Leisure Books, 2008

ISBN: 0843958200

Available: New

    Ray Garton lends his creativity to the werewolf genre, creating an entertaining page turner in Ravenous. His werewolves are vicious creatures who attack men, women, and even children.   The story begins in the small town of Big Rock, California, when a woman is raped and her rapist is killed.  When her dead attacker escapes from the morgue, Sheriff Farrell Hurley's world is turned upside down. It is Hurley’s job to determine who or what is behind a series of animalistic attacks.  An enigmatic man comes into town claiming that a lycanthropy virus is spreading through the population, transmitted via sexual intercourse, and that the citizens of Big Rock are being attacked by the growing number of werewolves. Garton does a good job of character development and captures the reader’s interest. Ravenous has plenty of sex and gore, which is not unusual in Garton’s storytelling.  Librarians will want to be aware that while horror fans and those who enjoys Garton’s work will enjoy Ravenous, this is not light fare and should not be recommended for those looking for lighter urban fantasy or werewolf based paranormal romance.  Recommended.

Contains: Gore, violence, rape, strong sexual content.

Bestial: Werewolf Apocalypse by William D. Carl*New Review

Permuted Press, 2008

ISBN: 1934861049

Available: New

    How best to describe William D. Carl’s debut novel? With tongue firmly in cheek. Bestial is a zombie novel in drag, dressed up in mother’s fur coat if you will. Bestial is a fast-paced, action packed thriller. Carl’s craftsmanship is accomplished for his first effort, capturing truly horrific moments and emotions from well-drawn characters and with an engaging storyline that is epic in scope, if not in execution. Carl has created a spectacular legion of furry beasties to populate the beleaguered city of Cincinnati, but these shape-shifting monstrosities seem more like Romero-esque shambling undead in wolves’ clothing. William D. Carl is a talented author with a bright future ahead of him. Bestial is a novel he can most assuredly be proud of, and there will most certainly find a hungry audience waiting for it. This novel is a satisfying bridge between the two worlds of these time-honored horror tropes, one seemingly in decline, while the other, one can only hope, has found its time to shine, much like a full moon.

Contains: Extreme and gruesome violence, adult situations and language

Scrybe Press, 2008

ISBN: 1-933274-17-4

Available: New 

    One of the more interesting aspects of delving into Steven Wedel’s incredible Werewolf Saga is to see the author’s growth as an artist. With Ulrik, the fourth book in the series, we are presented with a writer comfortable and confident in his prose who handles the fevered and frantic action sequences with a deft hand, but is equally at home in delivering powerful emotion and an enlightened examination of the maternal instinct. With subtlety and skillful maneuvering, Wedel dissects the intricate politics of the lycanthropes and presents the shape-shifters with a verisimilitude that elevates the novel from a mere tale of monsters. Within Ulrik, and the Saga as a whole, is an elegant mythology that lives and breathes in a world that the reader can submerge himself into and feel apart of. It is a tremendous achievement and fantastical escapism at its finest. Steven E. Wedel’s Werewolf Saga is a world that demands to be revisited.

Contains: Extreme violence, adult language, adult situations

Review by Bob Freeman

Shapeshifter By J.F. Gonzalez*New Review
Lesiure, 2008 (re-print)

Cosmos Books,2003
ISBN: 0843959738(Leisure)

ISBN:1592241085(Cosmos)

Available: New

    Shapeshifter is a bit different than your average werewolf story in that this werewolf is the victim of the tale. His name is Mark Wiseman and he has spent his life dealing with the affliction of lycanthropy as best he can, to the point where he finally has it almost under control. Unfortunately his cold and unethical boss finds out about his problem and decides to blackmail Mark into using his affliction against his enemies, forcing Mark into a killing spree.
    Shapeshifter is a unique werewolf story with interesting twists and turns. It is a surprising tale of killing and violence, with a romantic subplot as Mark tries to protect the girl he loves. Readers will be drawn in by their sympathy for Mark and hatred for his boss, who is forcing Mark to kill against his will. Shapeshifter is almost a necessary part of any werewolf collection.

