Honeycomb by Joanne Harris, illustrated by Charles Vess ~ a Review

by MK French

Joanne Harris wrote a collection of original fairy tales in this collection, illustrated by the amazing Charles Vess. 

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May 2021; Gallery/Saga Press; 978-1534433052
audio, ebook, print (432 pages); fantasy

We start from the beginning of creation, moving through her version of Faërie and different generations of royalty for the Silken Folk. Some early stories are reminiscent of European faerie folk tales, such as the midwife accidentally getting the faerie ointment into an eye, but these are separate from what we've seen before while evoking the same atmosphere of the color fairy tales compiled by Andrew Lang.

Honeycomb progresses forward in time, so that it's not an aimlessly meandering compilation, but a novel in the guise of a collection. The asides that initially seem completely separate circle back eventually, so that the archetypal characters have additional meaning and a role in the evolution of the Lacewing King. I was so engrossed in the story and where it was going that I stayed up far too late reading it. Absolutely worth it, though!

My only complaint is that there aren't more illustrations in the book, because I really enjoy Charles Vess's art style, and it would have been fun to see more of his interpretation of the characters.

Buy Honeycomb at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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