TW: Alcoholism / Drug Use / Abuse / Child Abuse / Emotional Abuse / Sexual Abuse / Sex with a Minor / Losing a Loved One

For a while there I heard so much about The Fever King on my twitter timeline that when the opportunity arose to read an e arc I took it right away. Clearly this was a good decision because I read it in one sitting, losing track of all time. Is it perfect, no? But it certainly packs quite a few punches.

The Fever King is an interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy where in the future people can get infected with a magical virus. The few that survive get magical abilities. Our main character Noam becomes one of them at the start of the book, leaving him in a interesting position. As a child of refugees he is quite looked down upon by the others. The government has never been his friend and now he is smack in the middle of it all.

The world building is in ways good when it comes to the present situation inDurham, Carolinia. I got a very good idea of the situation with politics, the refugees and so on. However I found the past situation incredibly confusing, not helped by the fact that one of these magical abilities survivors who started a Carolinia is still alive at a 120+. I really hope that in the next book there is going to be a more clear explanation about what happened there. What was EXACTLY the event in our time that triggered this all.

I quite liked Noam as a character. He is such a caring hard working boy who has been put in such hard situations. He tries to so hard to toughen up and hide how much he cares because he keeps getting hurt. But he can’t. The way he draws to Dara shows that. Dara in his way is better at wearing a mask than Noam is but there was no way those two weren’t going to get drawn to each other. (But dangit Dara, you should have opened up your mouth much sooner about some things)

As you can see from the trigger warnings this book does pack a punch, especially nearing the ending where Noam and Dara really have some difficult conversations about things that happened to them. What is still happening to them. And also some actions. Prepare to go up and down and wanting to hug the boys and girl from all those terrible things. I know I did.

One point I have though, is that I wasn’t necessarily a fan of how the use of alcohol and drug use (once) were so casually put in.

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.

The short blurb bit: The first thing I want to write is that “The Fever King” is going straight onto my list of best books of 2019. Yes, I’m that confident. I read a lot of books, always have, and when I read one that has an original concept … presented in a way that I absolutely love – it makes me a little giddy.

The descriptive bit: The book begins with sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro. He lives in the USA of the future, an immigrant whose family fled outbreaks of a magical virus. Yes! A virus that spreads magic… but the kicker is most people don’t survive. The people who manage to survive the magical fever and wake up become “Witchings”.

Noam works at a small store and volunteers his time at a refugee center. He’s a self-taught computer whiz and hacker and uses his skills to fight for refugee rights. Noam lost his mother when he was young and his father is now unreachable… so Noam’s beliefs and his work are his way of getting by day-to-day.

Then everything changes. Very early on in the book, Noam heads home to find his father and neighbor ill. He soon realizes that there’s a viral outbreak… and he has been infected.

The next thing Noam knows he is waking up and being drawn into a very different world. Noam survived the virus. He’s a witching. And the Nation of Carolinia wants him to work for them. Immersed in a new world, Noam struggles to maintain his ideals while learning that things may not be what he’s always thought they were.

My thoughts bit: There are a few things that I love about this book. Let me start with the description of how the “Witchings” use their magical powers. I loved Lee’s premise that magic is based on an underlying knowledge of science. For instance, if you want to master the power of telekinesis you must have an in-depth knowledge of physics, matter, gravity etc. (Trust me when I say this is wonderfully written, I’m not doing it justice in my summation). I fell in love with the idea that even though one could be granted the potential to perform magical acts, that like many other things it had to be learned.

The second thing that I found quite moving in this novel was the relationship between Noam and Dara. This is not a book for readers who want to read about a relationship that progresses quickly and for that I was truly grateful. The interactions between Noam and Dara swing between tolerating each other and inexplicably drawn together. The reasons for their connection and the friction between them become clear towards the end of the novel, but you know I’m not going to give it away. The way they care for each other is as complex and convoluted as the world they live in.

This was one of those books that I couldn’t stop reading. The end … good GRIEF. I’m telling you, I’m already clicking around like mad on the internet to find out when I can preorder the second book! yes. It’s a series. (If you could see the smile on my face as I type that).

The warnings bit: There are some mentions of abuse (power imbalance and physical), substance abuse (self-medicating), statutory rape.

I received a Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

At first, I honestly found this book tough to get into. It wasn’t until I was on chapter 5 or so that I got hooked. I really liked the magic mixed with science of this world and found that super interesting.

