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Queer Wolf
Their world lies between the shadows and the moonlight, between man and animal...and in the city under neon moons and through iron-treed streets, the queer wolves run.Bound within QUEER WOLF is an exciting collection of contemporary, urban and sensual werewolf tales; a gathering of queer wolves presented by exciting, new and established authors. In WOLF STRAP, “Returning home for the funeral of her cousin, Ayla thinks the worse she’ll have to deal with is her prejudiced parents until she finds herself hunting down a monster.” In MOON SING, “A young urban werewolf must choose between his life in the city or a young man who has secrets of his own.” In WOLF LOVER, “Nigel has a werewolf fetish. When some rough trade doesn’t quite go to plan, he finds himself wondering who is the hunted and who is the hunter?” In SHY HUNTER, “Since being assaulted, David must struggle to control the beast within. But the killer stalking David’s lover may leave him no choice but to embrace his dangerous nature.” In THE STRAY, “John thought it just coincidence that his housemate and the big grey dog that came by for handouts never crossed paths. How long would it take him to catch on?” In NEW BEGINNINGS, “Michael wasn’t looking for change, but change found him in the form of Tori, a young werewolf with a difficult past. To make a new beginning, they’ll have to survive first.” In WHERE THE SLED DOGS RUN, “Fourth grade teacher Drew Halliard thought he knew everything about the late Horwood Mather and his sled dogs, but what if the sled dogs want to know more about Drew?” In PAVLOV’S DOG, “Sometimes wolves go bad…it is this knowledge that kept Josh in self imposed isolation until Caleb came to the Pavlov’s Dog and Josh realized that sometimes they don’t.” In WOLVES OF THE WEST, “Sometimes your life is defined by the things you have to keep hidden…” In FAMILY MATTERS , “What was supposed to be a quiet evening at home for alpha wolf Tala Nqumayo and her mate Mirabella turns into a desperate fight for the survival of the city they’ve sworn to protect.” In WRONG TURN, “When Kevin Thomas ends up somewhere he should never be he meets Shawn Jameson, someone he should never have met and enters a world of danger and mystery.” In LEADER OF THE PACK, “A new lover ignites a flood of emotions within Adolfo as he reflects on beginnings and discovers a startling and unexpected ending.” In WAR OF THE WOLVES, “It took a werewolf to save Hunter’s life and a mortal to show him his destiny…but in the war to come he must fight for all he holds dear.” In FLIP CITY, “With nightmares invading his city, Ryan’s only refuge is the silence of the park–but when a strange wolf bites him, he discovers that not all nightmares are bad…” In NIGHT SWIMMING, “Far more than skin is revealed at the city’s river when two men from different walks of life are brought together.” In IN THE SEEONEE HILLS, “When young Claire infiltrates a rival pack and draws the attention of Geneva, the pack’s charismatic heir, she soon discovers that she is not the only werewolf with a hidden agenda.” And in A WOLF’S MOON, “An interloper stalks the queer wolves of the city but it is the alpha’s lover, his mate, Sebastian who appears deepest under the spell of scent and seduction.” THERE IS A PINK MOON RISING... Stories RJ Bradshaw; Naomi Clark; Charlie Cochrane; Laramie Dean; Moondancer Drake; Ginn Hale; Erica Hildebrand; Michael Itig; Lucas Johnson; Andi Lee; Charles Long; Stephen Osborne; Robert Saldarini; Quinn Smythwood; Jerome Stueart; Anel Viz; Cari Z
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 30, 2015
The Queer Wolf collection kicks off with “Wolf Strap” by Naomi Clark. Ayla gave up a lot to be a lesbian, like her entire family, who raised her to believe her role was to get married and pop out a lot more werewolves for the good of the species. But when a child, a member of her family pack, is killed she and her partner Shannon head back to her childhood home. Its clear that things have changed since she left, but how much have they changed in this city where the human and wolves used to live in peace? The only flaw in “Wolf Strap” is that it's too short. The plot and setting could have held a full novel and while the pacing doesn't feel rushed it's hard not to want more of everything Clark has to offer.
“Moon Sing” by Laramie Dean is a beautiful love story between a wolf and a witch. Acting as a metaphor for being queer in a straight world, even Drew's pack can't accept him falling for someone not of the Breed. It doesn't have much plot outside the romance, but that alone is taken to a haunting, yearning level that's purely magnificent.
“Wolf Lover” by Michael Itig is a cruder, more raw, sex-centered tale of fetishism and, of course, werewolves. Nige is an impatient, sex-charged gay man with a passion, shall we say, for werewolves. So much so that he lures them to his home and tricks them into shape shifting during sex. But the man he meets at a club for those trolling for werewolf hook ups turns out to be something else altogether. “Wolf Lover”gives readers a more raw look at the psyche of a gay man, but doesn't feel cliché, preachy or stereotypical in the end.
“Shy Hunter” by Ginn Hale centers on David, scent dog and queer man, and not sure how to balance the two. Until he falls for a man who is being stalked by the monster who attacked David and turned him into a werewolf. This is another excellent tale, with equal parts action, emotion and mystery.
Anel Viz's “The Stray” is the lightest tale of the book so far, making nearly every canine joke and pun, without being completely cheesy as it tells the story of a couple making a major commitment to each other.
“New Beginnings” by Cari Z focuses on the only pack that accepts gay wolves in this paranormal world and a bitter curmudgeon of a wolf, Michael, who finds himself attracted to and depended on by their newest rescue. But exile wasn't enough for Tori's family. They want him dead and Michael must keep him safe in this action-adventure-romance.
Jerome Stueart's “Where the Sled Dogs Run” is another lighter tale, focusing less on the romance angle and more on creating a sweet sense of wonder. In this story the werewolves are a group of shamans, immortal, reluctant and shy, who want to reconnect with the world around them rather than hide from it, but they don't know how. It fits the anthology, but it could have been found in a number of other fantasy-themed magazines just as easily.
“Pavlov's Dog” by Andi Lee shifts straight back to hardcore erotica, and is nothing but. This tale is all set up, Josh and Caleb have just been approved to start their own pack and decide to celebrate. It's not bad, there just isn't much story to it.
Charlie Cochrane's “Wolves of the West” is the most civilized story of the book, a tale of a pack that meets in an English museum for what is far from a mess of drooling, carnivorous monsters. Here Rory and George, who put the pack together and have run it for quite some time, work to create a haven for both their fellow queers and werewolves and must work to keep certain indiscretions from public light. It's an amusing, but meaningful addition to the collection's theme.
“Family Matters” by Moondancer Drake is another example of a solid piece, featuring a lynx and wolf lesbian family and pack, that feels less like a short story and more like an opening to a book. This piece could easily be stretched and expanded, in fact there are fight scenes that are glanced over and while werebadgers, lynxes, Fae and witches are all mentioned they aren't very fleshed out. Drake is a good writer though, so one can only hope more than this story comes from her world.
In “Wrong Turn” by Stephen Osborne a young gay man finds more than he bargained for when he stops at a bar for directions and a drink and ends up smack in the middle of a werewolf tift. This falling in love story is simple and sweet, with a wrap up that seems to come too soon.
“Leader of the Pack” by Robert Saldarini is a historical werewolf tale, told by flashback, about a pair of men who survived World War II. Being steeped in the time period adds a weight of interest and credibility, but again, the tale's flaw is its brevity.
