100 books like The Witch's Wolves

By Ellie Mae MacGregor,

Here are 100 books that The Witch's Wolves fans have personally recommended if you like The Witch's Wolves. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Book cover of The Ecstasy of Cornelia Day

Aveda Vice Author Of Feed

From my list on short monster romances doing things differently.

Why am I passionate about this?

Monsters intrigue me. I’ve always enjoyed the weird and obscure – the creatures who are recognizably not human. Being a queer, autistic person, I’ve often felt as if I didn’t understand the world…or the world didn’t understand me. Reading and writing about monsters sheds a new light on the parts of myself that I was taught are undesirable. By conventional standards, the monsters in these stories are horrifying, yet they find people who love them and their monstrosity. Monsters get their happy endings – and I can get mine, too.

Aveda's book list on short monster romances doing things differently

Aveda Vice Why did Aveda love this book?

When it comes to monster romances off the beaten path, Magen Cubed is not afraid to play with more macabre themes. I enjoy all of their shorts, but The Ecstasy of Cornelia Day really sold me. When Cordelia moves into a new house, she realizes there are still spirits within its walls, and she starts to feel more than fear for the specters that haunt her. If you’re a fan of the pottery scene in Ghost and aren’t afraid to get a spooky and ethereal…try this. You’ll thank me.

By Magen Cubed,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ecstasy of Cornelia Day as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Seated at her table, Cornelia squeezed her thighs together under her dress. She found she could no longer restrain her impulses at the thought. For now, however, Cornelia was content to listen to the old house whisper."

Let love take you to dark places in THE ECSTASY OF CORNELIA DAY from Magen Cubed (FLESHTRAP, A MONSTROUS LOVE, and THE SOUTHERN GOTHIC SERIES). In this erotic supernatural romance, a woman falls in love with the nine spirits who haunt her home -- and the man who killed them, known as the Master.

Sensuous, dream-like, and strange, this 4,200-word short story is…


Book cover of The Devil's Bargain

Aveda Vice Author Of Feed

From my list on short monster romances doing things differently.

Why am I passionate about this?

Monsters intrigue me. I’ve always enjoyed the weird and obscure – the creatures who are recognizably not human. Being a queer, autistic person, I’ve often felt as if I didn’t understand the world…or the world didn’t understand me. Reading and writing about monsters sheds a new light on the parts of myself that I was taught are undesirable. By conventional standards, the monsters in these stories are horrifying, yet they find people who love them and their monstrosity. Monsters get their happy endings – and I can get mine, too.

Aveda's book list on short monster romances doing things differently

Aveda Vice Why did Aveda love this book?

We all know the story: someone messes around with magic and ends up indebted to a demon. In this short, however, our main character is a queer Black man, and the devil that finds him won’t take no for an answer. For fans of Omegaverse, dubcon, and monsters that look like monsters, definitely check this out!

By Rian Fox,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Devil's Bargain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The last thing Silas Cromwell expected was for a book to change his life. When a rare first edition book from a famous 19th-century Occultist ends up in Silas's lap at an auction, life as he knows it suddenly changes. Pressured into performing one of the rituals from the book by a friend, Silas gets a tease of regret. Now Silas can’t sleep, is having nightmares that end with him waking up terrified. Something obscene, dark and deadly wants Silas and he isn’t human. Bazaduil lusts for Silas and won’t take no for an answer, even if it means tricking…


Book cover of Sing Me to Sleep: A Series of Sacrilegious Events Novel

Aveda Vice Author Of Feed

From my list on short monster romances doing things differently.

Why am I passionate about this?

Monsters intrigue me. I’ve always enjoyed the weird and obscure – the creatures who are recognizably not human. Being a queer, autistic person, I’ve often felt as if I didn’t understand the world…or the world didn’t understand me. Reading and writing about monsters sheds a new light on the parts of myself that I was taught are undesirable. By conventional standards, the monsters in these stories are horrifying, yet they find people who love them and their monstrosity. Monsters get their happy endings – and I can get mine, too.

Aveda's book list on short monster romances doing things differently

Aveda Vice Why did Aveda love this book?

