What do you think?
Rate this book
Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves from Women-in-Horror
Flesh splits. Bones break. Screams build.
The synchronicity of woman and wolf has long been buried. Ruled by the moon and her cycles of blood, rage, and transformation, the desire and pull to shapeshift and transmute runs deep beneath her skin. She is a beacon of duality, the divine and the monstrous, the deep glow of wolfsbane and the indent of fresh bite marks on skin.
We fear her because we are her: the feral, the wild, the mad.
From Angela Carter's The Company of Wolves to Rachel Harrison's Such Sharp Teeth, women have been dancing with the wolf and teasing it out of the woods for centuries. We feed the untamed, hoping to release the beast inside, giving us strength, sisterhood, and the confidence to howl. The animal releases us from shame and permits us to seek out and accept our truth. With the wolf, we are free; with freedom, we are empowered.
In a world where silver is the least of our worries, Howl seeks to give voice to the wolves and women of contemporary horror as they shed their skin, unhinge their jaws, and bare their teeth for all to see.
From award-winning editors Lindy Ryan and Stephanie M. Wytovich comes Howl, a brand-new anthology of original stories and poems from women of contemporary horror who give voices to wolves as they shed their skin, unhinge their jaws, and bare their teeth for all to see.
Featuring Delilah S. Dawson, Christina Henry, Gwendolyn Kiste, Ai Jiang, and many more, with an introduction by Rachel Harrison.
The synchronicity of woman and wolf has long been buried. Ruled by the moon and her cycles of blood, rage, and transformation, the desire and pull to shapeshift and transmute runs deep beneath her skin. She is a beacon of duality, the divine and the monstrous, the deep glow of wolfsbane and the indent of fresh bite marks on skin.
We fear her because we are her: the feral, the wild, the mad.
From Angela Carter's The Company of Wolves to Rachel Harrison's Such Sharp Teeth, women have been dancing with the wolf and teasing it out of the woods for centuries. We feed the untamed, hoping to release the beast inside, giving us strength, sisterhood, and the confidence to howl. The animal releases us from shame and permits us to seek out and accept our truth. With the wolf, we are free; with freedom, we are empowered.
In a world where silver is the least of our worries, Howl seeks to give voice to the wolves and women of contemporary horror as they shed their skin, unhinge their jaws, and bare their teeth for all to see.
From award-winning editors Lindy Ryan and Stephanie M. Wytovich comes Howl, a brand-new anthology of original stories and poems from women of contemporary horror who give voices to wolves as they shed their skin, unhinge their jaws, and bare their teeth for all to see.
Featuring Delilah S. Dawson, Christina Henry, Gwendolyn Kiste, Ai Jiang, and many more, with an introduction by Rachel Harrison.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2025
8 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie M. Wytovich
76 books271 followersStephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her work has been featured in magazines and anthologies, such as Weird Tales, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Year's Best Hardcore Horror: Volume 2, and The Best Horror of the Year: Volumes 8 & 15.
Wytovich is the Poetry Editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press and an adjunct at Western Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Point Park University. She has received the Elizabeth Matchett Stover Memorial Award, the 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant, and the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for nonfiction writing.
Wytovich is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction. She is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning poet, and her nonfiction craft book for speculative poetry, Writing Poetry in the Dark, is available from Raw Dog Screaming Press. Readers can pick up her latest project, Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves from Women in Horror, co-edited with Lindy Ryan, now from Black Spot Books.
Follow Wytovich at https://www.stephaniemwytovich.com/ and on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram @SWytovich and @thehauntedbookshelf. You can also sign up for her newsletter at https://stephaniemwytovich.substack.com/.
Wytovich is the Poetry Editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press and an adjunct at Western Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Point Park University. She has received the Elizabeth Matchett Stover Memorial Award, the 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant, and the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for nonfiction writing.
Wytovich is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction. She is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning poet, and her nonfiction craft book for speculative poetry, Writing Poetry in the Dark, is available from Raw Dog Screaming Press. Readers can pick up her latest project, Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves from Women in Horror, co-edited with Lindy Ryan, now from Black Spot Books.
Follow Wytovich at https://www.stephaniemwytovich.com/ and on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram @SWytovich and @thehauntedbookshelf. You can also sign up for her newsletter at https://stephaniemwytovich.substack.com/.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
August 29, 2025
I was immediately drawn to this book because werewolves are probably my favorite monsters. However, most older media usually presents them as male, masculine, and any metaphors revolve around something negative. The stories in Howl present werewolves as feminine, usually as a strength, and it is a perfect fit.
There are many great stories and writers in this collection. Some would make interesting longer stories, such as "Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon" and "Super Moon." Some, like "Origin Story," are unique. And many of them deal with heavy topics, which lots of women unfortunately face but can be difficult to read about. Christina Henry and Kristi DeMeester were the stand out writers to me. And I think the rest of the collection was stronger than the first part, so you might need to jump around if starting from the beginning isn't working for you.
There are many great stories and writers in this collection. Some would make interesting longer stories, such as "Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon" and "Super Moon." Some, like "Origin Story," are unique. And many of them deal with heavy topics, which lots of women unfortunately face but can be difficult to read about. Christina Henry and Kristi DeMeester were the stand out writers to me. And I think the rest of the collection was stronger than the first part, so you might need to jump around if starting from the beginning isn't working for you.
July 29, 2025
So glad that Rachel Harrison’s excellent intro was included in this ARC! Sometimes that page is blank in the early copies.
This was a consistently solid collection! Becoming a werewolf doesn’t always mean surrendering to loss of control and turning into a monster. Often, it is a way of becoming more powerful, taking revenge, or belonging to a family. There are some beautiful stories in here. (I even got emotional a couple of times.) And yes, there is plenty of bloody violence to satiate those of us who love horror. (The wolves have gotta eat!)
The best thing about these stories was the creative interpretations of the transformation itself. Rarely is it simply a matter of an accidental encounter and a bite leading to a new wolf. Often, it's more complicated (and stranger!) than that. I appreciated the inventiveness on display. If I have any criticism at all, it would be that many of these stories share a theme of the werewolf transformation happening as a way of fighting back against abuse at the hands of men. It’s not every story, but it’s a lot of them. *I don’t have a problem with that*, and it’s done pretty effectively. It’s just a matter of repetition and redundancy after a while. (If you’re looking for horror with a Feminist twist specifically, this collection absolutely fits the bill!) And there were so many scenes of women protecting other women, and it was just really nice to see.
I found something to like about every single piece, though I will say that my lesser favorite stories were all towards the end. I even enjoyed the poetry, which isn’t typically my thing. (I think if I could find more gothic but modern, very horror-centric poems like the ones in this collection, maybe I'd be more into it.) I’m considering buying a physical copy of "Howl" when it’s published in November. It's the kind of thing I would love to have on my personal bookshelf and I will absolutely be reading it again.
As with any horror, mind the triggers as some of these stories do get pretty dark!
Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Physical/Domestic Abuse, Sexual Assault, Mention of Loss of Pregnancy, Chronic Illness, Suicidal Ideation, Domestic Terrorism, Abortion
This was a consistently solid collection! Becoming a werewolf doesn’t always mean surrendering to loss of control and turning into a monster. Often, it is a way of becoming more powerful, taking revenge, or belonging to a family. There are some beautiful stories in here. (I even got emotional a couple of times.) And yes, there is plenty of bloody violence to satiate those of us who love horror. (The wolves have gotta eat!)
The best thing about these stories was the creative interpretations of the transformation itself. Rarely is it simply a matter of an accidental encounter and a bite leading to a new wolf. Often, it's more complicated (and stranger!) than that. I appreciated the inventiveness on display. If I have any criticism at all, it would be that many of these stories share a theme of the werewolf transformation happening as a way of fighting back against abuse at the hands of men. It’s not every story, but it’s a lot of them. *I don’t have a problem with that*, and it’s done pretty effectively. It’s just a matter of repetition and redundancy after a while. (If you’re looking for horror with a Feminist twist specifically, this collection absolutely fits the bill!) And there were so many scenes of women protecting other women, and it was just really nice to see.
I found something to like about every single piece, though I will say that my lesser favorite stories were all towards the end. I even enjoyed the poetry, which isn’t typically my thing. (I think if I could find more gothic but modern, very horror-centric poems like the ones in this collection, maybe I'd be more into it.) I’m considering buying a physical copy of "Howl" when it’s published in November. It's the kind of thing I would love to have on my personal bookshelf and I will absolutely be reading it again.
As with any horror, mind the triggers as some of these stories do get pretty dark!
Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Physical/Domestic Abuse, Sexual Assault, Mention of Loss of Pregnancy, Chronic Illness, Suicidal Ideation, Domestic Terrorism, Abortion
May 23, 2025
Got this for review on Netgally.
Such an emotional and gut punching collection of short stories and pomes. They all had a lot to say and did it well even if they where short. Some hit more the others and it was a mixed back from 3 stars and up. None in the collection was l9wer then 3 stars but there where some I liked more.
A detailed list if what I rated each book.
Wolf bite: 3 stars
The devil has no dog: 3 stars
Silver boots 3 stars
All the men who cried wolf: 5 stars
We women speak of wolves: 4 stars
Origin story: 3 stars
Werewolf girl swallows the moon: 3 stars
A town with to many girls: 4 stars
Our howls like digres, our eyes like the moon: 3 stars.
Waxing moon: 4 stas
Vestigal: 5 stars
Hunger: 4 stars
When we run we are free: 5 stars
The clearing: 3 stars
Bone marrow: 3 stars
Dark justice: 4 stars
Wolf like me: 4 stars
The wolf line: 3 stars
Its only natural: 5 stars
Super moon: 3 stars
13 times I swallowed a full moon: 4 stars
Mad woman: 4 stars
Such an emotional and gut punching collection of short stories and pomes. They all had a lot to say and did it well even if they where short. Some hit more the others and it was a mixed back from 3 stars and up. None in the collection was l9wer then 3 stars but there where some I liked more.
A detailed list if what I rated each book.
Wolf bite: 3 stars
The devil has no dog: 3 stars
Silver boots 3 stars
All the men who cried wolf: 5 stars
We women speak of wolves: 4 stars
Origin story: 3 stars
Werewolf girl swallows the moon: 3 stars
A town with to many girls: 4 stars
Our howls like digres, our eyes like the moon: 3 stars.
Waxing moon: 4 stas
Vestigal: 5 stars
Hunger: 4 stars
When we run we are free: 5 stars
The clearing: 3 stars
Bone marrow: 3 stars
Dark justice: 4 stars
Wolf like me: 4 stars
The wolf line: 3 stars
Its only natural: 5 stars
Super moon: 3 stars
13 times I swallowed a full moon: 4 stars
Mad woman: 4 stars
August 22, 2025
If you love feminine rage and werewolves, this is absolutely the anthology for you. Though I would caution you to check the trigger warnings because some of these stories lean on the heavier side.
I’ve seen some people rate each story/poem individually and I’ll tell you right now I’m absolutely too lazy to do that but I do appreciate how each author brought a different or interesting idea to the lore of werewolves.
While I definitely had fun reading this and loved the ideas everyone brought to the table, at the end of the day you are reading about werewolves over and over so that’s why I landed on a 4 star rating.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve seen some people rate each story/poem individually and I’ll tell you right now I’m absolutely too lazy to do that but I do appreciate how each author brought a different or interesting idea to the lore of werewolves.
