The Devils

The Devils #1

by Joe Abercrombie

Europe stares into the abyss.

Plague and famine stalk the land, monsters lurk in every shadow and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions. Only one thing is certain: the elves will come again, and they will eat everyone.

Sometimes, only the darkest paths lead towards the light. Paths on which the righteous will not dare to tread...

And so, buried beneath the sacred splendour of the Celestial Palace, is the secret Chapel of the Holy Expediency. For its congregation of convicted monsters there are no sins that have not been committed, no lines that will not be crossed, and no mission that cannot be turned into a disastrous bloodbath.

Now the hapless Brother Diaz must somehow bind the worst of the worst to a higher cause: to put a thief on the throne of Troy, and unite the sundered church against the coming apocalypse.

When you're headed through hell, you need the devils on your side.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Adult

565 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2025

About the author

Joe Abercrombie was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Manchester University, where he studied psychology. He moved into television production before taking up a career as a freelance film editor. During a break between jobs he began writing The Blade Itself in 2002, completing it in 2004. It was published by Gollancz in 2006 and was followed by two other books in The First Law trilogy, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings. He currently lives and works in London with his wife and daughter. In early 2008 Joe Abercrombie was one of the contributors to the BBC Worlds of Fantasy series, alongside other contributors such as Michael Moorcock, Terry Pratchett and China Mieville.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.

I fully realize this book is not out until May 2025, but so far, The Devils by Joe Abercrombie is the best fantasy book I’ve read this year. It’s devilishly brilliant.

‘No matter how you fight, you can’t beat time. It lays low every empire, topples every tyrant.’

Believe me when I say I felt highly elated when I received the advance reading copy of The Devils. The last new book by Joe Abercrombie I read, The Wisdom of Crowds, was released 3 years ago. And it has been 13 months since I gave any new fantasy book I read (not counting reread) a 5-star rating. Today, the absence of a new Abercrombie’s book and a 5-star rating drought has finally been given water to live. The Devils marked the first time I read a book from Abercrombie that doesn’t take place in The First Law universe. I don’t think it is possible to avoid comparisons with The First Law in my review here. I, like many of you, knew about Abercrombie’s books through The First Law world, and it is understandable for readers to approach The Devils expecting they’ll get the same greatness of The First Law series. And from my perspective, you’ll earn them from The Devils. However, do not expect this to be 100% similar to The First Law in tone and narrative. By its nature, The Devils retains Abercrombie’s strongest skills as a storyteller as he navigates his own uncharted grounds of storytelling. Gritty and violent while focusing more on amplifying the fun, entertaining, humor factors and, as crazy as this will sound, the found family aspect.

‘That’s how it always begins. The just cause. The good fight. Each time, I tell myself it will be different. But for me, as the fight wears on, the good wears off. Before I know it . . . I’ve made myself a devil. That’s why I swore to serve her Holiness. That’s why I have to keep my oath.’ And with the bitter regret of a drunk pushing away the bottle, he let his lingering fingertips slip from the gold-wired hilt.’

So what's The Devils about? As Europe stares into the abyss and plague and famine stalk the land, while monsters lurk in every shadow and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions, only one thing is certain: the elves will come again, and they will eat everyone. Now, the hapless Brother Diaz must somehow bind the worst of the worst to a higher cause: to put a thief, Alex, on the throne of Troy and unite the sundered church against the coming apocalypse. To achieve this, Brother Diaz and Alex will be accompanied by The Devils, a congregation of convicted monsters that guarantees every mission turns into a disastrous bloodbath. It is mandatory to fight devils with devils. The result? This insane quest successfully led Abercrombie to hit another glorious homerun with The Devils.

“Everyone’s scared all the time. That’s the thing you’ve got to tell yourself. They might be scared of different things to you. Things that don’t scare you a bit. Like heights, or failure, or wanting to piss then not being able to go. But everyone’s scared of something. And even if they’re not, it helps to think they are. The brave ones are just good at pretending, and pretending’s just lying by another name, and when it came to lying, Alex was up there with the best. Ask anyone.”

As I said earlier, although it is entirely accurate to assess The Devils as another gritty and dark tale from our beloved Lord Grimdark, the main themes of The Devils is about the meaning of the soul, redemption, sense of longing, hope, faith, and found family. The way I would perceive or advertise The Devils to The First Law readers would be to imagine this as Best Served Cold, but the crew comprised of an unlikely found family of vicious, damaged, hilarious, and charismatic characters. Most importantly, most of these characters are inherently kind-hearted characters trying to do good. Not all, but most. There were definitely some nods to Logen Ninefingers, and time will tell whether these characters will reach the hall of fame status the characters of The First Law series such as Logen Ninefingers, Sand dan Glokta, Bayaz, and many more gained. But hey, as Logen often says, Abercrombie is still alive. We're only one book into the series. In The Devils, Abercrombie already effectively proved the myriad number of storytelling knives he wields are still deadly sharp and precise toward the target of writing great characters, dialogues, and actions.

‘The world’s a bitter place… We’ve got to grasp at any joy we can.’

I feel it is truly a gift and a curse to have read many fantasy books. I have mentioned this many times now in my reviews and videos. To put it this way, in the case of this book, having read all of Abercrombie’s First Law books and then being deprived of any of his new work for 3 years made me realize just how good I had it and how few authors can nail characterizations as good as Abercrombie does. Especially if we’re talking about distinct character’s inner and dialogue voices. My god. Abercrombie is close to being unparalleled in that aspect. Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi would totally say Abercrombie is one of the three best character writers in Europe. I had an absolute blast reading through The Devils, and if you’ve been a fan of The First Law books, then you’ll know and understand that one of the main reasons behind this is the extremely well-written characters.

“They laughed together. The world was, it hardly needed to be said, divided into enemies and those that could be made use of. The Baron might well have been the most dangerous monster in this monstrous company, but if Balthazar had learned one thing during his storied career in the magical sciences, it is that the worst monsters often make the best allies.”

