Fiend by Alma Katsu follows the uber-wealthy Berisha family, whose thousand-year-old import-export empire seems impossibly blessed - their rivals suffer convenient strokes, buildings catch fire at opportune moments, and whistleblowers end up dead. The story alternates between present-day chaos and childhood flashbacks as three siblings - reluctant heir Dardan, power-hungry Maris, and idealistic Nora - discover the ancient evil that's been fueling their family's success for generations. This is Katsu's first contemporary horror after her historical novels, and honestly, it was fine - a quick read that somehow also managed to be a slow burn. I've been liking each of Katsu's books a little less than the one before, with The Hunger still being my favorite, and this one continues that trend without being actively disappointing. The family dynamics and supernatural elements work well enough together, but it never quite grabbed me the way her earlier work did.

This was a fantastic concept, I really enjoyed the idea in this historical horror novel, it had that element that I wanted and enjoyed from this type of book. I thought it was a unique concept for a family to own a demon. The characters worked well in this universe and was invested in what was going on with them. Alma Katsu has a strong writing style and enjoyed how good the plot was.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Alma Katsu for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

@almakatsu
@netgalley
@penguinbooks

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Available: 9/16/25

Ancient evil + powerful family + greed = perfection

The Berisha Family is a very powerful rich family that you should never double cross. They run one of the largest import-export companies in the world. They have unusually good luck throughout generations, but could it be a curse? There is an eerie darkness looming.

I loved the family’s dynamic and ruthlessness of the patriarch father. Her intricate writing draws you in fiercely and won’t let you go. I have read many books of hers, and she is one of my favorite authors. Thank you Alma, you are truly amazing. She puts her all into her novels and that is evident!! A must read!!

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Prior to this, I had only read Katsu's Red Widow books - which are spy thrillers - and had no idea she wrote horror. She is excellent at the intricacies of espionage, so it came as no surprise to learn that she was equally excellent at the intricacies of family drama and literary horror!

I really enjoyed this peek behind the curtain at one fabulously wealthy and powerful family's source of success. It was dark and creepy - in both the actual horrific secret sense, as well as in terms of the familial relationships! I found the sibling and parent-child interactions to be every bit as disturbing as those with The Protector. The pacing was spot-on and really kept me engaged. Just when I thought I had a handle on some element of the family or relationships, the rug would be pulled out from under me - it made for a deliciously off-kilter reading experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I'm definitely looking into her horror back catalog now!

Succession with a supernatural bend. This story of a powerful family and the unusually good luck through the generations drew me in. Any business rivals? Key documents? Legal cases? All are removed!

The description of this book had so many things I love: Rich people having rich people problems! Dysfunctional family dynamics! A dark curse! This is like the TV series Fall of the House of Usher meets Succession with a side of Rosemary's Baby — and I loved every second of it. So clever and perfectly eerie. Just a fun ride from beginning to end.

A terrific, quick read of a horror novel about family and evil and a supernatural protector of the clan. Set in the present in the cutthroat world of a large, family-owned company, Fiend chronicles the rise (ish) and fall of Maris, the oldest daughter of the family scion and a woman determined to succeed at the family business. But the family is cursed--or is it blessed?--with the aid of a violent spirit. Maris is at first skeptic about the protector, but discovers soon enough that it is very real and very dangerous. I really liked the way the story ended, making it a parable, a bit, for our times.

If I had to label this book, it would be “slow burn horror”.
The Berisha family owns one of the largest import-export businesses in the world. Everything always works out in their favor, to bring them incredible wealth. Their rivals die suddenly, and evidence of their shady business gets destroyed by “natural” causes. Nothing sticks to them. They will tell you they are blessed. But is that really what’s happening?
The members of the family are under extreme stress to live up to their destinies, and when one decides to step away from that destiny, the blessing vindictively turns inward on the family, and the family shatters.
I enjoyed this book, but it was not a gruesome, action packed horror that some may be looking for.There are purposefully no likable characters in this book, and the setting is dark and off-kilter, you know something is not right before you can even put your finger on it, the tension building slowly. The ending of the story is an irrational, personal fear of mine, and it definitely left me spooked.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, as always, I need to thank G. P. Putnam, and Megan Beatie for the opportunity to read Alma Katsu's forthcoming (September) novel, FIEND.

Having only read THE DEEP (and thoroughly enjoyed it), I jumped at the chance to read something else - especially before the general public.

I'm not sorry I grabbed it.

FIEND is a delightfully haunting story about curses, family, and greed - very much in the same gothic feel of The Fall of the House of Usher.

Long story short, this extremely rich and successful family seem to always get what they want, or need. Troublemakers to the family tend to wind up dead, in extremely mysterious, and often unsolvable, ways. Is it luck, or something more sinister? Well, read the book and decide for yourself.