“War of the Wolves” by Charles Long is the first to include (by a brief mention) an intersexual character. This tale also takes a more fantasy-angled approach, embedding a strong sense of the surreal into a story of people coming together, not just trying to find their place in the world, but willing to fight for it.
Lucas Johnson's “Flip City”is a more traditional horror take on werewolves, a cliched take, unfortunately. The first real hiccup in the book the lead is not gay, so much as a borderline rapist and killer. Luckily the speed of this one is stuck on fast forward, burning through the story with little depth.
In “Night Swimming” by RJ Bradshaw, Joseph is indulging in a secret night swim when a wild-living werewolf finds him. They catch scents and Todd, the wild-wolf insists that he can smell that they are meant to be lifemates, and also proposes that they begin their life together by spending half the year in the city and winter helping Todd's pack in the woods. After some thought Joseph agrees, they hash out the details, and unfortunately that's all there is to this tale.
“In the Seeonee Hills” by Erica Hildebrand leads with a lesbian who contracted lycanthropy from a lover who got a bit too rough in bed. Claire is new to the paranormal world and caught between two packs who want to use her for ill means. It's part Romeo & Juliet and part something all it's own. Like some of the other tales there is room for more expansion, but it doesn't feel unfinished or sped up for the sake of the short story form.
“A Wolf's Moon” by Quinn Smythwood is certainly different. But three pages in I had no real clue what was going on or what the characters were hinting at, which left me feeling completely disconnected from the story and the characters. A depressingly weak end to this collection of tales.
Overall, there is a lot of good in Queer Wolf. It manages to represent the scope of urban fantasy, from a queer angle, though it leans heavily toward m/m paranormal romance. I really would have liked to see more f/f or even a transgender or bisexual story or two. From a genre point of view I'd have liked to see more mystery, traditional fantasy and even horror-based tales. But that's what second volumes are for.
“Moon Sing” by Laramie Dean is a beautiful love story between a wolf and a witch. Acting as a metaphor for being queer in a straight world, even Drew's pack can't accept him falling for someone not of the Breed. It doesn't have much plot outside the romance, but that alone is taken to a haunting, yearning level that's purely magnificent.
“Wolf Lover” by Michael Itig is a cruder, more raw, sex-centered tale of fetishism and, of course, werewolves. Nige is an impatient, sex-charged gay man with a passion, shall we say, for werewolves. So much so that he lures them to his home and tricks them into shape shifting during sex. But the man he meets at a club for those trolling for werewolf hook ups turns out to be something else altogether. “Wolf Lover”gives readers a more raw look at the psyche of a gay man, but doesn't feel cliché, preachy or stereotypical in the end.
“Shy Hunter” by Ginn Hale centers on David, scent dog and queer man, and not sure how to balance the two. Until he falls for a man who is being stalked by the monster who attacked David and turned him into a werewolf. This is another excellent tale, with equal parts action, emotion and mystery.
Anel Viz's “The Stray” is the lightest tale of the book so far, making nearly every canine joke and pun, without being completely cheesy as it tells the story of a couple making a major commitment to each other.
“New Beginnings” by Cari Z focuses on the only pack that accepts gay wolves in this paranormal world and a bitter curmudgeon of a wolf, Michael, who finds himself attracted to and depended on by their newest rescue. But exile wasn't enough for Tori's family. They want him dead and Michael must keep him safe in this action-adventure-romance.
Jerome Stueart's “Where the Sled Dogs Run” is another lighter tale, focusing less on the romance angle and more on creating a sweet sense of wonder. In this story the werewolves are a group of shamans, immortal, reluctant and shy, who want to reconnect with the world around them rather than hide from it, but they don't know how. It fits the anthology, but it could have been found in a number of other fantasy-themed magazines just as easily.
“Pavlov's Dog” by Andi Lee shifts straight back to hardcore erotica, and is nothing but. This tale is all set up, Josh and Caleb have just been approved to start their own pack and decide to celebrate. It's not bad, there just isn't much story to it.
Charlie Cochrane's “Wolves of the West” is the most civilized story of the book, a tale of a pack that meets in an English museum for what is far from a mess of drooling, carnivorous monsters. Here Rory and George, who put the pack together and have run it for quite some time, work to create a haven for both their fellow queers and werewolves and must work to keep certain indiscretions from public light. It's an amusing, but meaningful addition to the collection's theme.
“Family Matters” by Moondancer Drake is another example of a solid piece, featuring a lynx and wolf lesbian family and pack, that feels less like a short story and more like an opening to a book. This piece could easily be stretched and expanded, in fact there are fight scenes that are glanced over and while werebadgers, lynxes, Fae and witches are all mentioned they aren't very fleshed out. Drake is a good writer though, so one can only hope more than this story comes from her world.
In “Wrong Turn” by Stephen Osborne a young gay man finds more than he bargained for when he stops at a bar for directions and a drink and ends up smack in the middle of a werewolf tift. This falling in love story is simple and sweet, with a wrap up that seems to come too soon.
“Leader of the Pack” by Robert Saldarini is a historical werewolf tale, told by flashback, about a pair of men who survived World War II. Being steeped in the time period adds a weight of interest and credibility, but again, the tale's flaw is its brevity.
“War of the Wolves” by Charles Long is the first to include (by a brief mention) an intersexual character. This tale also takes a more fantasy-angled approach, embedding a strong sense of the surreal into a story of people coming together, not just trying to find their place in the world, but willing to fight for it.
Lucas Johnson's “Flip City”is a more traditional horror take on werewolves, a cliched take, unfortunately. The first real hiccup in the book the lead is not gay, so much as a borderline rapist and killer. Luckily the speed of this one is stuck on fast forward, burning through the story with little depth.
In “Night Swimming” by RJ Bradshaw, Joseph is indulging in a secret night swim when a wild-living werewolf finds him. They catch scents and Todd, the wild-wolf insists that he can smell that they are meant to be lifemates, and also proposes that they begin their life together by spending half the year in the city and winter helping Todd's pack in the woods. After some thought Joseph agrees, they hash out the details, and unfortunately that's all there is to this tale.
“In the Seeonee Hills” by Erica Hildebrand leads with a lesbian who contracted lycanthropy from a lover who got a bit too rough in bed. Claire is new to the paranormal world and caught between two packs who want to use her for ill means. It's part Romeo & Juliet and part something all it's own. Like some of the other tales there is room for more expansion, but it doesn't feel unfinished or sped up for the sake of the short story form.
“A Wolf's Moon” by Quinn Smythwood is certainly different. But three pages in I had no real clue what was going on or what the characters were hinting at, which left me feeling completely disconnected from the story and the characters. A depressingly weak end to this collection of tales.
Overall, there is a lot of good in Queer Wolf. It manages to represent the scope of urban fantasy, from a queer angle, though it leans heavily toward m/m paranormal romance. I really would have liked to see more f/f or even a transgender or bisexual story or two. From a genre point of view I'd have liked to see more mystery, traditional fantasy and even horror-based tales. But that's what second volumes are for.
