I loved reading Fever House.
So no doubt I was excited to jump into book two The Devil by Name by Keith Rosson.
TDbN is a gripping blend of horror and suspense that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
I love apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic stories and this one was phenomenal!
The plot was amazing, the story was wild, crazy and intense, and I couldn't put this book down.
Great pace, great characters and great writing.
Keith Rosson has crafted a nightmare masterpiece and I devoured it!

Thank You NetGalley and Random House for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

“The whole world’s broken down, he knows that. But some places are more broken than others.”

THE DEVIL BY NAME starts five years after Fever House with the world teetering between recovery and collapse. Maybe recovery is too optimistic of a term but there are a few bright spots in this tumultuous time that make it feel like a possibility. A few touching and heartwarming scenes letting you know that some nice people still exist.
I felt this gave feelings of a war story told from behind enemy lines. No one can be trusted but you have to trust someone in order to survive. I can only compare it to the ghetto scenes in Schindler’s List combined with the coming together and the cross country trip of The Stand, yet it was completely different than either and their was an occult aspect thrown in.

The fevered still seem to run rampant throughout most of the world but that is not really the focus of the book. These animalistic humans are blindly driven to kill, but they were humans…friends, relatives, neighbors…if there is any chance for a cure shouldn’t we try? Or should they all be wiped from the earth and start the human race again with those who have survived.
This may not be our choice as dark forces are aligning and the fevered are swarming.

This was a great follow up to Fever House!!! 🙌 Definitely had some Walking Dead vibes, as our main characters are not only dealing with zombies, referred to as the fevered, but also threats from the living! And the creature was evil and creepy as hell!! 🫣

Highly recommend the entire duology!! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Keith Rosson for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

Keith Rosson’s *The Devil By Name* throws you right into the chaos, five years after *The Message* flipped the world upside down. If you haven’t read *Fever House* yet, do yourself a favor and grab it first. This one picks up with John Bonner, who’s drowning in guilt, and Katherine Moriarity, who’s trying to survive while dealing with some seriously heavy grief. Terradyne, this creepy government-corporation hybrid, is running what’s left of the world, and things are looking bleak—except for a tiny glimmer of hope in the form of a girl in France.

Rosson gives us multiple perspectives, diving into big stuff like politics, religion, and hope, all while keeping the emotional punches coming. Katherine’s arc is easily the best—she’s been through hell, but her strength and resilience will totally hit you in the feels. Fair warning, this book is brutal—lots of body horror and intense fear—but there’s still a weird kind of beauty in all the darkness.

*The Devil By Name* doesn’t mess around. It’s fast, it’s intense, and it hits hard. If you’re into a wild, chaotic ride that’ll wreck you and still make you come back for more, this duology is a must.

The biggest thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Forget those sweet feelings of security, the grips of reality as you know it, and enter Keith Rosson’s astounding, apocalyptical world torn to shreds by The Message with the sequel to Fever House, The Devil By Name. Picking up five years after the phone call that changed the world, it’s abundantly clear that the fabric of society has been ripped to shreds thanks to the events that transpired at the end of Fever House (this is my polite way of telling you to pick that book up). Among those still kicking around with questionably sanity are John Bonner, a man saddled with a whole lotta guilt, and Katherine Moriarity, a woman living among the wreckage and battling the throes of grief. It’s a bleak, bleak world post-Message with fevered lurking, a government-partnered corporation known as Terradyne running what’s left of the show, and no solution for this madness in sight. But somewhere in France, a young girl may hold a glimmer of hope. The Devil By Name is a novel born of intensity, crafted expertly by Rosson who implements high degrees of action and conviction to gift us one hell of a duology.