It was mentioned in a different review that one of the negative points to the story is that there is no character that you feel for. The Berisha family make Gordon Gekko seem like a upstanding citizen, and are just ruthless, uncaring, and, well, plain evil. Exactly what you would expect from a family that's obscenely rich, and has been for over 1,000 years. They have no friends, many enemies, and no meaningful relationships. By the end of the story, you're actually rooting for... oops, almost put a spoiler in there. Suffice to say, you're hoping every member of the Berisha family goes the way of the Dodo.

There were some twists, and turns, and enough plot to keep the story line going; and the end was perfect for the way the story went.

If you're a fan of gothic thrillers, and/or supernatural thrillers, you won't go wrong with this one.

Fiend was a phenomenal read. It explored the core of the human experience: the yearning for acceptance, mostly parental acceptance. The characters embodied this yearning for acceptance in the very fibers of their being; the professional routes they chose, the person they married, and their general day to day existence was all for seeking the acceptance of their head of clan.

As the story progressed, it became painfully obvious that the yearning for acceptance was not a choice, but rather an obligation to keep the family's "protection" in check. A failure to fall in line meant exposing the family to the more than just disappointment.

Fiend gave me everything I needed, and it concluded with a twist I totally didn't see coming. I turned the final page completely full. I would 100% recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Groups Putnam for the ARC.

I picked this one up because I was intrigued by the "Succession meets horror" pitch of "Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call."

However, imagining is what you'll be doing while reading this -- because Katsu never bothers to flesh anything out beyond a surface level. All the Berisha children feel like unrealized archetypes, and we never learn enough about the evil "plottings" of the family to care. Tons of tell and don't show.

I never say this, especially about books I don't particularly enjoy, but this definitely could've been longer. Some scenes felt pulled straight from an outline. I think this could've been elevated by taking some time to establish more atmosphere and depth to the characters.

I wasn't a huge fan of The Hunger, but was willing to give Katsu another shot. After this, I think her style just isn't for me. HOWEVER, if you liked The Hunger you may enjoy this.

Alma Katsu’s upcoming horror novel, FIEND, was my most anticipated book of the year. Thank you @mbc_books for this gifted copy! Katsu is delivering a modern-day story for the first time, with the Berisha family taking center stage.

The Berisha family is an Albanian family that makes the Sacklers look like angels. The family runs an extremely lucrative import-export business and has evaded the law for as long as anyone can remember. The family just seems to have the most luck in the world and somehow their foes end up being…handled. The family includes three siblings—Darden, the oldest son and heir to the family business; Maris, the second born daughter who lives up to the family’s potential, but doesn’t have the “look” to run the family enterprise; and Nora, the youngest daughter who wishes the family business did more for a sustainable and equitable future. The three siblings’s parents are trophy wife Olga and Berisha family CEO Zef. Without going into detail, FIEND dives into what happens when the world’s luckiest family all of a sudden has to deal when their luck suddenly dries up.

I really enjoyed this book and it’s being called a combination of Succession meets The Fall of the House of Usher, and I truly agree with that sentiment! It takes a bit longer than you’d expect to get to the action, but I enjoyed the backstory and build-up. At first you may not think this story is horror related, but by the final act you’ll definitely see this book’s sinister side. A little on the short side, I only wish we had more! STARS: 4, PUB: 9/16

The Berisha family has a Protector, an entity that will come to their aid to make sure things turn out well for them. Most times that involves violence and things that no one really wants to see or talk about. This power has made them one of the world’s richest families. The power to summon the Protector lies with the patriarch Zef but he’s getting older and wants to pass things on to his son Darden. Except Darden doesn’t want the company and all that goes with it. He also doesn’t want an arranged marriage his parents are setting up for him. His sister Maris wants it all, except an arranged marriage, and can’t understand why her father doesn’t trust her. And other sister Nora wants the company, but she wants to give away most of its assets and change the whole bottom line. So the Berishas will fight it out and see who comes out on top with the aid of their protective fiend. It’s the ultimate toxic family on steroids and hard to put down. 4 1/2 stars!

“Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call.”
WOW. These are big words to live up to, and let me tell you, Alma Katsu has done it. This was my first book of hers, and I devoured it. Horror isn’t even in my top three as far as favorite genres go, so the fact that I loved it so much is a testament to her writing and the plot. I’ve read a few books about the evil Sackler family, and marketing made a bold move when invoking their name in the description—one that certainly paid off and got me to read a book out of my comfort zone. And the ending? Chef’s kiss.

This one was a fun time! It was pitched to me as "Succession/Dynasty but with a supernatural horror bent," and on that front it delivered. Katsu does a great job of painting out each member of this wealthy, corrupt family, and all of the complex interpersonal dynamics that go along with it. There was at least a few twists that got me GOOD, and overall I really enjoyed picking up this one over lunch/on the subway/etc. Lighter on the horror imo (in a good way! As someone who likes horror but doesn't want to be kept up at night with fear and/or disgust).