Once I got into the book, I quickly fell in love with Noam. I was cheering for him and screaming at my book saying “just kiss already!” when the relationship that was building wasn’t going fast enough. I love a slow burn and felt that it was the perfect amount of burn!

Also the ending kind of blew me out of the water. I started to suspect things weren’t as they seemed but it wasn’t until the end that everything started to make sense. I cannot wait for book two because I need to know what happens to Noam and Dara!

This book is a perfect blend of dystopian, sci-fi, and fantasy. I highly recommend it to people who enjoyed Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Queen.

Outbreaks of magic was happening.killing all the people in durham.The neighbor Hood around Noams work Is rough with robberies happening.i couldn't get absorbed in Noams work and what was happening.

This book left me with a lot of feelings, none of which I know how to deal with. Even though I feel like Noam and I are very different people, I can't help but feel bad for him and want to hug him and protect him. He has gone through so much and the pain it still not over.

I really enjoyed the talk about refugees and politics, really seeing through someone and their stand on things and how, even though you think you can trust and connect with someone, you later on find out that they might have ulterior motives behind their actions. The political intrigue and commentary was strong with this one.

This book also provided a ship that I'll absolutely die for and that if anything happens to either of them or they don't end up happy, I'll self-destruct.

I feel like it also important to mention that this book contains some sensitive subjects that might make many readers uncomfortable, such as: mentions of suicide, death, rape, abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, strong political corruption (I'm mentioning this because, although I can't go into details for spoiler reasons, stuff is messed up) and more.

I feel like The Fever King is a must read. Not only does it include important and amazing representation (bi and marginalized characters), it also provides a wonderful and adventure filled story. I seriously cannot wait for the next book!

The Quick Cut: A teen boy is left the sole survivor after a viral magic takes him over and loses his family in the process. Chaos and emotions break loose when his newfound abilities catch the attention of leaders.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Skyscape for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Noam Alvarez's world is turned upside down when he is left the sole survivor of a viral magic that kills the rest of his family. The magic in his veins turned him into a technopath: someone who can control technology using his abilities alone. However, when his magic turns him into the attention of the Minister of Defense - suddenly he goes from unknown undocumented immigrant to magical elite. Will his new status empower him to stand for his beliefs or forget them altogether?

The premise for this book is so capturing, I knew I had to get my hands on this book. The cover art is so gorgeous, how could you not fall for it?!?! Too bad you can't judge a book by it's cover though... Because if we could, this review would be startlingly opposite to what you see now.

A gorgeous cover and amazing premise can't save this book from its many pitfalls. It's a novel that weighs in at a heavy 400 plus pages, but feels like double that due to the slow rate of story progression. The frustratingly slow unravel can work in books where the landscape is gorgeous and the characters are explained in elaborate detail. However, neither is done here and that makes it a tough one to get through.

It all falls unfortunately flat under the weight of its own lack of depth and description. To build even more into the mishap, the lack of detail even creates confusion when you realize that your assumptions in landscape and situational details are wrong! I wish I could say something nice about the book that I liked, but it was reading hours spent annoyed at the lack of opportunities used.

Don't waste your time reading this story that fails in every way to live to its beautiful premise.

My rating: 1 out of 5

A good if slightly predictable action adventure. Noam survives a virus that leaves its' survivors with strange powers and is immediately co-opted for use by the (corrupt, as always) government. He learns how to use his powers, planning to overthrow the government until he meets the son of the minister in charge of him.

It's well written with a couple of minor twists. As with most YA nowadays, it ends on a cliffhanger. I'll probably pick up the next one, but I won't be desperate to read it; I'll get to it sometime.

Not a bad read, but not fantastic either.

Thank you for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I wanted and more. The romance was great. The magic was unique and brilliant. I loved all the characters!

I really hope there is going to be a second book!

**3.5 stars**

This is one of the few times I don’t know what to make of a book after I finish it.

“The Fever King” tells the story of a future where the country is in shambles and real world politics including immigration and the refugee crisis plays out with a magic touch as Noam finds himself on the other side of a war when he survives the plague to become a witchling. With his new found power and a place on the inside he finds himself struggling with his loyalty as those from the past and his present both fight for a new world.

