Let me start off by saying that I did not know that "Keeper of the Bees" was a companion to " Black Birds of the Gallow" which I have not read yet but will definitely be reading soon! "Keeper of the Bees" is amazing!!! Que synopsis..

"KEEPER OF THE BEES is a tale of two teens who are both beautiful and beastly, and whose pasts are entangled in surprising and heartbreaking ways.

Dresden is cursed. His chest houses a hive of bees that he can’t stop from stinging people with psychosis-inducing venom. His face is a shifting montage of all the people who have died because of those stings. And he has been this way for centuries—since he was eighteen and magic flowed through his homeland, corrupting its people.

He follows harbingers of death, so at least his curse only affects those about to die anyway. But when he arrives in a Midwest town marked for death, he encounters Essie, a seventeen-year-old girl who suffers from debilitating delusions and hallucinations. His bees want to sting her on sight. But Essie doesn’t see a monster when she looks at Dresden.

Essie is fascinated and delighted by his changing features. Risking his own life, he holds back his bees and spares her. What starts out as a simple act of mercy ends up unraveling Dresden’s solitary life and Essie’s tormented one. Their impossible romance might even be powerful enough to unravel a centuries-old curse."

This book is kind of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, which, if you follow my reviews, you know I absolutely cannot tire of because I love that tale so much! Anywho! This story is both haunting and beautiful. Dark and light. There are so many more comparisons I could use but I will just end it by saying, be sure to check it out for yourself!! 5 stars.

* I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I loved Black Bird of the Gallows so I was thrilled to get to read Keeper of the bees! This is a companion novel to Black Bird of the Gallows and can be read as a standalone. I love Meg Kassel's writing,it's just so beautiful! The characters are complex and well written. I just adored Essie and Dresden's relationship. There are twists and turns, plenty of suspense and romance! I really loved this book and I hope there will be another!

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I think that goes beyond saying. I loved everything about this book. It did what the first book did and so much more. It pulled me so deep into the story that it was difficult to come up for air. I loved how the writing made me feel included and how the plot made me consume this book like no other. The characters were not only likeable but they had me rooting for them. This book was beyond amazing. Thank you so much to YA Bound Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

**Review at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **
Dresden spends what is now considered his existence traveling behind the harbingers, keeping the bees that live inside him happy as they sting those with darkness in their souls. But when he meets a girl in the park, a girl who actually sees his horror inducing many faces and finds him pretty, he is completely confused with the situation. After years of being ignored and unseen, a girl sees him and wants to befriend him- but his bees want her too. Essie finds the man in the park interesting, with his changing faces and slight buzzing, but he is also a figment of her unhinged mind, of course. But when someone else sees him, she becomes even more confused as to what is real. But there is something more sinister than a man full of bees coming...

"Strawmen are pure mystery, weighed down by secrets. Some say they are wraiths- the blighted shells of ancient sorcerers, and the very ones responsible for turning us into monsters in the first place."


Ok, yes this can be a standalone book but no, it should not be read as a standalone! Yes I am aware that that is a conflicting statement but I highly recommend reading Black Bird of the Gallows first to get a feel for this world. And then read Keeper of the Bees to get everything you thought you knew thrown on it's head! The main characters and plot of this book do not need the companion book to be read, but I really enjoyed the twist in perspectives that Meg used here- the terrible, evil, no good villain is now just a tortured soul seeking redemption and doing what he must to survive under terrible circumstances. When I read this was kinda sorta a Beauty and the Beast thing, I was sold- ok I was sold anyway since I love Meg's writing style, people and plots. But still, Beauty and the Beast-ish! It doesn't hurt that I am in love with the cover too.

The way Meg puts words together is at times like poetry, romantic even, and her descriptions make the most vivid of imagery for me- it is almost as if I could reach out and touch whatever is happening in the book. I loved being in Essie's mind, seeing her giggle bubbles, see her therapist's reptilian tongue or watch the faces transition over Dresdan. It was so interesting to see the struggle between what was real and imaginary and I can only imagine the struggle for those who live like this.Through the pages, I could see and feel the bees buzzing in Dresdan's rib cage, waiting to get out, the anxiety that filled him fighting the pull, the despair and loneliness he was caught in. Everything came alive and that is part of what makes this book so magical- and scary since the Strawmen live in this world too.

I will gladly read what ever fantasy with the subtle romantic flair that Meg likes to drive me crazy with that comes next. This was equal parts wonderful, romantic, heart wrenching and unique and I would not change a single thing. I highly recommend you check out this series and whatever else Meg wants to write, you would be in for a magical, unique ride.

Last year, almost to the day, I shared my review on Black Bird of the Gallows. It's no secret that I love pretty much every single book that Entangled Teen releases, but this one just absolutely blew me away. It was such an incredible story and when I found out that there would be a companion novel involving one of the super creepy Beekeepers, I was ecstatic! Keeper of the Bees definitely did not disappoint me, but rather exceeded my expectations entirely.

