Science Fiction or YA SF. Shapeshifting aliens (into any form with DNA) vs. enemy Hive aliens. Shapeshifter woke & boarded Hive aliens' spaceship, took a female form (which it prefers) and this gave away its cover. Read around 2010-2014.

[Katie]

I believe I read this book a few years back, so around 2010-2014 timeframe. At that time I was reading a lot of science fiction and young adult, so I'm not sure which one it is - but I am leaning towards science fiction instead of young adult.

The shapeshifting alien is from a species that are not matter based (something like that at least) and were originally discovered by a scientific alien species they became good friends with. They can shapeshift into pretty much anything, but I think they do have to have a DNA base for it first. One of these shapeshifters woke up/came and then ended up boarding a ship that have the hive-like aliens. The shapeshifter preferred female forms and made the mistake of assuming the female shape of the hive-like aliens, this caused them to immediately know she was not one of them and attempt to kill her.

Much later on in the series, they end up finding the hive-like aliens home planet and I'm pretty sure they went there to destroy the species before they could enslave everyone.

Edit:

Some additional details I've recalled about the hive aliens:

The planet they live on is extremely inhospitable, which was a result for how they evolved. Once they mature into adolescence, they actually choose which type of hive alien they will be - such as a female breeder, a warrior male, etc. They will then physically change to better take on this role. The females never leave the planet.

Another detail about the shape shifter alien. After she was detected by the hive aliens as not being one of them and attacked, she barely escapes onto the current plane they were on. There was a completely different alien race on this planet that were subjugated by the hive aliens. The shape shifter alien hid among them.

And if my memory is correct, she also later on (not sure if it was on this planet or later) found one of her own kind to update her on the situation.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

No idea but possibly Wyrms? Or Coalescent?

They were suggested in other SF threads involving hives.

[Katie]

Lobstergirl wrote: "No idea but possibly Wyrms? Or Coalescent?

They were suggested in other SF threads involving hives."

Neither of those really fit. Thanks for trying.

[Holly☁️]

I don't suppose it was Witches Pyre or one of the Firewalker series books? The aliens you described sound a lot like the Woven in the book.

[Kris]

Witch's Pyre or Firewalker, both in the Worldwalker series https://www.goodreads.com/series/1130... by Josephine Angelini - suggested by Holly

[Katie]

Kris wrote: "Witch's Pyre or Firewalker, both in the Worldwalker series https://www.goodreads.com/series/1130... by Josephine Angelini - suggested by ..."

Sorry for the late reply. Those books are not what I was looking for. I don't think it was that big of a series and the main character doesn't seem familiar at all.

Some additional details I've recalled about the hive aliens:

The planet they live on is extremely inhospitable, which was a result for how they evolved. Once they mature into adolescence, they actually choose which type of hive alien they will be - such as a female breeder, a warrior male, etc. They will then physically change to better take on this role. The females never leave the planet.

Another detail about the shape shifter alien. After she was detected by the hive aliens as not being one of them and attacked, she barely escapes onto the current plane they were on. There was a completely different alien race on this planet that were subjugated by the hive aliens. The shape shifter alien hid among them.

And if my memory is correct, she also later on (not sure if it was on this planet or later) found one of her own kind to update her on the situation.

[Aerulan]

It doesn't fit a lot of the plot elements you described but I'm gonna throw this out there because the alien bits are quite close to Beholder's Eye and it's worth mentioning just in case. I believe the insect/hive aliens might have been more in the second or third book though.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Katie, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Katie]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Katie, are you still looking for this or did you find it?"

Yes, I still haven't found this book. I vaguely remember as well that the shapeshifters original form may have been something like clouds.

[Kris]

No humans in this story?

Are there many other shapeshifting aliens? Was the protagonist coming out of stasis after a long journey through space or time?

I added some details to the header/ topic title. Feel free to edit it.

[Katie]

Kris wrote: "No humans in this story?

Are there many other shapeshifting aliens? Was the protagonist coming out of stasis after a long journey through space or time?

I added some details to the header/ topic ..."

I can't remember it clearly, but I don't think humans were absent. I think there were a lot of different alien races. I think the amount of the shapeshifting species is very limited, like not many of them left at all.

I'm not sure if it started there, but the first part of the book I clearly remember is the encounter with a hive alien.