#such sharp teeth

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: werewolves

Want your monsters a little hairier? Then this list is for you! Whether you prefer your werewolf books fantasy, horror, slice of life, or romance, this list has a something for everyone (especially if you want your werewolves queer!)

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Lobizona (Wolves of No World series) by Romina Garber

Young adult. As an undocumented immigrant, Manu has been told her existence is illegal. When her mother is arrested by ICE, Manu is left alone, and decides to seek out the only connection she has left: her dead father's criminal connections. Here she finds a secret underworld of Argentinian folklore, where a seventh daughter is a bruja and a seventh son is a lobizón - a werewolf. But as Manu understands more about who and what she is, she comes to realize her self is seen as forbidden in more ways than one, and that she will have to fight for her way to exist. Tackles heavy subjects in a more lighthearted magic school setting.

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

Horror. Nearly a year ago, Joan's husband Victor disappeared seemingly into thin air. That is, until Joan stumbles across a revival tent where the local Métis have gathered to listen to the charismatic preacher Eugene Wolff - a man with Victor's face. But when she faces him, he doesn't recognize her at all, claiming his mission is only to spread the word of Jesus. Only, that is far from all he's doing. Now Joan must find out the truth of what happened to her husband.

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O'Neal*

Young adult. Priya had plans to go to Stanford, but is derailed when the fallout from lyme disease puts her back, making her question if she'll ever get back to normal. Luckily she has her discord support group with whom she can chat and vent about her illness. Even more - she has Brigid, online fandom friend and fellow chronic illness sufferer. But when Brigid disappears from the web without warning, Priya must drive to Pennsylvania to make sure her friend is okay - and finds that Brigid's condition is a bit hairier than she expected.

Santa Olivia (Santa Olivia duology) by Jacqueline Carey*

Is this werewolf fiction? Technically not. It's sci-fi more than fantasy or horror, with a plot reminiscent of superhero stories. It follows Loup Garron, a young girl growing up in Santa Olivia, an isolated town by the border between the US and Mexico, where the inhabitants aren't allowed to leave. Loup is the daughter of a "Wolf Man", a soldier enhanced with wolven traits which she have now inherited, allowing her to take a stand against the soldiers keeping her small home town oppressed. Also features a main f/f couple!

A Wolf Steps in Blood by Tamara Jerée*

Novella, lesbian soulmate romance. Red wolves went extinct in Alabama long ago - except for the ancestors of Yasmine's family, who were saved by witches putting a spell on them, allowing them to take human form to hide. Now, that spell is growing weaker, and Yasmine is struggling for control with her wolf. When a chance encounter with the exiled blood witch Kalta reveals the two to be not only fated mates but also the possible answer to the pack's struggles, Yasmine and Kalta both must work together to overcome the grief in their hearts and save their families.

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

Horror. A coming-of-age story following a boy and his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, living on the road and staying outside the law. They're all outsiders, but Libby and Darren are mongrels, mixedbloods, werewolves waiting to see if their nephew is like them or not. The boy, meanwhile, must decide if the wandering life of his family is for him, or if he belongs somewhere else.

How to Be a Werewolf by Shawn Lenore*

Graphic novel, available as printed or webcomic. Malaya was bitten by a wolf as a child, and ever since she has lived an isolated life with her family, working in their coffee shop and fearing she will lose control of her wolf side. Having never met another werewolf, Malaya knows little of what she is - until she meets a stranger claiming to be like her, and that she's far from alone. But the more she gets involved with other werewolves, the more she also gets dragged into the dangerous conflicts between packs.

Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens

Middle grade graphic novel. One night, young Artie witnesses something incredible - her own mother turning into a wolf. She finds out she's from a lineage of werewolves, and to help her awaken her abilities her mother invites family friends who are like them. A new world opens up for Artie, but so do dark secrets: werewolves have a deadly enemy, and it's coming back for them.

Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella

Brian is a slacker, having dropped out from college, working as a waiter, and spending his nights drinking with his friends - except the nights when he turns into a werewolf, of course. But after having slipped and killed a jogger, Brian is noticed by fellow werewolf Tyler, who's working on a self-help startup for werewolves and offers to mentor Brian. At first Tyler's methods helps Brian get back on his feet, but the more he learns of Tyler's expansion plans, the more he realizes he might be bad news. A good read if you want a funny, goofy take down of toxic masculinity that doesn't take itself very seriously.

Such Sharp Teeth by Kim Harrison*

When her pregnant twin sister is left by her boyfriend, Rory decides to go back to her home town and stay with her for a time. But the town is also the home of old childhood trauma, and something wild is roaming the woods. When she gets attacked and mauled one night, Rory's successful life is changed forever. Lycanthropy used as a metaphor for female rage, trauma, and bad coping mechanisms.

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

Young adult horror. It's been years since Eleanor Zarrin last saw her family, having been sent away to boarding school when she was little. But after a bloody misstep, Eleanor must flee the school and return home to her family's manor. Here she's reminded of her family's darker side, and that she has never been able to run and hunt in the woods alongside them. But in a family of wolves Eleanor is something else - and even more dangerous.

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold

Young adult horror. A take on the little red riding hood tale where the girl is both the victim of the wolf and the huntsman who slays it. After a particularly embarrassing incident, young Bisou flees into the woods, only to be faced with a predatory wolf. To her shock, their face-off ends with the wolf dead, not Bisou. Even more shocking: the dead wolf turns into a boy. Suddenly, Bisou finds herself a hunter and a protector, routing out the wolves who masquerade as boys. Visceral and bloody, but pretty feminism 101 in its portrayal.

Fear the Wolf by Stefanie Gilmour

Urban fantasy. Alex never wanted to be a werewolf, but when a latent gene was triggered by a traumatic event, causing her to shift, she had no choice but to accept her new reality. Now she stays under the radar, avoiding other werewolves as she tries to keep a job and keep her temper under control, fearing that she will be discovered or even hurt someone. The only person outside her family who knows her secret is Emma, a wizard and Alex's closest friend. But when Emma gets a new boyfriend and starts acting strangely at the same time as attacks and disappearances of supernatural citizens are on the rise, Alex might have no other choice but to get involved in the local werewolf community to fight back.

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

Urban fantasy. Kitty Norville is a midnight radio host and a werewolf, having been turned after a traumatic attack. Stuck in an abusive pack, Kitty needs an outlet, and decides to use her radio midnight hour to speak about the supernatural. Soon others like her are calling in, seeking advice, and Kitty's life is looking up - but in drawing attention to the supernatural, she has also put a target on her back, and someone wants to make her shut up, no matter what.

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

When Laina's brother gets shot and killed, a video recording the incident reveals something shocking: a giant wolf which, when shot, turns into a naked man. The video gets leaked, and little by little monsters start coming out into the open. But there’s a reason monsters have decided to step put of hiding, something otherworldly and far more dangerous than them. Follows a large cast of characters, among them members of a werewolf pack.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

Rules for Werewolves by Kirk Lynn

A story told entirely in dialogue, Rules For Werewolves follows a group of young outsiders, drifting from place to place and squatting in empty suburban houses as they try to build a life in a world that has no room for them,

Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson

Young adult. New kid in town, Virgil Knox, has been attacked by a monster. Only, no one believes it was actually a monster, insisting it must've been a bear. But Virgil knows it was really a monster, and now he fears that it will come back for him - or that he will become one himself.

The Devourers by Indra Das

In Kolkata, India, college professor Alok encounters a mysterious stranger who tells him a story of a race of people at once man and beast, and a wanderer in 17th century Mughal who is torn between two worlds.

Thor by Wayne Smith

Thor the German Shepherd is devoted to his suburban family, and when Uncle Ted comes to live with his family, that devotion is put to the test. For Ted is no longer human, and Thor can sense that there is something dark and dangerous hiding inside him, something which he must keep his family safe from.

