naomi_jay | Wolves in the Library (Reply)

Personally I feel that werewolves are getting the raw end of the deal in urban fantasy. They’re either whining, angsting pains-in-the-ass or they’re surprisingly tame, de-fanged romance heroes who probably never killed a sheep in their life because they’re too busy wooing the laydeez. Rubbish, I say. What’s worse is that they’re usually playing second fiddle to vampires. Vampires! Come on! Look, whatever problems werewolves have, at least they’re alive, whereas vampires are basically just noisy corpses.

Luckily it’s not all bad. There are some cool werewolves out there. And, it must be noted, they’re all girls. Take for example, if you will, Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty series, starting with Kitty and the Midnight Hour. In the first book of the series, Kitty Norville’s on the bottom rung of her pack, struggling to keep out of trouble and lead a quiet life. Unfortunately, she’s outed as a werewolf on national radio and is soon fighting tooth and claw to escape her pack. I heart Kitty a lot. She’s compassionate, she’s smart, she’s got a wicked sense of humour and when she changes shape, she’s all wolf. She’s not afraid to kill a rabbit or two.

Then there’s Vivian Gandillon of Annette Curtis Klause’s Blood and Chocolate. Young, beautiful and fierce, Vivian relishes the change from girl to wolf. But her loyalties are tested when she falls in love with human artist, Aidan. Her pack is in danger of exposure and Vivian’s suddenly unsure which world she really belongs in. It’s a great coming-of-age story and it was recently made into a film (which I haven’t seen yet.)

Of course, there's Kelley Armstrong's Elena Michaels from the Women of the Otherworld series. Star of Bitten, Stolen and Broken, Elena is one of my favourite werewolves. She's kickass, she's tough and she's the only female werewolf in the world. Throw in half-demons, vampires, necromancers and witches and well ... It's hard out here for a female werewolf.

Last but not least is Lola Galley of Kit Whitfield’s Bareback. Okay, Lola’s not a werewolf. But roughly 98% of the human population is. On the night of the full moon, regular citizens lock themselves in a safe place and shape shift in peace. For people like Lola, unable to change shape, life is very different. Conscripted at eighteen into DORLA (Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activity), Lola’s world is fraught with prejudice and danger. Scorned and hated by lycos, life for a bareback isn’t one you’d wish on anyone. I’ve pimped this novel before on my blog, because I honestly, truly love it. It has so much going for it, it’s hard to sum it up in a few sentences and the best advice I can give you is go buy a copy.

And finally there’s my favourite werewolf heroine, Ivy Cole … But I’m saving her for later…