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!

The cover is what drew me in. The book itself has a certain eerie feel to it. There were bits I enjoyed but I found myself myself struggling to push through. The author has a lot of potential but I think the execution needs a little adjustment. Overall, I don't think i'd snag this book. However, I think it's worth a read if you go into it with low expectations. It's not anything over the top or crazy in discovery but it's worth a read t least once.

I’m a big fan of how Alma Katsu builds up her stories and this one had a great build up and i didn’t dislike the execution. Only thing that bogs it down is predictability. I think with some more flesh it could be better. But! A good read for fans of Katsu

Title: Fiend
Author: Alma Katsu
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: September 16, 2025
Genre: Horror / Literary Fiction / Supernatural Thriller
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8)
Length: 239 Pages
Review by Ryan Thomas LaBee
Succession meets Supernatural in this tale of greed, dynastic rot, and the demons we inherit. With Fiend, Alma Katsu confidently steps into contemporary horror, crafting a blood-soaked corporate allegory wrapped in folklore, family trauma, and a quietly brooding supernatural presence. It’s ambitious, smartly built, and darkly stylish—though not without its flaws.
Thanks to G.P. Putnam’s Sons, the editor, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Fiend in exchange for an honest review.
At the center of the story is the Berisha family, a powerful Albanian-American dynasty whose wealth and survival are fueled by a chilling secret: a demonic entity, “the protector,” that grants generational prosperity in exchange for soul-level corruption. It’s an undeniably juicy premise, and Katsu leans into it with conviction, drawing from her extensive intelligence background and fascination with Balkan mythology.
The novel’s anchor is Maris Berisha—an overlooked daughter with ambition sharp enough to cut glass. Her arc, as she vies for power within the family and the entity itself, is captivating in concept but too often oversimplified in execution. She reads more like a character from prestige TV than a deeply lived-in protagonist, with emotional beats sometimes delivered in italics rather than action. Her brother Dardan, the moral compass, is saddled with too much indecision to be memorable, though his private struggles with legacy and duty offer needed contrast.
Still, Katsu succeeds where it counts: in mood and metaphor. The horror here is less about jump scares and more about the insidious nature of power—how it's passed down, protected, and justified. The protector, as an allegorical force, evokes everything from the opioid epidemic (Katsu directly cites the Sackler family as inspiration) to the unchecked greed of political dynasties. The real-life echoes hit hard, especially in light of Katsu’s intelligence and national security career. You can feel her anger beneath the page—and it works.
Prose-wise, Fiend walks the line between literary and commercial. It’s accessible, atmospheric, and often sharp, though sometimes weighed down by redundant internal monologue and overly explanatory dialogue. Scenes that should land with dread sometimes fizzle into melodrama. But when Katsu locks into her groove—especially in the novel’s colder, quieter horrors—she delivers.
From boardrooms to Balkan blood feuds, Fiend blends genres in a way that’s uniquely Katsu: a political horror novel with mythic bones. As Silvia Moreno-Garcia puts it, “Katsu ventures into contemporary horror with panache.” And Victor LaValle calls it what it is: “an amorality tale.” Just don’t expect a conventional horror novel—this one plays the long game.
Final Verdict:
Fiend is a razor-edged, slow-burn supernatural thriller about the darkness of dynastic power, both inherited and chosen. While the characters and pacing don’t always match the strength of its allegory, Alma Katsu delivers a stylish and timely horror novel that will resonate with fans of Mexican Gothic, Dopesick, and Succession. It’s imperfect—but bold, relevant, and worth the ride.
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
Corporate horror with supernatural stakes


Literary thrillers with mythological undercurrents

Stories about toxic legacies and blood-bound curses

Political horror with sharp allegory

Authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Victor LaValle, and Catriona Ward

**ARC Review
Pub date: Sept 16, 2025

Fiend gave me strong Fall of the House of Usher vibes—moody, and dripping with dread. While the atmosphere was compelling and the premise intriguing, the execution felt a bit hollow. Something essential was missing—perhaps a deeper emotional connection or more fully realized characters. It was fine, enjoyable enough, but ultimately didn’t leave a lasting impression.

If you loved The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix, Fiend by Alma Katsu should be your next read. The story follows the Berisha family and their import business – one of the wealthiest and most powerful in the world. They always get their way, whether it be through a strong business acumen, or use of the family blessing: a demon…or is it a curse?

Fiend is a fast-paced horror/thriller, perfect for those who like families that aren’t afraid to cross one another. Similar to Succession, none of the characters are particularly likeable, but that doesn’t make this an unenjoyable read. I would have liked a bit more family lore and character development, but perhaps that could be reserved for a prequel? Plus, the ending adds some twists you didn’t see coming. Recommended!