Sting & Song – Benjamin Medrano

That was fun to read. The background is unapologetically fantasy-role-playing: Adventurers go into dungeons and the like in hopes of gaining levels so they can become more-powerful adventurers and go into more-powerful dungeons (and the like) and gain even more levels (and loot).

What makes the book fun is Joy - a giant bee who has been turned into a humanoid. (Her entire hive has been turned into a new species - humanoid with apis characteristics, or maybe bee with humanoid characteristics. In the process Joy becomes an excess worker.) The book doesn’t stray far from its roots: Joy only has a few months to live (bee-like life spans) - unless she can achieve level 20 and become a queen. She is naive, good, and cheerful, and lights up the story.