Honestly, this review is a hard one to write. I finished the book weeks ago and am still struggling for words. Maybe it's because I'm unsure of how to talk about the subject matter. It was terribly dark - it's a story about abuse (sexual, domestic) and of recovering from it. There are other triggers (like eating disorders, alcohol and drug addiction) in it so if you want to read it, beware. The author's website has a handy list! Thank you Victoria Lee, both for writing this story and posting the triggers. the subject matter here.

The Electric Heir follows Noam and his (ex?) Dara after the events of The Fever King. Under the thrall of Lehrer's evil mind control, Noam chooses to stick around with him to change Carolinia into a better nation, while Dara flees into Atlantia, struck with fevermadness. Flash forward months later: Noam has broken free of Lehrer's persuasion, Dara returns to Carolinia and plots Lehrer's assassination.

Oh my goodness. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. The scenes involving Lehrer made me SO tense, because I was very much aware that he was manipulating and abusing Noam and Noam was...just...trying to survive, believing in what I think was Lehrer's "greater good" excuses. Overall the story's not only a story about youth attempting to carve out a better place (and getting rid of evil dictators), it's also one for abuse victims. One of recovery.

We also meet some cool new characters. There was an Asian bartender I particularly liked - he felt like the PROPER father figure to Dara and not the twisted thing Lehrer was. Plus the side cast from the previous book also played a role. I was glad to see Bethany. She was one of my favorites in The Fever King and she had a bigger role than last time. Plus if you were Dara/Noam shippers, you'll be able to see more depth and a really lovely romantic development <3

So, I hope you'll pick up the book to read (If you're in the right headspace and all) and afterwards don't skip the author's note. Just - please read it.

--

Oh, and one major complaint I have (more like with Netgalley) is the fact that there were chunks of text missing. I was reading using an ipad and the BlueFireReader app. I noticed the text disappeared every time the characters would, I suspect, exchange text messages. I hope I missed nothing important!

I gave The Fever King a 3 star rating and a relatively critical review -- I didn't like it. It felt like so many of the other YA dystopias that I read in middle school, and while I didn't think it was a bad example of the genre, it's one that's been done so much that it's incredibly hard for me to enjoy.

The Electric Heir, on the other hand, was wonderful.

We pick up a few months after we left off and the drama begins almost immediately. I was worried it would take too much of the runtime for Dara to return to Carolinia, but I was happily mistaken. Noam and Dara work together to take down Lehrer from very different angles: Dara as an insurgent planning while on the run, and Noam from the inside as Lehrer's protege.

A lot of the first book followed the magic school plot archetype, which was a lot of why I found it less interesting. By the time we get to The Electric Heir, that's largely done. Dara's lost his powers, Noam has mastered his, all that's left to do is accomplish the quest.

What this book is about is abuse. In the time between the books, Noam has essentially taken Dara's place in terms of his relationship with Lehrer. At the beginning, Noam sees Lehrer as someone with whom he has common trauma (the presumed loss of Dara) and emotional support. Throughout the story, Noam has to work through the process of identifying that relationship as abusive, while simultaneously, we're getting Dara's POV as he begins to heal. We see Dara's pain as he watches someone he loves suffer at the hands of his abuser and work to get him out.

This plotline was much more impactful. The primary emotion I felt while reading The Electric Heir was horror, but that's intentional. Lee's handling of the subject as a survivor herself is delicate and deliberate.

I find it hard to write too much of a review for this book since it's the second book in a series since I don't want to spoil the first. Suffice it to say, I would officially and emphatically recommend this duology (I'm assuming this is a duology -- the end of this book felt like an ending but I may be proven wrong).

If you plan on reading this book I highly recommend reading the full content warning list on the author's website. This book is a lot darker than The Fever King.

Well, this was dark.

There were certainly things I appreciated about the book, particularly the way grooming, rape, and abuse were shown as happening to male characters, as having a long-term impact, and as being something that can happen despite an awareness of warning signs. I found the ending sweet and like being able to finally breathe after a long time.