Plot:
Dresden is cursed. He is a Beekeeper, a creature with a chest full of bees (literally) that he cannot stop from stinging people with their psychosis-inducing venom. His face is ever changing and shows the victims of the deadly stings. He's been this way for centuries- since he was eighteen years old and magic flowed through his homeland and corrupted his people. Dresden follows harbingers of death in order to somewhat control his bees and have them sting those that are about to die anyway. But after arriving in a Midwestern town that's marked for death, he meets a girl named Essie. She's seventeen and suffers from debilitating delusions and hallucinations and Dresden's bees want to sting her on sight. But when Essie looks at Dresden, she doesn't see a monster- she's fascinated with his constantly shifting face. Taking a huge risk, he holds back his bees and prevents them from stinging her, and what begins as a merciful act ends up unraveling both Dresden and Essie's lives. Is their romance strong enough to unravel a centuries-old curse?

It should be noted that you do not have to have read Black Bird of the Gallows in order to read Keeper of the Bees. This is actually a companion novel and can be read on its own! Although if you have read the "first" book, you'll already be aware of the creatures called the Beekeepers. Even after reading Black Bird over a year ago, I still get chills when I think of those creatures. It may just be the thought of them or it may be the way that Meg Kassel wrote them, but either way, they're spooky. So I was a little nervous to read this companion novel at first, not going to lie. But honestly, I am so glad I did! It's still filled with the author's beautiful imagery and haunting prose, but it just made the story that much better for me. I loved the alternating perspectives with Dresden's gloomy and angsty outlook and Essie's incredibly positive and sunshine-y voice. They worked together so well to provide a balanced read that really makes you feel like you're reading some kind of fairy tale. I just couldn't get enough of how...good these two were. Both Black Bird and Keeper are perfect pickups for the Fall season! You get a wonderfully eerie vibe paired together with characters that are sure to stick with you and writing that just screams...well, just screams in general. Once again, Meg Kassel has written a book that will hook you from the start and leave you wanting more from this world once you finish!

Characters:
I loved Dresden and Essie so much and I want to protect them with my life. I feel that the author really has a talent for writing realistic (well, as realistic as a boy who's cursed to live with poisonous bees in his chest can be) and memorable characters. I fell so hard for Angie and Reese in the previous book and loved the way that Meg Kassel made me do the exact same thing for these new characters. Their dynamic really allows the reader to dive into this book and the connection the two of them have is undeniable. Typically, I hate insta-love and I'm never afraid to point out that I hate it. But trust me, their connection and banter and just the two of them individually make the insta-love absolutely perfect. Dresden and Essie balance each other out so well and you really can't help but want the absolute best for them in every way possible. Meg Kassel truly has a way of bringing the characters that she has created to life and making you instantly want to know everything about them. You laugh with them, you cry with them, and probably in the case of the Beekeepers/Dresden, you're a little bit creeped out by them (but you also want to see them be happy and loved because Dresden deserves some happiness okay).

Also, sidenote, now that we've had books about the harbingers and Beekeepers, I think it's time for a standalone novel about the Strawmen, yeah? Yes, please.

Writing:
I'm pretty sure I absolutely gushed over Meg Kassel's writing in my review of the previous book but we're gonna do this again because I just cannot get over how much I love it. There's something about her writing that brings everything about this book to life. Her descriptions are unlike any other and she has the ability to completely consume the reader in the best way possible. I love getting lost in the words she's put on the page because they hook me every single time and I never want to stop. She's an author that draws out the story in a way that makes you want to push on and read more instead of being annoyed that the story is moving slow. This is a world that is so rich in detail and lore and I am so excited at the prospect of more stories about the creatures that inhabit the world.

Keeper of the Bees is a companion novel that is full of haunting and fantastical writing, characters that will work their way into your heart, and a plot that will keep you turning the pages. It's a fantastic continuation of the world that Meg Kassel has created and is sure to become a favorite creepy Fall season read!

Fantastic read, well written with a great plot and characters. I was engrossed from start to finish. Dresden is the keeper of bees, he has a hive in his chest that he allows out to sting to inject their venom. Essie is cursed and sees things that not everyone else does. Unique story and I loved hope there is another one. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.

I absolutely adore this series. Kassel has created a unique and mystifying world that I just can't get enough of. Black Bird of the Gallows grabbed me because of the unique mythology behind the story, along with the fantastic characters and narrative. After reading it, I couldn't wait to learn more about this world and the beekeepers. Keeper of the Bees did not disappoint. This novel has everything that I love: suspense, realistic and flawed characters, a distinct world, terrific world-building, great pacing, suspense, and an intriguing plot.

Essie is one of my favorite female leads ever. She is so different from the "normal" heroine, and I love her for it. She's strong in her own way, and she deals with life and her mental illness bravely, not shying away from the monsters in her head. Dresden is a fascinating leading male character. He's a bit angsty, but who wouldn't be after millennia of being tortured as a beekeeper. He's a complicated character, and it's simultaneously hard to care about him because of what he is and does, yet impossible not to care about him because he's so much more than what he is cursed to be. The bees really freak me out, but I have a fear of bugs, so that's not surprising. The secondary characters are interesting and well-developed, too, which adds to the rich fabric of the story.

The plot itself is suspenseful, sweet, dark, and captivating. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. We get to learn more about the harbinger and beekeeper world in this installment. I enjoyed learning more about the curse, how the curse came to be (to an extent), and how the curse affects different people differently, from a psychological and emotional standpoint. Kassel really fleshed out the world in this book, which helped me understand more about what is going on and why harbingers and beekeepers were first created. The romance is so sweet it will break your heart. The pacing is perfect, and the writing is beautiful.

