I acquired a evaluate copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my evaluate and all opinions are my very own.

Fiend by Alma Katsu

Mogsy’s Score: 2 of 5 stars

Style: Thriller, Thriller

Sequence: Stand Alone

Writer: Penguin Audio (September 16, 2025)

Size: 6 hrs and 36 minutes

Creator Data: Web site | Twitter

I went into Fiend by Alma Katsu with excessive hopes. The writer has given me some memorable reads up to now with The Starvation and The Deep, so I appreciated her concept of her taking up a up to date gothic horror. Nevertheless, whereas the premise held plenty of promise, the execution didn’t fairly stick the touchdown for me.

On the heart of this novel are the members of Berisha household who’ve taken their enterprise empire from their native Albania to develop their wealth in america. However the successes of their firm had not been constructed on laborious work alone. There are many whispers in regards to the dealings that occur behind the scenes, like how typically the household’s enterprise rivals and enemies conveniently appear to fall into misfortune, struggling premature accidents and even mysteriously disappearing.

On the head of the family is Zef Berisha, who expects his three youngsters to pledge their timeless loyalty to him and the corporate—to place blood above all else. Dardan is the eldest son, and because the solely boy, he’s additionally anticipated to take over from his father at some point. That mentioned, it’s center baby Maris who’s the bold one, who believes herself to be extra ruthless and therefore higher suited to the job. After which there’s Nora, the youngest baby who’s absolutely conscious of Zev’s disdain for her for being a second daughter and desires nothing to do with working the enterprise in addition to having fun with her share of the cash. Nonetheless, irrespective of how firmly Zef insists their household is blessed, their luck can’t final ceaselessly. Not when the true worth of their success is revealed to be one thing much more sinister.

Many reviewers have been describing Fiend as “Succession however with demons,” and on paper, that’s precisely what the arrange is like. However what ought to have been superior story as an alternative fails to succeed in its potential, primarily as a result of it by no means appears to rise past being one more household drama stuffed with bickering family. Making an attempt to see the constructive facet can be an uphill battle, as a result of make no mistake, the Berishas are terrible individuals. Zev along with his old style bigoted and sexist beliefs is somebody you simply wish to punch laborious within the face. His youngsters are little higher—egocentric, entitled, and morally corrupt. The one one to have any redeeming qualities in any respect might be Dardan, however even he doesn’t make the very best first impression, on condition that within the flashback chapters he’s launched as a little bit of a brat.

Which brings me to the ebook’s format. The shifting views are powerful to navigate, making the narrative jumps between POVs in addition to backwards and forwards from previous to current really feel disjointed. Maybe that can be why I felt so indifferent from the characters, as these fixed breaks within the stress stored stalling the momentum and made it troublesome to completely spend money on anybody’s arc.

However the horror aspect was maybe the most important letdown. For one, it doesn’t actually creep in till a lot later within the ebook, and even then it’s solely in dribs and drabs. Curses and demonic entities don’t absolutely come into play till the ultimate stretch, and by then the story is virtually over. The ending was notably irritating for me, stopping so abruptly it felt as if the ebook was minimize off mid-stride, leaving too many threads dangling with out the payoff I hoped for. I can’t assist however assume one other chapter or two are sorely wanted to carry issues full circle. After spending a lot time with the Berishas and their twisted legacy, I needed extra, besides the horror by no means reaches the extent I do know Katsu is able to. I stored ready for that large second, the one which ties all the things collectively, but it surely’s as if the story pulled again simply when it ought to have charged head on into the darker and extra unsettling locations the premise promised.

Ultimately, Fiend didn’t fairly work for me the best way I’d hoped it might. The setup had a lot potential, and whereas a number of the good concepts got here by, the execution by no means absolutely captured the ambiance or an actual sense of dread. That mentioned, I nonetheless admire Alma Katsu’s willingness to strive one thing completely different with a up to date gothic, and regardless that this one felt slightly flat, I’d nonetheless be considering no matter she writes subsequent. In the end, I’d name this one a combined bag: it’s not with out its moments, however not more likely to depart a lot of an enduring impression.