I swore then and there that for the bees and the fireflies and the Tillarny limes I would be the Viscount St-Noire, crazy grandmother, unpleasant castle, mysterious curses, dragons, riddles, high Gothic melodrama, and all. [loc. 3155]
Sometimes you want a thousand pages of world-building, slow-burn relationships, and a protagonist quietly changing the world: sometimes you just want a cozy, witty, mannerist novel, part of a series featuring recurring characters and a charming narrator who is as much in the dark about events as is the reader. Having enjoyed Stargazy Pie I found myself wanting to fill in more of the gaps between that novel and the characters' appearances in Goddard's more recent novels.
Bee Sting Cake begins less than a week after the events of Stargazy Pie. Jemis' life is enlivened by the arrival of Hal, his friend from university, who also happens to be the Imperial Duke of Fillering Pool, and is thus prevented from following his true vocation, botany. More is revealed about, and by, Jemis, who feels that his unsuspected wireweed addiction made him a better and more likeable person. Despite his self-doubt and occasional sulkiness, Jemis manages to inherit a title, spike a gambling ring and break a curse, as well as confronting a dragon (and his grandmother) and very nearly winning, with Hal, the cake competition at the Dartington Harvest Fair.
I really like Hal; I'm finding Mr Dart much more intriguing than in the first novel; I like their care for Jemis, and Jemis' determination to do the right thing. And there are some fascinating allusions to the effects of the Fall in Ragnor Bella. Hoping for more from Mrs Etaris in future novels ...
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