I’m still stuck in my cozy media era, apparently. Given the state of, well, everything as I write this, it’s not hard to imagine why. Still, I didn’t really plan to read three comfy, cozy books in a row, it just sort of happened.
And to be clear and fair, Sweet Silius Island Honey by Alex Scott does actually have an adventure at the center of its plot in addition to the charming vibes. It just happens to be a charming adventure with some warm vibes, some interesting worldbuilding, and a story that genuinely took me by pleasant surprise more than once.
The story follows Owen, a teenage street urchin who gets by working at the docks and signing aboard the occasional ship. This lifetime of varied nautical expertise catches the eye of Wanda, a young witch with familial ties to the city where Owen lives who’s just moved back into town and could use someone to repair, maintain, and sail the family’s old yacht.
So far, so cozy, but the adventure part kicks in when Wanda and Owen put their heads together to realize that a mysterious, hard to sail to island just off the coast — one that Wanda can see is practically glowing with magic — is probably the secret source of the titular honey being sold in town, which is literally magically delicious and currently being monopolized by a single merchant who won’t disclose where he finds it. Said island also happens to be the site of a traditional magical ritual which, if Wanda can find and complete on her own, might grant her access back into the witch society that ostracized her and her family.
And so the pair set off on Wanda’s family’s yacht to kill two birds with one stone, with Owen nursing dreams of honey-infused riches and, more privately, of somehow getting Wanda to reciprocate the massive crush he’s developed on her, despite her being a single mother ten years older than him.
To say much more would be to enter spoiler territory, but the cover art and the blurb on the back give enough of a hint as to what makes this particular world so interesting to inhabit: namely, the inevitable introduction of the sentient humanoid bee people that call Silius Island their home. Much of the story takes place in and around this magic bee society, and the way the author translates the mechanics and intricacies of beehives and honey production to a functioning, sapient society gives the fantasy setting a very welcome shot of original identity. I love a good elf or dwarf as much as the next fantasy nerd, but introducing a unique and imaginative race and then showing how it functions through the story will always be more impressive from the get-go than a story that starts with elves or dwarves again and explains how these ones are different this time.
But while I could probably be satisfied with good worldbuilding alone, most readers understandably prefer that something actually happen in their stories. This book has you covered here as well with a surprising amount of twists and turns packed into one bite-sized novella. Enemies are made, alliances are formed, heists are planned, identities are revealed, untapped potentials are tapped, and generally things are always moving quickly forward even when they veer off course. I easily read the first two-thirds of this book in a single sitting, and the small nature of it was only partly to blame for that speed. It’s also just easy to get swept up in Owen and Wanda’s journey.
In short, Sweet Silius Island Honey‘s snack-sized presentation belies a story with rich and complex flavors that goes down smooth and leaves a pleasant and unique aftertaste. I’d recommend most any fantasy fans give it a taste. It’s the bee’s knees.
(I’m not sorry. All of my puns are intended, even the bad ones, because I’m not a coward.)