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to anyone who is looking for books with unique mythologies. These books are very sophisticated for YA, but they are still YA. The content really makes you think about the meanings of good and evil. These books can be read as standalone novels or as a series. Reading Black Bird of the Gallows will help you understand the world a bit better, but Keeper of the Bees could definitely be read as a standalone. If you're looking for unique mythology in a sophisticated and philosophical YA paranormal romance, then this book is for you.

The nitty-gritty: Lush imagery and beautiful writing make this a stand-out YA fantasy, despite some issues I had with one of the characters.

Keeper of the Bees, as I found out after I requested it, is a companion novel to Blackbird of the Gallows, which got lots of rave reviews from the blogging community last year. I was hoping I could read this one with no problems since I didn’t have a copy of the first book, and I’m happy to say I didn’t have any trouble. This is a very unusual retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I enjoyed it, although it was a little too YA for my tastes—meaning it had a fairly predictable love story and more or less insta-love between the two main characters. But if you’re looking for some unique world-building and a compelling story, I think you’ll enjoy this book.

The story is told in first person by the two main characters, Dresden, who is a Beekeeper, a boy who was cursed long ago by a Queen who merged his body with a hive of honey bees, and Essie Wickerton, a young teen who is touched by a family curse and sees things that others cannot see. Dresden’s and Essie’s chapters alternate so we get to see the story from both perspectives. When the story begins, Dresden has come to the small town of Concordia, following a group of harbingers—creatures who sense impending doom and feed off the energy of the dead. Dresden’s honey bees can sense humans with bad energy, and in order to keep the hive under control, Dresden must release his bees on a regular basis and allow them to sting these people. The sting eventually drives them mad enough to commit suicide, which in turn gives energy to the harbingers. One of the aspects of Dresden's curse is that he absorbs the souls of each person he stings, so his face is constantly shifting.

When Dresden spots Essie, his bees sense that there is something “off” about her and they demand to sting her. But before he can send his bees to do their job, Essie surprises Dresden by telling him she can see all his faces, something a human has never been able to do before. He’s intrigued enough to stop his bees, although he reluctantly promises Essie that he will kill her eventually.

In the meantime, there is something brewing in the town of Concordia. The harbingers have gathered because they sense a tragic event is about to take place. As Dresden tries to make sense of his growing feelings for Essie, he discovers that there may be a way to break the curse—both curses in fact—to end his suffering as a Beekeeper, and to break the Wickerton Curse as well.

The idea of Beekeepers was pretty cool, although at times I struggled with visualizing exactly what takes place in Dresden’s body. The bee hive is described as living in his chest and the bees escape from his mouth, and I think I worked too hard trying to figure this out. Were the bees in his lungs? They also make honey, so his body is filled with it. Kassel also tells us that the queen bee lives near Dresden’s heart, and she never emerges from his body. I think it’s best if you don’t think too hard about the logistics of having a hive of bees living in your body and just go with it! It was a magical process to create Dresden, after all.

I loved Kassel’s atmospheric writing, she does a great job of setting up a world full of dangerous beings, some of whom influence the living. The idea of Dresden’s bee stings causing humans to go crazy and kill themselves might sound horrific, but I seriously loved that idea, and as you read more and more of the story, she explains some of the mythology surrounding his curse. And Kassel really has a way with imagery. Her descriptions of what Essie sees (or imagines she sees) were horrifying and beautiful at the same time. For example, every time she’s in the presence of Dr. Roberts, she sees him with a forked tongue and a dead raccoon draped over his head. It was honestly hard to tell what was real and what was only in Essie’s imagination, which made the story more interesting.

And yes, there is a romance between Dresden and Essie, but I do think it was sweet and it didn’t overtake the rest of the story. Dresden is struggling with his feelings for Essie because he knows they are wrong, but the more he gets to know her, the more he wants to protect her. Which brings me to...

I think the part of Keeper of the Bees that I struggled with the most is that Essie is a victim for most of the story. In fact, she never gets her own agency. She’s always being rescued or attacked by others, and even though she has a handful of loving and caring people in her life—her Aunt Bel was a wonderful character, and Dresden becomes her champion as well—there are just as many horrible people surrounding her. At the top of that list is her psychologist Dr. Roberts, an evil man who is obsessed with Essie sexually (and ugh the fact that she’s only seventeen makes that even worse) and keeps her on a diet of pills that blunt her ability to focus and make her easier to control. She’s also under the custody of her father, an abusive asshole who, although he doesn’t live with her anymore, is in collusion with Dr. Roberts to make sure she doesn’t have any freedom. Aunt Bel and Dresden do their best to save her from these horrible situations, but they are limited because Essie’s father has so much control over her. I could tell that Essie hated her situation, but she’s also a pretty passive character and doesn’t really try too hard, in my opinion, to change her fate.

Keeper of the Bees is stuffed full of interesting characters and side plots (there is a lot that I haven’t even mentioned in this review), and I did think it was a little too much at times. I can definitely see Kassel doing more with her world because it’s a fascinating one. I’m very tempted to go back and read the first book, because it deals more with the harbingers. If you’re looking for an unusual YA that brings something new to the table, I can recommend this without hesitation.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

“They’re watching, wondering what game I’m playing. But this is no game.”

