Great Story and Unique World....plus BEES

I really enjoyed the world Jean Gill created for this story. The detachment from nature within a fantasy setting was well done. The characters were well written giving them a believable life; even the villains were real people filled with justified actions within their reality. Any author who can make the bad guys just guys has done their job well. I have a personal fondness for bees so of course I was interested in this book and I loved how the main character and the bees intertwined. You can tell that she knows her bees as she writes about them.

The narrator did a good job bringing distinct voices to all the characters.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

2 people found this helpful

Curious where this series is going

This is the second book I’ve read/listened to by this author. I quite enjoyed it. Either I missed it, or “the walls” are not fully explained. Aside from that, I love the storyline. It is original and I like the magic brought into the story. I’m curious to see where this series goes. I hope some questions are answered or areas better explained- especially ones pertaining to the mage craft, their choice of using magic vs when they don’t, and the intricate power struggle that is amongst the basis of this story (including the motivations). Although there is a degree of conclusion to the main power struggle, the end leaves it wide open to how things will continue in the next book.
This is the third book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Jannie Meisberger ) and I would listen to another. She did a great job narrating this book. Her character voices are not widely different, but definitely distinguishable- both male and female. She has a pleasant cadence and inflection and brings life to this story.

There are no explicit sex scenes, or excessive violence there is a bit of swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

A different coming of age novel

Although this is a YA novel that highlights the process of coming of age, it is unique in the way its approach. For one thing, the age of adulthood is not a fixed mark. Also, fantasy and ecological/environmental awareness are carefully and cleverly blended together to form a seamless whole that takes apart the fabric of our modern day society through criticism of its values. Feminism is viewed with as much negative attention as it is in the so-called real world, making this book instantly relatable.

Jean Gill's writing is as clever as it is nuanced, and if your concentration should drift for any period of time you'll miss a lot. An excellent book with a perfectly-suited narrator. I enjoyed listening to this and look forward to Book 2!

Quite good but uneven...

It's my first book by Jean Gill and although I generally liked it I think there is some room for improvement...

I like the main idea of a citadel separating humans from nature, the Forest being the main enemy and the source of everything evil - at least in the eyes of those within the citadel's walls - and of a girl who seems to have an unusual affiliation with nature itself, bees specifically... I also like the conflicts, the undercurrents of power struggle going on within the citadel. There are other strong points, too, many of them, in fact: well-written characters, well-thought out "bee-magic" (I especially loved the parts describing the workings of a beehive), a really beautiful and descriptive language.

Why then do I rate the book at 3 stars only? Well, first, I can't give it 3.5 stars I think it deserves and second, somewhere in the middle the pace evidently slows down and the story starts to lack the necessary tension, it kind of loses momentum to the point of me losing focus and getting a bit irritated with nothing much happening there... Then the last third of the book again gains speed and the events pile up to the magical, almost epic ending (luckily:)).

Narration by Ms Meisberger is impeccable, as ususal. She has a great voice for fantasy stories, full of magic and magical creatures. She adds warmth to the story, makes it real and believable. And she does very well both female and male voices...

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

its a soothing story but not action packed

I was expecting more action. The strict society and nature themes are interesting but I feel the characters are under developed, We get to know very little about the main character. What drive her, who are her parents, etc. She's a archer and turns in a bee quee, so that something, Her power set is not that useful

Fun and different

What a fun read! This novel was well written, and different than a lot of the other books including a misunderstood heroine on a hunt to discover her destiny. The author did a nice job of incorporating questions for the reader about nature and freedom. All together there is a lot to enjoy, and I hope to listen to book 2! I was given this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Jean Gill cast a spell on me!

I picked up this odd, coming of age story, because it sounded so different from my usual fare! A girl (yeah, yeah...), and a bunch of... bees? Say What?!??  Jean Gill must have cast a spell on me, because for the duration of the book, I was able to suspend my disbelief while a girl/young woman was able to shift into a powerful Queen Bee, and command her warriors to fight in this dystopic universe!  Get the book to find out what I mean, and see if you don't fly to her succor!
Now the narration for me was a bit of an issue. I liked the sound of Jannie's voice, and her accent was just fine, but it's... just... that she... paused... between... nearly every... single... word... and that just about drove me  BatSh*t CrA-Zy! I really wonder why. Did she think her listeners were mentally slow, or that we were children (it is YA, but still...)? Is she the kind of person that talks down, and talks slower to kids?!??  Whatever her reason, she needs to stop it. Stop It, Right Freaking Now!!!!
I finally found a happy place by speeding up the play feature where the pauses weren't as annoying anymore and the voice quality hadn't quite been compromised... Thank god for that feature, otherwise I might not've finished this otherwise wonderful little story!

Sci-Fi Fantasy Flight of Fun!

I received this audiobook free at my request and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Queen of the Warrior Bees is an outstandingly fun fantasy ride into the forbidden forest with Mielitta. Great pacing and writing by Jean Gill combined with fantastic narration from Jannie Meisberger gives the listeners everything they could want and more. The characters in this feel so real, and their motivations relatable. I'm looking forward to much more in this series!

GREAT READ!

I absolutely loved it! This book caught my attention from the very beginning and held it throughout the entire book. The narration was superb and gave the story that extra flair! The author did an excellent job with the character builds and plot. This was my first book by this author but definitely not my last! I look forward to reading more of books from this author! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.