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The Wood Bee Queen
Somewhere in England, in a small town called Strange Ground by the Skea, Ebbie Wren is the last librarian and he's about to lose his job. Estranged from his parents, unable to make connections with anyone except the old homeless lady who lives near the library, Ebbie isn't quite sure what he's supposed to do next. His only escape from reality is his deep interest in local folklore, but reality is far stranger than Ebbie can dream.On the other side of the sky and the sea, the Queen of House Wood Bee has been murdered. Her sister has made the first move in a long game, one which will lead her to greatness, yet risk destruction for the entire Realm. She needs the two magical stones Foresight and Hindsight for her power to be complete, but no one knows where they are. Although the sword recently stolen by Bek Rana, small time thief and not very good at it, might hold a clue to their location . . . and to stopping the chaos. But all Bek wants is to sell the sword and buy herself a better life. She's not interested in being a hero, and neither is Ebbie.But someone is forcing their hand and playing for the heart of the Realm. Ebbie and Bek are destined to unite. They must find a way to stop the destruction of House Wood Bee, save the Realm, and just maybe save themselves in the process. All victories come at a price. The Oldungods are rising. And they are watching...
Paperback
First published June 10, 2021
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576 people want to read
About the author
Edward Cox
57 books104 followersAuthor of THE RELIC GUILD trilogy (The Relic Guild, The Cathedral of Known Things, The Watcher of Dead Time) published by Gollancz. Represented by Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. Daddy, husband, reader.
I can also be found here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdwardCox10
Tumblr: http://edward-cox.tumblr.com/
Wattpad:http://www.wattpad.com/user/Edward_Cox
I can also be found here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdwardCox10
Tumblr: http://edward-cox.tumblr.com/
Wattpad:http://www.wattpad.com/user/Edward_Cox
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Want to read
June 15, 2021I'm really looking forward to diving into this "feel-good" fantasy. Awesome cover with a plot and tone that really sounds interesting and unique. I'll be getting to The Wood Bee Queen hopefully in July.
June 10, 2021
This is such an enchanting, cleverly written, tale. One which is full of stories, adventures, conflicting gods, and characters which feel so real they leap from the page and fall straight into your hearts.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
June 20, 2021
I absolutely adored this, something about the author style reminded me of one of my favourite authors Laini taylor. The world building and magic system was amazing, interesting and engaging. I definitely recommend this for anyone who loves a good and well written fantasy
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
May 26, 2021
Find my reviews at Feminist Quill
The Wood Bee Queen is a difficult book to review. It has a very interesting plot and set of characters. Ebbie and Bek are easy to root for, and have a comical chemistry.
But the set up is a long time coming, which makes it difficult to really get into the book right off the bat. The dialogue feels laborious, and overall the book gives the impression of trying to tell a story larger than it is. It is full to bursting with sub plots and side arcs that spill over and makes it difficult to follow the thread of the main plot. In addition, some of the side characters seem to exist for convenient plot device reasons rather than anything else.
The Wood Bee Queen’s take on the Oldunones (essentially the Greek pantheon) is also interesting and fresh. However, we see only a limited portion of the pantheon, leaving more questions than answers where this part of the book’s mythology is concerned.
But what was most frustrating is that the ending felt a little disconnected from the rest of the book. Everybody’s avowed goals and motivations end up switching rather fluidly by the end. As a result, I still have no idea how or why the happy ending came about, especially because it seems to send for a toss every single aspect of the book’s mythology that was carefully explained until then.
Regardless of these aspects of the book, I deeply enjoyed reading The Wood Bee Queen. The adventure is fast paced, and the characters extremely likeable and intriguing. Three stars for a warm, solid read. ⭐⭐⭐
The Wood Bee Queen is a difficult book to review. It has a very interesting plot and set of characters. Ebbie and Bek are easy to root for, and have a comical chemistry.
But the set up is a long time coming, which makes it difficult to really get into the book right off the bat. The dialogue feels laborious, and overall the book gives the impression of trying to tell a story larger than it is. It is full to bursting with sub plots and side arcs that spill over and makes it difficult to follow the thread of the main plot. In addition, some of the side characters seem to exist for convenient plot device reasons rather than anything else.
The Wood Bee Queen’s take on the Oldunones (essentially the Greek pantheon) is also interesting and fresh. However, we see only a limited portion of the pantheon, leaving more questions than answers where this part of the book’s mythology is concerned.
But what was most frustrating is that the ending felt a little disconnected from the rest of the book. Everybody’s avowed goals and motivations end up switching rather fluidly by the end. As a result, I still have no idea how or why the happy ending came about, especially because it seems to send for a toss every single aspect of the book’s mythology that was carefully explained until then.
Regardless of these aspects of the book, I deeply enjoyed reading The Wood Bee Queen. The adventure is fast paced, and the characters extremely likeable and intriguing. Three stars for a warm, solid read. ⭐⭐⭐
March 21, 2021
I was lucky enough to get a ARC from the publisher.
The author Edward Cox has invented truly remarkable worlds. Separate, but joined, through a history where magic, and powerful beings, once caused a cataclysmic war.
After centuries of relative peace, once more, this peace is now threatened by the malevolent whims of some these beings.
Unlikely, and unwilling Heroes from both worlds, must try and help each other, to stop the encroaching darkness.
A great tale of myth and magic, juxtaposed with a modern world.
The author Edward Cox has invented truly remarkable worlds. Separate, but joined, through a history where magic, and powerful beings, once caused a cataclysmic war.
After centuries of relative peace, once more, this peace is now threatened by the malevolent whims of some these beings.
Unlikely, and unwilling Heroes from both worlds, must try and help each other, to stop the encroaching darkness.
A great tale of myth and magic, juxtaposed with a modern world.
June 12, 2021
Edward’s last novels (The Relic Guild trilogy and The Song of the Sycamore) have tended to be on the dark and grim side, so this latest novel in some ways seems like a bit of light relief by comparison.
The story begins in what seems like Neil Gaiman territory. Strange Ground by the Skea seems like a quiet urban backwater of England. Ebbie Wren lives and works there as a librarian, although the library is about to close. Ebbie comes across as the stereotypical loser, unlucky in his job, in love and life generally. His only real enthusiasm is his love of local folklore in “The Realm”. His only friend and confident is Mai, the old homeless woman who Ebbie brings a hot chocolate to every morning.
On the last day of the library’s opening, Ebbie is disheartened to find that Mai has disappeared, presumably died overnight. In actual fact, Mia has a secret past as a person from the Realm of Strange Ground Beneath the Skea, and her disappearance is connected to that.
At the same time, in Strange Ground Beneath the Skea, young thief Bek Rana is making a living stealing things for others – with varying degrees of success. She is hired to steal a sword, which she does, only to find that it has magical properties, something which can do her no good.
As readers we discover that there has been an attempt to seize power from the Queen of House Wood Bee by the imprisoned Yandira, the Queen’s sister. To secure her power in the Realm and complete the deal she has made with Persephone, Mistress of the Underworld, Yandira needs that sword and the two magical stones of Foresight and Hindsight.
Bek finds herself contracted to Ebbie, who himself has been given the responsibility of carrying out Mai’s final wishes. This is not as good as it sounds – for reasons revealed through the book, neither Ebbie or Bek are keen on becoming heroes, even if their actions could restore order to the Realm.
And whilst on their journey Ebbie and Bek’s journey is made more difficult by the actions of ancient gods known as the Oldungods who are themselves involved in an ongoing battle of which Ebbie, Bek Yandira and the Realm are only part of. For every action has a price, and the players should follow the rules…
This is a story that manages to use the tropes of the past – a need for a succession of power, treachery, loyalty, friendship and familial ties – but turn them into something new. There’s a lot here that reminds me of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust or Neverwhere (for Croup and Vandemar we have Lunk and Venatus, for example), with even a touch of Hope Mirlees’s Lud in the Mist, all of which is good.
