Lions and Leopards and Wolves — Oh, My.

Michael and Rudy from Jet Mykles Leashed series –– You already know that i love Jet’s books, but the Leashed stories are particularly terrific. A menage series centered on a powerful but untrained witch, the books feature two lovely shape-shifters, Michael, the dominant werepanther who is also a talented witch, and his yummy young lover, Rudy, the werewolf. The series also has a new shifter to drool over — Logan, the werelion. I’d suggest you head to Jet’s website (see link in my blog roll below) and look at her delicious computer drawings of these men. Smiles all around.

Nathaniel from Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake series — The reason so many people read Hamilton’s books even when her writing degrades shamelessly as it does in some of the later stories, is because she creates truly great characters. One of her best is Nathaniel, the young wereleopard, who worms his way into the heart of Anita Blake until she has to love him. A stripper by profession with lavender eyes and knee-length auburn hair, Nathaniel is to my taste the best of her shifters. Submissive and loving but full of surprises, he even exceeds the enchanting Micah (with the huge cock) in sheer enchantment. And, of course, both of them surpass Hamilton’s werewolf, Richard, who is just too whiny for words.

Doyle from Hamilton’s Meredith Gentry series — Admittedly, Doyle is primarily a great sidhe warrior, but in Hamilton’s later Meredith Gentry books he’s revealed to also be a powerful shape-shifter. Doyle (pronounced Dole) is a wonderful creation. Black as darkness which is his nickname, he is mysterious, honorable and dangerous.

Okay, okay, i know you’re asking “where is Alcide?” In fact, while Alcide is one impressive werewolf in Trueblood, in the Sookie Stackhouse books he starts out terrific and ends up a bit disappointing. Same can be said for Charlaine Harris’s terrific Quinn, the weretiger. He’s even more of a let down in the end, so i can’t really put either of them on my list.

A Twitter friend recommended The Red Rock Pass series by Moira Rogers for great shifters. I’m half way through the first book and like it, but so far i can’t put these weres on the list. Tune in later. Angela Knight does some great shifters, too but not quite the top for me. I do like them pretty. So that’s my list for now. Enjoy.