While I definitely had fun reading this and loved the ideas everyone brought to the table, at the end of the day you are reading about werewolves over and over so that’s why I landed on a 4 star rating.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2025
This is a wonderful anthology.
All of the stories and poems are good. Some, like Silver Boots, are amazing.
These are lyric, dark, compelling, primal, and full of rage.
I did find myself reading it slowly - a story or two at a time. Otherwise, it becomes a little too much. I found savoring each to be a better strategy.
Definitely an anthology worth reading!
* ARC via Publisher
All of the stories and poems are good. Some, like Silver Boots, are amazing.
These are lyric, dark, compelling, primal, and full of rage.
I did find myself reading it slowly - a story or two at a time. Otherwise, it becomes a little too much. I found savoring each to be a better strategy.
Definitely an anthology worth reading!
* ARC via Publisher
May 19, 2025
Howl is such a deep, emotional read. I cried for nearly every story in this book. It's empowering.
Each story carries the themes of werewolves, female rage, finding your inner strength, pulling the strongest part of you out to avenge yourself and the women who can't protect themselves, being free.
This was a hard read for me, but it was worth it. It was worth seeing that at the end of it all we yearn for the same things: Blood, revenge, justice, and freedom.
(I received this as a arc)
Each story carries the themes of werewolves, female rage, finding your inner strength, pulling the strongest part of you out to avenge yourself and the women who can't protect themselves, being free.
This was a hard read for me, but it was worth it. It was worth seeing that at the end of it all we yearn for the same things: Blood, revenge, justice, and freedom.
(I received this as a arc)
November 14, 2025
A varied collection of female werewolf stories broken out into moon phases.
There’s a lot of horror and emotion in these stories.
It’s only natural was a big stand out, it really made you think of the climate in the world today. so was super moon.
Silver boots is a coming of age outsider story, the whole time the protagonist is growing up her boots grow with her. It’s strange and others in her school don’t like strange.
Read the triggers on these stories before going in.
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.
There’s a lot of horror and emotion in these stories.
It’s only natural was a big stand out, it really made you think of the climate in the world today. so was super moon.
Silver boots is a coming of age outsider story, the whole time the protagonist is growing up her boots grow with her. It’s strange and others in her school don’t like strange.
Read the triggers on these stories before going in.
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.
August 14, 2025
2.5/5
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher
Short story collection focusing on werewolves and their connection to women and the issues we still face today. Here you'll find an assortment of tales that use the figure of the lycanthrope to symbolize everything from freedom to revenge to existing as a woman in society. You'll also find plenty of blood, gore, and guts. This was a mixed bag for me, perhaps I am a little too horror-pilled, forgive the expression, so I thought the horror in general was a bit weak. I also didn't like the poetry, but that one's on me and my inability to get it. I did enjoy how diverse the anthology was, you could tell the authors come from all sorts of backgrounds and the editors did a great job curating the stories.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher
Short story collection focusing on werewolves and their connection to women and the issues we still face today. Here you'll find an assortment of tales that use the figure of the lycanthrope to symbolize everything from freedom to revenge to existing as a woman in society. You'll also find plenty of blood, gore, and guts. This was a mixed bag for me, perhaps I am a little too horror-pilled, forgive the expression, so I thought the horror in general was a bit weak. I also didn't like the poetry, but that one's on me and my inability to get it. I did enjoy how diverse the anthology was, you could tell the authors come from all sorts of backgrounds and the editors did a great job curating the stories.
November 7, 2025
Great collection of stories and poems about female werewolves.
December 9, 2025
Prepare to HOWL at the Moon!
Howl is the collection that readers are going to be hungering for long after they finish it. It’s a powerful gathering of stories, mixed-media shorts, and poems. Full of women and girls coming into their power and finding their teeth. It’s a collection that will haunt you for times to come.
What follows are some of my direct thoughts after finishing each story.
Wolf Bite by Stephanie Valente
- “We’ll run the world with our teeth” an exhilarating and thrilling quote to start this collection off!
The Devil Has No Dogs by Kailey Tedesco
- A dangerously evil tale like the Witch and the Crucible combined. It’s delicious and so much fun! I was thoroughly creeped out!
Silver Boots by Donna Lynch
- Holy snap crackle pop. This was literally exceptional. I would read 800 pages of this world and the cosmic werewolf rage fueled monsters that were present here. Such a beautiful interpretation.
All the Men Who Cried Wolf by Ai Jiang
- Creepy and folkloric and hauntingly unique!
We Women Speak of Wolves by Cynthia Pelayo
- Cynthia Pelayo has a magical and lyrical way of crafting stories. Her words weave together like a tapestry creating beautiful and haunting stories that stick with you. This was another one of those. Filled with beauty!
When He Could Have Me by Erika T. Wurth
- A sibling story of rivalry and revenge that rivals Cain & Abel. Erika T. Wurth is an author that will always deliver a story that’s as tantalizing as it is horrifying!
Origin Story by Shannon Robinson
- I loved this take on the werewolf mythos and how (accurate?) it felt for our society. It felt like I was reading a narrative in a newspaper. Also, with moving perspective of motherhood, I really enjoyed it!
Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon by AC Wise
- Teenage girls can be such bullying pills sometimes! And the Goth Girls definitely fit that narrative. Fun!
A Town With Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh
- This was like Wayward Pines and werewolves combined! Evil and delightful and with a creepy ending that I loved!
Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon by Gwendolyn Kiste
- An amazing ending!! Shook me!
Waxing Moon by Shannon Marzella
- I really enjoy these little interlude poems!
Vestigal by Kristi DeMeester
- This had some visceral body horror and medical things that made my body ache. Such a creepy tale, and weirdly beautiful!
Hunger by Polly Hall
- I hope readers are ready for a somewhat cannibalistic tale about dating. It’s dark and gory and gross, but all too good and I couldn’t stop reading it!
When We Run We Are Free by Christina Henry
- A tale that is so Christina Henry and literally tongue in cheek and great!
The Clearing by Christa Carmen
- This is probably one of my favorite stories here so far. It’s dark and definitely horrific. However, this story brings a massive punch to the whole collection. Loved loved loved!
Bone Marrow by Lindy Ryan
- Lindy Ryan is one of my favorite new authors for a reason!! Wish this was longer though!
Dark Justice by Alexandra Weis
- This is the type of werewolf story that I love more than anything. Dark, dangerous, and full of thrilling action!
Wolf Like Me by Zin E. Rocklyn
- A devastating story! Emotional impact that will deal a blow to readers!
The Wolf Line by Wendy N. Wagner
- A bloody good time to be had despite truck racing & wolves galore. I
It’s Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson
- Another exceptional story here. Literal perfection.
Super Moon by Katrina Monroe
- Really fun mixed media storytelling! I liked this one and the ending gave me chills.
13 Times I Swallowed A Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich
- Shook. This was creative and powerful and beautiful!
Mad Woman by Shannon Marzella
- An excellent poem to end this collection on!
All in all, this collection is such a great time. It supports a great cause and I definitely think that readers are going to HOWL at the moon while reading this story!
Howl is the collection that readers are going to be hungering for long after they finish it. It’s a powerful gathering of stories, mixed-media shorts, and poems. Full of women and girls coming into their power and finding their teeth. It’s a collection that will haunt you for times to come.
What follows are some of my direct thoughts after finishing each story.
Wolf Bite by Stephanie Valente
- “We’ll run the world with our teeth” an exhilarating and thrilling quote to start this collection off!
The Devil Has No Dogs by Kailey Tedesco
- A dangerously evil tale like the Witch and the Crucible combined. It’s delicious and so much fun! I was thoroughly creeped out!
Silver Boots by Donna Lynch
- Holy snap crackle pop. This was literally exceptional. I would read 800 pages of this world and the cosmic werewolf rage fueled monsters that were present here. Such a beautiful interpretation.
All the Men Who Cried Wolf by Ai Jiang
- Creepy and folkloric and hauntingly unique!
We Women Speak of Wolves by Cynthia Pelayo
- Cynthia Pelayo has a magical and lyrical way of crafting stories. Her words weave together like a tapestry creating beautiful and haunting stories that stick with you. This was another one of those. Filled with beauty!
When He Could Have Me by Erika T. Wurth
- A sibling story of rivalry and revenge that rivals Cain & Abel. Erika T. Wurth is an author that will always deliver a story that’s as tantalizing as it is horrifying!
Origin Story by Shannon Robinson
- I loved this take on the werewolf mythos and how (accurate?) it felt for our society. It felt like I was reading a narrative in a newspaper. Also, with moving perspective of motherhood, I really enjoyed it!
Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon by AC Wise
- Teenage girls can be such bullying pills sometimes! And the Goth Girls definitely fit that narrative. Fun!
A Town With Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh
- This was like Wayward Pines and werewolves combined! Evil and delightful and with a creepy ending that I loved!
Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon by Gwendolyn Kiste
- An amazing ending!! Shook me!
Waxing Moon by Shannon Marzella
- I really enjoy these little interlude poems!
Vestigal by Kristi DeMeester
- This had some visceral body horror and medical things that made my body ache. Such a creepy tale, and weirdly beautiful!
Hunger by Polly Hall
- I hope readers are ready for a somewhat cannibalistic tale about dating. It’s dark and gory and gross, but all too good and I couldn’t stop reading it!
When We Run We Are Free by Christina Henry
- A tale that is so Christina Henry and literally tongue in cheek and great!
The Clearing by Christa Carmen
- This is probably one of my favorite stories here so far. It’s dark and definitely horrific. However, this story brings a massive punch to the whole collection. Loved loved loved!
Bone Marrow by Lindy Ryan
- Lindy Ryan is one of my favorite new authors for a reason!! Wish this was longer though!
Dark Justice by Alexandra Weis
- This is the type of werewolf story that I love more than anything. Dark, dangerous, and full of thrilling action!
Wolf Like Me by Zin E. Rocklyn
- A devastating story! Emotional impact that will deal a blow to readers!
The Wolf Line by Wendy N. Wagner
- A bloody good time to be had despite truck racing & wolves galore. I
It’s Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson
- Another exceptional story here. Literal perfection.
Super Moon by Katrina Monroe
- Really fun mixed media storytelling! I liked this one and the ending gave me chills.
13 Times I Swallowed A Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich
- Shook. This was creative and powerful and beautiful!
Mad Woman by Shannon Marzella
- An excellent poem to end this collection on!
All in all, this collection is such a great time. It supports a great cause and I definitely think that readers are going to HOWL at the moon while reading this story!
May 31, 2025
I was kindly granted an ARC of this book on Netgalley. It will be published on 11/4/2025.
This will be one of my favorite books of this year, easily. It's a collection of stories of werewolves written by women. While some were stronger than others, I would confidently give this book a 5 star rating. Several stories made me cry, laugh, even whoop with joy. I love stories of female rage, and this book delivered some EXCELLENT stories, but there were softer stories and sad stories. It felt so balanced. I took the time to give each story a rating and if I had any specific thoughts while reading them.
1. Wolf Bite: 3 stars
2. The Devil Has No Dogs: 4 stars, hell yeah girl, rip him to shreds.
3. Silver Boots: HELL YES GIRL RIP THEM TO SHREDS!!!!!! This is my favorite story in the anthology. I would've read 400 more pages about her. My favorite line was "She made confetti of their flesh." COME ON, sheer perfection.
