I cannot express how excited I was to see a follow-up to Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella. Bored Gay Werewolf was was one of my top reads of 2024! An absolute satirical gem of a book.

Shy Trans Banshee did not disappoint! Yes, it's different then it's predecessor. This is more a found-family-queer-caper than a sarcastic take on toxic masculinity, but with all the same witty banter and humorous vibes. Plus all the lovable crazies we met in BGW, with a few extra, and welcome, additions.

I enjoyed seeing Brian's character progression from the first book to the end of this and I loved getting to know Darby and Nik more. I would have liked to get to know Maeve more, on her terms, rather than Brian's point of view. I 100% look forward to the next (please please please let there be another one!)

*screeches like a banshee* i cannot believe how good this book is!

the characters are so real, and complex, and so loveable, and the mystery in the story is so cleverly woven into the story that you genuinely miss clues along the way in a way that gets you joining in on the 'eureka' moments along with the gang.

the mystical lore is - of course - top tier, as is the queer humour and found family story, but it also at no point feels like a tired folklore trope or any kind of tropey story and oftentimes more like a high-action investigative sci-fi story like The X Files, which i kinda didn't expect from the sequel to Bored Gay Werewolf.

a long way into this book, i had been lamenting that i wished this book had more maeve and that it was written in her perspective (not that i didn't enjoy Brian's) but obviously now i've read the whole thing i see how that wouldn't have worked.

i'm excited to see what comes next, even if i am a little bit brokenhearted.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I ADORED this! Tony Santorella is one of those authors whose writing just clicks with me. Bored Gay Werewolf was one of my fave reads last year and when I got the chance to ARC Shy Trans Banshee I screamed!!

Like the first book, this one follows Brian, our bored gay werewolf. He’s now holed up in London with his friends Nik & Darby, watching Bear Cam (actual bears, not as sexy as it sounds) and doing fast food deliveries, in between helping try to find a series of missing people from the paranormal community.

Maeve is one such woman; her mother is missing and she’s desperate to find her. After lending Brian her coat after werewolf transformation leaves him naked in the streets of London, she follows him home and inserts herself in the investigation.

The premise of this book (like the Werewolf MLM/cult from the first book) is just so funny. I don’t want to spoil anything, but just imagine an urban fantasy mystery crossed with corporate greed and capitalist bullshit and you’ve got the vibes. I just love Brian being the ultimate millennial slacker (of which I am one myself) and the gang’s dry and scathing sense of humour. Brian might honestly be one of my favourite protagonists of all time 🐺

Read Shy Trans Banshee for:
✨ LGBTQ+ found family
✨ Transfem, non binary & gay rep
✨ Hilarious dark comedy
✨ Anti capitalism all the way
✨ Millennial ennui saves the day
✨ Proof that spin classes are evil
✨ 10 reasons to chip your werewolf
✨ Dungeons & Dragons as practice
✨ Maybe Brian has found love?

Thank you to Atlantic Books for an ARC! It’s available on 2nd October 2025 🖤

Just as an aside, I will say the editing in the ARC I received was APPALLING. Spelling errors, tense errors, punctuation errors… I’ve still rated it highly as I LOVED the story and I’m willing to believe that this will be fixed before publication, but a little disappointed with the publisher doing the author dirty like that… Anyway, I’m hoping all these errors are sorted before this goes to print! (If they aren’t I may revise my rating but for now it gets 5 stars because I’m high-key obsessed!

Okay you know what? Give me 14 of ‘em right now!

This is a sequel to Bored Gay Werewolf so we join the trio of Brian, Nik & Darby as they try to track down a missing colleague in London. On their mission they encounter a shy trans woman Maeve who is over from Ireland looking for her mom.

Just like the first book this is such a fun time. Everything I could’ve wanted from a sequel tbh. More time with the gang who are just so loveable, more silly hijinks, more of Brian being annoyed at having to do anything ever (relatable king).

Loved it. And released at the start of October? Come on tis very much the season!!