Review by Bret Jordan

Keepers of the Dead by Bob Freeman*New Review
Black Death Books, 2008
ISBN: Pending

Available: Late 2008
    Keepers of the Dead is the follow up to Bob Freeman's Shadows Over Somerset, continuing the tale of Michael Cairnwood, the newly minted lord of land poised precariously between warring vampires and werewolves. Keepers of the Dead pits Michael's wolves against the brutal, machine-like attacks of another pack. While Cairnwood Manor lies under siege, with werewolves dying around him, Michael journeys inward, through ancestral memories, to find a way to help his pack. Recovering from his wounds is the least of Michael’s challenges, though. Powerful enemies come creeping out of the woodwork, all aiming to destroy the Cairnwood clan.

    Keepers of the Dead begins at a leisurely pace and is filled with rich detail. There's a lot of story told here, each of the multitude of characters coming with a complex history. The language and style will remind readers of Lovecraft and Poe. Keepers of the Dead has a lot to offer to readers who love vampires and werewolves, for both private and public collections.

Note: Bob Freeman is a reviewer for MonsterLibrarian.com
Review by Michele Lee

Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow*New Review

Harper, 2008

ISBN: 978-0061430220

Available: New

    Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow is the best urban dark fiction since S.P. Somtow.  Sharp Teeth is a widely heralded innovative novel, a modern werewolf (werecanine in any case) story written entirely in verse. This is a visceral, raw story, a complicated, many-faceted tale with everything save for the most important bits gnawed out.

  Sharp Teeth follows Lark, a complicated, near enlightened man who is trying to lead his pack of modern werecanines to be

more than their beasts, but somehow sees his pack fall to a pack of mutt scum. The new pack shuns the path of calm resolve, instead indulging in the appetites and greed of the street, made all the more powerful by their supernatural predatory abilities. While the new pack can't let Lark survive, Lark can't let his rage at a the loss of a good thing go. Also waiting in the shadows are more dogs, each with a burning rage, or a rotting sorrow within and all set to collide for dominance and vengeance in the arid desert outside of L.A.

  Sharp Teeth expands outside of the horror genre, outside fiction, outside the mind of man and the soul of dog. A dark urban-fairy tale, if you buy only one dark fiction book for your public or private collection this year it should be Sharp Teeth.

Review by Michele Lee

Check out Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes take on Sharp Teeth at Unshelved.com

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher*New Review

Roc, 2001

ISBN: 0451458125

Available: New

  There are four types of werewolves in wizard Harry Dresden's Chicago; werewolves, those who use their own magic to change into wolves; hexenwolves, those who use other people's magic to shift shape;

lycanthropes, who change into beasts mentally, but not physically; and the elusive loup-garou, people cursed to change into a supernatural monster that resembles a wolf in the same way that a Harley resembles a child's first bike. In Fool Moon Harry is helping his cop friend Murphy find the cause of a series of beastly murders, but instead of just finding one kind of shape shifter he seems to be crossing them all.

  Book two in the popular Dresden Files series pits wizard Harry Dresden against supernatural street gangs, an Internal Affairs investigation, secretive FBI agents, the mob boss of  Chicago, a cursed philanthropist, and his non-human fiancée. Dresden also faces the ire of Murphy, who is still holding a grudge against him for not telling her all about the magical world of the Nevernever. Noir flavored, with a

higher body count and more personal damage that the first book, Fool Moon is a good read for lovers of paranormal mysteries as well as those who like the urban fantasy feel but might not be into kick-ass heroines. With ten books already out in the series and more guaranteed to be on the way, the Dresden Files series can be an excellent cross-genre choice for fantasy, mystery or horror readers, since it encompasses and redefines all three. Note: The Dresden Files also has a media tie-in. The SciFi channel recently hosted a series of the same name based on the books.

