This was a great companion to Black Bird of the Gallows! We get to see some familiar characters from that book here and it was awesome.

Our story is about a beekeeper named Dresden and a mortal girl named Essie. For me, it was a take on beauty and the beast and I just couldn’t stop reading. The writing was great and kept me glued to my Kindle.

Dresden has been a beekeeper for so long he thinks himself incapable of so many things, especially love. Essie suffers from hallucinations and never really knows whats really there and what isn’t. When they meet it’s hard not to wish them together. The angst was so real in this book. These two were both battling something internal and could find comfort in each other.

While I did enjoy this one and the writing was great, I couldn’t rate it higher because I felt like it was a bit too fast paced and some of the background story wasn’t gone into as much. Besides that, I really enjoyed it!

If you enjoyed Black Bird of the Gallows, then you should really check out this companion!

I was pretty intrigued by the premise of this book, because even though the companion novel wasn't my favorite when I read it last year, I adored the beekeeper that was introduced in that story, so I was so excited when I saw that this author was coming out with a book about a beekeeper.

I would say, that I have mixed feelings when it comes to this novel. On one hand, I really enjoyed the story and I think the mystery wasn't bad written and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen and how things would end. Though the big revelation was a bit anticlimactic to me, I still enjoyed the journey of trying to find out what was all about and who the murderer was.

But on the other hand, I found the characters extremely unremarkable. I didn't really like the romance, and I feel it was introduced to us so early (the main character was already meeting the love interest in the first scene of the book), and the relationship between those characters, though it wasn't bad or anything, it wasn't my favorite. I didn't really clicked with Essie as a character, and though I sometimes enjoyed Dresden's point of views, I found them so underdeveloped and plain that I was a bit bored during some parts of the book.

The ending was just so weird and confusing and a bit too convenient. I didn't really understand what was going on, and there wasn't really explained in the story, so I was a bit disappointed about that.

Overall, it was a fun and entertaining story, and it took me a couple of hours to finish, which surprised me because I thought it would be a much slower paced romance, and though I had some issues with the characters and their relationship throughout the story, I enjoyed the plot and the mystery.

“Keeper of the Bees” is hauntingly beautiful story in which two cursed souls find each other before dead tarnishes their world.

Kassel’s writing is enticing. The fast-paced plot is eerie and bewitchingly nightmarish. The narrative switches between two points of view: Dresden, a faceless beekeeper which has a hive in his chest, and Essie, a seventeen-year-old girl that struggles to know what is real and what is not. I loved having the perspective of two characters – especially the perspective of Essie’s twisted world.

When I first discovered this book, it was mentioned it was inspired by the fairy-tale Beauty and the Beast. I could see the echoes of the tale in the book.

Dresden as the cursed Beast: cursed to be a beekeeper; cursed to feed off the anger and hate from those stung by his bees (people that end up committing despicable acts); cursed to follow the harbingers to places where deaths hovers.

Essie as Belle, the odd girl that sees things that aren’t there due to the insanity that runs in her family’s blood. Between, I know there are curses and magic, but this book does deal with mental illness. Essie is deemed mad and the story follows the prejudice she must deal with.

Wow! How do people come up with these ideas? Beekeepers? Harbingers? A straw man and a girl with a family curse of the crazies generations deep? Ahh!

This book was so captivating! I wanted to see what Dresden looks like. There needs to be a movie!!!!

Although it had a little bit of a creepy vibe, I was really into this book. I couldn't wait to get back to reading! I really want to read the first book and am looking forward to the next book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for an advance copy of this book. It was such a good read!!!

Enjoyable read! I like the world building the author has done and also the character building. A unique story.

This is a companion novel to Black Bird of the Gallows, which I read and reviewed last year. You don’t have to have read the first one to enjoy this one, but I do recommend it. There are Harbingers in this book and to fully understand their role in this world you need the first book which explains it well. I remember when I read the first one that I really wanted to learn more about the Beekeepers, so I was so excited when I saw this story devoted to their mythology.

