Fiend by Alma Katsu is a horror novel about family, power, and inheritance. The story mixes the cutthroat world of HBO’s Succession with a cursed demon. The story mirrors an Aladdin-like tale, except Jafar controls the Genie, who is a demon. We get a seat in the ultra world of the rich, where some of the characters want a normal life, some want more power than is possible, and some want to manipulate.

The characters in Fiend are very well written. Out of the three novels I have read by Katsu, I feel this is her best character work. Her story focus is very sharp. Three main character POVs are distinct and work very well. The story is told in both the present day and the past.

The pace of the story moves very quickly. The novel is short at just under 250 pages. The ending elevates the book. The conclusion is one that I was not expecting, but I was very satisfied with the result. I was bummed it ended. I wanted to read a little bit more.

Fiend was selected as one of the top books of the Reading Glasses podcast with Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara. Fiend by Alma Katsu was first published on September 16, 2025, by G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Why Did I Read Fiend by Alma Katsu?

I have been a fan of Alma Katsu’s historical horror in The Hunger and The Deep. I knew going into this book that it was going to be contemporary, and that interested me since her last three horror novels were historical. I went to the book launch for Fiend and got it signed at Parnassus Books. After having read this book, I’m excited for her next novel, which will be a modern-day retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Plot Summary: The Berisha family runs the largest import-export business in the world. They are a rich Albanian family that has luck on their side, or something else? Zef, the head of the family, is preparing Dardan, the only male heir, to rule. Dardan wants respect, but he is weak. Dardan knows the dirty secret behind all the luck. He wants no part of it but is too scared to say something. Maris is the one most like Zef. She has a temper that people tend to steer clear of. She runs most of the importing and exporting, but she cannot take over since she is a girl and will have to marry for her husband to take over the company and possibly the family. Nora, the youngest sister, is the wild card. She plays by her own rules. The family doesn’t appreciate her or all she does. One of them will take over. Who will rule?

What I Liked:

The characters are very well written. Out of the three Alma Katsu novels I have read, I feel like these are her best characters. This book also has the added benefit of the characters being fictional instead of based on real people. Nora and Maris are my favorite characters.

The storytelling is solid. I loved that we only followed three characters. My complaint in other Katsu novels has been too many characters and not enough focus. This was her best book in that regard.

The ending was a breath of fresh air. I thought it was going one way, which would have been just okay, but the twist Katsu came up with in the final two chapters was great and made sense within the larger story.

What I Disliked:

I wanted more from the demon, who remains mostly in the shadows. We never really get a good description of what it looks like, except that it is smoky.

I needed the demon to kill a little more. We get two good deaths, one in the middle and one toward the end, but both of the deaths are revealed after they already happened. I wanted something to happen in real time.

Recommendations:

Fiend by Alma Katsu is a solid, quick read. Fiend is my new favorite of her works. The ending alone is worth checking the book out. I feel that with a few tweaks and more action, Fiend would have been a five-star read for me. I recommend my followers check out Alma Katsu and Fiend.
Rating:

Fiend by Alma Katsu. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

Ranking the books I have read and reviewed by Alma Katsu:

1. Fiend
2. The Deep
3. The Hunger