I found myself a little frustrated by aspects of pacing. A lot of the first two-thirdsish felt as if I was reading repeats of the same scene multiple times, and sometimes there would be abrupt shifts in scene with things having already happened and the event itself just cut out with the reader expected to catch up (e.g. Ames finding out, the Texas sequence). I also can't decide whether the somewhat abrupt conclusion to the plot gave a feeling of appropriate desperation or just felt too hasty.

While the rep was altogether fine, and I was glad that Noam's Judaism showed up a couple of times in the second half of the book. However, I'm still working through my reaction to Lehrer, the main villain, a genocidal but popular dictator (focused on privileging a particular group and constructing a specific identity for his country) as well pedophile/perpetrator of incest, being a gay Jewish man, considering how that hits on issues a little close to home for each of those particular group.

Certainly recommend to more mature sci-fi/dystopia fans.

I really enjoyed Fever King (book 1) of this duology so I was really excited to read the sequel given where we left Noam and Dara at the end of the book. Electric Heir does not disappoint in this regard. The added pov (I won't spoil whose) to Noam's gives the story a different sense of urgency from the first book. While the first book read like many dystopian novels the sequel is much darker and dare I say more interested in a psychological exploration of trauma. I couldn't put the book down but it definitely tired me out, because this book was not scared of tackling abuse, grooming and the psychological effects of power and powerlessness on victims. To its credit the book paints a complex picture of all its characters, even its villains which I appreciated. Dara and Noam are both dealing with trauma in their own ways, and this takes them away from each other at times. Their relationship feels brittle - how else could it be given what they have gone through - but they keep finding their way back to each other and the end is rewarding both in terms of what they go through individually and where they end up with respect to each other. Lehrer, meanwhile has to be one of the best written villains I have come across in recent times. It's a complexly rendered character filled with red herrings, which has as much to do with the gaze of those who beheld him. I can't wait to read more of Victoria Lee's work, and thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

The Electric Heir is a powerful story about surviving abuse for those who are still experiencing it. Victoria Lee explores the many different ways people cope with abuse and the stories we tell ourselves to face the trauma we experience, acknowledging that no one person’s experience is the same.

I loved The Fever King but I absolutely adore The Electric Heir. Victoria Lee is an author you need to watch out for, because she’s going places. Her writing is intoxicating, and draws you into the story no matter how difficult the scenes are to read. Lee wasn’t lying when she said the sequel is darker than The Fever King. The first few chapters are very hard to read, but Lee writes these scenes with respect, consideration and thoughtfulness.

The storyline was just as phenomenal as the writing. In The Electric Heir, we finally get Dara’s POV and his chapters were riveting. Dara no longer has his mind-reading witching powers, and finds himself vulnerable and at a loss with how to go on. He has only two things that are keeping him going: the chance to see Noam again, and the chance to kill Lehrer.

Lehrer is one of the most despicable yet fascinating characters I’ve ever read. I both hate him and want to know more about him. He undoubtedly experienced immense trauma in his life but then went on to commit atrocities. He’s the kind of morally grey character I adore most in literature and I’m so thankful that Lee didn’t shy away from developing such a character.

Noam’s character development in this novel is both poignant and powerful. He is placed in an impossible situation and tries to survive in ways he only knows how. He is angry and depressed and spends a long period of this novel trying to come to terms with his own victimhood, but also come to terms with his actions in regard to the revolution.

Ultimately, The Electric Heir is a book that discusses the different ways powerful people abuse their power over others. Whether it be in a political landscape or in an intimate relationship, Lee masterfully explores abuse and how differently people react to it. Victoria Lee isn’t afraid to pull punches with this book. As a reader, you will feel deeply uncomfortable, but that’s the point.

Thank you Netgalley as well as the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.


I was lucky enough to receive book one The Fever King as an e-arc as well. This was a book that stuck out in my mind continuously. I was recommending it especially for fans of comic books or X-Men. So when I found out the sequel was on here I had to do everything I could to try to get my hands on a copy.

We follow the same characters in this novel as the past which I was extremely grateful for. I became attached to Dara and Noam and needed some answers to my questions. Thankfully I got a few in this novel, however, I feel like there might be another novel coming to us soon. I hope so I love these characters.

