gap. Each week, she provides a prompt, and I get to talk about my favorite books that fit the topic. Feel free to join in – the more the merrier!

Oooooh, this week’s prompt is going to be a fun one. It’s unapologetic characters who do what they want, and there’s nothing I love more than a character who takes over and has no regrets about it. Here’s some of my favorites:

1. Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo—as if this was even a question. He knows exactly who he is, and he makes no apologies for it.
2. Shane from The Nihryst series by Cait Marie—I was there during a lot of Cait’s writing process, and Shane absolutely took over. He does the same in the storyline too, and I love him for it.
3. Touraine from the Magic of the Lost series by C.L. Clark—she just does whatever she wants, and deals with the consequences when they come. She is a total badass.
4. Malini from The Burning Kingdoms series by Tasha Suri—she’s another badass who refuses to play by the rules society puts down for her. She is fixated on a role that she wants, and is willing to do anything to get it.
5. Kat from the Burningblade and Silvereye series by Django Wexler—Kat is unapologetically herself throughout the entire series, and it’s such a breath of fresh air. She’s comedy relief in a lot of places, although she’s a genuinely well-developed character as well, and she’s hard not to love.
6. Ramy from Babel by R.F. Kuang—he’s the one who does whatever feels right to him, and subverts the racial injustices inherent to the time and place in which he lived, and I loved his character for it.
7. Kaul Hilo from the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee—from the start, he’s like the black sheep of the family. He does what he thinks is best and never apologizes for his actions.
8. Lin from The Drowning Empire series by Andrea Stewart—she’s another one who acts based on her own moral compass, and doesn’t really even think about it. Yet she’s still one of those characters you can’t help but love.
9. Tau from The Burning series by Evan Winter—while I adored Tau, he’s a headstrong and stubborn character who is fixated on his one major goal. Throughout the series, he gives no F’s about his actions as long as they’re in line with his own moral compass.
10. Ryxander from the Rooks and Ruin series by Melissa Caruso—I loved this character, who is completely unique in her world. She’s the kind of character who just draws all these disasters, and reminds me of that dog sitting in the middle of a burning room drinking coffee and saying, “This is fine.”

Who are your favorite unapologetic characters who do what they want?