The best shapeshifter books

Ilona Andrews is a husband-and-wife team that writes realistic, diverse characters and edgy, complex storylines. From the unique, somewhat sci-fi Innkeeper Chronicles to the gritty post-shift world of the Kate Daniels series and the powerful families of the Hidden Legacy series, the Andrews team excels at next level world building, flawed, relatable characters, and I love every one of their books, but Blood Heir is my favorite because it has a strong grown-up street kid with a found family vibes and is a tension-filled slow burn romance, with a strong, intelligent, compassionate, witty female protagonist. 

Alexis is an incredible storyteller. She takes her readers on an amazing journey filled with fantastic descriptions that use all of the senses. Her characters are real, well-developed, believable people with problems, insecurities, and the hope to make things better. Her settings are stunning. And the plot is amazing!

Modern girl finds a cursed ring, goes back in time to the deadly Tudor era, and falls for the king. What could go wrong? This book has everything, cursed rings, time travel, swoon-worthy romance, forbidden love, and a drop-dead gorgeous Tudor King. There’s also a murder mystery as well, which adds so much depth to the plot. And I love, love, love how Murray treated the time travel aspect. There are dire consequences for changing the past and those consequences could be the worst curse of all. EATTK is YA and is suitable for younger readers and the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy.

This is fantasy right up to date: for 8 to 12-year-olds, it was published in 2021. Its castle setting immediately defines it as fantasy: "Beyond the castle’s moat, the deep, dark forest was shot through with trails of sunlight, tracing golden paths of possibility…. The dark-haired girl… sat, bare feet dangling against stone, on the windowsill of her tower bedroom." It’s a vivid picture, instantly engaging us in a world where family is very important. The heroine, Cordelia, is one of three triplets. Their task is to use their magical powers to find and mend the Raven Crown so that the parched land beyond the forest can be healed of the fighting that rampages across it, and people and the natural world live in peace—themes I feel very much in sympathy with.

Have you ever felt out of place? Like you don’t belong in this world? 

That’s how Lily Monroe used to feel—until she discovered she was right. 

When Lily is thrown into a parallel world filled with magic, mythological creatures, and people with amazing superpowers, she embarks on a rollercoaster of a journey and takes you along. 

She finds family. She finds loyal friends. And maybe even love.

I highly recommend all three books of the Realm Saga. In fact, after you read the first one, you’ll definitely want to read the rest, and you won’t regret it.

When I first picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down. Our story follows Cabe, the son of a Dragon Master, as he is thrust into adventure when the Brown Dragon himself comes and demands Cabe go with him. What really intrigued me about this book was how Knaak wrote his dragons. They are shape-changing beasts that rule the land under their own council led by the Gold Dragon. This was the first book I read that portrayed dragons as having a leadership similar to that of a monarchy, and once I delved into their world, I didn’t want to stop reading.

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.

Besides the intriguing adventure and plot, this series is the masterpiece of Sarah Ash (the first books especially – and the last chapter is still being written). You’d soon fall in love with her and her exquisite and rich way of describing her magical worlds.

The final book on my list rolls into epic fantasy, with oracles and dragons and magic and prophecies… All sorts of stuff to really make the life of a girl who works at a coffee shop very confusing and difficult. Poor Davie gets thrown into the deep end but works to keep her head above water. Savvy and snarky, she got to me right away, but again, it’s the heart. She’s one of those characters that inspires loyalty from the people around her and you understand why. You want to be by her side too, even if she’s got a totally sardonic inner and outer voice.

While this urban fantasy series isn’t Japanese per se, it’s full of realistic martial arts action. I love this series because of the unique mixture of concepts, and the well-imagined and likeable characters, even the bad guys. Jane Yellowrock is a shotgun-toting, motorbike riding, kick ass woman. She’s also a Cherokee Skinwalker (shapeshifter) and a security professional who works for vampire organizations to hunt down and kill their rogues; those who can't control themselves from biting humans. The books are set in modern New Orleans, which is quite an interesting location for me. I just don’t think you can get a better or weirder combination of ideas: Cherokee mythology and vampires. It may sound like a weird concept, but there are 13 books in the series. It works. 

This trilogy, in the fantasy novels genre, goes into the quest to discover mystical answers in story form.

What is outstanding about these books, and all of McKillip’s writings, is her amazing ability to use words in a poetic and visually expressive fashion. When she describes something, like shapeshifting, for example, you actually see and feel the experience due to her fluency with descriptive imagery.

