The Beeswax: A Trip to the Past and a Jump to the Future
- Victor Castillo
- Jan 5, 2024
- 8 min read
Welcome to the first issue of The Honeypot! This is the section for those of us looking for a good read that is all about sugar and spice. Every month, we will feature two books between our categories: The Beeswax, The Sweet Spot, and The Spice Rack. As you may have deduced from the names of the categories, the books will become progressively spicier as we progress. For those who are more visual, we have provided our Sticky Scale (pun entirely intended) below to help.
Wax
The first of the three ratings---and the one to which we dedicate this post---is Wax. Anyone who has previously handled wax knows it can be a slippery substance, but it becomes brittle when dried. Therefore, Wax books have no explicit sensuality. Physical romance
may be described in general terms or implied, but your innocence will remain intact.
Honey
Moving up a step, the second rating is Honey. As you can imagine, honey is significantly stickier than wax, but more importantly, it is sweeter. Honey's monthly section is The Sweet Spot because these books will be the perfect option for those looking for a more...
adventurous read while not devolving into spicy territory. In simpler terms, think fade to black. There is sure to be moderate sensuality, and physical actions will be described and detailed but will not be explicitly written. If you're unsure of whether you are ready for a
true spicy book, these recommendations are sure to help!
Nectar
At last, we have arrived at the last of the ratings: Nectar. These books are not for the faint of heart; I can guarantee you that. Nectar's monthly section has been deemed The Spice Rack (if you know, you know). These books will have your blood flowing, your palms
sweating, and your heartbeat racing. Whether you're into the sweet stuff, the taboos, or any of the laundry list of kinks out there, this section will surely have something for you! Be warned, our Nectar recommendations will have explicit sensuality and go beyond what is
appropriate for anyone under the age of 18. Sex will be written in graphic detail, and there is always a chance that acts beyond intercourse may make an appearance. So strap in, grab your favorite drink, and settle into your favorite spot as you venture into a world of
new experiences, or revisit your favorite smutty reads.
A Look Back In Time
A Queen Ascends
The first book of this month's Wax Reads takes us back to Victorian England---between 1837 and 1901, to be precise. For those not of English descent or history buffs, Victorian England refers to the 63 years that spanned the reign of Queen Victoria.
In the spirit of building a bit of anticipation, let's briefly look back to when Queen Victoria sat on the throne. Queen Victoria, born Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent in 1819, ascended to the throne on June 20, 1837, following the death of her uncle, King William IV, at 18. Her ascension marked the beginning of what would come to be the longest reign in English History at the time of her death. She would later marry her cousin, Prince Albert (Albert of Saxe--Coburg and Gotha) at age 21, and together, the couple would bring about nine children. Her reign is commonly attributed to the significant societal changes it spanned, such as industrial expansion and economic progress. Under her rule, the British Empire became the first global industrial power. While known to have been relatively conservative on many subjects, Queen Victoria was a known supporter of bettering the lives of the lower classes. Her reign saw the introduction and implementation of many measures in this pursuit.
An Unexpected Gift
While the 1833 Emancipation Act and the official abolishment of slavery in the British Empire came to pass under her predecessor's rule, it was not until a year after Queen Victoria's ascension that enslaved people became truly free. Fast forward 17 years to 1850, when Naval Captain Frederick Forbes, while on a diplomatic visit in West Africa, obtained Omoba Aina, age 7, from King Ghezo of Dahomey. Accepting the child as a gift on behalf of the queen, Forbes saw the girl christened Sarah Forbes Bonetta months before her official presentation to the queen.
It is not uncommon for history to obscure the lives of those deemed of minor to no importance. More so, unfortunately, when said individuals descend from Africa, and even more if they happen to live during the age of the slave trade. It is this simple truth that makes the story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta that much more enticing. She was taken captive from her village at the age of five, gifted to Queen Victoria at the age of seven, married at the age of 19, and died at the age of 37. The life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta is one that many would agree appears pulled out of the pages of a book.