Our lead characters of mild-mannered Ebbie and spirited Bek, are engaging and often likeable. The story moves between the fairly small, focussed narrative of Ebbie and Bek to the bigger picture, that the events happening around Strange Ground by the Skea and its counterpart Strange Ground Beneath the Skea are being manipulated by the Oldungods, clearly a nod to the Greek myths of old.
However, in the attempt to make the story that little bit different, and maintain a fast pace, some of the actions of the characters and their motivations seemed a little forced at times. Even the title pun, in its attempt to be witty, annoyed me and felt like one of those “good ideas at the time” concepts that should have been lost early on in the writing process. Some may see it as clever, whereas it irritated me – different strokes for different folks, I guess.
I can accept that that is a personal issue – I have mentioned such things before in my reviews. Perhaps most worrying was that even at the end some of the main characters that I knew about and felt that I was supposed to care about, I actually felt remote and indifferent towards.
The lack of character development of some of those around the key characters may have been the issue, but at the end I felt that I was being asked to appreciate the importance of their being put in peril without really being invested in their personality. This led to the book sagging a little in the middle for me – lots of action and things going on, but I began to lose interest in some of the characters and their actions. I found that I had to keep checking the characters who they were and what they did.
The good news is that it did pick up towards the end where the disparate threads began to tie themselves together. The ending highlights the point the actions of individuals can have huge consequences, and that sometimes the choices made are difficult and may not be an easy decision.
I guess what I’m saying here is that whilst I did enjoy a lot about this book, and I certainly don’t regret reading it, at the same time there were elements that were issues for me. I appreciate that Edward is trying to do something different here, even if it didn’t always quite work for me. It is very different to his other works and even with my reservations showed me that Edward can write an entertaining tale in a variety of styles and forms. There is a better balance between ‘light’ and ‘dark’ here, and the story is better for it.
I am sure that there are readers out there less curmudgeonly than me and for whom this will be an ideal read. There is a lot to like here, though it wasn’t perfect for me. Nevertheless, if you like Neil Gaiman and want something similar yet different, this may be the book for you.
The story begins in what seems like Neil Gaiman territory. Strange Ground by the Skea seems like a quiet urban backwater of England. Ebbie Wren lives and works there as a librarian, although the library is about to close. Ebbie comes across as the stereotypical loser, unlucky in his job, in love and life generally. His only real enthusiasm is his love of local folklore in “The Realm”. His only friend and confident is Mai, the old homeless woman who Ebbie brings a hot chocolate to every morning.
On the last day of the library’s opening, Ebbie is disheartened to find that Mai has disappeared, presumably died overnight. In actual fact, Mia has a secret past as a person from the Realm of Strange Ground Beneath the Skea, and her disappearance is connected to that.
At the same time, in Strange Ground Beneath the Skea, young thief Bek Rana is making a living stealing things for others – with varying degrees of success. She is hired to steal a sword, which she does, only to find that it has magical properties, something which can do her no good.
As readers we discover that there has been an attempt to seize power from the Queen of House Wood Bee by the imprisoned Yandira, the Queen’s sister. To secure her power in the Realm and complete the deal she has made with Persephone, Mistress of the Underworld, Yandira needs that sword and the two magical stones of Foresight and Hindsight.
Bek finds herself contracted to Ebbie, who himself has been given the responsibility of carrying out Mai’s final wishes. This is not as good as it sounds – for reasons revealed through the book, neither Ebbie or Bek are keen on becoming heroes, even if their actions could restore order to the Realm.
And whilst on their journey Ebbie and Bek’s journey is made more difficult by the actions of ancient gods known as the Oldungods who are themselves involved in an ongoing battle of which Ebbie, Bek Yandira and the Realm are only part of. For every action has a price, and the players should follow the rules…
This is a story that manages to use the tropes of the past – a need for a succession of power, treachery, loyalty, friendship and familial ties – but turn them into something new. There’s a lot here that reminds me of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust or Neverwhere (for Croup and Vandemar we have Lunk and Venatus, for example), with even a touch of Hope Mirlees’s Lud in the Mist, all of which is good.
Our lead characters of mild-mannered Ebbie and spirited Bek, are engaging and often likeable. The story moves between the fairly small, focussed narrative of Ebbie and Bek to the bigger picture, that the events happening around Strange Ground by the Skea and its counterpart Strange Ground Beneath the Skea are being manipulated by the Oldungods, clearly a nod to the Greek myths of old.
However, in the attempt to make the story that little bit different, and maintain a fast pace, some of the actions of the characters and their motivations seemed a little forced at times. Even the title pun, in its attempt to be witty, annoyed me and felt like one of those “good ideas at the time” concepts that should have been lost early on in the writing process. Some may see it as clever, whereas it irritated me – different strokes for different folks, I guess.
I can accept that that is a personal issue – I have mentioned such things before in my reviews. Perhaps most worrying was that even at the end some of the main characters that I knew about and felt that I was supposed to care about, I actually felt remote and indifferent towards.
The lack of character development of some of those around the key characters may have been the issue, but at the end I felt that I was being asked to appreciate the importance of their being put in peril without really being invested in their personality. This led to the book sagging a little in the middle for me – lots of action and things going on, but I began to lose interest in some of the characters and their actions. I found that I had to keep checking the characters who they were and what they did.
The good news is that it did pick up towards the end where the disparate threads began to tie themselves together. The ending highlights the point the actions of individuals can have huge consequences, and that sometimes the choices made are difficult and may not be an easy decision.
I guess what I’m saying here is that whilst I did enjoy a lot about this book, and I certainly don’t regret reading it, at the same time there were elements that were issues for me. I appreciate that Edward is trying to do something different here, even if it didn’t always quite work for me. It is very different to his other works and even with my reservations showed me that Edward can write an entertaining tale in a variety of styles and forms. There is a better balance between ‘light’ and ‘dark’ here, and the story is better for it.
I am sure that there are readers out there less curmudgeonly than me and for whom this will be an ideal read. There is a lot to like here, though it wasn’t perfect for me. Nevertheless, if you like Neil Gaiman and want something similar yet different, this may be the book for you.
May 28, 2025
The concept is one that I'm fond of, the idea is there but the execution should be better.
I wouldn't discourage people to read it. This is a story about parallel worlds, ours and a classic medieval one where an evil queen wants to take over the world and the heroes must stop her. The characters are easy to root for. Add a pantheon of gods inspired by Greek and Roman mythology who sees the heroes and villains as a chess play and the recipe for a good fantasy is complete.
But imo the writing and the pacing were tiring, there were many instant pov changes and the final battle ended kinda abruptly.
I wouldn't discourage people to read it. This is a story about parallel worlds, ours and a classic medieval one where an evil queen wants to take over the world and the heroes must stop her. The characters are easy to root for. Add a pantheon of gods inspired by Greek and Roman mythology who sees the heroes and villains as a chess play and the recipe for a good fantasy is complete.
But imo the writing and the pacing were tiring, there were many instant pov changes and the final battle ended kinda abruptly.
Want to read
August 18, 2021uk/aus date
August 19, 2022
2/2.5; Te veel personages, sidetracks en onverklaarbaar lange of korte contextualisering.
August 22, 2022
i really can’t decide what to rate this book. i think i’m between a three and a four right now, and i don’t do half stars so i’m going to continue to think about it and decide in a couple days.
the concept is really interesting, the characters are somewhat elementary but still entertaining and compelling. i love books about books, i love libraries, i love mythology and i love morally ambiguous dieties and characters. i think my main issue is that all of the conflicts in here had too much build up and not enough resolution.
i could have absolutely adored this - easily. to me it’s somewhat reminiscent of the starless sea in plot but the writing isn’t as lyrical and i am certainly not as attached to the characters but i can’t work out why. i’m not sure if i actually feel apathetically about this book or if it’s my current mental state reflecting my inability to enjoy things. this might be something i have to reread once i am less unwell because my god does it have potential.
the concept is really interesting, the characters are somewhat elementary but still entertaining and compelling. i love books about books, i love libraries, i love mythology and i love morally ambiguous dieties and characters. i think my main issue is that all of the conflicts in here had too much build up and not enough resolution.
i could have absolutely adored this - easily. to me it’s somewhat reminiscent of the starless sea in plot but the writing isn’t as lyrical and i am certainly not as attached to the characters but i can’t work out why. i’m not sure if i actually feel apathetically about this book or if it’s my current mental state reflecting my inability to enjoy things. this might be something i have to reread once i am less unwell because my god does it have potential.
