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Fever House #2
The Devil by Name
No one expected the apocalypse would be broadcast via phone call. But in this chilling sequel to Fever House, anyone who managed to survive that doomsday call has a harrowing answer to the question, “Where were you when the Message came through?”
Five years after the event that drove most of the global population to madness, the world is overrun with the “fevered”—once-human, zombielike creatures drawn indiscriminately to violence and murder. In a campaign to restabilize the country, the massive corporation known as Terradyne Industries has merged with the U.S. government in a partnership of dubious motives, quarantining major American cities behind towering walls and corralling the afflicted there with the hope, they say, of developing a vaccine.
In Portland, where it all began, guilt-ridden detective John Bonner scours the city’s darkest corners for clues to humanity’s redemption. In New England, Katherine Moriarty mourns the devastating losses of her husband and son while in hiding from Terradyne. And across the ocean in France, a sixteen-year-old girl named Naomi Laurent discovers she has a disturbing and powerful gift—which may just be the key to the world’s salvation.
Equal parts gruesome and beautiful, The Devil by Name is a heart-stopping, breakneck saga of survival. As its characters’ paths inevitably collide across the ravaged landscape of a post-apocalyptic America, they are united by the desire to not just escape death but to carve out some way to live anew.
Everything starts and ends in the fever house.
Five years after the event that drove most of the global population to madness, the world is overrun with the “fevered”—once-human, zombielike creatures drawn indiscriminately to violence and murder. In a campaign to restabilize the country, the massive corporation known as Terradyne Industries has merged with the U.S. government in a partnership of dubious motives, quarantining major American cities behind towering walls and corralling the afflicted there with the hope, they say, of developing a vaccine.
In Portland, where it all began, guilt-ridden detective John Bonner scours the city’s darkest corners for clues to humanity’s redemption. In New England, Katherine Moriarty mourns the devastating losses of her husband and son while in hiding from Terradyne. And across the ocean in France, a sixteen-year-old girl named Naomi Laurent discovers she has a disturbing and powerful gift—which may just be the key to the world’s salvation.
Equal parts gruesome and beautiful, The Devil by Name is a heart-stopping, breakneck saga of survival. As its characters’ paths inevitably collide across the ravaged landscape of a post-apocalyptic America, they are united by the desire to not just escape death but to carve out some way to live anew.
Everything starts and ends in the fever house.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 599 reviews
May 7, 2026
The Hand. The Eye. The Voice.
Make me a house of fever and wounds where all the rooms are ghastly and dark.
Honestly, I am so into this duology as a dystopian horror. The first book starts in the action with the cursed remnant--the hand that channels the devil and inciting a global rage virus. We met the washed up rockstar Matthew Coffin, and his wife Catherine and her son, Nick. This follow up book opens in Europe, where the rage virus has spread. We meet Naomi in France, who is marked, and has some mysterious abilities that make her an asset to new political groups that are forming.
"The past few years have done a lot to cool off the world's geopolitical problems. The apocalypse will do that."
Basically, the devil hand made a world wide phone call and everyone who answered and heard the voice has become monstrous for blood. The dystopian elements are fully realized and I really got the vibe of chaos, abandonment, and overall cynicism that the apocalypse evokes. It is not that dissimilar to the COVID pandemic, how it spread, and how it was mishandled by the government. We get some insights into the new governmental organization that is forming in the aftermath of the world going crazy. A lot of real world parallels, and a lens into the darkness of humanity during crisis.
How you might remake the world for me; a house of beetle and crow, a house of worms, a house of hounds that savage forever at the belly of love devouring. Make me a king's house from this whole place. How I use your voice now, I move through your sorrowful jaw
The storylines with Matthew, Naomi, and John Bonner were great and I honestly liked getting all the perspectives. The loft, omg!!
Trying to fit the damn devil in a test tube when a bullet is what you need.
Some personal notes if you are interested in this series. Horror never used to be my first go-to genre but it has recently over the past decade or two become more a part of my life. It started with analyzing movies, binge-watching classics, and being married to a horror-ologist. Recently since I've been reading more, horror feels like the only genre that is able to really push me lately. My tastes fluctuate and right now, it's all about the darkness. I tend to go for things that have plentiful substance along with style. I don't just want to be scared, I want to be wowed, shocked, intrigued, in a way that feels like it could be hug.
In some ways, this book could be dystopian first and horror second. It doesn't really matter, it's still surprising and shocking, and some really freaked out imagery. All I'll say is eyes and teeth. Shudder. It's scary but not so much in the way that will make you double check you locked your doors, but the way that makes go Oh Damn, that's going to hurt--both physically and emotionally. It's entertaining as well as layered
So as a dystopian horror I really loved how the setting and characters were built over time and we get to see the 'process' of the world falling into an apocalypse as well as the geopolitical and social ramifications.
Another 5/5⭐️
Make me a house of fever and wounds where all the rooms are ghastly and dark.
Honestly, I am so into this duology as a dystopian horror. The first book starts in the action with the cursed remnant--the hand that channels the devil and inciting a global rage virus. We met the washed up rockstar Matthew Coffin, and his wife Catherine and her son, Nick. This follow up book opens in Europe, where the rage virus has spread. We meet Naomi in France, who is marked, and has some mysterious abilities that make her an asset to new political groups that are forming.
"The past few years have done a lot to cool off the world's geopolitical problems. The apocalypse will do that."
Basically, the devil hand made a world wide phone call and everyone who answered and heard the voice has become monstrous for blood. The dystopian elements are fully realized and I really got the vibe of chaos, abandonment, and overall cynicism that the apocalypse evokes. It is not that dissimilar to the COVID pandemic, how it spread, and how it was mishandled by the government. We get some insights into the new governmental organization that is forming in the aftermath of the world going crazy. A lot of real world parallels, and a lens into the darkness of humanity during crisis.
