It's O.K. it's just Fido

This weeks installment of monsters is the furry werewolf. Werewolves and Hellhounds have made a comeback in literature over the past 10 years and they don't show any signs of going away anytime soon. So for this week's monsters that we love we're focusing on man's best friend, or are they?

1. Spookiest novel: The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore

    The Werewolf of Paris is both a work of horror and historical fiction so you get the best of both in one book. This novel follows Bertrand Caillet, the werewolf, throughout the tumultuous events of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune of 1870-71. This is not a book for adolescents, there is incest, rape, and murder in this book. Like much Gothic fiction The Werewolf of Paris opens with a frame story in which the author explains his struggle with the fantastic elements of his tale. The narrator of this story is an anonymous American working on his doctoral research in Paris. He discovers a manuscript in the hands of some trash-pickers which he describes as "The Galliez Report: thirty four sheets of closely written French, an unsolicited defense of Sergeant Bertrand Caillet at the latter's court-martial of 1871".

Why you should read this book: The historical content alone makes this book worth reading. The Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune of 1870-71 provide the immediate backdrop to The Werewolf of Paris, although Endore also makes many references to the Revolutions of 1848. The novel is filled with Gothic horror, tragedy, and notable historical figures including Bismarck, Blanqui, Dumas, Courbet, Haussmann and Thiers.

2: Mystery novel: The Wolfman by Nicholas Pekearo

   Marlowe Higgins has had a hard life. Since being dishonorably discharged after a tour in Vietnam, he's been in and out of prison, moving from town to town, going wherever the wind takes him. He can't stay in one place too long--every full moon he kills someone. He can't help it, he's a werewolf. For years he's struggled with his affliction, until he finds a way to use his unfortunate curse for good. Now he only kills really bad people.

Why you should read this book: Nicholas Pekearo envisioned The Wolfman being the first book in a series. Sadly, circumstances did not work out that way as Mr. Pekearo was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty before he could write anything else. That background in police work is why you should read The Wolfman. With his expertise in law enforcement he brings Marlowe Higgins to life on the page. This is crime fiction with that twist of Gothic horror done absolutely right.


3: From Book to Film: Hemlock Grove by Brian McGreevy

The body of a young girl is found mangled and murdered in the woods of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, in the shadow of the abandoned Godfrey Steel mill. A manhunt ensues, though the authorities aren't sure if it's a man they should be looking for. Some suspect an escapee from the White Tower, a biotech facility owned by the Godfrey Family. While others turn to Peter Rumancek, a Gypsy trailer-trash kid who has told impressionable high schoolers that he's a werewolf.

Why you should read this book: Netflix brought Hemlock Grove to life in a Netflix original series and it garnered an instant following. The book is at once a riveting mystery and a fascinating revelation of the grotesque and the darkness in us all, Hemlock Grove has all the elements to become a classic in it's own right.

4: Mixed Genre Series: Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley

It's been 20 years since shapeshifters, hunted down and on the verge of extinction, have agreed to become collared and "accepted" into human society. That acceptance, however, is extremely limited. Although the collars repress the shapeshifters' violent tendencies, they've been forced to live in Shiftertowns on the periphery of society, and are still universally hated and feared for their extraordinary abilities.

Why you should read this book: Pride Mates is the first installment in the Shifters Unbound series and in my humble opinion it doesn't get enough credit, in large part because it's classified and marketed as paranormal romance. What Ashley has done with this series is remarkable she's created an entirely new lycanthropic mythology that seamlessly fuses elements of science fiction, fantasy, romance, and mystery into one series.

5: Urban Fantasy: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer, and son, of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life. Charles insisted that not only was Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. It is Anna's inner strength and calming presence that proves invaluable to Charles as they go on a hunt in search of a rogue werewolf.

Why you should read this book: This book has all those nitty, gritty, elements that we love about Urban Fantasy. It's set in the Mercy Thompson Universe written by Patricia Briggs so if you like those books you'll like these as well. I freely admit that I was skeptical about picking up this series but thanks to Penguin Publishing I was gifted the first book to read and review over a year ago and what can I say Patricia Briggs does furry and fantastic goodness to werewolves in this series.

6: Snarkiest series: Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis

Jacque Pierce was just an ordinary 17 year old girl getting ready to start her senior year in high school in Coldspring, Texas. When a mysterious foreign exchange student from Romania moved in across the street. Jacque and her two best friends, Sally and Jen, don't realize the last two weeks of their summer are going to get a lot more interesting.The foreign exchange student, Fane, is actually a Canis Lupis or werewolf from the Grey Wolf clan and he's Jacque's mate. The other half of her soul.

Why you should read this series: Quinn Loftis began as an independent author, as a matter of fact she was one of the authors we featured here on our blog when we first started out years ago. This series and others like Quinn Loftis are what inspired us to give these authors a platform to be seen and read. The Grey Wolf series has expanded over the years and with over 3,000 reviews from readers you know it's a hit. Jacque, Sally, and Jen are the quintessential small town teens. Their dialogue is fresh, funky, and hilarious. The books have a well paced plot with plenty of humor, adventure, and yes romance but it's the snarky teens themselves that make reading this series so much fun.

7: Young Adult: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf, her wolf, is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human until the cold makes him shift back again. Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be but as winter nears, Sam has to fight to stay human or risk losing himself and Grace forever.

Why you should read this book: You're either going to love this trilogy or hate it. There's no two ways about it. The writing is such that there's no middle ground. I did not like this story but my fellow reviewer on here rated it four stars out of five so she did. Whether you love it or hate it you should read it for these reasons. 1) It's lovely and lyrical and achingly sad. 2) Shiver is more introspective than most YA books. 3) It is beautifully written and tragic but also a gorgeous take on werewolf lore. 4) The book is deeply emotional and sweet. It's a refreshing take on YA as a category and werewolf lore as a genre.

There are lots more werewolf stories out there and stories that include more types of shifters but these were our favorites. Happy Monster Reading.

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