4. All the Men Who Cried Wolf: 3.5 stars, the way she described being a wolf was beautiful but it was so hard to read how her father and then her partner treated her.
5. We Women Speak of Wolves: 5 stars, why would you make me cry like this?! I really hope she is able top find a life and sisterhood like her mom had. I loved this take on "werewolf", not violence but second life.
6.When He Could Have Me: 3.5 stars, a little scattered and the ending felt rushed. I wish there had been more information on the camcorder and why/how the girls turned into wolves. In the end, sibling rivalry and werewolves are a bad combination.
7. Origin Story: 3 stars, kids, am i right?
8. Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon: 4.5 stars, peer pressure but make it werewolves and vampires.
9. A Town With Too Many Girls: 3 stars, magical taxidermy.
10. Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon: 4.5 stars, the moon will never do you dirty. Again I would've read hundreds more pages of this.
11. Waxing Moon: 3 stars, I just don't think poetry is for me.
12. Vestigial: 5 stars, WTAF. This one was so weird and I LOVED it. Just a little gross, just enough. When the twist happened right at the end, my jaw was on the floor.
13. Hunger: 3.75 stars, a cautionary tinder tale. It seemed like she was going to get caught at one point but nothing came of that. Still, a fun story.
14. When We Run We Are Free: 4.5 stars, women protecting women. I love a bad guy falling to his death in a snowy ravine. I wish she could have turn the girl she saved and started her own little pack but it was still a nice ending.
15. The Clearing: 3.5 stars, I like how this one ended but getting there was hard. I hated how these women were treated.
16. Bone Marrow: 3.5 stars, I love Moon Mother. The connection of menstruation and the werewolf cycle was well done.
17. Dark Justice: 5 stars, Hell. Yeah. Werewolf vigilante justice? Sign me up. I do not want more of this story, I NEED it. Please....I'm begging.
18. Wolf Like Me: 4 stars, who put these tears in my eyes?!!!
19. The Wolf Line: 3.5 stars
20. It's Only Natural: 5 stars, loved it, I love weird hippie lady. This was another softer one that came with a surprise "hell yeah girls, rip him to shreds" ending. Would've love to read said ripping, but I'm greedy like that.
21. Super Moon: 4 stars, men are the worst. "Can't Fight the Moonlight" on repeat.
22. 13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon: 3.5 stars
Mad Woman: 3 stars, like I said, poetry is not my thing. I wish it hadn't ended the anthology on a poem, but that is me.
My favorite stories were Silver Boots, We Women Speak of Wolves, and Dark Justice.
As a whole, this anthology was AMAZING. I will be getting myself a copy when it is published and then forcing all my friends to read it.
This will be one of my favorite books of this year, easily. It's a collection of stories of werewolves written by women. While some were stronger than others, I would confidently give this book a 5 star rating. Several stories made me cry, laugh, even whoop with joy. I love stories of female rage, and this book delivered some EXCELLENT stories, but there were softer stories and sad stories. It felt so balanced. I took the time to give each story a rating and if I had any specific thoughts while reading them.
1. Wolf Bite: 3 stars
2. The Devil Has No Dogs: 4 stars, hell yeah girl, rip him to shreds.
3. Silver Boots: HELL YES GIRL RIP THEM TO SHREDS!!!!!! This is my favorite story in the anthology. I would've read 400 more pages about her. My favorite line was "She made confetti of their flesh." COME ON, sheer perfection.
4. All the Men Who Cried Wolf: 3.5 stars, the way she described being a wolf was beautiful but it was so hard to read how her father and then her partner treated her.
5. We Women Speak of Wolves: 5 stars, why would you make me cry like this?! I really hope she is able top find a life and sisterhood like her mom had. I loved this take on "werewolf", not violence but second life.
6.When He Could Have Me: 3.5 stars, a little scattered and the ending felt rushed. I wish there had been more information on the camcorder and why/how the girls turned into wolves. In the end, sibling rivalry and werewolves are a bad combination.
7. Origin Story: 3 stars, kids, am i right?
8. Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon: 4.5 stars, peer pressure but make it werewolves and vampires.
9. A Town With Too Many Girls: 3 stars, magical taxidermy.
10. Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon: 4.5 stars, the moon will never do you dirty. Again I would've read hundreds more pages of this.
11. Waxing Moon: 3 stars, I just don't think poetry is for me.
12. Vestigial: 5 stars, WTAF. This one was so weird and I LOVED it. Just a little gross, just enough. When the twist happened right at the end, my jaw was on the floor.
13. Hunger: 3.75 stars, a cautionary tinder tale. It seemed like she was going to get caught at one point but nothing came of that. Still, a fun story.
14. When We Run We Are Free: 4.5 stars, women protecting women. I love a bad guy falling to his death in a snowy ravine. I wish she could have turn the girl she saved and started her own little pack but it was still a nice ending.
15. The Clearing: 3.5 stars, I like how this one ended but getting there was hard. I hated how these women were treated.
16. Bone Marrow: 3.5 stars, I love Moon Mother. The connection of menstruation and the werewolf cycle was well done.
17. Dark Justice: 5 stars, Hell. Yeah. Werewolf vigilante justice? Sign me up. I do not want more of this story, I NEED it. Please....I'm begging.
18. Wolf Like Me: 4 stars, who put these tears in my eyes?!!!
19. The Wolf Line: 3.5 stars
20. It's Only Natural: 5 stars, loved it, I love weird hippie lady. This was another softer one that came with a surprise "hell yeah girls, rip him to shreds" ending. Would've love to read said ripping, but I'm greedy like that.
21. Super Moon: 4 stars, men are the worst. "Can't Fight the Moonlight" on repeat.
22. 13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon: 3.5 stars
Mad Woman: 3 stars, like I said, poetry is not my thing. I wish it hadn't ended the anthology on a poem, but that is me.
My favorite stories were Silver Boots, We Women Speak of Wolves, and Dark Justice.
As a whole, this anthology was AMAZING. I will be getting myself a copy when it is published and then forcing all my friends to read it.
September 20, 2025
This generously-sized (22 stories and poems) anthology bills itself only as "an anthology of werewolves" from Women In Horror. However, as the Introduction makes clear, this is an anthology of werewolves used to examine women's mostly contemporary concerns. Women's power, its loss and regaining, is probably the most frequent theme. Relationships between women, either in families or friendship groups, also come in for close examination. Family secrets about women are exposed in the full glare of moonlight. And always, in the face of abuse or worse, there is vengeance.
This anthology is divided into moon-phase sections, New Moon through Waning. This places the stories in rough groupings, though I was unable to figure out why some stories were placed where they were. The New Moon tales have a somewhat mythic or fairy tale feel to them, exemplified by Donna Lynch's "Silver Boots." Waxing Moon stories mostly involve friendships or sisterhood, with a couple of standouts (for me) in this section being Erika T. Wurth's "When He Could Have Me" and Gwendolyn Kiste's post-apocalyptic "Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon." The Full Moon tales involve lycanthropy as empowerment or coming of age. Some of these stories seemed a bit vague to me, but I particularly enjoyed Christina Henry's "When We Run We are Free" -- a frankly feel-good rescue/vengeance plot with bits of werewolf culture thrown in.
The final section, Waning, addresses such contemporary concerns as bodily autonomy, racial identity, and the ability of powerful men to get away with serial abuse. Examples here include Alexandrea Weis' "Dark Justice," with a Louisianan loup-garou running a battered women's shelter, and Wendy N. Wagner's "The Wolf Line" with its action-packed road trip from Idaho to Oregon, a sympathetic werewolf driving a fifteen-year-old with a too-adult problem and bounty hunters on their tail. There is also another bit of SF -- Katrina Monroe's "Super Moon" -- and the prose poem "13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon" by Stephanie M. Wytovich.
As with all themed anthologies, not every story (or poem, with three well-crafted ones appearing here) will appeal to every reader. However, there's enough variety here to make it worthwhile for those who enjoy socially influenced dark fiction.
[My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.]
This anthology is divided into moon-phase sections, New Moon through Waning. This places the stories in rough groupings, though I was unable to figure out why some stories were placed where they were. The New Moon tales have a somewhat mythic or fairy tale feel to them, exemplified by Donna Lynch's "Silver Boots." Waxing Moon stories mostly involve friendships or sisterhood, with a couple of standouts (for me) in this section being Erika T. Wurth's "When He Could Have Me" and Gwendolyn Kiste's post-apocalyptic "Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon." The Full Moon tales involve lycanthropy as empowerment or coming of age. Some of these stories seemed a bit vague to me, but I particularly enjoyed Christina Henry's "When We Run We are Free" -- a frankly feel-good rescue/vengeance plot with bits of werewolf culture thrown in.
The final section, Waning, addresses such contemporary concerns as bodily autonomy, racial identity, and the ability of powerful men to get away with serial abuse. Examples here include Alexandrea Weis' "Dark Justice," with a Louisianan loup-garou running a battered women's shelter, and Wendy N. Wagner's "The Wolf Line" with its action-packed road trip from Idaho to Oregon, a sympathetic werewolf driving a fifteen-year-old with a too-adult problem and bounty hunters on their tail. There is also another bit of SF -- Katrina Monroe's "Super Moon" -- and the prose poem "13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon" by Stephanie M. Wytovich.
As with all themed anthologies, not every story (or poem, with three well-crafted ones appearing here) will appeal to every reader. However, there's enough variety here to make it worthwhile for those who enjoy socially influenced dark fiction.
[My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.]
December 23, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I loved a lot of stories in this collection, and for anyone looking for a collection mainly focused on women taking back power into their own hands, this one is for you. The stories were not all focused on female rage and revenge, but the majority of them were. I love reading about those themes, but it did get a bit stale by the end because there are only so many ways the female werewolf rage story can be told differently. Some stories I really want to highlight are Origin Story by Shannon Robinson and A Town with Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh. Origin Story literally made me miss my train stop, which is the biggest compliment I could give that story. I think I ended up enjoying the stories centered around children more than the ones centered around a singular broken female. This collection introduced me to a lot of new authors as well as checked a few off my list that I had wanted to read from but never had. It also goes without saying that the introduction by Rachel Harrison was fabulous. I would recommend this to anyone in my life looking to read about a little female rage and stories that center around females in general.
November 9, 2025
I adored this collection of feminist werewolf stories and poems! Rachel Harrison’s introduction set the tone beautifully for these insightful, challenging, empowering stories. I loved how the stories were divided into different sections based on moon phases. I thought that was a really cool element!
A lot of the stories centered around the main characters using their feminine and werewolf traits to take back power from those that try to take advantage of them or make them weak. It was a little heavy at times, so the anthology format was excellent for taking a little break when needed.
Overall, the individual entries were ranging from 3 to 5 stars. I think different stories will resonate more with different readers, which is part of the beauty of an anthology. This helped put a couple authors on my radar to check out more of their work!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the ARC!
A lot of the stories centered around the main characters using their feminine and werewolf traits to take back power from those that try to take advantage of them or make them weak. It was a little heavy at times, so the anthology format was excellent for taking a little break when needed.
Overall, the individual entries were ranging from 3 to 5 stars. I think different stories will resonate more with different readers, which is part of the beauty of an anthology. This helped put a couple authors on my radar to check out more of their work!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the ARC!
