In the Anglo-Welsh border village of Derwold:
Georgia Newton ~ Mother of Millie and Freya. Lover of Sadie Laine. Moved to the village of Derwold after her husband died. Very grounded, and distrustful of magic. She is the eponymous beekeeper of the title.
Freya Newton ~ Oldest daughter of Georgia. A natural cynic who struggles with insecurities. She likes to spend time in the greenhouse with her herbs.
Millie Newton ~ Youngest daughter of Georgia and witch’s apprentice. Harbours magical powers. Loves to go on adventures. Just on the right side of precocious.
Sadie Laine ~ Schoolteacher and Georgia’s lover, secretly a witch. Came to Derwold to send her restless, troublesome ancestor Isabel on to the afterlife and ended up staying. Bubbly, kooky, but has grit where it counts.
Elsa Hart ~ Lady of the Manor and Simon’s Derwold’s wife. A refined woman of impeccable taste.
Simon Derwold ~ Ancestral heir to the Derwold estate. His family has a troubled past.
Astris ~ An ancient forest nymph known as a dryad. Has served as Derwold’s protector for many centuries. She speaks of Neanderthals, the Picts, and the Roman invasion of Britain as if she has witnessed these things firsthand.
Sally Jeffries ~ Runs the local post office. Wicked sense of humour. Strange and unusual things happen when she’s had a few drinks.
Bernard the Druid ~ Bumbling, pompous druid. Has made Derwold his temporary home.
Roy Sutton ~ Georgia and Sadie’s camp friend. Loves knitting.
Vivaan Dinesh ~ Derwold’s resident doctor. One of the few people who know of Sadie’s dual life.
Billy Buckham ~ A grumpy black cat and Sadie’s animal familiar. Does not suffer fools gladly.
Bee ~ Newton family dog. Has a very waggy tail.
Mr. Dalliard (deceased) ~ An elderly gentleman and friend to Sadie and the Newtons. Millie was particularly fond of him. As a young boy he was seduced by Isabel and nearly killed. Astris healed him, inadvertently extending his lifespan in the process. Last seen possessing the body of a majestic stag in order to protect Georgia and her girls. His spirit has since moved on.
Isabel (deceased) ~ Sadie’s ancestor. She was accused of witchcraft and killed by hanging. Astris reached out to comfort her during her last moments, allowing Isabel to anchor her spirit to the great oak and leech off the dryad’s power. Hundreds of years later, Sadie managed to send her back to the great cycle.
In the Cornish coastal town of Morcant-On-Sea:
Hailey Ellis ~ A young journalist and budding writer. Has come back to Morcant to live with her uncle.
Derek ~ Fisherman and Hailey’s uncle. Loud, brash, enjoys the simple things in life.
Rita ~ Hailey’s aunt, and for a time, her lover. Also happens to be a selkie. Derek stole her sealskin and bound her to the land but she has since found her way back to the ocean.
Jack ~ One of Derek’s former crew and Hailey’s occasional lover. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but means well.
Madeline ~ Morcant’s glamorous doctor. Lost her husband to the sea many years before. An unrepentant sexual deviant.
Isla ~ Madeline’s teenage daughter. All adolescent hormones.
Mike ~ Hailey’s boss at the local newspaper.
Karnu ~ Reluctant leader of the Selkie.
Sully (deceased) ~ Lifelong fisherman and Derek’s former first mate. His smoking habit finally caught up with him.
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