The mechanics of this fervent novel are constructed through multiple narratives showcasing the somber state of the entire world. We jump from Bonner to Katherine, voices we’re familiar with and that are equally emotionally charged for reasons described in book one. Rosson also introduces new characters along the way, ones that manage to inspire so much love and so much hate. This is an expansive story without borders, conquering topics of politics, religion, love, hate, faith, and hope. More impressively, these are subjects that are woven into this narrative with grace and ease thanks to brilliant, diverse characterization. Rosson’s world lends itself to the fundamentally organic nature of these confrontations, all while our attention is raptly held amidst the slow unfurling of further chaos.

Perhaps what stole my heart most of all with these books is the character of Katherine Moriarty. The Katherine we meet in Fever House is far removed from the Katherine we revisit in The Devil By Name and for damned good reasons. She’s a woman who has been put through the unthinkable, given her relationship with Matthew Coffin, the fate of her son Nick, and the weight of her unintentional responsibility tied to The Message through “The Blank Letters.” However, Katherine is tough as nails. Sure, she has moments of helplessness, of not seeing the merit of fighting for one more day in this hellscape, but that’s not how Rosson leaves her, penning a character arc that will move you to tears. She’s written with grit, tenacity, and the propensity for hope despite all this violence around her. She’s resilient.

And this is a very, very violent novel. No punches are held regarding body horror, ruthless situations of nerve-shredding fear, or existential dread. Safety is a foregone idea in the post-Message world, something that is painstakingly clear thanks to Rosson’s intentional hand. Yet, there are sprinkles of hope to be found throughout, a poeticism that taps into the humanity this fictional world has long forgotten. It’s a unique balance that’s found, one that makes this story extra poignant in a real world marked by so much turmoil.

It’s no understatement to say that The Devil By Name is a novel that leaves you breathless. Fever House was built upon these same blocks with each page turned ratcheting the stakes a little higher and then a little higher still. However, The Devil By Name wastes no time, has no patience, and is quick to put the pedal through the damn floor. It’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s metal. It’s masterfully constructed chaos that will rip your heart apart and then, unthinkably, put it back together. And I cannot recommend this duology enough.

I had no idea where Rosson was planning to go with this follow up to FEVER HOUSE. He left us in a world in the grip of a zombie apocalypse, essentially. This jump five years forward was a fantastic continuation of that story. Rosson’s duology was a mad dash toward insanity.

Ok...I will forgive how abruptly book one ended because I really enjoyed this sequel.

Definitely should have reread the first before jumping back in, but finding my footing with the characters and world again was easy. The writing was fantastically (if not a bit horrifically) done. It all felt very visceral.
I was a little worried that the ending would feel the same, or that maybe the main event would get dragged into a third book, but I was very happy with how things got wrapped up.

An impeccably imagined conclusion to a gritty, kick-ass, and haunting Horror doulogy.

Keith, you're a rock star!

Thank you SO much for the ARC. Keith is an auto-buy author always.

I was so hyped to be able to review this one! Fever House was one of my top books of last year, so I was just itching to get my hands on the sequel. I couldn’t think of a better book to kick off my fall reading season.

I am happy to announce that Keith Rosson has done it again. This was a very solid follow up to Fever House.

Without giving too much away, I loved how this book expanded on the world from the first book. The story is a little less mysterious this time around, but I still enjoyed following each of the characters as they navigated the fevered world. Overall, I thought this was a very well-executed sequel that gave me more of what I was looking for.

(Also, I know these two novels are meant to be a duology, but I really wouldn’t be mad if Keith Rosson decided to expand it to a trilogy!)

⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!!

Fever House was one of the best horror novels I read last year. It was weird, but in the best way. Naturally, I screamed and jumped up and down when I got a chance to read the follow-up early. The Devil by Name was worth the wait. Gritty and tense, this book drops you into the disaster from the first page, so buckle up! I enjoyed revisiting some of the characters from the first book and the new characters added some intrigue. I could live in Keith Rosson's words forever. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the review copy.

With the exception of The Dark Tower series I tend to avoid book series or even sequels. I’m the type that needs to finish something I’ve started so often I’ll feel the need to continue reading even if I’ve lost interest or didn’t vibe with the first. Luckily Rosson has delivered an awesome sequel.