How you might remake the world for me; a house of beetle and crow, a house of worms, a house of hounds that savage forever at the belly of love devouring. Make me a king's house from this whole place. How I use your voice now, I move through your sorrowful jaw
The storylines with Matthew, Naomi, and John Bonner were great and I honestly liked getting all the perspectives. The loft, omg!!
Trying to fit the damn devil in a test tube when a bullet is what you need.
Some personal notes if you are interested in this series. Horror never used to be my first go-to genre but it has recently over the past decade or two become more a part of my life. It started with analyzing movies, binge-watching classics, and being married to a horror-ologist. Recently since I've been reading more, horror feels like the only genre that is able to really push me lately. My tastes fluctuate and right now, it's all about the darkness. I tend to go for things that have plentiful substance along with style. I don't just want to be scared, I want to be wowed, shocked, intrigued, in a way that feels like it could be hug.
In some ways, this book could be dystopian first and horror second. It doesn't really matter, it's still surprising and shocking, and some really freaked out imagery. All I'll say is eyes and teeth. Shudder. It's scary but not so much in the way that will make you double check you locked your doors, but the way that makes go Oh Damn, that's going to hurt--both physically and emotionally. It's entertaining as well as layered
So as a dystopian horror I really loved how the setting and characters were built over time and we get to see the 'process' of the world falling into an apocalypse as well as the geopolitical and social ramifications.
Another 5/5⭐️
October 12, 2026
This novel picks up several years after the ending of Fever House. Definitely read that one first!
No synopsis as to not give anything away for those who have not read the first novel.
This book is tough. On one hand, I couldn’t put it down and finished it super quick, but yet on the other hand, I can’t say I really liked it. Not like I liked the first one. I don’t know if this was because of the dystopian zombie feel or if there wasn’t enough backstory to drive it. There were glimmers of backstory within some of the characters, but nothing like the first one. I think maybe because there was more of a mystery surrounding the first one, whereas the second one was just full out survival mode.
We did get a few answers in this one, but to be honest, I probably would’ve been fine with just the first one ending on a speculative note. I know! I always want answers! I still do have a few questions though.😬While it was nice to revisit a few characters from the first novel as well as one or two from the new one, I didn’t necessarily need to read the second one.
I’ve now read a good chunk of this author’s books, and I think I would rate them as follows:
1. Crone
2. Coffin Moon
3. (Tie) The Mercy of the Tide and Fever House
4. The Devil by Name
No synopsis as to not give anything away for those who have not read the first novel.
This book is tough. On one hand, I couldn’t put it down and finished it super quick, but yet on the other hand, I can’t say I really liked it. Not like I liked the first one. I don’t know if this was because of the dystopian zombie feel or if there wasn’t enough backstory to drive it. There were glimmers of backstory within some of the characters, but nothing like the first one. I think maybe because there was more of a mystery surrounding the first one, whereas the second one was just full out survival mode.
We did get a few answers in this one, but to be honest, I probably would’ve been fine with just the first one ending on a speculative note. I know! I always want answers! I still do have a few questions though.😬While it was nice to revisit a few characters from the first novel as well as one or two from the new one, I didn’t necessarily need to read the second one.
I’ve now read a good chunk of this author’s books, and I think I would rate them as follows:
1. Crone
2. Coffin Moon
3. (Tie) The Mercy of the Tide and Fever House
4. The Devil by Name
March 15, 2026
I can tell there's a good plot in here somewhere but I just did not vibe with this one as much as I thought I was going to. Fever House was one of my favorite reads of 2025 so I was really excited to dive into The Devil by Name & I hate to say it but i'm left feeling underwhelmed.
This did not go in the direction I thought it was going to go? I really expected a lot more tbh. I was bored majority of the time, the pacing compared to book one just felt extremely slow.. to the point it just felt drawn out for the sake of hitting a certain pg count, like there's no reason we spent so much time on them traveling??? I get the point but there were also way too many chapters of them just traveling & nothing at all exciting is happening
Don't get me wrong the writing is on par with Fever House & I enjoyed seeing a lot of the original characters & getting more backstory on the Coffin family but also...where is the chaos that hooked me in Fever House? where's the rock & roll? Where's the intensity?
It's not a bad book, it's fine as far as sequels go but Fever House was far better in my opinion.
This did not go in the direction I thought it was going to go? I really expected a lot more tbh. I was bored majority of the time, the pacing compared to book one just felt extremely slow.. to the point it just felt drawn out for the sake of hitting a certain pg count, like there's no reason we spent so much time on them traveling??? I get the point but there were also way too many chapters of them just traveling & nothing at all exciting is happening
Don't get me wrong the writing is on par with Fever House & I enjoyed seeing a lot of the original characters & getting more backstory on the Coffin family but also...where is the chaos that hooked me in Fever House? where's the rock & roll? Where's the intensity?
It's not a bad book, it's fine as far as sequels go but Fever House was far better in my opinion.
February 23, 2024
Bro. Bro. BRO! This book is AMAZING! I’m just in awe of it. Possibly even better than the first one… a great follow-up and conclusion to the story.
And I was SO happy to get this book from NetGalley so that I didn’t have to wait til September to read it! I read the first book just last month… so I haven’t, like, entirely forgotten it.
The first one was batshit-fun-horror with the world going to shit. Now it’s 5 years later and it’s still batshit-fun-horror.
It reads like a (super-long) movie. It’s so good. It’s violent and supernatural and the characters are great and it’s fucking tragic. I’d love this to be a TV series and yet the whole time I’m like, No way… they wouldn’t be able to do it justice, they’d hold back too much. So books win once again.