June 21, 2021
It’s a fairytale - there’s magic letters, royalty, queendoms, evil magic, wolf men, dragons and even a magic sword, only in a classic modern take, we’ve got two heroes who’d rather not be anywhere but saving the world.
This was a fun read, really. One of the highlights of this story was that there were so many female characters in this book both young and old and how familial relationships were such an important part of the story, although I will admit it was confusing at first with more than one generation of princesses and so many sisters being referenced. It was wonderful reading a story where older characters like Mai and Kingfisher had important and active roles to play and also where connections other than teacher/student existed between different generations - I really did enjoy reading about the friendship Ebbie had with Mai, the elderly homeless woman in his town.
There are a lot of interesting roles played by the many characters of The Wood Bee Queen and a lot of potential, however, with there being so many characters, most of them felt very shallow with a lack of page presence and even those with more prominent roles were flat; they existed for plot reasons and not to develop. They were characters without character, really. This did fit that fairytale vibe of the story where characters have their roles and are there to serve the plot before being left behind which you’ll have no problem with if you’re just looking for a fairytale adventure and don’t care about the characters but it didn’t work for me as a reader who likes stories about people and to connect with characters.
The adventure plot of this story includes many predictable elements, yes, but it’s charming in how it goes about it for the most part and is a fun to read modern fairytale, albeit a little slow to kick off. There are a lot of threads to unravel as the story progresses and I was genuinely interested in finding out how it would all tie together in the end.
In hindsight, while I had fun reading the first half to two-thirds of the book, the last third lost me a little, to the point where I’m not entirely sure how what happened at the end actually happened and how those actions led from one another to the ‘good’ ending described. The somewhat convenient plot beats of the story which at first felt like fun nods to it being a magic world, just go with it, began to lean way too heavily into the deus ex machina trope for everything. I just wish the two main characters, Ebbie and Bek, had had more agency rather than being constantly told by secondary characters and magic letters what was going on and what they had to do.
In the end, I did like this book and as a stand alone fairytale-esque story it made for a nice palette cleanser after some more dense, heavier fantasy. For that I would recommend this and give it 3.5 stars.
This was a fun read, really. One of the highlights of this story was that there were so many female characters in this book both young and old and how familial relationships were such an important part of the story, although I will admit it was confusing at first with more than one generation of princesses and so many sisters being referenced. It was wonderful reading a story where older characters like Mai and Kingfisher had important and active roles to play and also where connections other than teacher/student existed between different generations - I really did enjoy reading about the friendship Ebbie had with Mai, the elderly homeless woman in his town.
There are a lot of interesting roles played by the many characters of The Wood Bee Queen and a lot of potential, however, with there being so many characters, most of them felt very shallow with a lack of page presence and even those with more prominent roles were flat; they existed for plot reasons and not to develop. They were characters without character, really. This did fit that fairytale vibe of the story where characters have their roles and are there to serve the plot before being left behind which you’ll have no problem with if you’re just looking for a fairytale adventure and don’t care about the characters but it didn’t work for me as a reader who likes stories about people and to connect with characters.
The adventure plot of this story includes many predictable elements, yes, but it’s charming in how it goes about it for the most part and is a fun to read modern fairytale, albeit a little slow to kick off. There are a lot of threads to unravel as the story progresses and I was genuinely interested in finding out how it would all tie together in the end.
In hindsight, while I had fun reading the first half to two-thirds of the book, the last third lost me a little, to the point where I’m not entirely sure how what happened at the end actually happened and how those actions led from one another to the ‘good’ ending described. The somewhat convenient plot beats of the story which at first felt like fun nods to it being a magic world, just go with it, began to lean way too heavily into the deus ex machina trope for everything. I just wish the two main characters, Ebbie and Bek, had had more agency rather than being constantly told by secondary characters and magic letters what was going on and what they had to do.
In the end, I did like this book and as a stand alone fairytale-esque story it made for a nice palette cleanser after some more dense, heavier fantasy. For that I would recommend this and give it 3.5 stars.
August 3, 2021
Firstly I loved the title of this one and the play on words. I will admit I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this one, but I was intrigued by the premise. I found an enchanting story in a beautifully realised world, and I loved the originality in the worldbuilding and the use of the mythology – and when paired with the prose, which was accessible yet wonderfully descriptive, created a rich world. I liked the characters across the board, and the characterisation was great and well-rounded for the villains and heroes, with flaws and engaging personalities and I really liked Ebbie. Where this book did fall down a little bit for me was with the dialogue, which compared to the rest of the prose felt a little clunky in places and was used a few times to convey unessecary information. This was also a book that took a while to find it’s pace, and it felt as though it didn’t really get into it’s flow until about a third of the way through, although once it did it was difficult to put down.
May 24, 2021
‘They say that in the Realm, the sea is in the sky…’
So starts The Wood Be Queen, a story spanning the Earth and the Realm, where the sea really is in the sky! I was delighted by this, and by the description of rolling waves high above, the sun shining through them. I love the idea of there being a town called Strange Ground by the Skea on earth and one called Strange Ground Beneath the Skea in the Realm. And I absolutely love the fact that in the Realm the messenger birds of choice are seagulls. It’s such a cool detail, and it made me smile each time it was mentioned.
The first character we meet is Mai, a homeless woman in Strange Ground by the Skea, and on the night events begin she receives a message from a gull, with the words We have failed. Come home. written on it. It is immediately intriguing and shows there might be more to this woman that appearance dictates. This first chapter with Mai is such a strong beginning, and if you want a feel for the book I’d highly recommend you listen to Edward Cox himself reading the opening pages during Gollancz Fest@Home (his section begins at 10:35, which you can skip to by clicking the time in the description).
Mai, with her mysteries, is the one that pulls Ebbie Wren, our hero, into the story. Ebbie has been friends with Mai for a few years, believing her only to be a strange yet wise woman who lives on the streets, but on the last day of his job at the closing Library of Strange Ground, he finds himself in the possession of a strange satchel containing a letter from his missing friend, a ring that sounds like the crashing of waves, and an unusual lantern in need of a candle. From there, he is catapulted into the Realm, and is pulled toward Bek Rana, a thief in Strange Ground Beneath the Skea, who wants nothing to do with Ebbie’s appointed mission: find the missing Heir to the Wood Bee Throne and save the Realm from Yandira Wood Bee, the Queen’s sister who has made a dark deal with Lady Persephone of the Underworld, and has seized power as Empress of the Realm.
There are a lot of threads in this story, many characters scattered throughout the Realm and our world, all being pulled slowly together like woven threads, and I won’t mention all of them, because Bek and Ebbie are, for me, the two principal characters. They are the ones on the quest, the others all pieces in a game being played by the Uldonfolk, the gods of the Realm. Now, the Uldonfolk are fascinating; I mentioned Persephone, and the other principal one is Lady Juno, the High Queen, and the events that unfold are being moved along by the game they are playing against one another. I really enjoyed the way their names are pulled from Roman mythology, but their behaviour and traits have been reshaped by the author to create something new. They have retained that element of unpredictability though, and sometimes reading The Wood Bee Queen felt a bit like reading the Iliad, in which our heroes are at the mercy of the whims of the gods.
