Review: The Business of Bees by Chrys Cymri 5 of 5 stars

The Business of Bees by Chrys Cymri
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

C of E vicar Penny White has known about the magical country of Lloegyr for 18 months now and yet in many ways, it feels like years. he has become used to living alongside dragons, gryphons, werewolves, and a snail shark (to mention just a few) which has turned out to be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it has been an absolute joy with many memorable moments to cherish, but on the other, it has been a major challenge, plus since the closing of the thin spaces between the worlds she is stuck there with no way to communicate back home. She had hoped that her friends would understand that the occasional glass of red wine or tot of whiskey were all part of her coping with the multitude of events in her life including her work with the not-weres at Saint Raphael’s which while rewarding play havoc with her stomach. Then she has a decision to make - stick with longtime friend dragon Raven or accept the marriage proposal from werewolf Llewellyn back at Saint Raphael’s. Decisions have to be made when she receives a delegation of gryphons who have flown across the Atlantic from the Daear equivalent of the United States of America to ask for her help in convincing honey bees to return back to Earth. Can she handle all of this and not touch a drop of drink let alone will she succeed with this new mission?

I really enjoyed this story which contained plenty of soul searching and analysis of others as well as herself on top of some action as part of the story. Throughout it all, Penny while struggling with her own dilemmas, managed to do her best to find a peaceful solution to the problems that she was drawn into through no fault of her own. Whilst it might on the face of it strike you as a story with a strong a religious angle, it is still a very enjoyable read as the common themes of love, respect and seeking joy in everything that affects you. I loved the way her relationships with the core characters in the series developed further and I was totally thrilled with the events at the end of the story - I just hope that the Bishop doesn't ruin things. Well written and very enjoyable, it is much easier to read this if you have read the earlier books in the series (which I recommend as great reads).

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