I felt thoroughly invested in every character of The Devils group. They all have their own strengths and flaws, but at the end of the day, most of them are trying their best to repel the affliction that transformed them into devils in the eyes of society. Most of them are genuinely trying to do good and be kind after the sins of their past, and some want to belong to a group of loyal friends. This is Abercrombie writing an epic fantasy novel with an integral found family consisting of a thief, a cowardly monk, a cursed knight, a pirate, a narcissistic necromancer, an invisible elf, a geriatric vampire, and a werewolf. I could not resist that. The characters were lovable, and the dialogues were incredibly engaging. Following the journey of Alex, Brother Diaz, Jakob the Thorn, Baptiste, Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi, Sunny, Baron, and Vigga across all hell on Earth was addictive, delightful, and brimming with laugh-out-loud moments.

‘I’ve spent a lifetime at war… and I can tell you only this. Nine times out of ten there’s more to be won from peace.’

All of the above is not to convey The Devils as a simple, fun, and humorous book. It is not a proper Abercrombie book without the gripping actions and crimson brutality, right? Rest assured. You will get them and more. Abercrombie being one of the best combat scenes writers in the fantasy genre is a statement I have repeated countless times. The Devils gave irrevocable power to that notion. Structure-wise, The Devils is divided into four parts, and each part essentially ends with a dynamic and cinematic sequence of carnage. Abercrombie's fluency in the language of violence is undeniable. He is a master conductor at composing and structuring words to bring intensely vivid battle in my mind. It has been that way since The Blade Itself, and he retains that in The Devils. The last 80 pages of The Devils may just be one of the longest action sequences Abercrombie has ever written.

‘In my youth I dreamed one man could tip the balance of history… Time has taught me that when one does, it can tip the wrong way as easily as the right.’

I completely loved it. There were no dull moments reading the visceral confrontations that raged across the alternative Europe Abercrombie crafted. The description of the setting and environment in The Devils is also bursting with life and imagery. The Holy City, Venice, Troy, and the conflagration of Saint Natalia’s Flame were exquisite and grand in their respective way. I wish I could get into more details about these, but I am cognizant of how fortunate I am to be reading this book nine months early, and I will leave the impact of the powerful battles and stunning vistas for you to experience yourself.

‘When I was young… I thought I was working towards something. Building to last. Some perfect state of things. Of the world. Of myself.’ He gently shifted one leg under her, then the other. ‘You get to my age, you realise nothing lasts forever. No love, no hate, no war, no peace. If a thing hasn’t ended . . . you haven’t waited long enough.’

Abercrombie deals in absolute, and I have nothing but absolute praise for The Devils. It was the utterly compelling, immersive, and magnificent fantasy escapism I desperately needed. I (like many readers of The First Law series) await Abercrombie’s explosive return to that beloved grim playground. However, if you have been a fan of Abercrombie’s storytelling and writing in The First Law series, I guarantee The Devils will succeed at providing a captivating reading experience while you wait. The Devils feels like a legal injection of a healthy and joyful adrenaline rush. In the same vein as how The First Law trilogy helped spark my love for reading epic fantasy novels, The Devils is sort of responsible for reminding me why I cherish the fantasy genre. As I talked about how blessed I am to be reading The Devils early, I am cursed with waiting much longer for the sequel to come. It is worth the pain, though. The Devils is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. God, it feels good to say that. It is a declaration that has been missing from my reading year. If you are, for whatever reason, not sure about reading The Devils, retract that fear now. Have hope. The Devils is a book that will satisfy longtime fans and newcomers to Abercrombie's work. The Devils signals the return of one of the masters of the fantasy genre. Pre-order The Devils. Enrich your reading life next year.

‘Show me a man who regrets nothing and I’ll show you a man who’s achieved nothing.’

You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

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[Mike's Book Reviews]

Watch full video review here: https://youtu.be/msKZEyQLlAU
Watch my discussion with the author here: https://youtube.com/live/48AqtD1KTf8

I was filled with nervous excitement when beginning this series because I was thinking The First Law was just too big of shoes to fill. Shattered Sea was a letdown and I feared I would just be longing for what Joe established with First Law and always feel like I’d just be comparing it. This didn’t happen, but in the best way. Because this will most likely be my book of the year for 2025.

What Joe remains the master of is his character work and the dialogue. He’s the only author out there able to give you such damaged and, in most cases, reprehensible characters that you simply fall in love with and want to see achieve their goals. Also, the only author who can get away with the dialogue he does and it leaves you laughing (and usually when something very dark is happening in the story).

The Devils is like the fantasy Suicide Squad with a group of misfits that keep fudging up everything they touch, but somehow get the job done. Sorta. Guess we will have to wait for book 2 to see. I cannot wait.

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could very well go down as my book of the year in 2025. The best start to any of his series to date, and I can't wait to read the next one!

[John Mauro · Rating 2 out of 5]

My review of The Devils is published at Before We Go Blog.

Joe Abercrombie returns with The Devils, a dark epic fantasy featuring plenty of irreverent and often campy nods to classic horror. The novel takes place in an alternate medieval Europe threatened by an imminent elvish invasion. And the elves are hungry for human flesh.

Meanwhile, a religious schism pits the Western Church against the East. Her Holiness, Pope Benedicta the First, believes that the best way to fight devils is with her own band of devils. She assembles a motley crew of classic horror-inspired characters, including a vampire, a werewolf, a necromancer, et al., to unite the land and consolidate power. Led by the rather pitiful Brother Diaz, the ragtag band of antiheroes is tasked with placing a former thief, Alex, on the rival throne.

The Devils delivers a torrent of fast and bloody action. Unfortunately, the plot never slows down enough for the characters to develop the level of emotional depth that I would have expected from an Abercrombie novel.

Instead, the author’s tongue seems to be permanently in-cheek throughout The Devils. The novel’s tone is dominated by its lowbrow humor, never missing an opportunity to go for cheap laughs. Although I found some of the jokes amusing, this book is quite a chonker, and the nonstop onslaught of crass humor became rather grating after a while, making the book feel exceedingly long despite its fast-paced plot.

Another issue with The Devils is its overly repetitive dialogue. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the same lines being used over and over again. Lines that are funny the first time don’t become funnier after repeated usage.

Despite an interesting premise, The Devils is too cheeky for its own good. To me, humor works most effectively when it’s balanced by other emotions, such as found in much of Abercrombie’s back catalog. Unfortunately, The Devils feels shallow and unsatisfying in comparison.

[Noelia (thisbookishlove) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might have jinxed this.

I confess, ok?