June 8, 2025
Before reading this collection, I had every intention of picking and choosing my "favorites" to talk about. And then I read it, and every single story is entirely too good for me to choose between. I'm not even slightly exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best anthologies I've read in a while.
Each story here is a well-written, fresh take. And, to be completely honest, I've never really cared for werewolf stories in the past until reading this: Howl is my exception.
This book is perfect for anthology fans, horror readers, and especially those who love reading pieces from women in the horror space.
((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley & Xpresso Book Tours for this complimentary copy.))
Each story here is a well-written, fresh take. And, to be completely honest, I've never really cared for werewolf stories in the past until reading this: Howl is my exception.
This book is perfect for anthology fans, horror readers, and especially those who love reading pieces from women in the horror space.
((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley & Xpresso Book Tours for this complimentary copy.))
November 8, 2025
4.25 stars
This was a fabulous collection of short stories! I thought it was a very solid lineup in which all the stories were consistently good, if not great. There's honestly not one story I didn't like, which is very surprising. The vibes on this were immaculate! Everything felt so wild and free, full of feminine rage, empowerment, and hope. And not only were the vibes on point, but all were very well written. While all stories contained varying degrees of horror, there was also an incredible amount of emotional depth. Also, many of the stories had a unique take on what they felt like transformation was. My favorites were It's Only Natural, Origin Story, and Hunger.
This was a fabulous collection of short stories! I thought it was a very solid lineup in which all the stories were consistently good, if not great. There's honestly not one story I didn't like, which is very surprising. The vibes on this were immaculate! Everything felt so wild and free, full of feminine rage, empowerment, and hope. And not only were the vibes on point, but all were very well written. While all stories contained varying degrees of horror, there was also an incredible amount of emotional depth. Also, many of the stories had a unique take on what they felt like transformation was. My favorites were It's Only Natural, Origin Story, and Hunger.
August 2, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books/Xpresso Book Tours for the e-arc!
Rating: 4/5
Like most anthologies there’s going to be stories you connected with more than others. But overall I liked how none of the stories shied away from the body horror inherent in werewolf lore, and the way women specific issues were connected to lycanthropy.
I do think that there was an opportunity for a wider breadth of stories - the beauty of werewolves is that they’re a great metaphor for so many things, but especially queer stories. I would have loved to have seen some more trans and sapphic werewolves included (my favorite story in the anthology, 13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich, does include a sapphic werewolf). Queer women do share a lot of the same feminine rage as their straight counterparts, but there are unique experiences that would have been fun to seen explored through a werewolf lens.
I loved how the anthology was broken up into the phases of the moon for the different sections - Part Four: Waning had most of my favorite stories.
My top story from each part would be:
We Women Speak of Wolves
A Town with Too Many Girls
Vestigial
13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon
There are different trigger warnings for each story, but in general: sexual assault, domestic violence, gore.
Rating: 4/5
Like most anthologies there’s going to be stories you connected with more than others. But overall I liked how none of the stories shied away from the body horror inherent in werewolf lore, and the way women specific issues were connected to lycanthropy.
I do think that there was an opportunity for a wider breadth of stories - the beauty of werewolves is that they’re a great metaphor for so many things, but especially queer stories. I would have loved to have seen some more trans and sapphic werewolves included (my favorite story in the anthology, 13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich, does include a sapphic werewolf). Queer women do share a lot of the same feminine rage as their straight counterparts, but there are unique experiences that would have been fun to seen explored through a werewolf lens.
I loved how the anthology was broken up into the phases of the moon for the different sections - Part Four: Waning had most of my favorite stories.
My top story from each part would be:
We Women Speak of Wolves
A Town with Too Many Girls
Vestigial
13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon
There are different trigger warnings for each story, but in general: sexual assault, domestic violence, gore.
November 4, 2025
One thing I like about the early darkness in winter is how starkly beautiful and visible the moon becomes. During the long days of summer, the moon is something of an afterthought, but in winter, it reigns supreme. Howl is suffused with moonlight and with hidden things being revealed in its gentle light. I had a great time with this collection, all about womanhood and werewolves. Thanks to Black Spot Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Werewolves are a fascinating cultural monster. They exhibit all the traits true monsters require: the category-defying body, the guarding of social mores, and the embodiment of both desire and taboo. I also think it is fascinating that most werewolves in popular culture are male. Lycaon in Greek myth is a man, so is Bisclavret in Marie de France's medieval lai, or the lycanthropes in Teen Wolf (film and TV) or An American Werewolf in London. There are, of course, exceptions. Ginger in Ginger Snaps (2000) is a prime example, of what being a werewolf means for a woman or female character. Just as her period starts, she is violently attacked by a male werewolf and then begins exhibiting a certain wildness considered inappropriate for young women. For female characters and women, lycanthropy becomes tied to the already Othered physicality of the female body and with the tight strictures placed upon their behaviour in a way that doesn't resonate as tightly for male characters/men. Perhaps it is because "woman" is already such a contentious thing, both natural and cultural, that most pop culture leans towards depicting male werewolves, where safer conversations about male violence can be had. In Howl, a set of female authors highlight all the fruitful ways in which werewolves can be used as a way of talking about womanhood.
There is a physicality to the idea of the werewolf we don't really find in other monsters. Sure, a zombie is also a very physical thing, but it is also dead. A vampire is a physical creature, but they too are, in a way, dead and removed from other physical needs aside from feeding. The werewolf is a human but also an animal, a being with competing needs and instincts, a person that needs to function within society but also within the natural world. In this way, the werewolf speaks to the experience of many women who find themselves torn between gratifying the expectations placed on them and following their own desires and instincts. This issue is at the heart of every story in Howl and each story highlights different aspects of the struggle. The collection is also very diverse in how it approaches lycanthropy and I imagine this freedom was explicitly given by the editors. How the change comes about differs in almost every story and what its effects are does too. In almost all stories, however, there is freedom and strength to be found in the change. The stories are also delightfully bloody and gory, as you'd expect from a horror anthology. Limbs will be ripped, skin will be torn, and blood will be drunk.
Howl is split into four sections, 'I. New Moon', 'II. Waning', 'III. Full Moon', and 'IV. Waning'. I think there is some thematic relevance to these sections. In 'New Moon' we find various stories in which young girls grow into womanhood and, perchance, into wolfhood. In 'Waning', the stories seem to centre on the shared aspect of woman- and wolfhood, on sisters and friends and mothers. In 'Full Moon' we find women stepping fully into their power, frequently to protect themselves and other women. Here, woman- and wolfhood signify strength. In the final 'Waning' section, the stories engage more actively with the current political climate in America, especially how it restricts women's access to and autonomy over their own bodies. I had favourite stories in each section. 'The Devil has no Dogs' by Kailey Tedesco in the first section is a Puritan delight while Ai Jiang's 'All the Men Who Cried Wolf' packs a punch. In Section II, 'Origin Story' by Shannon Robinson is a fascinating look at motherhood while 'Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon' by A.C. Wise provides some lovely teenage angst. 'Our Howls Liek Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon' by Gwendolyn Kiste also hit me in a very specific way. Meanwhile 'Hunger' by Polly Hall, 'When We Run We Are Free' by Christina Henry, and 'The Clearing' by Christa Carmen are standouts of the third section. The final section is a little darker in tone, but 'Super Moon' by Katrina Monroe and '13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon' by Stephanie M. Wytovich were really good. I will definitely be looking for more work by most of these authors. A full list of the stories and poems is below.
One thing I did appreciate about this anthology is that it largely manages to avoid the "feminine divine" trap when it comes to addressing the nature of womanhood. There is nothing wrong with identifying something divine and natural in yourself as a woman, of course. It can in fact be a very revelatory and joyful experience to discover how you are connected to the wider world. However, there is a tendency in this kind of talk to limit women to natural knowledge and thereby, explicitly or implicitly, bar them from intellectual pursuits. Ursula K. Le Guin explained the issue with this, as was her wont, very nicely: "But I didn’t and still don’t like making a cult of women’s knowledge, preening ourselves on knowing things men don’t know, women’s deep irrational wisdom, women’s instinctive knowledge of Nature, and so on. All that all too often merely reinforces the masculinist idea of women as primitive and inferior – women’s knowledge as elementary, primitive, always down below at the dark roots, while men get to cultivate and own the flowers and crops that come up into the light. But why should women keep talking baby talk while men get to grow up? Why should women feel blindly while men get to think?” (Source). Throughout Howl, the stories play with this problematic around instinctive knowledge versus the learned, intellectual knowledge of the world, and I think the collection strikes the right tone in this. The Introduction by Rachel Harrison kind of slid into this territory a little for me, but I think everyone's threshold for this will be different. Overall, Howl is a lovely anthology of werewolf stories that centre the female experience. I'd recommend reading a story or two at a time so you don't overdose on the moonlight.
While not every story will hit equally, I loved the approach of this anthology and the variety of stories collected here.
Full list:
'Introduction' by Rachel Harrison
Part one: New Moon
'Wolf Bite' by Stephanie Valente (poem)
'The Devil Has No Dogs' by Kailey Tedesco
'Silver Boots' by Donna Lynch
'All the Men Who Cried Wolf' by Ai Jiang
'We Women Speak of Wolves' by Cynthia Pelayo
Part two: Waning
'When He Could Have Me' by Erika T. Wurth
'Origin Story' by Shannon Robinson
'Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon' by A.C. Wise
'A Town with Too Many Girls' by Jessica McHugh
'Our Howls like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon' by Gwendolyn Kiste
'Waxing Moon' by Shannon Marzella (poem)
Part three: Full Moon
'Vestigial' by Kristi DeMeester
'Hunger' by Polly Hall
'When We Run We Are Free' by Christina Henry
'The Clearing' by Christa Carmen
'Bone Marrow' by Lindy Ryan
Part four: Waning
'Dark Justice' by Alexandrea Weis
'Wolf Like Me' by Zin E. Rocklyn
'The Wolf Line' by Wendy N. Wagner
'It's Only Natural' by Delilah S. Dawson
'Super Moon' by Katrina Monroe
'13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon' by Stephanie M. Wytovich
'Mad Woman' by Shannon Marzella (poem)
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
Werewolves are a fascinating cultural monster. They exhibit all the traits true monsters require: the category-defying body, the guarding of social mores, and the embodiment of both desire and taboo. I also think it is fascinating that most werewolves in popular culture are male. Lycaon in Greek myth is a man, so is Bisclavret in Marie de France's medieval lai, or the lycanthropes in Teen Wolf (film and TV) or An American Werewolf in London. There are, of course, exceptions. Ginger in Ginger Snaps (2000) is a prime example, of what being a werewolf means for a woman or female character. Just as her period starts, she is violently attacked by a male werewolf and then begins exhibiting a certain wildness considered inappropriate for young women. For female characters and women, lycanthropy becomes tied to the already Othered physicality of the female body and with the tight strictures placed upon their behaviour in a way that doesn't resonate as tightly for male characters/men. Perhaps it is because "woman" is already such a contentious thing, both natural and cultural, that most pop culture leans towards depicting male werewolves, where safer conversations about male violence can be had. In Howl, a set of female authors highlight all the fruitful ways in which werewolves can be used as a way of talking about womanhood.
