Bee Speaker is the third novel in the science fiction series Dogs of War (it is important to note that the three books are standalones), written by Adrian Tchaikovsky, published by Head of Zeus. A fast-paced story that smartly plays with a huge cast of characters in another example of Tchaikovsky's rich imagination, almost bordering the science fantasy territory; the premise of throwing a mismatched crew into a hostile place, taken to the extreme, and incredibly executed.

A cryptic distress signal from Earth draws a crew of genetically engineered Martian Bioforms to start a mission on the planet where all originated; however, from very own first moment, things will go really wrong, turning it into chaos, and having the Martians to deal with the different factions running on this part of the world. A society that comprises such varied groups as an order that reveres the Bee intelligence, Techno-feudal warlords, an old remnant of tech known as the factory and even some really old individuals; a really unstable world where violence is a common answer and where our crew will have to their best to survive.

Part of what makes Bee Speaker such a really interesting experience is how Tchaikovsky manages to weave together the nine different POV characters: relatively short chapters, many times describing the same situation from the head of other character, highlighting the differences in their background and how that influences their lines of thought. Each POV has a characteristic voice, from Irae, the reptile bioform, much more prone to violence, to Wells, the bioform that was meant to be the communication operator of the mission, passing by humans as the brother Cricket; all of them are easily recognisable and unique. This particular narrative style can become a bit chaotic by moments, but I personally enjoyed how it helps to create a contrast between the characters, allowing us to learn much about them by their answer to certain situations.

The worldbuilding is another of the strengths of this book: a post-technological disaster Earth where different factions survive, with remnants of the old tech; I love how in this situation, the line between technology and magic is so blurred, as when the knowledge is lost, advance technology is indistinguishable from magic. This hostile place puts most of the groups in a pretty much precarious situation, and the Martians are outside of their element, having to learn fast.
The pacing is fast, partly motivated by the short chapters, which invite the reader to continue to learn what will happen next; you can easily devour this book because the author is always giving you another treat. While the ending is a bit in the predictable side, I think it is still a great conclusion, putting the foundations to maybe a follow-up novel in the same part of the world.

Bee Speaker is a great science fiction novel, a standalone instalment in the Dogs of Wars series that plays the best with its strengths, another proof of how wild Tchaikovsky's imagination can be. Another of the highlights of the year for me!