Keeper of the Bees is a wonderful follow-up to one of my favorite books of 2017, Black Bird of the Gallows. It follows the life of a beekeeper, Dresden, who locates to a new town and meets an interesting girl, a girl unlike any other. A girl with a surprising backstory.

Once again, Meg Kassel has written a beautiful book. Keeper of the Bees is just as good as its predecessor, if not better. Her writing is spectacular and enchanting; every description, every scene, had beautiful prose. The world Meg has created is incredible and will capture your attention from the very first line. Black Bird of the Gallows sets the stage for this world, and Keeper of the Bees follows up wonderfully. Told in a dual perspective of Dresden and Essie, you won’t want to put this book down. I devoured this beauty in a little over a day because it’s just that good.

“I blink down at her, then realize I had forgotten how my face is a mess of changing features. For a few precious moments, I was just here with her. Not a monster. Not a killer.”

The aspect of the beekeepers is unique and quite interesting. They are immortal beings that have a horde of bees in their body that have to listen to these bees when they want to sting someone. And the stings are lethal, if not deadly. It makes people grow violent and sets them on a dangerous rampage. And when a person is killed from a bee sting, the beekeeper takes the form of their face. As in, the beekeeper’s face is constantly shifting to those of the people his/her bees have killed. And it’s a feature Dresden has come to hate, as he no longer remembers his own features.

Dresden is one of the most interesting characters I have read. He has many conflicts that a beekeeper usually never has to deal with. And his conflicts only increase when he comes across a girl his bees desperately want to sting. The only catch: he doesn’t want to sting her. Dresden is instantly drawn to her and her interesting quirks. For one, she has the ability to see Dresden, like actually see him, as most humans cannot see his shifting features. With her interesting backstory, Dresden can’t seem to stay away from her, especially when he learns a surprising fact about her family. And especially when he starts to feel things he never thought a beekeeper could feel.

“This will destroy you. The Strawman’s voice threads through the chaos of my mind. I’ve been destroyed many times, I think in return.”

Essie is also another captivating character. She has what people believe to be a family cruse, as no treatment has been proven to work on what doctors call her “sickness.” Essie sees things that should not be there, which is why she at first believes Dresden is a figment of her imagination. But when he turns out not to be, she becomes enthralled in his world. Mental health is a constant topic in this book, but it’s talked about in a way that doesn’t scorn or degrade mental illness. Keeper of the Bees captures how people with mental illness are treated and it’s sad at how true it really is. But even so, I love how this book openly displays the truth with mental health.

The relationship between these two characters will easily become a favorite for many readers. They are both experiencing something new and fragile, and it’s something amazing to see unfold. Seeing their relationship reminded me of Beauty of the Beast, which is one of my all-time favorite love stories.

All in all, Meg Kassel has outdone herself with Keeper of the Bees. She has created a uniquely breathtaking world and so many lovable characters. I can’t wait to see what is in store next (hopefully more from this world!)

The story begins with the meeting between Dresden and Essie at the park. Dresden is cursed and has inside of bees that want to prick it in sight but, when their eyes meet, Essie – who suffers from degenerative hallucinations – see Dresden for what it is and start chatting with him as if nothing was. He even defines it as pretty. That’s where everything begins, with Dresden‘s act of mercy. A link will be established between them, forbidden to Dresden, which will endanger them and expose them to enormous risks. But Dresden begins to feel a special feeling for Essie and can not separate it in any way, even if it should.
What will happen in Dresden? Do you trust him? What will happen to them? What are they likely to meet both?
The cover of the book is beautiful, it struck me as soon as I saw it and is absolutely representative of the story. The title could not be more explanatory than that. Aesthetically it is perfect, nothing to say. The setting is Concordia, in Missouri, a small town in the United States of America and the era is modern.
The characters that are within this story are mainly two and are the two narrators of this story. They are well built and well placed, the author has left nothing out of this and I am particularly satisfied that despite everything in their problems the two found themselves. Here’s what I’ll talk about:
Dresden is an Beekeeper and he’s cursed. He is a particular human being who hosts a beehive inside his body. He himself becomes a swarm when he has to move from one point to another and is a kind of war machine. The bees look for sustenance and to do so he needs to prick negative or bad people into psychosis. In doing so, it follows the carriers of death so it affects people who would die anyway. His face changes in all the people who died because of those bites and this thing goes on for centuries but when he meets Essie, things change.
Essie is the youngest of her family and is said to suffer from the Wickerton curse, or suffers from debilitating hallucinations and makes it difficult to distinguish reality from fiction. In fact, when the two meet for the first time and see him with his actual form and sees his bees, he believes that the boy is all the fruit of his mind. But it is far from fiction. Dresden is real and she does not see a monster when she looks at it, as it happens with many other people.
The central pivot is the curse that weighs on Dresden that will give a hard time to both along the course of the whole story, even bringing Dresden to protect Essie. Companion of the acclaimed “Black Bird of the Gallows” by the same author. They are both standalone and it is not necessary to read the other if you only want to read this.
The style used is very simple and fluid. The story is based on Dresden’s curse and Essie’s hallucinations but all this hides a mystery. Their meeting is providential enough to reveal a centuries-old curse. It will be possible? This is for you to find out but the story is interesting and original. It is a story that puts various aspects under a level and poses objective and subjective difficulties for both characters. Essie is certainly better as a character – I adored her for her simplicity and sweetness – despite Dresden has fascinated me a lot. You will not be able to get away from both characters and you will love a villain, I assure you – because here the bad of the situation is Dresden.
Many issues are addressed within this book, not as obvious as it seems: there is mental illness that is one of the points that I think were best treated, the mysteries and the magic, the curse and exceeding their limits , even the impossible, why not.
Meg Kassel has written an intriguing and particular story. A modern and original paranormal and fantastic fable that you will love. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast unique in its kind, forget how you know them because it’s all another story.
My vote for this book: 4 star and an half.