This book is a paranormal romance, but there is a lot more to it. It has to do with falling in love with a person despite their flaws. There is a lot of angst surrounding the two main characters and their feelings for each other. In fact Dresden spends much of the time telling himself that he can’t get involved with Essie because of who he is and how that could harm her.

Essie was a perfect romantic partner. I felt very sorry for her, she spent much of her time trying to decide what was real or a hallucination. Loved her relationship with her aunt Bel. Very loving and her aunt was great with her support. So was Essie’s grandmother who was also afflicted with the Wickerton’s family curse. It was a nice family of women who know how to support each other. Nice to see. Essie’s hallucinations are very descriptive and reflect how she feels about what is going on around her. Like her slimy psychiatrist who she always sees with a forked tongue and devil horns.

Dresden was my favorite character. His history was fascinating and having to live with your face always changing and bees living inside gives him an interesting take on life. We do learn a little bit about how the harbingers and the beekeepers were made, way back in history when magic and science were somewhat the same thing. His life before becoming a Beekeeper helped to shape who he became and how he relates to Essie. I also enjoyed the fact that he was friends with one of the harbingers, Michael. That was a very interesting facet of Dresden’s life.

I continue to really enjoy the writing style of the author. Very descriptive and the world building is suburb. This is definitely a series to pick up especially if you like stories that are slightly macabre and somewhat creepy. Even if bees freak you out a bit, this is such a good story you don’t want to miss it.

This book was SO GOOD. I did not read the first book in the series. This is a stand-alone in that regard. The writing was so eloquent. The descriptions were incredible. I was sucked in and didn’t stop reading until I was done. Meg Kassel has created such an amazing cast of characters here. I look forward to reading more!
I received this as an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Black Birds of the gallows have arrived in your town. You should be scared. Legend has it, if the birds have landed, death will follow. The Beekeeper is attracted to the destruction and the Strawman only turns up if evil plays a hand. Leave town while you still have time!

Essie is seventeen years old and anything but ordinary. She struggles with reality. Sometimes she sees more than is really there. She lives with her Aunt and is cursed to follow the path of her ancestors. When she meets Dresden she knows he's special but how can he be real? He goes against everything she is told is normal.

Dresden is a Beekeeper. He literally has a hive in his chest. The bees target people who are full of anger or hate. The bee's sting amplifies the negative emotion within its victim. Dresden accepts who he is. He carries the faces of many. The people who have died at the hand of his bees. Nobody sees him as anything more except her. Essie isn't frightened by Dresden and his Bees. She sees the beauty within. She sees someone who suffers just like herself. In a cruel world there could be someone to cherish and maybe a few wrongs can be put right.

Keeper of Bees is a complex story and difficult to explain so I have tried my best to give an insight without giving anything away. This is the second book in the Black birds of the Gallows series. It can be read as a standalone, however Black bird of the Gallows is really excellent and gives background information which will help digest this story. This is a dystopian fantasy romance. It's unique, strange and mesmerising. Another great instalment to this series. 5 out of 5.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My blog tour date: September 5th 2018.

I received a copy of KEEPER OF THE BEES on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.

5 stars and here's why:

It’s sort of a modern day Beauty and the Beast where each character is damaged, but when they unite, there is light. It’s a pretty dark read, so definitely would recommend to my older YA student readers, but I know those that do read it will be transfixed with the story. Dresden and Essie are an unlikely pair, but there’s a connection there that brings them together despite the odds – between curses, dark moments, spooky and the macabre, it’s a riveting tale. If you love an amazing plot, fresh writing, then this book is for you. Highly recommend! Can’t wait to read more by this author!

A pleasant read, indeed! Essie is an awesome character who's cursed with visions and bravery that make her wholeheartedly endearing. The pacing was great and the romance/adventure unfolded nicely. My only criticism is that the softer side of Dresden doesn't seem as earned, because we don't have the other side of him to juxtapose what should be an abnormal character trait.

