Morally Grey Characters That Will Keep You Up At Night

My favorite kind of hero has a dark past, makes very questionable decisions, and will burn the world down for the people they love.  As much as I enjoy good vs. evil, and a character that has a heart of good, I really get sucked into the stories that highlight the reality of human nature.  We will make poor choices (especially when it involves the ones we love) and we all have a past and have done things we're not proud of.  This makes a hero more relatable and you learn to love their redeeming qualities just as much as their more....questionable....ones.  Here's a list of books for all of us looking for our next favorite main character, whom were not sure is the hero or the villian!

Casteel Da'Neer; Blood and Ash series

One of my favorite love interests and antiheroes of all time.  Casteel Da'Neer will make you question everything throughout this entire series and wonder whether you hate him or love him (but should still hate him) through at least the first two books of Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout.  This spicy fantasy full of world building, romance, and action is perfectly bingeable and has quite a few out in the series....perfect for your next day of reading!

Rhysand; A Court of Thorns and Roses series

Rhysand is a dark love interest with a troubled past that you get to witness in the first novel.  It is hard to switch ships, but once you do, you will be there for good.  A Court of Thorns and Roses is perfect for those of us who grew up on Twilight and need something with a little more depth.  While this is shelved as YA it does have quite a few explicit scenes and large amounts of adult content.

Jude Duarte; The Folk of the Air series

This series is full of characters you can't stand, but you can't stop reading about.  Jude is a human trying to make it in the Fae world, and will do anything to become a knight of the court.  She refuses to take the taunting of her Fae classmates and will not sit by while life gives her a hard time.  She is cunning, sometimes cruel, and smarter than what is good for her.  Enter her love interest, Cardan, and it only intensifies these qualities.

Kaz Brekker; Six of Crows series

Kaz is a criminal.  The only thing he cares about are his business and the safety of his Crows....in order to keep alive his business.  He's had to kill or be killed and he does not shy away from the path his life has taken him.  When a somewhat impossible heist is in order, he recruits the best team possible to make it happen...no matter what the price.  This high stake novel will have you speeding through as quickly as possible.  With multiple POVs, each character gives a unique insight into the events surround the heist.

Victor and Eli; Villians series

Victor and Eli were best friends and roommates that discovered how to unlock superhuman abilities after taking a university assignment way too far.  Someone is getting to powerful and causing way too many issues for the real world, but it's impossible to tell who needs to be stopped.  V.E. Schwab paints us a morally ambiguous picture of right and wrong and good and evil.

Evelyn Hugo; The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Evelyn Hugo is a Hollywood star known for her many movies as well as her many marriages.  Through the writing of her life story, we watch her questionable decisions, heartaches, and many adventures unfold.  The biggest question is: Why now? Why reveal all the dirty details of what could have gone to her grave with her? With a shocking twist that will leave your mouth hanging open, you'll question whether to love or hate this heroine.

Manon Blackbeak; Throne of Glass series

Manon Blackbeak is the heir to the Blackbeak clan and one witch you don't want to mess with.  She embraces her nature as an Irontooth witch; evil, cruel, and violent.  She does not appear until Heir of Fire (book #3), but she becomes and integral part of the story.  One whom you are not sure whether to trust or root for.  She is a character that has stuck with me for quite a while.

King of the Staryk; Spinning Silver 

When the Fae king (also known as the Staryk in this novel) finds out there is a human girl named Miryem turning silver to gold, he finds her and manipulates her into serving him.  The Staryk are known for their cruelty and disregard for humans.  Why are the Staryk so cruel?  What can Miryem do to stop the acts of violence being committed against her people?  This novel had complex and morally gray characters sprinkled throughout the story.  The King of the Staryk will leaving you wondering what the real evil in this novel is.