I plead myself guilty of calling this out way too early, thinking I was staring into another five-star masterpiece. That, or it's just that I'm losing my gift to recognize five-star material almost from the get-go. Go figure.

If there's a phrase I could use to describe this book, that would be "not what I expected," and at this point, given the times I've used it to describe most of my reads this year, I might as well just copyright it by now.

This is my first time reading Abercrombie, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect something more...substantial? from such an award-winning and renowned author as him.
You know, Abercrombie is one of those big names in fantasy, the kind of guy whose name is brought up in almost every fantasy book recommendation here and there.
After all, we're talking about a man who has practically made a subgenre his.

But to be honest, for someone who's somewhat the household name for everything grimdark, so much so as to even call himself Lord Grimdark, well... this actually didn’t feel very grimdarky at all.

Or dark.

Or adult, just to be fair.

As I always say, and because by now it seems I have made it my personal crusade, this thing of telling books like they are, don't let yourself be fooled by those raving five-star reviews. Don't you ever think for a second that this book is fantasy horror or some dark, creepy, gory tale.

Let’s start by calling things by their name, shall we?

This is straight-up fantasy comedy action, the kind of thing you are bound to get when the worst traits of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe mix together and have a baby of their own.

I'm talking Thunderbolts and Suicide Squad, but with a vampire, a nymphomaniac werewolf, an undead knight, an invisible elf, a necromancer, a know-it-all mercenary and God knows why, a monk, in an alternate European medievalesque setting, one where Troy won the war, thus controlling the Aegean, and one where Carthage won the Punic Wars, overcoming Rome.
And because I'm a history nerd and still within a fantasy world, I demand and expect some kind of logic, and because I did my homework, this would mean a completely different world than the one we came to know and definitely in a completely opposite direction from the one Abercrombie imagined for this book.

Bear with me a little.

According to the author, he didn't care that much about worldbuilding because he's more a "character author" (patience, I'll get there), which sounds to me pretty much like an excuse for getting away with it by being lazy. Which is how this alternate world feels—lazy, vague, illogical, and inconsistent—and one of the many issues I have with this book, just to start with.

The concept might have seemed interesting, and I'm sure that's probably how it felt in the author's head. The thing is that a lot of times, if not most of the times, ideas seem good until we try to flesh them out on paper.

An alternate medievalesque Europe seems interesting and plausible, but only within the realms of logic, and only if Abercrombie didn’t skip a few history classes and only if he actually took the time to check a history book or two to then analyze the potential what-ifs prior to writing this story.

Had he done that, he then would have avoided the fatal error of imagining a Christian-Catholic-like religion flourishing and taking over.....in a world without the Roman Empire's crucial influence.
A little bit of digging into our own world's history would have shown him that things aren't just that simple as replacing one predominance (Rome) with another (Carthage), which is exactly what he has done here. And the reason why I just couldn't shut my brain off once I checked that little bit of information.

You see, I might give this a pass to a novel author, but to a settled one with 19 years of career and more than 10 books on his back? Hell, no.

Like I said somewhere above, I know that this is a fantasy world, and thus, you're allowed to take some liberties, but still, there has to be some logic (like remembering that a Carthaginian influence would have led to a more disorganized world, and a Christian-like religion wouldn't have taken over Europe without Rome's political structure), and just replacing names and symbolism here and there (Jesus is a female; priests, bishops, and the pope are female in the west and male in the east; there isn't a cross but a wheel; the Vatican is the Holy City, just to name a few), well, that's not it. At least, not for this nerd.

But only if that was the only issue with this book.

At the beginning of this review I said that this was nothing more than a fantasy comedy action, and I firmly stand by that.

I mean, what other terms could I use to describe the overabundance of repetitive jokes and the unending, insufferable, soporific, and also repetitive action sequences?

If you've been following my updates while I was reading this, then you'll know that till 20% I was quite entertained. At 30% I was starting to feel a little bored. And at 50/60% I was about to jump off the boat.

There's a healthy amount of jokes one can take before it gets too much, and this book abuses of cracking joke after joke, even at the most inappropriate moments, the ones when you need to hold back your tongue just a little bit just to let emotions sink in.

After a while, I gave up on trying to keep track of all the puns about fuck###, co###, pus####, tits, feces, vomiting (there's an insane amount of puking in here. So yeah. You've been warned) being tossed not just at every single page, but at just every single sentence. I'm not kidding when I say that almost every sentence is crowned with a pun, a trick that becomes old after some time.

And the problem with your book being an endless joke is that you don't allow your characters to grow or have emotional depth of any kind. Everything is just so shallow and so silly, and the jokes so rude and scatological, just like a cheap comedy resorting to fat jokes in an attempt of being funny.

The action scenes are pretty much all the same. When characters aren't poking each other, then action scenes happen, and they prolong through pages and pages. A little word of advice from this reader: if action movies without a drop of drama aren't your thing, then avoid this book like the plague.

Somewhere I read that the battles in this book feel like those of video games, when you go around facing mini bosses till you face the final boss at the end to win the game, and I agree. Each action sequence is just a copycat to the one before, but in a different setting. Even the evil cousins (the villains) are nothing more than just different iterations of the same character. If it weren't for the changing in the names, I would have sworn it was the same character over and over again.
By the time you get to the second big action scene, it all starts to feel like a deja vu. Even the monsters that make their appearance in this particular sequence have that feeling of "I think I've seen this film before" (which, by the way, you probably did, 'cause they're just carbon copies of the Davy Jones crew from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest).

To make things even worse, there are no stakes, no real risks, 'cause you know, these scenes are filler, and there's still half a book left to carry through, so they can't die now, and also this is the first book in a series, so you already know most of the group need to and will make it out alive just to ensure more entries. God forbid you accidentally kill your cash cow, right?

Things do get better at 80%, but only if you managed to survive the snoozefest between 40 and 70-80%. Consider yourself lucky if you managed to make it through it.
But even if things got a little bit better, still what we are fed with is pretty much of the same. From the very predictable plot twists you'll see coming from a mile away, to the mandatory final boss battle and a major (or is it a minor?) character's death, just to keep things interesting. And given that said character is one of the few who didn't get its own POV, and we never get the chance to know it better, honestly, I couldn't care less about its passing.

