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Feverwake #2
The Electric Heir
In the sequel to The Fever King , Noam Álvaro seeks to end tyranny before he becomes a tyrant himself. Six months after Noam Álvaro helped overthrow the despotic government of Carolinia, the Atlantians have gained citizenship, and Lehrer is chancellor. But despite Lehrer’s image as a progressive humanitarian leader, Noam has finally remembered the truth that Lehrer forced him to forget—that Lehrer is responsible for the deadly magic infection that ravaged Carolinia. Now that Noam remembers the full extent of Lehrer’s crimes, he’s determined to use his influence with Lehrer to bring him down for good. If Lehrer realizes Noam has evaded his control—and that Noam is plotting against him—Noam’s dead. So he must keep playing the role of Lehrer’s protégé until he can steal enough vaccine to stop the virus. Meanwhile Dara Shirazi returns to Carolinia, his magic stripped by the same vaccine that saved his life. But Dara’s attempts to ally himself with Noam prove that their methods for defeating Lehrer are violently misaligned. Dara fears Noam has only gotten himself more deeply entangled in Lehrer’s web. Sooner or later, playing double agent might cost Noam his life.
479 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2020
314 people are currently reading
5084 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Lee
11 books1,800 followersVictoria Lee grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where she spent her childhood writing ghost stories and fantasizing about attending boarding school. She has a Ph.D. in psychology, which she uses to overanalyze fictional characters and also herself. Lee is the author of A Lesson in Vengeance as well as The Fever King and its sequel, The Electric Heir. She lives in New York City with her partner, cat, and malevolent dog.
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June 2, 2021[Scroll down for content warnings.]
The Electric Heir is, at its core, about what it means to be a survivor—both the experience of surviving, and the expectations that society places on survivors. Like Noam and Dara, I survived childhood sexual abuse and violence. Like Lehrer, my abuser was attractive and powerful and charismatic. Like Dara, I was not believed when I came forward…not until other girls said he’d done it to them too. Girls who more closely fit the stereotype of abuse survivors.
So many victims are afraid to speak up, a fear their abusers manipulate to say no one would believe you, not when they could believe me instead. Abuse takes a massive toll on victims’ mental health, and this, in turn, can be used as a justification for the abuser’s behavior—he’s just looking for attention; she misunderstood the situation. In The Electric Heir, Noam struggles to define what’s happening to him as abuse, even as Dara begins the slow road to recovery. Noam and Dara experienced the abuse differently, reacting in very different ways—and each must face Lehrer on his own terms.
If there is anything I want the reader to understand when they read The Electric Heir, it is this: there’s no one way to be a survivor. To understand Noam and Dara’s story is to understand a story of not being believed—of facing your abuser alone—of not being the kind of victim people expect. And all I want is for these characters to be believed.
---
It’s really important to me that everyone who reads this book has a safe experience. I posted detailed content warnings for The Fever King on my website, and most of them also apply to this book–so I recommend checking out that post as well.
However…this book is a lot darker than TFK. The Electric Heir is an exploration of the narratives we tell ourselves in order to survive abuse while it’s happening, and the slow journey of being able to define and face our trauma after it’s over.
One thing I want to make clear is that some characters in this book will initially express ideas and narratives about abuse that are harmful and false, such as denying that abuse is occuring or denying that certain acts constitute abuse. Many abuse victims, including myself, once believed similar narratives–it was the only way we were able to survive the abuse while it was going on.
However, these narratives are ultimately challenged. That’s part of the characters’ journeys in this book. So I just wanna be clear that even if a character expresses a certain belief or beliefs at a given point, that is not an endorsement on my part. I also wanna be clear that there is a lot of denial going on in this book, especially in the first half–and although the denial doesn’t last, if this is something that will be difficult for you to read, you should know this up front.
I wrote this book based off my own lived experiences as a survivor, which are not universal, and which are not always clean. To survive is to fight for your life, for your self-concept, for the right to your own agency and autonomy. That’s messy business. This book reflects that messiness.
Okay. Now that’s been said, let’s move on to the specific content warnings. First, I’ll list a general set of content warnings. Details will be linked on my blog, and may contain spoilers.
Spoiler-free list:
* intergenerational trauma, genocide
* violence
* abuse
* attempted rape
* mental health and suicide
* slut-shaming
* victim-blaming
* emetophobia
* drug and alcohol abuse
* parental death
* ableist language
To view the full list of content warnings with detail, please click through to my blog here.
The Electric Heir is, at its core, about what it means to be a survivor—both the experience of surviving, and the expectations that society places on survivors. Like Noam and Dara, I survived childhood sexual abuse and violence. Like Lehrer, my abuser was attractive and powerful and charismatic. Like Dara, I was not believed when I came forward…not until other girls said he’d done it to them too. Girls who more closely fit the stereotype of abuse survivors.
So many victims are afraid to speak up, a fear their abusers manipulate to say no one would believe you, not when they could believe me instead. Abuse takes a massive toll on victims’ mental health, and this, in turn, can be used as a justification for the abuser’s behavior—he’s just looking for attention; she misunderstood the situation. In The Electric Heir, Noam struggles to define what’s happening to him as abuse, even as Dara begins the slow road to recovery. Noam and Dara experienced the abuse differently, reacting in very different ways—and each must face Lehrer on his own terms.
If there is anything I want the reader to understand when they read The Electric Heir, it is this: there’s no one way to be a survivor. To understand Noam and Dara’s story is to understand a story of not being believed—of facing your abuser alone—of not being the kind of victim people expect. And all I want is for these characters to be believed.
---
It’s really important to me that everyone who reads this book has a safe experience. I posted detailed content warnings for The Fever King on my website, and most of them also apply to this book–so I recommend checking out that post as well.
However…this book is a lot darker than TFK. The Electric Heir is an exploration of the narratives we tell ourselves in order to survive abuse while it’s happening, and the slow journey of being able to define and face our trauma after it’s over.
One thing I want to make clear is that some characters in this book will initially express ideas and narratives about abuse that are harmful and false, such as denying that abuse is occuring or denying that certain acts constitute abuse. Many abuse victims, including myself, once believed similar narratives–it was the only way we were able to survive the abuse while it was going on.
However, these narratives are ultimately challenged. That’s part of the characters’ journeys in this book. So I just wanna be clear that even if a character expresses a certain belief or beliefs at a given point, that is not an endorsement on my part. I also wanna be clear that there is a lot of denial going on in this book, especially in the first half–and although the denial doesn’t last, if this is something that will be difficult for you to read, you should know this up front.
I wrote this book based off my own lived experiences as a survivor, which are not universal, and which are not always clean. To survive is to fight for your life, for your self-concept, for the right to your own agency and autonomy. That’s messy business. This book reflects that messiness.
Okay. Now that’s been said, let’s move on to the specific content warnings. First, I’ll list a general set of content warnings. Details will be linked on my blog, and may contain spoilers.
Spoiler-free list:
* intergenerational trauma, genocide
* violence
* abuse
* attempted rape
* mental health and suicide
* slut-shaming
* victim-blaming
* emetophobia
* drug and alcohol abuse
* parental death
* ableist language
To view the full list of content warnings with detail, please click through to my blog here.
July 11, 2020
Victoria Lee said I’m gonna give the gays everything they want but also break their hearts a little. as a treat.
—★—
The Feverwake series centers around Noam and Dara, two boys who survived a virus that turned them into witchings, giving them the possession of powerful magic. The Electric Heir, like The Fever King, is without a doubt absolutely electrifying (pun fully intended). It’s certainly darker, and much more difficult to read, but it’s also so much harder to put down, even for one minute, and not think or care about the characters.
The Electric Heir takes place six months after the events of the first book, and I can’t say much without spoiling The Fever King, but you jump immediately into the action. I also am allowed to say (meaning: it is not a spoiler) that there was one moment in the beginning when I thought Dara was dead even though my brain KNEW that the author had tweeted that Dara’s POV was included and therefore he could not be dead. I’m an idiot confirmed!
You can tell from the start that The Electric Heir is going to be a little less action-packed than the first book, and I loved it. It, while still full of thrilling events, puts more of a focus on growth and recovery, especially in terms of abuse and trauma, as well as Noam and Dara’s !!relationship!!
Noam and Dara both had POVs in The Electric Heir, and oh my god, I loved it. Dara Shirazi is a character I don’t think I’ll ever stop caring about, and including his POV was a genius idea. Seeing both of them try to save Carolinia, each other, and themselves was a breathtaking, difficult journey, and it made their ending all the more sweeter.
Noam, on one hand, is grappling with abuse without even realizing it for what it is, forced into a relationship with Lehrer. And Dara is trying to heal from his own trauma and abuse, while also trying to help Noam see, as Dara also was once blind to, the abuse he’s experiencing.
The Fever King and The Electric Heir are about many things but I think most of all they are love letters to survivors like and unlike Noam and Dara. The experiences they are forced to live through are unfathomable to those who have never faced them. There are scenes that will force you to take a break, there are scenes that will make you cry. And there are scenes that show you how strong survivors are, even though they shouldn’t have to be.
One of my wishes for the first book was that it had just a bit more worldbuilding, and The Electric Heir delivered on that! We got to visit Texas (my lovely gun-filled homophobic home) and also see more perspectives that the world has on Carolinia.
And somehow, even after Noam and Dara actually got together in the first book after enduring a long slowburn, things hurt even more when it comes to their relationship? It’s like, yeah they’re kissing but ow it hurts [for reasons that will remain redacted]. Thank you Victoria Lee, I really needed that pain on top of all the other pain!!
In general, though, it was fully engaging and unputdownable. When I read this, I was struggling to stay up past like 1 or 2 except for school-related reasons, and I remember one night I just kept reading until it was around 3:30 and even then I wanted to keep going.
If you can, I fully recommend picking up this book and/or series. It’s utterly thrilling and entertaining, and more than anything it’s about two characters learning how to survive. Victoria Lee said, “The Electric Heir is, at its core, about what it means to be a survivor—both the experience of surviving, and the expectations that society places on survivors.” And this shines through, crafting a truly poignant masterpiece.
—★—
:: rep :: biracial (Latinx, white) bisexual Jewish MC, gay POC Jewish LI with depression and an eating disorder, queer Jewish major character, all-queer cast
:: content warnings :: violence, intergenerational trauma/genocide, abuse, attempted rape, mental health and suicide, slut-shaming, victim-blaming, ableist language, drug and alcohol abuse, parental death
—★—
The Feverwake series centers around Noam and Dara, two boys who survived a virus that turned them into witchings, giving them the possession of powerful magic. The Electric Heir, like The Fever King, is without a doubt absolutely electrifying (pun fully intended). It’s certainly darker, and much more difficult to read, but it’s also so much harder to put down, even for one minute, and not think or care about the characters.