Wild by Meghan O'Brien

Selene leads a lonely life, avoiding forming close relationships to keep herself and others safe as she turns into a remorseless wolf creature every full moon. Eve is a forensic pathologist who has sworn off romantic relationships after having had an ex cheat on her, focusing instead on catching murderers. But when a masked man attacks Eve and Selene comes to her rescue, the two become unavoidably intertwined as a monster even more dangerous than Selene stalks the streets.

Wolfsong by T.J. Klune

Ox Matheson's neighbors, the Bennett family, aren't ordinary people: they're shapeshifters, able to turn into wolves. Intrigued by their lifestyle, Ox becomes close to the youngest son, Joe. But when murder comes to town, Joe ends up leaving, and won't return until years later. Now adults, the feelings between them can't be denied any longer.

[ev1lw1zard]

i've learned that i can tolerate a lot from a book that i normally wouldn't it if it 1. has werewolves 2. has gays 3. gay werewolves

[myhikari21things]

Read of Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison (2022) (325pgs)

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Quick Review: Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison Rating: 5/5

I finally found a Rachel Harrison book I love! I knew I'd mesh with her writing under the right circumstances and Such Sharp Teeth was it! I loved Rory's voice and I loved the action and I loved the interpersonal drama with the other characters. Everything about it was just fantastic! If you're looking for a good werewolf book, definitely try this one!

[shxpeshifterr]

[litandlifequotes]

I can’t undo what’s been done, but I can try to figure out a way to live with it. To harness it. Find some control.

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

[armandyke]

Doing the last few of these in fives because I'm sick and my brain doesn't work

51) Violent Faculties by Charlene Elsby (4⭐)

This book is a little bit hard to describe. Good if you like weird, gross, and psychological. In essence this book is written in the form of a scientific journal, detailing various gross and increasingly violent experiments the main character has been performing on random, unsuspecting members of the public. It’s very short, I’m pretty sure I read it in one evening, but well written, especially the ending. 

If you’re into that sort of thing, check it out. If you’re not into that sort of thing, definitely avoid. Things got real gross. 

52) Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin (3.5⭐)

If you want some gross queer horror then this book is for you. It follows a group of queer teenagers sent to a conversion camp in the middle of buttfuck nowhere, where some incredibly strange things are afoot. The counsellors are behaving strangely, strange animal noises can be heard despite there being no signs of life, and kids are going missing. 

This book got a 3.5 from me for two reasons: number one was that it was pretty predictable, plot wise, and number two was that the final third portion of the book takes place after a long time skip, with the characters now grown up and returning to the camp, and that whole portion added nothing to the story for me. I would have preferred the whole book to have focused entirely on the teenage versions of the characters, because a lot of the final part of the book was then just exposition dumping everything that had happened during the time skip. 

The book is also very heavy on sexually explicit content, so if that’s not something you’re into then maybe give this book a miss. 

53) Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison (4.5⭐)

My second Rachel Harrison read of the year, and definitely my favourite of the two. This one also went in a very different direction than I expected but I loved where we ended up. 

The story is about a woman named Rory, who finds herself moving back to her hometown to take care of her pregnant twin sister whose husband has walked out on her. Shortly after arriving, however, Rory hits an animal with her car, and is attacked when she gets out to investigate. Soon after, her body starts going through some very strange changes… 

This book is an exploration of pregnancy, and the concept of our bodies changing without our control or consent. It’s also about being a werewolf. A similar premise to the movie Gingersnaps, but definitely not just a cheap rip off. I really loved it. I also really love how Rachel writes her characters, it feels similar to T. Kingfisher’s writing in that respect. Her little details and funny lines really make all the characters feel real. 

54) My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino (4⭐)

This story is like if Family Tree by Ethel Cain was a book.

A novella about religious guilt, the story follows Leah, a girl from a small town brought up to live in fear of the Lord of the Wood who steals and eats unattended babies. When her own baby brother is stolen, she is forced by the people of the town to travel into the woods to bring him back, a task from which none of the previous girls have ever returned. 

It’s a fairly straightforward story and one that you can predict the outcome of pretty easily once you get into it, but I enjoyed it all the same. A lot was packed into this novella including but not limited to religious repression, cults, creepy ghosts, gore, and murder. 

