What's the most horrifying thing a villain has ever done in a fantasy novel?

[Jefferson]

Sure, bad guys are evil. I get that. They want evil things, for evil reasons, and they go about getting them in evil ways. But what is the vilest, rottenest, most horrid thing a villain has ever done in a book you've read?

[Destructo]

Drank red wine with fish.

[Marc]

Pushed a child off a buildig to fall to his death.

[Sandra]

Are you doing research, Jefferson? I notice you've posted this question in several groups.

[Traci]

I hate liars and bullies. Abusive men. I hate it when "something" happens to the hero/heroine and no one beleives them, thinks they're crazy. I like cockiness but hate smugness.

Rosemary's Baby (view spoiler)[Guy, Rosemary's husband, sells her out to devil worshipers for his own gain. And knows she's not crazy! (hide spoiler)]

The Stepford Wives(view spoiler)[Same reason as Rosemary's Baby really, same author too does he have a problem with women. (hide spoiler)]

Ship of Destiny(view spoiler)[Just finished this book. One of the main characters who thru out the series was more rogue than villian suddenly takes the heroine and rapes her, but pretends it was a nightmare, three fourths of the cast beleives him as he continues to try to win her to him (hide spoiler)]

I know I cheated picking science fiction-horror choices mostly but I can't think of any others that made me as mad.

[Shannon]

War atrocities involving children in one of Orson Scott Card's Shadow series books. Shadow of the Giant maybe? The one featuring the Indian girl's story.

[Elise]

All the things Darken Rahl did in The Sword of Truth series.

[James]

Elise wrote: "All the things Darken Rahl did in The Sword of Truth series."

I agree. What Darken Rahl did to the little boy in the first book was pretty messed up.

[Clifford]

I'll never forget how shocking it was to read at the very beginning of the Thomas Covenant series when he rapes the woman who tries to help him. Incredibly daring way to introduce a protagonist. But it really made a departure for epic fantasy.

[Sandra]

I'm just reading Robin McKinley's Deerskin, and the father raping his daughter after attempting to kill her dog is right up there. And then the people of the kingdom blame her for 'witching' him, which is pretty horrifying and one doesn't have to read a fantasy novel to find this going on!

I don't like answering questions like 'what's the most' or 'what's the best' though. There are too many variables in any situation, and who's to say 'this' is more horrifying than 'that'.

[Chelsea]

Destructo wrote: "Drank red wine with fish."

From Russia With Love?

[Traci]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "I'm just reading Robin McKinley's Deerskin, and the father raping his daughter after attempting to kill her dog is right up there. And then the people of the kingdom blame her for 'witching' him, ..."

Okay. Maybe this is a book I should never ever read. It has everything I hate. Abused children and animals. A bullish man. A rape. And a liar being believed over the victim. And the victim being blamed. Reading this book might give me a heart attack.

[Sandra]

Chelsea wrote: "Destructo wrote: "Drank red wine with fish."

From Russia With Love?"

I think he's being a smart aleck.

[Sandra]

Traci wrote: "Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "I'm just reading Robin McKinley's Deerskin, and the father raping his daughter after attempting to kill her dog is right up there. And then the people of the kingdom blame ..."

Well it nearly did me. I had to stop for a while, then picked it up again. It does end well, though, and is well worth reading if you're up for some realistic emotional pain. My review.

[Elizabeth]

Clifford wrote: "I'll never forget how shocking it was to read at the very beginning of the Thomas Covenant series when he rapes the woman who tries to help him. Incredibly daring way to introduce a protagonist. Bu..."

I agree. When I read it I was like "What? This guy is supposed to be the hero!" It took me a long time to warm to Covenant again afterwards but I suspect that was Mr. Donaldson's intention.

[Elizabeth]

Destructo wrote: "Drank red wine with fish."

Ugh. Despicable.

[Jefferson]

Covenant is an interesting case. For me, it was a brilliant demonstration of how completely he believed that he was dreaming, or more accurately, how completely he NEEDED to believe he was dreaming and to disbelieve in the reality he was experiencing.

[stormhawk]

His Dark Materials (Golden Compass, et al)

(view spoiler)[Cutting away children's souls in His Dark Materials really bothered me. Far more horrifying that just plain, old torture. (hide spoiler)]

[Maggie]

I have a job where I see a lot of bad things happening to women and kids, so I stay away from books where I know its a main subjecy...so I never have read Pullman or Donaldson for that reason...

[Bill]

Maggie wrote: "I have a job where I see a lot of bad things happening to women and kids, so I stay away from books where I know its a main subjecy..."

Why is it more uncomfortable for bad things to happen to women and children than men and old people?

[Maggie]

Only in the sense that I deal with it IRL all the time, and when I read, that is what I am trying to escape from so don't want to be reminded of it. If I worked with abused men and elders, then I would shy away from that I am sure...

[Sheriffkilla]

Ramsay Bolton is win all day