The most recommended shapeshifter books

The eponymous hero and his brothers embark on an oversexed tropical Homeric epic that builds into nothing less than an origin myth of Brazil.

As in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando (also published in the same year, 1928), the trio’s adventures collapse time and space and are notably relaxed about gender identities. Nonchalantly metamorphosing races and species and the animate and inanimate, Macunaíma anticipates much later works of magical realism.

This vibrant new translation by Katrina Dodson captures both its modernist spirit and its authentic roots in the luxuriant rainforest.

Once upon a time, the gorgeous covers of the Mercy Thompson series caught my eye and tempted me to taste urban fantasy. The stories turned me into an insatiable glutton. Night Broken is the eighth book in the series, and the way it handles a relationship under stress from a manipulative ex who plays the victim is chef’s kiss perfection. No silly miscommunication tropes here, thank you very much. It’s a solid story about two shifters who are confident enough in their relationship and themselves to deal not only with ex and pack drama, but also a terrifying magical foe. Talk about relationship goals. 

Jenna Moran is an under-appreciated author who combines whimsy and darkness in equal measure, created worlds that are at once familiar and strange. This bittersweet picture book is her at her finest, accompanied by glorious artwork by Elizabeth Sherry as she tells the story of a picture-book world attacked by an invasion of terrible, otherworldly things—Ordinary Objects.

The Dragonlance Chronicles, while not the first fantasy novel I read, is the one that put me onto my love of, and even addiction to, fantasy adventure. There are several characters, each with their own distinct and compelling stories and personalities. The story itself is just amazing and had me devouring every book in this expansive series as quickly as I could. Twice! The mixing of not just heroics and good intentions but the darker and even self-serving side of people and seeing how their experiences shaped them to be the way they are. Even in their darkest times, you can understand, if not relate to them, and still see them with compassion.

As you can probably see, I like books that are emotionally provocative. This book does just that! It’s just such a different kind of story where the protagonist was built to be exactly like someone else, including memories and life, just in case something happens to the original. It’s a raw look at who someone really is and how they become that person. 

One appeal of falling in love with a monster is the knowledge that a creature more than capable of killing you has chosen to cherish you instead.

The tigers in this book are dangerous, as both Dieu, paramour of tiger Ho Thi Thau, and Chih, a cleric anxiously telling Dieu and Ho Thi Thau’s story to a trio of hungry tigers can attest. Luckily for Dieu, Ho Thi Thau finds her more interesting than appetizing, with the romantic impulse to see each of her moods—anger and joy and frustration—knowing she will adore them all.

While there may be quibbles over the details of the story, it is safe to say that tigers and humans alike will agree that Ho Thi Thau deserves a little kiss, and that Dieu is just the woman to deliver it.

I love steamy shifter romances, but I’ve rarely read any featuring house cats. Tom the Cat was such a compelling character, and the pain he endured at the hands of an evil sorceress was heartbreaking.

I have two kitties of my own, and just thinking about them being bespelled and tortured makes me want to fly into a rage. I will do anything to protect my cats, and Shaina, the heroine from the book, was just the same. I sympathized with her in her pursuit to save Tom, and when the sorceress got what she deserved, I relished it!

I was enthralled by the pacing and the romantic plot of this story. Engrossing from the very first chapter—gargoyles called Wardens? Uh, yes, and thank you! Demons? Gimme! Secrets. I am a slave for an MC with dark secrets! Add in a supernatural war—hands down one of my favs!

Marian Woodman has been my shero ever since I attended a workshop of hers. I recall sitting in the audience listening to her speak and blinking my eyes. How could it be that she could shape-shift from a coy flirtatious maiden, into a warm nurturing mother, and then moments later appear as a regal, confident, and sovereign queen and then a deeply wise crone? She clearly understood and embodied the full range of the conscious feminine in its various aspects.

Of her many books, this is the one I love the most because, in this collection of interviews with her, the passion of her speaking voice comes through the written word loud and clear. Her phrasing is so delicious, my tattered copy is underlined throughout.

I tend to be very late to the party with certain authors. I'll try them once, not get hooked, then give them a pass for a decade or so. In the case of Nalini Singh, I clearly just hadn't stumbled across her delightful bear-shifter clan on my first attempt!

Usually, I prefer werewolves, but I adored this group of Russian shifters with their huggable alpha protector. The heroine's dilemma (whether to risk feeling emotions) is also a tried-and-true trope for me.

To cut a long story short --- I was six years late trying this series, but once I started it, I couldn't put it down.