The Electric Heir takes place six months after the events of the first book, and I can’t say much without spoiling The Fever King, but you jump immediately into the action. I also am allowed to say (meaning: it is not a spoiler) that there was one moment in the beginning when I thought Dara was dead even though my brain KNEW that the author had tweeted that Dara’s POV was included and therefore he could not be dead. I’m an idiot confirmed!
You can tell from the start that The Electric Heir is going to be a little less action-packed than the first book, and I loved it. It, while still full of thrilling events, puts more of a focus on growth and recovery, especially in terms of abuse and trauma, as well as Noam and Dara’s !!relationship!!
“Things like that, when you’re a teenager, and especially with people in power… they aren’t consensual. They can’t be, by definition. I know you don’t want to hear it, and maybe it’s easier to believe you chose this, but that’s not how any of this works.”
Noam and Dara both had POVs in The Electric Heir, and oh my god, I loved it. Dara Shirazi is a character I don’t think I’ll ever stop caring about, and including his POV was a genius idea. Seeing both of them try to save Carolinia, each other, and themselves was a breathtaking, difficult journey, and it made their ending all the more sweeter.
Noam, on one hand, is grappling with abuse without even realizing it for what it is, forced into a relationship with Lehrer. And Dara is trying to heal from his own trauma and abuse, while also trying to help Noam see, as Dara also was once blind to, the abuse he’s experiencing.
The Fever King and The Electric Heir are about many things but I think most of all they are love letters to survivors like and unlike Noam and Dara. The experiences they are forced to live through are unfathomable to those who have never faced them. There are scenes that will force you to take a break, there are scenes that will make you cry. And there are scenes that show you how strong survivors are, even though they shouldn’t have to be.
One of my wishes for the first book was that it had just a bit more worldbuilding, and The Electric Heir delivered on that! We got to visit Texas (my lovely gun-filled homophobic home) and also see more perspectives that the world has on Carolinia.
And somehow, even after Noam and Dara actually got together in the first book after enduring a long slowburn, things hurt even more when it comes to their relationship? It’s like, yeah they’re kissing but ow it hurts [for reasons that will remain redacted]. Thank you Victoria Lee, I really needed that pain on top of all the other pain!!
In general, though, it was fully engaging and unputdownable. When I read this, I was struggling to stay up past like 1 or 2 except for school-related reasons, and I remember one night I just kept reading until it was around 3:30 and even then I wanted to keep going.
“I want to choose you,” Noam said softly. “Every day, again and again.”
If you can, I fully recommend picking up this book and/or series. It’s utterly thrilling and entertaining, and more than anything it’s about two characters learning how to survive. Victoria Lee said, “The Electric Heir is, at its core, about what it means to be a survivor—both the experience of surviving, and the expectations that society places on survivors.” And this shines through, crafting a truly poignant masterpiece.
—★—
:: rep :: biracial (Latinx, white) bisexual Jewish MC, gay POC Jewish LI with depression and an eating disorder, queer Jewish major character, all-queer cast
:: content warnings :: violence, intergenerational trauma/genocide, abuse, attempted rape, mental health and suicide, slut-shaming, victim-blaming, ableist language, drug and alcohol abuse, parental death
Thank you to Amazon for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This did not my affect my opinion in any way.
All quotes are from an advanced copy and may differ in final publication.
January 15, 2022
Remember when I said in my review of the first book that I have a new favorite villain?
Yeah. No.
He is utterly disgusting and irredeemable. He is the "There's only one thing worse than a rapist" meme with a twist.
Also, it's not just the characters who need therapy after this book.
Yeah. No.
He is utterly disgusting and irredeemable. He is the "There's only one thing worse than a rapist" meme with a twist.
Also, it's not just the characters who need therapy after this book.
Read
January 7, 2022✨ THE COVER IS LIVE—bless your eyes here!!! ✨
This book is incredible, I don’t even have the words. I n c r e d i b l e.
This book is incredible, I don’t even have the words. I n c r e d i b l e.
April 16, 2020
I'll never be able to put into words how much this book and this series mean to me. I'll never be able to thank Victoria Lee enough, or to make them understand how thankful I am for their words. I have so much love for Noam and Dara, so much love for them and their dreams. finishing this book, this duology, feels like leaving a part of myself behind, but I'm grateful for every single second I got to spend with these characters.
March 26, 2020
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange of an honest review
CW: mention of suicide and suicidal ideations, illness, death, violence, fascism, excessive drinking, pedophilia, statutory rape, abuse in all its forms, graphic description of physical abuse, manipulation, mind control, trauma, murder, gore, generational trauma, depression, eating disorder.
So...I read THE ELECTRIC HEIR back in September and couldn't review it. I told myself that I'd read it too fast, didn't retain enough, and would need a reread to solidify my thoughts before putting them on page. I reread the book last week and I...still don't know how to review it. This book is a masterpiece. It just means too much to me. It dug deep down in my soul and hit all those soft tender spots that were tucked deep down, so deep that I even convinced myself they weren't there anymore. It made cry, all kinds of tears, and it was one of the most rewarding reading experiences I've ever had.
The writing in this one is just as good as in the first book, if not better. It's visceral, gutting, buries itself in the deepest darkest corners of your mind and messes with them, makes you question everything happening, and stop trusting even your own shadow. THE ELECTRIC HEIR is -obviously- an extension of THE FEVER KING, picking up six months after it, with Noam in a mess that's too big for him to get himself out of on his own, and yet still believing he has it under control, still believing he can get out (sounds familar...). This continuation digs even deeper into trauma, abuse and corrupted governments, which I didn't think was even possible because of how masterfully done in the first book.
Full review posted on my blog : Word Wonders
CW: mention of suicide and suicidal ideations, illness, death, violence, fascism, excessive drinking, pedophilia, statutory rape, abuse in all its forms, graphic description of physical abuse, manipulation, mind control, trauma, murder, gore, generational trauma, depression, eating disorder.
So...I read THE ELECTRIC HEIR back in September and couldn't review it. I told myself that I'd read it too fast, didn't retain enough, and would need a reread to solidify my thoughts before putting them on page. I reread the book last week and I...still don't know how to review it. This book is a masterpiece. It just means too much to me. It dug deep down in my soul and hit all those soft tender spots that were tucked deep down, so deep that I even convinced myself they weren't there anymore. It made cry, all kinds of tears, and it was one of the most rewarding reading experiences I've ever had.
The writing in this one is just as good as in the first book, if not better. It's visceral, gutting, buries itself in the deepest darkest corners of your mind and messes with them, makes you question everything happening, and stop trusting even your own shadow. THE ELECTRIC HEIR is -obviously- an extension of THE FEVER KING, picking up six months after it, with Noam in a mess that's too big for him to get himself out of on his own, and yet still believing he has it under control, still believing he can get out (sounds familar...). This continuation digs even deeper into trauma, abuse and corrupted governments, which I didn't think was even possible because of how masterfully done in the first book.
Full review posted on my blog : Word Wonders
January 3, 2022
let me preface this review by saying that my issue with this book is not the dark turn this sequel took (and, boy, is it dark) or the way that victoria lee handled the delicate subject matter within. my issues lie with everything else and trust me when i say that no one is more disappointed about this rating than me
(TL;DR at the end)
the easiest way to summarize my feelings about this sequel is that victoria lee took this book in a direction i was not expecting and while i can see why a lot of people would appreciate the way this story progressed from the first book, i was not one of those people
here’s the thing. the fever king is (was?) one of my favourite sci-fi/fantasy books of all time. it’s different. it’s original. i loved it when i first read it. victoria lee weaves magic and science and politics and love into a story that is the stuff of fantasy masterfully interspersed with surprisingly relevant themes. which is why i am so disappointed by this sequel. where was the magic? the science? where was everything that made the fever king so, so amazing? this is a SFF sequel but with almost no action at all? not until about three-quarters or so into the book?
the pacing is way, way off. so many of the big “reveals” and action sequences take place off-page and are only revealed in hindsight . the ‘finale’ is so anti-climactic
most of dara’s chapters are set in one place which makes sense logically but, god, does it make for one boring read.
for a book about magic and powers, the characters spend almost no time actually using their powers in any sequences of actual consequence
the side characters are half-baked and underused and quite frankly unnecessary until they suddenly become convenient to the plot. there is little to no development or even proper introductions for the new characters. we’re just given names and a couple of sentences about where they come from, but who are they really? i certainly couldn’t tell you
i guess what i’m trying to say is that there were a lot of really good *ideas* that this book presented but none of them are ever really fully realized. a lot of plot points are half-heartedly abandoned, new and quite frankly incredulous ideas are introduced toward the end of the book and, in the end, the reader is never really given a chance to fully understand the scope of what the book is trying to achieve because the ending just feels so abrupt.
most of the chapters are so frustratingly repetitive and by the time we got to any real action, i was just waiting for this book to end so i could move on.
i don’t know what it is exactly that i wanted from this book. all i know is that it was difficult for me to get through this book, not because of the heavy subject matter, but because at some point i realized i was bored out of my mind and just wanted to skip ahead to the end to see how things ended.
victoria lee is still a magical writer and i will be checking out their next release but i have never been more disappointed in a sequel as i was with this one.
though dara still deserves the world and i would willingly die for him.