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May 29, 2009WOLF STRAP by Naomi Clark (F/F): Ayla is a female werewolf in a world where shifters are respectable member of society, but if you are homosexual it's better if you still stay in the closet. And so Ayla left home at 17 years old, finding her way in the big bad world alone, without the safe shelter of a pack. Nine years later, she has a partner, Shannon, and a good life, but an old friend calls her back at home for the funeral of her cousin, a 15 years old boy killed in a bashing against his race. Both for human than shifter standards, Ayla is not a strong woman: she is small and pretty, and she tries to hide it with short hair and piercing. But still she is not a tough woman, and this is reflected in the choice of her partner, a barbie doll type, pretty, blonde and soft. The strength of both Ayla and Shannon don't lie in their bodies, but in their behaviours, and Ayla will prove that, even if it doesn't seem, she is a real bd wolf (if not big). The interest in this short story lies in the contrast between Ayla as a human and her strength as a wolf, always retaining her female side, that makes her cute and pretty, even if she doesn't want it.
MOON SING by Laramie Dean (M/M): Drew is a 17 years old boy with a lot of problem: he is gay, he is a werewolf and he has no family. He was welcomed by Doll and her partner Stephanie, and they treat him like a little brother, but Drew is not happy. He doesn't know if his unhappiness is due to the fact that he is a werewolf, and has to hide it, or that he is gay, and has to hide it. In a way or another, Drew is a misfit among his similar, and to add trouble to trouble, he is starting to feel desires that he doesn't understand, an urge to hunt or to have sex, all of them mixed together. And then Drew meets Jason, another boy like him, probably gay like him, but not a werewolf. And Drew knows that he can't live in this way no more, he needs to be free, free to be a wolf and free to be gay. For how strange it could be, Drew is a very normal boy: he is feeling the uneasiness that is typical of an age that is not yet adult but that is no more child, and he is trying to find his way in a world that seems too small for him.
WOLF LOVER by Michael Itig (M/M): Nigel is a werewolf's lover, means that he likes to have sex with werewolves while they are in shifted form. And since werewolves don't like to be exposed, he tricked them. Till now he was lucky, nothing bad happened to him, but his last werewolf told him that he is doing a dangerous game, and give him an advice. And so Nigel finds a place where humans and shifters play together in a safe haven and among them he finds Luke, a nice guy that, with the fact that he is also a werewolf he could be the perfect partner for Nigel. But Luke is young, in age and also as werewolf, and Nigel becomes almost a training ship for him; they start a sweet relationship, made of wooing and tenderness, and Nigel starts to think to have find the real deal, if not for the fact that Luke is always shy dealing with his inner wolf, he doesn't like to show it to Nigel. And Nigel doesn't know if for him is enough to have a good man by his side, or if he will miss the wolf. For Nigel arriving to term with his relationship with Luke, is like for a straight man to accept that he is in love with another man; apparently Luke is not the man for Nigel, he is not "wild" enough, but if Nigel manages to move on to his fetish, maybe he will realize that the happiness is near him ready to be taken.
SHY HUNTER by Ginn Hale (M/M): David is a werewolf, but he is not the classical strong big bad wolf, he is more like an overgrown puppy; during the day he works in a kennel, and sometime he shifts to become a rescue dog, helping the police to find missing person. David was turned by a rogue werewolf that still haunts the city, and every time David is searching for a missing person, he fears to find out that the evil struck again. The fear is always with David and his work partner is worried for him, and in the end she convinces David to try to date. David is lucky, his first night out he finds Edgar, a shy boy like him. Edgar is perfect, apparently innocent, he is eager in bed and David finds in him the welcoming mate he needs; Edgar's body and home are like a safe haven for David, but more he is with him, more David starts to realize that Edgar is not a normal guy, and above all, he seems to be the target of the rogue werewolf. Even if in this story David plays the role of the hero, he is not at all in the role; David has too much the good boy feeling in him, he is not bad enough. Apart from the shifting thing, and even when he does it, he is still a good "boy", more a pet than a wild wolf, David has no one of the characteristics of a werewolf: he is not driven by lust, he is not bloodthirsty, he is not sex obsessed... really, David is more like a big mutt searching for a warm spot to cuddle, than a lust filled werewolf...
THE STRAY by Anel Viz (M/M): John has finally manages to convince his lover Farkas to come to live with him, but even if they now live together, Farkas is still a bit of mystery for John: sometime he disappears for hours without notice only to reappear with a good excuse and a lot of cuddling to make John forget. At the beginning of their relationship maybe John was not happy of it, but lately he found something else to distract him: a stray dog that visits him every time Farkas is out. The dog is friendly and protective, and John feels safe with him; sometime John feels like he is not in the same league of Farkas, his lover is athletic, always active, and instead John sometime likes to stay at home and cuddle on the couch, and the dog allows him to do that while Farkas doesn’t… in a way Farkas and the big dog complete themselves, and they never met! John realizes that something is missing, there is a piece in this story that eludes him, but, or he doesn’t want to understand it, or he really has no idea that such a thing could exist, and Farkas smiles behind his shoulders, and plays along. The story is really light and funny, and the reader smiles along with Farkas of John’s naïveté.
NEW BEGINNINGS by Cari Z. (M/M): Michael is the second in command of an all gay werewolves pack. Some weeks before he welcomed Tori, a young runaway shifter in the pack, but after entrusting him in the hands of the Alpha, he didn’t want to have to deal with him. Apparently Tori is the one who needs a new beginning, but also Michael has his own issue, he doesn’t trust too young men for relationship, since he doesn’t believe them serious, and Tori is barely 20 years old. But Tori is not a normal guy, he has seen a lot in his young age and this made him older than he appears; Tori is respectful, quiet and able to follow a good leader, the perfect partner for Michael, if only Michael will see the obvious. But his Alpha is a lot more wise than him (he is an Alpha after all), and forced Michael to take Tori under his wing… it will not take longer for nature to have its course.
WHERE THE SLED DOGS RUN by Jerome Stueart (M/M): Drew is a fourth grade teacher and in a way he is innocent like the kids he teaches to. He likes stories, he is romantic and he has faith, and so when he receives and anonymous card asking for an appointment, he is willing to try. Girdard, the man who sent the card, probably chooses Drew for the ability of the man to believe in dream, since what he has to say to the man, only a fool will believe, or a dreamer. The story is very short, even among all these short story, and has quite a fairy tale feeling on it. Probably it’s not even a romance, even if Drew and Girard “dated” (like told us Drew), but they never ever kissed during the tale! Anyway I like the old fashioned feeling of it, and Drew is really cute as elementary teacher. I also like the small town feeling of the place where he lives, a place where he can be an elementary gay teacher, attend a liberal church and fall in love through an anonymous card.
PAVLOV’S DOG by Andi Lee (M/M): A really “fast” story, barely a scene, and mostly sex, about Josh and Caleb, two lone wolves that decided to build together a pack, to be their family. Caleb owns a isolated pub near a forest, Caleb is a wandering musician that when enters the Pavlov’s Dog, Josh’s pub, knows that he is finally at home. Now it’s only question to make it official, filling the necessary forms for the Werewolves council to recognize them as a pack and family.
WOLVES OF THE WEST by Charlie Cochrane (M/M): Rory and George are a more than 100 years old couple of werewolves, but they are not your usual alpha / beta pair, all rutting around and snarl and sex, they are English and even in shifted form they behave! During the day they work as professors in an science history museum, and they are also member of a council of werewolves; usually their meeting are boring science lessons, but sometime they need to take care of the misbehaviour of one of the pack… more or less every one hundred years, and if you think that this is a long time, remember that Englishmen have very long memory. Tinged with a sharp humour, this is mostly a funny tale; sometime there is a sad undertone, when Rory and George remember all the atrocity they witnessed in their life, but above all is a sweet tale of the life of a long loving couple, that was lucky enough to find each other and that is happy to grow old together. BTW it’s the second time in few day that I read a story set in England, among Englishmen of an more than average class, and there is a not so friendly hint to Australians… being in Australia or having relationship with Australians seem to be the worst case scenario ever!