My review of the first one said it would have been better with limited interruptions and I was right — I read this one in 2 days. Compulsively readable and so fun. (The most violent, crazy fun.) If you like (good) Stephen King and Chuck Wendig, this is for you.
And I was SO happy to get this book from NetGalley so that I didn’t have to wait til September to read it! I read the first book just last month… so I haven’t, like, entirely forgotten it.
The first one was batshit-fun-horror with the world going to shit. Now it’s 5 years later and it’s still batshit-fun-horror.
It reads like a (super-long) movie. It’s so good. It’s violent and supernatural and the characters are great and it’s fucking tragic. I’d love this to be a TV series and yet the whole time I’m like, No way… they wouldn’t be able to do it justice, they’d hold back too much. So books win once again.
My review of the first one said it would have been better with limited interruptions and I was right — I read this one in 2 days. Compulsively readable and so fun. (The most violent, crazy fun.) If you like (good) Stephen King and Chuck Wendig, this is for you.
December 3, 2024
Loved it!
June 28, 2026
4/4.25 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ebook format 📖
I’m happy with how this book answers all of my questions when I first finished Fever House.
The Devil By Name went in some crazy places and the journey of our main characters become more difficult and overwhelming.
The plot takes place 5 years later and the stakes are so much higher.
The new character, Naomi Laurent was excellent along with her backstory. I loved how Keith Rosson answers my questions about her character when she’s first introduced at the end of Fever House.
The first book in this duology has more of a crime thriller feel to it.
The Devil By Name is full on horror with the fevered and evil force trying to end humanity.
I loved the ending and felt it was exactly what I wanted!
I’m glad Rosson kept this to two books. It ends with a bit of hope and a new look on how society will likely go forward.
Ebook format 📖
I’m happy with how this book answers all of my questions when I first finished Fever House.
The Devil By Name went in some crazy places and the journey of our main characters become more difficult and overwhelming.
The plot takes place 5 years later and the stakes are so much higher.
The new character, Naomi Laurent was excellent along with her backstory. I loved how Keith Rosson answers my questions about her character when she’s first introduced at the end of Fever House.
The first book in this duology has more of a crime thriller feel to it.
The Devil By Name is full on horror with the fevered and evil force trying to end humanity.
I loved the ending and felt it was exactly what I wanted!
I’m glad Rosson kept this to two books. It ends with a bit of hope and a new look on how society will likely go forward.
March 30, 2024
I was absolutley obsessed with Fever House and this follow up did not disappoint, I'm sad its come to an end but its become one of my favourite duologies, the violence, bloodshed and all out creepy supernatural horror are taken to new heights in this exhilirating thrill ride, when I say strap yourself in I mean it cos once you're on the Rosson rollercoaster there's no getting off, writing in a genre all of his own making, a punk rock thriller, Rosson delivers a gruesome survival/ apocalyptic horror painted on a landscape of guilt, revenge and loss, I was half expecting to close the book, look in the mirror and see myself covered in blood and gore(but all I saw was tears) the descriptions are extremely vivid and I felt like I was watching a Tarintino movie play out, this was a devastating read and incredibly moving in some parts, far from being just a horror story this is more about the search for humanity amongst darkness, the characters are some of my absolute favourites ever and we get more character development and depth to them in this sequel, I read this in two days because I couldn't put it down, kudos to Keith for writing this phenomenal saga
August 22, 2026
(Fever House book 2)
Holy fucking hell on earth….. just in case you didn’t know…. KEITH ROSSON is an all-around HORROR GOD. Period and that’s that!
Last month I read Fever House with my two friends @darciahelle and @shel_be_reading . Our minds were
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯. We freaking loved it and decided we would read The Devil By Name in August.
Here’s the deal….. you can’t read the second book if you haven’t read the first. Hell no! You’d be lost and it just wouldn’t hit the same. Don’t even try it, trust me.
The Devil By Name picks up five years later after the Devil’s been unleashed and turned the world into the MF zombie apocalypse. The hand, the eye, the voice must be contained.
This one started off a bit slower than the first with less urgency. We spend time inside these character’s heads. Empathizing and burning with hate for others. There’s a bit less humor overall which I was completely okay with.
The last 100 pages is where shit hits the fan! I was stressing so bad that my perimenopausal ass was sweatin’ hard y’all. This devil was giving me the shakes and I was full of fear. My heart was ready to explode! 💥💥💥💥
My final thoughts, this duology is EPIC AF! I know many of you have read Coffin Moon and loved it… Crone was friggin’ stellar as well. BUT, I swear you’ve never read anything like this.
Everything Rosson puts to paper is gold! The literary horror Gods have blessed this dude so well that he just can’t write a bad book.
The moral of the lesson, READ HIS BOOKS! He’s one of the best!
ALL OF THE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holy fucking hell on earth….. just in case you didn’t know…. KEITH ROSSON is an all-around HORROR GOD. Period and that’s that!
Last month I read Fever House with my two friends @darciahelle and @shel_be_reading . Our minds were
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯. We freaking loved it and decided we would read The Devil By Name in August.
Here’s the deal….. you can’t read the second book if you haven’t read the first. Hell no! You’d be lost and it just wouldn’t hit the same. Don’t even try it, trust me.
The Devil By Name picks up five years later after the Devil’s been unleashed and turned the world into the MF zombie apocalypse. The hand, the eye, the voice must be contained.
This one started off a bit slower than the first with less urgency. We spend time inside these character’s heads. Empathizing and burning with hate for others. There’s a bit less humor overall which I was completely okay with.