TL;DR: essentially this book is 480 pages too long, badly paced, bereft of action, confusing and contradictory, anticlimactic, and not anywhere near as magical and mind-blowing as the fever king
(TL;DR at the end)
the easiest way to summarize my feelings about this sequel is that victoria lee took this book in a direction i was not expecting and while i can see why a lot of people would appreciate the way this story progressed from the first book, i was not one of those people
here’s the thing. the fever king is (was?) one of my favourite sci-fi/fantasy books of all time. it’s different. it’s original. i loved it when i first read it. victoria lee weaves magic and science and politics and love into a story that is the stuff of fantasy masterfully interspersed with surprisingly relevant themes. which is why i am so disappointed by this sequel. where was the magic? the science? where was everything that made the fever king so, so amazing? this is a SFF sequel but with almost no action at all? not until about three-quarters or so into the book?
the pacing is way, way off. so many of the big “reveals” and action sequences take place off-page and are only revealed in hindsight . the ‘finale’ is so anti-climactic
most of dara’s chapters are set in one place which makes sense logically but, god, does it make for one boring read.
for a book about magic and powers, the characters spend almost no time actually using their powers in any sequences of actual consequence
the side characters are half-baked and underused and quite frankly unnecessary until they suddenly become convenient to the plot. there is little to no development or even proper introductions for the new characters. we’re just given names and a couple of sentences about where they come from, but who are they really? i certainly couldn’t tell you
i guess what i’m trying to say is that there were a lot of really good *ideas* that this book presented but none of them are ever really fully realized. a lot of plot points are half-heartedly abandoned, new and quite frankly incredulous ideas are introduced toward the end of the book and, in the end, the reader is never really given a chance to fully understand the scope of what the book is trying to achieve because the ending just feels so abrupt.
most of the chapters are so frustratingly repetitive and by the time we got to any real action, i was just waiting for this book to end so i could move on.
i don’t know what it is exactly that i wanted from this book. all i know is that it was difficult for me to get through this book, not because of the heavy subject matter, but because at some point i realized i was bored out of my mind and just wanted to skip ahead to the end to see how things ended.
victoria lee is still a magical writer and i will be checking out their next release but i have never been more disappointed in a sequel as i was with this one.
though dara still deserves the world and i would willingly die for him.
TL;DR: essentially this book is 480 pages too long, badly paced, bereft of action, confusing and contradictory, anticlimactic, and not anywhere near as magical and mind-blowing as the fever king
June 22, 2020
Frustrated. Disgusted. Speechless.
Those were my moods throughout most of this book. Sometimes my insides hurt. I was scared to keep reading and I was scared to stop reading. The electric heir kept me on my toes all the time because I could never tell if things would be okay or if everything would go to shit... Most of the time it went to shit.
”But when you stop wanting it, you don’t get that option. You won’t. You don’t get to change your mind with him.“
First, I have to mention how well Victoria Lee wrote this. The narration, again, was perfect. She writes in third-person but you never feel disconnected from the story, in fact, it felt like I was experiencing every tragedy along with Noam and Dara. There are some heavy/dark themes here and they were handled so well.
Lehrer can suck on my big fat d- I’m just- I’m so MAD. What kind of a psychopath- UGH!!! What frustrates me the most is that he has mastered manipulation so well that even I was manipulated at some points. I. Hate. Him. His character was written so well. Too well. His abuse was seen from the POV of the people he abused and at parts of the book, you saw everything through their rose-colored glasses. It was super messed up, to say the least.
There was a little less political intrigue than in the previous book, but this world was still as fascinating as ever, even though this was more focused on the characters. Our boys went through some shit in the fever king. And they went through some more shit in the electric heir. But they also grew, healed, and most importantly, they survived. My heart is weeping right now
Those were my moods throughout most of this book. Sometimes my insides hurt. I was scared to keep reading and I was scared to stop reading. The electric heir kept me on my toes all the time because I could never tell if things would be okay or if everything would go to shit... Most of the time it went to shit.
”But when you stop wanting it, you don’t get that option. You won’t. You don’t get to change your mind with him.“
First, I have to mention how well Victoria Lee wrote this. The narration, again, was perfect. She writes in third-person but you never feel disconnected from the story, in fact, it felt like I was experiencing every tragedy along with Noam and Dara. There are some heavy/dark themes here and they were handled so well.
Lehrer can suck on my big fat d- I’m just- I’m so MAD. What kind of a psychopath- UGH!!! What frustrates me the most is that he has mastered manipulation so well that even I was manipulated at some points. I. Hate. Him. His character was written so well. Too well. His abuse was seen from the POV of the people he abused and at parts of the book, you saw everything through their rose-colored glasses. It was super messed up, to say the least.
There was a little less political intrigue than in the previous book, but this world was still as fascinating as ever, even though this was more focused on the characters. Our boys went through some shit in the fever king. And they went through some more shit in the electric heir. But they also grew, healed, and most importantly, they survived. My heart is weeping right now
July 6, 2021
Make sure to read the content warnings provided by the authors and read safely loves: http://victorialeewrites.com/2019/10/...
arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
CW: pedophilia, abuse,i recommend checking the author's website to stay safe
This book was at once an excellent sequel and a mildly disappointing conclusion to the duology.
I again found myself enamored with the fascinating and innovative dystopian world that Lee imagines for us. This series really restored my hope for YA dystopians. Victoria Lee has created some of the most captivating characters I have ever had the pleasure to read about and the fact that this sequel was so charcter heavy was a wonderful way to round out the various arcs Lee explores in this series.
In this installment some time has passed since the ending of The Fever King and Noam has been living under Lehrer's mind control and is being successfully groomed and manipulated by him. I think Lee crafted the perfect villian with Lehrer, his despicable actions unfold so slowly in the first installment that I too was enthralled by him at first and I think Lee hammers home an important message about how powerful, likeable people use their reputation as the perfect shield while they engage in monstrous acts behind the scenes. I also appreciated that this narrative addressed how gross immortal + human teenager stories really are. Seeing Noam grappling with understanding that he has been abused and trying to escape while also falling victim to his own martyrdom was at once heartbreaking and frustrating. In direct contrast we get Dara' perspective and he has been living without Lehrer's influence and is at a completely different stage in his recovery, seeing these two victims of abuse trying to overcome their abuser and stop the cycle of violence and abuse and corruption was incredibly powerful, it was a really difficult and uncomfortable subject but I think Lee really said some important things with this novel.
While I think Lee did an amazing job with these characters and their arcs, I couldn't help but feel like the other aspects of the plot were very poorly fleshed out. There is a rebel fraction trying to overthrow Lehrer as chancellor but we really never find out much about them or Dara's involvement with them beyond a few scheming sessions. I just think the politics and the war aspect of the plot was really too understated and I needed more from that side of the story, and the world could have been expanded a bit more. I stand by the idea that this should have been a trilogy.
Overall it was great. Noam and Dara have my heart. Brillant, nuanced exploration of child abuse and grooming, and what it means to be a survivor, amazing character arcs, fascinating world, mildly disappointing plot but the writting and characters made up for what the plot lacked. 4 stars
arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
CW: pedophilia, abuse,i recommend checking the author's website to stay safe
This book was at once an excellent sequel and a mildly disappointing conclusion to the duology.
I again found myself enamored with the fascinating and innovative dystopian world that Lee imagines for us. This series really restored my hope for YA dystopians. Victoria Lee has created some of the most captivating characters I have ever had the pleasure to read about and the fact that this sequel was so charcter heavy was a wonderful way to round out the various arcs Lee explores in this series.
In this installment some time has passed since the ending of The Fever King and Noam has been living under Lehrer's mind control and is being successfully groomed and manipulated by him. I think Lee crafted the perfect villian with Lehrer, his despicable actions unfold so slowly in the first installment that I too was enthralled by him at first and I think Lee hammers home an important message about how powerful, likeable people use their reputation as the perfect shield while they engage in monstrous acts behind the scenes. I also appreciated that this narrative addressed how gross immortal + human teenager stories really are. Seeing Noam grappling with understanding that he has been abused and trying to escape while also falling victim to his own martyrdom was at once heartbreaking and frustrating. In direct contrast we get Dara' perspective and he has been living without Lehrer's influence and is at a completely different stage in his recovery, seeing these two victims of abuse trying to overcome their abuser and stop the cycle of violence and abuse and corruption was incredibly powerful, it was a really difficult and uncomfortable subject but I think Lee really said some important things with this novel.
While I think Lee did an amazing job with these characters and their arcs, I couldn't help but feel like the other aspects of the plot were very poorly fleshed out. There is a rebel fraction trying to overthrow Lehrer as chancellor but we really never find out much about them or Dara's involvement with them beyond a few scheming sessions. I just think the politics and the war aspect of the plot was really too understated and I needed more from that side of the story, and the world could have been expanded a bit more. I stand by the idea that this should have been a trilogy.
Overall it was great. Noam and Dara have my heart. Brillant, nuanced exploration of child abuse and grooming, and what it means to be a survivor, amazing character arcs, fascinating world, mildly disappointing plot but the writting and characters made up for what the plot lacked. 4 stars
February 15, 2021
First, the truth : I've written 6 reviews for The Electric Heir. Then I deleted them all. Even now, I don't know what I should tell you. I don't know what I shouldn't. I'm not sure, and I hate that. In the end, I rewrote some parts, deleted others, and what remains probably don't make sense anymore. I'm genuinely sorry about that.
Secondly : I don't think I've ever written this in any review of mine, but listen : you should read Victoria Lee's review. Yes, the author's. Click on the link, and read their words, because I will never be able to express one tenth of what they have written there. I will not be able to explain why The Electric Heir is such an important book. I will not be able to explain why I am, and have been, a sobbing, heart-constricted mess since I've read the first page.
I know many people hate the mere concept of a book importance but *slams fist into table* [redacted]. We bookworms are often melodramatic, trust me, I know, but when I say that The Electric Heir made me want to throw up, it's not a metaphor.
Thirdly : I'll make the claim that The Electric Heir should be read in one sitting. Not that I did, mind you. I actually had to stop yesterday because I was so tired my eyes deserted, the treacherous little shits, but I wish I didn't have to. I really fucking wish, because the whole time I wasn't reading? *whispers* my worry was a solid thing. I felt almost - guilty, like I abandoned Dara and Noam, somehow. It doesn't make sense, okay? I realize that. And I know most readers had a soft spot for Dara - don't get me wrong, I adored him, okay - but Noam? Ugh. God. I just can't use words. He just. I just. He fucking broke my heart and I really just wanted to give him a hug and tell him that none of this was his fault. Victoria Lee's characters aren't likeable, they're loveable.
Finally : I wish I could be a better advocate for this book, but. I can't, and I've long stopped badgering myself about things I can't control (narrator : that is a lie). Listen - even though I appreciated how The Electric Heir tackled the subjects of government and fascism, and really enjoyed reading about magic, at its heart, it's a character driven novel about survivors. It will get under your skin and never let go. And I just want to thank Victoria Lee for that, so : thank you.
CW : mention of suicide and suicidal ideations, illness, death, violence, fascism, excessive drinking, pedophilia, statutory rape, abuse in all its forms, graphic description of physical abuse, manipulation, mind control, trauma, murder, gore, generational trauma, depression, eating disorder.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
"He spent his hours curled up under the blankets with his eyes closed, trying to pretend he didn't exist."
Secondly : I don't think I've ever written this in any review of mine, but listen : you should read Victoria Lee's review. Yes, the author's. Click on the link, and read their words, because I will never be able to express one tenth of what they have written there. I will not be able to explain why The Electric Heir is such an important book. I will not be able to explain why I am, and have been, a sobbing, heart-constricted mess since I've read the first page.