It can feel a bit like deus ex machina, because everything has been lined up for the characters by forces beyond their control, so a lot of their journey is reactionary instead of pro-active. In this sense, it does have the feel of an older story, an old folk tale told around the fire. This threw me off a few times, especially at the start when some of the characters hadn’t been fleshed out as much and seemed to be solely archetypal, but as I went along I did see that at the heart of this story are still the choices of the little folks. In some way this reminded me of The Lord of the Rings, in which the hobbits are up against such huge forces, but in the end it is the small choices they make that determine the course of the future. It’s something very different to the current trends of fantasy, and it certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but I really enjoyed this story full of hope, magic, and wonder. I think it’s something the world needs right now, the idea that ‘When darkness comes, lighteness must follow, but never to shine upon a clear and easy road…’ There is light and there is dark, and there are the choices we make to change the world around us. This story is a beautiful reminder of that, and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I have.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
So starts The Wood Be Queen, a story spanning the Earth and the Realm, where the sea really is in the sky! I was delighted by this, and by the description of rolling waves high above, the sun shining through them. I love the idea of there being a town called Strange Ground by the Skea on earth and one called Strange Ground Beneath the Skea in the Realm. And I absolutely love the fact that in the Realm the messenger birds of choice are seagulls. It’s such a cool detail, and it made me smile each time it was mentioned.
The first character we meet is Mai, a homeless woman in Strange Ground by the Skea, and on the night events begin she receives a message from a gull, with the words We have failed. Come home. written on it. It is immediately intriguing and shows there might be more to this woman that appearance dictates. This first chapter with Mai is such a strong beginning, and if you want a feel for the book I’d highly recommend you listen to Edward Cox himself reading the opening pages during Gollancz Fest@Home (his section begins at 10:35, which you can skip to by clicking the time in the description).
Mai, with her mysteries, is the one that pulls Ebbie Wren, our hero, into the story. Ebbie has been friends with Mai for a few years, believing her only to be a strange yet wise woman who lives on the streets, but on the last day of his job at the closing Library of Strange Ground, he finds himself in the possession of a strange satchel containing a letter from his missing friend, a ring that sounds like the crashing of waves, and an unusual lantern in need of a candle. From there, he is catapulted into the Realm, and is pulled toward Bek Rana, a thief in Strange Ground Beneath the Skea, who wants nothing to do with Ebbie’s appointed mission: find the missing Heir to the Wood Bee Throne and save the Realm from Yandira Wood Bee, the Queen’s sister who has made a dark deal with Lady Persephone of the Underworld, and has seized power as Empress of the Realm.
There are a lot of threads in this story, many characters scattered throughout the Realm and our world, all being pulled slowly together like woven threads, and I won’t mention all of them, because Bek and Ebbie are, for me, the two principal characters. They are the ones on the quest, the others all pieces in a game being played by the Uldonfolk, the gods of the Realm. Now, the Uldonfolk are fascinating; I mentioned Persephone, and the other principal one is Lady Juno, the High Queen, and the events that unfold are being moved along by the game they are playing against one another. I really enjoyed the way their names are pulled from Roman mythology, but their behaviour and traits have been reshaped by the author to create something new. They have retained that element of unpredictability though, and sometimes reading The Wood Bee Queen felt a bit like reading the Iliad, in which our heroes are at the mercy of the whims of the gods.
It can feel a bit like deus ex machina, because everything has been lined up for the characters by forces beyond their control, so a lot of their journey is reactionary instead of pro-active. In this sense, it does have the feel of an older story, an old folk tale told around the fire. This threw me off a few times, especially at the start when some of the characters hadn’t been fleshed out as much and seemed to be solely archetypal, but as I went along I did see that at the heart of this story are still the choices of the little folks. In some way this reminded me of The Lord of the Rings, in which the hobbits are up against such huge forces, but in the end it is the small choices they make that determine the course of the future. It’s something very different to the current trends of fantasy, and it certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but I really enjoyed this story full of hope, magic, and wonder. I think it’s something the world needs right now, the idea that ‘When darkness comes, lighteness must follow, but never to shine upon a clear and easy road…’ There is light and there is dark, and there are the choices we make to change the world around us. This story is a beautiful reminder of that, and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I have.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2022
It was slow to start. Along with the slowness, there were many subplots and side notes that deserves stronger fleshing out. Despite this, a modern take on fairytales with morally ambiguous deities and magical letters with epic proportions. I have all the love for Mai!
February 14, 2023
For some reason I didn't love this book. As I was reading it , it felt like I should be enjoying it more bur for some undefinable reason it didn't click with me. I found that I didn'treally care about the characters. Thinking more about now I have finished I think perhaps there were too many main characters meaining that they were all a little undeveloped.
September 11, 2025
An interesting world and characters. The pase felt like it quickened towards the end but I did find it a bit slow to start with.
April 24, 2021
The Wood Bee Queen is a standalone fantasy novel from a writer, I have to be honest, whose books I haven't got on with in the past - I've bounced off two of his previous books partway through (though I didn't remember this at the time of requesting). I admit I probably wouldn't have pushed on to the end of this book either, had I not been reviewing it for Netgalley, so not a massively auspicious start.
In a lot of ways, The Wood Bee Queen feels like quite an old-fashioned book - it has royalty fighting over who gets to inherit a throne, divine intervention on a regular basis, dragons and very convenient plot devices like letters which magically appear and tell you what's going on. The latter I found particularly annoying, to be perfectly honest.
We start off in a small town where our initial protagonist (Ebbie) is working as the manager of a soon-to-be-closed library, with him getting drawn into the overall story by his decision to befriend a local homeless woman. She tells him stories of the Realm, a mythical world connected to this one by a magical bridge, and the gods who like to interfere in people's lives. Then, one day, she is just gone and Ebbie discovers that she has died and left him the role of her executor, which involves travelling to the Realm and ensuring that her granddaughter becomes queen.
Meanwhile, the other side of the magical bridge, we have another princess attempting to take the throne by using dark magic to control people and plenty of indiscriminate violence. She's thwarted by the disappearance of two jewels, without which the royal crown is incomplete and she can't persuade the priests of a particular god to let her become queen (cue more violence because nothing leads to violence like slightly unhinged royalty being thwarted in any way).
So, in a lot of ways this is a pretty classic quest narrative - Ebbie travels to the Realm, finds an unwilling accomplice who just happens to have the knowledge and skills he needs to complete his quest, various things happen, everything works out. Things are complicated a bit by the revelation that what's going on at the coalface, so to speak, is the result of direct machinations between two gods and in the end there's a fairly predictable use of deus ex machina to resolve matters.
It's a fairly solidly-written book but just not my cup of tea, with some interesting word choices at times - maybe it's just me but I find the use of 'ebon' as an adjective hard to accept. I struggled a bit with the characterisation too, as I couldn't quite get a handle on Ebbie in particular and a lot of the others really didn't seem 3-dimensional either. There are a lot of moving parts to this book and I'm not convinced all of them were needed. We didn't really gain much from Ebbie's initial presence in this world and then going over to the Realm and I wasn't completely convinced by it as a plot device.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
In a lot of ways, The Wood Bee Queen feels like quite an old-fashioned book - it has royalty fighting over who gets to inherit a throne, divine intervention on a regular basis, dragons and very convenient plot devices like letters which magically appear and tell you what's going on. The latter I found particularly annoying, to be perfectly honest.
We start off in a small town where our initial protagonist (Ebbie) is working as the manager of a soon-to-be-closed library, with him getting drawn into the overall story by his decision to befriend a local homeless woman. She tells him stories of the Realm, a mythical world connected to this one by a magical bridge, and the gods who like to interfere in people's lives. Then, one day, she is just gone and Ebbie discovers that she has died and left him the role of her executor, which involves travelling to the Realm and ensuring that her granddaughter becomes queen.