It was actually the premise for this book that got me interested in this series. Supernatural beings with faces that constantly change to that of their many victims and chests full of bees that cause psychosis? Now that is different, and totally intriguing.

Upon reading the first book, I definitely thought the beekeepers were interesting, and getting the POV of one this time made it even better. I loved all the stuff about the bees roiling in his chest, climbing up his throat, etc. It was creepy-weird, but also cool. And it was interesting to learn more about their abilities, like bursting into a swarm of bees and the way their faces change more and their bees get more chaotic when they get emotional. It was also cool to learn more about the magic in general in this world, including some backstory about how the harbingers and beekeepers came to be. There were also some encounters with a strawman, something we didn't get to see in the first book.

Another good thing was the romance. Sometimes the "old immortal dating a teenager" thing can feel unrealistic, but, in this case, it felt believable. It was still kind of instalove-y, but that felt believable enough that it didn't bother me, especially from Dresden's side of things. And I was happy with how healthy things felt in the end.

I did feel the book was slow though, and the POVs lacked unique voices. I felt for the characters and enjoyed reading about them, but they just didn't really stand out to me. Other readers may easily connect to them more though.

The last thing I want to talk about is Essie's delusions and hallucinations. One thing bothered me a bit, which was that *SPOILER* the symptoms turned out to have a supernatural cause and were magically cured in the end. To be fair, I think it was always referred to as a curse rather than a mental illness, but I still wanted to point it out because magical cures can inadvertently reinforce the misconception that illness in real life isn't real or can also be easily fixed. *END SPOILER* That being said, it seemed like a lot was taken into consideration. The book touched on not just symptoms but also Essie's feelings, how it affected her life, and how it affected the life of her aunt who cared for her. And there was one positive moment of realization about her worth near the end that made me happy. However, I will say that I do not have experience with these symptoms, so someone who does would be better suited to discuss this aspect.

Overall, I loved the unique premise of this book, and it was cool getting to learn more about some of the different magic and supernatural beings in this world!

If you haven't read Black Bird of the Gallows, I highly recommend reading that one first. But Keeper of the Bees is a companion and can be read as a standalone. I loved Black Bird of the Gallows and this one is just as good.

There are beekeepers and harbingers of death in both stories. Both are humans that were cursed long ago. Harbingers can feel when death is coming and they feed off of it. They can turn into crows. Beekeepers feed off of fear. They have bees inside them and their faces change all the time. To most people, they just look like a nondescript person. No one they can ever really explain or identify. The beekeepers let their bees lose to sting and infect others. When infected, the venom brings out the worse in them. They either kill others or kill themselves and the venom spreads.

Keeper of the Bees is told in alternating chapters by Essie, a human, and Dresden, a beekeeper. Dresden followed Michael, a harbinger, and his group to a small college town in Missouri. This is where he meets Essie. Essie sees things. She has what they call the Wickerton curse. Certain members in her family have delusions and can't always tell what is real or made up. Her great-great grandma cut off her own toes. Essie lives with her Aunt Bel and her grandma. Aunt Bel is trying to keep her out of a group home, but Essie's been getting worse. Her father makes her see a doctor who keeps giving her more medicines that seem to make her feel worse.

When Essie meets Dresden, she can actually see him. She sees the changing faces and isn't afraid of him. This is shocking to him and he is intrigued by Essie. They start spending time together and he begins to have feelings for her. Which is strange because beekeepers don't feel love. His friendship with Michael is strange enough to most. Essie starts to have strong feelings for him, too.

Dresden finds out that someone was able to break the curse recently, and he wants nothing more than to break his. He now belives that the Wickerton Curse is his fault and he wants Essie to live a normal, happy life.

This is definitely a love story, but I also really enjoyed the curses and all the problems that start to happen because of it. Essie was very easy to like and Dresden grew on me. I loved Aunt Bel! I thought Meg Kassel did a great job with her storytelling and was happy to read from the beekeepers perspective more in this book.

Warnings for violence, mental illness, and horrible thoughs from people infected with the venom.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars (rounded up to 5). Thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with a copy for review.

Keeper of the Bees is the companion novel to Meg Kassel debut novel Black Bird of the Gallows and is captivating tale featuring unique mythology, intriguing dangers and an enchanting romance.

Dresden is cursed. For centuries his chest has been home to a hive of bees that he cannot prevent from stinging people and causing insanity. Having long ago forgotten who he once was, Dresden travels from one town to another seeking out and choosing only the worst of humanity as his victims. Stuck in an existence he despises but reluctantly accepts Dresden has never considered wanting more until the day he happens across a unique young woman who sees him like no other. Seventeen year old Essie suffers from debilitating delusions and hallucinations. When Dresden approaches her in a park, his bees wanting to sting her, Essie does not find herself afraid of him. His presence calms her raging mind and she is both fascinated and delighted by his changing faces. When Dresden chooses not to let his bees sting Essie, the two soon find themselves forming an unexpected relationship that has the power to chase the course of both their lives forever….

