Today I’m thrilled to say I have The Lasy Beekeeper by Rebecca L. Fearnley on the blog, on behalf of Random Things Tours. Thanks to Anne Cater and Lightning Hyena Press for the copy of the book.
When one tiny creature holds the fate of humanity, how do you stop it falling into the wrong hands?
Solma is a fighter, trained by her Steward to guard their village from the predators of their harsh world. But with flying insects extinct for over a century, nowhere on the forsaken continent of Alphor is safe. How can Solma protect her friends and family from crop failure and starvation? She’s terrified her little brother, Warren, will be one of the next to die. The villagers cling to life, waiting for the Earth Whisperers—mysterious nomads with a strange magic that helps plants grow—to arrive.
But then Warren finds something. Something impossible.
When the first bee in a hundred years crawls out of the earth, Warren forms a strange bond with the creature and Solma fears this unique power will make him a target. One that leaders of Alphor would kill for. As she and Warren fight to keep the bee secret and safe, word of this miracle sweeps the continent. Allies and enemies alike descend on the village. Some demand the bees for themselves, others want to destroy the colony to level the odds. When words become threats and then violence, Solma and Warren are caught in the conflict, and now it isn’t just the bees in danger.
When whoever controls the bees controls the world, how will Solma and Warren know who to trust?
The Last Beekeeper is a dystopian fantasy novel that explores a future where the human race has obliterated everything needed to live basically. Every little bug, bird and even bee is gone. I loved this cover and was curious to discover more. I am so glad I jumped in to help when the tour was a little short of bloggers. I would have misses this gem if not.
Sixteen year old Salma, is a trained fighter. A guardian of her village in a world devoid of flying insects. Nowhere is safe in their world, Salma is scared she isn’t able to protect her brother Connor from the harshness of their life. She feels like he will be dead soon too. Everyone in their village just waits for the Earth Whisperers to arrive, with their magic hands, able to help their crops and plants grow. Then miraculously, Conner finds the first bee in 100 years and they find their community a target for outsiders. Connor is in danger to as he has such a special connection with Blume (the bee).
This is a novel for Young Adults, but I must say I was swept away with Salma,Connor and Blume too. What was extra special was the chapters written from Blume’s perspective. These chapters surprised me with the fact that I cared for the bee and I even felt a bit emotional reading from Blume, the bee pov, too. I truly enjoyed learning more about bees than I have before. It is clear that Rebecca Fearnley has so much knowledge about nature, and she has conveyed this through this story.
The world building is done well, I could picture Salma and Connor’s world so clearly. The characters, particularly Salma, are ones that I took to my heart. She is a trained fighter who also has to try to keep her brother alive too. I wanted to give them both big hugs! Maybe that’s my maternal side coming out.
One thing I must say is this novel has been written straight from the heart and it shines right through the full book. I found I couldn’t leave this book for long, this is a real page turner. It definitely left me thinking after I had finished it, that’s for sure.
Buy Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09X5LKLCG/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_T85P21RQ8NYTHPM95QQM
Author Bio
Rebecca has been obsessed with two things since she learned to walk and talk: stories and animals. Luckily, the two seem to be very compatible. Rebecca writes stories set in strange worlds filled with bizarre creatures, strong female characters and magical powers. She started her writing career as a poet, performing all over the country and publishing her first collection, Octopus Medicine, with Two Rivers Press in 2017.
In addition to writing, Rebecca is also a teacher and, in 2018, decided that she wanted to write quality books for the young people she works with. Her books tend towards themes of respect for the environment, protecting the planet and the new generations challenging the old to face up to their mistakes.
She lives in Reading, UK, with her unusual family, which includes herself and her partner, a friendly little mini-lop rabbit (called Cleo) and a gregarious and feisty quaker parrot (called Maya).
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 