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Sunday, March 13, 2016

When Bad is Good, and Good is Bad & Favorite #Werewolf/Shifter Stories

I try, but I just can't step on board with the whole, angels are in heaven and demons are in hell train of thought. Werewolves bad--human hunters good. The world revolves in shades of gray, and frankly, I get tired of stereotypes.

I find it much more fun to go against type. Case in point, rooting for Dexter, a serial killer, to keep on truckin' and escape conventional justice while killing bad guys. Lucifer, in a new TV series, is actually a good guy stuck in a horrible job. I like him, and I want him to succeed. So many episodes of Supernatural, where the Alpha or monster or werewolf is killed. And I'm all, "Why does the monster have to die?" sob

I know, I should be over it by now. Bad is bad and good is good. But bad and good are so much more interesting when they switch things up.

Right now I'm into urban fantasy reads and shapeshifters. The whole mate trope thrills me, but what I love most is the fact that werewolves aren't all bad. They're both good and bad. And sometimes, from humanity spring the real monsters.

Take Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. I've been devouring these books in between projects, and right now I'm done a big, big one. So I plan to reward myself with her newest book, Fire Touched,  just as soon as I can. And Anne Bishop's new Marked in Flesh, another MUST READ on my list. This one is terrific because the werewolves actually EAT people. They aren't human, no matter what they may look like.

Yes, I'm all about the werewolves lately.There's just something about furry creatures that makes me want to know more. Mates at first glance/sniff? Sign me up. Super strength, super speed? Yep. Enhanced senses, pack mentality? Double yes. What's not to love about werewolves and shifters?

I like it even more when, like I said, the humans become the bad guys. Yes, I've also been watching early episodes of Teen Wolf and hating the human hunters, rooting for all the furry friends.

Anyone have any recommendations for werewolf books? I'm hoping to share here.

Some of my favorites:

Cynthia Eden's Bound series
My own Mark of Lycos and Cougar Falls series
Shelly Laurenston's Pack and Pride books
Jennifer Ashley's Shifters Unbound series
Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series

What are some of yours?

Don't miss Enemy Red, coming March 15th!

4 comments:

  1. I love Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop's books!

    Other recommendations:
    Ilona Andrews: the Kate Daniels series has shapeshifters, also Bayou Moon from the Edge series has a very well done werewolf
    Diana Rowland: Kara Gillian series (first book Mark of the Demon) no shifters, but definite shades of gray with the demons
    Rhiannon Held: Silver series

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  2. I have heard great things about Ilona Andrews but haven't tried her yet. The others sound great too. Thanks!

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  3. Molly Harper. How to flirt with a Naked Werewolf She is hilarious and I love both books. I wish there were more. I love Patricia Briggs too, both her Mercy Thompson and the Alpha and Omega series are excellent. I like the Alpha and Omega series just a little bit more than the Mercy series.

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  4. I love books featuring shifters of all kinds. In addition to the ones mentioned already (all of which I've read), I would recommend the following:
    - Jan DeLima is writing a great werewolf series starting with Celtic Moon. I loved it because the female leads are all strong women who don't sit around waiting to be rescued.
    - Eileen Wilks' World of the Lupi series starting with Tempting Danger. I love this series. The male lead is a werewolf "prince" while the female lead is a Chinese American FBI agent. There's a fated mate trope, but it doesn't make them instantly fall in love with each other. Instead they have to navigate a brand new relationship while not being able to be physically far apart from each other.
    - Paige Tyler is currently writing a series featuring a werewolf SWAT team that is really good. The first book is Hungry Like the Wolf.

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