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pause_theframe's review against another edition
3.0
This was such an interesting book. The main character is determined beyond all things to make certain those she loves are safe, but is the cost worth it? As we get to know the story and the characters, I found the main character was excellent, but I just wanted a tiny bit more from her. Just something else that she had in her life or mind, to make her more relatable.
I really like the dark nature of the story. It was a jump story, but instead was a slow build, that just became a bit darker, with each page turn. It carried on, really digging in to you, with each passing moment. It made the book interesting and truly made it true to the genre.
The pace and flow of the story was brilliant. It truly fit the genre and made the story feel like it fit. I really liked how the flow made the characters more fun to get to know as well.
Overall a good book, if you are in to very dark reads.
I really like the dark nature of the story. It was a jump story, but instead was a slow build, that just became a bit darker, with each page turn. It carried on, really digging in to you, with each passing moment. It made the book interesting and truly made it true to the genre.
The pace and flow of the story was brilliant. It truly fit the genre and made the story feel like it fit. I really liked how the flow made the characters more fun to get to know as well.
Overall a good book, if you are in to very dark reads.
onyx_luna's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Madness is probably a good way of putting it. So much happens in this short book, and it all ends up feeling like a nightmare lived through a honey-glazed kaleidoscope.
The story holds a sense of realism in an obviously fantastical setting that makes you wonder what is supposed to be from our world and what is meant to be the author’s making, with the edges blurred by the very much real human greed and hunger for power.
There’s a certain lack of connection with the characters, but it almost feels like it was made on purpose, almost like a reflection of how they themselves don’t know who or what they are. It’s foggy, confusing, and misleading, and it wraps up in a gray bow that leaves behind a bittersweet satisfaction.
Monsters have many different shapes, and the worst of them may be hiding in the most inconspicuous bodies.
The story holds a sense of realism in an obviously fantastical setting that makes you wonder what is supposed to be from our world and what is meant to be the author’s making, with the edges blurred by the very much real human greed and hunger for power.
There’s a certain lack of connection with the characters, but it almost feels like it was made on purpose, almost like a reflection of how they themselves don’t know who or what they are. It’s foggy, confusing, and misleading, and it wraps up in a gray bow that leaves behind a bittersweet satisfaction.
Monsters have many different shapes, and the worst of them may be hiding in the most inconspicuous bodies.
receptively_reviewed's review against another edition
4.0
Wildly enjoyable! The Bee King tells the story of Alice, an older sister determined to protect her sister, niece and every other girl in town when the arrival of something comes. . She'll even accept a marriage proposal from the Bee King. Alice's life is full of plot twists and darkness; one Alice must face head-on. I found this story to be remarkable without giving much away.
woodsbookclub's review against another edition
5.0
TW: rape, suicide, paedophilia, murder
✅ Horror-story with a choleric heroine
✅ Fights the patriarchy
✅ Great plot twists
✅ Horror-story with a choleric heroine
✅ Fights the patriarchy
✅ Great plot twists
tricia0613's review against another edition
5.0
"Always the same. They were angry. They wanted what wasn't theirs. They expected a willing sacrificial lamb.
No. No, no, no."
I absolutely loved this book! Mathilda Zeller does a masterful job of world-building. It was very refreshing and the bee/hive parallels had me in awe each and every time. The storyline managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, and - while I predicted one of the major twists (I'm suspicious by nature and tend to look for clues everywhere), - I kept being surprised by the direction the story took. The story was compelling and, being a woman in a world built on patriarchy, I related very much to the main character Alice. Even though I'm not a particularly resentful or vengeful person myself, you can't help but feel angry in the face of the unfairness and mistreatment of the girls of Oxenbee. The female and lower class exploitation was one of the main themes throughout, and it left me reeling with sadness and anger but also...hope for the future. The ending was surprising, yet extremely satisfying. Justice was served and I could not be more glad!
To be honest, this was my first venture into the horror genre and - as someone who is a bit of a wuss and therefore does not really watch horror movies - I wasn't quite sure what I was signing up for. As it turns out, I was very much into it so I'm glad I took a gamble on it (apparently all those hours watching true crime documentaries and reading thrillers might have numbed me to the gorey stuff). Fantasy horror might just be my new favourite genre, who knew?
I absolutely recommend this book. Just be mindful of the trigger/content warnings. The physical injuries/deaths can get quite graphic, but other topics like sexual assault are only mentioned and there are no descriptive scenes. Still proceed with caution or skip this book if you find any of that triggering.
Thanks to Booksirens and Mathilda Zeller for kindly providing this ebook ARC for free, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
No. No, no, no."