The last 100 pages is where shit hits the fan! I was stressing so bad that my perimenopausal ass was sweatin’ hard y’all. This devil was giving me the shakes and I was full of fear. My heart was ready to explode! 💥💥💥💥
My final thoughts, this duology is EPIC AF! I know many of you have read Coffin Moon and loved it… Crone was friggin’ stellar as well. BUT, I swear you’ve never read anything like this.
Everything Rosson puts to paper is gold! The literary horror Gods have blessed this dude so well that he just can’t write a bad book.
The moral of the lesson, READ HIS BOOKS! He’s one of the best!
ALL OF THE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 9, 2025
Very satisfying conclusion to Fever House and every bit as thrilling, chilling, action and gore packed. Although certainly not derivative, I frequently found myself drawing parallels to The Stand, i.e. the theme of opposing forces of good and evil on a collision course across a ruined, apocalyptic landscape. However things here are more murky, with more gray areas, and of course more horrifying supernatural shit going on :) With both these books Rosson deftly strikes a balance between the horrific events that are in no short supply and the emotional investment he so expertly constructs with the characters and relationships. Not an easy feat. His perspectives on loss, guilt, redemption and resilience comes across as genuine and deeply felt.
October 2, 2024
Dnfed after part 2. I just don't understand how this has been rated higher than the previous one, I mean sure the number of ratings are less but still, this was so awfully boring, reminded of that meme "people running, and not going anywhere" , that's what the plot of this book is, I did skim through the later parts to see if there's any potential exciting stuff but nope.
August 3, 2024
Oh Keith, you sick bastard (she says lovingly). Stumbling upon Fever House was such a unique experience, quite like reading the love baby story of Stephen King and Chuck Palahniuk. And luckily for readers, The Devil By Name doesn’t pull any punches and truly blesses us with a solid sequel.
If you loved Fever House, The Devil By Name is truly a continuation that makes you want to read them back to back so it’s just one long book. Through the use of multiple POVs we get saints and sinners alike in a world gone completely to shit. The trifecta of the devils artifacts are abound in the world and wreaking a true hell on earth.
The quick paced, action packed plethora of weirdness ensues keeping readers on their tippiest of toes. I was gasping out loud, widening my eyes, and reacting to this novel like watching a horror punk apocalypse movie in theaters. I’m now a Keith Rosson fan through and through and will devour whatever he decides to serve us next.
If you loved Fever House, The Devil By Name is truly a continuation that makes you want to read them back to back so it’s just one long book. Through the use of multiple POVs we get saints and sinners alike in a world gone completely to shit. The trifecta of the devils artifacts are abound in the world and wreaking a true hell on earth.
The quick paced, action packed plethora of weirdness ensues keeping readers on their tippiest of toes. I was gasping out loud, widening my eyes, and reacting to this novel like watching a horror punk apocalypse movie in theaters. I’m now a Keith Rosson fan through and through and will devour whatever he decides to serve us next.
January 24, 2026
Loved the first book; loved this even more! Keith Rosson delivers an insane action packed sequel to Fever House that moves at a breakneck speed all the way through to its batshit crazy ending. The premise is unique, the writing is great, the body count is high, and I want to read all of his books now.
September 29, 2026
A creatively satisfying, blood-drenched ending to the (nightmarish) Fever House series. Such a fun, monstrous mess!!!
They best make this into a movie or series or something. There's a loooot of potential in these here pages!!
4 Murderous Stars
They best make this into a movie or series or something. There's a loooot of potential in these here pages!!
4 Murderous Stars
February 22, 2025
The story picks up five years after Terradyne transmitted The Message across the entire globe turning billions into The Fevered, wreaking chaos and destruction. Matthew and the remnants still exist with the demonic creature trying to claim the world. This devil has once again begun the ritual: the hand, the eye, the voice, a house of fever and wounds. Will he finish it this time bringing about a new blood-lashed world, one of its very own? All he needs to do is wed the wife, crown the son, and devour the light.
September 7, 2026
There’s no God, there’s no devil. There’s just us. Our bodies, our voices. Our errors and our mistakes and urges. Our endless fuckups. That’s all.
The Fever House ends with The Message a Department of Defense initiative which utilizes a haunted recording and calls every phone on the planet, driving those who answer into becoming zombies. Sigh. This sequel begins five years later in a world where MAGA meets Buc-ees and the way back to a working world is through prayer and merchandising.
The Fever House benefited from detail and pacing with an almost three-sixty panorama from its myriad characters. By the second half of this second installment everything was funneled towards a denouement—one where the seraphic proved to upset the extant balance of power. I didn’t skim but damn was I ever tempted.
The Fever House ends with The Message a Department of Defense initiative which utilizes a haunted recording and calls every phone on the planet, driving those who answer into becoming zombies. Sigh. This sequel begins five years later in a world where MAGA meets Buc-ees and the way back to a working world is through prayer and merchandising.
The Fever House benefited from detail and pacing with an almost three-sixty panorama from its myriad characters. By the second half of this second installment everything was funneled towards a denouement—one where the seraphic proved to upset the extant balance of power. I didn’t skim but damn was I ever tempted.
Read
August 4, 2024I'm going to start off by saying this was a thrilling ride, and once again, I finished this book in under 2 days. I was wholly invested with the characters from Fever House and we are slowly introduced to an all-star cast of new villains in the sequel.
As the synopsis mentions, this is 5 years after the Message goes out to everyone in the world, turning the majority of the human population fevered. Exactly where we left off in Fever House, as the message is released. While the author has a very intricate way of weaving the action drama that pulls at our heartstrings that is the story being told from multiple points of view, I find myself reading repetitive information from the first book. The Devil by Name could be read on its own as a stand alone book with all the details it has describing events from Fever House (book 1). I wish the author would have made this 1 big book, instead of splitting it into two. It felt too repetitive.