After immensely enjoying Black Bird of the Gallows, I have been eagerly awaiting Keeper of the Bees. The idea of being introduced to a beekeeper and getting to know what makes them tick was one I was very much looking forward to. And I have to say I was thrilled with the outcome in Keeper of the Bees. Beautifully written, structured and paced, Keeper of the Bees was a highly entertaining read that lives up well to its predecessor. Set in the same world but featuring a new storyline and two new characters Keeper of the Bees features solid writing, a mysterious and intriguing storyline and unfolds through the eyes of two very unique characters in Dresden and Essie.

Something I loved about the story was the duel perspective that allowed the reader to get to know both Essie and Dresden on such a deep level. Their voices were heartbreaking and powerful but also endlessly hopeful as they found solace and friendship in each other. It was adorable witnessing them fall in love in their own innocent, endearing way. Dresden’s long life has been full of torment and pain while Essie’s short one has been full of loneliness and isolation; it was nice to see them find some measure of happiness, especially as this building relationship pushed the storyline onwards.

Essie’s voice especially is sharp and Kassel beautifully depicts the life of a young woman living with an unknown “illness” that affects her mental stability. There is so much stigma that surrounds mental health in today’s society that I really appreciated seeing Meg Kassel write a character who suffered from an affliction—even if there was a supernatural element woven into her suffering too—while also highlighting that Essie was still very much a person in and of herself. A person with a unique personality who had the ability to rationalize her situation and care about those around her, including her Aunt Bel who herself offers Essie unconditional love and support.

From beginning to end, Keeper of the Bees is an engaging story. With plenty of emotion and adorable moments, Kessel writes Dresden and Essie’s story perfectly. There’s supernatural mixed alongside a murder mystery with Dresden’s past woven together with both Essie’s present and future. Able to be read as a companion to Black Bird of the Gallows or simply on its own, I highly recommend Keeper of the Bees for readers wanting a story with rich, unique mythology but still featuring all the elements you’d expect to make it great!

**please note that this review may contain spoilers**

There’s something dark and eerie about Meg Kassal’s storytelling, and when it comes to her atmospheric companion novel Keeper of the Bees, Kassal does not disappoint in giving her readers the creeps and the chills. Paralleling the the same fantasy world of her first novel Black Birds of the Gallows, Keeper of the Bees focuses on a beekeeper, Dresden, along with other paranormal beings like the harbingers.

At the very beginning of the novel, Dresden’s cursed life is shifted and it is all because of Essie, a human who chews peppercorns to stop hallucinations and delusions. But the sudden burst of pepper, does not halt this teenager from seeing Dresden for what he really is: a creature that wears the many faces of his victims that have gone mad and died due to his venomous stings.

I really enjoyed the banter and conversations that are ping-ponged back and forth between these two unusual characters, Essie and Dresden. While one thinks he is a monster, a beastly being, the other finds him “pretty” but doubts herself because she suffers from a family curse which is treated like a mental illness. There is an instant bond between these two characters. It starts with fascination, turns into friendship, and develops into romance.

Keeper of the Bees is also a very fascinating read because Kassel creates her own legends and fantastical foundation. This book reflects some similar characteristics of traditional young adult paranormal books, but Kassal also gives a unique take on her own monsters and myths. I honestly love that her beastly characters heighten my sense of wonder but they are also so freaking creepy.

If you are fond of books with a bit of mystery, myth, romance, paranormal elements, and a hint of horror, Keeper of the Bees is the right book to add to your TBR. The story is well-paced and I liked that the characters are challenged to face their own personal demons and actual monsters of the world.

**Review is scheduled on blog for my date on the blog tour - 9/10**

Black Birds of the Gallows was one of my favorite books from last year! So I couldn't wait to read this since we were going to see the world from the beekeepers view. Those creatures terrified me, so I took a deep breath and dove right in. I happily found myself pulled in and I finished this book in one day. Keeper of the Bees was a mesmerizing tale filled with peril, love, heartache, redemption, evil and sacrifice. And I loved being back in this world!

She raises one eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed. “Are you planning to kill me ?”
I am a monster . A beast. Lying about it would be pointless. “Yes.”


While this book is a companion novel, it can easily be read as a standalone. Information from the previous book was seamlessly laced throughout this story and was beautifully done. There was no info dumps and it caught us up and gave us a complete understanding of the creatures and the curses. If you haven't read the previous book, the creatures in her story are so unique! They're a breath of fresh air!

One day, I will say no to this girl and I will mean it. One day, I will walk away.
But not today. - Dresden


This time around we followed Dresden. A beekeeper. He had a hive of bees that lived in his chest. When a bee was released and stung someone, it made them even more dark and ultimately lead to their demise. The bees were only supposed to pick those that had a darkness within them. Yet when his bees picked Essie, he stopped them. Essie didn't have an ounce of darkness in her.

“You’re safe,” I say again.
She closes her eyes. Her breath hitches. Then she does the improbable and throws herself against me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
I am paralyzed. Motionless, breathless in my first embrace in a millennium. To be touched… My eyes close as I tremble from head to toe. The pain is glorious, excruciating.