I absolutely loved this book! Mathilda Zeller does a masterful job of world-building. It was very refreshing and the bee/hive parallels had me in awe each and every time. The storyline managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, and - while I predicted one of the major twists (I'm suspicious by nature and tend to look for clues everywhere), - I kept being surprised by the direction the story took. The story was compelling and, being a woman in a world built on patriarchy, I related very much to the main character Alice. Even though I'm not a particularly resentful or vengeful person myself, you can't help but feel angry in the face of the unfairness and mistreatment of the girls of Oxenbee. The female and lower class exploitation was one of the main themes throughout, and it left me reeling with sadness and anger but also...hope for the future. The ending was surprising, yet extremely satisfying. Justice was served and I could not be more glad!
To be honest, this was my first venture into the horror genre and - as someone who is a bit of a wuss and therefore does not really watch horror movies - I wasn't quite sure what I was signing up for. As it turns out, I was very much into it so I'm glad I took a gamble on it (apparently all those hours watching true crime documentaries and reading thrillers might have numbed me to the gorey stuff). Fantasy horror might just be my new favourite genre, who knew?
I absolutely recommend this book. Just be mindful of the trigger/content warnings. The physical injuries/deaths can get quite graphic, but other topics like sexual assault are only mentioned and there are no descriptive scenes. Still proceed with caution or skip this book if you find any of that triggering.
Thanks to Booksirens and Mathilda Zeller for kindly providing this ebook ARC for free, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
zana_reads_arcs's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved the creepy vibes and the feminist themes in this short novel. The pacing was great and the atmosphere was fantastic. Alice, the MC, is a great character to root for. I love that she's feisty and cares a lot about her sister and their cousin, and to an extent, the other girls in their town of Oxenbee. The twists and turns were pretty satisfying, and I really liked the ending. There were several moments where I wondered if Alice would do the right thing or succumb to the mess that she walked into.
I just wished that some concepts were more fully developed and explored. The more important secondary characters, like Fred and Sarah, felt underdeveloped and their personalities and actions seemed inconsistent. The ending with Fred didn't resonate with me. There wasn't enough relationship development between Fred and Alice for me to believe their ending, since Fred seemed really wishy washy the entire time.
Sarah's personality was also inconsistent. It'd be more realistic (in a sense) if the reveal with Sarah didn't change her personality completely. This also includes her use of magic. I wish that magic would've been introduced earlier in the novel, or at least have it explicitly mentioned (since it was implicitly mentioned with the power of the moon bees and moon honey). The magic seemed like it came out of nowhere to fill a plot hole.
There were several copyediting issues throughout the novel too. I think with more edits and more fleshed out secondary characters, this could be a powerful novel.
Other than those issues, the horror was excellent and the feminist themes really shone through.
Thank you to BookSirens and Mathilda Zeller for this arc.
I just wished that some concepts were more fully developed and explored. The more important secondary characters, like Fred and Sarah, felt underdeveloped and their personalities and actions seemed inconsistent. The ending with Fred didn't resonate with me. There wasn't enough relationship development between Fred and Alice for me to believe their ending, since Fred seemed really wishy washy the entire time.
Sarah's personality was also inconsistent. It'd be more realistic (in a sense) if the reveal with Sarah didn't change her personality completely. This also includes her use of magic. I wish that magic would've been introduced earlier in the novel, or at least have it explicitly mentioned (since it was implicitly mentioned with the power of the moon bees and moon honey). The magic seemed like it came out of nowhere to fill a plot hole.
There were several copyediting issues throughout the novel too. I think with more edits and more fleshed out secondary characters, this could be a powerful novel.
Other than those issues, the horror was excellent and the feminist themes really shone through.
Thank you to BookSirens and Mathilda Zeller for this arc.
llyrian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you BookSirens for the ARC!
Wow, what a ride!
A fast-paced horror-story with a buff and choleric heroine (!) filled with fantastic plot-twists (which, if anyone knows me well enough knows, is high praise from me) and revenge sweet as honey :)
Wow, what a ride!
A fast-paced horror-story with a buff and choleric heroine (!) filled with fantastic plot-twists (which, if anyone knows me well enough knows, is high praise from me) and revenge sweet as honey :)
lovest's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I had the opportunity to read an electronic advance review copy of "The Bee King," which I received for free. I want to emphasize that this review is voluntary.
The Bee King follows the story of Alice, a young woman who lives in the little town of Oxenbee. From the beginning, her main focus is to protect her sister and cousin from the monsters -wealthy men that come to exploit the girls on the island- and from her own father, who would sell all of them to subsidize his alcohol addiction.
The story moves quickly from the moment when the 'Bee Men' come to the island in search of a bride for the Bee King -an terribly wealthy merchant who controls the only supply of moon honey-. Alice is forced to make brave but impossible choices in order to maintain the safety of her family.
