I tried, I really tried, but ended up DNFing this book. and it breaks my heart, but it just wasn't for me.

I loved the premise, cover, and the intentions of the story. However, it just wasn't my cuppa, sadly. I think, for me, it came across too young in both perspective and style. But if the younger end of YA is your jam, this may totally appeal to you! I still recommend others give it a try.

I tried really hard to like this book however it just wasn’t in my wheelhouse to read, I think it felt a little too young for me even though I really loved the concept and I think there is a lot of potential in this story.

Came for the cover and blurb, stayed for the amazing story! Absolutely loved this and can’t wait to see what happens next

I don't review, but I consider books for inclusion in blogs, library events, and other opportunities :-)

I don't know why it took me this long to read this. but! I finally read it and really enjoyed it.
I still haven't read the sequel (and will do a proper full review on my insta, when I finish the duology), but this was really good. the world that victoria lee has created is incredibly fascinating and detailed. the characters shine throughout the novel, so much so that it's impossible not to care about them. I can't wait to continue.

I gave this book a quick try, and ultimately decided to DNF -- my tastes have changed since I requested this. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

Ahh. This book has so many things.

The themes, the characters, the magic, the discourse on immigration. And I love me some bisexual representation.

I had a hard time getting into the story at first. It’s a dystopian setting, and there was a lot of world building going on in the beginning. Once I got my head around the setting, though, I was hooked.

I needed to get to the bottom of the politics. I needed to know who Noam could trust. And, per usual, I needed romance.

There is something for everyone in this book, and I’m so looking forward to the rest of this new series. 🖤

I had very high hopes for this duology as I’d read only rave reviews and dystopian fiction used to be my favourite genre however there was something about this book that sadly just didn’t fully engage my interest. I enjoyed the beginning of this novel where we got to know Noam but as the story continued I lost interest. However I will definitely be giving this series a second chance at a later date, I don’t think it’ll become a favourite of mine but I think it might deserve more than three stars I’ve currently given it.

I do not provide literary reviews but I create "fiction food" inspired by the book. I was given a Netgalley copy of the book by the publicist/author/ magazine publisher to create fiction food (photo + recipes) for use in marketing.

https://issuu.com/curiositales/docs/2019_march_curiositales_magazine

+ Rich dystopian world
+ Intriguing plot full of twists
+ Compelling characters and relationships
+ Addictive writing
- Rushed ending

This is a tough book to review because it was a tough book to read. It deals with a ton of tough subjects which makes the content hard to read at points (I believe the author has a full list of TWs on their blog, and I definitely recommend looking into them before starting the book). However, Lee still wrote an extremely compelling novel nonetheless that seemed to handle these topics with grace and care.

The first 80% of this book was so insanely addictive. I couldn't put it down! I was reading this book with a friend, and it was difficult to stick to the schedule we had set to ourselves. The way Lee built up the intrigue and mystery in the story had me hooked for any scrap of information. My friend and I spent hours theorizing on who was behind everything, who we could trust, and the truth behind magic and Lehrer. I seriously had not been so roped into a dystopian story in a while. There was just something so well written about the characters, the plot, and the setting, and each new kernel of information was both so horrifying and intriguing that I couldn't look away. (My friend compared it to wanting to look away from a car crash but being unable to). I also really enjoyed Lee's writing style. It was not overly convoluted yet perfectly conveyed the story, and added to my enjoyment of the book. It was a large reason of why I couldn't stop reading, as the way the sentences bled into each other made it easier to keep on reading rather than stop and take a break.

Dara and Noah were also fantastic characters, especially in contrast to each other. I loved their relationship, but I also love how they countered each other in the setting. Dara and Noah were opposites in many ways, and it worked to build a fuller image of the world the two inhabited. We don't just see Noah's naive view of his new government position and his magic, but Dara's hatred of it, and it causes the reader to think more on scenes and moments that may not give Noah himself reason to worry. It led to increased engagement overall because of this. Additionally, I also just really liked the pair of them, and their banter was fantastic.