I know what you're thinking. Then why does this book get a three-star rating, right?
You see, there are ways to misstep, and I'm sure a lot of authors deep in their core wish they could just misstep like Abercrombie. Because even with all that repetitiveness, its juvenile jokes, its shallow characters, and all its deus ex machinas, it still is a fun read.
Even with all its many problems, there's no way of denying that the author knows how to put two sentences together. He certainly knows how to write, if only he had written a more inspired story I could like.

I just wish it had more depth, something I could grab to. It wasn't clearly the author's intention, so it might be my bad. While I was writing this review, and thinking about what I would say about it, I came to known that the author wrote this with the sole intention to sell the rights to some studio (which it's exactly what happened), and I gotta say it, it shows. At times, a lot of times actually, it felt like I was reading a movie script instead of a novel.

I get why some people might like this book, and at the same time, I get those who don't.
If you're a vibes reader and you're just looking for something to pass the time, without cracking your head too much, then this might work. Maybe.
I'd say, in that case, there are probably better options. Shorter, less repetitive, formulaic ones, if I'm allowed.

The thing is I never read solely for the vibes. The enjoyment and how good a book could make me feel are big parts of the experience of reading, but definitely not all of it.

Blame it on me for being a Gemini, blame it on my Mercury in Gemini. Blame it even on me being an INFJ.

But I need some more. I need and I'm eager for brain food. I'm a sucker for books that keep me guessing, shaking and tearing my expectations and turning their tables on me. I need a book to be ten steps ahead of me. I need it to be unpredictable, to set all the clues like an expert and pull a masterful plot twist it'll keep me thinking for weeks.

This book probably ain't, but hey....still, what a ride.

Quality based reading: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Liked based rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satanic Suicide Squad?
I've seen it compared to DC's band of criminals-turned-operatives, and I'll admit that it has a certain likeness.
And quite frankly, I loved it.



The skinny gist is that a group of misfits takes on the task of protecting the long-lost princess of a kingdom and seeing her safely home in order to be crowned queen. Except that most of the said misfits are being forced to do it because the Church has given them the option of using their evil powers for good...or death.
And these guys decided that death didn't sound like much fun. Plus, who knows? Escape could be possible. Some little girl who they claim to be the next incarnation of the Savior, and who looks like a pouting baby Pope, can't be for real. They should be able to break that magic geas pretty easily.
Right? Right?



You've got a vampire, werewolf, elf, and magician, along with a knight that can't die and a cool pirate chick, all being led by an extremely green monk who has no idea what he's doing there. As you can imagine, the Church isn't always a force of good, and the monsters aren't always evil. And the newbie leader, Mr. Monk, will learn this lesson over the course of the plot.



While I really enjoyed all the quirky characters, when asked (and yes I have been asked!) I have to say that I waffled back and forth between Baron Rickard (the recipe-repeating vampire) and Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi (magician & necromancer extraordinaire).
These two were the goods.



Now.
If you're not a fan of the way Abercrombie writes, I doubt this will change your mind.
If you've struggled with the character-driven storyline, the at best morally ambiguous characters, or just whatever it was about his writing style that you didn't care for?
Yeah, this is more of that. And while this is set in a different world, I'm not going to push this on readers who weren't in love with his other books.



But for fans, I think this one will be a treat.
Also, not as grimdarkdarkdark as his First Law series. I mean, it's not a light and fluffy read, but this is more humor and less...I don't know. Don't expect a Happily Ever After, but it's more hopeful, I guess.



Highly Recommended.

[Nicholas Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this. And so, I think, will every Abercrombie fan out there. His funniest book yet, but a ton of poignant stuff as well.

[William Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE DEVILS ADAPTATION RIGHTS HAVE BEEN PICKED UP BY JAMES CAMERON!!!!

The Devils review on The Brothers Gwynne!

QUESTION - Who is your favourite character? Let me know in the comments!

I received an ARC of The Devils in return for an honest review.

The Devils marks a new chapter for Joe Abercrombie, one of the most successful current fantasy authors. The First Law contains some of my favourite books of all-time, so of course I have been waiting with bated breath for this new series that kicks off with The Devils.

This takes the ‘Suicide Squad’ concept that we have seen trending during the last few years. Take a group of extremely dangerous and very morally questionable individuals and somehow force them to take part in a mission for the ‘good’. The Devils contributes something new to this idea, so it is not just a regurgitation of past ideas.

“Alive. Still. Every time he came to that realisation, it was with a hint of disappointment”

We have an angry werewolf, a very polite vampire, an over-confident wizard, a knight with a unique past, a companion with vast experience, an invisible elf and a member of the clergy way, way out of his depth. They must all help restore the lost heir of Troy to her rightful throne. Sounds easy, right? Well… it isn’t.

We have Joe Abercrombie’s usual sharp writing style and perceptive insights into character that allow them to flourish. There are a few differences with the First Law that are worth mentioning. In The Devils, you learn about the characters and the PoV’s when they are already all together, whereas much of the humour and character work in First Law is done inversely, with you learning the character than seeing how their exterior is different from someone else’s perspective. Also, humour is far more central and obvious in The Devils. Often it made me laugh, but sometimes it fell short. This also feels much more plot driven. But, whilst it hits all the expected beats, it does so in ways that still surprise you and keep you on your toes.

“It’s when there’s no sign of trouble you most need to watch for it”

I also throughly enjoyed the twists and turns and revelations. One or two big moments were predictable, but there were enough others that still satisfyingly caught me off-guard. It also leaves book two in a very unpredictable direction, so I am already looking forward to the next instalment… even though The Devils isn’t even out yet!

4.25/5 STARS

[MagretFume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! 

I'm not gonna lie, I was on the fence for the first quarter of the book. I liked the world building and the light references to The First Law characters, but I had trouble getting into the constant jokes, and I found the Suicide Squad-esque setting a little weird. 

But somehow, it all fell into place.
The characters started developing, the humour found its footing, the plot got riveting, all in the excellent Abercrombie writing. 

By the end I just wanted more.
I loved it and will try the audio version before the next book is published. 

