Fever: A novel of arctic horror

by Jordan L. Hawk

Tired of living as con artists, Colin Muir and his brother Doug join the stampede to the gold fields of the Klondike. If they can strike it rich, they’ll be wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.  But nightmares await alongside the gold. On a claim owned by a dead man, haunting voices call out from the forest, and strange tracks surround their cabin at night. In the midst of the arctic wilderness, a primordial evil has awakened, one that wants not just the brothers’ lives, but their very souls.

Genres: Horror, Historical, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, M M Romance, LGBT, Thriller

228 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2024

About the author

Jordan L. Hawk is a trans author from North Carolina. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave him a life-long love of things that go bump in the night. When he isn’t writing, he brews his own beer and tries to keep the cats from destroying the house. His best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

A standalone horror novel from JLH, yes please. There is a sweet romance element in it but it's very much a subplot. Premise: a pair of con artist brothers get caught up in the Klondike gold rush and head up to stake their claim. Unfortunately there's something scary in the woods.

I am absolutely here for something scary in the woods, particularly the element of 'don't answer if something calls your name' which is exquisitely terrifying. But honestly a large part of the terror here is entirely natural. The description of the travel to the Klondike, the physical challenges and mental exhaustion and the life there in a log cabin in sub zero temperatures is...I think I said 'man, fuck this' aloud at least twice. You know what, I don't want gold that much. No thank you.

But we absolutely believe our protags do. The horror is really an externalising of the horrors humans create: greed, selfishness, and the particular expression of those in colonialism: invading, destroying, taking what isn't theirs. The gold-rushers bring their destruction with them; they *are* their own destruction, and the only escape lies in true change. Which is a challenge with the weak, flawed characters of this book. (Not a criticism: the narrator's weakness in particular is horribly plausible in its execution, reminding us you don't have to be an official Bad Person to do bad things: sometimes just going along with stuff is enough.)

Hugely atmospheric, proper spooky, and offers an intelligent, interesting engagement with the historical setting. I wolfed it down.

(I had an ARC from the author, with whom I have co-written. )

[Teru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Klondike gold rush, 1897. Colin and his brother Doug are just one of the many who decided to stake everything they had on the chance they would get filthy rich, collecting a few more people to form a group that sticks together to try and survive months in a merciless land. Or do they?

I went into this knowing absolutely nothing (I read the blurb months ago and forgot everything of course) so I didn't expect such an interesting mix of adventure, horror...and romance??

Me when there's a hetero romance subplot in my horror - 😑😬🙄🥱
Me when the romance is GAY - "I shall allow this" 😳☺️🥰

The horror elements work incredibly well here - the sense of being completely isolated from the world or any help, just your group of people and the harsh, unforgiving freezing nature... and maybe something else you hope is just a nightmare. Add to this one of the group being possibly a psychopath... Makes for a fun trip alright 😬

I always prefer the monsters in a horror story to remain out of sight because any description falls short of a reader's overactive imagination, and the tense atmosphere then falls apart. The same thing happened here, but I still found the ending satisfying enough!

"At the far end of the canyon, in a notch between the mountains, a ribbon of black wended its way up the sheer mountainside, stark against the snow.
The ribbon was comprised of men, packed into a single-file line, stepping in the footsteps of the man ahead, their backs bent beneath the weight of their packs."

That was actually a horrifying image to me. And you can search the Chilkoot Pass photos online to see for yourself.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was genuinely one of the most stressful and unsettling reading experiences I think I have ever had. I don’t know if this thing is just tailor made to be everything that gives me the heebie jeebies but it was a little sucker punch for me.

I am a reasonably hardened horror consumer and it’s been a long time since I have felt that something has impacted me enough that I literally had to put it down and read two books in the middle as a break cause I was just so stressed out…. And it’s only 228 pages?!?! What the actual fuck?

Set in the late 1800s Colin and his brother Doug are conmen who set out to search for gold in Alaska during the winter in the hopes of the elusive “big score”. Needless to say that things deteriorate rapidly. Honestly, I understand there’s this spooky element going on but I think it was the harsh realities of their isolation, how physically taxing the work was and their very real struggles just to survive really fucked me up. I am so very glad to not have been born during this era.

Also, super cute queer romance going on in the background. Good for them. But Jesus Christ I need like 3-5 business days to recover from the stress. Fabulous spooky season read, or if you’re like me, a super weird way to celebrate pride month.

[mwana]

Between KJ Charles pushing down the romance and now JLH front placing horror, it's about time Josh Lanyon gave us a proper noir mystery thriller.

May the lady my goddess Beyonce make this manifestation happen.

