Top Ten Tuesday – He Isn't Dead? Inconceivable!

Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday, book lovers! This week is a freebie week according to That Artsy Reader Girl, and I was pretty stumped about what to do until I had a flash of inspiration in the shower this morning. (Why is it always in the shower?) You see, Jenny B. Jones just released a Christmas novella in which a character who was assumed dead in her previous books has been “resurrected”, and suddenly Vizzini was in my head exclaiming, “He isn’t dead? Inconceivable!” Which I’m pretty sure is a misquote, by the way. I’m pretty sure the actual quote is, “He didn’t fall? Inconceivable!” But I’m appropriating it for my own purposes here.

My next thought was, “Wouldn’t that be a great topic for a Top Ten Tuesday post?” And so here I am, with a list of books in which a character who is believed to be dead reveals they are, in fact, very much alive, or in which a character defies death in some way. 

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First up, the book that started it all: His Mistletoe Miracle by Jenny B. Jones. Then, of course, the book that inspired my title, The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Not only does Westley reappear after being believed to be dead, but he also manages to defy death several times and come back from being mostly dead thanks to Miracle Max. I think he may deserve a spot on our list, even if he is a bit of an overachiever! 😉

And I can’t leave off one of my favourite series: The Tox Files by Ronie Kendig. Cole “Tox” Russell isn’t just believed dead; he’s been disavowed by the United States. If you haven’t already heard me raving about this series, then check out my reviews of Conspiracy of Silence, Crown of Souls, and Thirst of Steel.

 I can’t imagine the heartache of losing a husband, but what about losing your husband, and then several years later, after you’ve managed to pick up the pieces and find love again, learning that he didn’t die after all? That’s what my next two picks explore, Out of Darkness by Erynn Newman and Beneath a Southern Sky by Deborah Raney. As for Pepper Basham’s The Thorn Healer, my lips are sealed lest I drop a spoiler!

 The less said the better is also the best approach with The Making of Mrs Hale by Carolyn Miller, so that I don’t give any spoilers. No Less Days by Amanda G. Stevens features a group of characters who have defied death—one in a rather dramatic way! And Life After by Katie Ganshert tells the story of the sole survivor of a train bombing in Chicago.

And my last choice for today is another one that I will remain silent on, lest I spoil the plot, but Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin is a fabulous read that will hold your heart firmly in its clutches!

Have you read any books with death-defying characters lately?