I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Fiend by Alma Katsu Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on September 16 2025
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 256
Format: Finished hardcover
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A powerful family grapples with tradition, loyalty and a powerful demon in Alma Katsu’s latest, a horror story heavy on family drama and light on the supernatural elements.
Demons seem to be having their day lately, and Fiend is yet another take on the subgenre. Alma Katsu veers away from historical fiction to tell a contemporary story of an uber rich family in the import-export business who seems to have uncanny luck when it comes to their business dealings. The patriarch of the family, Zef Berisha, calls that luck “the protector,” an entity who grants wishes and makes sure the Berishas will continue to thrive, no matter the cost or body count. It’s a great idea, but for me, the execution was lacking, and as in other demon-centric stories I’ve read lately, I wanted more of the demon and less of the family drama. Still, Alma is an excellent writer, and her dialog is on point. And as unlikable as her characters are, their interactions felt believable and added a liveliness to the story. Still, this isn’t my favorite of the author’s books.
The Berisha family has been at the top of their game for centuries, and Zef Berisha isn’t about to give up his success. His three children, though, aren’t exactly the best choices to take the reins of the business when he’s gone. Dardan, the eldest and only son, is soft hearted and doesn’t have the ruthless edge needed to succeed. Maris is the middle child and the most driven, but unfortunately she’s a woman. Nora is the youngest and is more concerned with her image and having fun than getting involved in the family business.
But things are starting to fracture. Zef is making unreasonable demands, especially on Maris, who wants nothing more than to take over as “head of the clan” someday. And when people close to the family start to die in suspicious ways, Zef is faced with some big decisions. Who is going to be strong enough to shoulder the responsibility of controlling the protector and ensuring the family’s success?
The story is told in two timelines, although most of it takes place in the present. Katsu dips into the past to show what it was like growing up in the Berisha family, and we see key scenes through the eyes of all three siblings. Maris has an encounter with the demon at a young age but doesn’t understand it. Even as an adult, she doesn’t know everything about how the family operates, so there’s an air of mystery surrounding the demon that might frustrate some readers. I found the descriptions of smoke appearing over Zef’s head or a tingling sensation whenever the protector was “activated” too vague to satisfy my cravings for a good demon possession story, unfortunately, and I didn’t completely understand the mechanics of how the entity was used by the family.
Of all the characters, Maris was the most interesting, and I really sympathized with the way her family treated her. I didn’t care for the fact that her looks are brought up over and over. She’s referred to as the “ugly” daughter (Maris has inherited her father’s thick eyebrows and masculine features, while Nora is the “pretty” one), as if the head of a successful business has to be either male or a gorgeous woman. The family is Albanian, so I suspect these are cultural beliefs and opinions about what a woman should do and look like, but it was still unsettling to read about.
There are some suspenseful moments and a couple of good mysteries surrounding some of the deaths connected to the family, but the plot itself was tough to pin down. Is the demon itself the mystery of the story? Or is it the big reveal of who will succeed Zef? Neither of these threads are resolved in a satisfactory way, and on top of that, Katsu throws in a twist at the very end (and I do mean the very end) that sort of came out of left field and left me scratching my head.
I know this review has been mostly complaints, but I did enjoy my time spent reading Fiend, even if all my questions weren’t answered. Perhaps a meatier page count could have expanded on some elements that just didn’t work for me, but lots of readers are giving Fiend high praise, so do check it out if you’re a fan of the author.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
I may still pick this one up. However, I think if I do, I need to give it some time. I recently read Play Nice and while I really liked it, this one sounds a bit similar in theme and execution. I also feel like I would want more demons.
“I also feel like I would want more demons.”
😀 There can never be enough demons !
Right?? I wanted something more solid, I guess.
I ended up reading two demon stories in a row so I probably need a break. Plus I just finished another demon centric story! LOL
I have to admit that my biggest turnoff would be the story being “heavy on family drama and light on the supernatural elements”. Even if it didn’t completely win you over, you knocked the review out of the park!
The family drama was really the focus of the book. The idea was fantastic, though, I just wanted more demon!
I have felt like, no urgency to read this, despite really enjoying the author’s other stuff, and I have no idea why. But not knowing things? Yeah that would be a dealbreaker for me. I might take this one off my list entirely, tbh, because the premise didn’t really pull me in, and I feel like the lack of answers would really frustrate me.
I’ve read so many “vague” supernatural stories lately that I’m craving some real horror, I guess? If that makes sense. I do love mysteries but this was too far on the side of “mystery” for me.
This one fell super flat for me, and even though I debated giving it a higher rating, after writing out all my thoughts I realized that it was mostly complaints too. Definitely not of the caliber I would expect from Katsu, and it felt unfinished.
It was too short, I agree. More fleshing out would have made it better.
Im sorry this one didnt quite click with you. Ive got to admit that im not sure how I’d get on with it either. The mystery of the deaths sounds interesting and maybe I’d be okay with the demon to stay shrouded in mystery but for the successor resolution also not to be made clear it sounds highly frustrating. I’ve only tried The Deep by the author so far so I think I’ll try out more of her backlist rather than this one.
I personally recommend THE HUNGER, it’s one of my favorites.
Thanks doe thr recommendation, I’ll look it up
*for the
I don’t believe I’ve tried this author yet so when it comes time to do that I’ll probably try to pick one of their other books. Have you seen the movie, Ready or Not, from 2019? Your descriptions of this book brought back memories of that. I really enjoyed it, though it wasn’t anything like I’d been expecting. A horror comedy with some interesting elements. And I probably shouldn’t say much more in case you do give it a try.
I’ve enjoyed other books by Katsu, but the plot of this one just doesn’t interest me, so I’ll probably be passing on this one. Too many other books on my TBR list to read. ;D
I am sorry that this didn’t work out so well for you! And I think that all the references to Maris looks will bother me, too. I don’t know if I will try this one out, even if I know that I will read something by this author again, sooner or later. I read The Hunger and I really enjoyed it, even if it’s way out of my comfort zone, so I will try something else, sooner or later, but I have a lot of books I can choose.
Sorry this one didn’t live up to your hopes. I know this is a well liked author. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it, great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/09/26/e-galley-review-fake-skating-by-lynn-painter/
I have a copy of this but I’m not eager to get to it at the moment – I’ll give it a good shot though.
Lynn 😀