There is a lot that happens in this book and I have to admit at certain points it got a little muddied as to what was happening as both sides of this conflict rose up to the events in the climax and it was a little hard to follow along but it does manage to smooth itself out in the quieter moments.

That being said can we all cry for Dara? I don’t think I’ve gotten this protective over a character since my dear sweet fox who will remain nameless so I don’t spoil anyone and let me tell you I’m a wreck. There were more than a few moments throughout the book where I got that sick feeling in my stomach and to have that entire emotional reveal in the midst of chaos and the aftermath of that conversation was absolutely heartbreaking.

For a young adult book this story contains heavy themes and language that definitely fits the situations at hand but isn’t often seen in the genre, it didn’t bother me as I read but I could see some people on the younger side of the audience who might have issues.

There’s not much that I can say about this book as a whole as the plot tried to do too much too quick without a real statement, as of yet, to the big picture politics it’s commenting on though there are clear nods of that symbolism to present day, but Noam and more importantly Dara are the main reasons I plan on continuing with the series and I hope the rest can catch up with their greatness.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

How to even begin with this book....this is a breath of fresh air. Many books in the YA genre seem to view their readers as children who need to be protected from big ideals, social commentary, or from the darker sides of the human condition. This book doesn't do that. It is unflinching when it comes to sex, philosophy, social erosion, and even cursing. It just toes the line of YA if the main characters were a bit older which honestly in my opinion would have only strengthened the book and its subject matter then this easily could have been a regular adult novel. The writing is wonderful and fast paced. For me this was a highly anticipated book because of its representation for people of color, jewish people, and lgbtq people. The book did not in any way disappoint. However given that the main characters are dropping Marxist and Leninist philosophical arguments every chapter the fact that these are mostly teenagers made the book feel at times a little ridiculous and heavy handed. Its difficult to take a 16 year old anarchist seriously especially when he routinely thumbs his nose at better judgment and attacks every whim he has with a petulant my way or the highway attitude. That said the book was a fun read and managed to create a fresh take on magic and what people would do with it if it suddenly emerged in our world.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this early copy!

I felt that parts dragged a bit for me but overall it was a unique YA Fantasy with interesting characters. I would recommend this one if you like slow burn plots and a heavy focus on characters.

Wow. Amazing. With a voice that sings and characters that dance with your heart, The Fever King is sometimes light, sometimes dark, but always fantastic. I cannot wait to read more from the author.

It was coverlove at first sight when I saw The Fever King first mentioned and after investigating further I really liked the sound of the blurb was well. I think that magic acting like a virus is a fascinating idea and a great starting point for a new series... The Fever King is set in a dystopian alternative future where a magical virus has been killing a lot of people for more than a century; the survivors end up being witchings with supernatural powers. They are basically a mix between witches and superheroes and it is an interesting take on the whole 'a spider bit me' phenomenon. Not everything about the plot might be all that original, but it is the characters who make this story stand out for me. For a YA dystopian series, there is a lot of focus on the characters rather than the dystopian world, but in this case I didn't mind that much. Would I have liked to see more development of the alternative future the characters have to struggle in? Maybe. But Noam, Dara and even Lehrer make up for those holes and make this story worthwhile. Noam and Dara are easy to like and it was interesting seeing their characters and interaction evolve over time. Even Lehrer proved to be an interesting character, although I did had my guesses about him which turned out to be right... The other characters could have had more character development though. I did like how none of the three main characters is clearly good or bad, the author instead opting for blurred lines and basically humanity. The story started out quite slow, but picked up in the second half up to the point that it felt like a race against the clock. The writing is overall engaging and makes it easy to get to know and root for certain characters. Some of the plot twists were easy to guess and I didn't agree with everything, but overall this was without doubt a very entertaining start of a new series. It does end with a cliffhanger though, so you've been warned...

A soft 3 stars. This is an urban fantasy novel that feels more like science fiction/alternative history. It's the 22nd century, and North America is divided into several different countries in the aftermath of a worldwide disaster. A magical plague that first hit back in our day that kills over 90% of the people who get infected with the virus. Those who survive have a variety of magical powers.

Noam is a bisexual refugee in the country of Carolinia, the son of a Jewish mother and a Hispanic father (how's that for diversity representation?). When he survives a plague outbreak that kills his father and most of the people he knows, he emerges with magical powers over technology that make him very valuable to the people in charge. Noam accepts his new role as the minister's protege, but plans to use his new position and power to bring down the government, which has been extremely hostile to refugees. But then things get complicated ...