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Steal some bastard’s purse you’re a thief, steal a whole town you’re a hero.”

an assassin, a vampire, a necromancer, a werewolf, a knight, a pirate, a lost princess, and a priest walk into a tavern… lol but truly this was feeling a bit of a very blessed first session of a dnd campaign with your best friends. and it all starts out when these seven are forced to go on an unexpected journey, with many mini adventures, and a lot of side quests along the way. you all know i love a traveling story, so that, paired with some of the best characters i’ve read all year, was just a perfect reading combination.

and at the risk of always being too much while reviewing, i just really loved the message that friendship can be something holy, especially with people that the world has tried to deem unworthy of the sanctity of love and family and safety. this was very close to a five star for me, i just, sadly, felt like it was too long at parts. i really did love going on adventure to adventure, while trying to navigate a much bigger adventure! but sometimes the mini adventures just felt too dragged out. or maybe i just simply didn’t read this book quick enough? the humor also didn’t always hit for me, even though i was giggling a lot throughout this reading experience. but i did love it, and i fell in love with these characters so very easily.

but let the record state that sunny, my favorite invisible elf assassin of all literature, makes me want to give this book five stars. i will be first in line for book two, eagerly awaiting her sapphic romance and her realizing that she deserves all the love in the whole entire world.

trigger + content warnings: violence, gore, battle, talk of debt, torture, war, murder, death, captivity, slavery, vomit, talk of cannibalism, forced tattoo / branding, talk of pregnancy, drinking, fire, blood, incest mention, misogyny (negative light)

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[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this overall, but I found it humorous in a way that just felt a little tiresome after awhile. I also think, in a few places, the jokes/banter detracted from what could’ve been some great character moments. It’s a big cast, and while I loved some characters more than others, I found them all to be distinct with unique personalities that made each of them memorable. Abercrombie’s talent for strong characters, dialogue, and action continues to shine here, but I could have done without the continual bawdy-style humor. The Devils is a fun and adventurous romp, just not going to be a new favorite.

Thank you to Tor for the e-arc 🙂

[Ярослава]

Ухххх, яка книжка, прямо повертає віру в фентезі - бо в останні роки сучасне фентезі подекуди стало трошки занадто рефлексивним для мене: ти чекаєш двіжу й екшну з високими ставками, а тобі автори такі: "а давайте поговоримо про колоніалізм". Географічно везучим представникам західного світу подумати про колоніалізм може й корисно для душі, але особисто в мене колоніалізм літає над головою й намагається вбити, тож від фентезі я подекуди хочу просто ескайпізму і захопливого сюжету, і "Чорти" deliver on both counts.

В альтернативній пізньосередньовічній Європі (географія більш-менш впізнавана, хоча й не без приколів, але релігія трохи інша - й, очевидно, з магією, ельфами, вовкулаками й іншими надприродніми істотами) у Ватикані зароджується план: об'єднати східну і західну гілку релігії, посадивши на престол у Константинополі Трої зручну кандидатуру. Так виявляється, що церква тримає у себе в підвалі Каплиці святої Доцільності чортів і доручає їм всякі брудні завдання. Й от брава когорта з вампіра, некроманта, ельфійки, вовкулаки, безсмертного лицаря, який брав участь в усіх хрестових походах, авантюристки і священника, який взагалі хотів бути, умовно кажучи, бібліотекарем, а не випасати все це кодло, тож тихо скаче від екзистенційної кризи до екзистенційної кризи, вирушають довезти маріонеткову кандидатуру на схід. Екшн вибудуваний просто неймовірно круто з першої ж сторінки: герої у ситуації з високими ставками, таймер цокає, ми дуже чітко розуміємо, що їм потрібно і чому їхній план ось-ось провалиться, потім в останню хвилину їм вдається - але так вони переходять до ситуації, це ставки ще вищі, загрози ще більші, часу ще менше. Герої навмисне побудовані на стереотипах, але страшенно харизматичні. Єдиний мінус - як тепер чекати на продовження скількись-там років (конкретно ця історія завершена, але хочеться побути з цими героями довше)? Загалом, просто в захваті від майстерності Аберкромбі, треба почитати в нього щось іще.

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My brother and I reviewed THE DEVILS over on our YT channel! The Brothers Gwynne

*2nd read - Pacey is the goat isn't he?*

Gunn's Suicide Squad meets Baldur's Gate 3.

Joe has, as always, crafted characters with distinctive voices and personalities. The humour is a little more brash and in your face this time around, rather than the dry gallows-humour of The First Law, and it does take about 100 pages or so to get into, but the more I read, the more I smiled, laughed, wailed.

As a First Law fanboy, I was slightly scared to join Joe in a venture in another world, but once the first big scrap happened 100 pages in, I was fully in.

Vigga is my new obsession...

There are some surprisingly touching moments between the gang as they undertake a dangerous mission to deliver a young thief onto the Serpent Throne of Troy, alongside the anger, violence, frustration and bickering in true Abercrombie style.

The Devils is a lot of fun, and still at the heart of it, is Jabercrombie-esque. If you're a fan of the First Law, you'll enjoy it. If you're not a fan of the First Law, you'll still enjoy it!

[ଘRory]

FULL REVIEW TO COME !!
Pre-read :
My angels and demons are pushing me to read that book, so no offense 🤧! It's just that my TBR is huge, and for some reason, my eyes kept going back to that one .

[Jonah Evarts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abercrombie just can’t miss. Yet another fantastic cast of characters, some incredible action sequences, hysterics, and grim thematic exploration. This reminded me greatly of Best Served Cold in all the best ways. Just everything I love about Abercrombie’s writing wrapped into a single, tightly wound story that never once lost my interest. Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overview:

⚔️ Action fantasy
🤡 Comedy
🏳️‍🌈 LGBT Rep / romance
👩‍👧‍👧 Found Family elements
🚗 Fast paced
🧌 Monsterfucking

I was lucky enough to be able to read an ARC of The Devils and have very mixed thoughts. I will put off my rating until I can get myself together. Joe Abercrombie is my favorite author and The Devils was my far my number 1 most anticipated book.

The Devils centers around Alex, a young thief who was found to be a lost princess who must be returned home to be crowned empress. In order to get there there safely, the young pope summons and binds a ragtag group of monsters and murderers. A vampire, A sorcerer, a werwolf, a man who can't die, a warrior, an elf, and an anxious monk travel together with one goal: get Alex on the throne at any cost.