The atmosphere of Fever House does not translate over to The Devil by Name. The feel of the book changes a bit. And I'm not sure if it's all this droning on and on of Katherine's of her husband, Matthew and her son Nick, or if it's all the repetition of the events from the first book, but it could have been about an additional 200 pages at the end of Fever House. We don't really gain much from book 2 having all this additional details.
After finishing this, I really do think the author rewrote The Stand & Swan Song but with zombies and demonic possession instead of a nuclear fallout scenario. I'm not going to give anything away but if you've read those books, this is similar. The end of the book felt cartoonish. I'm not sure what I expected. But it wasn't that. I felt the same let down when I finished Swan Song. So, don't that take to heart.
That being said, I still think everyone who enjoys Fever House, should read this. The story gets wilder, more characters are introduced who complicate things just a bit more. I was whole-heartedly invested in the characters and wanted to know that they all turned out well in the end. It doesn't turn out good for some, right? That's Keith Rosson for you, the new George RR Martin...."oh you like this guy?" *dead* :-)
I enjoyed the ride, thank you to Random House for a copy & the author for passing my email on. I look forward to reading Keith Rosson's other books. I am highly impressed by the intricate storytelling and amazing character development he is able to show in his writing.
As the synopsis mentions, this is 5 years after the Message goes out to everyone in the world, turning the majority of the human population fevered. Exactly where we left off in Fever House, as the message is released. While the author has a very intricate way of weaving the action drama that pulls at our heartstrings that is the story being told from multiple points of view, I find myself reading repetitive information from the first book. The Devil by Name could be read on its own as a stand alone book with all the details it has describing events from Fever House (book 1). I wish the author would have made this 1 big book, instead of splitting it into two. It felt too repetitive.
The atmosphere of Fever House does not translate over to The Devil by Name. The feel of the book changes a bit. And I'm not sure if it's all this droning on and on of Katherine's of her husband, Matthew and her son Nick, or if it's all the repetition of the events from the first book, but it could have been about an additional 200 pages at the end of Fever House. We don't really gain much from book 2 having all this additional details.
After finishing this, I really do think the author rewrote The Stand & Swan Song but with zombies and demonic possession instead of a nuclear fallout scenario. I'm not going to give anything away but if you've read those books, this is similar. The end of the book felt cartoonish. I'm not sure what I expected. But it wasn't that. I felt the same let down when I finished Swan Song. So, don't that take to heart.
That being said, I still think everyone who enjoys Fever House, should read this. The story gets wilder, more characters are introduced who complicate things just a bit more. I was whole-heartedly invested in the characters and wanted to know that they all turned out well in the end. It doesn't turn out good for some, right? That's Keith Rosson for you, the new George RR Martin...."oh you like this guy?" *dead* :-)
I enjoyed the ride, thank you to Random House for a copy & the author for passing my email on. I look forward to reading Keith Rosson's other books. I am highly impressed by the intricate storytelling and amazing character development he is able to show in his writing.
March 18, 2024
Following on the heels of Fever House (2023), Rosson's forthcoming novel "The Devil By Name" (Expected publication September 10, 2024) takes the reader on a journey far different from that which was undergone in Fever House. It is now five years later and the world has completely changed since the song was broadcast with the hidden message to every cell phone anyone bothered to answer. The fevered are roaming in hordes. The artifacts are in play.
We get new characters as well as revisits from old ones. One such new character is Naomi Laurent who for some reason we never quite understand has a power to cure the fevered. She is in what is left of France accompanying Denis in a world that only Thomas Hobbes might recognize: nasty, brutish, and short. John Bonner has nightmares about the severed hand back in Portland. Meanwhile, Dean Haggerty scavenges from Indiana to Cape Winston, Massachusetts, where Katherine Moriarty (the voice) is hiding in plain sight with her fevered son Nick in the barn.
In many ways, this world is recognizable to any who have read or viewed post-apocolyptic stories. But the artifacts and what they mean alter things and the control of the Terradyne Corporation does so as well. There are so many new threads that are just barely related to things that were set out in the first novel. This one is no longer a crime novel turned zombie fantasy. We are in full-blown zombie world.
Many thanks to the publisher for an advance reading copy.
We get new characters as well as revisits from old ones. One such new character is Naomi Laurent who for some reason we never quite understand has a power to cure the fevered. She is in what is left of France accompanying Denis in a world that only Thomas Hobbes might recognize: nasty, brutish, and short. John Bonner has nightmares about the severed hand back in Portland. Meanwhile, Dean Haggerty scavenges from Indiana to Cape Winston, Massachusetts, where Katherine Moriarty (the voice) is hiding in plain sight with her fevered son Nick in the barn.
In many ways, this world is recognizable to any who have read or viewed post-apocolyptic stories. But the artifacts and what they mean alter things and the control of the Terradyne Corporation does so as well. There are so many new threads that are just barely related to things that were set out in the first novel. This one is no longer a crime novel turned zombie fantasy. We are in full-blown zombie world.
Many thanks to the publisher for an advance reading copy.
March 7, 2024
I know all good things must come to an end but The Devil by Name delivered everything I hoped for and more. The world building and character development in this second book was everything I could have hoped for….so well written I cried at the ending.
Even though this marks the end of the Fever House saga, it's a world I'll always hold dear and revisit often. I could not recommend this duology more.
Edit First reread- I don’t think people will understand how great this series is. It’s so rare to have a dystopian novel and not one scene of SA. As a woman this means a lot to me.
Even though this marks the end of the Fever House saga, it's a world I'll always hold dear and revisit often. I could not recommend this duology more.