The writing is a little disjointed and unclear for the first half (I really wanted more worldbuilding). I wasn't really enjoying it, just plowing through. But then it gets much clearer, and the ending is exciting, with some solid twists and turns. This is the first book in a series, and though it doesn't leave you with a terrible cliffhanger, the story is clearly unfinished.

The Fever King has had its share of hype around the blogosphere, on bookish social media and more and I have to say, I was both very intrigued and very nervous to read this book. I tried my best to get in with close to no expectations at all and then… well, then I started reading this book and I was swallowed whole. By these words, this world, these characters, everything.

A CAPTIVATING WORLD
💭
Victoria Lee takes us in an apocalyptic United States where magical viruses spread, either killing people or giving them magical powers. It is a delicious mixture of fantasy and dystopia, artfully done and mixing science, politics and magic in such a way that’s absolutely captivating from page one. Everything is so well detailed and thought of, the picture painted feels vivid and so terrifyingly real, I loved it. If it took me a little while to grasp the world and the way it worked, once I did, I was amazed and completely immersed into it, Victoria Lee’s beautiful writing helping in the way. I loved how different, yet how familiar this world felt, too. So, so well done.

A GREAT CAST OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL, AMAZING CHARACTERS
💭
You know me: I live for good characters in my books and boy, did that deliver in The Fever King. I rooted and could feel for Noam, the main character, right away and I just adored how complex and how human he was, somehow that really jumped off the page. His growth, from struggling to fighting back, is stunning for sure, but what I appreciated the most is how he keeps on questioning himself about right, wrong, who is he and what he will do for justice. Also I just wanted to protect him from everything and everyone and when that happens, you know this is a character I LOVE.

The side characters made me just as happy (or…well angry, depending on the situation), everyone well thought-of and the most important ones rightly developed on page. Dara was this sweet tortured complex soul that I quite couldn’t understand, at first, but as we peeled the layers and got to know his own trauma, I could feel for him and love him, too.

I also loved that The Fever King manages to give depth to its villains, too, making their motives compelling and not without a harsh background either.

There is romance in The Fever King, yet somehow it does not take all that space, like it happens sometimes in these kind of books. It’s a slow, rightly paced, complex romance that makes you root for them right from the start and until the very end, your heart warming and breaking along with them, too.

OVERALL
💭
You know when a book stays with you for a while that it made quite an impression and as I write this a little time after actually reading the book, I realized that’s it. The Fever King did make an impression on me and I can’t wait for the world to read it. Definitely recommending it for fantasy/dystopia fans, with amazing diverse, complex characters, twists and turns and heartbreaks and well, if you love a good book, you should read this one.

Truthfully . . . I was not expecting to fall so in love with The Fever King. I make it a point to not expect much from anything new I read now because there have been some cases of over-hyping that make the book even more of a disappointment. Fortunately, The Fever King lived up to the hype and then some. This book entranced me from the very beginning with its magic.

The writing is so so so good, both the prose and the world-building. I found myself irritated at times with some characters' inability to communicate, but that was actually a good thing. It was intentional for character arcs and for certain reveals throughout the book. In other words, I was actually affected by the happenings of this book; it was like I was there in the world with the characters.

Lee sends us into a world that is fully developed. I got slight vibes from The Darkest Minds, in that both are set in a fractured US after the epidemic of a disease that leaves magical powers. Here, the powers are rooted in science; your presenting power stems from something you have an intrinsic knowledge of, and you can develop different powers from there. For example, Noam is a technopath and can manipulate technology, and he eventually develops telekinesis after forming a better understanding of physics.

I would genuinely lay down my life for these characters. Dara, if you're reading this, know that I love you. Noam is a great protagonist and I love following the story from his point of view. And a bi main character! I love!! Truly, I don't know how much more I can articulate my love for them and the other characters in Level IV without giving away spoilers, so just know that I am desperate for their happiness and I cannot bear to see them suffering (the next book is really going to hit me hard, huh).

I absolutely cannot wait for The Electric Heir after that ending. This book gripped me with its politics and its idealism, the characters and their relationships. The Fever King's magic is lasting, in that you won't be able to put this book down, nor will you be able to stop thinking about it when you finally have to; it's exhilarating and heartbreaking and hot, it's bold and extraordinary, it's magical and thought-provoking, it's . . . electrifying.