This book does deal with extreme subject matter such as: ABUSE, MENTAL ABUSE, SEXUAL ABUSE, PARENTAL ABUSE, ALCOHOLISM, EATING DISORDERS, WAR, VIOLENCE.

I think most of these matters where handled in a very mature way. They show how victims feel when they are in the situation as well as after. They are topics that I think need to be showcased as it is reality, and sadly our world tends to shove it to the side and ignore OR Villanize the victim. This book shows the fact that some may not believe you BUT all it takes is one person to believe you.

The powers in this book were very interesting. It was a bit frustrating to not really have a magical "system". I would've loved to have learned more about the abilities and how they worked or their limits.

This was a very action-packed sequel and I truly hope we get more books with these characters. I love the writing style and the topics discussed. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!!!

Oh man. This book and The Fever King have killed all of my emotions.

Noam and Dara are precious things and should be protected at all costs and I would die for them. Or at least make them some nice cookies and cocoa so they can rest.

The Electric Heir tackles a lot of heavy stuff, abuse, addiction, etc, and focuses around what it means to be a survivor. Survival isn't one size fits all, and sometimes it doesn't look like all the hallmark movies try to show. Sometimes it's messy and painful and hard, and sometimes you think it might hurt less to have not made it through.

This book is incredibly well done, superbly diverse, and I imagine it will be critical to many readers who are survivors themselves.

Wow, wow, wow! First, I didn't know this was a duology, and though there was a third book. I'm kind of sad there's not because I just wanted to keep reading Noam's and Dara's story.

Anyway, read the trigger warnings. Know that this story is about surviving trauma, war, and abuse. Be prepared. (yes, sing that phrase in Scar's voice)

The Electric Heir is one conclusion I will never forget. It’s powerful, it’s gripping, it’s intense, it’s heartbreaking, and above all, it’s beautifully done. I am truly in awe of this book.

- Beautifully written -
The Electric Heir is beautifully written. There’s no other way to go about it. Every sentence, every chapter, every archive part, every flashback—they were all there for a reason, they were all there to create a powerful story that will affect the readers. And boy, was I affected. My breath was knocked out of me; I was left feeling horrified; I cried; I felt all the anger, the frustration, the sadness, the angst, the fear, the hope; everything. I was so emotionally invested with the characters and the story because of the prose and how the author carefully built the story. I admire it so much.

I also loved the addition of Dara’s point of view. It was so great to know more of his perspective, his experiences, his thoughts, his feelings. He was an enigma in The Fever King, and here in The Electric Heir, we’re given the chance to peek into his mind. I loved it.

- Complex characters -
I loved how the author created such complex characters and explored each and every one of them. From Noam, to Dara, to Lehrer, and even the minor characters like Ames, Bethany, Taye, Leo, Priya and Claire. I applaud the author for such a great job with these characters.

Noam, my sweet boy, Noam. There’s a drastic change from the Noam in The Fever King to the Noam here in The Electric Heir. He’s braver, smarter, definitely more powerful, but there’s also a new kind of darkness inside of him—a mix of guilt, longing, trauma, secrets, wrong decisions, and more.

And Dara, my darling boy, Dara. There’s also a drastic change in Dara, all right. With him being no longer a Witching, we see him struggle and try to cope with being a normal person. We also see him try to deal with all that happened while he was gone, deal with the new Noam, and deal with the horrors Lehrer has imprinted on his mind.

And that brings me to Lehrer. Just when I thought I have an idea of what kind of person Lehrer is, I am proven wrong. Lehrer’s character is such a good villain, I have to admit that, even though I have a newfound hatred for him. Him being an antagonist is good because it’s so real, because his character exists in the real world—in the faces of abusers, of corrupt politicians, of tyrants, of manipulators. That’s what makes him so good, and so scary, and so frustrating.

- Gripping storyline with significant themes -
The author dedicated The Electric Heir to survivors. Because above all, this story is about surviving. Surviving abusers, surviving tyranny, surviving your own demons. I absolutely loved how the author focused on themes such as abuse, trauma, mental health, politics, relationships. There were already themes like these in The Fever King, but it’s in this book where these themes were such a distinct part of the plot. The author has woven them all together with such regard and, for me, it created such a powerful, gripping, and emotional story that will really stay with me as a reader and as a person. It was brilliant.