FAMILY MATTERS by Moondancer Drake (F/F): Another really short story, almost a glimpse in a more complicated and long tale that we have no chance to read but from which we have some hint. Tala is a big female werewolf who is in a committed relationship with Mirabella, a lynx shifter. They have two boys, born from Mirabella and a donor, a gay man who is still part of their enlarged family. Tala is obviously the strong side of the couple, while Mirabella is the caretaker, the one who cooks and raises the kids. In this short story both the kids than their surrogate fathers remain on the edge, and all the story turns around a mission Tala and Mirabella have to bring on for the pack, and so there is not even a kiss or a bit of romance between them if not for the protective behaviour of Tala with Mirabella, and the little signs of her affection for her lover.
WRONG TURN by Stephen Osborne (M/M): A night Kevin takes the wrong turn and finds himself in an unknown world. The only good thing in all this is that he has the chance to meet Shawn. There is no mystery in what Shawn is, since Kevin discovers from the first night that Shawn is a werewolf and that the pack is not happy for him to mix with a human. So from that moment on, Shawn and Kevin’s relationship progresses like a very normal one, with the two that have the time to know each other, with some sex here and there, and mostly with them dealing with all the little things that have to be overcome to build something together. There is a bridge that divides human world from the werewolves and in this case, the separation is not only physical, but also of mind; to be together, Kevin and Shawn have to find a place in the middle of both their world.
LEADER OF THE PACK by Robert Saldarini (M/M): Adolfo is an Austrian who now lives in USA. He is a werewolf and he was turned past in the ’30 of the twenty century in a Vienna occupied by the Nazi Army. Adolfo managed to escape the war with his friend Yeller, but Conan, the sire of both him and Yeller, died. Now Adolfo has a new lover in his bed, Raul, and he is so like Conan, that memories flood his mind… only that Yeller has a surprising information for him, that maybe will change his perspective in the story. Again this is not a romance; Raul is barely making an appearance at the beginning of the story, and he soon disappears to leave space to Adolfo and Yeller’s personal story, that is one of friendship rather than love. The short story could be well be listed as “historical”, since it’s mostly set in Old Vienna, but it’s really short. There is good material here for something more I believe, and the style is dry and neat, but interesting.
WAR OF THE WOLVES by Charles Long (M/M): It’s a strange pack those of Hunter, his Alpha female gathers all the gay kids in trouble she can find and offers them a choice: being a werewolf and safe with her pack. It was like that for Hunter two years before, and now Hunter himself was sent by the Alpha to make the same proposal to Jared. In the two years he was with the pack, Hunter has had plenty of lover, but he has not met the One. When he sees Jared, he knows that he is special, but Jared has to take his decision in freedom. In this case being a werewolf is a metaphor of being someone strong enough to survive and win above all the abuses. These kids have no support from the family or friends, and the pack will replace all of them; the pack is like a community, where sex is free and no one judges you for your bed-choices, but only for what you do for the care of the pack itself.
FLIP CITY by Lucas Johnson (M/M): Strange things are happening in the city and Ryan fells victim: one night he is bitten by a wolf, and the morning after a young guy, barely eighteen, named Danny, knocks at his door asking Ryan to forgive him since he turned him in a werewolf. If not for the strange urges he is feeling, Ryan will believe Danny crazy, but unfortunately he is not. And Ryan needs him to get used to his new life; but while among them the city is becoming always more strange, Ryan will find out that his crazy life with Danny is not so crazy after all, and that he can control the wolf in him.
NIGHT SWIMMING by R.J. Bradshaw (M/M): This is quite a funny tale; while Joseph is swimming naked in the river he meets Todd, another werewolf. Joseph is a city guy, his only “wild” adventure being the swims he takes by night in the river, and instead Todd is a wild wolf, who lives most of the time in wolf form. But they are mates, both of them can “smell” it, and Todd wants for Joseph to come to live with him… imagine it! Joseph that for living grooms dogs, and that is also quite proud of it, asked to become a wolf in the wilderness… Joseph who is still living with his parents and that has always had his life planned and ruled by the pack… But Todd is quite convincing and maybe they can find an agreement…
IN THE SEEONEE HILLS by Erica Hildebrand (F/F): Claire was turned into a werewolf by her occasional lover Jules; if it was deep real love with Jules maybe the thing would be not so bad, but Claire is not sure of her feelings for Jules. Meanwhile at the clinic she is frequenting for her “disease” she meets Geneva, a werewolf of another packs, and in Geneva maybe Claire finds the mate she hasn’t found in Jules. On the contrary of Jules, Geneva wants for Claire to take full possession and awareness of her new status as werewolf, and with this new awareness maybe she will finally find also the love that she didn’t know she was searching.
A WOLF’S MOON by Quinn Smythwood (M/M): It’s quite a strange tale this one, the reader is plunged in the action without much notice. Sebastian is the alpha lover, but he seems no more content of his life. Hadrian, the Alpha, plays almost a Jesus Christ role, waiting for his favourite disciple to betray him like Judas did. The story has a strong gothic tone, and it seems like it was always played by night or in closed spaces. There is no wild ride by night for these werewolf, no joyous lovemaking, the feeling is one of oppression and repression, and the wolf inside Sebastian is caged.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001YWN90Q/?...
MOON SING by Laramie Dean (M/M): Drew is a 17 years old boy with a lot of problem: he is gay, he is a werewolf and he has no family. He was welcomed by Doll and her partner Stephanie, and they treat him like a little brother, but Drew is not happy. He doesn't know if his unhappiness is due to the fact that he is a werewolf, and has to hide it, or that he is gay, and has to hide it. In a way or another, Drew is a misfit among his similar, and to add trouble to trouble, he is starting to feel desires that he doesn't understand, an urge to hunt or to have sex, all of them mixed together. And then Drew meets Jason, another boy like him, probably gay like him, but not a werewolf. And Drew knows that he can't live in this way no more, he needs to be free, free to be a wolf and free to be gay. For how strange it could be, Drew is a very normal boy: he is feeling the uneasiness that is typical of an age that is not yet adult but that is no more child, and he is trying to find his way in a world that seems too small for him.
WOLF LOVER by Michael Itig (M/M): Nigel is a werewolf's lover, means that he likes to have sex with werewolves while they are in shifted form. And since werewolves don't like to be exposed, he tricked them. Till now he was lucky, nothing bad happened to him, but his last werewolf told him that he is doing a dangerous game, and give him an advice. And so Nigel finds a place where humans and shifters play together in a safe haven and among them he finds Luke, a nice guy that, with the fact that he is also a werewolf he could be the perfect partner for Nigel. But Luke is young, in age and also as werewolf, and Nigel becomes almost a training ship for him; they start a sweet relationship, made of wooing and tenderness, and Nigel starts to think to have find the real deal, if not for the fact that Luke is always shy dealing with his inner wolf, he doesn't like to show it to Nigel. And Nigel doesn't know if for him is enough to have a good man by his side, or if he will miss the wolf. For Nigel arriving to term with his relationship with Luke, is like for a straight man to accept that he is in love with another man; apparently Luke is not the man for Nigel, he is not "wild" enough, but if Nigel manages to move on to his fetish, maybe he will realize that the happiness is near him ready to be taken.