[Audi♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doug was creepier than the monster... this was boring. I didn’t like it.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded up as it was an enjoyable read. Jordan L. Hawk is pretty much an autoread for me. This is another solid book if slightly different than his normal fare. This definitely leans heavier on the horror/suspense elements and is relatively light on the romance. Atmospherically this is really well done. The setting of the Klondike and the gold rush is in and of itself a starkly bleak time. There was nothing easy about what those men and women experienced. But add in something otherworldly that is stalking you and you've got yourself one creepy tale.

I enjoyed this one but it loses a little for me in that I never quite found myself as attached to the characters as I normally am in one of this authors books. There was a lot I found reprehensible about the brothers and even Colin as the "good" brother I wanted more from. Colin and Stephen are sweet together in this little bit of romance that does exist in this story. Still there wasn't anything super surprising in the story and it's not one that I'll feel the need to come back to often. Good story, but not my favorite of the authors.

[Sam Reads Books *Just the Highlights* · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024: 5.0

Bi-M/M, F/F

This was really good and super creepy

[Anna Kļaviņa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope Hawk plans to write more stories in the future. The characters were well developed, and as usual the author's writing style is quite cinematic. The ending felt rushed, but aside from that, I've no complaints.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, what a great, terrifying story this one is!

I love how the horror here is never explained, how it comes both, from inside and outside of our protagonists. There is something in the woods calling their names but danger also lurks inside their cabin.

The writing is crisp and atmospheric, the description of the hardships of their travel is vivid and almost as scary as the monster that haunts them.

And the protagonists... oh, they are such good characters! Weak and flawed but you can understand them. Colin particularly, makes bad decisions after bad decisions, following his brother's lead into despair and death. Yes, he's weak but even when I couldn't justify his action I could understand why he acted as he did.

The monster is this thing of bones and old rags; but it's also their greed, their selfishness and their disregard for the land that they are destroying in their search for gold.

There is a romance here, but is not at the front of the story, it's just something that brews sweetly while their lives are going to hell. A brief respite between all the fear and betrayal.

I loved it, plain and simply loved it.

[Jaseryx · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was mostly the horror of a gold rush in an unforgiving wild landscape. The supernatural stuff was honestly less creepy than Doug himself. Interesting and atmospheric, but, like True Detective Night Country, kinda less good once the mystery was revealed. FYI it has a happy ending despite several named character deaths.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilling and atmospheric horror set during the Klondike gold rush. And of course I’m the dummy who decided to read this before bed.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me Treasure of the Sierra Madre vibes, just in the Yukon, with a little bit of gay romance and atmosphere galore. The actual horror is partially supernatural but a lot of it comes from what the characters bring into the wilderness with them. Jordan Hawk delivers, as usual.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

Fever is an exciting and fascinating horror story with a touch of romance by Jordan L. Hawk. The story is set during the Klondike Gold Rush when the adventurous (or desperate) sought to find their fortunes in the frozen Arctic. I found everything to do with the historical side of this story beyond engrossing and I was totally captivated following along with Colin, Doug, Steve, and the others along their journey. It is hard to even fully grasp how arduous and life-threatening it was to trek into the frozen wilderness in hopes of finding gold. Miners had to not only fund an expedition, but then sail to Alaska, hike up snowy and treacherous mountains with all their gear on their backs, survive the freezing conditions, and build boats and cabins by hand — and that is before they even start mining. Hawk brings this whole process to life in such vivid detail, I felt like I was right along with them.

I would say this is a horror/supernatural adventure first and a romance second.

Overall, I found this story just fascinating. I think the historical event at is core is really so interesting and I have read several books set during this period, so I am definitely a key audience for this book.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Grammy 1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jordan L Hawk…..Welcome back…! It’s been a while and I’ve missed you. Fever has told me that you have nt lost your gift, this book was stunning.

Doug and Colin Muir have left home at a very early age after the death of their young sister. The moved from one town to another as grifters, hawking and stealing. Doug the elder brother made all the plans and Colin just did what he was told.

A Ship with people returning from the North is disembarking . They rush to the waterfront with many others to watch their return with bags of gold found at their digs in the Klondike. The Captain announces the will be taking on people to try their luck. they do not have the funds but brother Doug sees an ad for a woman wanting males to help her and she will pay.

Picking out warm clothing, and everything they need to survive is purchased. They are going to Alaska and winter will be upon them soon. They need clothing, tools, tents, stoves food…..They will have to bring enough stuff to build a house thru the winter freeze.

On the ship they meet other families. This will be the easiest part of he trip. as they arrive the ships captain bellows everyone off. They watch boats coming towards them, each boat asking for money to unload their stuff and bring it to land since there is no wharf. I’s a horrible scene as the crew starts tossing their equipment overboard.