There is a physicality to the idea of the werewolf we don't really find in other monsters. Sure, a zombie is also a very physical thing, but it is also dead. A vampire is a physical creature, but they too are, in a way, dead and removed from other physical needs aside from feeding. The werewolf is a human but also an animal, a being with competing needs and instincts, a person that needs to function within society but also within the natural world. In this way, the werewolf speaks to the experience of many women who find themselves torn between gratifying the expectations placed on them and following their own desires and instincts. This issue is at the heart of every story in Howl and each story highlights different aspects of the struggle. The collection is also very diverse in how it approaches lycanthropy and I imagine this freedom was explicitly given by the editors. How the change comes about differs in almost every story and what its effects are does too. In almost all stories, however, there is freedom and strength to be found in the change. The stories are also delightfully bloody and gory, as you'd expect from a horror anthology. Limbs will be ripped, skin will be torn, and blood will be drunk.
Howl is split into four sections, 'I. New Moon', 'II. Waning', 'III. Full Moon', and 'IV. Waning'. I think there is some thematic relevance to these sections. In 'New Moon' we find various stories in which young girls grow into womanhood and, perchance, into wolfhood. In 'Waning', the stories seem to centre on the shared aspect of woman- and wolfhood, on sisters and friends and mothers. In 'Full Moon' we find women stepping fully into their power, frequently to protect themselves and other women. Here, woman- and wolfhood signify strength. In the final 'Waning' section, the stories engage more actively with the current political climate in America, especially how it restricts women's access to and autonomy over their own bodies. I had favourite stories in each section. 'The Devil has no Dogs' by Kailey Tedesco in the first section is a Puritan delight while Ai Jiang's 'All the Men Who Cried Wolf' packs a punch. In Section II, 'Origin Story' by Shannon Robinson is a fascinating look at motherhood while 'Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon' by A.C. Wise provides some lovely teenage angst. 'Our Howls Liek Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon' by Gwendolyn Kiste also hit me in a very specific way. Meanwhile 'Hunger' by Polly Hall, 'When We Run We Are Free' by Christina Henry, and 'The Clearing' by Christa Carmen are standouts of the third section. The final section is a little darker in tone, but 'Super Moon' by Katrina Monroe and '13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon' by Stephanie M. Wytovich were really good. I will definitely be looking for more work by most of these authors. A full list of the stories and poems is below.
One thing I did appreciate about this anthology is that it largely manages to avoid the "feminine divine" trap when it comes to addressing the nature of womanhood. There is nothing wrong with identifying something divine and natural in yourself as a woman, of course. It can in fact be a very revelatory and joyful experience to discover how you are connected to the wider world. However, there is a tendency in this kind of talk to limit women to natural knowledge and thereby, explicitly or implicitly, bar them from intellectual pursuits. Ursula K. Le Guin explained the issue with this, as was her wont, very nicely: "But I didn’t and still don’t like making a cult of women’s knowledge, preening ourselves on knowing things men don’t know, women’s deep irrational wisdom, women’s instinctive knowledge of Nature, and so on. All that all too often merely reinforces the masculinist idea of women as primitive and inferior – women’s knowledge as elementary, primitive, always down below at the dark roots, while men get to cultivate and own the flowers and crops that come up into the light. But why should women keep talking baby talk while men get to grow up? Why should women feel blindly while men get to think?” (Source). Throughout Howl, the stories play with this problematic around instinctive knowledge versus the learned, intellectual knowledge of the world, and I think the collection strikes the right tone in this. The Introduction by Rachel Harrison kind of slid into this territory a little for me, but I think everyone's threshold for this will be different. Overall, Howl is a lovely anthology of werewolf stories that centre the female experience. I'd recommend reading a story or two at a time so you don't overdose on the moonlight.
While not every story will hit equally, I loved the approach of this anthology and the variety of stories collected here.
Full list:
'Introduction' by Rachel Harrison
Part one: New Moon
'Wolf Bite' by Stephanie Valente (poem)
'The Devil Has No Dogs' by Kailey Tedesco
'Silver Boots' by Donna Lynch
'All the Men Who Cried Wolf' by Ai Jiang
'We Women Speak of Wolves' by Cynthia Pelayo
Part two: Waning
'When He Could Have Me' by Erika T. Wurth
'Origin Story' by Shannon Robinson
'Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon' by A.C. Wise
'A Town with Too Many Girls' by Jessica McHugh
'Our Howls like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon' by Gwendolyn Kiste
'Waxing Moon' by Shannon Marzella (poem)
Part three: Full Moon
'Vestigial' by Kristi DeMeester
'Hunger' by Polly Hall
'When We Run We Are Free' by Christina Henry
'The Clearing' by Christa Carmen
'Bone Marrow' by Lindy Ryan
Part four: Waning
'Dark Justice' by Alexandrea Weis
'Wolf Like Me' by Zin E. Rocklyn
'The Wolf Line' by Wendy N. Wagner
'It's Only Natural' by Delilah S. Dawson
'Super Moon' by Katrina Monroe
'13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon' by Stephanie M. Wytovich
'Mad Woman' by Shannon Marzella (poem)
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
August 13, 2025
Thank you, NetGalley, for early access to this ARC — I loved it! If women weren’t already badass enough, these stories proved just how fierce they can be. Each one was fresh, terrifying, and had me drooling for more. This collection was perfect for getting me in the mood for fall, and it’s an absolute must-have for any horror enthusiast’s personal library.
September 4, 2025
I will give a short review of each piece in this collection, but there are many of them. In summation, this is a very good short story collection, and I would recommend picking it up. I had a few hard misses, but more huge wins. There is so much variety in both narrative and writing style that I expect every reader will feel the same, and will discover some new favorite short stories.
Rachel Harrison's introduction to the collection was nice, but pretty simple in its interpretation of feminism and autonomy. It's charming enough, and I always love the parallels of lycanthropy with womanhood & transition. My favorite points were her comparison of periods and the shedding of the human body for the wolf, as well as the following quote:
"These stories will... surprise you, crawl up behind you, breathe hot and foul onto the back of your neck. They will follow you. Stalk you. Find you in the night, in your dreams.
They will transform you."
Part One: New Moon
Wolf Bite by Stephanie Valente: I don't give a rating to poems, but this was a nice start. "What does it mean to embody? You haven't figured that part out yet."
The Devil Has No Dogs by Kailey Tedesco: 9/10 "When you are eaten up, the soul changes." This was reminiscent of The Lover by Silvia Moreno Garcia, and Slewfoot by Brom, with the addition of much weird, gross body horror. Love all of that.
Silver Boots by Donna Lynch: 8/10 "She was the rage of her whole life, the rage she'd held captive by mere bits of silver." This story had a much more direct and obvious meaning, but a few of the smaller analogies were lovely and poignant. The womanhood and generational love in this was beautiful.
All the Men Who Cried Wolf by AI Jiang: 9/10 "He sang lulling words into my hair, rocking me until I fell asleep, not knowing that all my nightmares were about him." This was a difficult read for its brutality, but it was so exceptionally done.
We Women Speak of Wolves by Cynthia Pelayo: 7/10 "I drew a deep breath and then expelled all of it---hopes and fears and joys from my mouth in one long, steady howl." This story didn't do enough for me. It felt too surface-level to make an impact.
Part Two: Waning
When He Could Have Me by Erika T. Wurth: 4/10 "He'd filmed them all for weeks off and on, delighted by the old, wavy footage it produced. Until one day, he'd simply stopped." This one was tough. I don't like entitled characters or sibling hatred very much, and the plot really didn't do anything for me.
Origin Story by Shannon Robinson: 6/10 "Never bite back. That's what all the parenting websites tell you." This was fine. Parenting, womanhood, and evolution have been combined in SO many recent stories like this one.
Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon by A. C. Wise: 6/10 "She needs a new origin story; this one is bullshit." This was very light and YA, but fun. Not super complex, not a bad read.
A Town With Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh: 8/10 "...she was wearing the other half of the heart. Hers wasn't shiny, though. Strange russet stains dulled it, stamps of swoopy lines, like fingerprints." The first true magical realism of this collection was a treat. Strange, messed up, and real in its girlhood.
Our Howls like Dirges, Our Eyes like the Moon by Gwendolyn Kiste: 6.5/10 "...her flesh and bones breaking apart, revealing something new. Something feral and beautiful." This was sweet, and had some lovely quotes, but it felt obvious and straightforward.
Waxing Moon by Shannon Marzella: again, I don't give ratings to poems, but this one rocks. I re-read it multiple times, and I'm not a poetry guy.
Part Three: Full Moon
Vestigial by Kristi DeMeester: 8/10 "Alone in the dorm that night, I dream of my tail. Of sharp teeth and silver light and the thick rush of blood over my tongue and a power that has never belonged to me." So disturbing. It leaned way more into true horror than earlier entries, and I really enjoyed it.
Hunger by Polly Hall: 6/10 "It is our last meal together, so I want it to be worth it." Bringing vampires into the narrative for a moment was distracting, and I didn't love her sometimes clinical and explanatory writing voice.
When We Run We Are Free by Christina Henry: 9/10 "And I was thinking I needed a good long run through the woods, maybe all the way to the state line." Henry got me INVESTED so quickly. The main character's voice, motives, and morality were believable, and I love a feminist narrative. This was at once powerful and sweet.
The Clearing by Christa Carmen: 7/10 "...the invasions, which he perpetrates so self-righteously she's regularly tricked into doubting it's chains she drags at all, as opposed to the mere trappings of a good and loyal wife." This story really needs a content warning for sexual assault, drugging, and physical abuse. It wasn't quite as well-developed as I wanted, but it still worked, and was a very different werewolf tale.
Bone Marrow by Lindy Ryan: 7/10 "They dull your teeth because they are the meat." I didn't feel this quite came full circle and completed all its ideas, but I enjoyed what it gave me.
Part Four: Waning
Dark Justice by Alexandrea Weis: 5/10 I loved Elara at the beginning. She is the wolven embodiment of real people who do selfless work for the good of others. This also had a horrific werewolf transformation, which I adore. However, it tried to reference real life too much, and the writing got progressively cheesier about halfway in.
Wolf Like Me by Zin E. Rocklyn: 6/10 "...her skin like mine, like midnight. She glows. But her sorrow, it dims her, and I ache just standing near her." There were nice elements to the story, like Nandani's history, but it didn't really work for me overall.
The Wolf Line by Wendy N. Wagner: 8/10 "The big white dog in the crate beside the girl's gave an unhappy whine." This subverted my expectations, which isn't common with how much horror I read, and I felt compelled and intrigued throughout.
It's Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson: 8/10 Can't really quote this one without spoilers or a content warning, but this is women supporting women in a very relevant way.
Super Moon by Katrina Monroe: 8/10 "The sound was scary, but the thought of bothering Dad while he was on the phone was scarier." Oh, this poor little girl, and all the unfortunate women who couldn't do anything. A hard but gratifying read.
13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich: 9.5/10 "The moon painted me magic as I opened my mouth to scream, a howl made of sinew and bone." This was darn near perfect. What an awesome story of pure werewolf experience.
Mad Woman by Shannon Marzella: We end with another beautiful poem by this author. It wraps the collection up very well.
Huge thanks to Black Spot Books and to Netgalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this collection. All thoughts are honest and my own.
