Book Haven discussion

I think a lot of people will differ on their answers to these questions...

What is the difference between the two?
Which is better?
Do you think that they would be evenly matched in a fight?
Do you think a shifter would only be able to shift into animals, or different people too?
Do you think a werewolf can only shift during the full moon?
and any other questions/answers etc. that you want to chat about! :)

Good question. There are so many variations now, I don't think there's a standard answer, but if an author chooses to call them "shifters" over "werewolves" it's usually to differentiate from the traditional legend.

For example, I've seen authors call them shifters when they're not wolves (e.g. cats, dragons), when the character can take more than one shape, or when the character is not controlled by his or her animal/seasons, etc. So they may be less instinctive or less homicidal, LOL. I usually see them changed interchangeably. I mean, since all of the above are fictional, they can mean anything you want. I've seen many where the werewolf can change at any time if he's powerful or something.

For me, I don't care about the name, so long as they're still passionate and sometimes animalistic, LOL.

This is the way I usually think of the two...Although, there are really a lot of different beliefs surrounding shifters and werewolves! :)

I've always viewed werewolves as ones that can only shift into a wolf. Whereas shifters I feel can shift into any animal.
I don't like the belief that werewolves can only shift during the full moon.
I'm personally more of a fan of shifter, but I love werewolves too!
As for who would win in a fight...LOL IDK. I want to say shifters, assuming that they can take the shape of any animal, and werewolves cannot. However, I think of werewolves as being more predatory, and thus...more dangerous. LOL I have no clue who would win in a fight.

I don't like that werewolves can only shift during a full moon. That would be limiting. I do like that they can only take one shape though because then you can incorporate that animal into their personality, have them more primitive in some aspects, etc. If you have a shifter that changes into many forms that assumes a lot of control, so that's not as fun for me, LOL. ;) Less complications/conflict is no fun. xD

I guess because of the way werewolves have been depicted in the past, I always think of them as bad. More animalistic than a shifter, who seems more human to me.

I like the idea of only being able to become one animal, but also having a "warrior form" (I read this in a book, but can't remember which one). The warrior form is half-man, half-beast.

I always saw a werewolf as having little or no control over when they change, how they change, or what they change into. I always saw a shifter as something almost opposite. They can choose when they shift, although maybe not what they shift into.

I don't know about evenly matched in a fight. I guess that would come down to the individuals involved? I don't know, lol. A shifter in my mind would retain human intelligence, while a werewolf would be more wild. Brute strength versus intelligence...like I said, I don't know. xD