Sci-fi and fantasy titles can be quite tricky to execute. However, I was excited at the prospect of The Fever King, but also a little unsure. Striking a balance between the science fiction and fantasy can be difficult, stories often leaning one way or another. However, the magic, science, and a dystopian society combined into a lovely siren call, demanding to be read. Once I started, it felt like a mad dash to finish this enthralling story, full of politics, rebellion, a sprinkling of romance, and magic. This is definitely one to add to your shelves, especially if you enjoy science based magic systems. However, it does tackle some darker themes like sexual assault, so if you find that triggering, reconsider picking up this book.
Our main character is Noam, a sixteen-year-old living in the former United States in the nation of Carolinia. He finds himself the sole survivor of viral magic, a disease that has taken the life of his family and made him a technopath, adept with technology. Life for him was already hard, the son of undocumented immigrants, fighting for the rights of refugees. He accepts the offer of the minister to learn the science behind using his magic, if only to be able to help the refugees Carolinia brushes aside with cold cruelty. He plans to double cross the minister until he meets his son, a beautifully cruel young man with many secrets who derails his plans and very thoughts. He’s going to need to figure out who to trust, and how far he is willing to go for the good of humanity.
So… that summary is intense. There’s a lot to unpack in this book, let’s begin with the viral magic. In this world, magic is essentially a disease, something that will ultimately take hold of its host and kill it. Those who don’t die, develop some sort of ability: healing, technopathy (like Noam), or a variety of other powers. I wasn’t sure how well this would be explained but was surprised by how thorough and logically it was explained. It was very well done, especially in explaining how magic can be expanded into other powers…all down to science.
The characters, man the characters. It’s a diverse cast to be sure, both in ethnicity and in sexuality. Noam is complex and fierce. His love of his parents shines through in the little anecdotes that Lee sprinkles throughout the book. He’s got the heart and mind of a rebel, despite developing some misguided beliefs. Dara is a compelling and enigmatic force to reckon with. He’s something else. You’ll spend half the book trying to figure out where his loyalty lies. Plus, his backstory is so heartrending. Oh, and let’s not forget our villain(s). One feeding off of the energy of oppressing refugees at any opportunity, and the other is more sinister. I think readers will fall prey to his vulnerability, and that is where Lee will turn you right into a wall. By the end of the book, you’ll be taking second glances at everyone.
Romance-wise, it was enjoyable, although at times it felt forced and a little rushed. I felt like it could have been taken a little slower and seemed more genuine, but I still loved Noam and Dara nonetheless. However, it is certainly a relationship that I feel needs to be explored a little more to make it more meaningful, I hope the next book will do just that.
As you go through the book, you get these little snippets into what the world was like a little before the overthrowing of the United States, and afterwards as well from the perspective of the minister. It adds another dimension to the story, as well as some set up to the events to come. I honestly went back through these when I finished the story because it all comes together into a puzzle you’ve only just begun to solve.
If I had to pick something about the book that I didn’t enjoy it would be some of the more political and information heavy aspects of the book. However, this is to help set up the world and events that are relevant to the story, so it does work, it just took me a little longer to get through because it tended to come in heavier chunks. The story went much quicker toward the end, but the beginning took me a little longer to get through than most other books I read recently.
Overall, I would rate The Fever King a 9 out of 10. It’s an excellent story with some really well-developed characters, but a slight underdeveloped romance (in my opinion). Moreover, the world-building and politics sometimes felt difficult to get through. However, I do feel that this story has been able to strike a good balance between science fiction and fantasy, even more importantly with a genuinely diverse cast that feels genuine to read. I look forward to the sequel!
The Fever King is available now from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
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