Review by Michele Lee

The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton*New Review

Jove, 2004 (reissue)

ISBN: 978-0515134520

Available: New

  Anita Blake has quite a reputation. The Lunatic Café, book four in her ongoing adventures, thrusts the necromancer and vampire slayer into a battle between Marcus, the sadistic and ruthless alpha of the St. Louis werewolf pack, and his challenger—her fiancé Richard.  Pushed "to do the right thing" by Anita and his lesser wolves, Richard is trying to make his half-hearted challenges into a real attempt to take the pack.

  Complicating things, or maybe just pushing everyone over the edge, is Marcus, the reigning wolf leader, who hands Anita a list of mysteriously missing werewolves and hires her, on penalty of pain or worse, to find them. As Anita gets deeper and deeper into the shape shifter community she learns how many people are depending on Richard to overthrow Marcus--some with their very lives—and also that there are many more skin changers missing than anyone suspected.    The Lunatic Cafe jumps headlong into werewolf politics, proving that Hamilton can build just as rich and complicated of a presence for the furry monsters as the undead. This very popular series seems to be almost as immortal as its lead characters. Those who think the Anita Blake books aren’t horror-influenced haven't experienced Hamilton's lovely trees of skeletons, cannibalistic shape shifters, and brutal supernatural slayings for themselves. Recommended for public library collections.

Contains: violence, sex

Review by Michele Lee

Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton*New Review

Jove, 2002 (reprint)

ISBN: 978-0515134452

Available: New

    Anita Blake thought she'd seen the last of her fiance, Richard, when she ran into the arms of another man after watching Richard eat a man. But her loyalty to the alpha of the St. Louis werewolf pack runs deep, so when his brother calls at 3am to beg for Anita's help, she can't say no. When she learns that Richard is in jail, accused of rape, with his secret on the line and mere days until the full moon, she packs up her vampire guardians and blazes in ready to save a man who seems to have only hate and lust left for her.

    Blue Moon is a turning point in the Anita Blake books- the first book in the series where the balance tilts toward romance and emotion. Action and suspense are still present, though. It is fast-paced and beautifully written, with an exciting climax and gripping emotional intensity.  Blue Moon has a rich, full plot, with close to the best combination of Anita's uncompromising attitude, a supernatural mystery and the twisted power of love found in any book in the series. It is also one of the rare books in the series that leaves the vampires for other plots, and takes a well- deserved delve into Hamilton's take on those with fur and claws.

Contains: violence, sex

Review by Michele Lee

Stray by Rachel Vincent*New Review

Mira, 2007

ISBN: 978-0778324218

Available: New

  Faythe is a sassy werecat searching for freedom in an environment where

females of the species are rare and desirable. She's in college, trying to live a normal life when she is attacked by a stray werecat on campus. Her pleasure at handling the fight on her own is quickly suppressed when her ex-fiance shows up to take her back to the

family ranch. Female shifters, including Faythe’s friends and members of her family, have disappeared. Faythe's father suspects that someone is collecting fertile werecat females, and he's determined to keep his daughter safe.

  A hybrid of dark fantasy and paranormal romance, Stray will appeal to readers looking for more than just a love story, and for something beyond unrelenting fear. Stray is a fine addition to private and public fiction collections.

  Contains: violence, sex, attempted rape

  Review by Michele Lee

Rogue by Rachel Vincent*New Review

Mira, 2008

ISBN: 978-0778325550

Available: New

    This is Vincent's second book starring Faythe Saunders, one of the only female

werecats in the U.S. Faythe is training to be an enforcer for her Pride.

After cleaning up the discarded body of a stray, Faythe and her boyfriend Marc return to

the Pride's ranch to discover the corpse was not one of a kind. Faythe takes an active part in tracking the killer, who is leaving a trail of strays across her territory, as well as a serial killer that appears to be choosing victims that look like her. Faythe must stop them both, even if one of them might just be part of her past come back to haunt her.

    Rogue is tighter than Vincent's first book, Stray. In this book, Faythe takes an active, physical role in the protection of her Pride. Rogue leans more toward horror than the dark-tinged fantasy of Stray. Faythe is a compelling character, making Rogue a fine addition to public and private libraries and likely to be quite popular with readers.