Overall, this book is just so, so good. Actually, it’s more than that, it’s magnificent, What a finale! I’m pretty sure this is my new obsession now, and I can say that Victoria Lee is now one of my favorite authors.

Sometimes, you love a book so much that you wonder just how the sequel can live up to the first book. That was the case for me, with The Fever King. This sounds a little like a set-up for me to say this one didn’t live up to it, but it’s not. It was just as good as the first book, but it was good in a different way, and perhaps not the way I was initially expecting.

The Electric Heir opens up a few months after the end of The Fever King. Noam thinks Dara has succumbed to the sickness and is working with Lehrer, to ostensibly find the cure. However, he has remembered what it was Dara told him at the end of the first book, and is also working to take Lehrer down (albeit slowly). But Dara isn’t dead, and when he arrives back in Carolinia to kill Lehrer, Noam finds himself torn between loyalties.

To be quite honest, I had a rough start to this book. I had read the content warnings, so I knew there would be depicted a relationship between an adult and minor. Perhaps foolishly, I thought that this would mean flashbacks for Dara. Nope. It was between Lehrer and Noam. So this first point is a highly personal one, and actually just meant to make others who might be in a similar position aware. Because, in this case, I needed that little bit more information. But anyhow, after a week of being less-than-keen to pick the book back up, I did (and finished it in a day so). And, barring my immense discomfort reading the scenes (I ended up skimming a few), I really enjoyed the book.

Unlike The Fever King, which I would say has more action, this book is a lot more character-driven. Yes, there are events happening at the same time, but it really centres more on Noam and Dara, and telling a story of survivorship (much like Girls of Storm and Shadow, really). And honestly, I feel like YA needs a whole lot more of that. And yes, the pacing sometimes felt a little off, and it’s a wholly different focus from what you might expect, but it’s a necessary focus. And a very well done one. It definitely helps that Victoria Lee’s characters just jump off the page – even the side characters have a lot of depth – and, for the most part, you sympathise intensely with them (except Lehrer, for obvious reasons. Though I also appreciate that Lee went the way of not using his backstory to excuse his actions. More of this in YA, please).

I mentioned pacing earlier, and mostly, the balance between the narrative and the character-driven aspects of the story is excellent. I would say, however, there were a few places that jumped out at me where the pacing felt a little off (to me, at least). That is, the war with Texas and the ending. The war started very abruptly (like, I turned a page and they were at war, abruptly), and I think it could have had more build-up or started earlier. The ending too seemed to happen very fast, although that was more understandable in the narrative. But balancing these aspects is difficult, and I can’t think of that many books that have done so as successfully as this one did. (Another nitpicking thing though: I sort of wanted to see Noam remember what Dara had told him rather than that being a “oh he’s done this part already” bit at the beginning. But yeah. Nitpicking.)

But like I said, the characters are excellent and the perfect vehicles for a character-driven novel in that sense. And, most importantly, it gives you a happy ending.

After enjoying the first book of this duology last year, I was excited to meet up with the main characters again in The Electric Heir. But before we continue with my rambles, can we just take a second to admire this absolutely gorgeous cover? Both Feverwake covers are simply stunning and most definitely fit this story as well, as it can be seen as a direct reference to the magical powers so fundamental to this story. Cover love aside, there are quite a few other elements that made this duology work for me.

The first thing that stands out in the Feverwake books is the dystopian setting and worldbuilding in general. While not entirely original, the dystopian world where a magical virus ravages the world, killing most and leaving the survivors with supernatural powers, is without doubt intriguing. While roughly based on actual US states and cities by name, the story has an obvious dystopian feel both because the country and government as we know it is long gone and the story is actually set in the future (2123 to be exact). The worldbuilding itself isn't all that extensive, but solid enough to give the story the right backdrop.