Rachel Harrison's introduction to the collection was nice, but pretty simple in its interpretation of feminism and autonomy. It's charming enough, and I always love the parallels of lycanthropy with womanhood & transition. My favorite points were her comparison of periods and the shedding of the human body for the wolf, as well as the following quote:
"These stories will... surprise you, crawl up behind you, breathe hot and foul onto the back of your neck. They will follow you. Stalk you. Find you in the night, in your dreams.
They will transform you."
Part One: New Moon
Wolf Bite by Stephanie Valente: I don't give a rating to poems, but this was a nice start. "What does it mean to embody? You haven't figured that part out yet."
The Devil Has No Dogs by Kailey Tedesco: 9/10 "When you are eaten up, the soul changes." This was reminiscent of The Lover by Silvia Moreno Garcia, and Slewfoot by Brom, with the addition of much weird, gross body horror. Love all of that.
Silver Boots by Donna Lynch: 8/10 "She was the rage of her whole life, the rage she'd held captive by mere bits of silver." This story had a much more direct and obvious meaning, but a few of the smaller analogies were lovely and poignant. The womanhood and generational love in this was beautiful.
All the Men Who Cried Wolf by AI Jiang: 9/10 "He sang lulling words into my hair, rocking me until I fell asleep, not knowing that all my nightmares were about him." This was a difficult read for its brutality, but it was so exceptionally done.
We Women Speak of Wolves by Cynthia Pelayo: 7/10 "I drew a deep breath and then expelled all of it---hopes and fears and joys from my mouth in one long, steady howl." This story didn't do enough for me. It felt too surface-level to make an impact.
Part Two: Waning
When He Could Have Me by Erika T. Wurth: 4/10 "He'd filmed them all for weeks off and on, delighted by the old, wavy footage it produced. Until one day, he'd simply stopped." This one was tough. I don't like entitled characters or sibling hatred very much, and the plot really didn't do anything for me.
Origin Story by Shannon Robinson: 6/10 "Never bite back. That's what all the parenting websites tell you." This was fine. Parenting, womanhood, and evolution have been combined in SO many recent stories like this one.
Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon by A. C. Wise: 6/10 "She needs a new origin story; this one is bullshit." This was very light and YA, but fun. Not super complex, not a bad read.
A Town With Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh: 8/10 "...she was wearing the other half of the heart. Hers wasn't shiny, though. Strange russet stains dulled it, stamps of swoopy lines, like fingerprints." The first true magical realism of this collection was a treat. Strange, messed up, and real in its girlhood.
Our Howls like Dirges, Our Eyes like the Moon by Gwendolyn Kiste: 6.5/10 "...her flesh and bones breaking apart, revealing something new. Something feral and beautiful." This was sweet, and had some lovely quotes, but it felt obvious and straightforward.
Waxing Moon by Shannon Marzella: again, I don't give ratings to poems, but this one rocks. I re-read it multiple times, and I'm not a poetry guy.
Part Three: Full Moon
Vestigial by Kristi DeMeester: 8/10 "Alone in the dorm that night, I dream of my tail. Of sharp teeth and silver light and the thick rush of blood over my tongue and a power that has never belonged to me." So disturbing. It leaned way more into true horror than earlier entries, and I really enjoyed it.
Hunger by Polly Hall: 6/10 "It is our last meal together, so I want it to be worth it." Bringing vampires into the narrative for a moment was distracting, and I didn't love her sometimes clinical and explanatory writing voice.
When We Run We Are Free by Christina Henry: 9/10 "And I was thinking I needed a good long run through the woods, maybe all the way to the state line." Henry got me INVESTED so quickly. The main character's voice, motives, and morality were believable, and I love a feminist narrative. This was at once powerful and sweet.
The Clearing by Christa Carmen: 7/10 "...the invasions, which he perpetrates so self-righteously she's regularly tricked into doubting it's chains she drags at all, as opposed to the mere trappings of a good and loyal wife." This story really needs a content warning for sexual assault, drugging, and physical abuse. It wasn't quite as well-developed as I wanted, but it still worked, and was a very different werewolf tale.
Bone Marrow by Lindy Ryan: 7/10 "They dull your teeth because they are the meat." I didn't feel this quite came full circle and completed all its ideas, but I enjoyed what it gave me.
Part Four: Waning
Dark Justice by Alexandrea Weis: 5/10 I loved Elara at the beginning. She is the wolven embodiment of real people who do selfless work for the good of others. This also had a horrific werewolf transformation, which I adore. However, it tried to reference real life too much, and the writing got progressively cheesier about halfway in.
Wolf Like Me by Zin E. Rocklyn: 6/10 "...her skin like mine, like midnight. She glows. But her sorrow, it dims her, and I ache just standing near her." There were nice elements to the story, like Nandani's history, but it didn't really work for me overall.
The Wolf Line by Wendy N. Wagner: 8/10 "The big white dog in the crate beside the girl's gave an unhappy whine." This subverted my expectations, which isn't common with how much horror I read, and I felt compelled and intrigued throughout.
It's Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson: 8/10 Can't really quote this one without spoilers or a content warning, but this is women supporting women in a very relevant way.
Super Moon by Katrina Monroe: 8/10 "The sound was scary, but the thought of bothering Dad while he was on the phone was scarier." Oh, this poor little girl, and all the unfortunate women who couldn't do anything. A hard but gratifying read.
13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich: 9.5/10 "The moon painted me magic as I opened my mouth to scream, a howl made of sinew and bone." This was darn near perfect. What an awesome story of pure werewolf experience.
Mad Woman by Shannon Marzella: We end with another beautiful poem by this author. It wraps the collection up very well.
Huge thanks to Black Spot Books and to Netgalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this collection. All thoughts are honest and my own.
October 3, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was an incredible anthology full of feminine rage and monstrous women who hunt deserving men. I truly loved this combination of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, especially since it centers women overcoming awful circumstances! My feelings about each story/poem are as follows:
"Wolf Bite" - A very poignant little poem! 5/5
"The Devil Has No Dogs" - Super strange, reads like a combination of the VVitch and Men, so A24 vibes to the MAX. 3/5
"Silver Boots" - A modern fairy tale with the most gorgeous imagery! My favorite of the anthology. 5/5
"All the Men Who Cried Wolf" - Depicts generational trauma so well. Heartbreaking and hopeful in equal measure. My second favorite! 5/5
"We Women Speak of Wolves" - Understated, but beautiful. 4/5
"When He Could Have Me" - Probably my least favorite because it pits woman against woman, seems to go against the idea of the collection a bit 2/5
"Origin Story" - A super interesting take in which lycanthropy is seen as something like a genetic developmental order. 5/5
"Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon" - The wordplay is fun! I like the classic literature references. Feels kind of like Mean Girls but with supernatural creatures. 4/5
"A Town with Too Many Girls" - Not for me, I had a hard time parsing through what happened. 2/5
"Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes like the Moon" - werewolf apocalypse!! Super cool concept, and I love the message about friendship here. 5/5
"Waxing Moon" - Another lovely poem! 5/5
"Vestigial" - Short and sweet, but could use more werewolf. 4/5
"Hunger" - A great opening, story was funny, but not as engaging as some of the others. 3/5
"When We Run We Are Free" - Love love love! Good revenge tale. 5/5
"The Clearing" - Yesssss take back the power!! 5/5
"Bone Marrow" - I was so glad to see a Lindy Ryan story! Her imagery and gory horror is impeccable as always. 5/5
"Dark Justice" - Good attack/fight scenes, but the ending was not satisfying. 3/5
"Wolf Like Me" - Had a hard time connecting the dots for this one 3/5
"The Wolf Line" - Again, some dots didn't quite connect, but I liked the concept a lot! 4/5
"It's Only Natural" - Love! Such an interesting take on reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. 5/5
"Super Moon" - Werewolf apocalypse part 2!! Addresses male fears around menstruation so well. The political references also felt so relevant to current affairs. (Did catch a continuity error: November 2039 should be November 2038 for the timeline to make sense)
"13 Times I Swallowed the Moon" - Very poetic and beautiful! 5/5
"Mad Woman" - My favorite of the poems, so layered and intriguing. 5/5
This was an incredible anthology full of feminine rage and monstrous women who hunt deserving men. I truly loved this combination of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, especially since it centers women overcoming awful circumstances! My feelings about each story/poem are as follows:
"Wolf Bite" - A very poignant little poem! 5/5
"The Devil Has No Dogs" - Super strange, reads like a combination of the VVitch and Men, so A24 vibes to the MAX. 3/5
"Silver Boots" - A modern fairy tale with the most gorgeous imagery! My favorite of the anthology. 5/5
"All the Men Who Cried Wolf" - Depicts generational trauma so well. Heartbreaking and hopeful in equal measure. My second favorite! 5/5
"We Women Speak of Wolves" - Understated, but beautiful. 4/5
"When He Could Have Me" - Probably my least favorite because it pits woman against woman, seems to go against the idea of the collection a bit 2/5
"Origin Story" - A super interesting take in which lycanthropy is seen as something like a genetic developmental order. 5/5
"Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon" - The wordplay is fun! I like the classic literature references. Feels kind of like Mean Girls but with supernatural creatures. 4/5
"A Town with Too Many Girls" - Not for me, I had a hard time parsing through what happened. 2/5
"Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes like the Moon" - werewolf apocalypse!! Super cool concept, and I love the message about friendship here. 5/5
"Waxing Moon" - Another lovely poem! 5/5
"Vestigial" - Short and sweet, but could use more werewolf. 4/5
"Hunger" - A great opening, story was funny, but not as engaging as some of the others. 3/5
"When We Run We Are Free" - Love love love! Good revenge tale. 5/5
"The Clearing" - Yesssss take back the power!! 5/5
"Bone Marrow" - I was so glad to see a Lindy Ryan story! Her imagery and gory horror is impeccable as always. 5/5
"Dark Justice" - Good attack/fight scenes, but the ending was not satisfying. 3/5
"Wolf Like Me" - Had a hard time connecting the dots for this one 3/5
"The Wolf Line" - Again, some dots didn't quite connect, but I liked the concept a lot! 4/5
"It's Only Natural" - Love! Such an interesting take on reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. 5/5
"Super Moon" - Werewolf apocalypse part 2!! Addresses male fears around menstruation so well. The political references also felt so relevant to current affairs. (Did catch a continuity error: November 2039 should be November 2038 for the timeline to make sense)
"13 Times I Swallowed the Moon" - Very poetic and beautiful! 5/5
"Mad Woman" - My favorite of the poems, so layered and intriguing. 5/5
May 29, 2025
"Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves From Women in Horror" is a stunning, unsettling, and visceral short story collection edited by Lindy Ryan and Stephanie Wytovich! Some of the authors include Cynthia Pelayo, Delilah S. Dawson, Gwendolyn Kiste, Christina Henry, and Ai Jiang.
I was completely enthralled by the collection, and I think the stories in the collection put a unique spin on werewolf folklore.
My favorite stories included:
1. "The Devil Has No Dogs" by Kailey
Tedesa
2. "We Women Speak of Wolves" by Cynthia Pelayo.
3. It's Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson
"The Devil Has No Dogs" is about two women who become witches and make a deal with the devil. After they make a deal with the devil, they can transform into dogs and cause chaos in their village. The imagery in this story is beautifully haunting and grotesque. This story feels like a horrifying fever dream.
