Victoria Lee

In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia. The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks--refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister's offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister's son--cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful--and the way forward becomes less clear. Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he's willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.

The Fever King

kelsey

4✰

governments didn’t have to listen to the people until the people made it hurt not to listen.

i really need to give dara a hug.

Sarah Sammis

Reminds me in tone at least to We Cast a Shadow.


http://pussreboots.com/blog/2019/comm...

this book isn't for everyone but it made me step out of my comfort zone and i liked that. the writing is amazing and i feel it captures flawed characters well, and on top of that i feel it has a good flow too.

addyson

this book isn't for everyone but it made me step out of my comfort zone and i liked that. the writing is amazing and i feel it captures flawed characters well, and on top of that i feel it has a good flow too.



Aishling

THAT WAS INCREDIBLE. BEST BOOK IVE READ IN MONTHS!! Depending on how the series ends this could be a new addition to my elite favourites shelf.

I started reading this book at the perfect time. It was exactly what I was looking for. Something so interesting that it kept my attention non-stop. There literally wasn’t a moment where I was bored. 

The romance in this is quite minimal and the characters are young, but even with these two things that usually are reasons I wouldn’t even bother with a book, it was written so well that I didn’t even care. The whole book is through Noam’s pov and even tho he’s only 16 it never feels that way. He could’ve been 19 or 20 and the whole book would’ve been written the same. 

I absolutely adore the magic system in this book. It just seems so smart and unique. 

There were something I was confused about and still am a small bit, but I hope maybe it’ll clear up in the next book. 

I would definitely consider this a mature YA. There’s underage drinking, mild drug usage, implied abuse, referenced suicide (happened before the book timeline), very vague, undetailed sex (idk how to say this properly but basically we know it happens there is no description of it), implied/referenced statutory rape, and violence. As far as I can remember the only curse word used in the whole book is “fuck”. 

I bought the second book yesterday before I even finished this and got priority shipping so I’ll have it for tomorrow and I absolutely cannot wait to read it I’m so excited!!

angie

brianna

”do you ever think about… all of it—it’s all random chance. the universe. us. an infinite cascade of chaos. a series of impossible accidents is the only reason we exist.”

jess

“It's all random chance. The universe. Us. An infinite cascade of chaos. A series of impossible accidents is the only reason we even exist.”

The Fever King absolutely blew me away. Here's something I don't say often, but even though the premise didn't get me too excited, the execution was incredible. I thought I was tired of dystopian books, but The Fever King proved that new twists can be put onto a genre that's been trod into the ground. It's a book that's poignant in this day and age, exploring how trauma, especially intergenerational trauma, affects people, and what happens when they come out as survivors.

I loved reading Noam's story. Noam is stubborn and determined and keeps trying to do what he thinks is right. The narrative voice in this was so good. It was authentic and engaging, and even though it was written in third person, I felt as if I was in Noam's head more than in a lot of first-person narratives. I also came to love Dara a lot--can I give him a hug? Please? Both Noah and Dara were such complex and real characters and I loved the dynamic between them. Yes, it could be prickly and angsty, but I could tell they really did care for each other even though all the miscommunication (which was written so much better than most miscommunication tropes are).

The worldbuilding and magic system was so interesting as well--where magic is a virus that can kill, and is based on actual science. I don't see many books that can be categorized as science fantasy but this is definitely one of them. The fracturing of the post-nuclear United States was interesting--a bit confusing at first, and I'm still not sure what the exact timeline is, but it didn't impact my enjoyment of the book. A lot of the backstory to the world comes through documents and videos showing Calix Lehrer's life. Lehrer was such a fascinating character and I definitely want to see more of him in sequels. 

Even though the characters were excellent and the worldbuilding was great, what stood out to me was how tight the plot was. I actually gasped out loud at a few points and even though there were some things that I saw coming, the twists still managed to get me in some way or another. The world of The Fever King incorporated history and current events that cause discomfort--riots, refugee camps, epidemics, biological warfare. I wasn't expecting this book to be as brutal as it was, but it deals with all types of trauma in a way that's just so raw. Almost all of the characters have experienced some type of heavy trauma either before or during the book's events and cope with it in ways that are probably more harmful than not, but they're survivors: they keep existing and keep pushing boundaries.

I really enjoyed reading The Fever King and will definitely be on the lookout for the sequel when it comes. If you want to see a clever new twist on the dystopian genre, characters that you'll fall in love with, or just desire for your heart to be shattered by yet another book--read The Fever King. You won't regret it.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

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Savannah Winchell

I got 50 pages in and there was nothing particularly interesting. If I here good things about it I’ll library it but I do t have the energy to spare on stuff I’m not into

Flavia Louise

I'd forgotten most of this but I still really liked it upon reread.

Sahi K

Definitely more of a 4.5.