SHY HUNTER by Ginn Hale (M/M): David is a werewolf, but he is not the classical strong big bad wolf, he is more like an overgrown puppy; during the day he works in a kennel, and sometime he shifts to become a rescue dog, helping the police to find missing person. David was turned by a rogue werewolf that still haunts the city, and every time David is searching for a missing person, he fears to find out that the evil struck again. The fear is always with David and his work partner is worried for him, and in the end she convinces David to try to date. David is lucky, his first night out he finds Edgar, a shy boy like him. Edgar is perfect, apparently innocent, he is eager in bed and David finds in him the welcoming mate he needs; Edgar's body and home are like a safe haven for David, but more he is with him, more David starts to realize that Edgar is not a normal guy, and above all, he seems to be the target of the rogue werewolf. Even if in this story David plays the role of the hero, he is not at all in the role; David has too much the good boy feeling in him, he is not bad enough. Apart from the shifting thing, and even when he does it, he is still a good "boy", more a pet than a wild wolf, David has no one of the characteristics of a werewolf: he is not driven by lust, he is not bloodthirsty, he is not sex obsessed... really, David is more like a big mutt searching for a warm spot to cuddle, than a lust filled werewolf...
THE STRAY by Anel Viz (M/M): John has finally manages to convince his lover Farkas to come to live with him, but even if they now live together, Farkas is still a bit of mystery for John: sometime he disappears for hours without notice only to reappear with a good excuse and a lot of cuddling to make John forget. At the beginning of their relationship maybe John was not happy of it, but lately he found something else to distract him: a stray dog that visits him every time Farkas is out. The dog is friendly and protective, and John feels safe with him; sometime John feels like he is not in the same league of Farkas, his lover is athletic, always active, and instead John sometime likes to stay at home and cuddle on the couch, and the dog allows him to do that while Farkas doesn’t… in a way Farkas and the big dog complete themselves, and they never met! John realizes that something is missing, there is a piece in this story that eludes him, but, or he doesn’t want to understand it, or he really has no idea that such a thing could exist, and Farkas smiles behind his shoulders, and plays along. The story is really light and funny, and the reader smiles along with Farkas of John’s naïveté.
NEW BEGINNINGS by Cari Z. (M/M): Michael is the second in command of an all gay werewolves pack. Some weeks before he welcomed Tori, a young runaway shifter in the pack, but after entrusting him in the hands of the Alpha, he didn’t want to have to deal with him. Apparently Tori is the one who needs a new beginning, but also Michael has his own issue, he doesn’t trust too young men for relationship, since he doesn’t believe them serious, and Tori is barely 20 years old. But Tori is not a normal guy, he has seen a lot in his young age and this made him older than he appears; Tori is respectful, quiet and able to follow a good leader, the perfect partner for Michael, if only Michael will see the obvious. But his Alpha is a lot more wise than him (he is an Alpha after all), and forced Michael to take Tori under his wing… it will not take longer for nature to have its course.
WHERE THE SLED DOGS RUN by Jerome Stueart (M/M): Drew is a fourth grade teacher and in a way he is innocent like the kids he teaches to. He likes stories, he is romantic and he has faith, and so when he receives and anonymous card asking for an appointment, he is willing to try. Girdard, the man who sent the card, probably chooses Drew for the ability of the man to believe in dream, since what he has to say to the man, only a fool will believe, or a dreamer. The story is very short, even among all these short story, and has quite a fairy tale feeling on it. Probably it’s not even a romance, even if Drew and Girard “dated” (like told us Drew), but they never ever kissed during the tale! Anyway I like the old fashioned feeling of it, and Drew is really cute as elementary teacher. I also like the small town feeling of the place where he lives, a place where he can be an elementary gay teacher, attend a liberal church and fall in love through an anonymous card.
PAVLOV’S DOG by Andi Lee (M/M): A really “fast” story, barely a scene, and mostly sex, about Josh and Caleb, two lone wolves that decided to build together a pack, to be their family. Caleb owns a isolated pub near a forest, Caleb is a wandering musician that when enters the Pavlov’s Dog, Josh’s pub, knows that he is finally at home. Now it’s only question to make it official, filling the necessary forms for the Werewolves council to recognize them as a pack and family.
WOLVES OF THE WEST by Charlie Cochrane (M/M): Rory and George are a more than 100 years old couple of werewolves, but they are not your usual alpha / beta pair, all rutting around and snarl and sex, they are English and even in shifted form they behave! During the day they work as professors in an science history museum, and they are also member of a council of werewolves; usually their meeting are boring science lessons, but sometime they need to take care of the misbehaviour of one of the pack… more or less every one hundred years, and if you think that this is a long time, remember that Englishmen have very long memory. Tinged with a sharp humour, this is mostly a funny tale; sometime there is a sad undertone, when Rory and George remember all the atrocity they witnessed in their life, but above all is a sweet tale of the life of a long loving couple, that was lucky enough to find each other and that is happy to grow old together. BTW it’s the second time in few day that I read a story set in England, among Englishmen of an more than average class, and there is a not so friendly hint to Australians… being in Australia or having relationship with Australians seem to be the worst case scenario ever!
FAMILY MATTERS by Moondancer Drake (F/F): Another really short story, almost a glimpse in a more complicated and long tale that we have no chance to read but from which we have some hint. Tala is a big female werewolf who is in a committed relationship with Mirabella, a lynx shifter. They have two boys, born from Mirabella and a donor, a gay man who is still part of their enlarged family. Tala is obviously the strong side of the couple, while Mirabella is the caretaker, the one who cooks and raises the kids. In this short story both the kids than their surrogate fathers remain on the edge, and all the story turns around a mission Tala and Mirabella have to bring on for the pack, and so there is not even a kiss or a bit of romance between them if not for the protective behaviour of Tala with Mirabella, and the little signs of her affection for her lover.
WRONG TURN by Stephen Osborne (M/M): A night Kevin takes the wrong turn and finds himself in an unknown world. The only good thing in all this is that he has the chance to meet Shawn. There is no mystery in what Shawn is, since Kevin discovers from the first night that Shawn is a werewolf and that the pack is not happy for him to mix with a human. So from that moment on, Shawn and Kevin’s relationship progresses like a very normal one, with the two that have the time to know each other, with some sex here and there, and mostly with them dealing with all the little things that have to be overcome to build something together. There is a bridge that divides human world from the werewolves and in this case, the separation is not only physical, but also of mind; to be together, Kevin and Shawn have to find a place in the middle of both their world.
LEADER OF THE PACK by Robert Saldarini (M/M): Adolfo is an Austrian who now lives in USA. He is a werewolf and he was turned past in the ’30 of the twenty century in a Vienna occupied by the Nazi Army. Adolfo managed to escape the war with his friend Yeller, but Conan, the sire of both him and Yeller, died. Now Adolfo has a new lover in his bed, Raul, and he is so like Conan, that memories flood his mind… only that Yeller has a surprising information for him, that maybe will change his perspective in the story. Again this is not a romance; Raul is barely making an appearance at the beginning of the story, and he soon disappears to leave space to Adolfo and Yeller’s personal story, that is one of friendship rather than love. The short story could be well be listed as “historical”, since it’s mostly set in Old Vienna, but it’s really short. There is good material here for something more I believe, and the style is dry and neat, but interesting.
