Shifter Mania!
Another sub genre deep dive for you today. And books, books, books!
Hi, beauteous Book Monsters!
How is everything going in your world this week? Well, I truly hope.
I have a treat for you today. There’s even a free book or two… or three! Yay!! I’ve been wanting to showcase another sub genre here in the lair for awhile and, now, here it is:
My thoughts on Shifter romance. Drumroll please.
Just kidding. I’m going to be perfectly honest, at the risk of boos and heckles from the crowd. I didn’t really like shifter romance, at first. They just weren’t my thing. Maybe my aversion stems from living in the woods where real live animals end up on your porch in the middle of the night, raid your trash cans on trash day, and creep up on you unannounced anytime they feel like it. If you’ve ever gotten a whiff of the air after you’ve have a bear visiting your area, you probably have an idea why my first thought when wildlife come to mind isn’t romance. Seriously! Pee-ew!
Over time, though, I’ve read some pretty darn good shifter books that took me out of the real world and into story land so seamlessly they changed my mind. And that’s no easy feat. Trust me.
First off let’s talk about what a shifter is, then we’ll get into my favorite thing to talk about on this subject — mechanics.
You probably already know shifters are shapeshifters. They are a big deal in the realm of paranormal romance and fantasy romance these days and usually involve a human character that can shift or turn into another creature. Sometimes this happens at will, sometimes at the mercy of, you know, a full moon or something like that. The most popular creatures in these books, right now, are normal animals like bears or wolves, but dragons and other mythical beings are also well loved as shifter romance goes.
Do you have a favorite type of shifter character to read about?
These stories took over in the paranormal romance space somewhere in the 2000’s, and have stayed there ever since. It’s fun to see all the different world building and series that various authors have come up with to hold readers attention for all that time. I’ve been swept away by several series, myself—some of which I have for you down below.
But I do have one tiny little problem with shifter characters. The change situation! Maybe I’m too squeamish, but I do not like having to witness all the gruesome particulars—bones breaking, hair sprouting, fangs growing in and all that kind of stuff. I prefer an immediate shift, maybe with some explanation of how the magic works. I’d much rather change forms like Professor McGonagall, sleek and elegant-like, than the whole teenage werewolf thing. That’s just me, though. What are your thoughts on the topic?
Either way, I still enjoy stories with shifters in them and even have a few in my own books. As I’ve decided to keep writing more on Wolf’s Captive, my big bad wolf retell, I may have to cross that bridge of “the shift” somewhere down the line. You can be sure I’ll let you know how it goes. ;) Until then, I have a big treat for you. A smorgasboard of shifter books! And these ones are written by some of my favorite authors, all of whom you can find right here on Substack. Have a look! ⬇️👀
Shifters Galore!
Links starting from the top:
Biker Bear by Miri Stone is FREE with subscription to her Substack, Miri and the Muse. It’s delightful. I highly recommend it.
Savannah by Shelly Ferguson. A shark shifter book! Find more shifter romances from Shelly on her Substack. They’re witty, fun, and spicy.
Cage by Mariah Thayer -- a fated mates story. Find Mariah on her Substack, Mariah Thayer Writes, and go along with her on all her traveling adventures. Very fun!
Malachai by K.O. Newman is the first book in her Lords of Khaos: Ironwood series. You can find out more about her and her steamy romance books on her Substack.
And if that wasn’t enough books on display for you, keep reading:
FREE Books!!
(These all look so good.)
A Magical Book
If you like fantasy academy, you’ll want to click on this book.
Well that’s a wrap, as they say. I hope you had fun on this genre deep dive today. Any thoughts on which fantasy romance sub genre we should investigate next?
Till next time, my Monsters, I’m wishing you many reading adventures ahead!
Have a great weekend!
Amanda V Shane
Aww you found my shark shifter!
Seriously though, I’m with you. I don’t like the painful drawn out shifts, I prefer the instant changes.
Lately I have been all about Gargoyle romances!
Absolutely! This is the place to gush about stories. 😁
You’re right—there are a lot of fun themes that pop up in the shifter genre. Family / pack dynamics are always intriguing and make these stories all the richer for readers, I agree. If you have any links to your writings, feel free to share them here.