What I wouldn’t give for my sleep hallucinations to fuck me instead of terrifying me. Even in this novella-sized package, Sing Me to Sleep has tons of world building to kick off the upcoming series in this universe. If you struggle with nightmares or just want to read about an Indian American woman overcoming trauma and falling for her monstrous sleep paralysis demon, do yourself a favor! (There’s tail action.)

By RM Virtues,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sing Me to Sleep as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Penelope has lost so much in six months.

Her father, her sense of security, her ability — and willingness— to sleep. Her family is most concerned about the latter at the moment, and when her sister Jenna leaves her alone in their shared home for the first time since The Incident, Penelope finally accepts some help. The only problem? There are side effects. Well, one: sleep paralysis.

And the demon who came for her fear.

Fear is the only thing that matters to the demons of the Somni Dae, and as long as they deliver it back to Hell, they…


Book cover of A Strip of Velvet

Aveda Vice Author Of Feed

From my list on short monster romances doing things differently.

Why am I passionate about this?

Monsters intrigue me. I’ve always enjoyed the weird and obscure – the creatures who are recognizably not human. Being a queer, autistic person, I’ve often felt as if I didn’t understand the world…or the world didn’t understand me. Reading and writing about monsters sheds a new light on the parts of myself that I was taught are undesirable. By conventional standards, the monsters in these stories are horrifying, yet they find people who love them and their monstrosity. Monsters get their happy endings – and I can get mine, too.

Aveda's book list on short monster romances doing things differently

Aveda Vice Why did Aveda love this book?

There's nothing like the pairing of a prickly woman and a gender-nebulous forest god.

Rien Gray always hooks me with their intriguing characters, but combine that with this story’s spiritual atmosphere and Norse mythos? It felt less like I was reading a book and more like I was wandering into the seductive dark of the woods myself.

Although this story is short enough to read in one sitting, its gorgeous prose and immaculate intimacy still pack a major punch.

By Rien Gray,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Strip of Velvet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Katla Elínsdóttir has always believed in the old ways. She grew up in a rural village worshipping Heimr, an ever-changing and seductive god of the hunt. Offering blood to make the crops grow is second nature, but part of Katla fears a darker side of her nature that longs for prey. 

Abandoning her worship for a normal life in the city seems to tame that thirst, until Heimr appears in Katla's dreams and calls her back to the wild. They offer her everything she desires, but at a price her body and soul might not survive.

This story contains explicit…


Book cover of Red

Carolyn Watson Dubisch Author Of Dragon Stones

From my list on to spark your child's imagination.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've spent decades teaching art to preschool and elementary school-aged kids in New York, California, Arizona, and here in Mexico where I live now. Children’s minds make connections that adults rarely do, especially in their art. Watching their imaginations at work have helped me keep my mind fresh when it comes to my own writing and art. Stories and books like these in my list connect to a child’s sense of wonder. Something that so many people lose as the world wears them down. I’m thrilled to share authors and artists here who have held onto that magic and I look forward to more books from all of them.

Carolyn's book list on to spark your child's imagination

Carolyn Watson Dubisch Why did Carolyn love this book?

The classic fairy tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” told in magnificent and detailed illustrations. The art is carefully rendered in black and white with bright red highlighting each page creating a unique look. This book, fortunately, has created a happier ending than Red getting gobbled up by the wolf. This mixture of a classic tale told through a new lens is truly enchanting.

By Jed Alexander,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Red as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Red is on her way through the woods to visit Grandmother when she meets the Big Bad Wolf. What are that Wolf and all of those woodland creatures up to? This version of the classic folktale ends a bit differently. A delightful surprise awaits Red and readers in this wordless picture book featuring newcomer Jed Alexander's exquisite two-color illustrations.


Book cover of Big Bad Wolf's Yom Kippur

Martha Seif Simpson Author Of Esther's Gragger: A Toyshop Tale of Purim

From my list on fun picture books about Jewish holidays.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a retired children’s librarian with years of experience choosing books and presenting storytimes. I’m also a picture book author. My first three published picture books were about holidays. I recently served on the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, so I had the opportunity to read all the Jewish picture books published from 2020-2023. Many were about holidays, and the books I selected are among my favorites because they are fun to read and they express the joy of these celebrations. (And yes, I consider Shabbat to be a holiday!)

Martha's book list on fun picture books about Jewish holidays

Martha Seif Simpson Why did Martha love this book?