‘Keeper of the Bees’ is an excellent companion story to 'Black Bird of the Gallows'! I loved the two lead characters, Dresden and Essie, even more than Reece and Angie. Author Meg Kassel skillfully switches narration between Dresden and Essie, and there is so much more to enjoy due to this. Dresden is a Beekeeper, with all the unpleasantness that comes along with it, but Kassel makes him an interesting and relatable character, trying to do the right thing.

I enjoyed Dresden and Essie’s tale so much that I wanted to spend more time in Kassel’s version of our world, and so re-read 'Black Bird of the Gallows' immediately after. Both books are worth investing time in.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. #KeeperOfTheBees #NetGalley

I had no idea Keeper of the Bees was actually second in a series. With that said, after reading, I didn't feel as though I were missing something, so if anything that speaks to this title can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone.

Keeper of the Bees by Meg Kassel was a refreshing change. It was dark, suspenseful, creepy and romantic all at the same time. Our two main characters, Dresden (the Beekeeper) and Essie (the crazy girl who inherited a curse) find themselves against the odds. Beekeepers do not fall in love, and poor Essie isn't sure what's reality and what feels real but is actually going on inside her head.

They meet because Dresden is going to sting her but what she says, stops him and their relationship continues to grow from there. The venom of a bee induces madness, but poor Essie is already mad. I loved the origin of their relationship and that Essie made Dresden remember what it felt like to be human, to just feel at all. This novel was perfectly orchestrated.

I loved reading about all the secondary characters...the psychiatrist (evil man), Essie's aunt (love her), Essie's grandmother (love her too), the Harbingers (especially loved Michael), the Strawman (I was terrified, but strangely liked him too)...they were all fleshed out so well. The pacing of this book is so fast, but not so fast you can't keep up, more like, you can't put it down!

If you love a great novel that's anything but cliche and predictable, and love a novel with just the right amount of suspense, horror, creep factor and romance, Keeper of the Bees is the book for you.

Sometimes what hooks me on a book is a unique premise. Other times it’s just because I’m into really weird things. I love honeybees, so I had to give Keeper of the Bees, the new speculative/surreal thriller a chance as soon as I saw the cover.

For centuries, Dresden has been a beekeeper. A hive of bees lives inside his ribcage, the result of a curse put upon him by an evil queen. The bees yearn to sting humans, which drives them to madness and death, their suffering harvested by similarly cursed beings, Harbingers. But when the bees demand that Dresden sting Essie, a young girl whose family has been cursed by a madness that has evaded diagnosis from physicians, Dresden resists, sending him on a journey to fight for his and Essie’s humanity in the face of a looming disaster.

This book was okay. If you’re looking for an interesting Saturday read that has a quirky premise, this book is for you. It has an intriguing premise. It has a few twists. I couldn’t stop reading, because I needed to see how it was going to end and whether or not there was an way for Dresden and Essie to have some kind of a happy ending.

This book is definitely imaginative and gritty in a way I wish that more books were. The system of magic and curses that serves as the backbone of the book was so weird, but it was also so engaging and intriguing. I was a bit hesitant on the representation of mental illness in the book, since I’m not a fan of mental illness becoming conflated with madness brought on by some magical curse. This book definitely walks that fine line. In the end, it works out mostly okay.

The writing was also engaging and descriptive. I would recommend The Keeper of the Bees for anyone looking for a quick, enjoyable rainy day read.

Many Thanks to Entangled Publishing for giving me the chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Keeper of the Bees ist he second book in the universe of Black Bird 0f the Gallows. It can be read as a standalone but those who want to read BBotG should read BBotG first since the main characters of BBotG show up in KotB after the events of BBotG.

And since I read BBotG I was very sceptical about the protagonist beeing a beekeeper. I had so many prejudices because of BBotG that I was not sure whether I would be able to sympathize with Dresden. But I could and it was awesome!!! The author did a great job here to make me dislike the beekeeper in BBotG but to really like the beekeeper in KotB.