WAR OF THE WOLVES by Charles Long (M/M): It’s a strange pack those of Hunter, his Alpha female gathers all the gay kids in trouble she can find and offers them a choice: being a werewolf and safe with her pack. It was like that for Hunter two years before, and now Hunter himself was sent by the Alpha to make the same proposal to Jared. In the two years he was with the pack, Hunter has had plenty of lover, but he has not met the One. When he sees Jared, he knows that he is special, but Jared has to take his decision in freedom. In this case being a werewolf is a metaphor of being someone strong enough to survive and win above all the abuses. These kids have no support from the family or friends, and the pack will replace all of them; the pack is like a community, where sex is free and no one judges you for your bed-choices, but only for what you do for the care of the pack itself.
FLIP CITY by Lucas Johnson (M/M): Strange things are happening in the city and Ryan fells victim: one night he is bitten by a wolf, and the morning after a young guy, barely eighteen, named Danny, knocks at his door asking Ryan to forgive him since he turned him in a werewolf. If not for the strange urges he is feeling, Ryan will believe Danny crazy, but unfortunately he is not. And Ryan needs him to get used to his new life; but while among them the city is becoming always more strange, Ryan will find out that his crazy life with Danny is not so crazy after all, and that he can control the wolf in him.
NIGHT SWIMMING by R.J. Bradshaw (M/M): This is quite a funny tale; while Joseph is swimming naked in the river he meets Todd, another werewolf. Joseph is a city guy, his only “wild” adventure being the swims he takes by night in the river, and instead Todd is a wild wolf, who lives most of the time in wolf form. But they are mates, both of them can “smell” it, and Todd wants for Joseph to come to live with him… imagine it! Joseph that for living grooms dogs, and that is also quite proud of it, asked to become a wolf in the wilderness… Joseph who is still living with his parents and that has always had his life planned and ruled by the pack… But Todd is quite convincing and maybe they can find an agreement…
IN THE SEEONEE HILLS by Erica Hildebrand (F/F): Claire was turned into a werewolf by her occasional lover Jules; if it was deep real love with Jules maybe the thing would be not so bad, but Claire is not sure of her feelings for Jules. Meanwhile at the clinic she is frequenting for her “disease” she meets Geneva, a werewolf of another packs, and in Geneva maybe Claire finds the mate she hasn’t found in Jules. On the contrary of Jules, Geneva wants for Claire to take full possession and awareness of her new status as werewolf, and with this new awareness maybe she will finally find also the love that she didn’t know she was searching.
A WOLF’S MOON by Quinn Smythwood (M/M): It’s quite a strange tale this one, the reader is plunged in the action without much notice. Sebastian is the alpha lover, but he seems no more content of his life. Hadrian, the Alpha, plays almost a Jesus Christ role, waiting for his favourite disciple to betray him like Judas did. The story has a strong gothic tone, and it seems like it was always played by night or in closed spaces. There is no wild ride by night for these werewolf, no joyous lovemaking, the feeling is one of oppression and repression, and the wolf inside Sebastian is caged.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001YWN90Q/?...
August 9, 2009
The Review:
Honesty from the outset and the standard line for anthologies (I told you it would be. *g*)~
I have a love/hate relationship with anthologies. Love because I really enjoy the diversity of voices and styles contained within a single volume and hate because inevitably with so many stories there will be a couple I'm unable to connect with. It is always disappointing when that happens because it can colour your view of the work as a whole and perhaps even the stories which come after.
First things first~
I have approached the review of this anthology by discussing a few of the seventeen stories (fourteen m/m and three f/f shorts) included in Queer Wolf that I really engaged with as well as a couple of those which, for various reasons, didn't hit as many of my reader's buttons. Again, I'm hoping this will give you all a real sense of whether or not you want to try this book out for yourselves. :)
The Stray by Anel Viz Rating 4.75 out of 5 Stars
“John thought it just coincidence that his housemate and the big grey dog that came by for handouts never crossed paths. How long would it take him to catch on?”
This gem by Anel Viz, a new-to-me author, seriously tickled my funny bone. I smiled and giggled my way through the story of an adorable main character who, despite having a live-in lover best described as the human equivalent of a wolf who likes giving tongue baths, running, playing frisbee and happens to disappear whenever a stray dog turns up, remains utterly clueless... and not only about his SO's secret! This was definitely one of my favourites in this anthology. It's simple, but because it's cleverly written with some very witty word play works very well and is convincing.
Wolves of the West by Charlie Cochrane Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars
"Sometimes your life is defined by the things you have to keep hidden…”
Unlike The Stray where I giggled, in Wolves of the West I snorted. What can be more amusing than a tongue-in-cheek tail tale about two, long-time lycanthrope partners living in the staid and reserved world of English academia, who are given the task to investigate the eating of a chihuahua by a so-called wolf?? Not much. *snort* Although I've read Charlie Cochrane's work before, I was, and I think other readers will be, wonderfully suprised. Not only by this author's approach to a different genre, but by how sly her sense of humour is and how this comes through her writing.
Shy Hunter by Ginn Hale Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars
“Since being assaulted, David must struggle to control the beast within. But the killer stalking David’s lover may leave him no choice but to embrace his dangerous nature.”
Kris the Ginn Hale fangirl here. Coming to you live from Wave's blog. Brought to you by Queer Wolf. I could go on and on about how much I enjoy this author's characters and stories, blah, blah, but I'm beginning to sound like a broken record (I'm boring the crap out of myself let alone all of you *g*) so I thought I'd chose another aspect of her work to wax lyrical about. One of the things I noticed particularly about Shy Hunter is how well Ginn Hale paces the plot. In this crime/mystery short, she very skillfully builds conflict and hints at intrigue, all to a very satisfying conclusion
In addition to the above, there were two YAs in Queer Wolf which I also enjoyed. The first was Moon Sing by Laramie Dean (Rating 4 out of 5 stars) and the second was War of the Wolves by Charles Long (Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars). Although very different, both stories had themes associated with acceptance, honesty to yourself and connection with family and/or partners ('the one'). Very pertinent to stories with teenage protags and to some extent even more powerful because of the paranormal/urban fantasy setting.
A couple of issues/warnings~
Although a couple of the stories in Queer Wolf didn't work for me as much as others, there was only one which I had difficulty understanding and this was A Wolf's Moon by Quinn Smythwood. On reflection, I think my confusion can be put down to the fact I needed more back story to better understand the history and the dynamic between the two main characters and for that I wanted a longer length novelette/novella. Unfortunately, this is the last in the collection and may be a disappointing conclusion to Queer Wolf for some readers.
My recommendation~
Overall, and being totally honest, what suprised me the most about this anthology was the diversity of the GLBT stories about werewolves because, let's face it, how many plots about lycans can there be?? I was wrong because no two stories were the same, the authors' voices were all very different, and the work, as a whole and individually, of good quality. Queer Wolf is, I think, a credit to this first-time publisher.
Honesty from the outset and the standard line for anthologies (I told you it would be. *g*)~
I have a love/hate relationship with anthologies. Love because I really enjoy the diversity of voices and styles contained within a single volume and hate because inevitably with so many stories there will be a couple I'm unable to connect with. It is always disappointing when that happens because it can colour your view of the work as a whole and perhaps even the stories which come after.