Personally, I found the concept of the book intriguing. There's an inherent desire to witness powerful and affluent men, who often evade consequences for their actions, face justice. Mathilda Zeller adeptly portrays Alice's predicament, her deep-seated rage, and her selfless love, while weaving in carefully crafted supernatural elements.
Unfortunately, after the first few chapters, a lot of the story felt flat and seemed rushed. The majority of the characters remained one-dimensional and rather predictable throughout, **Possible spoilers ahead**with only Sarah and her storyline standing out. However, even though the revelation surrounding her was surprising, it felt like a convenient solution to resolve a complex narrative thread that became too tangled to handle. This detracted from the overall impact of the story, leaving me somewhat disappointed.
The Bee King follows the story of Alice, a young woman who lives in the little town of Oxenbee. From the beginning, her main focus is to protect her sister and cousin from the monsters -wealthy men that come to exploit the girls on the island- and from her own father, who would sell all of them to subsidize his alcohol addiction.
The story moves quickly from the moment when the 'Bee Men' come to the island in search of a bride for the Bee King -an terribly wealthy merchant who controls the only supply of moon honey-. Alice is forced to make brave but impossible choices in order to maintain the safety of her family.
Personally, I found the concept of the book intriguing. There's an inherent desire to witness powerful and affluent men, who often evade consequences for their actions, face justice. Mathilda Zeller adeptly portrays Alice's predicament, her deep-seated rage, and her selfless love, while weaving in carefully crafted supernatural elements.
Unfortunately, after the first few chapters, a lot of the story felt flat and seemed rushed. The majority of the characters remained one-dimensional and rather predictable throughout, **Possible spoilers ahead**
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, and Body horror
michellehogmire's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to BookSirens for a free advance review copy of this title, which was published by Ampersand Books on April 22, 2023. I'm writing this review voluntarily.
Alice is accustomed to making sacrifices: her older sister taught her how. But now that her older sister is gone, it's up to Alice to protect her younger sister and her cousin from the horrors of Oxenbee Island--not only from their abusive father and the monstrous men who come to purchase girls, but from the Bee King himself.
The Bee King, an elusive entrepreneur who's seemingly behind the success of every wealthy person in the empire, is on the hunt for a new bride. When Alice is selected for the position, she agrees in order to save her family. She's then thrown into a world of greed and corruption more twisted and insidious than she could ever imagine, involving everything from lavish parties to fights to the death. Ultimately, it's up to Alice to figure out how far she'll go to keep the people she loves safe--even if it means tearing everything (and everyone) else apart.
Mathilda Zeller's The Bee King is a fascinatingly original take on the folk horror genre, featuring a mysterious society where the honey industry reigns supreme--with the help of something creepy lurking in the shadows, of course. Zeller is a master at rendering surreal sequences of body horror on the page, and her bold willingness to explore the complex consequences of vengeance makes for a compulsively readable plot. More information about the wider world that these characters inhabit could have added additional depth and clarity to the novel, but overall, The Bee King is a thrilling story about complicated family dynamics and the difficulty of breaking toxic traditions.
Alice is accustomed to making sacrifices: her older sister taught her how. But now that her older sister is gone, it's up to Alice to protect her younger sister and her cousin from the horrors of Oxenbee Island--not only from their abusive father and the monstrous men who come to purchase girls, but from the Bee King himself.
The Bee King, an elusive entrepreneur who's seemingly behind the success of every wealthy person in the empire, is on the hunt for a new bride. When Alice is selected for the position, she agrees in order to save her family. She's then thrown into a world of greed and corruption more twisted and insidious than she could ever imagine, involving everything from lavish parties to fights to the death. Ultimately, it's up to Alice to figure out how far she'll go to keep the people she loves safe--even if it means tearing everything (and everyone) else apart.
Mathilda Zeller's The Bee King is a fascinatingly original take on the folk horror genre, featuring a mysterious society where the honey industry reigns supreme--with the help of something creepy lurking in the shadows, of course. Zeller is a master at rendering surreal sequences of body horror on the page, and her bold willingness to explore the complex consequences of vengeance makes for a compulsively readable plot. More information about the wider world that these characters inhabit could have added additional depth and clarity to the novel, but overall, The Bee King is a thrilling story about complicated family dynamics and the difficulty of breaking toxic traditions.
clairetrellahill's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The Bee King is a Horror novel with a gothic roaring twenties setting and a dark fairytale undertone. Mathilda Zeller takes you on a journey filled with feminine rage and the dark, sticky slide that people take once power gets ahold of them. I loved the spooky Bee Men and their mythos associated with the Bee King, the Moon Honey, and all the deliciously sweet details dripped through the story.