Sarah Forbes Bonetta went on to become the queen's ward, in a sense, as Queen Victoria would oversee her education, keep constant tabs on her, and even arrange for her eventual introduction to English Society. At the time, as can be imagined, Sarah challenged English society and the firmly held beliefs of indigenous Africans by excelling in her education and skills. Sarah would go on to be wed to James Davies, a merchant from Sierra Leone, with the blessing of Queen Victoria, and upon the birth of the couple's first daughter in 1863, she was named Victoria. The queen, from whom her name came, became her godmother.
Rediscovering Sarah
With the above in mind, we bring the first of this month's Wax book recommendations: The Other Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Goddaughter by Denny S. Bryce.
With a brilliant mind and a fierce will to survive, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a kidnapped African princess, is rescued from enslavement at seven years old and presented to Queen Victoria as a “gift.” To the Queen, the girl is an exotic trophy to be trotted out for the entertainment of the royal court and to showcase Victoria’s magnanimity. Sarah charms most of the people she meets, even those who would cast her aside. Her keen intelligence and her aptitude for languages and musical composition helps Sarah navigate the Victorian era as an outsider given insider privileges. But embedded in Sarah’s past is her destiny. Haunted by visions of destruction and decapitations, she desperately seeks a place, a home she will never run from, never fear, a refuge from nightmares and memories of death. From West Africa to Windsor Castle to Sierra Leone, to St. James's Palace, and the Lagos Colony, Sarah juggles the power and pitfalls of a royal upbringing as she battles racism and systematic oppression on her way to living a life worthy of a Yoruba princess. Based on the real life of Queen Victoria’s Black goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta’s story is a sweeping saga of an African princess in Victorian England and West Africa, as she searches for a home, family, love, and identity. |
It is a real life story of rags to riches for Sarah Forbes Bonetta, and Denny S. Bryce has taken pen to paper to deliver what bestselling author Vanessa Riley (Island Queen, Queen of Exiles) calls "a fascinating journey of discovery that delivers all the feels." And during the month where our featured genre is coming of age, The Other Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Goddaughter delivers a captivating story of a young girl ripped from everythign she knows and transplanted into the center of English Royalty. Sarah will face a hostile environment, harsh societal judgements, and long held beliefs and convictions regarding African people as she navigates her newfound status. While shining a light on Victorian England and a period of time during which great changes in both industry and society found roots around the globe, Sarah's story of resiliency and the search for a place of belonging is sure to cut right through to the very foundations of our beliefs as much as those of her time.
Denny S. Bryce is an award-winning author of historical fiction novels. Her works include Wild Women and the Blues and In the Face of the Sun in addition to The Other Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Goddaughter. She is an adjunct professor in the MFA (Master's of Fine Arts) program at Drexel University and a former professional dancer and public relations professional. Bryce is also a book critic for NPR and a freelance writer whoose work has been published in USA Today, Harper's bazaar, and FROLIC Media. She is originally from Chicago and currently resides in Georgia. You can visit DennySBryce.com to learn more about Bryce and her works.
A Future Written in the Stars
Taking the World by Storm
Whether you are in favor of or opposed to Artificial Intelligence (AI) one thing is for certain: it is here to stay. Whether used for business or pleasure, AI has truly come on the scene of the technological world and thrown a wrench into the way many go about their lives. From gaming to entertainment to the arts, AI is transformign the way we go about our days. And we can't forget writing, as even now as I type out this post, my system is highlighting that sparkly icon to entice me to use its AI writing service (a feature I do no tintend to employ). But regardless of our personal beliefs, AI has been around for many years at this point, living with us on a daily basis through the virtual assistants on our phones and home electronics---Siri for Apple, Alex for Amazon, and Bixby for Samsung.
Whether it be on features on our phones such as the virtual assistants or the text prediction and suggestion features, AI continues to grow. Accordint to Stanford University's One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence 2021 Report, "in the last five years, the field of AI has made major progress in almost all its standard sub-areas including vision, speech recognition and generation, natural laguage processing (understanding and generation), image and video generation, multi-agent systems, planning, decision-making, and integration of vvision and motor control for robotics." And keep in mind that is a report referencing the advancements made between 2017-2021. Within the last two years, AI has advanced past what could have been anticipated in a span of time that boggles the mind.