First things first~
I have approached the review of this anthology by discussing a few of the seventeen stories (fourteen m/m and three f/f shorts) included in Queer Wolf that I really engaged with as well as a couple of those which, for various reasons, didn't hit as many of my reader's buttons. Again, I'm hoping this will give you all a real sense of whether or not you want to try this book out for yourselves. :)
The Stray by Anel Viz Rating 4.75 out of 5 Stars
“John thought it just coincidence that his housemate and the big grey dog that came by for handouts never crossed paths. How long would it take him to catch on?”
This gem by Anel Viz, a new-to-me author, seriously tickled my funny bone. I smiled and giggled my way through the story of an adorable main character who, despite having a live-in lover best described as the human equivalent of a wolf who likes giving tongue baths, running, playing frisbee and happens to disappear whenever a stray dog turns up, remains utterly clueless... and not only about his SO's secret! This was definitely one of my favourites in this anthology. It's simple, but because it's cleverly written with some very witty word play works very well and is convincing.
Wolves of the West by Charlie Cochrane Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars
"Sometimes your life is defined by the things you have to keep hidden…”
Unlike The Stray where I giggled, in Wolves of the West I snorted. What can be more amusing than a tongue-in-cheek tail tale about two, long-time lycanthrope partners living in the staid and reserved world of English academia, who are given the task to investigate the eating of a chihuahua by a so-called wolf?? Not much. *snort* Although I've read Charlie Cochrane's work before, I was, and I think other readers will be, wonderfully suprised. Not only by this author's approach to a different genre, but by how sly her sense of humour is and how this comes through her writing.
Shy Hunter by Ginn Hale Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars
“Since being assaulted, David must struggle to control the beast within. But the killer stalking David’s lover may leave him no choice but to embrace his dangerous nature.”
Kris the Ginn Hale fangirl here. Coming to you live from Wave's blog. Brought to you by Queer Wolf. I could go on and on about how much I enjoy this author's characters and stories, blah, blah, but I'm beginning to sound like a broken record (I'm boring the crap out of myself let alone all of you *g*) so I thought I'd chose another aspect of her work to wax lyrical about. One of the things I noticed particularly about Shy Hunter is how well Ginn Hale paces the plot. In this crime/mystery short, she very skillfully builds conflict and hints at intrigue, all to a very satisfying conclusion
In addition to the above, there were two YAs in Queer Wolf which I also enjoyed. The first was Moon Sing by Laramie Dean (Rating 4 out of 5 stars) and the second was War of the Wolves by Charles Long (Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars). Although very different, both stories had themes associated with acceptance, honesty to yourself and connection with family and/or partners ('the one'). Very pertinent to stories with teenage protags and to some extent even more powerful because of the paranormal/urban fantasy setting.
A couple of issues/warnings~
Although a couple of the stories in Queer Wolf didn't work for me as much as others, there was only one which I had difficulty understanding and this was A Wolf's Moon by Quinn Smythwood. On reflection, I think my confusion can be put down to the fact I needed more back story to better understand the history and the dynamic between the two main characters and for that I wanted a longer length novelette/novella. Unfortunately, this is the last in the collection and may be a disappointing conclusion to Queer Wolf for some readers.
My recommendation~
Overall, and being totally honest, what suprised me the most about this anthology was the diversity of the GLBT stories about werewolves because, let's face it, how many plots about lycans can there be?? I was wrong because no two stories were the same, the authors' voices were all very different, and the work, as a whole and individually, of good quality. Queer Wolf is, I think, a credit to this first-time publisher.
January 7, 2010
This is a fun read. There aren't a lot of sources about gay and lesbian werewolves, which is what makes this one interesting.
However, there are way too many typos - ugh!! As with any edited collection, there are some good stories, and some mediocre.
Still, if you like gay horror and want something out of the ordinary, I recommend reading this one!
Damian Serbu
However, there are way too many typos - ugh!! As with any edited collection, there are some good stories, and some mediocre.
Still, if you like gay horror and want something out of the ordinary, I recommend reading this one!
Damian Serbu
March 10, 2010
I really enjoyed some of the stories, but there were just too many duds to rate this higher than 2 stars. I think the best stories were Ginn Hales's Shy Hunter, Cari Z's New Beginnings and Michael Itig's Wolf Lover
May 11, 2011
Mostly enjoyable anthology of gay werewolf stories. The quality was uneven -- a couple of the stories are more fan fiction than professional works -- but a handful of tales stand out, including "Shy Hunter" by Ginn Hale and "Wrong Turn" by Stephen Osborne.
September 10, 2016
Yes, that's right. Gay werewolf stories. 17 of them. I was sold before I even got past that one phrase. Now if only I could get CCR's "Bad Moon Rising" out of my head.
Since there are 17 stories here, I'm not going to do a rundown of each one. That kind of review would take a week to write and all night to read. So instead you get my thoughts on the collection as a whole.
Like any anthology, some of the stories appealed more than others, but almost all of them had surprising depth, and I wished several had been longer, not because I felt I was missing pieces, but because I wanted to spend more time with the characters and the world.
Because the stories deal with both homosexuality and werewolves, being accepted and finding a place to belong are huge themes in almost all of the stories, creating a thread to tie all the very different stories together. All the usual elements of urban fantasy are here: a little mystery, a touch of romance, plenty of action, and nifty worldbuilding. Anyone who's been hearing that urban fantasy is a tired genre, all the stories are the same, and it's all been done before needs to take a look at this anthology and how incredibly different each tale here is.
One minor quibble is that for a couple of the stories, being included in the anthology took away the "reveal" where the main character discovers they're faced with someone who is gay or a werewolf. It didn't ruin any of the stories for me, but lessened the impact of the "aha!" moment I would have had if I'd been reading the story from another source. Of course, this is a common issue with themed anthologies, and I can't say any of the stories should have been left out for that reason.
As a collection, Queer Wolf works nicely together. There's a nice mix of all things werewolf/lgbt in here: manlove, woman-on-woman, hereditary werewolves, werewolf bites, the occasional vampire or demon, cross-dressers, sweet romance, erotic sex scenes, and all manner of taboo-breaking, supernatural or otherwise. A number of stories had an entire pack of LGBT wolves, a safe haven for werewolves of a "different" sexuality, which is an interesting idea. The broad variety ensures pretty much everyone will find at least a couple stories they'll enjoy, and werewolf fanatics should consider the collection a must-read. (And is it too much to hope a few of the stories get expanded so I can read more?)
Since there are 17 stories here, I'm not going to do a rundown of each one. That kind of review would take a week to write and all night to read. So instead you get my thoughts on the collection as a whole.
Like any anthology, some of the stories appealed more than others, but almost all of them had surprising depth, and I wished several had been longer, not because I felt I was missing pieces, but because I wanted to spend more time with the characters and the world.
Because the stories deal with both homosexuality and werewolves, being accepted and finding a place to belong are huge themes in almost all of the stories, creating a thread to tie all the very different stories together. All the usual elements of urban fantasy are here: a little mystery, a touch of romance, plenty of action, and nifty worldbuilding. Anyone who's been hearing that urban fantasy is a tired genre, all the stories are the same, and it's all been done before needs to take a look at this anthology and how incredibly different each tale here is.