Edit First reread- I don’t think people will understand how great this series is. It’s so rare to have a dystopian novel and not one scene of SA. As a woman this means a lot to me.
June 19, 2024
The Devil By Name is a compelling sequel that surpasses its predecessor in pacing and flow. While it sacrifices some of the punk charm that defined Fever House, it makes up for it with stronger character development and a more engaging narrative. Overall, it's gripping, well-crafted, and a must-read for those who enjoyed Fever House.
March 7, 2024
I need a minute
June 21, 2026
~ and then came the sequel. And I'll say upfront that this one will please diehard horror fans more than it worked on me. A friend of mine, who loved 'Fever House' as much as I did, had this to say: "['Fever House'] reads like a punk song. I also really liked the second book. The two together work really well but it is almost like an album where the B-side isn't quite as strong but it helps hold everything together."
He's more of a horror fan than I am.
I did love 'Fever House':
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~ but I struggled a lot with 'The Devil by Name', even considered DNF'ing it a few times. I mainly continued on due to what I liked in other Rosson books. As it got close to the conclusion (it's 60 pages longer than 'Fever House'), I found it s-l-o-w (when the intent seemed to be continuous escalation). At times I thought... maybe Rosson has hopes of getting a cable series deal out of it. That requires... content. To me, it felt a bit by-the-numbers.
The plot continues from 'Fever House' in a more national / slightly international vein. The root of evil (and how it works its way inside 'vessels') is more fully explored. There's a ton more gore and a lot less in terms of character development (there's some but it pales compared to 'FH').
Occasionally I was pulled in in earnest. I rather liked Dean (the ragman) and the teenage French girl, Naomi. But the novel itself felt unwieldy to me, like something being written out of obligation rather than a writer's passion.
That said... if you're into high-octane zombieland, this is your jam!
He's more of a horror fan than I am.
I did love 'Fever House':
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~ but I struggled a lot with 'The Devil by Name', even considered DNF'ing it a few times. I mainly continued on due to what I liked in other Rosson books. As it got close to the conclusion (it's 60 pages longer than 'Fever House'), I found it s-l-o-w (when the intent seemed to be continuous escalation). At times I thought... maybe Rosson has hopes of getting a cable series deal out of it. That requires... content. To me, it felt a bit by-the-numbers.
The plot continues from 'Fever House' in a more national / slightly international vein. The root of evil (and how it works its way inside 'vessels') is more fully explored. There's a ton more gore and a lot less in terms of character development (there's some but it pales compared to 'FH').
Occasionally I was pulled in in earnest. I rather liked Dean (the ragman) and the teenage French girl, Naomi. But the novel itself felt unwieldy to me, like something being written out of obligation rather than a writer's passion.
That said... if you're into high-octane zombieland, this is your jam!
April 18, 2024
I would not have predicted that the lightning of Fever House could be captured again, and yet Rosson has succeeded wildly. This sequel, set five years after the end of the first novel, is somehow more intense, bloodier, more cynical, and yet has more heart, too. The chapters move around through numerous POVs, some characters from the first novel and some new characters. It is the perfect narrative style for this story, and it works just as well here as last time. The action is propulsive, bloody, and unexpected. Every chapter leaves you wanting to know what happens next only to have you distracted to some other part of this dystopian hellscape when perspective shifts, and instead of being frustrated you’re instantly transported into that character’s struggles. The characters do kind of fit into some of the paradigms or archetypes you expect from a horrific post-apocalyptic story, but the character-building doesn’t stop there, they have more depth and are far more interesting and genuine than they need to be, frankly.
This story has no problem unexpectedly bodying characters that seemed destined to make it to the end. It is surprising and doesn’t always travel where you expect, and yet manages to tie up all the loose threads from the previous novel without ever feeling disjointed. To be fair there is a trajectory that becomes clear somewhat quickly, we know these characters are going to be crossing paths and in so doing create the conditions for the action (and narrative) to erupt into something even bloodier, more epic. Yet even with this telegraphed early on, it doesn’t feel like chess pieces all being moved around just to wait for the final ten pages of the story, this novel is chock full of action and consequences and welcome narrative arcs. There is less of a crime/noir aspect this time around, but that makes sense—five years after an apocalyptic event is going to find a whole lot of social/paradigm changes. The novel is still pulpy and brash, heartfelt and metal AF. There is some cult activity that is touched upon, and I would have loved it if the earlier part of the story gave us more depth into that part of this new world, the story is ripe for it, and so only getting passing mention was a little disappointing. But the novel didn’t let me stay disappointed for long, being filled with horrific transformations, both emotional and physical, that captivate and keep you on edge.
Not only was this novel a lot of fun—I didn’t want to put it down once I started—it was a great and worthy follow-up to the previous novel. People—some good people, some bad people, and some people who don’t know where fall in that spectrum—are forced to make choices, and as a reader we have to wonder at every step what we would do. How do you react to the end of the world, to the fascistic power of a capitalist state co-run by a private weapons manufacturer, to choices that put your survival and your humanity at seeming odds every day? There is no waxing philosophic in this novel, but there are complicated and engaging characters problems that, while they are extreme, boil down to extremely relatable decisions. This book is a blast, and if you liked the first then you’ll love this one.