One of the things I liked most about both books was the magic and the fact that there was a wide range of different supernatural powers as well as level of strength after surviving the virus. It was interesting to see the different characters develop their power over time as well as seeing the power change them... And as the blurb already states, the sudden absence of that power too. Magic is without doubt essential to the plot and definitely spiced up this story! As for the plot itself... It was interesting to see the new direction this story took. Lehrer is clearly the supervillian of this story and the main goal is to defeat him before things really spin out of control. I do admit that some parts of the plot were quite cliche and the pace can be considerably slow in points. Especially the second made the story drag in certain parts, but overall curiosity won out as I wanted to know how it would all end.

There are a lot of trigger warnings involved when it comes to The Electric Heir, including genocide, abuse, rape, mental health, suicide and addiction (full list available on the author's website). There are a lot of deeper meanings to be uncovered while reading this duology and some parts even give off a political vibe, but I personally thought this only gave the story a little something extra. There are quite a lot of heavy elements included in The Electric Heir and if you are looking for a balanced and happy story this would definitely be the wrong place to look for it. But life isn't all about happy endings and it made this story feel a lot more realistic because of it. I personally found the ending itself of The Electric Heir a bit abrupt, but I guess it does give you closure and all in all it's a well rounded duology that wrapped things up nicely. If you are looking for an entertaining YA dystopia that isn't afraid to go dark, love a good LGBT romance and don't mind a dose of teen angst and a slower pace, this Feverwake duology is definitely for you.

I really enjoyed the first book in this duology, The Fever King, when I read it last February. The world was super interesting, and the characters were fleshed out, so I was super excited to continue on with the series

Unfortunately this one read primarily like a tortured romance. I can't go into details because of spoilers for the first book, but one of the pairings made me say "no...no...what" aloud (although this is later explored as an abusive relationship, a discussion which was done well)

I was really into the romance of the first book, and the characters' arcs, but both felt lacking here. The plot of this one as well just felt like it...happened around the characters. None of them made active decisions that affected the plot, they all just passively went along with things, and that bothers me immensely

I don't think it helped that I didn't fully remember details of the first book, and I couldn't find a full synopsis online to help me out. So I spent the first chunk of this book trying to remember and figure out what happened, especially at the end of the first one. Also the ending of this book/duology has left me feeling very dissatisfied...which is a feeling I hate

Overall I would recommend this duology to some people, especially the first book. It's got vibes of Schwab's Monsters of Verify duology; if you like her writing I think you'd enjoy this duology too

The first book has been on my TBR for ages so I was so happy when this came up to review.
However I have started reading the first one and I found it farther difficult for me to get my head round.
Don’t get me wrong the writing and world building is great and I love the concept and the ideas Lee seems to be exploring.
They look and read like great books, but unfortunately they just weren’t for me.
Still I would recommend giving them a go, I think they have the potential to be fantastic

This was a really nice conclusion to the story! I just have to start with saying that. The ending was really nice and it even caught me by surprise. There was this exciting element of “how will this be solved” throughout the entire book and I really enjoyed it. I also love how this story focuses on life as a survivor and how similar things can be seen and experienced differently by different people. I felt for Noam through the entire book. I found him to be a good main character. His struggle in trying to do what’s good but also trying to stay true to himself got a tiny bit repetitive, for for the most part it was really good!

The characters are so diverse and awesome and broken but healing. They have all seen so much more than young people should see, of war and abuse and death. Pair these complex characters with a very intriguing plot and you have yourself a book that passes by like a breeze! It was sooo hard to put it down. Especially because you are as clueless as the main characters as to what the antagonist is planning and how much he actually knows.

I would definitely recommend this series to fans of magic abilities, political intrigue and complex characters. Plus, it’s only a duology!

I really enjoyed this sequel to Lee's THE FEVER KING. The world-building that Lee did for this duology is really impressive. I appreciate how it touches on so many current political issues, such as immigration, LGBT rights, and, well, fascism. I'll definitely be recommending this book a lot!

Where do I even start with this book… So it starts a few months after the end of the first book. Noam is working with and is involved with Lehrer and Dara survived the QZ only to return to Carolinia with rebels.

