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.

Let me say this right up front, I loved this book as much, or more, than Fever House. That is pretty high praise, considering Fever House was one of my favorite books for 2023. In case you were wondering, Fever House should definitely be read first.

The Devil by Name is much bigger in scope than it's predecessor, but I enjoyed it in much the same way and for the some of the same reasons. I loved the large cast of characters and the mostly short, snappy chapters that propel things along. One thing that was different about this book was the backstory that was given.

The story picks up a few years after the first and the world has really gone to crap. Many questions from Fever House get answered and we learn so much more and meet new characters along the way. The last quarter of the book really hums along with the climax hitting hard, fast and scary as hell. The horrors at the end of this book were intense and I really appreciated that epic conclusion. If I had one little gripe, it would be that I wish there was more, that the epilogue gave me a bit more, but I can appreciate Rosson allowing readers to imagine how things play out...after!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eArc. All opinions are my own.

Thanks again to NetGalley for the early copy. Really liked this one. It took a bit to get into, because I had to remember who all the characters were. But once I got up to speed, things really took off. Old characters continued to develop throughout this book, and the new ones were easy to like. It was a dark, violent, and sometimes scary, adventure through the world created in "Fever House," and while I don't really see a way for a third book to happen, I'd revisit these characters again.

After reading Fever House I wasn't sure if this would be as great as the first part, but I enjoyed as much or more. I read this in a few days and wish there was more. It was interesting too read about the history of Matt and the angel or Michael whatever he was. Also loved the music the characters listen too. Look forward to reading more by Keith Rosson. Thanks a lot to Kieth Rosson and Netgalley and publisher for giving me the chance to read this.

This past summer, I devoured Fever House in two days. That story begins like a gritty crime novel that just happens to have a cursed hand in it. A hand that makes anyone near it crazy and violent.

But there’s a greater scope to Fever House, too, as the story takes in shady government black ops, washed up punk rockers, low level criminals, fallen angels, and shamed cops. It’s both sprawling and propulsive, simultaneously gnarly and sentimental, and it easily made it onto the short list of favorite books of 2023.

Fever House also ends with about a half dozen balls in the air, not least of which is an apparent zombie apocalypse, so I’ve been eagerly awaiting the sequel, while also wondering if Rosson could possibly match the first book’s balls-out propulsive drive.

The answer is no, and that appears to be very much by design.

The Devil By Name almost immediately sets itself a very different tone and pace. Its scope is wider, its palette broader, and it jumps genres at least twice. In short, while Fever House was a hopped-up demonic crime freak out, The Devil By Name is much more controlled. It’s also a much sadder book.

It’s been five years since the events of Fever House, and the world is in shambles, even as the US’s corporate-sponsored, theocratic government attempts to assert some sort of normalcy. This is genuine post-apocalyptic end-times stuff, and no one is having a good time. Drifts of fevered zombies wander the coutryside, while others are rounded up into “Fever Houses,” giant warehouses where they simply shuffle about, ageless and unthinking.

Despite all of this, the powerful are still doing their thing, trying to scrape more power out of a near-hopeless situation, trying to figure out how to maneuver the end of the world into yet another play for domination.

Katherine Moriarty, a woman inescapably bound to the origins of this whole crisis, is living under the radar with an assumed name and a mindless, soul-numbing bureaucratic job. She’s also keeping her fevered son chained up in the shed out back. When that situation comes to a head, Katherine and a new ally set off on a cross country road trip.

Meanwhile, a young woman in France is being shuttled from one place to another as first one violent man and then another attempt to exploit what appears to be her supernatural power. Before long, she is caught up in the various government machinations and is drawn into the web as well.

The result is a book that sprawls, that involves cross-country treks reminiscent of The Stand and tense trial-by-fire relationships that reminded me of The Girl With All the Gifts.

The latter third of the book cranks up the pace again, and hurtles us toward a genuine cosmic showdown, bringing everything full circle in a way that feel smuch more complete, but still leaves the door open for the next chapter.

Once again, we are treated to myriad set pieces that are by turns horrific, lovely, and terrifying. And under all of the horror, this book, more than Fever House, seems to insist that when put to the test, humanity might just find a certain level of care and decency, that love might win the day. At least every once in a while.