Doug and Colin quickly dealt with their stuff with their mentor Eleanor; along with another family they met on the ship. They decided looking at the desolate spot they wee dropped off to work together. Winter was their enemy and was coming shortly. They still had to get to town mills away to stake a claim and the trek was straight up a winding mountain carrying pounds on their backs and pulling hundreds of pounds of supplies. The sun setting earlier and earlier and the temperature dropping. Blinding snow and freezing rain was a daiyy thing and the reader shivers as we read.

It is here Jordan begins to take us on what we will be dealing with as this is this authors greatest gift. Murder, intrigue, fear, freezing weather, murder…..and hopefully redemption..

Sooo glad you are back…..Loved this.


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[Loves · Rating 2 out of 5]

It pains me to give such a low rating to a Jordan L. Hawk novel, but there were several major issues here. Hawk usually excels in inspiring a strong emotional impact through the struggles of complex, likeable characters. Not this time. Unlike most of Hawk's books, the plot is not character driven:
1. Survival in the wilderness and horror are the main course here and characterization is the bare minimum.
2. The main relationship is a toxic familial relationship that does not endear the siblings to the reader.
3. The love interest is also pretty one dimensional, with a mildly surprising backstory that could be summed up in two or three sentences.
4. The characters spend most of the plot being wretchedly miserable, so the mood is monotonously dark even before the horror bumps up.
As a result, I wasn't particularly invested in the main characters fate. They were little more than side characters in a horror movie.

There's also a moral here that most readers could probably see coming since episode one. It's a bit weird to read a modern adult horror story with such a blatantly simplistic moral ("Greed is self-destructive").

[downtown · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We need to get back to the cabin.” A crack rang out from the forest, followed by another and another. Something was out there, among the trees."

It's the 1890's and Colin and his brother Doug have been hired by Eleanor to escort her to the Klondike. Swept up in the madness of the gold rush they are convinced the risk will be worth the fortune they will find there.

This books was so freaky and I loved it! Jordan Hawk can write a creepy, tense atmosphere and this is no exception. This is a quick read and the set up is brief before the adventure is underway and the tension never lets up. I enjoyed the well researched historical setting and really appreciated the details of the story. Faced with several life threatening events along the way, things only get more dangerous once they reach the Klondike and begin their search for gold.

The atmosphere is perfectly sinister and I really loved how the horror unfolds. Love creepy things happening in a cabin in the woods. I couldn't put this one down. I was excited for this story and it didn't disappoint!

Oh, and yes, there is a small queer romance subplot so extra bonus points for that!

[Angel Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast-moving and compelling, Jordan Hawk brings us a story where the horror is front and center, and the romance secondary. Short chapters move us right along the proverbial tracks, eerie train whistle always in the back of the readers mind. Regular horror readers will recognize familiar elements, moments foreshadowing characters' doom, the horror beyond human understanding, and who we really need to be afraid of. As dark as it needed to be and no more, without gratuitous jump scares or drawn out descriptions of gore.

Beyond being a thoroughly enjoyable horror story, the author also takes us back to the Klondike gold rush, which created considerable environmental and human casualty horrors of its own. I appreciate the clear-eyed view of events that have been romanticized in the past.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Jordan L. Hawk is no stranger to horror, as anyone who read the Whyborne & Griffith series can attest, so it seemed quite natural for him to move a little further from romance and pursue the dark and creepy path with Fever. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the main characters were as compelling in this new book as any of the ones he wrote about in the W&G series. And this has nothing to do with the lack of romance (as compared to W&G) but more so the lack of connection or interest I had in them. Few of them have any redeeming qualities that would garner a reader's sympathy and, for me, that immediately makes me disconnect with the story.

I'm sure this book will work for other readers, at least I hope it does, but this one was kind of a miss for me.

[W!$H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so freaky and creepy, I liked it!
The atmosphere is perfectly sinister and I really loved how the horror unfolds, when the creepy things start to happen in a cabin in the woods. I couldn't put this one down.
Everything appears to be going in the right direction until the weather becomes a danger and voices of people from their past trauma begins to torture them.😬 (the monster was very creepy)! This story was not only scary, but the author’s description of the cold, snow made me put on a jacket. It felt so real, working in the mine, fighting a monster and one by one disappearing acts. The secrets, lies, betrayal cuts deep. I felt so bad for everyone specially Colin's brother.
The ending was unbelievable. I highly recommend this book!

[cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

whimsical queer creature feature set in the arctic? mwah *chefs kiss*
would recommend this to fans of hannibal, black sails, yellowjackets and the terror

enjoyed the complex relationship between colin and doug and the balance of fast pacing with imagery/details

will read more by this author :^)

worth reading the author’s note at the end, which gives important and meaningful recognition of the impact of the event/s inspiring the story on indigenous peoples. the story itself alludes to this a few times but it isn’t a central theme - even though a couple of of the protagonists do seem to respect/revere(?) indigenous culture and knowledge, at least in the context of connection to country etc.

[MariF · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard for me to rate this low one of my favorite's authors but this story was a miss for me.
I didn't like most of the characters, few of them are sympathetic, but the main issue was the story itself.
I didn't like it, saw where it was moving quite soon and was disappointed that my predictions turned out correctly.
I didn't expect Jack London or James Oliver Curwood's type of story but all the doom and gloom without any ray of hope got to me. I don't like horror either but I can stand the type of W&G as long as I'm emotionally invested in the main characters which didn't happen here at all, sorry to say.
It was the only book by this author that took me two weeks to get through, which is rather sad considering the short length.

[Sen · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Collllin. Let me in, Colin. It's so cold out here."

★★

This turned out to be a lowkey funny book, which I'm sure was not the intended effect. Imagine an eldritch beast having the voice of a cranky old man going around literally screaming "Get me my medicine, you wench/lazy girl!" Because that's literally what you're gonna get here. Fever has all the set dressings of similar horror books in this genre (arctic survival with a creeping sense of psychological dread i.e. The Terror) but with depthless characters and manufactured tension.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very different from everything else I've read by Jordan L. Hawk so far. wonderfully written, of course, but probably not something I would have picked up if I knew what it was going to be like. It's set during the gold rush and details the very real horrors that people historically endured like scurvy, avalanches and death by freezing or starving. There is a fantasy element to the horror as well, but the horror in this book is much more real than in Hawk's other books. I would definitely recommend this to lovers of the horror genre. I myself prefer fantasy.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only JLH could get me to read horror, much less enjoy it. This was so creepy and eerie as I can only imagine the Alaskan wilderness is and was in the late 19th century. As always, he is the master of creating atmosphere and building up tension in entirely unsettling yet satisfactory ways. Supernatural horror the only way a I'll read it, despite my general aversion. Really interesting history too which is clearly well researched. I quite enjoyed this foray outside my usual stuff.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely creepy horror, the tension builds brilliantly across the story. I also really liked how the horror is built from the 'real' elements of the book well before the supernatural elements come into play; the dangerous journey, the physical hardships of survival, and the characters' own actions. The only minor downside for me is that it's built from lots of short chapters, so it can sometimes feel a bit fragmented, but it is otherwise well written and perfectly suspensful.

[Menzie Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

great horror story

I love all of Hawk’s books, and encourage folks to read all his other stuff. This book made the forbidding wilderness of Alaska in the 1890’s its own character in the book. Two brothers head for the Alaska gold rush, planning to swindle their mining partners. But something ancient and evil found their claim first…. Very entertaining and compulsively readable.

[Katarina Wuulfsun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This deserves a high rating because it was well written and beautifully crafted. However, just as a personal preference, I found it boring and sometimes tedious. At the same time, I understand why it was written the way it did. I was a tad disappointed with the fact that there was rarely any romance in this compared to Hawk's other works. Still, Hawk has proved over and over that he has an immense writing talent.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. The Yukon landscape was captivating yet desolate and I could easily imagine for eerie and isolated the atmosphere could be. Thankfully I am reading this at the cusp of summer because the descriptions of the cold and snow are all too familiar. The mundane and supernatural challenges the travellers face were a perfect mix and the storytelling in general was flawless. Absolutely everything about this story was excellent. This author nailed it as usual.

[Nad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have just finished the Rath and Rune series, which I loved, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.

"Fever" has a too-many-things problem - it wants to be a bit of everything: a tale of survival, psychological cabin fever horror, a "weird shit in the woods" type of horror, but most of all - a family drama (which shifts into melodrama by the end). As a result, none of these aspects are as strong as they could have been.

Another problem for me was the protagonist, who's a pathetic doormat whose character development takes so long that you stop caring when it finally happens.

And finally, the book needed a couple more rounds of editing to catch multiple inconsistencies in the plot (especially towards the climax) and wandering commas.

Oh, also: why would you spoil your own plot twist in the chapter title? One of the final chapters is titled "Fafnir" - so I guess the author didn't expect the readers to know mythology?

[Wayne Blood · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 35%.
I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for the horror to begin. I usually LOVE this author’s work, but this was just plain DULL. Usually I am so emotionally invested in her books that I finish them in a day or two. I struggled for a week to make it to the 35% mark, because I Just. Didn’t. Care.