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| Cover artist | Joy Ang |
|---|---|
| Published | December 26, 2018 |
| Page count | 320 |
| ISBN | 9781338214482 (hardcover) 9781338214499 (paperback) |
| Preceded by | The Lost Continent |
| Followed by | The Poison Jungle |
| Chapter Index | |
| Prologue • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • Epilogue | |
The Hive Queen is the twelfth novel in the Wings of Fire novel series and is the second book in arc three. It features Cricket as the main protagonist.
Blurb
The #1 New York Times bestselling series continues with a thrilling revelation -- three brand-new tribes of dragons! Growing up in the hives, Cricket has always had a million questions. Why are trees forbidden, even in art? Why do her parents seem to hate her? And the biggest, most dangerous and secret question of all: Why is Cricket immune to Queen Wasp's powers? Whenever the queen takes control of all the HiveWings, speaking through their mouths and seeing through their eyes, Cricket has to hide, terrified of being discovered.Now she's hiding again, wanted for stealing the Book of Clearsight along with her new SilkWing friends, Blue and Swordtail, and the fierce LeafWing, Sundew. The fugitives need answers, and fast, in order to prevent a LeafWing attack. But Cricket has more questions than ever. How can she stay hidden and discover the queen's deadliest secret? And if she does succeed -- can a powerless Dragonet really do anything to topple a regime and stop a war?
Plot
Prologue
Moon sat on the beach near Jerboa’s hut, pondering another continent’s dragons and feeling responsible for Darkstalker’s deeds, doubting she could aid Pantala as Luna urged. Luna joined her, asking why she was alone, and they discussed their names: Moonwatcher’s for moon-gazing, Luna’s meaning “moon” in the old pre-Clearsight language. Luna inquired about visions, but Moon had none, disappointing her. Luna worried about Blue and Swordtail, leading Moon to share a prophecy. Qibli, Turtle, and Tsunami arrived. Turtle said animus magic was broken, and Tsunami noted that swimming was the only way to the Lost Continent.
The Glittering Hive
In a cave, Cricket waited for Blue’s cocoon to open, bored and regretting her promise to stay. She recalled a childhood memory: hiding in a cupboard, reading to find a path from Cicada Hive to Wasp Hive’s Temple of Clearsight. Her mother Cadelle and Katydid entered, speaking with Queen Wasp’s voice. From the balcony, Cricket saw white-eyed HiveWings, including Katydid, take an elderly dragon away.
Katydid later learned Cricket was immune to mind control, explaining obedience felt voluntary. Cricket questioned dragging the elder; Katydid defended Wasp. They kept Cricket’s secret. The flashback ended.
Cricket remembered seeking hiding spots from mind-controlled tribes, with Katydid, not her parents, caring for her, like securing her glasses. She mused on her parents’ disinterest. To ease boredom, she imagined reading monkey books, chuckling at their tiny size, dreading four dull days. Staying for Blue, she worried about Sundew, Luna, and Swordtail. Talonsteps revealed Sundew with an unconscious Swordtail, who awoke, unable to find Luna. Sundew proposed Blue burn the Hives with flamesilk. Cricket disagreed, and Swordtail’s support for Sundew upset her. They left, leaving Cricket alone.
Blue emerged, and Cricket recalled her mother leaving. Disguised, they went to Jewel Hive for the Chrysalis, following a note to the library at midnight. In a hiding spot, Cricket saw Katydid and Scarab at her mother’s house. They embraced, but Katydid rejected Cricket’s claims of Wasp’s evil, revealing Cadelle and her husband weren’t her parents.