This was my second Tori Bovalino book of this year and I preferred this one over The Devil Makes Three. 

55) Bloom by Delilah S Dawson (4⭐)

A little novella about a woman named Ro who has an immediate bisexual crisis upon meeting Ash, a femme cottagecore queen, at a farmer’s market. Things escalate pretty quickly from there and get real weird. 

I won’t go much more into it because it’s hard to explain this book fully without spoiling some stuff. Just know that I loved it, and if you’re looking for some sapphic horror this is a good one to check out.

[princessmisery666]

I set myself the challenge to read 12 books.

I’ve done 10.

These are my last 2 choices.

1. Such Sharp Teeth…

Rory Morris isn't thrilled to be moving back to her hometown.

There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she'd put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into lan, an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she's attacked.

Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She's unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver— and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She's changing into someone else-something else. But does that mean she's putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside her the key to acceptance?

THIS DARKLY COMEDIC LOVE STORY IS A BRILLIANTLY LAYERED PORTRAIT OF TRAUMA, RAGE, AND VULNERABILITY.

2. The Return…

JULIE IS MISSING, AND THE MISSING DON'T OFTEN RETURN.

But two years to the day that Julie vanished, she reappears with no memory of what happened to her.

Julie's best friends Elise, Molly and Mae decide to reunite for a girls' weekend at the eccentric, remote Red Honey Inn.

But the second they see Julie, they know something is wrong.

In so many ways, Julie seems to be the friend they all loved and lost. But in others, she seems to be a stranger.

When bad weather traps them inside, tensions flare and the hotel takes on a life of its own. As the weekend unfurls, it becomes impossible to deny that the Julie who vanished two years ago is not the same Julie who came back.

But then who - or what - is she?

[merpshire]

Two for one book update here!

Finished reading Project: Hail Mary by Andy Weir (yes, the author of The Martian). It was a SPECTACULAR book. Similarly to The Martian, a person out in space must do a bunch of crazy sounding things to survive and complete some mission objective. The main character is fun, witty, and highly relatable. The second character is SPECTACULARLY fun and enjoyable to read. I would recommend this book to anyone to read. It’s sooooooooo good and I wish I could read it again for the first time to experience the pure joy and human emotion I felt the first time around. Project: Hail Mary is a very enjoyable read that, despite some sad moments, is overwhelmingly positive and optimistic.

On the opposite end of the tonal spectrum (insanely dark and depressing despite a few moments of the smallest hope) is Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff (sequel to Empire of the Vampire). Another really good read about vampires and people who murder vampires and all things in between. On the cover it sounds like just another vampire novel, but the story within a story thing really gets me. I’m also a sucker for the found family aspects of the book - in particular the “father figure who will do literally anything to help his found daughter and vice versa.” If you read and liked Empire of the Vampire, you’ll like this book. They’re very similar in structure with a few twists. I do think, based on how the story is shaping up that the third book will feel substantially different, but we’ll see. I’m really looking forward to it!

Currently listening to Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison. It’s alright so far. I’m definitely NOT the target audience for this book, but that’s okay! If you’re into a werewolf romance book where werewolves are actually scary and grotesque instead of just big dogs, you’ll like this book.

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: my favorite 2024 reads

I read over 160 books this year. Let's fucking go.

Note: List excludes re-reads and sequels, I am however not above including franchise novels and tie-ins.

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Dystopia. In a near future America, inmates on death row or with life sentences can choose to participate in death matches for entertainment. If they survive long enough - a rare case indeed - they regain their freedom. Among these prisoners are Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker, partners behind the scenes and close to the deadline of a possible release - if only they can survive for long enough. As the game continues to be stacked against them and protests mount outside, two women fight for love, freedom, and their own humanity. Chain-Gang All-Stars is bleak and unflinching as well as genuinely hopeful in its portrayal of a dark but all too real possible future.

Goddess of Filth by V. Castro

Horror novella. What starts as a drunken seance between friends ends with one of them chanting in Nahuatl, the language of their Aztec ancestors. Following that night, the formerly shy Fernanda has changed. While her family calls for priests, claiming her possessed by a demon, Fernanda’s friends believe what has taken up residence in her is something decidedly older. A quick read featuring female rage, desire and empowerment, this is a different twist on the typical possession story.

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

Science fiction. A strange child lands on an isolated planet, scaring its inhabitants into handing him over into the hands of Nia Amani. As captain of a transport ship, Nia is not only the planet's only contact with the outside world, she is also a woman out of time, years compressing into months as she travels through space at high speeds. Now responsible for a child who doesn't speak and in a galaxy that wishes them ill, she must rethink exactly what she wants to do with her life, and what she's prepared to give up. Features multiple major queer characters.

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings

In an alternate version of our present, the witch hunt never ended. Women are constantly watched and expected to marry young so their husbands can keep an eye on them. When she was fourteen, Josephine's mother disappeared, leveling suspicions at both mother and daughter of possible witchcraft. Now, nearly a decade and a half later, Jo, in trying to finally accept her missing mother as dead, decides to follow up on a set of seemingly nonsensical instructions left in her will. Features a bisexual lead!

Cottonwood by R. Lee Smith

Science fiction romance. 20 years ago, aliens arrived on Earth, neither invaders nor diplomats but refugees. Now they are being kept in integration camps away from the human population, meaning Sarah has never met one before getting a job as a social worker in one of the camps, at which point the true treatment of the aliens at once become horrifyingly clear to her. Sanford, single father, has a decades long plan to flee the prison that is Earth, and maybe with Sarah's help it can finally reach fruition. Includes dark elements such as torture, sexual assault, and pet death.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Historical fantasy. Emily Wilde is a professor who prefers the company of faeries, dangerous but bound to rules she can understand, to that of humans, who she finds inexplicable. Working on her faerie encyclopedia, she travels on a research expedition to the faraway Hrafnsvik, hoping for some solitary months of study. Her hopes are dashed when Wendell Bambleby, rival scholar and possible faerie in hiding, arrives on her doorstep. But Wendell's aggravating presence is far from Emily's only problem, as the Hidden Folk of Hrafnsvik turns out to be far more dangerous than expected.

Mass Effect Andromeda: Annihilation by Catherynne M. Valente

In a ship carrying 20 000 colonists on a centuries long trip to the Andromeda galaxy, something has gone wrong. A small contingent of crew representing the various races on board has been woken up to find out why colonists are dying in their sleep, but the situation quickly gets worse. Soon a pathogen is spreading and jumping species, threatening the entire ship before it has even reached its goal. Tie-in novel for the Mass Effect games; while I love it a lot, you're unlikely to get the full experience unless you've also played the games.

Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings

Two ships have gotten stuck in a rift in space, isolated outside of time. One of them is the Jonah, a ship dodging a generations long war against an alien species, carrying a small crew of smugglers, an unintended passenger, and a hijacker. The other ship is the Gallion, which arrived from 150 years in the future carrying an alien ambassador - and whose crew is awestruck at meeting the heroes of the Jonah, known to have ended the war. As the two crews struggle to understand each other's timelines, they must also work together to leave the rift before they're stranded forever. Multiple queer characters, however the main romance plotlines are m/f.

The Good Demon by Jimmy Cajoleas

Young adult horror. Clare has recently been put through a successful exorcism, but rather than help her, it has left her miserable. Clare's demon was her closest friend and had been for years, and without her Clare is left alone and lost. Set on getting her friend back, Clare starts seeking clues her demon seems to have left her, and in doing so starts finding dark, old secrets buried in the history of her home town.

Such Sharp Teeth by Kim Harrison

When her pregnant twin sister is left by her boyfriend, Rory decides to go back to her home town and stay with her for a time. But the town is also the home of old childhood trauma, and something wild is roaming the woods. When she gets attacked and mauled one night, Rory's successful life is changed forever. Lycanthropy used as a metaphor for female rage, trauma, and bad coping mechanisms.