The beekeepers terrified me in Black Bird of the Gallows, but Dresden easily captured a piece of my heart. He was one of my favorite things about this book, and as the story unfolded Dresden became everything for me. He was tortured from having to be this monster for so many hundreds of years. And my heart broke for him that he didn't have a choice over what him and his bees had to do. Until he met Essie, and he decided to spare her life. I wanted Dresden to get his happily ever after, especially since we kept getting glimpses of his humanity, heart and the boy he used to be.

I lay a hand on his chest, very gently. Barely touching. It’s buzzy and warm with all those bees in there. He jerks at my touch and winces, but his hand brushes my thigh, just above the knee, then tentatively settles there. His gaze drops to my mouth.
“Essie.” He breathes my name. He’s close. The air between us zings, honey-scented and charged. “You are the furthest thing from a monster. You are light and grace and all the things I thought I had forgotten. It’s agony for me to be near you, yet I can’t stay away.”


Essie was unlike any character I have ever met. She was a sweet girl who loved her family but she suffered from some type of mental illness. Her hallucinations felt real and were filled with the stuff nightmares could be made of. She didn't fit into any type of diagnosis and it was such a huge mystery for why she was suffering. But from the moment she met Dresden, her whole world changed. He quieted the hallucinations and she wasn't afraid of his ever changing face. Or that he had a hive of bees in his chest. Essie was brave, sweet, smart and had the hugest heart ever but I was never able to connect to her. I was so sad that I wasn't able to feel her emotions.

I have someone to live for.
Someone to fight for.
Impossibly, someone who cares about me. It makes me wonder what else is possible. - Dresden


Dresden and Essie were hope and heartbreak all swirled together. They both had so much going against them, and friendship and normalcy was something that felt unattainable to them. But together they started to form a tentative friendship. And the moments they were around each other they actually felt normal. It looked like they finally had a chance for happiness, redemption and love. Yet Dresden would eventually be leaving and with Essie's town being marked, there was no guarantee that she would survive it.

“Dresden, I don’t want you to go.” It’s all I can say. It’s all I have left.
“And I would give anything to stay,” he rasps. “But I want you to live, more.”
His eyes close, and he disintegrates into a heavy swarm of bees. It streams through the window and is swallowed by the night.


Just like her other book, I found myself enraptured when the action took place. Since Essie's town was marked, something catastrophic was going to happen. And on top of that, there was a mystery within the pages. Murders kept happening and Essie found herself in the middle of it all. It was fun watching the twists and the turns and I didn't figure out what was truly happening till 3/4s of the way into this book. I enjoyed putting it all together!

“You… are…” I slide my fingers into her hair, letting thick strands slide between my fingers. “Worth a…thousand… deaths.”
Essie’s hand covers mine. “And you’re worth a lifetime of delusions.”


When I closed that last page I realized there is still so many stories this world can tell. And I'm hoping and keeping my fingers crossed that there's going to be more, especially so I can get a peak of these characters since the book ended with a hfn. I'd love to step back into this twisted world. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the Harbingers, Beekeepers, Strawmen and even the regular people who give these characters hope, a chance at normalcy and true love. Fingers crossed!

PS We got to see our favorites from Black Birds of the Gallows, Reece and Angie. I loved seeing them together, I loved seeing their happiness of being together. It made my heart so happy!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

First off, the cover of this book is so perfect for the story. With the watercolor style that I think is the essence of Dresden's curse and then the bee is the icing on the cake! Even if this wasn't a Meg Kassel book, I would have picked this one right off the shelf.

Ok, now for what's inside this eye-catching book.

3 (1)This quote: "Are you planning to kill me?"

I was instantly hooked! I really loved reading the two main characters' battles and how they brought that paranormal feel while also bringing more of reality into the picture.

We find out fairly quickly that the girl is fighting a family curse, and when she meets the boy, she has trouble finding that line between her mind and reality. I think having these two characters was a perfect mix to read about, especially into the Fall season.

And then a rather evil man comes into the mix, complicating everything, and leaving the story down an even darker path. Which I couldn't help but be ensnared by. It's one of those stories that you can't help but fall into the beautiful trance of the 'villain.'

I give this rather haunting book a 5 out of 5 stars. If you've read Meg's previous companion novel, Black Bird of the Gallows, I highly recommend this one to go along with it. You may remember the bee-character from that story, and this book plays more in depth into a creepy yet uniquely exciting contemporary tale.

You won't want to put this one down!

Much more complex than I anticipated!
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to read and review Keeper of the Bees by Meg Kassel!
I assumed this would be a continuation of Black Bird of the Gallows, but it’s actually a companion novel with separate characters. Essie struggles with hallucinations, like many of her ancestors have. Dresden is the living embodiment of a curse that he received centuries ago. The two meet by chance and stop each other in their tracks. Essie sees Dresden as beautiful and wants to be in his company. Dresden is amazed at her reaction and is intrigued by her. The world building and background history are both fascinating and interesting and this story is so much more complex than I anticipated. A wonderful love story, 4 stars!

Well, I haven't read the first book in this series, so was a little leery of reading this one, but my worries were all for nothing. This is more of a companion novel I guess, so I wasn't missing any knowledge that would keep me from enjoying this one.

For me, the story started out a little weird. I was unsure just how I would feel about the characters, if I would be able to get into the story if they were too way out there. But it didn't take long before I was sucked into the story, needing to figure out just what was going on, who all these paranormal characters were, and just what exactly their role in the story was going to be.