CW: mention of past suicide, drug use, pedophilia, abuse

I bought this book immediately upon its release but never got around to reading it, though I never had any concrete reason not to. It was probably the hype or the fact that it was sci-fi that made me a bit skeptical but I don’t think I ever doubted that I wouldn’t like it. But now that the release date of its sequel is near, and I’m trying to reduce my huge owned tbr by atleast a bit, I decided it was time to pick it up and it completely blew my mind. 

I have to mention that my interest in the book went up by many notches when I listened to a couple of panels attended by the author Victoria Lee at the Baltimore book festival. I was left very impressed by their conviction to create worlds which are queer normative, where marginalized people get to be full fledged characters with the color of their skin or sexual/gender orientation is only one part of their identity and where they get to do all the things that usually white cis het characters get to do in science fiction. And the author very well succeeds at that endeavor in this story. 

Immigration and refugee crisis form the crux of this story - how countries which are built upon the principles of equal rights can forget their roots due to corruption, fear and manipulation; the Carolinia First ideology in the book was too real and scary to contemplate because we see it playing out in front of our eyes everyday; how the inhumane treatment of refugees results in catastrophes and countries end up blaming it back on them, resulting in a vicious cycle that only leads to more abuse and even deaths of refugees. The author also showcases the affects of long term abuse in a very visceral manner, which just made me feel more helpless. 

I had been trying to read a couple of adult fantasy books but was finding myself not at all able to follow their style of writing, so when I finally decided to pick this up and had reached 30% of the book before I even realized it, I understood why I love YA SFF so much (and also that’s it’s ok to not want to read outside my comfort zone). The writing is easy to follow, the pacing is a bit on the slower side, and while I knew what the endgame was supposed to be, I couldn’t truly understand the big picture. There is a layer of mystery and uncertainty throughout, we are never sure who to trust or who might be the villain, which country is the big bad - and I think the author did an amazing job keeping that suspense till almost the end. The world building is not very expansive but we are able to glean what is necessary for the story from historical documents interspersed between chapters and other small infodumps. We also don’t really get to know all the possible magical abilities and the consequences of using it too much, but I really enjoyed the abilities of the main character. And wow that ending. I found the book very interesting but it was the tension filled last few chapters and that absolutely heartbreaking ending that has made this a favorite. 

Noam is a survivor - a child of undocumented immigrants who knows what living in poverty means, he lives through his mother’s suicide and his father’s complete catatonic state and ultimately surviving alone during a virus outbreak. Even being accepted into the government’s elite magical training and being the powerful defense minister’s protégée is not enough to make him forget his roots or the anger he feels towards the government which is directly responsible for the inhumane plight of the refugees. His determination to fight for their rights and use all his new found abilities to take down the establishment from the inside is very admirable. But he is also sixteen, naive and an idealist, justifying to himself that sometimes bad things have to be done for the greater good. He is such a complex character with flaws and we get to know all sides of him, making us want to root for him whole heartedly while also hoping that he doesn’t go down too dark a path. It’s really been a while since I’ve read such a character and I tip off my hat to the author for writing him. 

I really have no words to describe Dara except maybe a tortured soul. He moves in the world with a carefree mask on his face, only showing his true vulnerable side in little moments, struggling to tell anyone about all the secrets he is protecting, all the while also trying to work on his amazing magical abilities. We never get to read his POV but as a reader we can tell that he is suffering and just want to hold and comfort him somehow. 

Noam and Dara’s relationship is not something that develops steadily through communication like in other books. It’s depicted in small moments of tenderness, affection, anger, helplessness and everything in between and it was so beautiful to read. Whatever the flaws in each of their characters, they are selfless in their love and I can’t reiterate enough that the ending broke my heart.

Lehrer is a fascinating character who I still can’t describe properly without giving away the plot. Just trust me when I say that nothing is at it seems and it was both enjoyable and uncomfortable to read about such a person. There are a few others with magical abilities in the story and while I enjoyed the scenes that Noam or Dara shared with them, no one really left a big impression on me. I really hope we get more fleshed out side characters in the future. 

To conclude, I already had expectations going into this book but it really surpassed them. If you enjoy character focused YA sci-fi stories with a diverse cast, with a post apocalyptic world that also feels close to our own political reality, a story where you don’t know who to trust - then this book is perfect for you. I’m completely devastated after that end but I also have hope, and because I’m too impatient to wait, I’m going to pick up my arc of the sequel right this moment.

tw statutory rape, pedophilia

the lighthearted review i thought i was going to write halfway through the book:
. my mental image of sacha is seteth fire emblem
. i read one amazon review that called this "liberal propaganda." what kind of "liberal propaganda" is "refugees deserve human rights"?
. also i headcanon ames as trans. why? bc i said so.

this is the second ya book i've read in the past week where a gay male character is in a romantic/sexual relationship with a guy much older than them. what the fuck. i really, really should have dnf-ed this one too but i paid $4.99 in kindle credits for it bc i heard it was good and also there's a webtoon based on it that i was going to read. i don't want to read it anymore. can yall please put content warnings for your books. even if they are spoilers bc i wouldn't have picked this book up if i knew about this beforehand.