The book is set five years after the Message and things are still pretty awful. One thing I loved about the world building was getting to see a post apocalyptic nation who’s actually begun to resume some semblance of a government. Obviously, things are still pretty loosely-goosey in most places but it was interesting to see the Terradyne/Jane rebuild in some locations.

The characters were great. As usual Rosson delivers in terms of fleshed out, flawed yet likable characters. It was fun getting to see some familiar faces from Fever House. My single struggle was with the Jack/John Bonner naming. I just wish they’d had slightly more distinct names as I would find myself mixing them up on occasion (see previous reviews for my aforementioned stoner goldfish brain).

This book moved FAST. Rosson is in that rare breed of writers that can write a book with excellent characterization and world building that still has breakneck pacing. These two books of his have really cemented his fate as a serious contender in the horror big name world. I absolutely recommend this series. It’s more accessible and faster paced than King but still delivers with the writing and story construction. Don’t sleep on these books. They’re a fresh take on some overdone tropes and incredibly hard to put down.

This is definitely a love it or hate it read. Or, like me, a baffled sort of read. I was not a fan of Fever House-you don't need to have read that for this one-but I admired the way Rosson merged horror, thriller, conspiracy, gore, zombies, and a lot of other stuff into a tale that had, at its root, several very real characters you could root for. Here, it's five years later, the world is in worse shape, and multiple people tell the story of what's happening,, which, for me at least, made this less engaging. That said, I'm certain that Rosson's fans are going to eat this one up. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

The Devil by Name by Keith Rosson was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. This book, as a follow-up to another book by the same author, had its moments but overall, I found myself skimming through it, which is always a Star loser. While it started out interesting enough, with multiple points of view to follow and keep track of, many times there was dialogue just for the sake of dialogue, thus my skimming. There is a lot of horror, with gory scenes (yay) and overall, the book was fun enough to read I am glad I am done reading it. If you like this author or if you like end-of-the-world-type scenarios, certainly give this book a read, many people enjoy it much more than I did.

3 Stars

Devastating yet hopeful.

Last night I had to force myself to put this book down and go to bed at like the 70% mark and that killed me. With the end of Fever House, this book could have taken that story anywhere and I had no idea how the story would be wrapped up in a satisfactory way with just this one book. But, as always, Keith doesn't disappoint on his ability to weave a captivating, thought provoking story that sticks with you.

I love that we jump forward into the thick of the aftermath of the events of Fever House. Questions I didn't know I needed answers to are on full display as we meet new components of the master plan and work our way back to where it all started. I found myself on edge throughout the majority of this book. I don't know why, but early on in Fever House I rooted for Nick to survive, and thrive from the events unfolding around him, and this book was no different in that end goal for me.

The POV jump from inside the government, to on the ground in the thick of it, to middle of no where America and France, all the way to journal entries that fill in missing pieces, it really sinks you deep into the fever and gives a full view of basically how I think it would go down if these events spilled into real life. Corporations man. And with what we learned at the end of Fever House, there's no hard way to tell if this is just the first time control was lost, or if these events could repeat themselves in the future. A perfect storm of coincidences? Divine intervention? A bargain with the devil? A lot is explained but a lot is left up to the reader too.

So much emotion and baggage is dripping from every character through out the duology. They all have regrets, hopes, and fears, making a well rounded case of misfits. I enjoyed the various backstories, everyone's lost a brother. Everyone's just trying to survive. But at the base there is still hate, and kindness just like before the recording. It's true human nature on display, the good and the bad.

While I was a little sad/disappointed with how the story ends, I don't think there was going to be a ending that I was happy with due to the carnage and facts that happened within the book. It would take a-whole-nother book to piece the world back together after 5 years of pure chaos. I'm not going to lie, I am curious what that would look like.

Is there a world where the people who survive can find peace?