I want to thank the author, the publisher Random House, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This story has no problem unexpectedly bodying characters that seemed destined to make it to the end. It is surprising and doesn’t always travel where you expect, and yet manages to tie up all the loose threads from the previous novel without ever feeling disjointed. To be fair there is a trajectory that becomes clear somewhat quickly, we know these characters are going to be crossing paths and in so doing create the conditions for the action (and narrative) to erupt into something even bloodier, more epic. Yet even with this telegraphed early on, it doesn’t feel like chess pieces all being moved around just to wait for the final ten pages of the story, this novel is chock full of action and consequences and welcome narrative arcs. There is less of a crime/noir aspect this time around, but that makes sense—five years after an apocalyptic event is going to find a whole lot of social/paradigm changes. The novel is still pulpy and brash, heartfelt and metal AF. There is some cult activity that is touched upon, and I would have loved it if the earlier part of the story gave us more depth into that part of this new world, the story is ripe for it, and so only getting passing mention was a little disappointing. But the novel didn’t let me stay disappointed for long, being filled with horrific transformations, both emotional and physical, that captivate and keep you on edge.
Not only was this novel a lot of fun—I didn’t want to put it down once I started—it was a great and worthy follow-up to the previous novel. People—some good people, some bad people, and some people who don’t know where fall in that spectrum—are forced to make choices, and as a reader we have to wonder at every step what we would do. How do you react to the end of the world, to the fascistic power of a capitalist state co-run by a private weapons manufacturer, to choices that put your survival and your humanity at seeming odds every day? There is no waxing philosophic in this novel, but there are complicated and engaging characters problems that, while they are extreme, boil down to extremely relatable decisions. This book is a blast, and if you liked the first then you’ll love this one.
I want to thank the author, the publisher Random House, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 14, 2024
Full disclosure, I read the first book about a year ago and remember nothing but the big plot points. I think if I would have read these back to back, I would have enjoyed this one more.
Overall, this was a good story. But I found myself bored and disinterested as it got closer to the end. And when we finally arrived there, I couldn't help but feel it was all a bit unnecessary, which I'm sad about.
But the first book, Fever House, is an absolute banger, so check that one out for sure. I might not remember the details, but I remember absolutely loving it.
With that being said, I'm sad to say it, but I'm rating Keith Rosson's The Devil by Name 3 out of 5 stars.
Overall, this was a good story. But I found myself bored and disinterested as it got closer to the end. And when we finally arrived there, I couldn't help but feel it was all a bit unnecessary, which I'm sad about.
But the first book, Fever House, is an absolute banger, so check that one out for sure. I might not remember the details, but I remember absolutely loving it.
With that being said, I'm sad to say it, but I'm rating Keith Rosson's The Devil by Name 3 out of 5 stars.
April 17, 2025
A completely satisfying conclusion to the story that begins in Fever House.
Fever House set the stage with the beginning of a zombie apocalypse, the devil remnants still floating around, although one wonders what other mischief they could cause at this point. Turns out, the Message induced apocalypse is only the first step in the preparation for the final act played out in Devil By Name.
Katherine and John return as POV characters, and we get some added personalities too, some good and some not so much. The storytelling format of short, sharp chapters from alternating POVs is used again, and continues to serve the narrative well, wrapping it all up in a truly gory way. Rosson definitely has storytelling chops and I look forward to what he serves up next!
It had been a man once, and then it had been cheated in some manner, been wronged-the details are lost, distorted by time, but the feeling is there, a ghost of pain. It is a devil by name, by desire, one cowled in bitterness and fury, one forever seeking vengeance, a mantle of its own.
Fever House set the stage with the beginning of a zombie apocalypse, the devil remnants still floating around, although one wonders what other mischief they could cause at this point. Turns out, the Message induced apocalypse is only the first step in the preparation for the final act played out in Devil By Name.
Katherine and John return as POV characters, and we get some added personalities too, some good and some not so much. The storytelling format of short, sharp chapters from alternating POVs is used again, and continues to serve the narrative well, wrapping it all up in a truly gory way. Rosson definitely has storytelling chops and I look forward to what he serves up next!
It had been a man once, and then it had been cheated in some manner, been wronged-the details are lost, distorted by time, but the feeling is there, a ghost of pain. It is a devil by name, by desire, one cowled in bitterness and fury, one forever seeking vengeance, a mantle of its own.
September 29, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, but it really is a different animal than its predecessor...but then, it has to be.
The first has the enjoyable job of blowing your mind with all this stuff you've never seen in this context before. The hand. The eye. The voice. Zombies. Rock 'n' roll. Shadowy corporations in lockstep with the government. Oh, and the impending apocalypse. It's a hell of a ride.
So this, the second book, has the unenviable job of taking all that stuff you know now, so it's not as mind-blowing. The hand? Big deal. The eye? Whatever. ...and so on... So Rosson now has to remix and move that story forward.
And, as far as I'm concerned, he did a damned good job. His plotting is insane. His characters are very, very real. His dialogue is brilliant. But none of that adds up to much of the story isn't there, and the story is there, trust me.
The first was about the characters and the world falling into the void. This one is about some of those characters, and some new ones, doing their damnedest to claw themselves out of that void.
This is a great duology.
The first has the enjoyable job of blowing your mind with all this stuff you've never seen in this context before. The hand. The eye. The voice. Zombies. Rock 'n' roll. Shadowy corporations in lockstep with the government. Oh, and the impending apocalypse. It's a hell of a ride.
So this, the second book, has the unenviable job of taking all that stuff you know now, so it's not as mind-blowing. The hand? Big deal. The eye? Whatever. ...and so on... So Rosson now has to remix and move that story forward.
And, as far as I'm concerned, he did a damned good job. His plotting is insane. His characters are very, very real. His dialogue is brilliant. But none of that adds up to much of the story isn't there, and the story is there, trust me.
The first was about the characters and the world falling into the void. This one is about some of those characters, and some new ones, doing their damnedest to claw themselves out of that void.
This is a great duology.
