The Electric Heir (Feverwake, 2)

For some reason up until recently, I thought it was going to be a trilogy and I'm kind of still sad it won't be but it's probably better and more impactful that it isn't. Dear book godesses, Victoria ripped my heart into teeny tiny little pieces with The Electric Heir. It was dark and super intense . But it was also very heartbreaking beautiful and important. While The Fever King was more about uncovering corruption and trauma, The Electric Heir was what happens after; Where do we go from here?To be honest, I tried to read The Fever King when it was first released a few times and didn't get very far into it. It wasn't until this past Summer after the webcomic came out that I decided to pick it up again. I tore through it. And now this is one of my absolute favorite series. I'm a mood reader so I fully believe in putting down a book and returning to it again another day. (There's some symbolism in there somewhere that is fitting for this series.)Noam and Dara will forever have a piece of my heart. I can't thank Victoria enough for these books. 💕

*This review contains spoilers for Book 1 in the series.*The first book kind of eased the reader into the more disturbing stuff, but whew, this book just dropped the reader right into it. Oh, these poor boys.If I had to describe the tone of this book in a few words, I would say intense and disturbing, but hopeful. Intense because of all the violence and tension. Disturbing because I was disturbed by the relationship between Noam and Lehrer and the things Lehrer put these teenagers through. Hopeful because, despite all the terrible things, Noam and Dara and the others were still trying to bring Lehrer down and to heal from their emotional trauma.You had Noam, in way over his head---a 17-year-old, vulnerable (and grieving, at first), in a relationship with a dangerously manipulative and powerful 100-something-year-old sociopath, feeling like he had to weather everything alone because there was no one he could trust or talk to, knowing his life was constantly on the line. You had Dara, struggling with depression, alcoholism, an eating disorder, a whole traumatic childhood, and the outcome of the last book's events (leaving Noam and his friends, losing his magic because he had to take the vaccine to save himself from fevermadness), only to then, on top of all that, learn that the boy he loves is in a relationship with the man he hates, caught in a trap without even realizing it.One thing that really stood out to me, in both books, is how this author was so good at writing Lehrer and his relationship with Noam. He was such a disgusting piece of trash, but he was so good at manipulating everyone and being charming and doing sweet things, and it was so easy to forget how awful he was, to feel for him, to find him endearing. So easy to forget that he was a mass murderer, and a rapist, and a pedophile, and that he used teens to do his dirty work, corrupting and traumatizing them. And that's why I can absolutely understand why it was so hard for Noam to not get sucked in by him sometimes, especially since Noam's situation also included being young, being orphaned, and feeling so alone.This book also had the same dystopian-ish world, magic, politics, and themes of trauma that the first book had, but I'm not going to re-discuss all of that. You can find that in my review of Book 1, if you want to know more. You can also find the author's list of trigger warnings on her website, because there are many.There were a few things that pushed my suspension of disbelief though, that made me think, "But why didn't the characters [do/realize this obvious thing]?" And I know authors don't want to spoon feed readers, but there was a lot of subtext, a lot that was only vaguely hinted at, and it left me feeling lost sometimes. There was also this one part in which Noam, Ames, Bethany, and Taye were commanding and fighting in a war, and it seemed like that part came out of nowhere and didn't quite fit with the rest of the book.Other than those issues though, the plot was, well, it was somewhat slow and a bit meandering, but it made sense for this book since this was more about the characters and a secretive plan to take down Lehrer, rather than a bunch of action scenes. It wrapped up the story well though.The audiobook narration by Michael Crouch was good. He sounded natural and did a good job of reading narration in a way that matched the emotion and feel of each scene. The dialogue also had emotion that matched the scene and what was being said. He didn't really do different voices, except for Lehrer, so I did find it hard sometimes to tell who was speaking. Female characters didn't really sound feminine, but it wasn't bad, and there wasn't that much female dialogue anyway. Lehrer had what I'm assuming was a German accent, and the rest of the characters had a Southern accent, though the Southern accent seemed to kind of come and go.Overall, I really liked the looming, lurking tension that filled this book, but also the hope and the healing. The characters and their relationships (both the sweet and the disturbing) were well-written, and this was a satisfying ending to the duology.Rating: 4 StarsOriginal Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)

The dark topics and events that take place in this book were hard to read. I honestly don't think I've ever read a book that made me so completely uncomfortable or disturbed. But I think the way the scenes and abuse were written were done really well. It really showed the abuse from a victim's perspective. Not wanting to accept, or sometimes not even realizing that they are in fact being taken advantage of and abused.I loved reading this as someone who has experience similar situations to Dara especially, not to the extreme they had, but the characters gave me comfort and something to relate to. The way Victoria Lee wrote their traumas and their characters was done so well and it made me feel more understood seeing an author write believable mentally unstable or struggling characters.I loved this book, I loved following Dara and Noam's growth as individual characters and also as a couple, and I definitely believe this is so worth the read even if it was a hard one.Thank you Victoria Lee for writing the stories most are too scared to think about ♡