The Devil by Name is a game-changing book and will have you on the edge of your seats!!

I have been waiting FEVERISHLY for The Devil by Name. Keith Rosson busted his way into my life last year with Fever House and he left me with many questions. The world that Rosson built not only was dark and disturbing and gritty and great, but it was also full of the faintest glimmers of hope. Those glimmers of hope had me desperate for this novel and it didn't disappoint. I mean truly, this book was everything I could have ever hoped for and more. It had just as much gore and grossness as it did redemption and mystery-solving.

The Devil by Name takes place five years into the future that was left at the end of Fever House. The world has changed irrevocably and humanity is attempting to adapt as best they can. Rosson gives us some new characters to follow (and this was a fake-out) because I was desperate to know where our main characters from the first book were. However, soon we are rewarded with knowing where some of the fan-favorite characters wound up.

I love Keith Rosson's character-building. He can make me instantly love someone or despise them with all of my being. I have never felt more engrossed in character than I did with this book (and Fever House). His characters fight through some of the most dark and depressing events and yet, he gives them all the ability to come through it and have hope for the future. It's just beautiful how he crafts these characters and it is MASTERFUL how he can weave these stories through together. Characters unite on these pages in ways that had me furiously flipping pages to know more. Readers are surely going to delight in this next round of adventures.

Speaking of adventures - this book was set up with a damning prophecy from Fever House. I wasn't sure how exactly Rosson was going to be able to match the scales of these stories, but I was left with The Devil By Name ripping my soul out while reading. The plot itself is fast-paced and keeps you hooked. It takes off at a break-neck pace and doesn't relent until you have read through the Epilogue. Also. the twists and turns that get added to this story along with some powerful revelations..... PREPARE YOURSELF!!! You will never see it coming.

Please check out this duology, because not only is it just amazing literature. Keith Rosson is a masterful writer and you need to experience it for yourself. This story is dark, dangerous, and absolutely devastating - but I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!

This was an adventure. The first book in Rosson's zombie-like world sets the stage and this book just rockets to a whole other level.

It jumps back and forth across several characters, familiar and new, and I was surprised my brain was able to follow with little to no effort. These are distinct voices, interwoven to create a compelling and brutal narrative.

If you've had your fill of zombies or post-apocolyptic worlds, try this. It might reignite your love for the genre.

After reading Fever House I was pleased to hear that a followup was already on the way. Keith Rosson has a way with words that makes these massive times fly by. I devoured this book faster than you can say Remnants and I absolutely cannot wait for the third book. Will definitely be picking up a hard copy later this year when it's released.

A stunning conclusion to Fever House. It was a blessing that I got an early copy of this book. It was an eventful, bloody, creepy ride. Always a surprise around the corner. I think it was better than the first book. There was so much vivid, detailed description in each and every scene, so much character development and personality. Just crazy! Some of these scenes were just so jacked up and disturbing, I had to pause, like dang! The only thing is I found it was a lot to follow and keep track of at times with all the points of view, but hey, I had that same issue with the last book, and I didn’t find it filler at all, I guess it’s just a lot of description. It’s not a bad thing. Overall, still enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC. This book follows up directly from Fever House (well a few years later). Did Fever House need a second book.? No. Were we given one? YES!
Overall this book was okay. There are elements of Fever House. But I think it’s in a completely different ballpark. What I liked about Fever House was the way it was paced and the timing of everything. This book took of the course of a few weeks I would say? But there is no indication of that. However, the vibe of this book hits home in the way you are immersed in this post-apocalyptic environment now.

Everything you want in a sequel. Very satisfying conclusion to this apocalyptic story without leaving you feeling like everything was wrapped up in a nice little bow. I was pretty ecstatic that we got some Matthew Coffin POV as well as devil POV.

I'm not a big fan of "It's not important HOW or WHY the end of the world came to be" stories (I'm looking at you The Walking Dead). I need the details, the nitty gritty, who pulled the trigger, etc, and this gave me all of that and more.

And wouldn't you know it was the hubris of a man that did it all.

A++, 5 stars, 10/10 but couldn't read it in the dark.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me read this in advance.

Delightfully bonkers and wholly engaging. A recommended purchase (with the previous title, if needed) for collections where SFF/Horror is popular.