Where BBotG dealt with the curse of the harbingers KotB deals with the curse of the beekeepers.

The beekeeper is Dresden. His bees need to sting people and their venom causes psychoses. To minimize the harm he follows the harbingers of death from one catstrophe to the next and only lets his bees sting people with bad energy. Then he meets Essie who is having halluciantions and therefore is not afraid of Dresden and his changing faces - the faces his bees stung. Though the bees want to sting Essie Dresden holds them back because Essie does not have any bad energy.

Essie is mystified by Dresden because he can do things that are not normal but he is not one of her usual hallucinations. Dresden is equally mystified by Essie because she is not afraid of him. With a catastrophe coming and Essie and Dresden growing closer there might be the impossible chance to lift the beekeeper's curse.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so easy to read. Would I have had more time I would have read it in one sitting. It was over way too fast. Things kept happening and happening with no break and no boredom. I love that about a book. And I never thought I could like Dresden because of the beekeeper in BBotG but Dresden is no sardisitc monster. He cares a lot more for who his bees sting than that monster in BBotG. Lets say I just did not think that there where good beekeepers out there until KotB and Dresden. I was so prejudiced about beekeepers. Other than that I just wanted to hug Essie und keep her far away from her father and that creepy doctor. People should not be told that they are a burden just because they are ill.

Like in BBotG I did not really understand how things worked in the end but I guess where magic is involved everything is possible. And that is what I love about fantasy.

I am very excited now for Cleaner of Bones. Wonder what it will be about...

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This novel was so much more than I thought it would be going into it. It is a wonderful balance of cute romance and paranormal drama that leaves you on the edge of your seat cheering on the characters to make it through. It brought me back to my YA reading roots and sucked me in by this unique story.

Essie is such an interesting character. She is Essie Wickerton of the Wickertons, a family long cursed of seeing things that are not there, forever labelling them as crazy. While some of the family did not carry the gene, Essie unfortunately did so when she first meets Dresden, she thinks she is imagining the strange boy. The chapters that took place in Essie’s head were really interesting; the descriptions of the images she put on people she did not like were really realistic, as if I, the reader, were having them too. For example, her slimy physiatrist, she always imagined with a slit, snack-like tongue. The descriptions were really clear and I pictured her imagination perfectly.

Dresden too is cursed, and here is where the uniqueness of this YA book takes place. He is cursed as a beekeeper. A mass swarm of bees live inside him, with the queen bee appropriately living in his heart, and he is able to semi-control the mass of bees. He is cursed to sting people they sense as bad, and the sting makes the people go crazy. If he doesn’t sting enough during a time period, they get agitated and harder to control. Even cooler, is he can break his body and become the swarm to travel around easily, and then they form back to the body he has. Dresden’s past comes out slowly through the middle of the chapter, and his history is really heartbreaking but it is neat how the curse changes his image. I don’t think I have ever read such an interesting YA paranormal story as this one.

Dresden’s bees initially want to sting Essie and this is how they meet, but he knows that she is light and not dark. She thinks she is crazier now, because she is imagining him. Together they go through a sweet friendship that soon turns into something deeper. I have been on a binge of reading so many dark NA books lately, that to get back into the YA genre was a pleasing moment, but more so, to read something so sweet and innocent. It is so beyond appropriate for the novel though. Given the characters and their situations, and the general plot, any actual deeper romance between them would have taken away from the story, and honestly, would have made the romance that was built too be less sweet to read. I loved the progression, and how they felt about each other.

The last thing I want to mention is the author’s writing. WOW, it is so flawless and wonderful, it just sucks the reader right in and refuses to go. The writing is easy going, yet also lyrical and very put together to create such a beautiful story. It was a refreshing change to read something with such an amazing writing form.

There is a book set in the same world as this one that takes place before this one, and I will definitely be checking it out and keeping my eye on this author for anything in the future.

Thank you again to the publisher for the ARC. I loved it! 6 stars and there can be nothing negative ever said about this book or the author’s writing.