I’m a big fan of fractured fairy tales, and this book about the Big Bad Wolf repenting on Yom Kippur works really well.

At first, Wolf agrees to go to the synagogue because he thinks it will be a giant lunch buffet. But the rabbi tells the congregants that anyone can become a better person and do good deeds, even Wolf!

love how Wolf revisits the scenes of some of his baddest moments. He helps Little Red Riding Hood care for her sick granny instead of eating them. Rather than blowing down the houses of the three little pigs, he helps them make their homes more secure. Wolf ends up fasting the entire day and is invited to a break fast by his new friends.

I also like the expressive pictures of Wolf as his emotions change throughout the book. This is a great book to teach kids about…

By David Sherrin, Martín Morón (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Big Bad Wolf's Yom Kippur as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

"This sweet, humorous tale conveys the meaning of this important Jewish holiday in a way that's understandable for children. Its premise proves it's easy to err on the side of good; each of us has kindness within, and it's satisfying to let it show." --Kirkus Reviews


In this fractured fairy tale mash-up that explains the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, Bid Bad Wolf struggles to understand whether he has the capacity for change, and in the process discovers friendship among those he once thought of only as tasty snacks.


When Racoon invites the Big Bad Wolf to Yom Kippur services,…


Book cover of The Stinky Cheese Man: And Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Chris Harris Author Of My Head Has a Bellyache: And More Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups

From my list on kids and grown-ups will laugh, gasp, and grin at.

Why am I passionate about this?

Reading with your kid can be a delight, but it’s tough to find a book that both grown-up and child think is hysterical. I mean, I tried reading Catch-22 to my three-year-old, but for some reason the incisive social commentary just didn’t resonate with her. My kids and I both let out genuine chuckles and guffaws while reading all of these books—an experience that I treasured. These books are all giggly, snickery proof that you don’t have to dumb things down to appeal to a wide age range—a goal that I aim for myself in the children’s books and TV shows that I write. 

Chris' book list on kids and grown-ups will laugh, gasp, and grin at

Chris Harris Why did Chris love this book?

This is the book that made my kids’ heads explode (not literally—this book is perfectly safe (as far as I know)) as it helped them discover the idea of parody: taking something familiar and twisting it in a funny, unexpected way.

We rolled and lol’ed together as we read Jon’s wild, hysterical takes on old fairy tales. The non-twist twist ending to his take on the ugly duckling story is still a running joke in our family. Jon’s The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs and The Real Dada Mother Goose are also great for the same reason.

By Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Stinky Cheese Man as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The entire book, with its unconventional page arrangement and eclectic, frenetic mix of text and pictures, is a spoof on the art of book design and the art of the fairy tale. The individual tales, such as The Really Ugly Duckling and Little Red Running Shorts, can be extracted for telling aloud, with great success. Another masterpiece from the team that created The True Story of the Three Little Pigs!
-Horn Book


Book cover of The Bloody Chamber: And Other Stories

Camilla Andrew Author Of When The Stars Alight

From my list on fantasy and cinematic experiences.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I was a maladaptive daydreamer. I could often be found crafting elaborate fantasies in my head featuring fully-fledged worlds and characters that I would actively interact with and speak to as if they were real. I was a strange child, and I kept that strangeness with me when I went into fiction. Since then, I’ve always wanted to encapsulate the feeling of giving a movie-like experience in book form. I want the people who read my work to feel like they’re experiencing something real.

Camilla's book list on fantasy and cinematic experiences

Camilla Andrew Why did Camilla love this book?

While more of an anthology than a book, this still encapsulates the theme quite well. Perhaps more suited to a mini episodic format than a feature-length film, Carter still imbues many of her short stories with striking and unforgettable imagery.

I think of the titular story and its ancient castle by the sea or The Erl-King and its inescapable labyrinth of a forest and am left dumbfounded that I have not seen it rendered anywhere other than my own mind’s eye.

By Angela Carter,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Bloody Chamber as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With an introduction by Helen Simpson. From familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires and werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.