December 31, 2024
4.5/5
The Devil by Name picks up five years after Fever House with all the chaos, gore, and gripping drama you’d expect—and then some. The world is still reeling from “The Message,” a weaponized sound that turned much of humanity into bloodthirsty monsters called the fevered. With Terradyne Industries running the show and humanity clinging to survival, the stakes have never been higher.
The book is a wild ride; it takes elements of horror, noir, and spy thriller vibes and turns them into a splatterfest that somehow still manages to be emotionally grounded. John Bonner, riddled with guilt and desperate for redemption, Katherine Moriarty, coping with devastating loss, and Naomi Laurent, a teenager with a mysterious, world-altering gift, are all struggling. Newcomer Dean Haggerty, a warm, resourceful scavenger, is an unexpected bright spot, bringing a glimmer of hope to a grim story.
Yes, the gore is intense, and the body horror will stick with you long after you’ve turned the last page (looking at you, “tortured fevered in the chair”). But here’s the thing - Rosson knows how to find a balance between the carnage and emotional depth, and his take on grief, redemption, and survival feels raw and real. The character arcs are top-notch, with even minor players leaving a mark. Katherine’s transformation, in particular, is spectacular.
The pacing is relentless, and while some plot conveniences (a possible cure-all across the ocean, for example) might raise an eyebrow, the story’s intensity and emotional pull make it easy to forgive. Rosson ties up loose ends from Fever House while introducing fresh twists, taking the story in surprising directions.
The final chapters are pure nightmare fuel, and the emotional punches hit hard. If you’re into stories that mix terror, heart, and a touch of hope, The Devil by Name delivers big time. It’s the kind of book that leaves you a little haunted but entirely satisfied.
The Devil by Name picks up five years after Fever House with all the chaos, gore, and gripping drama you’d expect—and then some. The world is still reeling from “The Message,” a weaponized sound that turned much of humanity into bloodthirsty monsters called the fevered. With Terradyne Industries running the show and humanity clinging to survival, the stakes have never been higher.
The book is a wild ride; it takes elements of horror, noir, and spy thriller vibes and turns them into a splatterfest that somehow still manages to be emotionally grounded. John Bonner, riddled with guilt and desperate for redemption, Katherine Moriarty, coping with devastating loss, and Naomi Laurent, a teenager with a mysterious, world-altering gift, are all struggling. Newcomer Dean Haggerty, a warm, resourceful scavenger, is an unexpected bright spot, bringing a glimmer of hope to a grim story.
Yes, the gore is intense, and the body horror will stick with you long after you’ve turned the last page (looking at you, “tortured fevered in the chair”). But here’s the thing - Rosson knows how to find a balance between the carnage and emotional depth, and his take on grief, redemption, and survival feels raw and real. The character arcs are top-notch, with even minor players leaving a mark. Katherine’s transformation, in particular, is spectacular.
The pacing is relentless, and while some plot conveniences (a possible cure-all across the ocean, for example) might raise an eyebrow, the story’s intensity and emotional pull make it easy to forgive. Rosson ties up loose ends from Fever House while introducing fresh twists, taking the story in surprising directions.
The final chapters are pure nightmare fuel, and the emotional punches hit hard. If you’re into stories that mix terror, heart, and a touch of hope, The Devil by Name delivers big time. It’s the kind of book that leaves you a little haunted but entirely satisfied.
January 4, 2025
Oh Keith, you sick bastard (she says lovingly). Stumbling upon Fever House was such a unique experience, quite like reading the love baby story of Stephen King and Chuck Palahniuk. And luckily for readers, The Devil By Name doesn’t pull any punches and truly blesses us with a solid sequel.
If you loved Fever House, The Devil By Name is truly a continuation that makes you want to read them back to back so it’s just one long book. Through the use of multiple POVs we get saints and sinners alike in a world gone completely to shit. The trifecta of the devils artifacts are abound in the world and wreaking a true hell on earth.
The quick paced, action packed plethora of weirdness ensues keeping readers on their tippiest of toes. I was gasping out loud, widening my eyes, and reacting to this novel like watching a horror punk apocalypse movie in theaters. I’m now a Keith Rosson fan through and through and will devour whatever he decides to serve us next.
If you loved Fever House, The Devil By Name is truly a continuation that makes you want to read them back to back so it’s just one long book. Through the use of multiple POVs we get saints and sinners alike in a world gone completely to shit. The trifecta of the devils artifacts are abound in the world and wreaking a true hell on earth.
The quick paced, action packed plethora of weirdness ensues keeping readers on their tippiest of toes. I was gasping out loud, widening my eyes, and reacting to this novel like watching a horror punk apocalypse movie in theaters. I’m now a Keith Rosson fan through and through and will devour whatever he decides to serve us next.
March 20, 2025
Extremely disappointing. I loved Fever House, but that story started with 2 thugs roughing up a methhead to find a magically cursed hand, and this ends with a magical girl of light using her angelically derived powers to defeat a demon and save the world from falling into eternal darkness.
Never trust an author who describes their work as "magical realism." This book was total crap, only distinguishable from any other pulp horror novel because of its pretentious literary aspirations, despite being riddled with cliches and a predictable genre plot. You'd think the author's literary claims would inspire them to rise above predictable and cliched genre staples, but instead it gave them license to never aspire beyond them.
Never trust an author who describes their work as "magical realism." This book was total crap, only distinguishable from any other pulp horror novel because of its pretentious literary aspirations, despite being riddled with cliches and a predictable genre plot. You'd think the author's literary claims would inspire them to rise above predictable and cliched genre staples, but instead it gave them license to never aspire beyond them.
September 12, 2024
Helllllllll fucking yes, screaming from the rooftops!
December 1, 2025
Insanely well written book and a great sequel. That ending was great and how it all tied together, amazing. Highly recommend
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