Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: A Touch of Fever
SERIES: Arcane Hearts, Book 1
AUTHOR: Nazri Noor
NARRATOR: Zachary Johnson
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 7 hours and 18 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2021
BLURB:
What do you do when you can’t cast spells? You make your own magic.
Jackson Pryde was never great at wielding magic. Instead, he works as an artificer, crafting enchanted devices in the Black Market, a shadowy bazaar of wonders. But Xander Wright, the mouthy, pretentious mage next door, hates all the hammering in Jackson’s workshop.
When a chance assignment forces them to team up, they discover a terrifying predicament. Something is driving members of the magical community into murderous rages. Jackson and Xander must combine might and magic to find the source of the Fever and stop it. Can they put aside their differences long enough to end the Fever, or will they succumb to its bloodthirsty curse?
A Touch of Fever is a 73,000-word M/M urban fantasy romance with a happy-for-now ending. Join a fast-talking artificer and a snarky sorcerer, best friends-turned-bitter enemies, as they navigate an adventure filled with strange flora, mythical fauna, and magical murders. If you like your urban fantasy with humor, horror, and a whole lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place. Experience A Touch of Fever today.
REVIEW:
Nazri Noor is a new-to-me author, but A Touch of Fever has now ensconced him on my list of must-reads. This urban fantasy, M/M romance mystery/adventure is a thoughtfully crafted, thoroughly engaging read, made into an addictive listen through the golden vocal cords of Zachary Johnson.
Mr. Noor’s world-building is exceptional. He creates a magical world of diverse characters in a vibrant, supernatural bazaar called The Black Market. We’ve seen this type of place in other books. It’s a place where mystical, magical things, often contraband, are traded. But Mr. Noor takes that premise and spins it on its head because this bazaar travels, opening up at various places around the world. It’s like a supernatural cruise ship, where The Black Market inhabitants can pop into the mortal realm for a brief visit before the Market closes up and reopens elsewhere. The concept is fascinating, and I was wholly absorbed in this mysterious place’s sights, sounds, and visceral details.
Supernatural, mostly magical beings inhabit The Black Market. However, some non-magic-wielding people, such as artificers, like our protagonist, Jackson Pryde, also dwell there. Artificers are a dying breed of non-magical people who craft objects to amplify magical power. While once heralded for their skills and wares, after a tragic accident killing his parents and their Artificer legacy, Jackson tries to reach success as an artificer again. But in the meantime, he’s generally scorned, especially by the mages, like his childhood (former) friend, Xander Wright, who possesses exceptional magical abilities, unlike Jackson.
The plot of A Touch of Fever revolves around Jackson and Xander working together to obtain a rare, magical flower while trying to work past their hostility towards each other. The delicious friction between them generates a slow burn that eventually resolves authentically into Jackson and Xander giving into their feelings for each other. It’s more than just a search and rescue mission, though, as mystery and danger begin to unfold around them when Black Market inhabits start to die in frightening, inexplicable ways.
A Touch of Fever takes a bit of time to get going, mainly because a foundation about the world of The Black Market and its magical inhabitants is needed first. That part is interesting, albeit not riveting if I’m being honest, but it is necessary, and the payoff is worth it. Once the mission begins, the story hooks you and keeps you entranced until the end. This is a HFN ending as it’s a continuing series, but it ends in a place where we are left satisfied, and the next book is teed up nicely.
Zachary Johnson narrates A Touch of Magic, and like everything I’ve listened to from him, his performance is exceptional. His rich baritone voice changes and transforms fluidly like flowing water as he segues between various characters. But where he devotes most of his time and energy is on Jackson because the story is told entirely from Jackson’s POV. It’s time well spent because Mr. Johnson captures the entirety of Jackson’s charismatic personality.
Jackson is determined and resilient, and you hear that through the strength and brightness of Mr. Johnson’s tone. But Jackson is also saucy and snarky, and Mr. Johnson nails that thrumming undercurrent of sarcasm and wry humor. He throws himself into his vocal performance, investing his full attention and skill to his mission of bringing every character to life. His character differentiation is consistent and clear. He makes it easy to follow what’s happening in a somewhat complicated storyline. His voice wraps you in a cocoon, blocking out the rest of the world and immersing you in the sights and sounds of The Black Market and its characters and mysteries.
I highly recommend the audiobook of A Touch of Fever. It contains a successful combination of innovative storytelling with exceptional vocalization. This intriguing story engrosses you during the entire length of the audio.
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