Werewolves You’d Be Wise to be Wary Of

6 werewolf novels worth consuming

Werewolf stories hark back to ancient times.

The Greeks talked about them. European folklore refers to men changing into wolves. In the Middle Ages, werewolves were even legislated against to ensure that “…the madly audacious werewolf do not too widely devastate, nor bite too many of the spiritual flock”.

Whether they turn only on the full moon or can transform at will, werewolves are fantastic horror story protagonists and antagonists.

Are werewolves monsters or victims? Is their fearsome reputation justifiable? How much can we judge an animal for acting on its basic instincts?

The duality of the werewolf is something that people relate to. We spend our lives hiding our true nature from the world. The werewolf story reminds us of what can happen when we let that primal uncontrollable beast out. Pain, exposure, judgement, guilt, death.

In the following books, werewolves may be protagonist or antagonist, understandable or plain frightening. The stories also include werewolf hunters, who put their own lives at risk to keep the rest of us safe from these savage beasts.

After you’ve read these stories, you’ll be more aware of the scuffling and snuffling and whining and howling next time you’re walking alone in an isolated place. Yeah, maybe don’t do that.

Jatta – Jenny Hale

Jatta is a YA fantasy novel with a strong young female protagonist.

Jatta is a princess living in a palace filled with fear. Her mother was killed by werewolves when Jatta was 3 years old. As a princess, she’s never had to do anything for herself. When she turns 14, she learns that the werewolves that killed her mother also left their curse on her. At the same time, a nearby despot invades her kingdom, claiming her as a wife for his unhinged son.

Jatta (Amazon)

Sisters Red – Jackson Pearce

Another story with strong female protagonists, Sisters Red is a reimagining of Red Riding Hood.

Scarlett and Rosie March are sisters who hunt the Fenris, werewolves who prey on teenage girls. The sisters lure the Fenris with red cloaks and meet them with razor-sharp hatchets in hand. Then Rosie starts to dream of a life without all this violence and she begins to fall for Silas, a young woodsman, who is also Scarlett’s only friend.

“Charlie? Charlie, one is here. Outside…Oh, God, Charlie, hurry.”

Sisters Red (Amazon)

Bishop – Candace Nola

Bishop goes all-in on the tropes of mysterious loner in an isolated habitat and an ancient rivalry.

Erin and her daughter, Casey, are lost in the Alaskan wilderness. Erin is badly hurt and Casey is wandering alone, trying to find help. But something stalks the forest, seeking fresh blood.

Erin’s brother, Troy, is determined to find his sister and niece and learns of a man named Bishop who may be his only hope in finding them. Bishop is a mysterious loner and Troy sets out to find him.

When an ancient rivalry is triggered, the three are caught in a struggle to survive, and time starts running out.

“Troy Spencer ended the phone call and stared blankly at the wall, mind racing as he felt the blood drain from his face.”

Bishop (Amazon)

Feral – Matt Serafini

In Feral, there’s a small town in Massachusetts that loves raw meat.

Jack and Allen decide to take a break before their senior year of college. In a small town in Massachusetts, their friendship is tested when they meet a beautiful woman and they get caught up in a series of disappearances.

Will their friendship survive as they discover the truth behind this town?

“It was going to end tonight. It had to.”

Feral (Amazon)

Werewolf Cop – Andrew Klavan

Werewolf Cop is a horror mixed with crime story about a good cop forced to do unimaginable things.

Houston homicide detective Zach Adams and his partner are on the trail of a European gangster who’s taken over the American underworld. Zach follows the leads to Germany, and is attacked by a beast in an ancient forest under a full moon. He is transformed into an uncontrollable monster and now this good cop has innocent blood on his hands.

How do you stop evil when the evil is inside you?

“Lots of bodies. Lots of blood. So much disassembled humanity lay strewn from one end of the fourth-floor railroad flat to the other that even the veteran detectives surveyed the puddled gore with chalk-white faces.”

Werewolf Cop (Amazon)

Cycle of the Werewolf – Stephen King

First published in 1985, Cycle of the Werewolf is a typical werewolf-eats-people-in-isolated-town story.

Beginning in January, in the isolated Maine town of Tarker’s Mills, people are attacked and die every month during the full moon. Snarls like words are heard on the wind. Footprints of a savage monster litter the ground.