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Monday, May 2, 2011

Monday Mumbling ... Shifters

Okay, I'll admit I'm developing a reputation in some circles as having a bit of a shifter fetish, but today we'll twist it a bit further. I would say when the popularity of shifters began it's upswing, most were canine - usually wolves but sometimes dogs, coyotes, etc. - or felines - large cats as a rule, not house cats. But then authors started to get more creative and the rest of the creatures of the night - and day - came out of the woodwork to join the romance community. There are more and more these days which is a good thing I think. So these are some of my recommended unusual shifter reads that I've enjoyed. Hope you have some more you can add that you've enjoyed.

Two recent books that I've enjoyed in part because of the use of a light touch with unusual shifters have been:




Ermine and Bougainvillea by ID Locke which I reviewed HERE. Wynn is an ermine shifter who hooks up with a half-dryad. It's a kinky BDSM romance that I totally loved.


Another unusual critter was found in Tortoise Interruptus by JL Merrow. A very funny story about a tortoise shifter who has no control over when it happens. A great read I reviewed HERE.







While some other authors have used avian shifters in their stories such as Stephani Hecht in her Lost Shifter books where there are hawks and ravens, Duck by Kim Dare is set in a world with only avian shifters. This D/s story made me sniffly but it was really well done and was pretty faithful to bird traits I think translated into the human world. I reviewed Duck HERE.



Val, lover all all things reptilian ;-) gave us a super sexy alligator shifter in Call and Answer. I'm really happy to hear that this will be an ongoing series because I would love to read more about the guys and see how they work out that whole human/reptile love thing. :-) I reviewed this story HERE .



 


One book that covers nearly every base in the shifter world was the unusual western ... anthology? joint writing project? Shifting Sands. I'm not sure how to explain it by  Ally Blue, JL Langley, Brenda Bryer, Kimberly Gardner, Jet Mykles, and Willa Okati. I reviewed it yesterday but it covers ALL the bases including the unusual critters of snake, rat, pig, sheep, dragon, rabbit, rooster and monkey, along with bull, tigers, horse, and dog. An interesting concept.




So any other good ones out there? I'm waiting for the  giraffe shifter some author is going to write. That long tongue? Fodder for amazing sex scenes. I've still got an idea shifting around in my head for that penguin whose killer whale lover cheats on him. :-)

25 comments:

KT Grant said...

Alligator shifter? Does he have a long tail ;)

Tam said...

If I remember Henri wasn't complaining KB. :-)

K. Z. Snow said...

Well...I don't think I'll ever get into the shifter groove, but if Val writes a sequel to Call and Answer, I'll be on it. Must read Tortoise, too, just because of Jamie's humor.

Tam said...

Some of us have the shifter fetish KZ, some of us don't. LOL Jamie's is very funny and Val's was great too. Looking forward to more of them.

You sure you don't want to tackle the giraffe? Maybe a rhino? Lemur? He'd be like Steve Buscemi in his human form. Wait. Not sexy.

Jenre said...

I'm trying to think of some other unusual shifter books but I can't. I've definitely read one with a house cat shifter but I can't remember where now.

I really must read Duck. It's had lots of great reviews.

Average Reader said...

Tam, thank you so much! Definitely going to be a sequel. :) I really enjoyed Tortoise Interruptus too (plus it's a great title). And the Shifting Sands one sounds very intriguing.

Tam said...

I think you'll enjoy Duck Jen. Although they are shifters, it could also be interpreted as a book examining class divides, and they don't run around shifting willy nilly. :-)

The Willa Okati series has a tom cat. Tom Cat Jones it's called? There have been a few, but not many, mostly they are big cats.

Tam said...

You're quite welcome Val. Shifting Sands was different and they are all great authors so you know it will be well done. I think maybe the rat and rooster were my two favourite stories.

Chris said...

Well, there was that ferret shifter story we read... And I read a chia pet shifter story somewhere. ;p

I've actually read a couple house cat shifter stories and haven't read the WO series. Boots by Angel Martinez, although he's not actually a human who shifts. Can't remember what the others are, darn it.

Glad you recommended Shifting Sands - I pulled it out of the TBR and read it yesterday.

Tam said...

Are you referring to Marcin? He was a hamster thank you very much. LOL

I remember one cat story where he was inherited by the nephew of his owner and he was cursed. Not sure if it was in an anthology or a short. Hmmm. That's going to bug me now.

Ah, there was the Imperial Cat by Kate Cotoner,

Chris said...

You wrote a chia pet shifter story!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8377708-chia-pet-hell

Tam said...

Yes yes, he was a leopard/chia pet. :-) Marcin was my hamster story. No ferrets from me.

Chris said...

The ferret one was BDSFerret by Celia Kyle.

Tam said...

Ah, I've not read that one.

Chris said...

You have! :)

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/101780435

Tam said...

Oh hell. I remember now. LOL

Chris said...

Ok, I was starting to wonder if I was going crazy. :D

Erotic Horizon said...

*Shivers* at some of those shifter animal...

The classic animals are about the only one I can deal with...

P.S

What does a shifter fetish involve....

:)

Tam said...

Now now EH, get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not into furries. LOL I just have a tendency to gravitate to any story with a shifter in it. The ones with unusual shifters tend not to focus on them in animal form too much, I did have issues with the snake one in Shifting Sands as that's one of my bug-a-boos. :-)

Chris said...

Tam: I thought that the mate in the snake shifter story adapted a little too easily to the snake thing! I suppose he WAS a little distracted...

Tam said...

I agree Chris because I would have been OUT. Of. THERE. LOL True love be damned and I don't care how good you are in the sack.

Erotic Horizon said...

"I just have a tendency to gravitate to any story with a shifter in it"

Is that what they are calling it these day - you stick to that story..mmmmm

:)LOL

Tam said...

When all the paranormals come out in 2012 as per Kris' prediction, I'll be first in line to get me a shifter boy. Not fussy on what type. :-)

Chris said...

I'd fuss a little, Tam, or you're sure to end up with a snakey one.

Tam said...

True Chris, but if I get there early there should still be a good selection of mammals and birds.