I know many people hate the mere concept of a book importance but *slams fist into table* [redacted]. We bookworms are often melodramatic, trust me, I know, but when I say that The Electric Heir made me want to throw up, it's not a metaphor.
Thirdly : I'll make the claim that The Electric Heir should be read in one sitting. Not that I did, mind you. I actually had to stop yesterday because I was so tired my eyes deserted, the treacherous little shits, but I wish I didn't have to. I really fucking wish, because the whole time I wasn't reading? *whispers* my worry was a solid thing. I felt almost - guilty, like I abandoned Dara and Noam, somehow. It doesn't make sense, okay? I realize that. And I know most readers had a soft spot for Dara - don't get me wrong, I adored him, okay - but Noam? Ugh. God. I just can't use words. He just. I just. He fucking broke my heart and I really just wanted to give him a hug and tell him that none of this was his fault. Victoria Lee's characters aren't likeable, they're loveable.
Finally : I wish I could be a better advocate for this book, but. I can't, and I've long stopped badgering myself about things I can't control (narrator : that is a lie). Listen - even though I appreciated how The Electric Heir tackled the subjects of government and fascism, and really enjoyed reading about magic, at its heart, it's a character driven novel about survivors. It will get under your skin and never let go. And I just want to thank Victoria Lee for that, so : thank you.
CW : mention of suicide and suicidal ideations, illness, death, violence, fascism, excessive drinking, pedophilia, statutory rape, abuse in all its forms, graphic description of physical abuse, manipulation, mind control, trauma, murder, gore, generational trauma, depression, eating disorder.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
March 11, 2021
“you’ll do whatever’s necessary to take back what you think is yours.”
this book sadly took me ages to get through, as i was (and still am) in a major reading slump since the beginning of the year. crazily enough, it’s also the first thing i finished reading in 2020 at the end of may. uni course work is literally taking up all of my time and it’s so sad lmao, but anyways!
after absolutely adoring the fever king when i read it last year, i was full of anticipation for the sequel! what i still continue to love is victoria lee’s unique writing style. it is very easy to read but totally poetic at the same time, which makes it a totally gorgeous package. the political intrigue in this series is also something i am completely living for and wish there were more such ya novels (and i don’t just mean crime and war, which there’s plenty of, but an actually complex political system broke down for everyone to easily understand).
another aspect i love in this series is the depth of characters we get while not pushing the plot too far in the back. as for this installment, however, i felt like the action was a little too sidetracked. yes, it’s absolutely important to focus on the characters and their feelings concerning everything, but for the second half of the book i didn’t really know what was actually going on anymore and just got what noam and dara thought about said events. it was more a telling rather than showing the reader the plot, which i do not appreciate. for the most part, i wanna experience first hand and in real time what’s going on, not be told afterwards. the pacing towards the last third was also lacking, as i didn’t even really feel like picking it up to finish reading anymore; even when all i had left was the last 30 or so pages.
the depiction of the heavy topics the electric heir deals with and the author also putting up a list of trigger and content warnings is something i thoroughly enjoyed, if one can put it that way. i thought it was incredibly important to be talked about, which victoria lee did a fabulous job on. in the acknowledgements she also mentions how she felt the need to write this story for survivors like noam and dara got me all teary-eyed, after that also satisfying conclusion to this duology.
all in all, the feverwake series is something i really enjoyed and that is very close to my heart, despite the few issues i have with it. this duology is very solid and i would still recommend it to anyone interested in it!
thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
→ 3 stars
this book sadly took me ages to get through, as i was (and still am) in a major reading slump since the beginning of the year. crazily enough, it’s also the first thing i finished reading in 2020 at the end of may. uni course work is literally taking up all of my time and it’s so sad lmao, but anyways!
after absolutely adoring the fever king when i read it last year, i was full of anticipation for the sequel! what i still continue to love is victoria lee’s unique writing style. it is very easy to read but totally poetic at the same time, which makes it a totally gorgeous package. the political intrigue in this series is also something i am completely living for and wish there were more such ya novels (and i don’t just mean crime and war, which there’s plenty of, but an actually complex political system broke down for everyone to easily understand).
another aspect i love in this series is the depth of characters we get while not pushing the plot too far in the back. as for this installment, however, i felt like the action was a little too sidetracked. yes, it’s absolutely important to focus on the characters and their feelings concerning everything, but for the second half of the book i didn’t really know what was actually going on anymore and just got what noam and dara thought about said events. it was more a telling rather than showing the reader the plot, which i do not appreciate. for the most part, i wanna experience first hand and in real time what’s going on, not be told afterwards. the pacing towards the last third was also lacking, as i didn’t even really feel like picking it up to finish reading anymore; even when all i had left was the last 30 or so pages.
the depiction of the heavy topics the electric heir deals with and the author also putting up a list of trigger and content warnings is something i thoroughly enjoyed, if one can put it that way. i thought it was incredibly important to be talked about, which victoria lee did a fabulous job on. in the acknowledgements she also mentions how she felt the need to write this story for survivors like noam and dara got me all teary-eyed, after that also satisfying conclusion to this duology.
all in all, the feverwake series is something i really enjoyed and that is very close to my heart, despite the few issues i have with it. this duology is very solid and i would still recommend it to anyone interested in it!
thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
→ 3 stars
October 19, 2020
This book broke my heart and mended it all at once.
March 18, 2020
After coming out of THE FEVER KING with much less love than I thought I would, I was pretty pleased by how strong I felt this follow up was. At least, initially.
My main problem was where this story went in regards to a certain relationship and the direction it took. There are so many complicated emotions, so many traumas, so much grief, wrapped up in the why or maybe the how of it. And Lee does (I think, at least) a good job of trying to explain the messiness of it all, the conflicting perceptions and means to which one might convince themselves of something, through her characters. But I still didn't like it, and every time it came up I wanted to put the book down and walk away. One particular exchange, between the two POVs and leads, made me oh so very angry. And hurt. So, I mean, kudos for that. But that didn't make me like the story anymore.
And the story itself, well, there's not much I can say regarding the plot for a sequel/finale, but mostly I'm just confused. I have no idea how we got to the ending we did, and how it's going to stick, considering.. everything. Additionally I guess I just don't understand why the story, the series, happened in the first place? Why these kids, why couldn't Lehrer just.. I don't know. I feel like I understood what I read, what happened, but I'm missing the point, I guess.
For all that I clearly have no idea how to feel, despite knowing I didn't love this, I have to say that Lee's writing is strong. She doesn't shy away from darker topics (there's a warning at the front, and content/triggers listed at the back) and I feel she handles a lot of it with dignity and care. These characters, all of them, have been through so much, are still dealing with so much, and while sometimes it felt like too much, it's all rather tied up in one catalyst. It's heartbreaking and awful and while I didn't hate Noam, one of our POVs, I absolutely adored Dara. Full stop.
Anyway, I don't know. I feel like this is a series I should've loved and, when pitched to me, I knew I wanted to read it. Something about this just didn't connect. And I'm sad about it. But I'm also an outlier, so, please read the glowy reviews and, if this sounds like your thing, definitely give it a try.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
My main problem was where this story went in regards to a certain relationship and the direction it took. There are so many complicated emotions, so many traumas, so much grief, wrapped up in the why or maybe the how of it. And Lee does (I think, at least) a good job of trying to explain the messiness of it all, the conflicting perceptions and means to which one might convince themselves of something, through her characters. But I still didn't like it, and every time it came up I wanted to put the book down and walk away. One particular exchange, between the two POVs and leads, made me oh so very angry. And hurt. So, I mean, kudos for that. But that didn't make me like the story anymore.
And the story itself, well, there's not much I can say regarding the plot for a sequel/finale, but mostly I'm just confused. I have no idea how we got to the ending we did, and how it's going to stick, considering.. everything. Additionally I guess I just don't understand why the story, the series, happened in the first place? Why these kids, why couldn't Lehrer just.. I don't know. I feel like I understood what I read, what happened, but I'm missing the point, I guess.
For all that I clearly have no idea how to feel, despite knowing I didn't love this, I have to say that Lee's writing is strong. She doesn't shy away from darker topics (there's a warning at the front, and content/triggers listed at the back) and I feel she handles a lot of it with dignity and care. These characters, all of them, have been through so much, are still dealing with so much, and while sometimes it felt like too much, it's all rather tied up in one catalyst. It's heartbreaking and awful and while I didn't hate Noam, one of our POVs, I absolutely adored Dara. Full stop.
Anyway, I don't know. I feel like this is a series I should've loved and, when pitched to me, I knew I wanted to read it. Something about this just didn't connect. And I'm sad about it. But I'm also an outlier, so, please read the glowy reviews and, if this sounds like your thing, definitely give it a try.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
February 23, 2020
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so The Electric Heir was even more amazing than the first book. It doesn't matter that I read them accidentally out of order. I loved every page I read between these books. Now this one starts about 6 months or so after the first one ended. Not going to lie, I love when books in a series do that because it makes the transition between each book less painful.
After reading the first book, things definitely made more sense to me in this one. No, I didn't reread this one after it BUT if I ever get the next book I will most definitely read the books in order. Fall in love with everything all over again will make me happy.
I still loved everything about Noam and Dara. They are absolutely everything to me and I just couldn't ask for more. I mean, I could if I would and I would still be extremely happy with everything that went down.
In the end, I seriously want another book. Please, oh please Victoria - I want another one.
Okay, so The Electric Heir was even more amazing than the first book. It doesn't matter that I read them accidentally out of order. I loved every page I read between these books. Now this one starts about 6 months or so after the first one ended. Not going to lie, I love when books in a series do that because it makes the transition between each book less painful.
After reading the first book, things definitely made more sense to me in this one. No, I didn't reread this one after it BUT if I ever get the next book I will most definitely read the books in order. Fall in love with everything all over again will make me happy.
I still loved everything about Noam and Dara. They are absolutely everything to me and I just couldn't ask for more. I mean, I could if I would and I would still be extremely happy with everything that went down.
In the end, I seriously want another book. Please, oh please Victoria - I want another one.
October 29, 2020
“I said I have an ideology. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with fighting for something you believe in.”
This book. I seriously cannot tell you how it struck all those places in me that I did not even knew existed. I cried, I laughed, I chewed all my nails and I prayed. I can see this book right at the top, just below Six of Crows in my list of favourite duologies. I am going to be vague otherwise I'll just give out all the spoilers.