These books are archetypal to the hero’s journey and the search for the Divine Guide. I have read them over and over. There is something powerful and deep about them.

This has a quite classic theme of good versus bad. I was really rooting for Zacriah from the start. He was more of your “has hidden magic” hero, but he came from humble beginnings. I do like an underdog, but more than that I like everyday people (or elves!) and seeing how they rise against adversity. Maybe because, especially in the current climate, it feels like we need to do this more and more. Zacriah is an everyday hero. Hadrian, the other protagonist is, however, a prince. The writing is such though that I was rooting for him too. Maybe because it was obvious that he cared for Zac from the start and I’m a sucker for a love story. 

You might not be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can judge it by its opening sentences. I loved the opening of The Frenzy. The protagonist doesn’t ask “Who am I?” but “What am I?” One word makes all the difference, and it hooked me immediately. 

The story is engrossing and there’s a lot going on, but the best part is that Block does a great job of bringing the 17-year-old protagonist, Liv, to life. Her relationship with her mother is totally real and the love she and her boyfriend, Corey, share, is inspirational. 

This book promised me high fantasy with tomb raiding and boy, did it deliver! Sangster’s world is simply named the Commonwealth, but it is anything but simple. Twin moons, ancient lore circling around monstrous shapeshifters, a forbidden magic opposing a heavily religious relegated one, carnivorous unicorns, deadly tombs, and swords carrying the souls of those it killed, She Who Rides the Storm is chock full of detailed worldbuilding. With a beautiful cast of four amazingly well-written characters you actually grow to care about, their individual heists to get into the tomb of the shapeshifter king are loaded with high stakes and dangers. Even better? The plot twists that connect them are glorious and had my jaw on the floor. Conclusion: a humble epic waiting to be discovered.

A herd of wild unicorns, a gloomy forest, a changeling, and magic—The Changeling of Fenlen Forest is a perfect choice for a cozy day of reading. The book opens with Elizabeth as she searches for her lost unicorn fawn. But her search takes her to a strange land where Elizabeth resembles a missing girl. So much so, that the town’s people think she’s a changeling—and dangerous. Elizabeth, with the help of a handsome shepherd, searches for the answer behind the missing girl. But is she prepared for the secrets her search will uncover? The Changeling of Fenlen Forest is a journey into loss and identity, and it’s the perfect read for days when readers want to inhabit a mysterious new world that’s full of intrigue.

A great story about the underdog bullied kid who rises up to become a necromancer builds up an undead nation, and rises up to contend with powerful forces against all odds. Great storytelling and compelling character, it’s a pleasure watching Jason grows up from a timid teen to a confident leader – and by using the dark arts. It's a great coming-of-age \ underdog reach the top kind of story – except the underdog does it by embracing necromancy and his tools are the undead soul-wilting powers – yet you can't stop rooting for him to win.

Loretta Chase presents a thoroughly entertaining Beauty and the Beast story in Lord of Scoundrels, book three of her Scoundrels series. Miss Jessica Trent attempts to negotiate with the Marquess of Dain in order to extract her idiot brother from Dain’s unhealthy influence. But Dain dislikes the species known as “ladies” and trusts them even less. He offers Jessica his own self-serving terms, which she roundly rejects. They’re horribly attracted to one another, which Dain refuses to acknowledge, and Jessica knows is the road to ruin. Experiencing this big, powerful, beastly man’s taming at the hands of a small, beautiful, fiercely intelligent woman is delightful. Their dialogue and banter are stellar and their constant battles a thing of beauty. Truly, one of the best Regency’s out there.  

I don't remember how I found this series, but I was immediately taken with the fast-paced romance stories featuring tough-as-nails women who find dragons as their mates. It’s tough to combine blood-thirsty and sexy, but somehow she pulls it off while mixing the species. Of all the series I’ve come across this one probably has the most raw sex, but it seems to work and isn’t too much to take. Sex is such a tricky thing in novels., it really needs to be done well or it’s a distraction. Again what I like in this series, is that the women drive the narrative. 

Whenever Tessa touches someone’s skin she hears their thoughts and experiences their emotions which makes having friends and dating difficult. When she finally meets the guy of her dreams, he bites her. Not in a fun, sexy way but in an I’m about turn you into a werewolf kind of way. To keep her from going feral, she’s forced to attend St. Ailbea’s Academy aka werewolf school. I love academy books and this one has all the feels.  

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.