Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, where a new top ten list hits the web every week!

The topic this time out is: Characters I’d Switch Places With!

This is actually a tricky one.  Sure, it sounds easy, because we all have beloved characters, but every one of these people are going through difficult struggles, horrifying experiences, which is why we are reading a book about their adventures.  And quite a few of them end up miserably . . . at least in most grimdarks out there.  So I need to be careful about my picks here.

10. Kelson Haldane

This young king has some tough times, goes through a lot, but he is surrounded by a close group of loyal friends and allies, keeps his mind and heart as pure as possible, and never loses a desire to make his world a better place.  Plus you can’t overlook the fact the guy is young, powerful, and a king.  I mean, it is sort of difficult not to want to be king for just a day, right?

9. Romulus Buckle 

Captain Romulus Buckle lives in a post-apocalyptic world where aliens invaded earth, caused an environmental realignment that resulted in the growth of a steampunk society filled with strange, wonderful contraptions.  The important part of all that is “captain” and “steampunk” because Romulus is the captain of his own zeppelin, living a swashbuckling existence.  Who wouldn’t want that?

8. Rohan

This Dragon Prince has a damn amazing life.  Not only is he the ruler of the Desert, the High Prince of his lands, and probably the richest man in his entire world, but he has major sex appeal, is married to an intelligent, beautiful woman, and surrounded by a loving family and loyal friends.  Sure, he always seems to have his hater, but he still has a pretty amazing life I’d love to experience.

7. Percy Jackson

Probably this has as much to do with me getting older every day and longing for a simpler time when I had less stress and lived mainly for fun, but even with that being said, I’m picking Percy here since I’d love to spend a little time rubbing elbows with half-bloods, Greek gods, and going on some cool quests.  Yeah, there would be danger, but as long as I was surrounded by good friends, I’m sure it would all be okay.

6. Arkamondos

A young guy who is a scribe and gets to ride off into the unknown along side badass warriors.  Damn, this job sounds like it is tailor made for me back in the day.  I acknowledge that the danger would be something to be concerned about, because there is a lot of deaths in Bloodsounder’s Arc, but if Arkamondos can survive then I would be willing to bet on myself.

5. Jaxom

Some people say it is very good to be Jaxom in any Anne McCaffrey penned Pern novel.  I’d agree and would love to be Ms. McCaffrey’s imaginary boyfriend for a while.  Honestly, Jaxom has a damn good life from his unique dragon to his lordship to his love life.  It really is good to be Jaxom, which is why I’d love to swap lives with him for a few days.

4. Conan

The ultimate swashbuckling barbarian has to be in my list, because I would love to walk into a room and see every person there be silenced by my sheer physical presence.  Conan not only pulls that off but has an amazing life which leads him across his world.  I’d love to experience his life and the Hyborian World.

3. Garion

This blast from my past is a return to my childhood.  Garion was my generations Harry Potter, I think.  At least, this guy was for me.  I grew up reading his adventures and wanting to live in his world.  So it is natural that I’d still long to swap places with him, because it would be like recapturing my childhood and getting to live out a childhood fantasy.

2. Samwise 

I love every character in Lord of the Rings, but there is only one whom I’d swap places with and that is Samwise.  This hobbit might not come across initially as a hero, but he shows his worth, exhibiting his loyalty and bravery on amazing adventures, where he does grand deeds, yet returns home to live an ordinary life.  Sounds exactly like the sort of life I’d love to live.  At least for a while.

1. Luke Skywalker

When I was a kid growing up in the USA of the late 70s and early 80s, everyone on my school playground played Star Wars.  We’d pick our favorite characters, create grand adventures in a galaxy far, far away, then act them out. All my friends always wanted to be Han Solo, because he was the cool scoundrel, but I always wanted to be Luke.  Still do.  Well, the Luke Skywalker who existed before The Last Jedi ruined his character, but like Mark Hamill, I’m just going to say that grumpy loser was “Not my Luke Skywalker” and leave it at that.