Dresden of course sounded pretty creepy at first, as a Beekeeper, having bees that came out of his mouth, as well as the fact that he could change from a human form into a swarm of bees to travel. The Harbingers seemed not quite so creepy, I mean, crows could be a little bit, but nothing like bees would be in my opinion. And then there was the Strawman. Yeah, that would definitely be creepy.

While up until now, and most of the time still, for Essie, all of these people didn't seem that far out of the normal compared to things she saw all the time. You see her family suffered from a curse that caused them to all kind of go a little crazy. And as the story goes along, it seems that maybe not only does someone want to kill off the rest of the family members to end the long line of the curse, but at first to even try to blame it on Essie.

There were a lot of twists and turns, some things I kind of had an inkling about as I read, and was pleased to see that I had kind of guessed correctly. Other things were total surprises, and I enjoyed being entertained with a new detail I couldn't come up with on my own. I'll have to find time to go back and read the first book, as well as the e-novella that is now available. This is a series that I feel would be good to have available in my school library, and the copy I got to read for this tour is one that I will donate to my school library for sure.

Black Bird of the Gallows was one of my favorite books of 2017, and I absolutely loved the various mythologies used and the curses involved. The harbingers were so creative and interesting, but the Beekeeper was hands-down my absolutely favorite. Creepy, yet tortured, Rafette the Beekeeper in BBotG was a prominent character, but I wanted to know more about him, his curse, his tortured outlook on life and while the Beekeeper in Keeper of the Bees isn’t Rafette, I still got the deeper glimpse into the curse that I was looking for.

Keeper of the Bees introduces Dresden, another man afflicted with the curse, who finds himself in rural Missouri after following the harbingers, who can sense impending disaster. When he meets Essie, a girl filled with pain and fear, he doesn’t know what to make of her. His bees are notoriously drawn to people like Essie, but even they sense something is different about her. Faced with the unlikeliest of circumstances, Dresden is now grappling with his humanity which is all by gone after a century or two. Could he be falling in love with Essie? Is such a thing possible for a creature like him? And most importantly, can someone like Essie, who has a sort of curse herself, see herself with someone like Dresden?

Where the curses and mythology were my favorite aspect in Black Bird, this time around it was definitely the characters. I absolutely adored both Dresden and Essie, and I loved the vulnerabilities they both had. Essie has spent a lifetime living with what everyone suspects is deep-rooted mental illness that’s been passed down for generations, and her daily struggles with trying to separate reality from hallucinations was certainly heartbreaking and palpably painful. On the flip side, Dresden is fighting his own battle with trying to find the humanity he lost so many years ago. Living as a cursed monster for so many years has taken its toll and he doesn’t know if he can be human again, or even if he should even try. They both have their separate issues to work through, and trying to adjust to having feelings for one another adds and entirely different level of complexity to their already complex selves.

While Keeper of the Bees introduced a whole new set of characters in an entirely different setting, I was happy to see many of the same elements incorporated into this new story. And of course, there are several nods to the beloved characters from Black Bird of the Gallows, and that definitely helped tie the two together. But Keeper is a companion novel, and it’s not required to read the first one prior to this, new readers should have no trouble keeping up with events (but I would still say read Black Bird of the Gallows first because I loved it so much!).

Bottom line — Keeper of the Bees was such an enjoyable tale with dynamic characters, a lovely romance involving a villain, and such a unique premise involving interesting (and creepy) curses. Highly recommended, and I can’t wait to see what Kassel brings us in future books.

Before I Begin

I just want to let all my readers know that this is the second book in a companion series, you do not need to read the first novel first one to enjoy this one. The bonuses to reading a companion series!

What I Liked

First off I have to say how much I love the authors writing style. It flows so nicely and because of this I often found myself reading for longer than I had planned and one time I was actually late seeing one of my friends. Ooops! Even though the story takes place in our world her writing was magical and that really added to the setting and the over all feeling of the novel.

While the setting and feeling of the novel were wonderful, I also liked how Kassel wrote the characters in this novel. I often read books where internal tension is more surface and there just to move a plot, in Kassel's novel that is not the case at all. The characters have true tension within themselves and go a lot further than a surface issue. It entwines itself around the core of the character. It is present throughout the novel and not just when it helps the plot, for that I am thankful.

The last point I would way I absolutely adored about this novel was the fact that it was unique from a lot of things I have read. The way she incorporates magic, curses, and aspects of ancient/historical events to aid in a timeline, which I really appreciated. It added more to the story than just saying he was ancient or centuries old. It makes his life and age more tangible because of it.

What I Didn't Like

The one thing I did not like, which I know many will not have an issue with is that sometimes the story just felt like it was too last. This did not happen throughout the novel. It only happened one or two times and didn't last long at all. I know that this wont bug many people, I think it only bothered me because I was liking it so much honestly.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I really liked this novel. I know I will be picking up the companion novel to this in the near future. Between the writing, characters, and use of magic this book really came to life for me. Every time I picked up this novel I fell into what felt like a new world. I would highly suggest this book to anyone who enjoys reading paranormal or a cute romances with a twist.

*I received this book from the publisher for this book tour, which was Organized by YA Bound Book Tours. My options and review are my own and honest