Meanwhile, the other side of the magical bridge, we have another princess attempting to take the throne by using dark magic to control people and plenty of indiscriminate violence. She's thwarted by the disappearance of two jewels, without which the royal crown is incomplete and she can't persuade the priests of a particular god to let her become queen (cue more violence because nothing leads to violence like slightly unhinged royalty being thwarted in any way).
So, in a lot of ways this is a pretty classic quest narrative - Ebbie travels to the Realm, finds an unwilling accomplice who just happens to have the knowledge and skills he needs to complete his quest, various things happen, everything works out. Things are complicated a bit by the revelation that what's going on at the coalface, so to speak, is the result of direct machinations between two gods and in the end there's a fairly predictable use of deus ex machina to resolve matters.
It's a fairly solidly-written book but just not my cup of tea, with some interesting word choices at times - maybe it's just me but I find the use of 'ebon' as an adjective hard to accept. I struggled a bit with the characterisation too, as I couldn't quite get a handle on Ebbie in particular and a lot of the others really didn't seem 3-dimensional either. There are a lot of moving parts to this book and I'm not convinced all of them were needed. We didn't really gain much from Ebbie's initial presence in this world and then going over to the Realm and I wasn't completely convinced by it as a plot device.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
June 10, 2021
I think the best way to describe The Wood Bee Queen is to say that it’s a children’s fantasy adventure for adults. This does not mean that it’s a childish book or a story without depth, but that its form as a portal fantasy, coupled with a fairy-tale style world and its use of a deus ex machina plot device is most often found in that area. As I love both adult fantasy and children’s books, I thought this was a really cool concept and I really enjoyed my reading experience.
The Wood Bee Queen is humorous, compelling and entertaining. The story is quite fast-paced and keeps up tension throughout. I think what might make this a make-or-break kind of book is the use of a deus ex machina device that explains things to the characters and leads them on their journey – enjoyment of the story is hinged on being able to go with it and accept a magical guiding hand. The plot as a whole isn’t anything new – it’s a fairly straight forward quest – but its packaging in a detailed and imaginative world makes it stand out.
I really enjoyed the characters – Ebbie Wren, small-town librarian in his late twenties who doesn’t know what to do with himself is far too relatable for comfort. Bek Rana is a badass snarky thief and I fell for her very quickly. And Mai, whose death is the catalyst for the story, never appears herself, but oversees the events through her memory. Simply wonderful. Another thing I appreciated about this book is that there is NO ROMANCE. It’s just a story, a quest, with found family elements and friendship. So good to read a book that focuses on those elements rather than romantic ones for a change.
The Wood Bee Queen is humorous, compelling and entertaining. The story is quite fast-paced and keeps up tension throughout. I think what might make this a make-or-break kind of book is the use of a deus ex machina device that explains things to the characters and leads them on their journey – enjoyment of the story is hinged on being able to go with it and accept a magical guiding hand. The plot as a whole isn’t anything new – it’s a fairly straight forward quest – but its packaging in a detailed and imaginative world makes it stand out.
I really enjoyed the characters – Ebbie Wren, small-town librarian in his late twenties who doesn’t know what to do with himself is far too relatable for comfort. Bek Rana is a badass snarky thief and I fell for her very quickly. And Mai, whose death is the catalyst for the story, never appears herself, but oversees the events through her memory. Simply wonderful. Another thing I appreciated about this book is that there is NO ROMANCE. It’s just a story, a quest, with found family elements and friendship. So good to read a book that focuses on those elements rather than romantic ones for a change.
February 8, 2021
Being this was from one of my favourite Authors, I expected much. But I was wrong. Edward Cox surpassed much and went onto deliver something that seems to have surpassed his previous works. The stories (primary) setting is both unique and yet twists some myths on their heads in the most delightful way. The heroes are delightfully flawed as all good heroes should be at the start of any tale. And the villains, well, who doesn't like a good villain?
The story is not the type to ease you in slowly, but more grabs you by the face, and kicks you up the backside all the way through. It was totally delightful!
The story is not the type to ease you in slowly, but more grabs you by the face, and kicks you up the backside all the way through. It was totally delightful!
April 19, 2022
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*
Ebbie is a lonely librarian, his only friend a homeless woman who lives near it and dies at the beginning at the novel. While Ebbie has not expected an adventure to arise from the late woman's will, this is what he gets. His preoccupation with folklore, however, has not prepared him for the weirdness of the otherworldly adventure he embarks on.
I had a very hard time getting into this novel, I did not care for the secondary world storyline after my initial confusion. Eddie was okay, but overall, the book did not draw me in. I was never immersed, always rather bored and I started skim-reading the parts that did not have anything to do with Ebbie. Did not care for the villain, did not really care for the characters, but that might be my fault.
2.5 stars because it was maybe a mood-thing for me
Ebbie is a lonely librarian, his only friend a homeless woman who lives near it and dies at the beginning at the novel. While Ebbie has not expected an adventure to arise from the late woman's will, this is what he gets. His preoccupation with folklore, however, has not prepared him for the weirdness of the otherworldly adventure he embarks on.
I had a very hard time getting into this novel, I did not care for the secondary world storyline after my initial confusion. Eddie was okay, but overall, the book did not draw me in. I was never immersed, always rather bored and I started skim-reading the parts that did not have anything to do with Ebbie. Did not care for the villain, did not really care for the characters, but that might be my fault.
2.5 stars because it was maybe a mood-thing for me
June 9, 2021
If
Stardust
and
Strange the Dreamer
had a love child with more straightforward prose, I imagine you’d get something similar to The Wood Bee Queen.
The book caught my eye because of its clever, quirky title and beautiful, just as quirky cover, although even after having read it, the royal bloodline’s connection to bees, besides being their last name, still elludes me... Almost as if the whimsical fairytale name were deliberately chosen just for the sake of being whimsical and quirky without any narrative or character motivated explanation, which actually aptly encapsulates the nature of the whole book for me.
I went into The Wood Bee Queen blind but what you might want to know is that it is a contemporary portal fantasy story which merges a fictional modern day English town and the mystical land Strange Ground Beneath the Skea, just a Skea (and a bridge) away from our world. It focuses on a good-natured librarian down on his luck who decides to (is actually kind of forced to) fulfill the last wish of his elderly friend Mai, and a magical queendom with some strained family relations and dangerous ambitions among the royal bloodline.
In several ways, this is quite a charming and entertaining book, like its title and cover suggest. It read like a dark, modern fairytale with numerous endearing magical elements, vivid setting, predictable plot (conveniences) and simple, somewhat two dimensional - albeit likeable and easy to root for - characters, some of whom serve as blatant plot devices without tangible personalities. When it occasionally starts feeling too juvenile, the book jolts you with some swearing, gruesome violent imagery and cruelty of its villain to remind you that although its atmosphere, narrative and writing might imply so, it is definitely not for children.
I have made the Stardust and Strange the Dreamer comparison at the beginning and I do think that fans of Neil Gaiman‘s, V.E. Schwab’s or Laini Taylor’s type of stories might enjoy this one, though it definitely lacks their signature poetic prose and (Taylor’s) heavy focus on romance, foregone here completely which I’m sure many adult fantasy readers will welcome. Don’t get me wrong, the writing of TWBQ is beautiful and effective for what the story requires. Cox doesn’t attempt to emulate the lyricism of the aforementioned authors, he’s much more direct and accessible to a casual reader than Gaiman and Taylor, in my opinion. TWBQ reminded me of their works because of its quirky story, interesting concepts and fun, unique spins on fantasy lore and tropes. I enjoyed the author’s reinterpretation of witches, dragons, princesses and even the Queen of the Underworld herself, Persephone. But while I respect and am continually in awe of Gaiman’s, Schwab’s and Taylor’s writing, themes and ideas, I usually have a hard time fully immersing myself in their stories and connecting with their characters, which was also the case with The Wood Bee Queen.
