We’re not going to discuss the plot further as that’ll ruin things, but as a story it’s fairly generic-its saving grace is that beehive setting.Ī wonderful idea. She touched a panel in the wall, and the door opened.' 'Soon.' Sister Sage answered as if Flora had spoken. Only when they stopped before a plain doorway did she feel how far they had traveled, and that she was still very hungry She did not feel how the golden tiles changed underfoot and the bare, pale wax began, or how the priestess spread her cloak of scent over them both as they entered a small empty corridor that held no vibration at all. It’s written in third person: 'They continued deeper into the hive, Flora entranced by its carved and frescoed walls of ancient scent and the beautiful blend of her living sisters. Which is where the main draw for reading this comes in.ĭystopian tales remain extremely popular, whether it’s Orwell’s Nineteen-Eighty Four or Huxley’s Brave New World-public appetite for them is pretty insatiable.Īnd The Bees is an interesting read, with a lively sense of imagination and impending dread.

The Bees takes a familiar tale and dumps it into an innovative and alien location. And that’s where the main crux of the novel is.Īs Flora 717 is disturbed and surprised to find the buzzing world she buzzes across. A mighty fine job for any bumble bee!Įventually, she works her way up to her beloved Queen’s inner court. But she’s then promoted to foraging status. This time around, as a special case, she’s provided with a new job. Flora 717 is unique-and although any mutant bees are typically destroyed by the state, she’s able to enjoy social mobility. Those hidden talents don’t stay behind the scenes for long, though. She simply has to accept, obey, and serve the Queen. Flora 717 isn’t the prettiest bee in town, but she’s got a lot of pluck and hidden talents.īut as a cleaner in the lowest class of her bee colony, times are hard.

The bees laline paull summary