Honeycomb is a collection of dark fairy tales. There are two books within this novel and the collection of stories consists of independent tales as well as interrelated tales that tell the story of the Lacewing King. The novel has the feel of Aesops Fables combined with the tale of Ulysses in The Odyssey. It is a slow read.

Though some of the stories were entertaining, most of them for me were somewhat of a grind. As a whole, Honeycomb was a bit of a disappointment. Perhaps I expected more. I'm sure there are a number of readers that will certainly enjoy this book. Those that enjoyed Circe (I didn't) will certainly appreciate the author's writing style. An unfortunate two stars (it was okay) for me.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

This collections of tales is loosely woven together, but some stories meander away from the main plot. the Lacewing King's life and times are a soothing read that will let you escape the trials of the present world.

“Honeycomb” by Joanne M. Harris and illustrated by Charles Vess is a novel made up of original fairytales. Many of the chapters are distinct stories, mostly in the form of fables and parables. However, most of them connect to an overarching story arc featuring the Lacewing King, a handsome yet selfish man who wanders through his kingdom ruling over the Silken Folk doing as he pleases. However, as time passes and the number of his enemies grows larger, the Lacewing King’s self-interested lifestyle becomes unsustainable.

I have been a fan of Joanne M. Harris (styled as Joanne Harris for her non-fantasy fiction) for a really long time, and as early as 2012 I was reading her #storytime vignettes on Twitter (which have now been removed and collected into this book). I was even inspired to make the little painting below. The stories in this book make for hard-hitting, unsettling chapters that all contribute towards the overarching story of the Lacewing King. Harris conjures a captivating and uncomfortable world made of insects and excess, the same world that was touched upon in her previous book. Some of the fables in this book have clear underlying morals and are told in a similar style to “Animal Farm“. Harris writes particularly about the perils of following the crowd and placing too much faith in self-proclaimed leaders and self-important loudmouths. However, it is the journey of the Lacewing King that I was the most invested in. I really liked how Harris shows the repercussions of indifference over generations, but how also people can change their worldview. There are other stories that initially don’t appear to be related to the main story that Harris masterfully weaves in later.

While individually I found each fairytale very readable, I did find it hard to settle into this book. I found myself reading one story then setting the book down. I think that although the structure of the book lent itself to this kind of story, it ultimately did feel quite interrupted.

A thought-provoking and refreshing approach to the fairytale genre.

this is a large collection of short stories, fairy tales, all interconnected by the nectar of a flower and a hive of bees.Each chapter revolves around a character that in turn goes onto another equally weird character. This was an interesting book that I think you will either love or hate. There are both dark and macabre and light hearted stories. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

"A lushly illustrated set of dark, captivating fairy tales from the bestselling author of The Gospel of Loki with illustrator Charles Vess (Stardust).

The beauty of stories; you never know where they will take you. Full of dreams and nightmares, Honeycomb is an entrancing mosaic novel of original fairy tales from bestselling author Joanne M. Harris and legendary artist Charles Vess in a collaboration that’s been years in the making. The toymaker who wants to create the perfect wife; the princess whose heart is won by words, not actions; the tiny dog whose confidence far outweighs his size; and the sinister Lacewing King who rules over the Silken Folk. These are just a few of the weird and wonderful creatures who populate Joanne Harris’s first collection of fairy tales.

Dark, gripping, and brilliantly imaginative, these magical tales will soon have you in their thrall in a uniquely illustrative edition.

The tales are beautifully illustrated by renowned illustrator Charles Vess (Stardust, Sandman, The Books of Earthsea)."

Even if it wasn't written by such a wonderful writer it's illustrated by Charles Vess. That is really all that needs to be said.

This was such an interesting read, and it felt very nostalgic for me, as I grew up on reading old fairytale books and collections of fantastical short stories. I truly loved the poetic writing style of Joanne Harris, and her ability to weave characters and their stories together.

I was able to push through and finish this book within two days, but I quickly realized this book may have been better-suited for slower reading, maybe a couple of chapters a day over the course of a week or two. Like others have suggested in their reviews, this isn't exactly gripping or fast-paced. It's designed like an old-fashioned book of fairytales, with short stories written in some twisty and often dark means, with some kind of lesson or meaning woven into each. In between these sprinklings of unrelated but interesting short stories, we get a more linear plot to follow with a cast of characters we meet throughout the book. I found it difficult to sit through the entire book because of this, as sometimes I just wanted to get to the parts with our main cast of characters.

What kept me from slowing down and enjoying the book a little each day, however, was the fear of forgetting characters or connections that the author makes throughout the book. There are so many characters and plot points that are connected to one another, masterfully woven together in-between all of the sprinklings of short stories. Although I appreciated the creativity of this writing style, it was difficult to feel completely gripped by the entire book. There were so many characters I wanted to explore more, outside of the Lacewing King. Instead, I had moments where I absolutely loved the book and felt touched by its exploration of fairytales and lessons, and connected with some of the characters. On the other hand, I also felt impatient with the characters and how I couldn't deeply connect with them or their stories. I wanted more from the other characters, I suppose, as I didn't deeply connect with our main character.

Overall, this was really interesting and creative, and I enjoyed it! I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys short story fairytales.

Forget Alice, these are the stories you'll want to read and the creatures you'll want to meet in 2021. And there are a lot of them. These folks will make your head spin. Some creepy, some crafty, some cruel, some cute, some ready for bed, some that keep you awake at night. A great addition to anyone's Joanne Harris collection.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery/Saga Press for the ARC.