There are a lot of factors that make these two books worth your time: the characters are complex, the stakes are high, and the story is intricately woven together with threads from science, political science, and psychology. Noam Alvaro and Dara Sharin are fine characters, and in the Electric Heir particularly their relationship is deepened in some fascinating ways. The book says a great deal about how utilitarianism is a slippery slope that leads to extremism, and something that makes this story worthwhile is that these novels force the readers to question the morality of the characters' decisions. A warning to readers, on that note: This story is fundamentally a story of abuse, and the novel's abuser is charismatic and glamorous in ways that might feel painful or disturbing to revisit. I think the abuse is handled with a lot of grace - this is not trauma porn - but it still shapes so much of the story that it should be mentioned from the outset. I think these two books are ultimately quite good, but I do wish the author had devoted more time to world building. While the system of magic is beautifully rendered, I would have appreciated to know what it feels like to live in Durham in the nation of Carolinia in 2120; the setting felt pretty interchangeable with the urban settings of various other works of dystopian YA and not like a place where the author lives. If you're someone who tends to not enjoy YA, I will say this book has the complexity and thoughtfulness to make it comparable to adult science fiction and fantasy, thought the author's prose is still developing (characters have "tawny" hair, characters are "enchanted" to meet each other, characters feelings and motivations are overly explained). Still, these two books are definitely worth checking out!

The Electric Heir is the second part of the duology which began with The Fever King, a fantastic book you should definitely read before this one. Please bare in mind that both books deal with some heavy themes, including but not limited to eating disorders, alcohol abuse, rape, domestic violence and child abuse.I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And honestly?My head hurts! You know why?? Because I just read this book in one sitting, eyes glued to my tablet, on the edge of my seat. It was a tense, tense adventure from start to finish, with moments of soft reprieve which were STILL tense in their own ways because as you read them you know that danger is around the very next corner.Whew. I mean, I was expecting great things and boy were they delivered on! This book is hard hitting and emotional in such a way that it leaves you feeling breathless. It deals with situations and topics which are very sensitive and I believe it does a good job of handling them with the honesty and care that they deserve. This duology is about survival, it's about being a survivor, and it never shies away from that, which I think is not just important, but vitally necessary.The synopsis of Electric Heir, sequel to The Fever King, by Victoria Lee, states on GoodReads "Noam Álvaro seeks to end tyranny before he becomes a tyrant himself." And you really do see that journey. Noam is a very powerful character, both literally and emotionally, and seeing the way he's changed from the beginning of the first book is incredible. His character arc has been flawlessly executed. A lot of the changes, a lot of the experiences he's had, have been negative, and he's done things that make him feel sick, but at the heart of him, all he's doing is his best. He's a teenager who has been through so much trauma it was bound to have rubbed off on him in some negative ways.His relationship with Dara is also incredibly well crafted and definitely one of the few positive things that Noam has going for him. Dara in his own right is a powerhouse of a character, not because of his magic, as he doesn't have access to that anymore, but because of the sheer presence he has on page. The way that he reacts, the way that he thinks, the way that he deals with his own trauma and his determination to stop Lehrer, everything about him is powerful.And yet I still want to wrap him in a blanket with Noam and keep them safe for the rest of forever.The one thing I will say (very slight spoilers ahead), which is probably the reason why I'm giving this a 4 star rating (although really it's more 4.5) is that I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending. After all the buildup to the final moment I glanced at the percent check at the bottom of my screen, realised I was on something like 94% and panicked because I thought I must have misread the situation and that I was heading for another cliffhanger and a wait for book 3. It wrapped itself up plot wise, we aren't left hanging, but I don't feel like the ending did the book justice. It's kind of hard to put into words exactly what I mean without spoiling it for everyone.Despite this, however, I 100% recommend The Electric Heir. The ending might not fully live up to my expectations, but the rest of the book surpassed them. It's very dark, twisted sometimes, hard to stomach even, but if you like your dystopias gritty and diverse, with a blast of magic, then you'll love this.

This was darker and a much more emotional read than The Fever King, and though it was a rollercoaster on my feelings, it was worth reading every single page.Noam has lost some of his innocent shine, but, he's still an idealist and ideologist at heart and we see his struggle to keep his values as he does what he feels needs to be done in regards to Lehrer.Dara, who has suffered so much continues to be an amazing survivor who perseveres through everything handed to him, and now Noam and he, unfortunately, have much more in common.At the heart of this, is a story of survivors and the cost that children pay for the choices adults make while struggling to grow up and make a world they want.I loved this book, even more so than The Fever King.

This book series is without a doubt my all time favourite. The best love story out there while also touching on important topics with a brilliant storyline to will you on.Just amazing. I will reread this again and again.100% recommend!!

Loved this book so much. I never wanted it to end

Perfect ending to this super dark sci-fi YA book that seems to be only about having magic and defeating a dictator kind of monster, but it's a story of abuse victims and survival, sided with a very sweet love story that is not all fluff, but it gives you a little bit of light amidst all that darkness.Noam and Dara are very different but they have something in common: a father figure taking advantage of their naiveté. Of their youth and innocence. He's more than a hundred years older than them and that's super disgusting and I wanted to save both of them from the clutches of that hideous monster.Lehrer is built to hate but also to love. There are parts where he shows fragility, or so it seems, and you are just like Noam and believe he can't be as bad as everyone seems to see him. That he actually cares about you, that maybe you are different. He's a magnificent manipulator and I hated him for it, because he fooled me too. I also looked for excuses to justify his actions. Abusers can be master charmers.I'd loved a longer ending, with a bit more explanation, but it finally lifted a heavy weight from my heart after holding my breath for almost 95% of the book. With books with these themes, you can never expect an all is good ending, because that's not believable. These kids suffered by the hands of an evil man, and things aren't magically forgotten. They will carry their scars forever.I can't wait to read the two novellas and the short story the author said she was going to write to tell a bit of a happy story (with a little pain, you know, to keep us on edge) between the characters.