From the start this book is obviously going to be action-packed and very dark. There are a lot of hard to read scenes related to child abuse, domestic abuse, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism and rape. It’s a pretty hard read but you keep rooting for the characters throughout. You want them to survive, to beat Lehrer and their own issues. And without giving any spoilers the ending does give you those warm fuzzy feelings that some of that has started.

The characters in this book are complicated. They’re dealing with issues, they’re often morally grey and they feel real. There’s plenty of moments where you’ll love them then hate them. As a villain Lehrer has been an interesting choice from the off. Part of you wants to feel for him due to his past but you look at all he’s willing to do and you can’t. He’s a cold, cruel person but sometimes you can’t help but question if his end goal is right. Once again I loved Noam and I loved Dara. They both frustrated me to no end but I at least understood why they might make those decisions. And I’m so proud of them for some of them.

The romance is great and that’s all I’m going to say on that matter. I adore Noam and Dara so much.

I don’t really know what else to say. I could go on about the world building for hours. The intricacies of the plot. The diversity. This duology is just everything I wanted it to be and I’m so filled with emotion. I need other people to read it so I have people to fan with.

This book is a definite 5 star recommendation.

Unfortunately, I did not realize this was the second book in a series when I requested it. My apologies!!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really love this duology. The Fever King was one of my favorites when it first came out, so I was really excited to get my hands on the sequel. This book/series has such a strong Queer representation and is executed perfectly.

I love that this one picks up just a few months after The Fever King. It gives enough time for the characters to grow and change and make different situations for themselves as well as problems to get themselves out of.

Victoria Lee is just an amazing author. She has a way of writing the traumas of her character in such an interesting way.This is one of those stories that is both character and story driven and that is incredibly hard to execute and Lee does it perfectly.

One of my favorite things about this book is the trigger warning. Lee is so conscious of her readers and things that might trigger them that she makes sure to put a warning at the beginning of her book. This is SOOO important!

Victoria Lee is such an emotionally driven author and I really just enjoy her style of writing. The situations she creates and the traumas she describes are heart wrenching but incredibly relatable. This book brings out real and raw emotions and I think everyone should give it a read!

Thank you so much to Victoria Lee, Skyscape Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this emotion packed novel! I really enjoyed it.

-- DISCLAIMER: I received a free eARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks to both Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity. --

First of all, these books are AMAZING, and everyone needs to read this duology. It’s a crime that they haven’t been published in the UK yet, and I keep pushing them at everyone asking me for SFF with LGBTQIA+ rep – they address so many issues on different layers of the story and do it incredibly well. These books are like an onion of representation to pick apart and enjoy while making you think and consider the individual issues both by themselves and in combination. I can’t remember if the same thing was the case with The Fever King, but I really appreciate how content warnings were handled in The Electric Heir – there is a note at the front saying that the book contains potentially triggering content, and that more information could be found in the back. This makes it obvious, and clear where to find detailed information for those who need it and invalidates any ‘spoiler’ arguments that people seem to keep having against trigger warnings.

The Electric Heir picks up six months after the end of The Fever King. Everyone’s situation has changed, and traumatizing, atrocious things have happened to both Noam and Dara. They are still teenagers, still growing up and figuring out who they are in the middle of everything going on, and both struggle heavily with admitting that events have affected them and that they might need help. Victoria Lee manages to write their trauma extremely well, making them lose none of their humanity or letting anything seem overdone. They, and their supporting cast, are well-nuanced, growing characters with tangible moral compasses, struggling to figure out how to navigate a broken world and difficult situations, while fighting someone who might be one of the creepiest villains I have ever encountered: Calix Lehrer and his powers of mind control.

I thought that this book was good but I felt that some parts of the story were rushed. I love that the author depicts that victims of abuse from people like Lehrer come in all shapes and sizes and that only the perpetrator deserves the hatred and disgust. The book was really well written and I loved the story.
The issues I had with the book were that sometimes I didn't Noam's motives. He knew what happened to Dara and still went with Lehrer. I didn't feel that there was enough of an explanation for Noam's actions. I also thought that the ending was a little rushed. The book had a very good build up but I was disappointed when it was not the massive climax I was hoping it would be. Overall, it was a great book that broadcasts a message people definitely need to hear, but it wasn't the book for me.