To anyone who thinks they've heard me complain about book characters I hate: I dare you to ask me about this book.

I've read The Fever King five times now, and it's just one of those books that never really gets old (and it's also really good for preventing reading slumps). I do want to acknowledge that this book has some very heavy topics, so readers should definitely be cautious. That being said, I really like the worldbuilding of the story. It's not the most original (magic is gained from survival of a deadly virus), but the idea that magic relates to science that the user already knows is really interesting to me.
We meet Noam, a refugee fighting for the rights of his people, as he is infected with magic and discovers his affinity for technopathy - aka controlling technology). He joins the community of other magical teens living in the military base on Level IV, but things aren't quite what they seem. There are a lot of plot twists that I don't think I called the first time I read this, but they're foreshadowed well. There isn't a ton of action, but the pacing is fast, so I still enjoyed it. There isn't much I can say without revealing plot twists because they truly are what makes the story so enjoyable.
And the characters... there are only really three main characters in this book, although I know they expand on the side characters in the next one. Noam is a complex main character, and I really like him and his inner turmoil. Dara is the stereotypical bad boy at first, but there's a lot more to him than that. He's a sad boy, and he just needs a hug. And then there's Lehrer. I can't explain my thoughts about him yet for spoiler reasons. As for side characters, I really like the other characters, although I wish there were more found family vibes.
The Fever King is a YA sci-fi/dystopian book that deals with trauma, the costs of magic, and what it means to trust someone.

4.5/5