One minor quibble is that for a couple of the stories, being included in the anthology took away the "reveal" where the main character discovers they're faced with someone who is gay or a werewolf. It didn't ruin any of the stories for me, but lessened the impact of the "aha!" moment I would have had if I'd been reading the story from another source. Of course, this is a common issue with themed anthologies, and I can't say any of the stories should have been left out for that reason.
As a collection, Queer Wolf works nicely together. There's a nice mix of all things werewolf/lgbt in here: manlove, woman-on-woman, hereditary werewolves, werewolf bites, the occasional vampire or demon, cross-dressers, sweet romance, erotic sex scenes, and all manner of taboo-breaking, supernatural or otherwise. A number of stories had an entire pack of LGBT wolves, a safe haven for werewolves of a "different" sexuality, which is an interesting idea. The broad variety ensures pretty much everyone will find at least a couple stories they'll enjoy, and werewolf fanatics should consider the collection a must-read. (And is it too much to hope a few of the stories get expanded so I can read more?)
January 15, 2012
Wolf Strap, by Naomi Clark: 4.5 stars
First F/F story for me. First FF sex scene. First female werewolf too. Harsh heartbreaking start to the story with strong feelings and violence. Interesting twist on werewolf culture.
Wolf Sing, by Laramie Dean: 4 stars
Very young impetuous teenagers on the edge of becoming adults. One MC is "Breed" (they call themselves instead of werewolf) and one is witchlike (he doesn't know what to call himself). They feel the spark of connection between them.
Wolf Lover, by Michael Itig
Guy gets off having sex with a werewolf partially changed at climax. Thinks he has caught one to be his boyfriend then it turns out different.
Shy Hunter, Ginn Hale
Dark story of a young man turned werewolf and yet filled with alight at the end.
The Stray, by Anil Viz
Did he turn or didn't he? The sex is more intense and where is that stray?
New Beginnings, by Cari Z
More traditional were story and way too short. I was captivated by both MCs. This needs to be continued to a full novel.
Where the Sled Dogs Run, by Jerome Stueart
Very imaginative story. I wish it was longer. Cool ideas.
Pavlov's Dog, by Andi Lee
A fun gay werewolf rocker story.
Family Matters, by Moondancer Drake
Really short story with female shifters. Not much to draw me in.
Wrong Turn, by Stephen Osborne
Nice story, too short. Has some interesting concepts that should be turned into a longer story.
Leader of the Pack, by Robert Saldorini
Not sure I like the "making of a werewolf" just because you find the guy attractive.
War of the Wolves, by Charles Long
Interesting story about a pack of were misfits.
Flip City, by Lucas Johnson
Weird demons overtake a city. A new were makes another. They appear to,tbs the only good paranormals. The new were struggles with his new transformation.
Night Swimming, by DJ Bradshaw
Sweet story about 2 weres that find they are mates. They need to work a few things out as one is a city wolf with latent instincts and the other a wolf most of the time with little city/people experience. As mates they have to be together and the details are quickly discussed.
In the Seeonee Hills, by Erica Hildebrand
Weird story about naturals and infecteds. narrative switched between the two MCs and was hard to follow. War between the two packs.
A Wolf's Moon, by Quinn Smythwood
I couldn't get into this. Seemed very disjointed. DNF.
First F/F story for me. First FF sex scene. First female werewolf too. Harsh heartbreaking start to the story with strong feelings and violence. Interesting twist on werewolf culture.
Wolf Sing, by Laramie Dean: 4 stars
Very young impetuous teenagers on the edge of becoming adults. One MC is "Breed" (they call themselves instead of werewolf) and one is witchlike (he doesn't know what to call himself). They feel the spark of connection between them.
Wolf Lover, by Michael Itig
Guy gets off having sex with a werewolf partially changed at climax. Thinks he has caught one to be his boyfriend then it turns out different.
Shy Hunter, Ginn Hale
Dark story of a young man turned werewolf and yet filled with alight at the end.
The Stray, by Anil Viz
Did he turn or didn't he? The sex is more intense and where is that stray?
New Beginnings, by Cari Z
More traditional were story and way too short. I was captivated by both MCs. This needs to be continued to a full novel.
Where the Sled Dogs Run, by Jerome Stueart
Very imaginative story. I wish it was longer. Cool ideas.
Pavlov's Dog, by Andi Lee
A fun gay werewolf rocker story.
Family Matters, by Moondancer Drake
Really short story with female shifters. Not much to draw me in.
Wrong Turn, by Stephen Osborne
Nice story, too short. Has some interesting concepts that should be turned into a longer story.
Leader of the Pack, by Robert Saldorini
Not sure I like the "making of a werewolf" just because you find the guy attractive.
War of the Wolves, by Charles Long
Interesting story about a pack of were misfits.
Flip City, by Lucas Johnson
Weird demons overtake a city. A new were makes another. They appear to,tbs the only good paranormals. The new were struggles with his new transformation.
Night Swimming, by DJ Bradshaw
Sweet story about 2 weres that find they are mates. They need to work a few things out as one is a city wolf with latent instincts and the other a wolf most of the time with little city/people experience. As mates they have to be together and the details are quickly discussed.
In the Seeonee Hills, by Erica Hildebrand
Weird story about naturals and infecteds. narrative switched between the two MCs and was hard to follow. War between the two packs.
A Wolf's Moon, by Quinn Smythwood
I couldn't get into this. Seemed very disjointed. DNF.
July 27, 2012
Well, this book is a collection of short stories dealing with the topics of werewolves and queer identities (mostly homosexual however).
The intro by that professor is very interesting but the rest of the stories... well it's mixed. However it is pretty obvious that the authors usually revert to the default white and only truly focus on werewolf and sexual orientation, leaving most other elements of ones identity out. Also the concept of beauty seems to be pretty in synch with that of the all American boy and the two Asians in the book are feminine looking. This also includes that basically everyone else is an ethnicity but Anglo-Americans are not, they are just beings.
Also when male-male sex is described it is very stereotypical and rather about dominance than anything else.
When it is described who is the top in male-male and its human/werewolf the werewolf is always the top and when both are werewolves the more powerful one is usually (except for one story when both were versatile) the top.
All in all, it's rather average and much in line with werewolf romance novels. I wished I would have seen more horror.
The intro by that professor is very interesting but the rest of the stories... well it's mixed. However it is pretty obvious that the authors usually revert to the default white and only truly focus on werewolf and sexual orientation, leaving most other elements of ones identity out. Also the concept of beauty seems to be pretty in synch with that of the all American boy and the two Asians in the book are feminine looking. This also includes that basically everyone else is an ethnicity but Anglo-Americans are not, they are just beings.
Also when male-male sex is described it is very stereotypical and rather about dominance than anything else.
When it is described who is the top in male-male and its human/werewolf the werewolf is always the top and when both are werewolves the more powerful one is usually (except for one story when both were versatile) the top.
All in all, it's rather average and much in line with werewolf romance novels. I wished I would have seen more horror.
November 18, 2012
Most of the stories in this collection were okay; only a few of them stood out. Wolf Strap by Naomi Clark, Shy Hunter by Ginn Hale, Family Matters by Moondancer Drake, Wrong Turn by Stephen Osborne, and Wolf Lover by Michael Itig were the better stories in the collection. Some of the others seemed to be more like snippets taken out of existing stories or didn't make much sense to me.
September 18, 2009
QueeredFiction's first release.
April 4, 2011
Review coming soon...
April 23, 2009
Overall 3.5 stars out of 5
September 18, 2009
QueeredFictio's first release.
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