Just this past year in 2023, we saw the inception of the first time both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild --- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG--AFTRA) were on a together since 1960. One of the main points of contention amongst the many that kept the two unions on strike for nearly six months: Hollywod studios and streaming services use of AI generated works in replacement of writers, artists, and actors in an effort to reduce associated costs and expenses. The strikes, with AI as a sticking point, brought the quickly advancing insustry into the limelight. And with the way that our technological industry has been able to evolve the technology in recent years we can surely expect to see and hear about it a lot more often as the year progresses. And who knows where the future will take us.
A Galaxy of Intelligence
After a nerve-wracking take-off and a quick five minutes in hypersleep, we have arrived at Watertower Station that scene of our second Wax Book recommendation: The Last Human by Zach Jordan.
Most days, Sarya doesn't feel like the most terrifying creature in the galaxy. Most days, she's got other things on her mind. Like hiding her identity among the hundreds of alien species roaming the corridors of Watertower Station. Or making sure her adoptive mother doesn't casually eviscerate one of their neighbors. Again. And most days, she can almost accept that she'll never know the truth--that she'll never know why humanity was deemed too dangerous to exist. Or whether she really is--impossibly--the lone survivor of a species destroyed a millennium ago. That is, until an encounter with a bounty hunter and a miles-long kinetic projectile leaves her life and her perspective shattered. Thrown into the universe at the helm of a stolen ship--with the dubious assistance of a rebellious spacesuit, an android death enthusiast on his sixtieth lifetime, and a ball of fluff with an IQ in the thousands--Sarya begins to uncover an impossible truth. What if humanity's death and her own existence are simply two moves in a demented cosmic game, one played out by vast alien intellects? Stranger still, what if these mad gods are offering Sarya a seat at their table--and a second chance for humanity? |
In the spirit of new beginnings and opportunities we are focusing on this month, comes this novel from Zach Jordan that Publishers Weekly calls "[a] rollicking debut." New York Times bestselling author Peter Clines (The Fold, 14) describes The Last Human as "an epic, galaxy-spanning story of intellive vs superintelligence, set in maybe the greatest sci--fi universe [he's] seen in years." A fresh ne w take on the science fiction world from Jordan, we are taken to a world in which Sarya, our titular character, finds herself as the last human left in existence, taken in by an alien mother and forced to hide the truth of what she is. If there ever was a more classic example of a coming of age story, I cannot imagine it beating that of a human girl, isolated amongst a galaxy full of alien species, unable to be her true self, with no knowledge of what happened to her species, and forced onto a chessboard of cosmic proportions as she begins to unravel the mysteries of both her and her species's past.
With supporting characters describes as an adoptive mother that has casually eviscerated at least one other person, an android death enthusiast, and a bal of fluff with an IQ that could apparently rival that of any living being, Sarya's journey of self dicevry in a world intent on erasing not just her, but her species from existence, is sure to leave you unable to stop turnign the page. And how Samyra will handle that universe--altering offer of a second chance for humanity so cleverly hinted at within the blurb is more than enough to entice. And if you disagree, I'd very muc hlike to know how you would handle the offer if you found yourself in Sarya's place?
Zack Jordan is a compulsive learner and creator. He holds half an art degree, two thirs of a music degree, and about a quarter of a philosophy degree. He's worked on projects for FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency), the U.S. Army, and the Department of Defense, none of which elevated his security clearance. He was a designer on several video games including World of Tanks and the F.E.A.R. series, but he's more proud of the indie games and music albums he's released under the name U.S. Killbotics. He lives in Chicago with his family. Connect with Jordan and learn more about The Last Human (or maybe read the Comic) by visiting thelasthuman.com.
IF YOU READ ANY OF OUR MONTHLY HONEYPOT BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS, WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN THE QUEEN'S CORNER TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.
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