Contains: violence, sex

Review by Michele Lee

Quantum Moon by Denise Vitola*New Review

Ace, 1996

ISBN: 978-0441003570

Available: Used

  Quantum Moon is the first in a series of strange lycanthrope novels set in

a future where the world is under one government and everything is rationed: food, fuel, and even water. Poverty and despair are a way of life. Ty Merrick is a district marshal (a cop) and she also happens to be a lycanthrope. But her painful transformations and

personality changes around the time of the full moon are more physiological than metaphysical and rarely involve fur. This is a strange combination since rampant desperation has led to an upswing in superstitious beliefs.

  In Quantum Moon, Ty and her partner LaRue are on the case of a murderer

who killed the overweight wife of a lawmaker. In a world where food is strictly rationed, she is somewhat of a rarity. Ty herself commonly has to go without water, power or

food, but it is her job to find this privileged woman’s killer. Ty also has to “play nice” with a doctor who wants to use her lycanthropy to his own ends. Part police procedural, part werewolf book and part dark science fiction, Quantum Moon is one of the more unusual cross genre books out there.

Review by Michele Lee

Opalite Moon by Denise Vitola*New Review

Ace, 1997

Available: Used

ISBN: 978-0441004652

    Ty Merrick isn't exactly a good person. She's more likely to steal evidence from crime scenes than bag it, she complains (a lot) and seems to have a serious grudge against the world. She's also not exactly a lycanthrope, but one day after falling unconscious from carbon monoxide poisoning she wakes up and something has changed. She calls herself a lycanthrope because part of her mind goes feral on the full moon and the days leading up to it bring spasms she calls stretches, physical growth that later reverses and enhanced senses that fade away on the waning moon.

 Opalite Moon is the second book in the Ty Merrick series. In this one Ty and her partner LaRue are working the murder case of three members of a secret society call the Opalites (part trailer trash, part hippy, part gypsy).The murder mystery is decent enough, but the real draw to these books is the world setting. Ty lives in a dystopian future where the whole world is under one corrupt “humanitarian” government and the people are commonly starved of everything they need to survive. Vitola's version of lycanthropy is different, but likely not to the taste of typical werewolf fans. The overwhelming air of unfairness and poverty and the bitterness of the main character may make this book a hard one to swallow, but readers of dark science fiction may want to give it a shot. .

Review by Michele Lee

Manjinn Moon by Denise Vitola*New Review

Ace, 1998

Available: Used

ISBN: 978-0441005215

    Manjinn Moon is Vitola's third Ty Merrick book about an unusual lycanthrope living in a dystopian future. In this book, the government has abandoned the poor, overpopulated District One as a monster hurricane hits. Merrick and her fellow cops have been tapped to fortify the area while also tracking down a killer with psychic powers and discovering a government conspiracy that knows far more about her than she'd like.

  Vitola's world is more about the science fiction than the werewolf, though the premise of a future world so short in natural resources that the poor people trade on supernatural hopes and dreams can be interesting. This book builds on the previous two in terms of world building, so those who enjoyed the first two books will enjoy this third book as well.

Review by Michele Lee

ISBN: 0843940832

Available: Used

    Cyrus, a bodyguard-for-hire, takes a job protecting Kyna, a diamond runner, who is being pursued by a voodoo shaman trying to retrieve a powerful mystical necklace the diamond runner unknowingly has in her possession.  In order to get the necklace back before Halloween, the shaman leaves a bloody body count behind him, using a variety of creatures.    In one of the attacks, Cyrus inadvertently gets bitten by a supernatural wolf,  and becomes a werewolf. A minor flaw in the book is that the author includes several sex scenes that do not seem to further the plot, and slow down the pacing. Additionally, the ending is a little confusing. More disappointing than either of these is that, with a title like Howl-o-ween, and a cover sporting an evil-looking skull rising out of a pumpkin, readers will expect Halloween to play more of a central role in the story when in fact the relationship to the holiday is pretty weak.  Despite the unimpressive role of the holiday, distracting sex passages, and confusing ending, Howl-o-ween is worth a look. Holleman does a fine job with the werewolf and other little beasties, giving readers an entertaining little monster mash.   Ultimately, those looking for a action filled werewolf tale will probably enjoy the title, but there are stronger titles for Halloween themed horror.

