The Fever King follows Noam Álvaro, in the aftermath of a viral magic outbreak that left him the only survivor. When he wakes up he is a witchling, a part of Carolinia's magical elite and is brushing shoulders with people that he and his family have spent their whole lives fighting against.

It's there Noam meets Lehrer, the enigmatic Minister of Defense and one time king and Lehrer's son, Dara. Though Noam sets out to use his insider knowledge to bring down Chancellor Sacha's government his situation becomes precarious as his loyalties are tested and the line between right and wrong become increasingly blurred.

The Fever King was an amasing, intense and wonderful ride. For the first part of the book I was leaning towards a solid 4 stars but as the web was woven tighter and tighter around Noam, with all his fire, the intensity and the stakes get higher and higher. I'm obviously keeping this vague given it's not out for another four months but people you are in for a treat. The last third in particular is relentless in the very best way.

It's the three main characters that truly shine here. Noam, Dara and Lehrer are so well realised they come to life. Of course this also means you are in for a world of pain as Victoria puts Dara and Noam, my sons, through the ringer. If you have have a weakness for angry boys and softe boys and boys that REALLY need to work on their communication skills (honestly ) prepare to fall in love.

And Lehrer is truly fascinating and magnetic. At 120 something years old he is the most powerful witchling to walk the earth. He survived torture as a child, spearheaded the revolution, overthrew a country and was crowned king at twenty. Lehrer has taken an interest in Noam and Noam wants to trust him but Lehrer's motives and actions are shadowed.

The Fever King is a must-read and a powerful debut from Victoria Lee. The characters are complex, nuanced and wholly human. It makes you think about just how far you would go to do what you think is right and the consequences of such actions. The way these people have been shaped by their experiences, the trauma they've suffered and how they've pulled themselves through the other side. Though there are characters that have committed terrible crimes, Victoria excels at writing them in ways that it's hard to categorise anyone as wholly evil or wholly good, they just are.

Also, Dara my smol son let him sleep.

THE FEVER KING was a force, both timely and dark, and explored and exposed Victoria Lee’s complex characters as well a dire political climate steeped in prejudice and injustice. Threaded throughout the story was a science-based magic system that set the tone for the story, making it somehow sharper, more realistic—and all the more intriguing. And in Noam (the main character), Lee crafted a strong voice, someone filled with the ache and anger of loss, determined to right wrongs, to build relationships—headstrong in his choices regardless of the consequences. His interactions with the other characters in the book, with Dara in particular, showed depth and emotion. This is the kind of book that makes you think, not only about the world within the story, but the one we live in each day. (Be sure to read the author's TW.)

Loved how sharply everything was observed in this book, how inventive and cohesive the world was, and the absolute queerness of all the characters and relationships -- MORE PLEASE

5/5 stars. This book will cut you open in the best way. Victoria's characters are brilliant, magnetic, and endlessly complex, and her world is so meticulously crafted that for weeks after you won't stop thinking about this post-war, magic-ravaged Durham.

Also, I could write an essay about Dara Shirazi alone.

(Essay probably to come.)