beyond the fact that the plot was shitty and didn't make much sense (how did the carolinas end up being their own country? are they self-sustaining considering their borders are closed? did they revert back to the 1700s and start exporting tobacco? why do they fight the atlantians so much? how did that conflict start? why do all the other countries hate witchings so much? wouldn't it be better for the canadians and the europeans if they had their own witching forces to fight carolinia with? the witchings described are level iv. what about levels i, ii, and iii?), the thing that fucks me up the most is (view spoiler)[ after noam finds the child porn with dara and lehrer and he confronts dara that dara says he consented. not a legal expert but i don't think that's how that works. also the fact that lehrer can convince people to do things does not sit well with me in the context of that issue.  (hide spoiler)] i think there was a lot of trying to deal with complex, current issues that wasn't executed all too well. the comparisons between what was happening in the book (still not too sure what was rly going on) and the holocaust didn't really feel right. tbh i think the virus is closer to the black plague bc i don't think it discriminates based on race or social class and it kind of just kills everyone. it's only prevalent in areas with all the refugees bc of the living situations they're in. also with the amount of scenes where nothing happened, i think we deserved more scenes with the level iv cadets besides them drinking and doing drugs all the time. please let them be teenagers and have fun. please.

pretty art didn't save me from pain, i see...

Leni Bulat

It made me extremely sad how underrated the Feverwake duology books are. They are such an amazing books with amazing characters, amazing plot, amazing plot twists and amazing relationships. Eventho its set in a fantasy setting it shows many true and real problems many people have to go thro. The deportation, the grooming,the wars, having to deal with death, complicated relationships, eating disorders, sexual assault, stereotypes and fucked up politicals and government. Please if you haven’t read the books.

Micchi von Cross

Okay look. Let me be honest here.

There were several points in this book that made me very nearly put it down and walk away, and I mean that as the highest of compliments.

It wasn't the writing style (easy to slip into, but laden with delightful foreshadowing and nuance and shades of gray). It wasn't the plot (my heart still sighs over the plot!), or the characters (complex, fleshed out, motivated).

It was the simple fact that everything in this book, whether fantastical or mundane, rang so *true* and felt so real. Maybe it's because I'm a Durham native, and grew up with the main setting all around me, but I could so easily hear and smell and *taste* Ninth and Broad and Brightleaf Square. 

The characters were amazing. So many times I yelled at Noam and Dara and Ames, broken souls just trying to piece together something of a life. 

I didn't know if I hated Lehrer, or Sascha, or both or neither. They both wormed into my head, leaving me as lost and confused (in a good way!) as Noam, right up until the major reveals. And even then, those reveals, I could easily look back and go "oh, that makes sense yep."

But that's why I nearly walked away, multiple times. Because I was so invested. So entwined. Each new pitfall made my heart ache, as if it were happening to me.

I am VERY excited to continue this series.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book from somewhere, I think it was from @yatllive, but I’m not entirely sure. But thank you to the publisher regardless! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Fever King

Author: Victoria Lee

Book Series: Feverwake Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: LGBT main character, he’s bi and he’s also Jewish!

Publication Date: March 1, 2019

Genre: YA Dystopian Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (death, violence, gore, some slight animal abuse, immigration issues, and abuse/torture mention)

Publisher: Skyscrape

Pages: 409

Amazon Link

Synopsis: In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.

Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.

Review: So I never read the synopsis of books and I mostly go off short 140 character blurbs from twitter or what the book is a mix of (I know, not the best way to choose books but twice burned twice shy). So I did not know this was a dystopian virus book and damn it was so good. The characters were amazingly well developed and complex, the story was intriguing, the magic system was super well explained, and the pacing was on point! I loved every bit of this book and Victoria Lee has become one of my all time faves now!

My only issue is that all of the timelines and the extras that are in the book threw off the rhythm of the book because they were just placed in the end of the chapter, but I also had an arc so I’m sure this was more developed in the final book.

Verdict: If you feel sick this is the perfect pick me up!

Ariel Himboi

UPDATE: Please look for my review on A Lesson In Vengeance... I'm so done

Dani C

The Fever King was chosen for my book club and is not something I would usually read, especially during a pandemic. That said, I was pleasantly surprised. While Fever King absolutely has its dark, morally grey moments (and a LOT of them), and was realistic in the ways people treat each other, it was unrealistic enough about the pandemic itself that I was able to appreciate it. The magic in this world isn't as developed as I would prefer, but perhaps how magic works is better explained in the sequel. 
Character wise, I struggled with Noam. There were many times where his angst absolutely read like a YA novel, even though there's plenty going on in the story itself that begs the attention of an older audience. That said, the confusion and uncertainty his character goes through was very realistic and imaginable if a kid similar to him found themselves in the positions he's put in throughout the novel. I just wanted MORE from him. 
I won't be reading the sequel, but for a YA fantasy dystopian novel I was pleasantly surprised that I finished the book and didn't hate it.

The Fever King

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