There was nothing I actively disliked about the book; initially, it hooked me in with the worldbuilding (which is quite contained) and a promising mystery, but it never gripped me; my mind wandered off easily and I didn’t feel a strong incentive to read on to know what happens next. The last 20% especially dragged and made me zone out to the point where I had to reread several passages a few times, and yet, I also felt that things wrapped up very neatly and abruptly. There is no pleasing me, I know.
Overall, this was a fun, enjoyable standalone novel that I believe will find its readership and could be a welcome palette cleanser after some epic fantasy series. Unfortunately, it’s not likely to stay with me for long.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for providing me with an e-ARC copy for review.
The book caught my eye because of its clever, quirky title and beautiful, just as quirky cover, although even after having read it, the royal bloodline’s connection to bees, besides being their last name, still elludes me... Almost as if the whimsical fairytale name were deliberately chosen just for the sake of being whimsical and quirky without any narrative or character motivated explanation, which actually aptly encapsulates the nature of the whole book for me.
I went into The Wood Bee Queen blind but what you might want to know is that it is a contemporary portal fantasy story which merges a fictional modern day English town and the mystical land Strange Ground Beneath the Skea, just a Skea (and a bridge) away from our world. It focuses on a good-natured librarian down on his luck who decides to (is actually kind of forced to) fulfill the last wish of his elderly friend Mai, and a magical queendom with some strained family relations and dangerous ambitions among the royal bloodline.
In several ways, this is quite a charming and entertaining book, like its title and cover suggest. It read like a dark, modern fairytale with numerous endearing magical elements, vivid setting, predictable plot (conveniences) and simple, somewhat two dimensional - albeit likeable and easy to root for - characters, some of whom serve as blatant plot devices without tangible personalities. When it occasionally starts feeling too juvenile, the book jolts you with some swearing, gruesome violent imagery and cruelty of its villain to remind you that although its atmosphere, narrative and writing might imply so, it is definitely not for children.
I have made the Stardust and Strange the Dreamer comparison at the beginning and I do think that fans of Neil Gaiman‘s, V.E. Schwab’s or Laini Taylor’s type of stories might enjoy this one, though it definitely lacks their signature poetic prose and (Taylor’s) heavy focus on romance, foregone here completely which I’m sure many adult fantasy readers will welcome. Don’t get me wrong, the writing of TWBQ is beautiful and effective for what the story requires. Cox doesn’t attempt to emulate the lyricism of the aforementioned authors, he’s much more direct and accessible to a casual reader than Gaiman and Taylor, in my opinion. TWBQ reminded me of their works because of its quirky story, interesting concepts and fun, unique spins on fantasy lore and tropes. I enjoyed the author’s reinterpretation of witches, dragons, princesses and even the Queen of the Underworld herself, Persephone. But while I respect and am continually in awe of Gaiman’s, Schwab’s and Taylor’s writing, themes and ideas, I usually have a hard time fully immersing myself in their stories and connecting with their characters, which was also the case with The Wood Bee Queen.
There was nothing I actively disliked about the book; initially, it hooked me in with the worldbuilding (which is quite contained) and a promising mystery, but it never gripped me; my mind wandered off easily and I didn’t feel a strong incentive to read on to know what happens next. The last 20% especially dragged and made me zone out to the point where I had to reread several passages a few times, and yet, I also felt that things wrapped up very neatly and abruptly. There is no pleasing me, I know.
Overall, this was a fun, enjoyable standalone novel that I believe will find its readership and could be a welcome palette cleanser after some epic fantasy series. Unfortunately, it’s not likely to stay with me for long.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for providing me with an e-ARC copy for review.
June 24, 2021
Ebbie Wren is thrust into a world that he probably never even asked for in the first place. Perils, challenges and obstacles face him at every turn. Mysterious and histories are there for him to unravel at many points within the story. A mysterious bridge known as the Janus Bridges connected him to a fascinating place called the Realm, and he discovers a new world full of mystery and wonder. This is Narnia for adults, ladies and gentlemen. This is the dark version of Narnia, except it doesn’t end up becoming grim-dark at the end. This novel that combines fantasy, feels just right for this era. Either way, this should become another brilliant adaptation of a TV show. Either by Netflix or Amazon.
There are many ways to summarise this story: The Oldunones are Gods, certainly, but they get bored and therefore they reenact events similar to Ancient Troy quite often. Ebbie Wren and Bek Rana find themselves quite often entangled in this mess. It is quite a clever connection that Edward does by combining Greek/Roman mythology and thus infuses that with English/Celtic mythology. It felt like a well-connected crossover. However, I didn’t feel much of the Greek and Roman elements that I felt should have been emphasized in this world. This world has its typical mages and orcs, but that was to be expected given such that writing a cross over between religions that are now no longer possible, is not an easy feat to do so.
There are fascinating worlds here, and I can’t quite describe them accurately, but there are tons of ships, cities of enormous sizes, creatures and magic and so much more. It’s an action-packed world that reminds me of playing my adventures in Elder Scrolls Online really. In fact, if you have played it, I would describe it as a mix of Daggerfall and Summerset Isles, especially for the mythical realm. I also found that Ebbie is indeed a hero, a righteous man that has to make some terrible decisions, and Mai often kept guiding him even after she passed from this world. She may have been the Empress of the Wood Bee Realm once upon a time, but her neglect of her daughters caused this to thrust itself into Ebbie’s life, and without wanting to spoil much, it is one of the most fascinating journeys I’ve been upon.
Some criticism I had is: There needs to be a glossary and a map. Those two things would definitely help especially for the sequel. There were many worlds in this novel that I wanted to explore, perhaps explore Eastern Realms with different Gods? I mean if we have Greek Gods here, why not have the Gods of Egypt? An Egyptian crossover would be so cool. Maybe the Gods of Carthage? Additionally, I felt some scenes were paced well during the later stages of the novel, but sometimes the plot became a bit over-stretched and veered off of the rails before regaining pace again, mostly due to the character arcs of some minor characters. I feel like the author wanted to write much more, and I want to explore this world. I loved Mai but often felt her omnipresence within the story didn’t work for me during the last stages of the novel. I felt this novel could easily have been another 300 pages long. Because there was so much in this world, that it needed that expansion. I hope book 2 is bigger!
Overall, great characterization, great writing, and a great story. I was thoroughly hooked…this is Narnia for adults. I give this a 10/10.
There are many ways to summarise this story: The Oldunones are Gods, certainly, but they get bored and therefore they reenact events similar to Ancient Troy quite often. Ebbie Wren and Bek Rana find themselves quite often entangled in this mess. It is quite a clever connection that Edward does by combining Greek/Roman mythology and thus infuses that with English/Celtic mythology. It felt like a well-connected crossover. However, I didn’t feel much of the Greek and Roman elements that I felt should have been emphasized in this world. This world has its typical mages and orcs, but that was to be expected given such that writing a cross over between religions that are now no longer possible, is not an easy feat to do so.
There are fascinating worlds here, and I can’t quite describe them accurately, but there are tons of ships, cities of enormous sizes, creatures and magic and so much more. It’s an action-packed world that reminds me of playing my adventures in Elder Scrolls Online really. In fact, if you have played it, I would describe it as a mix of Daggerfall and Summerset Isles, especially for the mythical realm. I also found that Ebbie is indeed a hero, a righteous man that has to make some terrible decisions, and Mai often kept guiding him even after she passed from this world. She may have been the Empress of the Wood Bee Realm once upon a time, but her neglect of her daughters caused this to thrust itself into Ebbie’s life, and without wanting to spoil much, it is one of the most fascinating journeys I’ve been upon.