It picks up six month after The Fever King where Noam is forced to live in a world without Dara because of his damn ideologies, finding himself stuck in something bigger than himself (no surprise there), with no idea how to come out. But soon he finds out Dara is alive and has joined the resistance against Lehrer. Together they come in terms with what they have suffered, what is right and how to heal each other.
Once Noam got it into his head that someone he cared about was in danger, he stopped caring about anything else.
I love that boy. I do. The thing that he reads Karl Max in his free time (hey, bcoz I do:), talks of anarchy, fights for the immigrants, thinks politics and always worry about every single one around him but not himself is adorable. Though in this book I saw the side that was hidden behind his constant urge to do good. I saw the broken boy behind that hero mask and felt that cord inside me twist every single time he was hurt.
This wasn’t the foolish child so desperate for affection he’d almost killed himself seeking it. This wasn’t the fragile boy who broke so easily under Lehrer’s touch. No. The boy in this mirror was steel and frost and a bloodied knife. And he wasn’t afraid of anything.
And Dara is still that boy who loved the stars. Who just wanted someone to trust him. But he is more. He came in terms with what happened to him and chose to rise. Chose to survive and fight back. He lost his magic and felt useless but still wanted to do anything he could so that what happened to him didn't happen to anyone else. And he is still the boy Noam fell in love with.
November 2123—that was the month, even if Dara couldn’t remember the precise date. But he remembered everything else with the kind of crystalline clarity that accompanied the most formative events in one’s life: first kills, first kisses, first fucks. First loves.
And can we talk about Lehrer? I mean I kind of liked him in the first book as the villain. He gave me intense Darkling vibes. But here.....I don't know. He was everything you can ask for from the villain. He was evil. Very. But he was still that powerful, calculative, manipulative leader we saw in the first book. He did deserve what he got.
....No matter how good your hand, his is better. And no matter how well you plan your play, Lehrer will always be two steps ahead.”
It was funny. It was cute. It had a great plot. The magic in this series is still something I find endearing because it is logical, based on science and I cannot stop feeling intrigued that maybe can even occur in the future. The world building was top class. And the side characters 😍😘
“What do you believe in, Dara?” Noam pressed again. Dara sipped at his soda. Swirled his straw round the glass when he lifted his head again. “I believe Vladimir Nabokov is the best novelist of all time.” “Dara.”
But it was dark like-I-needed-to-close-the-book-to-catch-my-breath kind of dark. And lets talk about the multiple issues that this alternate universe tackled resonating with ours.
“I said no.”
These simple words mean something very deep and needs to be heard. Needs to be acknowledged and to be taken action over. There are thousands of people out there who have survived child abuse and sexual violence who said these words but were never heard. They faught back and rose. I respect them.
The book also highlights the struggles of immigrants and alcohol abusers. It is a story of real people in the present world. (Also, it has a virus😝)
Although I got the romance for the last 100 pages, I couldn't have asked for anything different.
“I want to choose you,” Noam said softly. “Every day, again and again.”
The end was beautiful and the story is going to remain with me for a long time. I will surely have a reread.
And what had been a black sky transformed into a sea of glittering lights, a galaxy bursting from the fabric of space in vermilion and violet, all those stars and planets spinning inexorably inward toward a brilliant core.
This book. I seriously cannot tell you how it struck all those places in me that I did not even knew existed. I cried, I laughed, I chewed all my nails and I prayed. I can see this book right at the top, just below Six of Crows in my list of favourite duologies. I am going to be vague otherwise I'll just give out all the spoilers.
It picks up six month after The Fever King where Noam is forced to live in a world without Dara because of his damn ideologies, finding himself stuck in something bigger than himself (no surprise there), with no idea how to come out. But soon he finds out Dara is alive and has joined the resistance against Lehrer. Together they come in terms with what they have suffered, what is right and how to heal each other.
Once Noam got it into his head that someone he cared about was in danger, he stopped caring about anything else.
I love that boy. I do. The thing that he reads Karl Max in his free time (hey, bcoz I do:), talks of anarchy, fights for the immigrants, thinks politics and always worry about every single one around him but not himself is adorable. Though in this book I saw the side that was hidden behind his constant urge to do good. I saw the broken boy behind that hero mask and felt that cord inside me twist every single time he was hurt.
This wasn’t the foolish child so desperate for affection he’d almost killed himself seeking it. This wasn’t the fragile boy who broke so easily under Lehrer’s touch. No. The boy in this mirror was steel and frost and a bloodied knife. And he wasn’t afraid of anything.
And Dara is still that boy who loved the stars. Who just wanted someone to trust him. But he is more. He came in terms with what happened to him and chose to rise. Chose to survive and fight back. He lost his magic and felt useless but still wanted to do anything he could so that what happened to him didn't happen to anyone else. And he is still the boy Noam fell in love with.
November 2123—that was the month, even if Dara couldn’t remember the precise date. But he remembered everything else with the kind of crystalline clarity that accompanied the most formative events in one’s life: first kills, first kisses, first fucks. First loves.
And can we talk about Lehrer? I mean I kind of liked him in the first book as the villain. He gave me intense Darkling vibes. But here.....I don't know. He was everything you can ask for from the villain. He was evil. Very. But he was still that powerful, calculative, manipulative leader we saw in the first book. He did deserve what he got.
....No matter how good your hand, his is better. And no matter how well you plan your play, Lehrer will always be two steps ahead.”
It was funny. It was cute. It had a great plot. The magic in this series is still something I find endearing because it is logical, based on science and I cannot stop feeling intrigued that maybe can even occur in the future. The world building was top class. And the side characters 😍😘
“What do you believe in, Dara?” Noam pressed again. Dara sipped at his soda. Swirled his straw round the glass when he lifted his head again. “I believe Vladimir Nabokov is the best novelist of all time.” “Dara.”
But it was dark like-I-needed-to-close-the-book-to-catch-my-breath kind of dark. And lets talk about the multiple issues that this alternate universe tackled resonating with ours.
“I said no.”
These simple words mean something very deep and needs to be heard. Needs to be acknowledged and to be taken action over. There are thousands of people out there who have survived child abuse and sexual violence who said these words but were never heard. They faught back and rose. I respect them.
The book also highlights the struggles of immigrants and alcohol abusers. It is a story of real people in the present world. (Also, it has a virus😝)
Although I got the romance for the last 100 pages, I couldn't have asked for anything different.
“I want to choose you,” Noam said softly. “Every day, again and again.”
The end was beautiful and the story is going to remain with me for a long time. I will surely have a reread.
And what had been a black sky transformed into a sea of glittering lights, a galaxy bursting from the fabric of space in vermilion and violet, all those stars and planets spinning inexorably inward toward a brilliant core.
August 8, 2022
WHEW THIS BOOK
Buddy reading with my love!
________________________________
I GOT A REVIEW COPY OF THIS BOOK I'M ABOUT TO PASS OUT
________________________________
When I saw a 2020 release date, I blacked out for a second before I remembered that's next year and not 2 years like my brain thought kjhdsjkdfg
I just know this book is going to cause a heart attack but it's ok I'm ready to die for these characters anyway
Buddy reading with my love!
________________________________
I GOT A REVIEW COPY OF THIS BOOK I'M ABOUT TO PASS OUT
________________________________
When I saw a 2020 release date, I blacked out for a second before I remembered that's next year and not 2 years like my brain thought kjhdsjkdfg
I just know this book is going to cause a heart attack but it's ok I'm ready to die for these characters anyway
January 15, 2020
Noam had crawled his way into Dara’s mind and planted himself there, a root system tangled into Dara’s thoughts and Dara’s telepathy.
Inextricable.
Actual rating 4.5
On my blog.
Rep: Jewish mcs, bi mc, gay mc with substance abuse disorder, MDD, & unspecified eating disorder, Black side character, Chinese American side character, Indian American side character, lesbian side character
CWs: all CWs are online here. To note: relationship between adult and minor is between , with particular scenes in: ch 3 (all), ch 4 (end), ch 7 (opening), ch 9 (middle/end), ch 11 (sort of, throughout), ch 17 (middle), ch 23 (beginning to middle), ch 31 (middle; sexual assault), 32 (throughout; attempted rape)
Galley provided by publisher
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.
Read
November 3, 2022“I want to choose you,” Noam said softly. “Every day, again and again.”
CW: grooming, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of minor characters, addiction to alcohol and drugs, anorexia, genocide
So What’s It About?
Six months after Noam Álvaro helped overthrow the despotic government of Carolinia, the Atlantians have gained citizenship, and Lehrer is chancellor. But despite Lehrer’s image as a progressive humanitarian leader, Noam has finally remembered the truth that Lehrer forced him to forget—that Lehrer is responsible for the deadly magic infection that ravaged Carolinia.
Now that Noam remembers the full extent of Lehrer’s crimes, he’s determined to use his influence with Lehrer to bring him down for good. If Lehrer realizes Noam has evaded his control—and that Noam is plotting against him—Noam’s dead. So he must keep playing the role of Lehrer’s protégé until he can steal enough vaccine to stop the virus.
Meanwhile Dara Shirazi returns to Carolinia, his magic stripped by the same vaccine that saved his life. But Dara’s attempts to ally himself with Noam prove that their methods for defeating Lehrer are violently misaligned. Dara fears Noam has only gotten himself more deeply entangled in Lehrer’s web. Sooner or later, playing double agent might cost Noam his life.
What I Thought
In some regards, this book was better than the first one, but a few of the first book’s problems were still there and there were a few new ones to boot.
As with the first book, the strongest element by far is the book’s depiction of abuse. Noam spends a great deal of the book stuck in a place where he knows that Lehrer is horrible, but he makes excuses for him, returns to him time and again and remains in denial about the amount of danger that he is in. It feels like a strong representation of how difficult it can be to come to terms with the fact that you're experiencing abuse and decide to make changes and manage to leave. One of the most powerful elements of this depiction is the way that Lehrer sets Noam and Dara against each other because he understands how powerful their mutual support is in resisting his abuse. Another really striking moment to me was when Noam caught himself thinking that there was no way that Lehrer would rape him as he did to Dara, forcing Noam to confront his assumptions about the differences (or lack thereof) between their respective relationships with Lehrer and the illusion of control that he is clinging to. Overall, I think there are some really compelling truths about trauma and abuse here.
I also like that we see Dara start on a slow journey to recovery now that he is free from Carolinia and Lehrer’s control - he starts to talk to people about what happened to him and tries to stop drinking. A couple of caveats to this - there is one point early on where Dara relapses and drinks alcohol; this is hardly addressed again and Dara continues along in his recovery with no significant setbacks after that relapse. And as far as Noam and Lehrer go, it was very difficult to keep track of what Lehrer knew and didn’t know. I do think that this works fine overall given how it feeds into the tension and paranoia that Noam feels throughout the book.