This book is heavily unlike anything i've seen Abercrombie do, with maybe the best comparison being The Heroes. Its heavily focused on comedy and light hearted action sequences which are (in Lord Grimdark fashion) extremely well written. If you don't like comedic fantasy, you will absolutely struggle with this one.

While The First Law is heavily invested in character study, The Devils provides almost no character background and minimal expanded character lore. These characters all interact with each other and you do get a lot of them, but only two of them really have a strong enough backstory to consider notable, everyone else is sort of "what you see is what you get"- which is mostly cool powers connected with fun and often hilarious fight scenes.

The Devils is also a little less centered on character arcs, with most of the characters being morally decent or scamps who like to get away with a little murder. Most of them have a minor issue they need to work through that isn;t connected to a full character arc, but it is something that they may find while traveling with their companions and cutting down monsters. The morally grey studies of The First Law are not present in this book, and honestly most of these characters are shockingly likable. Alex absolutely sees some growth through the story, but most of her companions are quite static.

Each character sort of has their niche and simple traits. Balthazar the sorcerer is arrogant, Brother Diaz is awkward, Vigga is a horny and chaotic werewolf, and so on. Their personality traits usually line up with their powers and color their adventures in short stint POV chapters. This is probably the least character book Abercrombie has written.

I think to a few years back where Abercrombie said he wanted to write books that represented more than just men, and The Devils is a good example to how far hes come- featuring quite a few women and queer characters. The Devils has some really wonderful queer rep, and the queer couple is easily the best and most developed character interaction in the series. There is a shocking amount of sex and romance in this book, though a lot of post foreplay is fade to black. The scenes are classic Abercrombie, very messy and typically involving awkward men and terrifying women having femdom sex. The man is obsessed with femdom (as he should be) and simply refuses to acknowledge it.

This is a bit of a "no plot just vibes" book, as the group mostly encounters new fights on their way to crown Alex. Fighting on the roads, fighting in a ship- I can not express enough how much you need to LOVE action scenes for this book to be worth it to you. It is a tremendously fast burn where a lot of crazy unhinged shit is thrown at you really fast. Ive seen some hopefuls want to compare it to a Souls game, but its a little too unserious for that. I would actually say a better comparison is a medieval version of a Far Cry game.

As someone who doesn't particularly care for fight scenes and prefers slower, more political fantasy, this element of the book was a struggle, especially walking in expecting something from the book due to the author's previous work. There are absolutely no political elements at all and it is not what I would consider a grimdark fantasy- its actually quite hopeful at times.

The Devils will likely delight fans of The Blacktongue Thief, which is the best book comp I can think of. It's a bit of an odd duck of a book, but if Abercrombies signature dry style of humor works for you and you like the idea of fighting countless chimeras, werwolves ripping people apart, and a small dash of bizarrely wholesome queer romance, this one is for you.

For me, The Devils lacks the things I love about Joe Abercrombie's storytelling, but for many others it is jam packed with so many things that define his writing style and this book will be a welcomed fun departure from the darkness of his most famous world.

[megs_bookrack]

Yep, no. It's a HARD DNF for me this time. I tried, yet again to get through this one, and only made it to 25% this time around. That's less than the first time.

I hate this book. I shall never return...



...not long ago:

I've been persuaded to give this another go. I am just listening to the audio this time, no hard copy back-up.

I love Steven Pacey's narration, so hopefully consuming the whole thing with his sensational storytelling voice will help me to get through it more enjoyably.



Earlier:

Sadly, I am pulling this plug on this one at 33%. I'm not invested at all. I couldn't care less about the characters, and am bored out of my mind.

When I put it down, I dread picking it back up.



I've loved the First Law world, but this just isn't doing it for me. I am going to change the dates read, so it doesn't count towards this year's Reading Challenge, for those of you who care about such things.

I don't know if it is goodbye forever with this one, but it's def goodbye for now.



Original:

ARC received!!! Thank you so much, Tor!



This is one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 and I cannot believe, absolutely cannot believe, it's already in my hot little hands!!!

[Holly Hearts Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that feeling when you slay a dragon? Cool. Then you know what it feels like to finish a Joe Abercrombie book and The Devils is NO exception.

I’ll simply end this review for now stating what Joe is known for best. Morally. Grey. Characters.
The characters in this book exude an enigmatic and mysterious aura. Their morally grey nature and secretive agendas added layers of complexity to the narrative. And the inability to fully trust any character heightened the stakes so much for me, making the reading experience both thrilling and unpredictable!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel :)
https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks

[Mª Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Las gestas más gloriosas a veces requieren de actos impíos"

4,5⭐️
He disfrutado un montón con este libro. Va a ser una trilogía, pero no en el sentido clásico del término. Serán tres libros autoconclusivos al estilo de las sagas de negra y criminal. Me llevé una alegría cuando me enteré. Lo prefiero así.

Dice la sinopsis:
El hermano Díaz tiene una cita en la Ciudad Santa, donde cree que lo recompensarán con una cómoda posición en la Iglesia. Pero resulta que su nuevo rebaño está compuesto por asesinos contumaces, horrorosos practicantes de lo arcano y auténticos monstruos. En esta nueva misión, todos tendrán que tomar las medidas más sangrientas si quieren alcanzar sus justos fines.
Los elfos acechan en nuestras fronteras, ávidos de nuestra carne, mientras príncipes egoístas solo se preocupan por su posición y bienestar. Dado el épico e infernal viaje ante él, al hermano Díaz no le viene nada mal tener a los diablos de su lado.

Qué destaco del libro.

La trama y el estilo. No es una trama novedosa. La premisa de un grupo de asesinos llevando a cabo una misión para las fuerzas del "orden" es un tema recurrente que se ha empleado tanto en negra como en literatura bélica. Trasladada al terreno de lo fantástico a Abercrombie le ha quedado de lujo. Una trama bien llevada, con buena prosa, un ritmo muy vivo y acción continua. Tiene escenas muy visuales, algunas tremendas (no en vano es lord grimdark), de esas en las que pienso que sólo a él se le habían podido ocurrir. Y las resuelve con la maestría que le caracteriza. Ni un pero que ponerle en ese aspecto. La verdad es que me tuvo tan entretenida y tan enganchada que me dio pena que se acabase.