"We Women Speak of Wolves" is about a wild hearted woman remembering the stories her mother told her about the coven of women she used to live with. Her mother called the coven her 'sisters under the moon', and they lived out in nature and danced under the moon.
The woman was entranced with the stories about her mother's 'sisters under the moon' when she was a child.
Years after her mother's death, the woman goes on a journey to find woman named La Loba, who gave her mother a wolf skull when she was part of the coven and before the woman was born.
This story is magical, heartbreaking, and beautifully written. I always enjoy reading short stories by Cynthia Pelayo!
"It's Only Natural" is about a woman who was raped and became pregnant. Abortions have been outlawed in her state, and if she travels out of state to get an abortion she can be arrested.
A co-worker gives her a telephone number that can give her an abortion in secret. The story is about the emotional journey she goes through to get an abortion and how the woman who gives her an abortion gives her her power back. This story is heartbreaking, dark, and empowering.
"Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves From Women in Horror" is a strong collection about womanhood and women taking back their power. Overall, I loved all of the stories even though some were stronger than others. I highly recommend this collection, especially if you love stories about werewolves!
Thank you, NetGalley and Black Spot Books, for sending me an ARC of this wonderful anthology!
"Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves From Women in Horror" comes out 11/04/2025!
I was completely enthralled by the collection, and I think the stories in the collection put a unique spin on werewolf folklore.
My favorite stories included:
1. "The Devil Has No Dogs" by Kailey
Tedesa
2. "We Women Speak of Wolves" by Cynthia Pelayo.
3. It's Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson
"The Devil Has No Dogs" is about two women who become witches and make a deal with the devil. After they make a deal with the devil, they can transform into dogs and cause chaos in their village. The imagery in this story is beautifully haunting and grotesque. This story feels like a horrifying fever dream.
"We Women Speak of Wolves" is about a wild hearted woman remembering the stories her mother told her about the coven of women she used to live with. Her mother called the coven her 'sisters under the moon', and they lived out in nature and danced under the moon.
The woman was entranced with the stories about her mother's 'sisters under the moon' when she was a child.
Years after her mother's death, the woman goes on a journey to find woman named La Loba, who gave her mother a wolf skull when she was part of the coven and before the woman was born.
This story is magical, heartbreaking, and beautifully written. I always enjoy reading short stories by Cynthia Pelayo!
"It's Only Natural" is about a woman who was raped and became pregnant. Abortions have been outlawed in her state, and if she travels out of state to get an abortion she can be arrested.
A co-worker gives her a telephone number that can give her an abortion in secret. The story is about the emotional journey she goes through to get an abortion and how the woman who gives her an abortion gives her her power back. This story is heartbreaking, dark, and empowering.
"Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves From Women in Horror" is a strong collection about womanhood and women taking back their power. Overall, I loved all of the stories even though some were stronger than others. I highly recommend this collection, especially if you love stories about werewolves!
Thank you, NetGalley and Black Spot Books, for sending me an ARC of this wonderful anthology!
"Howl: An Anthology of Werewolves From Women in Horror" comes out 11/04/2025!
June 2, 2025
I received this in exchange for a honest review from Netgalley, and to be honest, I was so excited to read this, Women authors writing about werewolves? Sign me up.
This was a fantastic read, and a great line up of stories, it was so hard to choose a favorite.
Some of my top picks were
All the Men Who Cried Wolf
A Town with To Many Girl
Hunger
We Women Speak of Wolves
These all were horrifying tales of terror, but so emotionally written, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get emotional a few times reading this.
Every single story resonated a deep part of me, that clings to the one thing I cannot forget, no matter how bad things are, no matter how dark it looks, and the odds, maybe not so great, some how you have, and you will survive. Sometimes that means doing it all yourself, and most of the time, lets be honest but out there there are those women who also helps the rest of us and avenge those that can’t get seek it for themselves and to get justice and help .
But not every story is all rage and burn the ground, like all things there’s a sadness and joy that really rounded this entire thing out, to being something so unexpected.
I teared up a little writing this review, this book, it hit so many different emotions, horror, rage, and sadness, for these women, and for myself and all the women I know in real life and my online ones as well.
This needs to be read by everyone I think, so check it out when it releases.
Being strong and finding that inside you is important, doesn’t matter if you are a werewolf fighting that rage or being a human and fighting that rage around you, you wont be any good to yourself, or others unless you decide to reach deep inside and really take a look at your inner wolf and what you are truly capable of.
The horror isn’t in a transforming beast the human mind cannot seem to comprehend, the horror is behind the masks of things and people we deal with everyday and the ones that are supposed to be our friends and family are some times the most horrifying of them all.
This was a fantastic read, and a great line up of stories, it was so hard to choose a favorite.
Some of my top picks were
All the Men Who Cried Wolf
A Town with To Many Girl
Hunger
We Women Speak of Wolves
These all were horrifying tales of terror, but so emotionally written, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get emotional a few times reading this.
Every single story resonated a deep part of me, that clings to the one thing I cannot forget, no matter how bad things are, no matter how dark it looks, and the odds, maybe not so great, some how you have, and you will survive. Sometimes that means doing it all yourself, and most of the time, lets be honest but out there there are those women who also helps the rest of us and avenge those that can’t get seek it for themselves and to get justice and help .
But not every story is all rage and burn the ground, like all things there’s a sadness and joy that really rounded this entire thing out, to being something so unexpected.
I teared up a little writing this review, this book, it hit so many different emotions, horror, rage, and sadness, for these women, and for myself and all the women I know in real life and my online ones as well.
This needs to be read by everyone I think, so check it out when it releases.
Being strong and finding that inside you is important, doesn’t matter if you are a werewolf fighting that rage or being a human and fighting that rage around you, you wont be any good to yourself, or others unless you decide to reach deep inside and really take a look at your inner wolf and what you are truly capable of.
The horror isn’t in a transforming beast the human mind cannot seem to comprehend, the horror is behind the masks of things and people we deal with everyday and the ones that are supposed to be our friends and family are some times the most horrifying of them all.
September 27, 2025
Howl is an anthology of 23 poems and short stories about werewolves and women. I was immediately pulled in and went into the book really excited to read all the texts. I loved so many of them, and even the ones I thought weren't exactly for me, I still found interesting. I can't wait to look up more works from many of the authors!
That said, unfortunately, I think putting them in this collection together weakens them. I had to force myself to stop reading because reading these stories one after another made them less impactful. The theme is quite precise which led to a lot of the stories being very similar. They would be a lot stronger if read individually.
I would absolutely recommend! (but as a book to read one story from every once in a while)
Wolf Bite by Stephanie Valente (3⭐)
The Devil Has No Dogs by Kailey Tedesco (4⭐)
Silver Boots by Donna Lynch (3.5⭐)
All The Men Who Cried Wolf by Ai Jiang (4.5⭐)
We Women Speak of Wolves by Cynthia Pelayo (4⭐)
When He Could Have Me by Erika T. Wurth (3⭐)
Origin Story by Shannon Robinson (5⭐)
Werewolf Girl Swallows The Moon by A. C. Wise (3.5⭐)
A Town With Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh (3⭐)
Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like The Moon by Gwendolyn Kiste (4⭐)
Waxing Moon by Shannon Marzella (4⭐)
Vestigial by Kristi DeMeester (4.5⭐)
Hunger by Polly Hall (3.5⭐)
When We Run We Are Free by Christina Henry (5⭐)
The Clearing by Christa Carmen (5⭐)
Bone Marrow by Lindy Ryan (4⭐)
Dark Justice by Alexandrea Weis (4⭐)
Wolf Like Me by Zin E. Rocklyn (3.5⭐)
The Wolf Line by Wendy N. Wagner (5⭐)
It's Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson (4.5⭐)
Super Moon by Katrina Monroe (5⭐)
13 Times I Swallowed A Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich (5⭐)
Mad Woman by Shannon Marzella (3.5⭐)
Thank you NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. Howl comes out on November 4th, 2025.
That said, unfortunately, I think putting them in this collection together weakens them. I had to force myself to stop reading because reading these stories one after another made them less impactful. The theme is quite precise which led to a lot of the stories being very similar. They would be a lot stronger if read individually.
I would absolutely recommend! (but as a book to read one story from every once in a while)
Wolf Bite by Stephanie Valente (3⭐)
The Devil Has No Dogs by Kailey Tedesco (4⭐)
Silver Boots by Donna Lynch (3.5⭐)
All The Men Who Cried Wolf by Ai Jiang (4.5⭐)
We Women Speak of Wolves by Cynthia Pelayo (4⭐)
When He Could Have Me by Erika T. Wurth (3⭐)
Origin Story by Shannon Robinson (5⭐)
Werewolf Girl Swallows The Moon by A. C. Wise (3.5⭐)
A Town With Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh (3⭐)
Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like The Moon by Gwendolyn Kiste (4⭐)
Waxing Moon by Shannon Marzella (4⭐)
Vestigial by Kristi DeMeester (4.5⭐)
Hunger by Polly Hall (3.5⭐)
When We Run We Are Free by Christina Henry (5⭐)
The Clearing by Christa Carmen (5⭐)
Bone Marrow by Lindy Ryan (4⭐)
Dark Justice by Alexandrea Weis (4⭐)
Wolf Like Me by Zin E. Rocklyn (3.5⭐)
The Wolf Line by Wendy N. Wagner (5⭐)
It's Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson (4.5⭐)
Super Moon by Katrina Monroe (5⭐)
13 Times I Swallowed A Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich (5⭐)
Mad Woman by Shannon Marzella (3.5⭐)
Thank you NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. Howl comes out on November 4th, 2025.
June 9, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for honest feedback.
Anyone who knows me or read other reviews of mine is aware nothing is dearer to my heart and closest to the top of my To Read pile than werewolf novels or stories. I consume those things like candy, relishing in the various approaches the authors take to lycanthropy, the settings where the tales spin out, or the backstories that lead the werewolf to front and center.' An opening volley in the form of a foreword by Rachel Harrison, another favorite, cinched my need to read this.
The book is broken into four bits (New Moon, Waxing, Full Moon, and Waning), with each thematically tied to the sort of story the author was presenting. Each section had multiple stories or poems in them. I found most of the poems fairly dry and not engaging, but I'll be the first to admit poetry isn't my preferred method of relaying images, or setting a mood, so grain of salt). The short stories were all well written, though storylines and worldbuilding ran the gamut. Overall, I think the majority of the tales made the book worth reading if you're a werewolf aficionado, and for sheer volume, it's a safe buy.
Some men may flinch (some women also) reading the foreword or some of the other bits/press about this being a book by women with a woman's perspective that this will be a man-hating agenda book. I know I was worried going in. Needless worry, though. This is simply a platform for some very skilled female writers to spin some fascinating tales of our favorite beasties of the night. Buy away! You'll enjoy this!
Anyone who knows me or read other reviews of mine is aware nothing is dearer to my heart and closest to the top of my To Read pile than werewolf novels or stories. I consume those things like candy, relishing in the various approaches the authors take to lycanthropy, the settings where the tales spin out, or the backstories that lead the werewolf to front and center.' An opening volley in the form of a foreword by Rachel Harrison, another favorite, cinched my need to read this.