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison

Sherlock Holmes retelling, historical fantasy. After having been injured fighting a war against fallen angels, Doyle returns to London to survive on only a veteran's pension. To afford a place to live in the city, Doyle finds a housemate in Crow, an eccentric angel with a great curiosity for humans and a knack for solving crime. And London needs its protector - supernatural beings walk the streets, and a someone going by the name Jack the Ripper terrifies the citizens at night.

The Spider and Her Demons by sydney khoo

Young adult fantasy. All teenager Zhi wants is a normal life (and possibly for her harsh aunt to be a bit nicer), but it’s hard when she’s half spider demon. Every day she must conceal her true nature and hide in human guise. When she slips up and eats a man in front of her rich, aloof classmate Dior, Zhi thinks her life is over. But Dior has secrets of her own, and she is dead set on making herself a part of Zhi's life.

A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin

Urban fantasy. Two years ago, sorcerer Matthew Swift was killed. Today, he woke back up. And he isn't alone in his body, but rather in the company of the blue electric angels, who lived in the telephone lines and are now experiencing the world for the first time through him. Now, he seeks vengeance not only against the one who killed him, but also against the one who brought him back. Absolutely buck wild unique take on switching and merging pov betwen singular and plural.

The Fall that Saved Us by Tamara Jerée

Sapphic romance. Cassiel is of angelic heritage, raised to fight and kill demons alongside her family. But Cassiel has left the hunt and her family behind, wanting a normal life. For three years she's built a life for herself, cut off from her family, but now a demon has found her, sent to collect her soul. Except, the demon isn't any more interested in following the orders of her family than Cassiel is. Can they work together to free themselves from the expectations placed on them?

Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Fantasy. A small band of heroes prophesied to defeat an evil king must follow the "spider's path"; to find the way they seek the aid of dangerous, man-eating giant spiders. As spiders don't keep maps, their mage turns one of the spiders into human guise, forcing it to lead their way if it is ever to return to its true form. Both dark and immensely funny, Spiderlight is at once a love letter to classical heroic fantasy quests and a deconstruction of the idea of 'evil races' in the fantasy genre.

Providence Girls by Morgan Dante

Sapphic horror re-imagining of several of H.P. Lovecraft's works from the point of view of the women sidelined as victims in the originals. Forced to abandon her not-quite-human children to escape a cult seeking to sacrifice her, Lavinia nearly dies from exposure in the woods. She's saved by the prickly Asenath, and they find themselves growing close as Lavinia regains her strength. But Asenath's own dark past is catching up, as she too begins to transform into something not entirely human.

Amatka by Karin Tidbeck

Dystopia with especially creative world-building and a sapphic romance. In a vague past, something caused a group of humans to become trapped in an alien world, where the laws of reality themselves react in hostile ways to humanity's attempt at life and stability. To survive, strict rules and censorship are put in place, with harsh punishments for any overstep. Vanja is sent to the distant colony Amatka to do market research. In her research, she starts finding out the truth of the laws she chafes under, and begins to wonder whether life is really worth living if change isn't made.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Having grown up on the heavily militarized Gaea Station, Kyr has spent her whole life training to become a soldier, aiming to bring power back to humanity after Earth was destroyed in an alien war decades ago. But when she is relegated to the nursery to birth future sons and her brother is sent on a suicide mission, Kyr breaks the rules for the first time in her life. Breaking out an alien prisoner and working alongside her brother's asshole friend, she flees Gaea Station to save her brother and bring glory to humanity. But along the way she finds out there’s much she doesn't know, about Gaea station and her own family both.

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

Alternate history. In 1952, history changes when a massive meteorite hits the Earth, killing thousands and kickstarting a global climate change that will soon make the planet uninhabitable. To save humanity from extinction, the world begins to come together to bring us to space before it's too late. Elma York, WASP pilot in the war and expert mathematician, is hoping to become one of the astronauts, but finds that she and her women friends have to work harder than anyone else to be given room in the mission.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

Young adult fantasy. Anequs is a young indigenous woman in a land ruled by Anglish conquerors. When Anequs finds a dragon egg and bonds with the hatchling, she is forced to travel away to attend an academy for dragon riders as one of only two indigenous students. Pulled between the traditions of her family and the ideas of the conquerors - many of which want her out of the academy no matter what - Anequs must find her place in the world as a dragon rider.