Some criticism I had is: There needs to be a glossary and a map. Those two things would definitely help especially for the sequel. There were many worlds in this novel that I wanted to explore, perhaps explore Eastern Realms with different Gods? I mean if we have Greek Gods here, why not have the Gods of Egypt? An Egyptian crossover would be so cool. Maybe the Gods of Carthage? Additionally, I felt some scenes were paced well during the later stages of the novel, but sometimes the plot became a bit over-stretched and veered off of the rails before regaining pace again, mostly due to the character arcs of some minor characters. I feel like the author wanted to write much more, and I want to explore this world. I loved Mai but often felt her omnipresence within the story didn’t work for me during the last stages of the novel. I felt this novel could easily have been another 300 pages long. Because there was so much in this world, that it needed that expansion. I hope book 2 is bigger!
Overall, great characterization, great writing, and a great story. I was thoroughly hooked…this is Narnia for adults. I give this a 10/10.
June 16, 2021
Wood Bee Queen is the kind of timeless fantasy that could come from any era. The narrative is lingering, the point of view is slightly distant, and the language is beautiful. It’s set in an imaginary English seaside town with a connection to—and mythical knowledge of—a faery world beneath the sea, the Realm. It’s probably always summer.
Ebbie is a twenty-something librarian whose carefully organised life is at crossroads, because his library has been closed. He doesn’t want to look for a new job, he wants to keep his old one, and he doesn’t want to go to his parents whose plans for him don’t agree with him. He has only one friend, an old homeless woman, Mai, who tells her stories about the Realm. And then she dies, and Ebbie is told that she’s chosen him as the executioner of her will.
It turns out, Mai wasn’t just a homeless woman. She’s the former Queen of the Realm, hiding on the other side from her power-hungry youngest daughter. Yandira has finally managed to murder the Queen, Mai’s eldest daughter, and the true heir is missing, making Yandira the queen. It’s up to Ebbie to set things straight. He’s about to decline when things take a drastic turn.
Pulled into the Realm against his will, Ebbie isn’t exactly in his element. Luckily, he’s not alone. There’s Bek Rana, a thief who’s in possession of a sword that may be more than she’s bargained for, and knowledge of a war that is coming to remove the usurper queen, which might get her killed. And there are gods too, closer than anyone knows. Together they’re plunged on a quest that they’re not exactly qualified for to save the Realm.
Wood Bee Queen is delightful fantasy. Despite the lingering quality, the story moves forward in a steady pace, with short chapters and multiple points of view characters. Ebbie was a somewhat wishy-washy character, but likeable in his cluelessness. Bek had strength and resolve abundant for even him. Their quest has a fairy-tale quality, and the ending seems to fit that too. All in all, a good read that will stay with me for a long time.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ebbie is a twenty-something librarian whose carefully organised life is at crossroads, because his library has been closed. He doesn’t want to look for a new job, he wants to keep his old one, and he doesn’t want to go to his parents whose plans for him don’t agree with him. He has only one friend, an old homeless woman, Mai, who tells her stories about the Realm. And then she dies, and Ebbie is told that she’s chosen him as the executioner of her will.
It turns out, Mai wasn’t just a homeless woman. She’s the former Queen of the Realm, hiding on the other side from her power-hungry youngest daughter. Yandira has finally managed to murder the Queen, Mai’s eldest daughter, and the true heir is missing, making Yandira the queen. It’s up to Ebbie to set things straight. He’s about to decline when things take a drastic turn.
Pulled into the Realm against his will, Ebbie isn’t exactly in his element. Luckily, he’s not alone. There’s Bek Rana, a thief who’s in possession of a sword that may be more than she’s bargained for, and knowledge of a war that is coming to remove the usurper queen, which might get her killed. And there are gods too, closer than anyone knows. Together they’re plunged on a quest that they’re not exactly qualified for to save the Realm.
Wood Bee Queen is delightful fantasy. Despite the lingering quality, the story moves forward in a steady pace, with short chapters and multiple points of view characters. Ebbie was a somewhat wishy-washy character, but likeable in his cluelessness. Bek had strength and resolve abundant for even him. Their quest has a fairy-tale quality, and the ending seems to fit that too. All in all, a good read that will stay with me for a long time.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2021
The Wood Bee Queen by Edward Cox
The Wood Bee Queen feels like a good old-fashioned portal fantasy. Ebbie, our protagonist is working as a Librarian of a soon-to-be-closed library in a place called 'Strange Ground by the Skea.' Throughout his time working in the library, he befriends Mai, a homeless woman. Mai tells him stories of the realm or, a mythical world called 'Strange Ground Beneath the Skea.' This realm is connected by a magical bridge, there are loads of parallels between the two places that are nicely played out. It is a place where centuries of peace, is now threatened by the gods who like to interfere in people's lives. Then, one day, Mai is just gone and Ebbie discovers that she has died and left him the role of her executor, which involves travelling to the Realm and ensuring that her granddaughter becomes queen.
Ebbie, an unlikely and unwilling hero, and full of flaws, shy and very sceptical which makes him easily relatable. There is a great cast of secondary support characters including Bek, who has a fascinating back story that is revealed throughout the book. The magic is very convincing, especially how you travel between the two worlds.
Wood Bee Queen is a solidly written story, full of charm, moments of dark and light, hope and wonder. The story is further enhanced by the history between the two places and the very nature of stories, especially, folklore, folk-myth.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for allowing me to read this e-arc, in exchange for an honest review, all opinions expressed are my own.
The Wood Bee Queen feels like a good old-fashioned portal fantasy. Ebbie, our protagonist is working as a Librarian of a soon-to-be-closed library in a place called 'Strange Ground by the Skea.' Throughout his time working in the library, he befriends Mai, a homeless woman. Mai tells him stories of the realm or, a mythical world called 'Strange Ground Beneath the Skea.' This realm is connected by a magical bridge, there are loads of parallels between the two places that are nicely played out. It is a place where centuries of peace, is now threatened by the gods who like to interfere in people's lives. Then, one day, Mai is just gone and Ebbie discovers that she has died and left him the role of her executor, which involves travelling to the Realm and ensuring that her granddaughter becomes queen.
Ebbie, an unlikely and unwilling hero, and full of flaws, shy and very sceptical which makes him easily relatable. There is a great cast of secondary support characters including Bek, who has a fascinating back story that is revealed throughout the book. The magic is very convincing, especially how you travel between the two worlds.
Wood Bee Queen is a solidly written story, full of charm, moments of dark and light, hope and wonder. The story is further enhanced by the history between the two places and the very nature of stories, especially, folklore, folk-myth.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for allowing me to read this e-arc, in exchange for an honest review, all opinions expressed are my own.
October 21, 2024
Somewhere in England, in a small town called Strange Ground by the Skea, Ebbie Wren is the last librarian and he's about to lose his job. Estranged from his parents, unable to make connections with anyone except the old homeless lady who lives near the library, Ebbie isn't quite sure what he's supposed to do next. His only escape from reality is his deep interest in local folklore, but reality is far stranger than Ebbie can dream. On the other side of the sky and the sea, the Queen of House Wood Bee has been murdered. Her sister has made the first move in a long game, one which will lead her to greatness, yet risk destruction for the entire Realm. She needs the two magical stones Foresight and Hindsight for her power to be complete, but no one knows where they are. Although the sword recently stolen by Bek Rana, small time thief and not very good at it, might hold a clue to their location . . . and to stopping the chaos. But all Bek wants is to sell the sword and buy herself a better life. She's not interested in being a hero, and neither is Ebbie. But someone is forcing their hand and playing for the heart of the Realm. Ebbie and Bek are destined to unite. They must find a way to stop the destruction of House Wood Bee, save the Realm, and just maybe save themselves in the process. All victories come at a price. The Oldungods are rising. And they are watching...
May 16, 2021
The Wood Bee Queen is one of those homages to classic story telling that reminds me why I love picking up a book and going anywhere with infinite possibilities on each page.
Yandira is a delicious villain, Ebbie a true hero, brave and charming and a librarian, the hero is a librarian!!!!! The parallels between the 2, both sides written so richly, it was a joy to read. I wasn’t as keen on Bek, the majority of the characters in this book have terrible things happen to them but Bek is the only one really treated like a victim and allowed to behave poorly because of it. That said, she did warm on me as the book went on.