While this is a strong debut, I feel there are still aspects where Lee can grow. I felt this especially in the ending, as it felt like there was a ton of build-up decently spaced out, only for the ending to be a string of revelations that all of a sudden had to be revealed in the last 10%. It made the ending feel rushed, and while it also forced me into the second book, it did so a bit roughly. (And honestly, having finished book 2, it had the same issue except there was no sequel to fall into). I feel like the ending needed a bit more time and space to breathe, and it would've been perfect.

While this book was very predictable, the characters were really what shine through. I can't speak on how well the gay romance was represented as I am not a queer man, but neither is the author, so I would refer to gay reviewers on how well the representation was. Still, we love seeing more queer stories, and more queer authors (I believe the author is nonbinary). The main character is very stubborn and makes some questionable decisions, but this book is definitely addicting. I would recommend it if you're looking to add more rep to your shelf, or if you're looking for a fun sci-fi with a queer protagonist.

DNF'd 20% in.

I'm gutted about this one, I had such high hopes. And this is the second time I'm DNF'ing this book.
Noam is not a compelling enough character to carry the relatively boring story line, and I didn't care about any of it to be honest. Really gutted.

There was a lot of hype around this book and for the most part it lived up to it. This YA title is pretty mature and in a dark world. It was a definite page turner.

Feverwake was a title that I was super excited to be approved for but I picked it up two different times and wasn’t feeling it. It took a buddy read for me to pick it back up again. Ironically enough, there are themes that are super prevalent to our current life.

The gist of the story is – Set in a future, deconstructed, version of what used to be America, a virus exists that can either kill you or give you a magical ability. Our MC, Noam, is an immigrant whose family fled the virus to a safe zone. After gaining a magic ability from the virus, he’s recruited to the government where he tries to learn the tricks of his new abilities and the secrets that he can use to bring the corrupt government down. Chaos ensues, as it tends to do. There is a male/male romance and some triggering topics such as immigration, brutality by and against officials, rape/coercion, and substance abuse.

I’m not really a big fan of politically-driven novels. I do have an easier time getting interested when it’s a fantasy setting, but it still took awhile for this one. Victoria Lee is fantastic as spinning a clever story that successfully brings together so many layers. Once the story really got going, I ended up enjoying it and looking forward to the second.

Basically every character in this story is morally gray, yet the majority don’t seem to realize it (this feels oddly familiar to life in 2020 politics…) and the romance is full of angst and enemies to lovers – two of my favorite tropes.

I’m not going to lie, the only reason I decided to pick this book up was for the m/m rep, which did not disappoint. I honestly didn’t know much else about it or what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This book was incredibly diverse and the bisexual representation in particular, made me ridiculously happy.
It definitely took me some time to get into the story, as it did start out pretty slow. I found it a bit info-dumpy in some parts and I initially struggled slightly to understand some of the world building. There was also a fair amount of technological and science talk that went completely over my head. Things did make more sense as the story went along though, and it really started to heat up during the last 100 or so pages. Holy shit did it get intense!

Even during the slower moments, the writing and plot still managed to keep me intrigued throughout and I found myself constantly trying to figure out who to trust and what people’s motives were. The whole concept of the book was unlike anything I’ve ever read. The idea of magic being a kind of virus that not many people were able to survive was such an interesting take on it.

Most importantly, I actually cared about the characters, which really does make all of the difference. It was very much a character driven book and I appreciated all of the little moments that went into developing their relationships.

I really liked Noam as the main character and I found him realistic and quite relatable at times, especially when he didn’t instantly fit in with everyone else when he first arrived at level IV. I loved how he refused to turn his back on where he came from and his passion to strive for change. He could sometimes be a bit too blinkered, however, and there were times when I was frustrated with his character, but the reasons behind some of those moments were made clearer as the story progressed.
The other characters didn’t really play much of a part for me to have any strong feelings about, but I did like Ames a lot. I hope that the next book gives us more development for these characters as well !

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED, ADORED, HAD VERY HIGH EXPECTATIONS for the concept and worldbuilding... and was sorely disappointed. Bleh.

I liked this book well enough. The writing was good and the world was interesting. I feel like some parts could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall I enjoyed it.

I loved it! Can’t wait to read the next one, I was intrigued the whole time and kept turning the pages. I Finished so fast, and I mean, look at the cover. It’s gorgeous!!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.