I really liked the originality of this story of bees and honey and magic. McKinley does not waste much time on exposition - which is good, I like finding things out as I go along - though I would have liked to know more of the history of this tiny land that must be held together by a circle of people attuned to it. Why was it like that? I had a hard time feeling connected to the story and its characters - maybe it was the lack of history - they felt a little thin.