I’m not a big horror fan, but I love the macabre and delightfully creepy. So this book hit all the right notes for me. I didn’t read the first book, but this story is about a different set of characters. So I didn’t have trouble following along.

This is a nice YA love story about looking beyond someone’s oddities to find the true person within. You know, the weird stuff about your partner you find endearing? Like how his face constantly changes, or that he’s a walking beehive and feeds off of fear and hatred. Or how she’s so delusional that she’s not sure what’s real or a hallucination - including you. Yah, that kind of stuff.

And I can’t forget, the scary straw man. I’ve never disliked a book where one of these made an appearance. (Yes, there have been several, including the Wizard of Oz.)

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts, opinions and nonsense about straw men are my own.

That was... wow. I don't even know where to begin to describe this book.
It was so different, unlike anything I've ever read.

A Young Adult paranormal romance/ urban fantasy revolving around a faceless, cursed boy whose body contains a bee hive, who is forever condemned to feed off people's misery, the evil his bees' stings draw out of them. And a girl who's been suffering from hallucinations for years, who's been shunned by the people who should've protected her, who can't tell reality from fantasy anymore.
An epic love story between two young people who shouldn't have a chance at love, at redemption, yet somehow they find it in one another.

A slow-paced yet very entertaining read, incredible, atmospheric writing and, most importantly, so many fabulously developed characters that completely stole my heart.

This was hauntingly beautiful, surprisingly creepy, weirdly humorous. And totally addicting.
What a read. Color me impressed.

Really loved seeing a beekeeper's perspective in this awesome series. I was so curious of them after Black Bird of the Gallows and now I'm really hoping the next perspective will be for a Strawman, preferably Stitches!

I received an ARC of this novel via NetGalley and Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Dresden is a Beekeeper, cursed to feed off fear and sting those who emit energy with his madness inducing venom. Stuck in a symbiotic relationship with the harbingers of death, they are both drawn to the small town of Concordia for the pending event which will leave many residents dead. When Dresden’s bees become interested in a strange young woman, something about her makes him decide not to kill her. Essie sees him for what he is and she is not afraid, something that has never happened before. Essie is the youngest member in her family line to get the Wickerton curse, a delusional decent into madness in which she see's things that are not real. When Essie meets Dresden, she feels an immediate connection, two monsters searching for something they can never hope to have…love. When mysterious murders begin to occur, linking Essie and her family to the crimes, Dresden knows he will do whatever it takes to protect her, even give his own life.

Keeper of the Bees is a YA fantasy and the companion novel to Black Bird of the Gallows. I loved the first book and was so excited to get a chance to read an advanced copy. Although Angie and Reece from the first novel are not primary characters, they do make an appearance and are a key element to the plot development. In this second novel a new beekeeper, Dresden, and family of harbingers are introduced along with Essie, a mysterious cursed girl. The story alters between Dresden and Essie's POV as they each try to comprehend what their reactions to each other means while facing an upcoming catastrophic event and a serial killer targeting Essie. I really enjoyed this novel and its exploration of the alternate and unexpected personas of the cursed beings including the Strawman. I really hope that the author has plans for future book in this series.

I just finished reading Black Bird of the Gallows (a book that I thoroughly enjoyed) and was super excited to pick this novel up. Now, Keeper of the Bees is technically a companion novel to Meg Kassel's debut, but can be read as a standalone. So, if you haven't read Black Bird of the Gallows (which you really should) don't worry. You can still completely enjoy everything about this book. :)

Before I start my review, I just want to say that originally I turned my nose up at Black Bird of the Gallows. I unfairly dismissed it as being too Twilight sounding and turned down a chance to review it when it was released last year. When I received the blog tour sign-up for Keeper of the Bees I was really excited because of the cover and synopsis. Then I made the connection and decided to give it a chance. I'm just really, really glad that I did. I've totally been missing out! Anyway...time for the actual review. 

Things I Liked:
- The book was very easy to read through and I was completely engaged from the first page until the very end. It really didn't feel like I read 400 pages. I've lately been struggling with books longer than 300 pages. Why? I have no idea but I've been losing interest midway through and with this story that didn't happen. I actually read it within a couple of day it was that good!
- The story is told through multiple points of view. Sometimes this can get a bit confusing because the characters tend to sound too similar. However, I really enjoyed reading the two POVs. Both were totally unique and I never found myself wanting to skip over a certain chapter because it revolved around a particular character.
- Adding on to the point above, I loved the two main characters! Essie was absolutely wonderful. Throughout the story she suffered from hallucinations and I liked how the author invited the reader into her head during these periods where she wasn't fully in control. I felt like I really got to know Essie and sympathize with her struggles. Dresden was very interesting to read about because of his "curse". My heart really hurt for him. 
- I liked the Beauty and the Beast vibes that the story gives off. The lesson or main idea is that we all have our issues or problems, things that we struggle with. We shouldn't judge others based on what we initially see because underneath there is great beauty. The romance between Essie and Dresden really went up against the odds and I cheered them on the entire time. You can't help but rally behind them and become invested in their fight to be together and defeat their own personal demons. 
- If you have read Black Bird of the Gallows, then you already know a lot about the harbingers of death. This book immerses the reader into the world of the beekeepers and further adds to the mythology previously introduced. I liked getting to see the other side of things and to further understand how things work in Kassel's super unique world. 

Things I Disliked:
- The romance was a bit too insta-love for me. Things moved really fast! I kind of rolled my eyes a few times, but at least there weren't any love triangles or squares. That would have been too much for me! I prefer slow burning romances that take time to develop. 

So, if you were a fan of Black Bird of the Gallows or like paranormal romances than this book is totally for you! It's very heartwarming, easy to read and very additive. I'm eagerly looking forward to Kassel's next release.

Is it magical realism? Is it just magical? With fantasy like this, who the hell cares? This was unusual and beautiful and is still stinging me now. I never got to read the first book (my request for an arc was denied!) but I may have to track it down after reading Keeper of the Bees. It managed to be a fantasy adventure, a meditation on loneliness and survival and a beautiful love story all at once. I’m still reeling.

4 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked it! It was original, with interesting plot and characters. It’s my first book from this author, but after this experience I plan to read more of her books.