History Literature / TheBees

* AluminiumChristmasTrees:
** [[spoiler:Flora 717 has the capacity to lay eggs. While this sounds unrealistic, some worker bees are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laying_worker_bee capable of laying eggs]], usually when the queen is absent. These eggs lack the queen's egg recognition pheromone, which means that other worker bees will try to remove them, a fact that serves as a major plot point in the novel.]]
** [[spoiler:In the climax, the final egg laid by Flora hatches into a female bee, who then evolves into a queen. While this sounds scientifically impossible, as the laying worker bees' eggs are unfertilized, meaning that only drones are able to hatch from them, there is a subspecies of bees ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_honey_bee cape honey bees]]) whose laying workers are capable of thelytoky, meaning that their eggs may potentially hatch into new workers or even queens.]]

* DarkSkinnedRedhead: Flora has a dark exoskeleton and russet fur.

* IncestIsRelative: [[spoiler: Flora's daughter]] mates with a bee who is technically her uncle.

** [[spoiler:Flora 717 has the capacity to lay eggs. While this sounds unrealistic, some worker bees are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laying_worker_bee capable of laying eggs]], usually when the queen is absent. These eggs lack the queen's egg recognition pheromone, which means that other worker bees will try to remove it, a fact that serves as a major plot point in the novel.]]

* BeeAfraid: After a wasp enters the hive, it's faced by a horde of angry bees. They don't use their stingers, but instead encase it and vibrate to raise its temperature and cause heat death.

* CivilizedAnimal: Bees are depicted as having accoutrements such as tea sets, chandeliers, and stairways in their hive, and are described as being capable of facial expression, but they think and act very much like bees.

* DefrostingIceKing: Initially, Sir Linden was harsh and rude to Flora, seeing her simply as a servant, but eventually he came to gradually warm up to her, even regarding her as a friend, [[spoiler:complete with saving her and her daughter's life when Sister Sage attempts to rat them out to the police in hopes to get them killed]].

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Flora dies shortly after her daughter wins the battle for the queendom.]]

* UndyingLoyalty: All bees in the hive have this, because if they don't they won't be around for much longer.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Though we only really meet a couple of representatives of the species, wasps definitely seem to be this.

* {{Xenofiction}}

* BeeAfraid: After a wasp enters the hive it's faced by a horde of angry bees, that don't use their stingers, but instead encase it and vibrate to raise it's temperature to cause heat death.

* FantasticRacism: Sanitary workers are looked down on in society as being unclean and dumb.

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Flora dies shortly after her daughter wins the battle for the queendom.[[/spoiler]]

* AllMenArePerverts: Drones are universally lecherous and hedonistic. Justified, as their sole purpose is to breed.

* EatsBabies: Flora is ordered to consume a larvae that doesn't meet the level of purity required. When she freezes up the guards do it for her.

* UndyingLoyalty: All bees in the hive have this, cause if they don't they won't be around for much longer.

* AllMenArePerverts: Drones are universally lecherous and hedonistic. Justified, as their sole purpose is to breed.

* FloralThemeNaming: Bees of a certain kin, or type, all share the same name. The priestesses are all Sage, the landing board guards are all Thistle, etc. The sanitation workers, being the lowest type of kin, don't get a specific flower name, but are all called the generic Flora. Drones are named after trees.

* RuleOfThree: [[spoiler: Flora lays three eggs. Only the third reaches metamorphosis.[[/spoiler]]

-->''Accept, Obey, Serve!''

* FloralThemeNaming: Bees of a certain kin, or type, all share the same name. The priestesses are all Sage, the landing board guards are all Thistle, etc. The sanitation workers, being the lowest type of kin, don't get a specific flower name, but are all called the generic Flora.

* InsectGenderBender: Averted. Aside from the level of sentience displayed by the bees, the novel is an accurate portrayal of roles withing a hive, including the vast majority being female and the few males treated well but born only to breed.

* HiveMind: Not all bee's can hear it but when the hive is in danger it gives orders on how to deal with the threat. Sanitary workers don't hear the call, but Flora 717 does.

It follows the story of Flora 717, a disposable sanitary worker, as she works in devoted service to the beloved Queen. However Flora 717 is an unusual adaptation from the rest of her kin, in previous years she would have been given [[NeverSayDie The Kindness]], but times are hard and all must do their part to ensure the survival of the hive.

* BeeAfraid: After a hornet enters the hive it's faced by a horde of angry bees, that don't use their stingers, but instead encase it and vibrate to raise it's temperature to cause heat death.

* HiveMind: Not all bee's can hear it but when the hive is in danger it gives orders on how to deal with the threat. Sanitary workers don't hear the call, Flora 717 however does.
* HiveCasteSystem: We have Sanitary workers, nurse-maids, fanners (those that look after the honey), foragers, Thistles (guards), the Queen's hand-maidens, Priestesses and Finally the Queen.

* UndyingLoyalty: All Bee's in the hive have this, cause if they don't they won't be around for much longer.

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