One of my complaints about the first book was that the world-building was too simplistic. That is less so the case here, and I think the most interesting elements of the story are fleshed out. Witchings are oppressed by the rest of the world and Carolinia has progressive policies like welfare and subsidized housing; at the same time, Carolinians are violently anti-immigrant, xenophobic and isolationist. And all of their progressive policies bely the fact that Lehrer is actually
That being said, I still had lots of questions that remained unanswered and I thought aspects of the dystopian state could have been fleshed out more. Particularly egregious is the fact that the book’s conclusion offers no information about Carolinia’s fate or the fate of the witchings after I also found the rebel movement to be laughably feeble - throughout most of the book, the extent of rebel activity we see is five people meeting at a bar to talk for 10 minutes and make extremely vague, ineffectual plans.
Finally, while I did think both Noam and Dara had stronger characterization here as their relationship developed, I felt that every character beyond them and Lehrer was very flat and weak. The ending epilogue shows Level IV as a found family in recovery and playing games, but most of them had received such cursory attention throughout the books that this scene really did not resonate the way it was meant to.
Because of how it explores the dynamics of grooming and abuse, I still think that this rises above a great deal of YA dystopian fiction and I’m glad I read it, but it’s still hindered by problems that are typical of that niche.
CW: grooming, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of minor characters, addiction to alcohol and drugs, anorexia, genocide
So What’s It About?
Six months after Noam Álvaro helped overthrow the despotic government of Carolinia, the Atlantians have gained citizenship, and Lehrer is chancellor. But despite Lehrer’s image as a progressive humanitarian leader, Noam has finally remembered the truth that Lehrer forced him to forget—that Lehrer is responsible for the deadly magic infection that ravaged Carolinia.
Now that Noam remembers the full extent of Lehrer’s crimes, he’s determined to use his influence with Lehrer to bring him down for good. If Lehrer realizes Noam has evaded his control—and that Noam is plotting against him—Noam’s dead. So he must keep playing the role of Lehrer’s protégé until he can steal enough vaccine to stop the virus.
Meanwhile Dara Shirazi returns to Carolinia, his magic stripped by the same vaccine that saved his life. But Dara’s attempts to ally himself with Noam prove that their methods for defeating Lehrer are violently misaligned. Dara fears Noam has only gotten himself more deeply entangled in Lehrer’s web. Sooner or later, playing double agent might cost Noam his life.
What I Thought
In some regards, this book was better than the first one, but a few of the first book’s problems were still there and there were a few new ones to boot.
As with the first book, the strongest element by far is the book’s depiction of abuse. Noam spends a great deal of the book stuck in a place where he knows that Lehrer is horrible, but he makes excuses for him, returns to him time and again and remains in denial about the amount of danger that he is in. It feels like a strong representation of how difficult it can be to come to terms with the fact that you're experiencing abuse and decide to make changes and manage to leave. One of the most powerful elements of this depiction is the way that Lehrer sets Noam and Dara against each other because he understands how powerful their mutual support is in resisting his abuse. Another really striking moment to me was when Noam caught himself thinking that there was no way that Lehrer would rape him as he did to Dara, forcing Noam to confront his assumptions about the differences (or lack thereof) between their respective relationships with Lehrer and the illusion of control that he is clinging to. Overall, I think there are some really compelling truths about trauma and abuse here.
I also like that we see Dara start on a slow journey to recovery now that he is free from Carolinia and Lehrer’s control - he starts to talk to people about what happened to him and tries to stop drinking. A couple of caveats to this - there is one point early on where Dara relapses and drinks alcohol; this is hardly addressed again and Dara continues along in his recovery with no significant setbacks after that relapse. And as far as Noam and Lehrer go, it was very difficult to keep track of what Lehrer knew and didn’t know. I do think that this works fine overall given how it feeds into the tension and paranoia that Noam feels throughout the book.
One of my complaints about the first book was that the world-building was too simplistic. That is less so the case here, and I think the most interesting elements of the story are fleshed out. Witchings are oppressed by the rest of the world and Carolinia has progressive policies like welfare and subsidized housing; at the same time, Carolinians are violently anti-immigrant, xenophobic and isolationist. And all of their progressive policies bely the fact that Lehrer is actually
That being said, I still had lots of questions that remained unanswered and I thought aspects of the dystopian state could have been fleshed out more. Particularly egregious is the fact that the book’s conclusion offers no information about Carolinia’s fate or the fate of the witchings after I also found the rebel movement to be laughably feeble - throughout most of the book, the extent of rebel activity we see is five people meeting at a bar to talk for 10 minutes and make extremely vague, ineffectual plans.
Finally, while I did think both Noam and Dara had stronger characterization here as their relationship developed, I felt that every character beyond them and Lehrer was very flat and weak. The ending epilogue shows Level IV as a found family in recovery and playing games, but most of them had received such cursory attention throughout the books that this scene really did not resonate the way it was meant to.
Because of how it explores the dynamics of grooming and abuse, I still think that this rises above a great deal of YA dystopian fiction and I’m glad I read it, but it’s still hindered by problems that are typical of that niche.
April 4, 2020
"Noam had crawled his way into Dara's mind and planted himself there, a root system tangled into Dara's thoughts... Inextricable."
TW for violence, death, genocide, suicide, abuse, rape, sexual assault of a minor, sex, drug and alcohol use, various mental health conditions, disordered eating
➸ My 5 star review of book 1, The Fever King
The Electric Heir came for my entire life. I was expecting as much, after adoring the first book, and hearing nothing but amazing things about it's sequel. But I was still surprised by what it did. It has similarities but also notable differences to the Fever King, in that it's perhaps even more character driven, but simultaneously had more action. What this book really hones in on is the intricate complexities of the relationship between our three main characters: Noam, Dara & Lehrer. It dugs its way into my heart, and doesn't want to leave. I know I'll be thinking about this story, these characters, and the experience of reading it, for a long time.
This book is a closer examination of power dynamics, both on a personal and political scale, and Lehrer is the perfect way to study both of these simultaneously. It's a criticism of militarisation, and war, thinly veiled dictatorships, and classism. But most specifically this book is for survivors, in a way that is twofold -- through Dara's story and through Noam's story. In many ways, Noam and Dara's roles are reversed from their roles in the last novel.
Dara is recovering, and coming to terms with his past in this book.
Noam and Dara's relationship also goes on a massive journey. They have a lot to work through, and atone for, and learn about each other. Ultimately, they have to learn how to forge a relationship separate from Lehrer's realm, and without the constant shadow of him. There is something so important and special about their bond, the way that they can uniquely understand each other and what they've been through. It's intoxicating to read about and I felt so desperately for them.
So this utterly blew me away. One of the most equally painful and healing things I've ever read. What complexity. What catharcisim. What pathos. I haven't felt this way in a long time, and I'm already itching for content, and to read Lee's next novel.
February 21, 2020
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
buddy read with Laura!!
Finishing this book felt like being the "I lived bitch" meme
The Electric Heir messed with my emotions in a way that The Fever King didn't. I want to make it clear before we start that I don't consider myself a survivor of the type of abuse portrayed here, and this is a duology that's especially written for survivors. So there will be things I don't get and all I can do is listen to those who see themselves in this series.
What I can say is that this book is very hard to read and I don't know if I recall many books that made me have to stop reading and take a breath because it was becoming too much. I had expectations and thoughts on how this book was going to play out, but even aware of the content warnings I was not prepared for how sudden everything was and how we were thrown in the middle of that whole emotional mess. Saying that I loved it would be inaccurate: this book gets ugly and you can't help but hate it a little, but it makes its conclusion all the more satisfying.
There isn't a lot I can talk about while reviewing a second and final book in a duology, but I loved finally getting Dara's POV and I liked his voice maybe more than Noam's. I was also under the impression that this series was going to be a trilogy but while I was reading I found out it's a duology and I have to say, I need more series to be written in this format.
This is a short review because anything I say would be spoilery both for this book and the previous book, but watch out for Victoria Lee and her ability to create unforgettable characters. I'm looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next.
TWs: inter-generational trauma, genocide, violence, abuse, attempted rape, mental health and suicide, slut-shaming, victim-blaming, emetophobia, drug and alcohol, abuse, parental death, ableist language.
buddy read with Laura!!
Finishing this book felt like being the "I lived bitch" meme
The Electric Heir messed with my emotions in a way that The Fever King didn't. I want to make it clear before we start that I don't consider myself a survivor of the type of abuse portrayed here, and this is a duology that's especially written for survivors. So there will be things I don't get and all I can do is listen to those who see themselves in this series.
What I can say is that this book is very hard to read and I don't know if I recall many books that made me have to stop reading and take a breath because it was becoming too much. I had expectations and thoughts on how this book was going to play out, but even aware of the content warnings I was not prepared for how sudden everything was and how we were thrown in the middle of that whole emotional mess. Saying that I loved it would be inaccurate: this book gets ugly and you can't help but hate it a little, but it makes its conclusion all the more satisfying.
There isn't a lot I can talk about while reviewing a second and final book in a duology, but I loved finally getting Dara's POV and I liked his voice maybe more than Noam's. I was also under the impression that this series was going to be a trilogy but while I was reading I found out it's a duology and I have to say, I need more series to be written in this format.
This is a short review because anything I say would be spoilery both for this book and the previous book, but watch out for Victoria Lee and her ability to create unforgettable characters. I'm looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next.
TWs: inter-generational trauma, genocide, violence, abuse, attempted rape, mental health and suicide, slut-shaming, victim-blaming, emetophobia, drug and alcohol, abuse, parental death, ableist language.
October 18, 2019
Actual rating: 1.5
Thank you so very much to Skyscape and NetGalley for this advanced copy.
Unpopular opinion time
First things first, I was wondering why there were trigger warnings at the start of this book. “Could it be that much darker than the first?”, I thought. Too soon, I realized that, yes— yes, it could! TW: sexual assault/rape, pederasty (I felt ill when there was the “You’re so much older than your age” line thrown in nonchalantly), drug, alcohol, and child abuse, physical/emotional abuse, references to suicide, eating disorders, graphic violence. Here’s the thing- Noam is 16 years old. Lehrer is presented as 24(?), but in reality over 120. This is gross, obviously, and challenged/questioned frequently and realistically. But I’m also not comfortable with Dara being 18 (a legal adult), and being with Noam (a legal minor) even with consent. And are we to assume that at the end . There’s a lot of questionable content and relationship scenarios playing out in this book.
I will say that Victoria Lee handles the difficult subject matter thoughtfully and with care. Essentially, this book is not about magic at all, but about survivors— how abuse affects those individuals— the coping, the struggling, the questioning, and all the swirling emotions trauma survivors go through. There are content warnings at the start and end of the book, as well as links and resources made available for those who may need them.
Aside from that, there were many flaws, plot-wise. In general: it was all over the place. Clunky, heavy-handed, and paced very poorly. We jumped around way too often from one thing to the next, leaving this side plot for that one, bringing up points in regards to the main plot, but dropping them so suddenly and adding three new ones that dragged on... it was a lot. Admittedly, I fell victim to boredom; I hate to say that I was checking my progress every so often to see if I was any closer to finishing the book.
I’m typically a huge fan of the ‘second-in-series’ books (they usually contain the most angst), but I was let down with The Electric Heir, especially considering how much I enjoyed The Fever King. And I’m guessing this is going to stay a duology? I can’t see any need for continuing the story, because it is fairly wrapped up (though very loosely) in this installment.
The chapters alternate between Noam and Dara, which suits me just fine. I’ve recently had my fill of more than 2 POV’s per book. With just the two to focus on, you can really get a more in-depth, character-driven story. Except, again, all the other side characters are so woefully half-baked. This is really just the Noam/Dara/Calix show, which got redundant.
Something else was sorely missing: the bisexual content. I must stress how disappointing this was. We’re given a bi character in the first book, and yet it���s so brief, under-developed, and quickly squashed. Here, in book two, it’s complete bi-erasure if you ask me. Why even have mentioned it in the first place if it’s never brought up again? Does it sound ignorant of me to ask these things? I’m being serious. I understand that Noam can still be canonically “bi” while in a same-sex relationship, but he’s in two (so to speak), and not once are we reaffirmed of his orientation (not to say that it’s the sum of all his parts, but just that’s it’s important for readers who feel woefully under-represented to remain included)... an inclusion of which should be such a huge step for the B in LGBT literature. But, again, it’s flimsy, half-hearted background info. So many missed opportunities in terms of crucial story arcs and narrative depth; so much that could’ve been said and done with the characterization... but it’s squelched.
To sum up: I’m pretty goddamn disappointed.
Thank you so very much to Skyscape and NetGalley for this advanced copy.
Unpopular opinion time
First things first, I was wondering why there were trigger warnings at the start of this book. “Could it be that much darker than the first?”, I thought. Too soon, I realized that, yes— yes, it could! TW: sexual assault/rape, pederasty (I felt ill when there was the “You’re so much older than your age” line thrown in nonchalantly), drug, alcohol, and child abuse, physical/emotional abuse, references to suicide, eating disorders, graphic violence. Here’s the thing- Noam is 16 years old. Lehrer is presented as 24(?), but in reality over 120. This is gross, obviously, and challenged/questioned frequently and realistically. But I’m also not comfortable with Dara being 18 (a legal adult), and being with Noam (a legal minor) even with consent. And are we to assume that at the end . There’s a lot of questionable content and relationship scenarios playing out in this book.
I will say that Victoria Lee handles the difficult subject matter thoughtfully and with care. Essentially, this book is not about magic at all, but about survivors— how abuse affects those individuals— the coping, the struggling, the questioning, and all the swirling emotions trauma survivors go through. There are content warnings at the start and end of the book, as well as links and resources made available for those who may need them.
Aside from that, there were many flaws, plot-wise. In general: it was all over the place. Clunky, heavy-handed, and paced very poorly. We jumped around way too often from one thing to the next, leaving this side plot for that one, bringing up points in regards to the main plot, but dropping them so suddenly and adding three new ones that dragged on... it was a lot. Admittedly, I fell victim to boredom; I hate to say that I was checking my progress every so often to see if I was any closer to finishing the book.
I’m typically a huge fan of the ‘second-in-series’ books (they usually contain the most angst), but I was let down with The Electric Heir, especially considering how much I enjoyed The Fever King. And I’m guessing this is going to stay a duology? I can’t see any need for continuing the story, because it is fairly wrapped up (though very loosely) in this installment.
The chapters alternate between Noam and Dara, which suits me just fine. I’ve recently had my fill of more than 2 POV’s per book. With just the two to focus on, you can really get a more in-depth, character-driven story. Except, again, all the other side characters are so woefully half-baked. This is really just the Noam/Dara/Calix show, which got redundant.
Something else was sorely missing: the bisexual content. I must stress how disappointing this was. We’re given a bi character in the first book, and yet it���s so brief, under-developed, and quickly squashed. Here, in book two, it’s complete bi-erasure if you ask me. Why even have mentioned it in the first place if it’s never brought up again? Does it sound ignorant of me to ask these things? I’m being serious. I understand that Noam can still be canonically “bi” while in a same-sex relationship, but he’s in two (so to speak), and not once are we reaffirmed of his orientation (not to say that it’s the sum of all his parts, but just that’s it’s important for readers who feel woefully under-represented to remain included)... an inclusion of which should be such a huge step for the B in LGBT literature. But, again, it’s flimsy, half-hearted background info. So many missed opportunities in terms of crucial story arcs and narrative depth; so much that could’ve been said and done with the characterization... but it’s squelched.
To sum up: I’m pretty goddamn disappointed.
June 7, 2021
This book went a lot further than I thought it would, and it was right to do so. Sometimes, YA books tend to hold back while portraying abuse, for many understandable reasons - but The Electric Heir is the demonstration that something doesn't need to shy away or become exceedingly graphic to explain itself fully. It's raw, it's messy, it's honest, it's painful; it doesn't relish in its own pain. I appreciated all of this more than I could put into words, and yet, something was missing for me.
I fell in love with the first book in this series. I couldn't think about anything else for weeks. While rereading it, I realized that I somewhat glossed over certain aspects - like how hollow most of the characters felt aside from the main two and the villain, like how empty this world is - that shone through as the story extended, becoming if anything thinner instead of more fleshed out. And that made me sad enough to avoid writing this review for weeks.
Did this book live up to my expectations, then? More than I ever thought it could; not in the way I was certain it would. I loved it, it disappointed me; I read it in less than a day, I wish it had stayed with me for longer.
I fell in love with the first book in this series. I couldn't think about anything else for weeks. While rereading it, I realized that I somewhat glossed over certain aspects - like how hollow most of the characters felt aside from the main two and the villain, like how empty this world is - that shone through as the story extended, becoming if anything thinner instead of more fleshed out. And that made me sad enough to avoid writing this review for weeks.
Did this book live up to my expectations, then? More than I ever thought it could; not in the way I was certain it would. I loved it, it disappointed me; I read it in less than a day, I wish it had stayed with me for longer.
arcs-i-have
October 3, 2019got an arc. a win for the gays
the fact that victoria made content warnings available and ready.. we stan
i would consider not suing victoria lee for the emotional distress caused by book #1 but only if i get to read this one like right now even thought it's not even written yet probably
the fact that victoria made content warnings available and ready.. we stan
i would consider not suing victoria lee for the emotional distress caused by book #1 but only if i get to read this one like right now even thought it's not even written yet probably
April 14, 2020
April 14, 2020:
A perfect sequel to an excellent start of a duology, The Fever King. With Dara & Noam's point of views, this science-fiction & fantasy blend gives you more than you can ever wish for. Picking up from the separation these two had to endure since the last book, The Electric Heir delivers precisely on the rebellion themes, righteous squad, and the need to set things right to make the world a better place. Though, this sequel doesn't just ponder over the political consequences and bring societal themes like discrimination to the table; it also dives into emotionally demanding but worth rendering themes like pedophilia, abuse, trauma, and suicide. An impressive conclusion that leaves you wanting more yet satisfied.
March 21, 2020:This duology has become one of my faves so if you wish to fan over a queer OTP, scientific magic/magical science, and psychological, political, & hopeful themes in a future where pathetic policies & deadly viruses need to be fought. Full review to come.
March 16, 2020: After being completely blown away by the first in this duology, The Fever King , and thanking the ARC gods for giving me this sequel because I couldn't have waited a day more to know how this all ends, I'm finally ready to know if my OTP walks into the sunset happily ever after...or not. Thank you, FFBC Tours & Skyscape for a digital review copy via Netgalley!
December 5, 2020
This duology may be the best dystopian series I've read. I'm honestly so impressed with the sheer psychological depth and the way it handles several important themes. Yes, this novel is a dystopian focused on overthrowing a corrupt government, like there are many others, but I've never read anything like this. At its core, it's about learning to recognize and getting out of an abusive relationship, and about how the end can justify the means, but only to a certain extent. All this made it heavy to read at times, and I would definitely urge you to look up the trigger warnings that are included at the end of the book, but it's so worth it, and I absolutely loved the main character.
January 7, 2020
Full review on my blog!
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I always pitch The Fever King as a book about survivors for survivors. And if that’s the case, then The Electric Heir is supportive hand reaching for those who are still surviving, not yet out of the woods. It’s for the people who still blame themselves even though they rationally know they shouldn’t.
It’s for the people who feel hopeless, lost, and purposeless after every sense of agency is taken away from you.
Admittedly, the first few chapters were incredibly difficult to get past—Victoria Lee wasn’t kidding when she said this book would be darker than The Fever King. But once I got over the stomach-roiling shock, I sped through the book with a desperation that wasn’t mine—it was the characters’.
The Electric Heir is an excellent exploration of abuse of power, whether in politics or interpersonal relationships. It gets up and into your face, unafraid to make you face difficult truths as the reader. I can’t describe how infinitely grateful I am for how The Electric Heir was written.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I always pitch The Fever King as a book about survivors for survivors. And if that’s the case, then The Electric Heir is supportive hand reaching for those who are still surviving, not yet out of the woods. It’s for the people who still blame themselves even though they rationally know they shouldn’t.
It’s for the people who feel hopeless, lost, and purposeless after every sense of agency is taken away from you.
Admittedly, the first few chapters were incredibly difficult to get past—Victoria Lee wasn’t kidding when she said this book would be darker than The Fever King. But once I got over the stomach-roiling shock, I sped through the book with a desperation that wasn’t mine—it was the characters’.
The Electric Heir is an excellent exploration of abuse of power, whether in politics or interpersonal relationships. It gets up and into your face, unafraid to make you face difficult truths as the reader. I can’t describe how infinitely grateful I am for how The Electric Heir was written.
June 22, 2020
[ 4.25 🌟 ]
These characters literally went though hell and back. So so many emotions (I almost threw the book across the room in a good way).
We’ve come so far since The Fever King.
Content warnings: sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, references to suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse
These characters literally went though hell and back. So so many emotions (I almost threw the book across the room in a good way).
We’ve come so far since The Fever King.
Content warnings: sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, references to suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse
August 1, 2021
Okay I’m still trying to process everything but my initial thoughts are that the ending is slightly anticlimactic but the rest was incredible. Id give it 6 stars if I could
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2020
CW: depictions of sexual assault and child abuse, domestic violence, references to suicide, and depictions of eating disorders and substance abuse. For more detailed information, please see the author’s website: http://victorialeewrites.com.
As soon as I finished The Fever King, I knew I had to read this sequel because that was a great ending. Even though I’ve gotten used to waiting an year for every sequel, I won’t deny that binging a series is always more fun. And this one was both fun and intense af, and I really wasn’t expecting it.
I thought I knew where the author was going to take this story but wow was I wrong. They managed to surprise me at every turn, both with an interesting plot that kept me engaged and with the sheer brutality of everything. The world is expanded upon a little, and we get to know more about life outside Carolinia, but I kept wanting more - not that it in anyway lessened my enjoyment of the story itself. We also get two POVs this time, so it was finally good to be in Dara’s head. There are also many instances in the story where the author makes us question if there are any good sides in this conflict, forcing us to realize that war and conflict is usually much more messy and even people with good intentions end up having to do destructive things. However, it was their decision to end the story in the way they did that really surprised me but upon reflection, I think it was just the right choice.
But it was the depiction of abuse and domestic violence, the perpetrators and the survivors that was most impactful about this book. I don’t think I can talk more about it and do justice, but the author’s note about how this book is for survivors who have been gaslighted incessantly into believing that somehow it’s their fault, and that there’s a right and wrong way for “victims” to act, really felt right. We get to read about different kinds of survivors, how they cope and behave and just try to get through one day after another - and it’s a lesson to us all to not judge anyone in real life for doing the best they can.
Noam... I really don’t know what to say about him. He is still brave and strong but he is also stubborn in a way that prevents him from realizing how much of a deep shit he is in. But being in an abusive environment, trying to play both sides, figuring out constantly what is true and what is manipulated takes a lot of toll on him and I frankly kept waiting for the book to be over so that he could get some reprieve. He suffers a lot throughout the book and it just pained me that he was going on a path that he might come back from.
Dara on the other hand is the clear headed one this time around, constrained by other factors but more or less in control of his thoughts and actions. Distance has given him a new perspective on the kind of abuse he has suffered and how he was a destructive path using his addiction and eating disorder as coping mechanism, but he is trying to be better now and I admired him.
Noam and Dara’s relationship is very fraught in this book - Dara pleading Noam to open his eyes and see the truth about his abusive situation, while Noam insisting that he had everything under control. Even when they couldn’t see eye to eye, it was obvious that they were agonizing over each other’s safety, and it really pained me to see them be so painfully in love but unable to truly articulate their feelings. This is a couple who’ve been through immense suffering and all I wanted was for them to finally be able to escape it all.
We also get to meet some new and old characters and I enjoyed all of them, though my slight complaint from book one remains that we don’t get to know most of them that well. It’s Lehrer instead who gets more time, both on the page as well as in the characters’ heads and I think the author’s depiction of this highly intelligent, charismatic, powerful and manipulative abuser was just perfect and maybe a cautionary tale to all of us that unfortunately many such people exist in real life.
In the end, all I have to say is that I’m very impressed sans affected by this story. It’s a dark and brutal but ultimately hopeful story of survival, fighting back and reclaiming your life. If you enjoyed The Fever King, I promise this will impress you even more. And if you haven’t read this series but enjoy YA sci-fi stories about young people fighting back against systems of oppression, charismatic villains as well as the demons in their heads, this is the perfect choice for you. This book really is for survivors and I hope, just like the author, that someone out there feels seen and understood within these pages.
As soon as I finished The Fever King, I knew I had to read this sequel because that was a great ending. Even though I’ve gotten used to waiting an year for every sequel, I won’t deny that binging a series is always more fun. And this one was both fun and intense af, and I really wasn’t expecting it.
I thought I knew where the author was going to take this story but wow was I wrong. They managed to surprise me at every turn, both with an interesting plot that kept me engaged and with the sheer brutality of everything. The world is expanded upon a little, and we get to know more about life outside Carolinia, but I kept wanting more - not that it in anyway lessened my enjoyment of the story itself. We also get two POVs this time, so it was finally good to be in Dara’s head. There are also many instances in the story where the author makes us question if there are any good sides in this conflict, forcing us to realize that war and conflict is usually much more messy and even people with good intentions end up having to do destructive things. However, it was their decision to end the story in the way they did that really surprised me but upon reflection, I think it was just the right choice.
But it was the depiction of abuse and domestic violence, the perpetrators and the survivors that was most impactful about this book. I don’t think I can talk more about it and do justice, but the author’s note about how this book is for survivors who have been gaslighted incessantly into believing that somehow it’s their fault, and that there’s a right and wrong way for “victims” to act, really felt right. We get to read about different kinds of survivors, how they cope and behave and just try to get through one day after another - and it’s a lesson to us all to not judge anyone in real life for doing the best they can.
Noam... I really don’t know what to say about him. He is still brave and strong but he is also stubborn in a way that prevents him from realizing how much of a deep shit he is in. But being in an abusive environment, trying to play both sides, figuring out constantly what is true and what is manipulated takes a lot of toll on him and I frankly kept waiting for the book to be over so that he could get some reprieve. He suffers a lot throughout the book and it just pained me that he was going on a path that he might come back from.
Dara on the other hand is the clear headed one this time around, constrained by other factors but more or less in control of his thoughts and actions. Distance has given him a new perspective on the kind of abuse he has suffered and how he was a destructive path using his addiction and eating disorder as coping mechanism, but he is trying to be better now and I admired him.
Noam and Dara’s relationship is very fraught in this book - Dara pleading Noam to open his eyes and see the truth about his abusive situation, while Noam insisting that he had everything under control. Even when they couldn’t see eye to eye, it was obvious that they were agonizing over each other’s safety, and it really pained me to see them be so painfully in love but unable to truly articulate their feelings. This is a couple who’ve been through immense suffering and all I wanted was for them to finally be able to escape it all.
We also get to meet some new and old characters and I enjoyed all of them, though my slight complaint from book one remains that we don’t get to know most of them that well. It’s Lehrer instead who gets more time, both on the page as well as in the characters’ heads and I think the author’s depiction of this highly intelligent, charismatic, powerful and manipulative abuser was just perfect and maybe a cautionary tale to all of us that unfortunately many such people exist in real life.
In the end, all I have to say is that I’m very impressed sans affected by this story. It’s a dark and brutal but ultimately hopeful story of survival, fighting back and reclaiming your life. If you enjoyed The Fever King, I promise this will impress you even more. And if you haven’t read this series but enjoy YA sci-fi stories about young people fighting back against systems of oppression, charismatic villains as well as the demons in their heads, this is the perfect choice for you. This book really is for survivors and I hope, just like the author, that someone out there feels seen and understood within these pages.
March 27, 2020
trigger warnings: intergenerational trauma, genocide, violence, abuse, attempted rape, mental health and suicide, slut-shaming, victim-blaming, emetophobia, drug and alcohol abuse, parental death, ableist languag.
This book was dark, raw, disturbing, painful, real, messy, difficult, scary, marvelous, traumatizing.
If I thought that The Fever King was dark and hard to read, the electric heir laughed me in the face while eating my heart for lunch.
After finishing this, I doubt I still have a heart.
While the first book was more focused on the characters and the action, this book was about surviving the trauma, growth and dealing with recovery, learning to move on.
The Electric Heir starts six months after the last events of book 1, and let me tell you, from the very start it was difficult. Seeing all the things Noam had to go through, him not realizing his abuse and pretending it was okay hurt me like nothing else.
Dara is and always will be a piece of me. I've never connected more with a character before. I love him, I want to protect him and shield him from all the pain of the world. It was both a delight and a curse to see the story from his eyes.
Before reading this series I thought: "oh it must be a nice ya sci-fi story with a lgbtq relationship" but no, oh no, was I wrong. This is a story about survival.
Victoria Lee's writing is compelling, it doesn't let you stop reading, no matter how hard it is to go on. She wants to open your eyes, to show you the reality of this world.
Victim-blaming, slut-shaming is still so much present in our society. We rush to blame victims and not the people who do the abuse.
The fear of speaking up, the fear of not being believed, of being judged.
There is not a perfect victim, not everyone can speak up, not everyone is ready to admit what they went through, not everyone thinks and accepts that they've been abused. And this book shows you exactly that.
Dara and Noam aren't just victims. They're not just survivors either. Their story, their journey will destroy you, make you feel like every bone in your body is aching.
And then it will heal you, it will make you smile between the tears. You'll never be the same, but you will be okay.
This book was dark, raw, disturbing, painful, real, messy, difficult, scary, marvelous, traumatizing.
If I thought that The Fever King was dark and hard to read, the electric heir laughed me in the face while eating my heart for lunch.
After finishing this, I doubt I still have a heart.
While the first book was more focused on the characters and the action, this book was about surviving the trauma, growth and dealing with recovery, learning to move on.
The Electric Heir starts six months after the last events of book 1, and let me tell you, from the very start it was difficult. Seeing all the things Noam had to go through, him not realizing his abuse and pretending it was okay hurt me like nothing else.
Dara is and always will be a piece of me. I've never connected more with a character before. I love him, I want to protect him and shield him from all the pain of the world. It was both a delight and a curse to see the story from his eyes.
Before reading this series I thought: "oh it must be a nice ya sci-fi story with a lgbtq relationship" but no, oh no, was I wrong. This is a story about survival.
Victoria Lee's writing is compelling, it doesn't let you stop reading, no matter how hard it is to go on. She wants to open your eyes, to show you the reality of this world.
Victim-blaming, slut-shaming is still so much present in our society. We rush to blame victims and not the people who do the abuse.
The fear of speaking up, the fear of not being believed, of being judged.
There is not a perfect victim, not everyone can speak up, not everyone is ready to admit what they went through, not everyone thinks and accepts that they've been abused. And this book shows you exactly that.
Dara and Noam aren't just victims. They're not just survivors either. Their story, their journey will destroy you, make you feel like every bone in your body is aching.
And then it will heal you, it will make you smile between the tears. You'll never be the same, but you will be okay.
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