Shapeshifters / Weres - Book Recommendations

From the Frog Princess Folktale

Master Rec List for Shapeshifter Books

Were stories can be like catnip, because there’s a permanence to that HEA. (After all, in the real world too, wolves are such staunch monogamists.) But that doesn’t mean that those Were stories don’t need a strong plot, interesting side characters, and imaginative world (or pack) building. There's also the need for insight into shapeshifting dynamics, because what's a Were if not a ShapeShifter? 

Here are a few that I’ve liked over the years. 

Alpha & Omega Series by Patricia Briggs: My favorite Werewolf OTP. Briggs does pack hierarchies and dynamics like nobody’s business. And she mixes superb plotting, Fae lore and mythology into it. Briggs' other Were series, Mercy Thompson, is more popular, but I like this one best.

Maria Vale's Season of the Wolf, The Last Wolf: Brilliant face-off between ancient wolves of the wild and the more modern shapeshifters. This entire series is wonderful. 

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole: Possibly the first W story I ever read, but nobody does smexy PNR like Cole. Werewolves and Vampires detest each other, and then a Werewolf finds his mate after a long wait only to find she is a timid little Vampire. And not exactly werewolf all the time, but try out Cole's Lothaire, Demon from the Dark, MacRieve, and Warlord wants Forever as well. 

Kelley Armstrong Bitten series, esp. Frostbitten: Elena's a human, but is turned Were against her will. She has trouble forgiving this, and the series is about how she initially struggles to adjust to pack dynamics and then slowly rises through the ranks into an Alpha wolf. Also a TV show available on Netflix. 

Nalini Singh's Changeling Series: Amazing world-building and powerful plotting in this smexy PNR series. You can skip the books after Book #10 may be, but favorites are Slave to Sensation and Kiss of Snow. 

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Literally, a human raised by the wolves and the challenges that come with it. Young adult but a delicious tale. The sequel is great too, but Book 3 slightly goes off the rails. 

Jill Kismet series by Lilith Saintcrow: Mealy-mouthed demon hunter Jill meets werewolf Sam. Less on pack dynamics, more on mate dynamics. Excellent fight scenes and a great hate-to-love shift. 

Seanan McGuire's Toby Daye series: Fae private investigator meets snarky King of Cats, Tybalt. Throw in masterful plotting, a great set of characters and superb mythology. 

Hailey Edwards' Gemini Series: I wonder why this series is so underrated? It's also a Fae/ Were pairing, and although the chemistry isn't that high, the plotting is decent and Edwards' writing is not to be taken lightly. There are shifters in her other series too, including Potentate of Atlanta and The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy. 

Dannika Dark's Mageri Series: Although I'm not a fan of her characterizations, Dark adds some sizzling chemistry in this Mage/ Cheetah series, esp. books 1 and 5. 

Ilona Andrews' books: Including the Kate / Curran series, and the Innkeeper Chronicles -- these are deftly plotted Urban Fantasy books, and very witty and snarky to boot. 

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison: Harrison's world has diverse shapeshifters, like gryphons, unicorns and harpies too. But I like best the dragon in Dragon Bound. This was actually the first dragon shifter book I read, and quite a smexy PNR to boot. I also like Serpent's Kiss from the series, which involves time travel and bond between a vampire and a gryphon. 

Clayton and Dallas by Rachelle Mills: Interesting book about mate bonding, i.e. whether it can be resisted or not. Rya has been rejected by her true mate, but she is moon-blessed and hence, she can forge a new mate bond. Both books are about her coming into power, the third one (Cassius) can be skipped.

Christine Warren's Big Bad Wolf: Werewolf -- obviously. Very, very smexy, though plotwise can't say it's very strong. Warren adds a light humour, which thankfully does not descend into Charlaine Harris territory and remains sufficiently dark. 

World of the Lupi Series by Eileen Wilkes: Not a huge fan, but I liked how the mate bond worked in this one. I think I gave up after Book 3, but overall, a strong OTP and decent plotting. 

Wolf in Waiting by Rebecca Flanders: An old, old book recommended by Meljean Brook (one of my favorite authors). A female wolf has not been able to shift since ages, but one day hits critical mass. Surprisingly smexy. 

Sarah J Maas, Court of Thorns and Roses series: Excellent series set in the Fae world. Can't quite remember what kind of shapeshifter Rhys is, but comes close to some sort of avian creature. Strong heroine, swoonworthy OTP. 

G.A. Aiken's Dragon Kin Series: Good plot and great chemistry. It's here on this list despite the humorous undertone that I typically don't like in UF / PNR, but another great look into dragon shapeshifting. 

The Others series by Anne Bishop: It isn't mainly shifters, but there werwolves in here, along with some complex world-building. Not my favorite, but the writing is superb. You'll read it, of course, if you've read Bishop's wonderful Black Jewels series. 

Annette Marie: Here books are more recent finds for me. She mixes some interesting worlds (such as Japanes folklore) into a New Adult Urban Fantasy, which is all warm cuddles. I liked her Guild Codex: Demonica series though it is arguable whether demon-to-human can account for shapeshifting. On the other hand, her Red Winter Trilogy involves kitsunes (shapeshifting foxes) from Japanese folklore. 

Elizabeth Amber's Satyr series: Ahem! Not for the faint-hearted. Satyrs are known for their promiscuity, so this one runs on the scorching side. In similar vein, try also:

Running Wild by Sarah McCarty (scorching)

North Wolf by M. A. Evereaux (scorching)

Evangeline Anderson's Eyes Like a Wolf (scorching)

TRY ALSO:

Cry Baby Hollow by Aimee Love

War Witch by Layla Nash

Lionmeade by Linda Mooney

The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe

Night of the Wolf by Alice Borchardt

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series 

Jeffe Kennedy's Pages of the Mind 

Last Updated: August 26, 2021