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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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Prologue[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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.
A Trail of Silk[edit | edit source]
Cricket pondered the note’s “5” as she, Blue, Swordtail, and Sundew reached the locked library, waiting for the Chrysalis. When none appeared, Cricket found a key on the Clearsight statue’s fifth spike, opening the doors. Sundew muttered about trees used for books; Cricket noted they were silk. Shouting led them to Morpho, Tau, and Cinnabar arguing about Argus. Swordtail introduced himself, mentioning Luna. Blue emerged, recognized from Wanted posters, crediting Cricket, but the Chrysalis panicked, hiding. Cricket explained her mind-control immunity, barely easing Morpho.
Sundew offered her LeafWing army, shocking them. Morpho allied to destroy HiveWings, upsetting Tau, Cinnabar, Blue, and Cricket. Cricket saw silver flashes, then HiveWing armor. Sundew hushed them as keys jingled.
Cricket hid them in book drops, her usual precaution against Wasp’s control: Tau with Cinnabar, Swordtail with Morpho, Blue with Cricket, Sundew alone. Wasp, controlling one soldier, ordered a search, then threatened to burn the books when none were found. Tau and Cinnabar emerged, claiming they hid from Lady Jewel. Wasp, satisfied by their lie about Morpho’s visit, left. A soldier returned, suspecting Scarab hid a dragon.
Wasp targeted Scarab. Cricket, fearing for Katydid, went with Blue and Sundew. Morpho left to rally the Chrysalis at Glitterbazaar. At Scarab’s, Wasp demanded entry; Scarab, immune, refused. Wasp controlled Katydid, marching her away. Cricket asked Scarab about her immunity; Scarab revealed Katydid was her mother, Malachite her father, hidden from Wasp. Although fearing Katydid's fate, Cricket asked to borrow a paintbrush.
The Queens Secrets[edit | edit source]
Cricket planned with Blue, Swordtail, and Sundew to post copies of The Book of Clearsight’s last page in Jewel Hive, exposing truths, and add graffiti. While doing so, an angry Cadelle dragged her home. Cricket explained her mission, but Cadelle, controlled by Queen Wasp, spotted her. Mind-controlled HiveWings, including Cadelle, stung and hauled Cricket to Lady Jewel’s dungeon, where Wasp promised to “fix” her.
Cricket woke to Lady Jewel and Scarab arguing, both hating Wasp. Jewel refused to free Cricket, fearing punishment. Scarab suggested using bad guards and flamesilk to burn a cell hole, blaming Blue. A SilkWing prisoner backed the story. Cricket escaped, meeting Cinnabar, Tau, and other SilkWings. Tau distracted Treehopper, her lover, but Cricket flew to the hatchery for Jewel’s answers.
Cricket inspected eggs marked with stingers, finding an “Orphanage” egg. Hiding as Wasp entered, she saw Wasp inject single-stinger eggs, adding marks, revealing mind-control via venom from hatching. Cricket’s immunity came from Katydid hiding her egg, copying Wasp’s marks.
In a storm, Cricket joined Blue at a Glitterbazaar stall hideout. At the cave, Sundew’s parents were gone. The stolen egg hatched; Cricket named the dragonet Bumblebee, noting green residue Sundew tied to Wasp’s greenhouse. Smoke signaled Bloodworm Hive burning, infuriating Sundew due to lack of information. They infiltrated Wasp Hive, burned the greenhouse, and set off for the Poison Jungle to meet the LeafWings.
Epilogue[edit | edit source]
Tsunami and Turtle endured an exhausting journey to Pantala, landing in the Poison Jungle where a LeafWing named Willow rescued them from a giant snake. Willow promptly urged them to leave or risk death. Meanwhile, on Pyrrhia, Moon shared a vision with Luna depicting widespread cruelty on Pantala. Luna asked if they could travel there, but Moon reassured her that the Pantalan dragons were already heading their way.