Book Review: The Fever King by 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.

Title: The Fever King
Author: Victoria Lee
Publisher: Skyscape
Format: Kindle Copy
Publication Date: March 1st 2019
Goodreads//Amazon
Rating: 4.8//5

This book was 100% not what I expected. I bought it when it first came out, kind of forgot about it, and forgot the synopsis completely.

I remembered that magic was a “virus” and it takes place in our world, that’s about it.

But I wasn’t expecting this book to feel so real.

I immediately fell in love with so many characters – even the ones that were 100% assholes, because they were so human like. It’s refreshing to read a book with teenagers that think and act like teenagers. They swear, they think they’re the top of the universe, they’re insecure, they’re wonderful, troubled, little humans and I LOVE THEM.

Let’s dive into the actual humans though:

Noam: a bisexual, bi-racial boy who just wants to live his life. He works with computers, takes care of his father, and works with the resistance. But when the virus hits his neighborhood he loses everything – and gains magical abilities.

Noam is the type of boy you just want to hold in your arms – he has a good heart, he’s trusting, and even though he has seen his share of horrors, he’s got this innocent/naive thing going on.

Dara: the adopted son of Lehrer, he’s lived a lot of his life hidden from the public, but put on display for political and magical purposes. He seems tough and cold at first, but his shell slowly breaks and you realize how strong and wonderful he is.

Lehrer – OH MAN. He’s gay, he’s Jewish, he was the King of Carolina but now rules more from the sidelines – he’s been alive since before the virus, and has a secret or two.

This book is fantasy, the magic, the virus, the world so similar to our own, but sometimes it was hard not to see modern day moments in the story.

Noam’s immigration story from Atlantia, his mother’s suicide, and the political atmosphere in general – they were all so real, so similar to real life moments that so many people experience every day. (Ya know, minus the magic and the extended life line of Lehrer)

ALSO THERE IS MY FAVORITE TYPE OF ROMANCE.

slow, beautiful, heart-wrenching romance, that will make you over the moon with joy, cry as your heart is ripped into a million pieces, and just turn into a horrible mess.

Okay, I’m being a little dramatic but I promise I’m all here for this romance its my favorite.

I could talk forever about the plot – but I’d give away so many spoilers and there’s so many wonderful moments that you need to experience for yourself the first time.

But the end. OH MAN. The end. This book is going in one direction – there’s love in the air, there’s a conspiracy involving a government official, there’s murder.

And. then. everything. fucking. changes.

Seriously, in just a few short sentences this book turns UPSIDE DOWN and suddenly everything you thought you knew was wrong. And of course, this book leaves you desperately needing more and longing for the second book.

(And FYI…I’ve read The Electric Heir, I actually started it IMMEDIATELY after finishing The Fever King and I promise it is everything you could want in the sequel. Stay tuned for my review of that one in a few weeks!!)

Have you read The Fever King? What did you think?