Wereconifer

Werecockroach #2

by Polenth Blake

Rin and their flatmates have settled into a regular routine. Sanjay is busy dating. Pete has some new theories. Rin is just trying not to upset anyone. Then the aliens interrupt their winter celebrations to ask for help. A shapeshifting tree has gone missing. The werecockroach colony is the obvious choice to solve a magical mystery, as far as the aliens are concerned. Rin is not so sure. They don't know anything about weretrees. But with a few other friends along to help, maybe it's not so hopeless after all.

163 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2026

About the author

I'm a fantasy and science fiction writer. When I'm not writing, I enjoy walking and art. I live in England with my pet cockroaches.

Reviews

[Csenge]

I adored Werecockroach, and this one was a really lovely sequel. I would describe it as a cozy urban fantasy, mostly a slice of life mixed with some mystery and a very benevolent alien invasion. The found family vibes are off the chart, and everyone is delightfully queer. This is one of my favorite waaaaay underrated book series.

[Helen Whistberry]

I absolutely loved the first in this series (Werecockroach). It was one of those totally surprising books where you never know quite where the plot is gonna go next but it had a lovely and light spirit. This follow-up picks up not too long after the events of the first as Rin, their flatmates, and assorted friends adjust to life in a London that has survived an alien invasion quite happily. In fact, the aliens have opened up an amusement park which celebrates all things human, at least as the aliens understand them. When a tree in the park shifts into human form and goes missing, Rin and friends are enlisted to investigate in their own peculiar laidback fashion.

These books are kind of hard to describe. First off, the characters are diverse in every sense of the word and include a multitude of queer identities as well as neurodivergent and disability rep. I think the stories work best when approached as a kind of slice-of-life experience where the shifting and often endearingly awkward interactions between the core group take precedence over the very weird events surrounding them. There are elements of mystery, fantasy, horror, and adventure with lots of heart and healthy doses of humor, particularly in the alien-human relations. The aliens are absolutely delightful, by the way, and I, for one, would welcome their invasion.

I'm the kind of reader that doesn't always pick up readily on subtext, but there is lots here as both the aliens and Rin's friend group are menaced by a group of bigots, the Exterminators, who are not only highly suspicious of anyone who is different but are taking active plans to, well, exterminate them. The parallels to current societal trends are painfully real, but the books also celebrate the power of being yourself and the beauty and support of found family that will have your back no matter what. I'd recommend this series to anyone who feels like an outsider and is looking to see themselves in characters with similar experiences and/or who enjoys whimsical and unexpected fantasy with truly touching moments. (I do advise reading the first in the series before this one to get the full experience.)