Today, the guys in the Goodreads Top 5 Wednesday group had a great topic: Characters You Are Most Like.  The only catch that you have to be honest and choose characters you are like, not characters you WANT to be like. You can also choose one character trait you share with a particular character.

5. TANIEL TWO-SHOT

Taniel is a Captain in the Adran Army and an accomplished Powder Mage. He is also the son of Field Marshal Tamas, and he clearly exhibits my “daddy issues.”  The very ingrained belief that my father does not respect me or value me as much as I deserve.  While this isn’t quite as big a deal as it was when I was growing up, I still find myself struggling from time to time living up to the formidable shadow which my father still casts.  Not saying my dad is a Field Marshall who has overthrown the ruling king or anything, but in his way, he set a high standard. Thankfully, though, I’ve dealt with mine better than this guy does.

4. FALCIO

This swashbuckling hero of the Greatcoats series is the idealistic sort who has spent his life wanting to stick it to the corrupt “man” and bring justice to the little people whom he represents.  Character traits which I have always had, so much so it led me to become a criminal defense lawyer to protect the “little guys” from the terrible persecution of the legal system.  Even after all these years and the cynicism it breeds, I still think I have the idealistic nature of Falcio in me somewhere.

3. EDDARD STARK

Honorable.  Isn’t that the term which perfectly describes old Ned.  To me, it probably is right up there with family man and a few other things.  And I’ve always been told I’m honorable to a fault — even when it winds up biting me in the ass.  You know, I’m the one who doesn’t want to cheat at the game because it just isn’t fair to do so.  The guy who tries terribly hard to do all the right things because I want my family to have a better life than me.  All that kind of honorable stuff.  Yeah, it works for me about as well as it worked for Eddard.

2. ARAGORN

No, I’m not saying Aragorn and I share the trait of great bravery or whatever.  Nope, I’m referring to this guy’s movie persona where he makes it very clear he doesn’t desire to be king and carry all that responsibility and expectations on his shoulders.  Personally, I’ve always been the same way.  When I was younger I ran from all responsibilities.  Anything which was going to require me to “grow-up” was steadfastly avoided.  That is until I held my oldest child for the first time, at which point it came crashing down on me that now I had to carry that responsibility because he deserved only my very best.

1.  CROAKER 

Middle-aged.  Grumpy.  Lover of history.  Former romantic who is now a cynic.  Smart ass.  Sees the world for what it is.  Damn, this guys sounds exactly like me.  We have so many traits in common that I can’t really list them all.  And, yeah, I also married a brunettes in leather with bad attitudes.