Joanne Harris is a writer of exceptional talent. Her CHOCOLAT series is filled with characters, places and foods that jump from the page into a life beyond the books. I can smell, taste and feel the various places and things Harris describes. I usually find her work captivating and somehow rejuvenating. I always want to visit these locations. HONEYCOMB is not that type of book, although Harris’ writing is still multi-layered and robust. This is a book of fractured fairy tales, turned macabre and dark, with endings that left me frustrated and fraught. This is a magical place I would not care to visit. For readers who enjoy dark tales, this book will hold their attention and engage them. For others, not so much. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is the kind of book I normally love, and I did love it for a while. I am also politically minded, and I don't mind political themes in fiction, but somehow in these stories it felt a bit forced at times (even though I would say I agreed with the ideas being put forth). I ended up not finishing the book, but I think there's a good chance that I'll pick up these stories from time to time when I'm in between books. And even though I typically prefer reading on the Kindle to paper books these days, I think the illustrations in this one must be far better served in the traditional book format.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Gallery Books, Gallery/Saga Press for letting me read and review this interesting and uniquely imaginative collection of fairy tales and folklore with lovely illustrations. This is a book that's one story thread that can be followed through the book with it branching off to other tales along the way to give more background stories to each character and everything else.
The main story is about the Lacewing King that rules over the Silken Folk and also goes into stories about other characters that all interact with the Lacewing King and his story or live in the same world. The other tales woven into the story of the Lacewing King are intriguing as well like the story of the Spider Queen, the Harlequin, the Clockwork Princess, the Barefoot Princess, and the toymaker who wants to make the perfect wife to name a few. This is a fun, entertaining collection of dark fairy tales that can be a bit morbid at times, but also reading these tales transported me to this fantasy world and reminded me of the story of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.
If you like the Grimm fairytales and dark tales as well as The Starless Sea, then you'll enjoy this collection of stories as well.

This book is most probably a literal embodiment of faerie magic, since it allures, enthralls and entices you from the very first word and shall only let go after bittersweet "The End", which, as it happens in fae world, might not be the end after all...

“For thus it had always been with the bees, wisest of the Silken Folk; the spinners of stories; builders of Worlds; the living heart of the Honeycomb”
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Stories to ensnare; as delicately woven as a spider’s web and with a sting as sharp as a wasp.
I’ve been dipping in and out of this beautiful collection of stories by Joanne Harris for some weeks now. Fairytales of Silken Folk, wolves and woodmen, craftsmen and Kings. There’s a sense of child-like wonder at seeing the insect kingdom brought to life. The Lacewing King is a central character that threads the arc of the stories together as we move from Book One “Long Ago” to Book Two “Far Away.”

With echoes of familiar folkloric tales, take time to journey through this book with its lyrical writing and art-nouveau illustrations by Charles Vess that make this a volume to cherish
Huge thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for my eARC

I've read a few books of dark fairy tales. They are mostly old fairy tales that had been tamed from their original scary tone. A few books take already-scary fairy tales and turn them into straight horror stories. Author Joanne M. Harris decided to make an entire book of fresh and new fairy tales that are dark and creepy instead of relying on age-old tales. The result is a unique and addictive book that is full of imagination. Just don't read these as a bedtime story for your kids, as they are far too scary for younger kids. Even though they are not meant for younger kids, Harris includes several gorgeous illustrations from Charles Vess to really set the mood of each tale. It's a grownup fairy tale book and I am here for it!

Honeycomb is a collection of fairy tales. It focuses on the nine worlds, and the stories the honeybees tell of those within them. Comprised of 100 tales this book seems to start at the beginning of these worlds, and comes full circle to a nice conclusion. Each of the tales relate to the others in some way to create an entire world for the reader to become immersed in. In true fairy tale fashion not all stories are happy, in fact many of the characters face true peril. As a whole the stories are entertaining, and easy to read, but due to the amount it is a bit much to get through. This is the type of book that you could return to time and again to pick a story from to enjoy. Reading all 100 tales at once was a bit slow, and cumbersome. The artwork that accompanied some of the tales was nice, and added to the traditional fairy tale feel of the work. Ultimately it's a wonderous world Honeycomb creates, and worth a look for anyone who likes fairy tales, and grand world building.

This is a lovely collection of fairy tales, folklore and mythology, with beautiful illustrations by the master Charles Vess. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys well-written fantasy stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

I have noticed that it beginning to enjoy short stories and similar reads lately. I like the various tales. Especially in a book like this where they’re, inevitably, come together. I really liked all the Lacewing King stories and the ones surrounding him. Other stories were hit or miss for me. Overall, I enjoyed the book as a whole and the illustrations to go along with it. I’d consider buying the book myself.

A very interesting collection of tales, blending fairy tales with mythology. I absolutely enjoyed it.

This was an unexpected read. The first third of the book was quite slow - the stories weren't totally captivating and the writing felt slightly juvenile. It just wasn't very compelling. Then at some point, it became clear that most of the stories were interlinked (almost everything in the book except for the farm animal stories) and it became much more interesting. My favorite stories were the ones about the farm animals and the one about man who travels to the mountain. Overall, the stories were wildly creative and I enjoyed this (very long) meander through fantastical worlds.
My thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, this book isn't my style. I picked it because it was a "read now" option on NetGalley. I thought I'd give it a try, a sort of broaden my horizons thing. The writing is good, there are a lot, about 100 mini poetic type short stories within the greater arc of the book. I ended up skimming and jumping because the stories never kept my attention, this was part of length and style. People like myself, who like scifi/fantasy, probably won't be into this, but I can see poetic fantasy romantics loving it.

Aesop’s Fables meets the Brothers Grimm in this brilliant collection of fantastic fairy tales and folklore, written in thoughtful prose and masterfully illustrated by living legend Charles Vess.