The book is broken into four bits (New Moon, Waxing, Full Moon, and Waning), with each thematically tied to the sort of story the author was presenting. Each section had multiple stories or poems in them. I found most of the poems fairly dry and not engaging, but I'll be the first to admit poetry isn't my preferred method of relaying images, or setting a mood, so grain of salt). The short stories were all well written, though storylines and worldbuilding ran the gamut. Overall, I think the majority of the tales made the book worth reading if you're a werewolf aficionado, and for sheer volume, it's a safe buy.
Some men may flinch (some women also) reading the foreword or some of the other bits/press about this being a book by women with a woman's perspective that this will be a man-hating agenda book. I know I was worried going in. Needless worry, though. This is simply a platform for some very skilled female writers to spin some fascinating tales of our favorite beasties of the night. Buy away! You'll enjoy this!
November 1, 2025
𖤐🐺🌕🩸𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜🩸🌑🐺𖤐
“Stories are medicine,” says Cynthia Pelayo in her story, “We Women Speak of Wolves” from Howl, the new werewolf anthology edited by Lindy Ryan and Stephanie M. Wytovich, and reading these stories made me feel the truth in that.
Howl is a powerful collection by women authors with a thread of werewolves, but they’re really about power, strength, love, hate, bodies, sex, hunger, desire, loneliness, fear, rage, and the aspects of those that are inherent to womanhood.
A look at those who’s who of women in horror in the table of contents will tell you this is a strong collection, so I’m going to highlight a couple that really spoke to me.
“All the Men who Cried Wolf” by Ai Jiang is a heartbreaking illustration of how men try to mold us into their expectations of beauty - shape your nails, shave your hair, ladies - from the perspective of a little girl who loves and fears her father.
Maybe it’s about the choice between werewolf and vampire, but maybe “Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon” by A. C. Wise is about that time in 7th grade when your best friends suddenly thought you were too weird with your charity shop clothes and free school lunch and story writing which suited you fine because you always preferred black to pink and reading a book over giggling at boys.
“When We Run, We Are Free” by Christina Henry was just a really satisfying read about women protecting women.
Phrases that delighted me: “We’ll run the world with our teeth.” Yes, we will, Stephanie Valente.
“spatchcocked his ribs” - wonderfully gruesome description from Kailey Tedesco
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the advance copy for my honest review.
August 19, 2025
Thank you Netgally and Xpresso Book Tours (Black Spot Books)
I love Werewolves, I have always loved werewolves and will frequently ask if you could be either werewolf or vampire which would you be and I could go on hour long rants on why werewolf is the only option. From Underworld, Ginger Snaps, Brotherhood of the Wolf, heck even Rammstein's " Du riechst so gut "music video that has the band members as werewolves I've ingested so much werewolf pop culture that I was so excited when I came across this Arc. I've been saying for a while that I with there was more female werewolf stories as werewolves as a concept are so inherently feminine, that off the top of my head I can really only think of two female centered werewolf stories, Ginger Snaps (a movie focusing on two sisters that is a cult classic) and Blood and Chocolate (a wonderful book that was turned into an ok movie) so having a werewolf anthology that is written by female authors is great. It being a anthology there are some hits and misses but overall each story or poem was pretty good, some of my favs where " When we run we are all free" by Christina Henry and "A wolf like me" by Zin E. Rocklyn. The book is split into 4 parts with 4-5 stories in each. I took my time with reading this so I could savor each story, there are some trigger warnings as a some stories do deal with sexual violence or just general violence but knowing its a female lead werewolf anthology you can bet how the perpetrator ends up. I highly recommend this one!
I love Werewolves, I have always loved werewolves and will frequently ask if you could be either werewolf or vampire which would you be and I could go on hour long rants on why werewolf is the only option. From Underworld, Ginger Snaps, Brotherhood of the Wolf, heck even Rammstein's " Du riechst so gut "music video that has the band members as werewolves I've ingested so much werewolf pop culture that I was so excited when I came across this Arc. I've been saying for a while that I with there was more female werewolf stories as werewolves as a concept are so inherently feminine, that off the top of my head I can really only think of two female centered werewolf stories, Ginger Snaps (a movie focusing on two sisters that is a cult classic) and Blood and Chocolate (a wonderful book that was turned into an ok movie) so having a werewolf anthology that is written by female authors is great. It being a anthology there are some hits and misses but overall each story or poem was pretty good, some of my favs where " When we run we are all free" by Christina Henry and "A wolf like me" by Zin E. Rocklyn. The book is split into 4 parts with 4-5 stories in each. I took my time with reading this so I could savor each story, there are some trigger warnings as a some stories do deal with sexual violence or just general violence but knowing its a female lead werewolf anthology you can bet how the perpetrator ends up. I highly recommend this one!
June 2, 2025
This is a stunning anthology of werewolf lore with a femine twist. Rage, revenge, redemption, and hope are included in these stories by some of the best horror authors out there.
Beginning with an introduction by Rachel Harrison which perfectly sums up the themes in the stories, how women and werewolves are more alike than you might think, this book then throws the reader into the horrors of werewolves. Not necessarily as an antagonist though. In fact, most of these tales deliver the viscious nature of werewolves but from the perspective of a protagonist. These women have been brutalized, beaten, suppressed, and assaulted in various ways. Seeing the comeuppance for those evils is cathartic.
And some stories are emotionally charged. They'll give you shivers as teeth and claws render flesh and bone but there's a heart behind the carnage. It's a collection full of blood and gore but not for the sake of exploitation. These authors write from a deeper place which I can honestly say the menfolk might not completely understand (nor should we). But these are stories which will inspire hope through violence for anyone who's ever been considered "less than".
All of the deeper introspection aside, I freaking love werewolves and this anthology kicks ass! Highly recommend.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Beginning with an introduction by Rachel Harrison which perfectly sums up the themes in the stories, how women and werewolves are more alike than you might think, this book then throws the reader into the horrors of werewolves. Not necessarily as an antagonist though. In fact, most of these tales deliver the viscious nature of werewolves but from the perspective of a protagonist. These women have been brutalized, beaten, suppressed, and assaulted in various ways. Seeing the comeuppance for those evils is cathartic.
And some stories are emotionally charged. They'll give you shivers as teeth and claws render flesh and bone but there's a heart behind the carnage. It's a collection full of blood and gore but not for the sake of exploitation. These authors write from a deeper place which I can honestly say the menfolk might not completely understand (nor should we). But these are stories which will inspire hope through violence for anyone who's ever been considered "less than".
All of the deeper introspection aside, I freaking love werewolves and this anthology kicks ass! Highly recommend.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
September 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
Howl is among my top 3 favorite anthologies I've read this year. I'm always drawn to werewolf stories, and being that these have a feminist bent, I was definitely interested. It's been quite awhile since I've encountered so many 5 star stories - stories that I wish had been entire novels. 5 stars
Wolf Bite by Stephanie Valente ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Devil Has No Dogs by Kailey Tedesco ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Silver Boots by Donna Lynch ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
All the Men Who Cried Wolf by Ai Jang ⭐⭐⭐⭐
We Women Speak of Wolves by Cynthia Pelayo ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
When He Could Have Me by Erika T. Wurth ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Origin Story by Shannon Robinson ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon by A.C. Wise ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A Town with Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon by Gwendolyn Kiste ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Waxing Moon by Shannon Marzella ⭐⭐⭐
Vestigial by Kristi DeMeester ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hunger by Polly Hall ⭐⭐⭐⭐
When We Run We are Free by Christina Henry ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Clearing by Christa Carmen ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Bone Marrow by Lindy Ryan ⭐⭐⭐
Dark Justice by Alexandrea Weis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wolf Like Me by Zin E. Rocklyn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Wolf Line by Wendy N. Wagner ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Super Moon by Katrina Monroe ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich ⭐⭐⭐.5
Mad Woman by Shannon Marzella ⭐⭐⭐.25
Howl is among my top 3 favorite anthologies I've read this year. I'm always drawn to werewolf stories, and being that these have a feminist bent, I was definitely interested. It's been quite awhile since I've encountered so many 5 star stories - stories that I wish had been entire novels. 5 stars
Wolf Bite by Stephanie Valente ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Devil Has No Dogs by Kailey Tedesco ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Silver Boots by Donna Lynch ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
All the Men Who Cried Wolf by Ai Jang ⭐⭐⭐⭐
We Women Speak of Wolves by Cynthia Pelayo ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
When He Could Have Me by Erika T. Wurth ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Origin Story by Shannon Robinson ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
Werewolf Girl Swallows the Moon by A.C. Wise ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A Town with Too Many Girls by Jessica McHugh ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Our Howls Like Dirges, Our Eyes Like the Moon by Gwendolyn Kiste ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Waxing Moon by Shannon Marzella ⭐⭐⭐
Vestigial by Kristi DeMeester ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hunger by Polly Hall ⭐⭐⭐⭐
When We Run We are Free by Christina Henry ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Clearing by Christa Carmen ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Bone Marrow by Lindy Ryan ⭐⭐⭐
Dark Justice by Alexandrea Weis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wolf Like Me by Zin E. Rocklyn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Wolf Line by Wendy N. Wagner ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's Only Natural by Delilah S. Dawson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Super Moon by Katrina Monroe ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
13 Times I Swallowed a Full Moon by Stephanie M. Wytovich ⭐⭐⭐.5
Mad Woman by Shannon Marzella ⭐⭐⭐.25
June 7, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy for review.
Loved this one. Feminine rage, revenge, folk horror; you’ve got a bit of everything in this powerful book with some of my favorite female horror authors! All focused around the theme of the moon and power.
My favorites:
When He Could Have Me by Erika T Wurth
We’ve got an old 80’s 90’s video camera which shows some disturbing footage to two sisters trying to come to terms with their father’s death. I love some generational trauma and this also has so old school nostalgic vibes too.
It’s Only Natural by Delilah Dawson
A woman seems to have no way out from a situation she was forced into. Until she meets a kind woman in the park who has an answer. Best revenge tale without actually showing the revenge. You can use your imagination, very satisfying. “Now we hunt him.”
When We Run, We Are Free by Christina Henry
Another fantastic revenge tale, A seemingly innocuous meeting between a clerk and a customer in a gas station, leads the clerk to feel protective. She gets drawn into the heinous abuse the poor customer is suffering at her husband’s hands. “She ran, and she was free.”
I really loved all of the stories. Not a bad one in the bunch. Trigger warnings for sexual assault, domestic assault.
Loved this one. Feminine rage, revenge, folk horror; you’ve got a bit of everything in this powerful book with some of my favorite female horror authors! All focused around the theme of the moon and power.
My favorites:
When He Could Have Me by Erika T Wurth
We’ve got an old 80’s 90’s video camera which shows some disturbing footage to two sisters trying to come to terms with their father’s death. I love some generational trauma and this also has so old school nostalgic vibes too.
It’s Only Natural by Delilah Dawson
A woman seems to have no way out from a situation she was forced into. Until she meets a kind woman in the park who has an answer. Best revenge tale without actually showing the revenge. You can use your imagination, very satisfying. “Now we hunt him.”
When We Run, We Are Free by Christina Henry
Another fantastic revenge tale, A seemingly innocuous meeting between a clerk and a customer in a gas station, leads the clerk to feel protective. She gets drawn into the heinous abuse the poor customer is suffering at her husband’s hands. “She ran, and she was free.”
I really loved all of the stories. Not a bad one in the bunch. Trigger warnings for sexual assault, domestic assault.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews