The Fever King by Victoria Lee (review)

A viral outbreak of magic fractured the former United States, and Noam is an undocumented immigrant in the new nation of Carolinia. After he loses his only remaining parent, his Colombian father, to the virus, he turns out to be a particularly powerful “witching,” a survivor with magical abilities. Calix Lehrer, the century-old Carolinian Minister of Defense, takes notice, places Noam in a special military school, and offers private training. Lee thoughtfully gives the subject of refugee and immigration policies center stage as one of Noam’s primary concerns is justice for those in the slums and camps he was raised in, but, as a romantic relationship sparks with Lehrer’s adopted son Dara—another exceptional witching—the political intricacies of this new world grow increasingly complicated. There’s some predictability, but the setup of this new world and planned series is genuinely compelling, and it’s filled with striking moments, as when Dara reveals to Noam in an intimate and desperate moment how abusive his adopted father has been only to have Noam’s memory of it erased by a simple request from Lehrer. Readers will be absorbed as the book melds fantasy and action with psychology and political intrigue.