Book cover of Warming the Stone Child: Myths and Stories About Abandonment and the Unmothered Child

Leslie Becker-Phelps Author Of The Insecure in Love Workbook: Step-by-Step Guidance to Help You Overcome Anxious Attachment and Feel More Secure with Yourself and Your Partner

From my list on helpful books for developing securely attached relationships.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve had a life-long desire to help others, so it’s no surprise that I chose to become a psychologist. In my search for underlying causes and potential healing agents for emotional suffering, I have learned (and deeply feel) the importance of self-awareness, connection, and compassion for a sense of well-being. I’ve also found that attachment theory provides a great framework for pulling all of this together. Driven by my commitment to help people, I use my writing, YouTube channel, speaking, and therapy to share what I’ve learned. Just as my list of books has helped me on my path, I hope it helps you on yours!

Leslie's book list on helpful books for developing securely attached relationships

Leslie Becker-Phelps Why did Leslie love this book?

Unlike so many books that address the topic of abandonment, the messages of this audiobook grabbed my heart and pulled my mind along for the ride. I personally found that listening to the author’s incredibly powerful stories and metaphors led me to be highly engaged in her follow-up explanations of the underlying dynamics. She elucidated how they illustrated the difficulties of people who feel a chronic sense of being alone and abandoned and who yearn for mothering.

Based on sharing this book with my patients, I suggest that if you want to listen to it, you will benefit from doing this at a time when you are ready to delve into your personal journey. Also, be sure to give yourself the time to absorb and process its messages.

By Clarissa Pinkola Estes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Warming the Stone Child as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Healing for the "Unmothered Child"

The pain of abandonment, both real and metaphorical, can cast a shadow over our entire adult experience. Warming the Stone Child investigates the abandoned child archetype in world myths and cultures to find clues about the process of healing the unmothered child within us all. Along the way, this gifted storyteller and Jungian psychoanalyst instructs us about the psychology of abandonment in childhood, how it affects us in later life, and its curiously special gifts and powers. Join her as she illuminates:

The Inuit fable of the Stone Child
* Symptoms of the adult "abandoned…


Book cover of The Blue Fairy Book

Kevin Kiely Author Of A Horse Called El Dorado

From my list on surviving danger and seeing your dream come true.

Why am I passionate about this?

This is very simple as to why there is passionate engagement with the themes listed within each of the five titles chosen. It's about engagement with the story which immediately comes from strongly identifying with the characters and events. The ‘identity factor’ is vital in drawing the reader in, and it's the mystery when writing a story or book which doesn’t begin with a prescribed plan. The mystery is really what creates the story and its characters, wanting to see what happens on the next page. With the reader, after having read a few pages, feeling the compulsion to read on, fully committed, emotionally involved, intrigued, and passionately caught up in the story.

Kevin's book list on surviving danger and seeing your dream come true

Kevin Kiely Why did Kevin love this book?

Lang’s story telling is compelling opening up for the reader the timeless characters of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, Jack the Giant Killer, Jonathan Swift’s “A Voyage to Lilliput” from Gulliver’s Travels, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstilzkin, Why the Sea is Salt, Goldilocks, Blue Beard, Snow White and many others. 

My sister and brother (older than I) used to read aloud from, not only The Blue Fairy Book but the Red Book and the Green Book. These stories were the first I’d heard, and were so real I believed the characters would be present in my life. Grimm’s Tales ‘told’ by Lang becomes an exciting guidebook for a young person growing up. This aspect was ‘proven’ to me by the co-existence of these characters as archetypes in terms of life events and situations. My conviction is that the storyline, characters, and the progression of events in…

By Andrew Lang,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Blue Fairy Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

"The Blue Fairy Book" is Andrew Lang's classic selection of popular fairy tales. Contained in this work you will find the following tales: The Bronze Ring, Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Yellow Dwarf, Little Red Riding-Hood, The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Cinderella; or, the Little Glass Slipper, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, The Tale of a Youth Who Set Out to Learn What Fear Was, Rumpelstiltzkin, Beauty and the Beast, The Master-Maid, Why the Sea is Salt, The Master Cat; or, Puss in Boots, Felicia and the…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Little Red Riding Hood, wolves, and folklore?

11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Little Red Riding Hood, wolves, and folklore.

Little Red Riding Hood Explore 13 books about Little Red Riding Hood
Wolves Explore 111 books about wolves
Folklore Explore 349 books about folklore