You'll love this duology if you enjoy post-apocalyptic reads with a touch of a - loose - religious spin to them. Deep character development, and many plot strings weaving together into one epic tale.

The Devil By Name is the follow up to Fever House. While I wasn't a huge fan of the first book in the series, The Devil By Name improves on a story that felt like a slow burn in the first novel and completely throws you into the fire with the newest novel. If Fever House was the calm before the storm, then this newest entry is the storm. The Devil By Name doesn't hold back. It's eerie. It's fast paced and the ending pays off in a huge way. I really enjoyed the world that Keith Rosson has built with this duology. Looking forward to reading more from him!

This was an interesting story to read as a follow up to the first novel in this series(?). There are multiple POVs which I felt added to the overall chaos of the story, however, it did make a bit difficult to remember who was who.
This book is full of gruesome horror and the chaos that ensues after ‘The Message’ is released to the world at large, picking up five years later once society has somewhat re-established itself. There were a few scenes that felt rushed and their sole purpose was to tie up a loose end either from the first book, or a completely new plot hole.

Overall, this book was a decently fun read filled with end of the world type horror. I thought the monsters(?) were unique and felt well developed, and even though there were too many character to keep up with, the storylines seemed to fold well together to come to a somewhat (?) happy ending.

Not for those with weak stomachs, The Devil By Name picks up five years after Fever House.
A cousin to The Stand, The Road, 28 Days Later, but very much its own thing, this book is a successful sequel that exists on a whole other level; it's not just a rehash of its predecessor.
It takes a little time to set the scene and get us (re)introduced to characters, but it's still a lot of fun once firing on all cylinders.

My main criticism is the multiple POV/location hopping-- it can be a lot to keep track of (to be fair, I don't enjoy multiple pov).

Expect more gore, horror, zombies, body parts, government involvement, and characters trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world-- with a satisfying conclusion. If you're a fan of the first book, I'd definitely read this one!

This was my first DNF of the year. I started reading this book earlier this year when I was approved for an advanced copy through Net Galley. The first book in this series kept me engaged and interested. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. This one I'm forcing myself to care. There are enough books on my to read list that I finally decided to call it quits. I think Rossen has a lot of potential and can create interesting stories, this sequel just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing a review copy.

This duology is tremendous. If you haven't read Fever House yet, rectify that immediately. It was one the my favorite books of 2023, and I had high hopes for the follow-up. I got so much more than I bargained for. The story picks up 5 years after the events of the first novel. A few familiar faces are back, along with two new characters (both of whom I loved). The Devil By Name doesn't have quite as frantic of a pace as Fever House, but that's not a bad thing and we definitely get more lore. I loved the way everything came together in the end. 5 stars

The Devil By Name picks up five years after Fever House ends. The fevered have been roaming the earth for half a decade, and there's a push by the U.S. government, with the help of Terradyne Industries, to turn this car around and figure out how to reverse doomsday. There's also a man in a box, a girl with a gift, and a whole host of characters who have to navigate this pretty gruesome world that they've been given.

Fever House was one of my absolute top reads of 2023 and continues to be a book that I think about on a weekly basis. So obviously I was elated to get my hands on its sequel. For readers who, like me, could not put Fever House down, I think The Devil By Name is a must-read. It possesses the same sort of far flung set of characters who are all connected in some wild sort of way, and it obviously puts you right back in the middle of the world that Rosson so graciously gifted to us in the first book.

My one caution for lovers of Fever House is to not expect a direct carbon copy of the first book here. The pacing felt different and there new characters to follow. Though it is obviously a continuation of the first book, it is still has its own story to tell. If it feels a little different from your experience with Fever House, I still think you should trust Rosson to get you over the finish line with this one.

Rosson's writing continues to be captivating, and his storytelling abilities are otherworldly. The author knows how to tie loose ends together and is an expert at dragging characters across a hellscape of a country, no doubt about it. I will read anything Rosson puts his name on at this point.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eArc of this book!