Contains: Gore, sex, torture, violence

Available: Used
    Heart of Midnight takes place in the world of the popular Ravenloft role playing game setting. Unlike other books set in this world, there are no undead or vampires. Instead, the story concentrates on a more primal form of evil, werewolves. Casimir, the protagonist,  has been raised in an orphanage, but he is not an orphan.  He has a father, who tried to have him killed when he was a small child. Casimir is seeking to revenge himself, and he has a secret weapon that will aid him in his quest. He is afflicted with lycanthropy, and, combined with the hatred he holds in his heart, this gives him the edge he needs for the revenge he seeks. Unfortunately for the reader, Casimir is such a haughty and confident character that it is difficult to sympathize with him. It is easier to feel sympathy for  Casimir's best friend, Thoris,  who is trying to help and understand a person who is completely self-absorbed. Casimir does become a stronger character as the book progresses, and by the end of the tale he seems to have grown out of some of his selfishness, although he remains an arrogant individual. Heart of Midnight is full of escalating action and intrigue . Recommended for any library collecting the Ravenloft books and role-playing novels, or building collections of werewolf or fantasy fiction.
Contains: Violence, Gore review by Bret Jordan

Ballentine Publishing Group, 1999

3F Publications, August, 2003 (Scrybe Press, June 2006)

ISBN: 0972930914

Available: New and Used

    Shara Wellington is a teenager with a protective father who treats her like a little girl and a mother who encourages her to have a more physical relationship with her boyfriend Mark.  Her world is shattered when he rapes her after the prom.  Shara goes on to college where she works for her professor, Ulrik who offers Shara the gift of the wolf.  Shara leaves with Ulrik to learn how to live with her new gift. She becomes more powerful, more confident, and  more assertive.  Once Shara learns to live with the wolf inside, Ulrik leaves her and she attempts to start a new life.  She gets married but finds that her husband is unable to accept her as she is, which ultimately leads to his death.  Shara becomes the focus of other werewolves when she is able to give birth to a werewolf child.  Yearning for a normal life, Shara finds that her "gift" is an actual curse and tries to find a cure as the pack of werewolves hunt her down.  Shara is an excellently written werewolf book that belongs in the core collection of any werewolf fan's collection and is a must have acquisition for a library.  Wedel does a fantastic job of describing the changes in both personality and physical characteristics of Shara as her lycanthropy develops.  The one area were I wish there was more material is the time between when Shara first meets Ulrik and when he turns her into a werewolf.  Shara is being republished by Scrybe Press and is due out at any time, the new edition will have additional material added. Wedel has followed up Shara with Ulrik which will be coming out from Scrybe Press in the Summer of 2006. Contains: Violence, a scene of rape, strong sexual material. 

Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King

New American Library, 1983

ISBN: 0451822196

Available: New and Used

Scrybe Press, April, 2004 

ISBN: 0974834041

Avaiable: New

Batwing Press, 2005

ISBN: 1891799266

Available: New

Werewolf Fiction List

All Things Under the Moon by Robert Morgan
Animals by John Skipp & Craig Spector
The Beast Within: Erotic Tales of Werewolves by ed. Cecilia Tan
Beastnights by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
The Blood Waltz by Ria Dimitra
Canyons by P.D. Cacek
The Changing by F.W. Armstrong
Cold at Heart by Brian A. Hopkins
The Complete Werewolf by Anthony Boucher
Crooked Tree by Robert C. Wilson
Cry Wolf by Alan Chronister
Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephan King
Darker Than You Think by Jack Williamson
The Devil's Brood by David Jacobs
The Devil's Night by David Jacobs