What Doesn’t Break by Cassandra Khaw

Fantasy, character study. You’re unlikely to get the full experience of What Doesn’t Break unless you’re also a viewer of Critical Role. It follows the backstory of Laudna, undead sorceress and warlock with the ghostly presence of the necromancer who once murdered her keeping residence in her mind and tugging at her strings. For thirty years, Laudna wanders the outskirts of society, forced into a lonely existence by her visibly undead status, and tries to understand what she wants to do with her un-life.

[hersurvival]

[elliepassmore]

Such Sharp Teeth review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: werewolves, supernatural, feminist stories, spooky stories

I bought this one kind of on a whim, but I'm glad I did. It's been a while since I've had a good supernatural read and this one checked the boxes and was funny. I said it was a feminist story, but I don't know if it really fits in that category. It does deal with things like sexual assault/harassment and how women are often not believed, even by those closest to them, but it's not a story about those things. They just come up sometimes.

Rory is not a character I particularly relate to (first off, she lives in NYC, blech), but I enjoyed having her as the narrator. She's got a good sense of humor and it's clear she really cares for and is close to her sister. All things considered, she handles turning into a werewolf fairly well. I mean, sure, she's upset and confused, but once she accepts that something is off, she immediately takes steps to accommodate for it. I do think Rory needs a therapist, though not for the reason Scarlett thinks she does, especially in regard to some of her avoidant behaviors.

Scarlett is a bit hard to get a read on. By Rory's own admission, her sister keeps things very close to her chest, but there was definitely an interesting dynamic going on there. For one, Scarlett doesn't seem particularly thrilled to be pregnant, though she also doesn't seem to hate it. When things are going smoothly, Scarlett seems pretty fun and I enjoyed her relationships with Rory and Ash. At the same time, she also has somewhat of a blocker when it comes to believing her sister, even when the proof is in front of her, which (along with some of her reactions) I didn't love.

Ian is really the only other character who gets a decent amount of page time. He seems pretty chill and is able to take a lot of things in stride. He and Rory knew each other as kids, and from Rory's memories and how Ian is on-page, it's clear he's grown a lot and and has come into himself. I appreciated how well he was able to handle various behaviors and how understanding he was about things both supernatural and not.

I thought the werewolf stuff was pretty interesting and I like Harrison's take on it. All the traditional elements of lycanthropy are there, including it being spread via bite, and it was definitely a nice change of pace to see that represented as opposed to the more popular controlled change and lycanthropy through genetics/birth. There are definitely some elements that are a bit gruesome, like Rory's wound after she gets bit, but by and large it's pretty gore-free. I do have some questions about the silver blood. Like...is it just during certain times of the month? How are werewolves supposed to get medical treatment if their blood isn't red (they heal quickly, so do they even need medical treatment? Do they get sick?)? Is period blood now silver too? Many questions that I definitely don't need to get answered but that did cross my mind, lol.

This is a pretty quick read despite it being a full length novel and it's the perfect book for going into fall and spooky season. I definitely enjoyed it and recommend it if you're looking for a nice light supernatural read.

[firewolf-pyro]

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison.

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

JOMP BPC - February 26th - This Month's Favourite

this month it was a tie between Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison, a thrilling female-led horror novel, and The Love Song of Ivy K Harlowe by Hannah Moskowitz, a character-driven contemporary following three chaotic wlw trying to cope with their feelings for one another. both were 100% up my alley and I loved every page!

[rosemaryentombed]

the best werewolf novel i ever did read was ‘the devourer’ by indra das, so it’s always difficult for me to open the horror version of chicklit werewolf fiction bc i got spoiled by das. but ngl… im happy rory’s transformation didn’t start off with an actual or metaphorical rape. she was just at the wrong place and the wrong time. imagine catching werewolf disease bc you thought you hit a deer, got out the car cuz u felt bad, but then became a werewolf’s dinner bc you interrupted their feeding time 😭