El worldbuilding. Construido de manera ágil, sin descripciones interminables que ralenticen la acción. No le pongo un pero. El mapa inicial es sencillo y funcional. Una Europa alternativa y muy imaginativa por su parte. La división entre la Iglesia Occidental y la Oriental tiene un toque de originalidad muy suyo. La Ciudad Santa, Troya, los lugares por los que pasan, en fin, que me ha encantado. Quedan sitios de ese mapa por recorrer. Imagino que aparecerán en los dos libros que quedan. No digo más, no quiero desvelar detalles y en esta novela es fácil deslizar un spoiler sin darnos cuenta. Que cada lector lo descubra y lo disfrute.

Los diálogos y el sentido del humor. Este punto causa controversia entre los lectores. Las novelas de Abercrombie siempre contienen un toque importante de humor cínico, una vena canalla. En esta, ese toque no es esporádico sino que está presente en casi la totalidad de los diálogos entre los personajes. Puede decirse que forma parte de la idiosincrasia de cada uno de ellos. Son diálogos inteligentes, no chistes fáciles soltados al azar. A mí no me han chirriado ni molestado en absoluto. De hecho los he disfrutado de principio a fin. Sin embargo conozco lectores a los que tal abundancia de humor se les atragantó. Si empezáis este libro tenedlo en cuenta, es un Abercrombie, pero no el típico Abercrombie. Si se os atraganta igual es mejor dejarlo.

Los personajes. Es una novela no con un protagonista sino con siete. Todos y cada uno de los miembros de la capilla de la Santa Conveniencia lo son. Algunos destacan más que otros, pero todos tienen su parcelita de protagonismo. De hecho en todas las escenas de acción los capítulos alternan lo que les está ocurriendo a cada miembro del grupo. Es un recurso inteligente, nos deja en cada caso con ganas de saber qué va a ocurrir con ellos. Jakob de Thorn y Vigga son personajes muy potentes, de los que eclipsan al resto cuando aparecen. Baltasar es con el que más me reí, el barón y Solete cumplen cada uno a su estilo. De Baptiste, al principio esperaba más. Durante toda la lectura pensé que era un personaje que no terminaba de eclosionar. Hay que llegar al final para entender por qué no fue así. El autor tenía sus motivos, la novela la escribe él, pero sigo pensando que ha sido un personaje desaprovechado. Añadir que me ha gustado la evolución que experimentan tanto el hermano Díaz como Alexia.
Los secundarios igualmente buenos. La cardenal Zikka, la papisa, los primos de Alexia, el duque Miguel, Lady Severa, etc. Mención especial para la diablesa invocada por Baltasar, es de aparición efímera, pero lo que me pude reír.

El desenlace correcto. Cierra la trama de este libro y deja abierta la puerta al siguiente. Hay cosas, es verdad, que se ven venir desde el tren, pero esto es fantasía no negra y criminal y no me restó disfrute. Me gustó mucho la última conversación entre la cardenal y Alexia. Muy realista y bien concebida.

En conclusión. Una novela que no es la típica de Abercrombie, pero que lleva su sello. La he disfrutado de principio a fin, me ha dado pena que se termine y ya quiero la siguiente aventura de los miembros de la capilla de la Santa Conveniencia. Recomendable.

[Jacob Levy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rick and Morty ass book (derogatory)

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be cheap. Cheap action, cheap humor, cheap thrills is about all you're gonna get here.

I feel like I was promised something I didn't get, and maybe that's on me, but I don't think so. This book feels like it's setting up a more interesting conflict, and as such, probably should have been shorter. I was told about man-eating elves, of which there is decidedly none. I was told this would be "Fantasy Suicide Squad," a comparison I do not get and leaves me with the impression that the ones making it haven't read one issue of the comic (or even seen the movie). Suicide Squad is a group of people being forced to do good, but they are bad people. The Devils are a group of people forced to do good, but they're good people who are misunderstood, I guess?

The world-building in this book is quite unusual. The book is set in an alternate history Earth, but this is borderline insignificant. At first when I wasn't scratching my head wondering why not, if Abercrombie was going to change so much about the history and world, just set it in its own unique setting. But as the story progressed, and it became clear how unimportant these changes were to the text, I was scratching my head, wondering why he even bothered with alternate history in the first place and didn't just set it in real-world medieval Europe.

The Plot is uninspired and just spins its wheels for the middle 50% of the book, until in the last quarter it tries to twist so hard that it completely unravels.

The characters are undoubtedly a spot of good, as is usual with Abercrombie. However, the cast is also a bit crowded, as is usual with Abercrombie, but this didn't bother me as much as it has in some of his previous books. Out of the eight main characters, four of them really stood out to me, 2 of them were so-so, and two of them were glorified devices custom-built to be get-out-of-jail-free cards for the plot.

Abercrombie's prose is typically very good and still is here, but gets a bit repetitive at times. Additionally, Abercrombie seems to have made being funny his new personality. For some reason, he feels the need to cram in a joke wherever he can in this book. And not even very good ones. I've never really been the biggest fan of Abercrombie's humor, and sometimes it would even go over my head. But when it did get through to me I could always appreciate a certain amount of wit and cleverness that felt intentional. But in The Devils it feels like he's throwing whatever he can at the wall and seeing what sticks. When its not vomit and poop jokes, its souless, marvel movie banter that is so pervasive in the text that its impossible to ignore.

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟's

"Everyone’s scared all the time… The brave ones are just good at pretending.”

Initial Impressions

I’ll be straight with you — I adore Joe Abercrombie. The First Law trilogy might just be my favourite fantasy series of all time. When it comes to character writing, Stephen King sits at the very top for me overall — but in fantasy? Joe Abercrombie is the undisputed champion.

What makes him so good is the way he writes people — broken, flawed, brilliant, and utterly unforgettable. Glokta, Logan Ninefingers, Ferro… they feel like living, breathing figures who stick with you long after the last page. That’s hugely important for me in any book, but especially fantasy.

So when Abercrombie launched into The Devils, I was eager to see if he could pull it off. And while it’s sharp, bloody, and full of the wit I love from him, it doesn’t quite scale the same heights as First Law.

The Story

Brother Diaz gets handed command of the Chapel of the Holy Expediency — a crew of supernatural “devils” (a vampire, a necromancer, an elf, and my personal favourite, a female werewolf). Their mission is to escort Alex, a woman with a claim on Troy’s throne, through enemy lands where betrayal is as common as a Geordie with no shirt in winter.