**This post will be up on March 22, 2019, as a part of the blog tour.**

Wow! This book was amazing from start to finish. I loved it so much that I went online and purchased the hardcover for me and my friend. I was absolutely blown away and now I can’t wait for everyone to read this book.

What do you get when you mix politics, immigration, magic, and a fantastic M/M romance? You get the greatness that is The Fever King, is what you get.

Honestly I had no idea what I was in for when I first heard about The Fever King. I mean once upon a time I stayed away from all books having to do with fantasy and magic and here I was wanting to read this debut that was not only a fantasy including magic, but also was a politically driven story. I truly wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. But I had nothing to be worried about. The Fever King ended up being a fantastic journey with a lot of unexpected twists and turns (and a last 20% of the book leaving you breathless), and the perfect way to kick off a new series.

The Fever King is a book about Noam, the son on undocumented immigrants, who is orphaned after viral magic takes his father and leaves Noam with the ability to control technology. Now Noam has the interest of the minister of defense and his life is not his own anymore. As Noam gets further and further into this new life and closer to Calix Lehrer he is soon learning things about himself and his government that he can’t unknow and meeting people {DARA!!!!} that will forever change his life.

It’s hard for me to pinpoint what I enjoyed so much about The Fever King. I guess when I think about it it was all of the components as a whole that made it such a great reading experience. The story flowed easily and the characters had a naturalness to them that I appreciated. I also really loved that the plot felt so now and current and it felt like something I hadn’t read before. Noam, Dara and Calix are people I found myself wanting to know more about and I can’t wait to get book 2 so I can.

I’m trying to think of what to tell you to make this a book you will want to read. Will telling you it is a fantasy that is heavily based in technology do the trick? What about if I say it is a LGBT book with two adorable boys? What about if I tell you about how politics and immigration plays a huge role in the story? So much awesomeness and not enough words to describe it. Instead I will just tell you, READ THE BOOK and be done with it.

It’s hard to say in a sentence what The Fever King is about.

You could say it’s about Noam, a Jewish Latino bisexual teen who survives the magic virus that kills most of the population and leaves him a witching, status which grants him a spot among the people he and his family have always fought against. You could say it’s about impossible decisions and the line between right and wrong. You could say it's about intergenerational trauma and what it does to the individual and to a community.

The Fever King is a book that will draw you in and make you care about the characters and the story. Even if you are not familiar with the genre (I would say it’s YA political fantasy/dystopia), the narrating voice of Noam guides you through the book in a way that draws from more light-hearted YA books. That is to say, Noam is a joy to read and he manages to make you smile and laugh even amidst all the stuff that goes on in the book. Sometimes I found like this could have been toned down a little, and at times I felt like the type of narrative used was more proper of a first person POV than the third person used here, but that's just a personal preference.

I loved the magic system and the fact that, even with magic powers, people still need to know the science behind what they’re doing (eg knowing physics in order to move objects with telekinetics). That's something I wish was more present in books with magic because it's always so interesting to see and much better than when magic has no explanation or rules.

One of the strongest things this book has to offer are the many political themes that I don’t feel qualified enough/entitled to talk about. I encourage you to read Victoria Lee's words about some of the themes that shape this book.

I'm not going to lie, I struggled a lot (for months!) trying to write a review, because this is such an important book and I felt so bad not giving it a full five stars. I also read an early copy and I don't know how much the final product will be edited, but I fully plan on rereading it because the only problems I had were in the writing, which to me feels somewhat debut-y. I felt like the worldbuilding could've been better interwoven into the plot instead of being sometimes dumped in a big bulk. Sometimes it was tell-y instead of show-y, and I think certain *hints* were a little too obvious for my tastes.

Those are just my personal preferences though, and I don't want anyone to think that this isn't an incredible debut. There were so many points that made me laugh out loud and others made me SCREAM because they were some of the most evil things I've seen done by an author, and I mean that in the best way possible of course.

Some reasons you shouldn't go into this book is if you're expecting it to be about 100% good people (they're not) and also if you don't like gay shit. But in that case you can gently go fuck yourself and it's your loss I guess, because e v e r y o n e in this book is wonderfully queer.

TWs: list of trigger warnings on the author's website, plus a few I feel like adding: sickness resulting in death of a child, mention of c.p., murder, blood, gore.