I would like to thank Titan Books for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Titan

Published – Out Now

Price – £8:99 paperback £4.68 Kindle eBook

1944: As World War II rages on, the threat has come to the home front. In a remote corner of Idaho, Meiko Briggs and her daughter, Aiko, are desperate to return home. Following Meiko’s husband’s enlistment as an air force pilot in the Pacific months prior, Meiko and Aiko were taken from their home in Seattle and sent to one of the internment camps in the Midwest. It didn’t matter that Aiko was American-born: They were Japanese, and therefore considered a threat by the American government.

Mother and daughter attempt to hold on to elements of their old life in the camp when a mysterious disease begins to spread among those interned. What starts as a minor cold quickly becomes spontaneous fits of violence and aggression, even death. And when a disconcerting team of doctors arrive, nearly more threatening than the illness itself, Meiko and her daughter team up with a newspaper reporter and widowed missionary to investigate, and it becomes clear to them that something more sinister is afoot: a demon from the stories of Meiko’s childhood, hell-bent on infiltrating their already strange world.

Inspired by the Japanese yokai and the jorogumo spider demon, THE FERVOR explores a supernatural threat beyond what anyone saw coming: the danger of demonization, a mysterious contagion, and the search to stop its spread before it’s too late.

I saw recently someone try to argue (online of course) that horror is only supernatural. I don’t agree  - horror is the response. There is plenty with of course wonderful creatures from outside but for me there is also horror is the response. Writers such as Shirley Jackson or Penny Jones use explore how our minds can shape or warp reality with devastating effects. In Stephen King’s Misery Annie Wilkes just has obsession cranked to the max. Hell indeed can be other people. In Alma Katsu’s fascinating historical horror thriller, The Fervor we explore how our hatred of those we class as not us can destroy us and often the causes behind that don’t just need a demon pulling the strings (although can help make things worse).

The USA in 1944 is now at war in Europe and the Pacific. The continent’s location has meant for many the war is a distant concept. But that does not mean there have not been consequences. Since 1942 circa 125k American Japanese citizens. The vast majority born and raised in the country have been interned in camps viewed with suspicion and hatred. In Camp Minidoka in Idaho Meiko the wife of a US airman fighting abroad has now found herself in such a camp alone with her daughter Aiko. Increasingly the internees are being mistreated by the authorities; and now Meiko’s camp is starting to suffer from a disease that is either fatal; increases violent tendencies or wipes away memories. The authorities say they want to help but seem more interested in containing and observing. Meanwhile in Oregon Archie Mitchell and his wife are planning a nice picnic in the countryside but the sight of a strange woman in a kimono heralds a explosion that will destroy Archie’s world and plunge him into the murky world of white nationalism. Elsewhere in Nebraska Fran Gurstwold is having an affair with her editor but a strange explosion in the night is witnessed and the wreckage afterwards creates a cascade of incidents of sickness and violence. Slowly these three characters are drawn together to explore what is happening and who is really behind something that could destroy the world.

I was hugely impressed by Katsu’s re-creation of life in 1944 creating an unusual mix of conspiracy thriller and demonic horror. From the internment camps to the small towns of the US we get a sense of a country that is viewing its citizen’s and especially it’s non-white populations. Katsu recreates what it would be like for people who have settled into US life, relationships, schools, and jobs all suddenly forced to relocate to camps and treated as an enemy. Katsu explores how the racism that has always been there has risen to the surface and of course once you separate people into groups you start to view people as not human and then we note the suspicious deaths and people very interested in the disease’s progression. Meiko’s scenes and later on we also get to see Aiko’s life too brings a sense of an danger caused by authority; no one you complain to can help as you are their prisoner and viewed with suspicion bordering on hatred.

With Archie who we find out has connections to Meiko’s past we meet Archie. The bible-fearing man of God who we soon see has feet of clay. While what happened to his family is terrible; we see Archie get quickly introduced into the groups who view anyone opposed to internment as the enemy. What starts with sharing his story becomes more slowly revealed as preludes to violence. Archie is the person we see swept up into events. Letting their prejudices guide them deeper and deeper into radicalism and most horrifying of all – its all without any influence of outside forces. In these scenes Katsu really captures the way people can so clearly separate each other and think one group deserves persecution. The question is can Archie realise what he is into before its’ too late. Evil here is not dressed in black uniforms with flags and marches but banal and yet very dangerous and insidious.

Fran’s scenes are in some way a classic 1940s plot of the hard of nails journalist seeking the truth but of course Fran is a single woman and although smarter and more tenacious than any other reporter in her paper; her gender means she is always second class. She can be forced at will and yet reporting is her life. She is the glue between the plots working out that these explosions are releasing something into the country and changing people. This brings her across Meiko’s and Archie’s paths culminating in a race in the empty countryside of the US where there is very little help around when you’re being pursued by people who want you dead. 

It’s a classic style conspiracy where the authority figures seem to be clear that no one should know what is going on and take ever increasing dangerous steps to hide the truth. I was very impressed with the plotting and sense of isolation that each character receives and how you can feel the walls of their worlds getting tighter and the only hope is the sharing of knowledge to work out the truth. Even without any supernatural overtones this was an impressive read but just to add to the mix we get some Japanese demonic folklore thrown in and a sense that some external presence has sensed that this time of paranoia and suspicion is perfect for it to play. Ghostly sightings and the simple use of tiny spiders brings a uncomfortable sense that our capacity to hurt others could allows forces from outside to get involved and make things even worse. The casual racism, violence and sexism of this period is however not brought about by demons just getting exploited. In fact, as the mystery gets explored there could indeed be a rational exploration for everything, but it creates an unnerving sense that if we are not careful we could soon find ourselves toys…or prey.

The Fervor is a very powerful and thoughtful novel putting the reader into these character’s shoes and making us feel oppression and also what it can be like to oppress those we hate just because we don’t see them as part of our community. Excellent use of paranoia, tension and yet also optimistic that we can do better. Katsu’s sobering afterword explaining the motivation for the book is very powerful though and reminds us that internment camps are just part of a long and continuing road of racist, violent and often deadly actions against Asian Americans going on for centuries. The true horror is that we know these events do happen again and again and ultimately humans have only ourselves to blame for not tackling this properly. A great read and well recommended!