The Bee King was gripping. I read it in 2 days! And even though I do think the fast pace helped with that, I felt like it was too fast paced. It was hard to connect to the characters the way I would've wanted. There were some inconsistencies that I didn't think were wholly fixed, namely the main character breaking rules and traditions and it actually working fine for her, we would expect a bit more pushback from the other characters. Revenge is a big part of the plot, but I can't say I was satisfied with the way the MC got her revenge. 

That being said, I did enjoy the book. I really loved that this was NOT romance and yet love was one of the main themes. The plot twists did leave me surprised, even though there were indeed many hints when I thought back on it. I liked that the main character was valued not for things like beauty or intelligence, but her strength. It's not something we often see in books and I loved that a lot, that she was perfectly enough even if she didn't fit the common standards of what society finds valuable in women. The research for the book was clearly an important step when writing it and I found myself doing research myself on things I had learnt through the book. The cover is very beautiful and I think it's perfect both as an expression of the plot and to catch the eye of readers everywhere. 

Finally, I want to add that I will be interested in reading future books of this author, because I expect great and lovely things. Can't wait for the next one!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.