Queen of the Warrior Bees (Natural Forces Book 1) by Jean Gill – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

Queen of the Warrior Bees (Natural Forces #1)Queen of the Warrior Bees by Jean Gill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Queen of the Warrior Bees is the first book in Jean Gill’s Natural Forces series. It tells the story of Mielitta, a young woman struggling to find her place in a tightly controlled world where perfection is prized above all else. Developing magical bee powers doesn’t exactly help her fit in but does at least give her a sense of purpose as she now has to consider the bees’ agenda as well as her own.
Something I particularly enjoyed about this book is the focus on scent in descriptions of characters and places. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much detail about how everything smells, and I love it! It added an extra dimension to everything and helped me to immerse myself in the scenes.
The world-building is great. There’s so much originality, presented to us in a way that feels familiar. The contrast between the dull Citadel and the vibrant Forest particularly stood out to me – kind of like a Dorothy landing in full-colour Oz.
The story is very intriguing. There are many mysteries to unravel and deceptions to overcome. Mielitta is observant and resourceful, enabling her and us to glimpse the secrets of the Citadel and reveal its corruptions.
This is an enjoyable book – it gets five stars from me! I’d recommend it to Young Adult fantasy fans with an interest in the environment – plenty of trees and bees! I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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