I had not even heard of Keith Rosson until I saw Fever House on my Amazon feed. I kept looking at the book and thinking to myself damn this sounds so fricking good. So, I do what I never do and paid full price for the Kindle book. Worth every damn penny. I got done with Fever House and and thank whomever Netgalley had the sequel available.
Fever House starts the apocalypse and The Devil by Name takes place five years later. Fever House has a breakneck pace while the The Devil by Name slows down a bit showing what's left of the world and how it's dealing with apocalypse. The novel follows several characters from the first and some new ones and leading to a satisfying conclusion. It's violent, gory and it's probably one of the best apocalyptic horror novels I've read in years.
If you haven't picked up Fever House by now, you're missing out.

4.5 stars

Well this is what we all want out of our sequel. This is damn near perfection. If you haven’t, you definitely NEED to read Fever House first.
Loved everything about this, even a *chefs kiss* ending!
More authors should take notes on what we want when they do sequels 😉😉

This sequel to the novel "Fever House" picks up five years after the breakdown of sanity throughout the globe, brought on by a phone call and a song. I had read that book even though horror is not my genre. It was so good however, that I had to check out this second novel.

John Bonner is still working as an investigator in Portland, working for Terradyne Industries. The company may not have the best interests of society at heart, John still does. Katherine, who lost so much at the time of the breakdown is living under a different identity in New England, trying to hold out hope for her son.

The evil has not left, but for so many afflicted, there may be redemption and another chance at survival. The powers that be however, will not be working towards that end. I was not able to put this book down. It all comes down to a final fight between good and evil. This was a fast paced thrill ride that I greatly enjoyed.

A big thank you to Random House and NetGalley for inviting me to an early read!

This review is going to be short and sweet because the first book and this sequel need to be read to understand without spoilers or too many details here haha!! I OBSESSED over Fever House by Keith and sooooo when asked if I would like to read and review with my honest review The Devil By Name I immediately said yes and started reading it right away!

I sat down one evening to set the mood and read straight through. This book had everything for me and everything I expect from our author—the descriptions and writing are so clear and so descriptive that you can simply close your eyes and just envision it. Can we just turn this into a little Netflix series already?!?!

This book took me through all the feels and then I felt so sad and lost once it was over. Once again Keith Rosson does it and delivers an incredible read that I can forever be shouting from the rooftops about.

If you love high intense creepy and gory reads then this book (and duo) is absolutely for you..thank me later babesss. Slap this on your TBR.

Such a great sequel - such absorbing characters and the story leaves you with a sense of dread, wonder and excitement. A must for any horror lover!

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.

This just might be the best horror sequel I’ve ever read! I very much recommend the first book - Fever House - be read prior to this one to get the full effect. And as much as I enjoyed the first book, this one is my favourite. Great characters, smooth writing and a perfect ending. 4.5 stars

Characters from each coast of the U.S.A. and a few from the middle of the country along with a gifted child in France come together in as complementary cogs in this living machine somehow churning through an undead world.
In The Devil by Name, Keith Rosson has painted a compelling picture of a post-apocalyptic United States where scavengers roam, the dead drift from habited zone to habited zone, directionless but always threatening to appear around the next corner, and where those responsible for the plague that caused the "fever" to spread in Book One might just get their comeuppance, retribution, or both.
As a person who's got Rosson's first book on the shelf but who hasn't cracked the spine—and always a fan of zombie stories told well—I might have expected this book would be a challenge to capture and hold me, but the fever—so to speak—set in, and I was horrified and gladdened to rejoin the fray every evening until I'd completed this advance reader copy. There were times when the characters' dialogue wasn't all I had hoped for, where it didn't reveal unique characters' inner motivations, and where the plot felt like it was the primary thing and the characters were merely along for the ride. There were other times when I forgot I was reading a book—those, any reader knows, are the very best times we have with books. Unpredictable at every turn, truly, and leaving some loose ends (for a Fever House #3, I'd imagine) for us to wonder after, The Devil by Name is not going to make my top ten for the year, but I'm glad I spent my time with it and would recommend it to horror fans, post-apocalyptic fiction or survival-horror fans, or for those who like a good walking dead story. Rosson has my approbation and my thanks for sharing this piece of his imagination with us. I'll certainly be heading back to book one to find out how things got so messed up in the world he's built.