With thanks to @aprilcdoyle for my gorgeous copy to read and review.
Synopsis
Near-future Britain. Climate change has led to food shortages and civil unrest. Pollinating insects are in steep decline.
Commercial bee farmer Victor Martin travels around the farms of Kent with his hives to pollinate fruit trees and crops. Local research entomologist Dr Annie Abrams is devastated when she’s ordered to give up her captive bee colonies – her life’s work – to join forces with Victor and ensure a harvest. But the bees are dying. Their only hope seems to be an experimental alternative to insect pollination: robot pollinators called nanodrones.
But why does the drone designer seem so familiar? And who is behind the shadowy organisation intent on sabotaging their vital work? Can Annie and Victor win their battle to save the bees… or is it too late?
Review
An impressive debut with an important message at its core. The writing flows so well giving a good pace to the narrative and the mounting tension had me racing through the chapters. It’s a well researched, timely book told through the captivating lens of a collapsing society and the characters’ fight for survival.
We go on an eye-opening journey in this terrifyingly plausible dystopian world where climate change, capitalism and political manoeuvres have drastic repercussions. The dying bee population leads to food shortages, riots and a dangerous place for all. Victor and Annie are determined to help; Victor shares his hives with farmers so they can pollinate their crops. I loved that some of the locations were local to me making it feel all that more real. Annie’s dedicated her life to her research on bees and trying to make a difference. Victor and Annie must bravely work together to try and save the day and I really enjoyed the community feel they have with the farmers as everyone pulls together and the family dynamic they adopt. However, ominous forces are at work who will stop at nothing to achieve their sinister goal – it’s a race against time to see who will triumph!
This insightful story shows the vital role bees play in our lives and the wonder and appreciation of the natural world all around us. The fascinating characters who you grow to care about and engrossing plot bring this emotive tale of loss, survival, and hope perfectly to life while putting our relationship with nature in to sharp focus.
I highly recommend, you’ll never look at bees in the same way again!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Hive, #AprilDoyle, #bookreview, #savethebees
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