A problem I have sometimes when reading fantast novels is remembering all the rules, names, story etc of a land entirely new. What I enjoyed about this book is how often it referred to the history/story that was the heart of the book, the story of the Wood Bee Queen, the princesses and this mirrored land. I really enjoyed the world building, visually this book would be fantastic as a film. It just takes you so far and to so many places that I would love to read this again and go back to all of them.
Thank you NetGalley for the early copy to review, this was an adventure I desperately needed.
Yandira is a delicious villain, Ebbie a true hero, brave and charming and a librarian, the hero is a librarian!!!!! The parallels between the 2, both sides written so richly, it was a joy to read. I wasn’t as keen on Bek, the majority of the characters in this book have terrible things happen to them but Bek is the only one really treated like a victim and allowed to behave poorly because of it. That said, she did warm on me as the book went on.
A problem I have sometimes when reading fantast novels is remembering all the rules, names, story etc of a land entirely new. What I enjoyed about this book is how often it referred to the history/story that was the heart of the book, the story of the Wood Bee Queen, the princesses and this mirrored land. I really enjoyed the world building, visually this book would be fantastic as a film. It just takes you so far and to so many places that I would love to read this again and go back to all of them.
Thank you NetGalley for the early copy to review, this was an adventure I desperately needed.
June 12, 2022
In a small town called Strange Ground by the Skea, Ebbie Wren is the last librarian at a library that is about to be shut down. In a parallel world, in Strange Ground beneath the Skea, the Queen of House Wood Bee has been murdered and the usurper threatens destruction for the entire realm. The unsuspecting Ebbie is magicked beneath the Skea and tasked with finding the heir to House Wood Bee in order to save the realm; but Ebbie isn’t interested in being a hero, and all victories come at a price.
The best thing about this book was the concept of the two worlds, Strange Ground by the Skea and Strange Ground beneath the Skea. I thought this was well done, especially the threat of Earth weapons on the Realm, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I thought the characters were good… They are likeable and easy to root for, but they weren’t developed enough to become really memorable or have much of an impact. I also found the plot a little bit simple and very slow in set-up and progression. I got the impression that the author was trying to tell quite an epic fantasy story, but it falls a bit flat. Overall, I mostly enjoyed it but found it a little bit boring.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The best thing about this book was the concept of the two worlds, Strange Ground by the Skea and Strange Ground beneath the Skea. I thought this was well done, especially the threat of Earth weapons on the Realm, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I thought the characters were good… They are likeable and easy to root for, but they weren’t developed enough to become really memorable or have much of an impact. I also found the plot a little bit simple and very slow in set-up and progression. I got the impression that the author was trying to tell quite an epic fantasy story, but it falls a bit flat. Overall, I mostly enjoyed it but found it a little bit boring.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2023
"But what would a library be without its readers, Ebbie Wren?"
what would i be if i did not find this small, but bright shining pearl of a book? i loved this. it was pure, fantastical, a beautiful journey in a world that is not far from our own..
"they say that in the Realm, the sea is in the sky..."
Ebbie Wren was one of the best characters i have read about. he was just a book loving librarian, about to lose all he has, and does eventually give up all he has to help his best friend ;w; my sweet man, you have my heart!
Bek Rana was strong and stubborn, but far from annoying. she was well written and had all the character development i needed, while staying true to herself.
and of course so many other characters that were all important to the story!! the author did a good job, because even though the book was written in multiple story view, it wasn't confusing and it all flowed easily together.
and what i loved the most? no unnecessary romance. oh, it was so relieving to read a book where the two main characters were not falling for each other!!
even though i took my time reading it, it actually reads fast, i am just too much of a mood reader haha, but i recommend this one, 5/5☆
what would i be if i did not find this small, but bright shining pearl of a book? i loved this. it was pure, fantastical, a beautiful journey in a world that is not far from our own..
"they say that in the Realm, the sea is in the sky..."
Ebbie Wren was one of the best characters i have read about. he was just a book loving librarian, about to lose all he has, and does eventually give up all he has to help his best friend ;w; my sweet man, you have my heart!
Bek Rana was strong and stubborn, but far from annoying. she was well written and had all the character development i needed, while staying true to herself.
and of course so many other characters that were all important to the story!! the author did a good job, because even though the book was written in multiple story view, it wasn't confusing and it all flowed easily together.
and what i loved the most? no unnecessary romance. oh, it was so relieving to read a book where the two main characters were not falling for each other!!
even though i took my time reading it, it actually reads fast, i am just too much of a mood reader haha, but i recommend this one, 5/5☆
October 10, 2021
“They say that in the Realm, the sea is in the sky…”
-The vast amount of books I read are horror, but sometimes I just need a break. This was one of those break-books, and I really enjoyed it.
Goddesses callously playing with humans’ lives for sport/bets, royals spilling blood and entering dark pacts with the underworld to claim the throne and a librarian with a big role to play finding himself pulled into a magical world(The Realm) he assumed only existed in the stories he was told by his homeless friend (in reality, self-exiled Queen). I was there for all of it.
Really fast-paced, jam-packed with interesting characters and intrigue, this is one of the best book impulse-buys I’ve had in a while.
Where this story really shines is in the female characters; both largely responsible for starting the war waged (the goddesses) and ending it, none of them to be trifled with. It was my first time picking up one of Cox’ books, and from what I can gather from this read, he writes beautifully and in a way that is very engaging. Would like to pick up another one of his stories in the future.
-The vast amount of books I read are horror, but sometimes I just need a break. This was one of those break-books, and I really enjoyed it.
Goddesses callously playing with humans’ lives for sport/bets, royals spilling blood and entering dark pacts with the underworld to claim the throne and a librarian with a big role to play finding himself pulled into a magical world(The Realm) he assumed only existed in the stories he was told by his homeless friend (in reality, self-exiled Queen). I was there for all of it.
Really fast-paced, jam-packed with interesting characters and intrigue, this is one of the best book impulse-buys I’ve had in a while.
Where this story really shines is in the female characters; both largely responsible for starting the war waged (the goddesses) and ending it, none of them to be trifled with. It was my first time picking up one of Cox’ books, and from what I can gather from this read, he writes beautifully and in a way that is very engaging. Would like to pick up another one of his stories in the future.
July 31, 2021
3.5 stars.
The Wood Bee Queen is a well-written fantasy novel, with an engaging hero and a beautifully drawn world.
Things I liked/loved:
-The world- & mythology-building was superb and original
- the quality of the prose was great
- The characterisation was good. I found Ebbie and Bek in particular to be engaging characters who I cared about and wanted to succeed.
Things I wasn't so keen on:
- The slowness of the beginning third of the book. It didn't really take off for me until Ebbie crossed from his own world into 'The Realm'
- Sometimes dialogue was used to get across information that both characters would have already known (a pet hate of mine & totally not needed in third person narration)
- Mai's magical letters to Ebbie which felt like a series of deus ex machina. I would have loved to have seen him (& other characters) use their ingenuity a bit more to solve tricky situations
Overall I enjoyed the book and will read more by this author.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Wood Bee Queen is a well-written fantasy novel, with an engaging hero and a beautifully drawn world.
Things I liked/loved:
-The world- & mythology-building was superb and original
- the quality of the prose was great
- The characterisation was good. I found Ebbie and Bek in particular to be engaging characters who I cared about and wanted to succeed.
Things I wasn't so keen on:
- The slowness of the beginning third of the book. It didn't really take off for me until Ebbie crossed from his own world into 'The Realm'
- Sometimes dialogue was used to get across information that both characters would have already known (a pet hate of mine & totally not needed in third person narration)
- Mai's magical letters to Ebbie which felt like a series of deus ex machina. I would have loved to have seen him (& other characters) use their ingenuity a bit more to solve tricky situations
Overall I enjoyed the book and will read more by this author.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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