"Keeper of the Bees" is a hauntingly beautiful YA paranormal romance that follows Essie and Dresden in alternating chapters. In the world of "Black Bird of the Gallows," we learned about beekeepers, humans who were long ago cursed to carry a whole hive of bees in their bodies. Unable to die, they live a harsh existence, following the Harbingers to places where disaster will strike and must sting people as part of their curse- or lose their consciousness entirely. The people they sting are targeted by the bees for the darkness inside of them and they go insane acting on the darkness, ultimately killing themselves and/or loved ones. The beekeepers wear the faces of those they have stung/killed in an endless cycle of changing features. However, the curse makes people see them as nondescript and to be ignored.

Dresden is a beekeeper and has followed the Harbingers to a town where his bees seem mildly interested in a young woman, Essie. Unlike the usual targets, Essie is full of light and not darkness. Even curiouser, she can see all his faces, and she is not repulsed. Munching on peppercorns, she is startled to find that he may not be one of her hallucinations. Essie is a Wickerton, and their family is cursed with mental illness that shows up in some (but not all) descendants. Essie has the 'honor' of being the youngest afflicted member of the family, and she is cared for by her Aunt Bel, who also cares for her ill grandmother. Aunt Bel has partial custody of Essie with her alcoholic and abusive father, who wants to commit her to Stanton House, which was created especially for institutionalizing the Wickertons.

As Essie and Dresden find themselves pulled together, bigger plans are at play, and in a whirlwind of change, it is not clear whether or if they will make it out whole. Racing against the clock of an impending disaster as well as against the will of a serial killer targeting the Wickerton descendents, this fast-paced story flows so beautifully until the end. I am so glad I picked this one up, and I absolutely loved it.

That being said, I do think this is intended for older audiences and would be cautious in reading it. There is attempted rape and sexual harassment (by a side character to Essie) plus the brutal murders and harsh treatment of mentally ill individuals. I think this is best suited for older readers. However, I absolutely recommend it, and I think it's a story that will stick with me for a long time. Kassel is going on my must-reads list!

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A cursed boy who houses killer bees and a human girl who suffers from delusions.

I loved this! Yes, loved! I liked Black Bird of the Gallows but this totally hit me in the heart!

I was endeared to Dresden straight away, even though he is the vessel to cold blooded killers, he still has a scrap of humanity. His devotion to Essie was just beautiful.
'One day, I will say no to this girl and I will mean it. One day, I will walk away. But not today.'

And Essie. That sweet girl, shunned by all apart from her aunt who has the most beautiful soul ever. 'I like his pretty, pretty face, with all those slowly shifting features. It’s like poetry, like a thousand people are crammed inside him, each taking turns pushing through.'

And the story. We know there will be death, we know there will be mystery and we will know there will be magic.

And this book was magic!

One day read! Didn't want to put it down! Love, love, love this one. Essie and Dresden are two damaged people that come together and seem to fit. Loved the development of their relationship and it was set at a perfect pace. A couple from the first book make a brief appearance. This series is one of my all time faves. The unique stories and characters are a breath of fresh air if you are stuck in a reading rut. There is a bit of mystery woven into it also.

This reminded me of a beautifully tragic fairy tale, due to the inherent sadness of the curses levied upon the two main characters and the relationship brewing between them. I loved mixture of suspense/thriller, romance genres, and definitely intend on reading the author's other work.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. While reading this book I did kind of get undertones of Beauty and the Beast, but the lines are not so easily defined as in the original tale. There is magic in this one that caused the curse, but there are even darker moments of bees bring death from the stings. That is until the bees bring to a town and he meets Essie who the bees want to sting but he hold them back. They are an unlikely pair and it should not work out for them just being who they are, but something just happens to draw them ever closer together. It is dark, spooky, beautiful and wonderful all at the same time. If you want to know what happens you are going to have to take the journey yourself. I did and it was enjoyably out there.