Here’s the thing you guys — it’s fast, bloody, and packed with classic Abercrombie turns: backstabbing, black humour, and characters making catastrophic decisions you can’t look away from. The journey is entertaining, but it never quite lands the same gut-punches as his best work.

The Writing

No surprises here — Abercrombie’s prose is still razor-sharp. Short, punchy sentences. Wit that cuts as deep as the violence. He switches from bleak to funny without breaking stride, which keeps the story alive and unpredictable.

There’s a lighter touch here than in the First Law — more overt humour, more wink to the reader. It works most of the time, but occasionally it blunts the darker edges. Still, when it comes to voice and timing, he’s up there with the best.

The Characters

And here’s where things get messy. You don’t read Abercrombie for bland caricatures — you read him because he owns character. Glokta, Logan, Ferro — they dwell in your mind long after the book is done. That’s the bar here.

That said — Vigga is exactly the kind of spark you want. She’s a ferocious, unpredictable werewolf who shifts between human and wolf with a raw edge, and she stole every scene she appeared in. She’s just my type of girl — I’d happily take her out for a candle-lit meal at my local kebab shop.



Alex, the young thief with royal blood, I found slightly annoying. Not unbearable, but some of her choices and dialogue rubbed me the wrong way. For a character carrying so much of the plot, she didn’t win me over.

Balthazar, the necromancer, was a real highlight however. Dark, eccentric, and laugh-out-loud funny in places, he brought that perfect mix of menace and comic relief. Every time he showed up, the whole story lifted — you never quite knew if he was going to crack a joke, raise the dead, or both at the same time. Easily one of the most enjoyable members of the crew.

The rest of the team — Brother Diaz, Sunny the elf, Baron Rikard the vampire — all have their moments, but compared to the giants of the First Law series, they’re lightweights. Vigga and Balthazar show the potential was there; the others just didn’t leave the same kind of mark.

Final Thoughts

The Devils is a strong, entertaining fantasy adventure with plenty of bite. Abercrombie still writes like a man who knows exactly what he’s doing, and there’s a lot here to enjoy. But when you’ve created characters as good as Glokta and Logan, the bar is sky high — and this one doesn’t clear it.

It is what it is — a good book, fun to read, but not First Law level.

Think of it like seeing your favourite band live. The new songs are good, you nod along, but what you’re really waiting for is when they finally unleash the classics.

And that’s the thing with The Devils — enjoyable, bloody, sharp, but not quite unforgettable. Or to put it in plain English: I’d happily go for a pint with Vigga and Balthazar, but the rest of the crew can do one!

Thanks for reading and...cheers!

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm)]

The Devils is Pirates / Necromancers / Werewolves / Vampires / Elves / Knights / Princesses of the Caribbean 4 adapted to book.

Jokes about chafed balls & invisible cunnilingus. Zero stakes and characters who needn't fear death. Each character has their schtick and holds to it for 560 pages without growth or change. A good pick if you want to chill and enjoy a silly, adventurous read. (extended thoughts below) 👇


I know PROJECT TOME is supposed to be about exploring the unread behemoths in my collection, but how can I resist this devilishly attractive new release? 🥺👉👈

What's a good collective noun for a group of antiheroes? A slither? A villain? A cad? Ooh, I like that. Let's see if this cad of antiheroes is a group of heinous baddies or loveable scallywags...

St. Aelfric's Day
Introducing our first character: Brother Diaz (let's call him B. Diaz for short). In two and a half pages, he says, "God damn it!" four times. 🤭 He has a weakness for prostitutes. Theology isn't his strong suit. He gives the beggars outside the monastery a wide berth. And he prides himself in being punctual, yet is running late for a meeting with Her Holiness the Pope. So... not your usual priest.

How it Goes
Meet Alex. Is she agile or clumsy? I'm not sure yet. Maybe it's just a fluke that she leapt off a carriage and bounced mouth-first from a donkey's dung-crusted flank. 💩 She's a thief who owes money to a bad guy with your typical brown-toothed, meaty-handed goons. And apparently she's the long-lost Princess Alexia Pyrogennetos. 👑

💩 Only 10 pages in, and it seems like poop, feces, excrement, turds, and shit are mentioned with noticeable frequency.💩

The 13th Virtue
B. Diaz has been introduced to Knight Templar Jacob of Thorn and Cardinal Zizka, who tells him the church isn't honest or ethical in all its dealings. No big shocker there. 🙄

B. Diaz is tasked with overseeing a secret 13th chapel called the Chapel of Holy Expediency (which, frankly, sounds MOST UNHOLY) with the help of a rogue named Baptiste (I have a feeling I'm gonna like her).

This Much Luck
This whole chapter reads like Anastasia.


Alex's foray into princesshood (is that even a word? 🤪) is being led by Duke Michael. I 100% do not trust this guy. 🤔

A Flock of Black Sheep
Just when B. Diaz thinks everything is going to be okay, he's introduced to his charges: a naked magician, a vanishing elf, and a geriatric vampire, all housed in a Witch Engineer's dungeon. 🧙🧝🧛

Born in the Flame
🔥 In which Alex's legitimacy is confirmed with sorcery, and she learns she has four cousins who want her inheritance.

💩 Still no shortage of turds, shit, poop, etc. 💩

Start of a Bad Joke
Balthazar the necromancer had his clothes revoked because he was caught writing spells on the fabric, but couldn't he just write on his skin? 🤔

Introducing the new pope: Benedicta the First. She's not your ordinary pope, and not simply because of her gender or small stature. 😉

📋 We have our mission: The band of misfits is tasked with escorting Princess Alexia to Troy.

A set of extremely dangerous fools, entirely incapable of working together, undertaking a journey of a thousand miles or more with the utterly impossible aim of installing that sulking milksop on the Serpent Throne of Troy?

Hold on to Something
💩 Forgot to mention that we can add diarrhea to the list. And now we've got someone writing with their own excrement. 💩

Wrath

It appeared that the plans [...] to bring the Empire of the East back into the loving embrace of the Church were about to—quiet literally—go up in flames.

💩 We can add burping and farting to the list, too. 🏃‍♂️💨

The Good Meat
Introducing the Vigga-Wolf, a dark creature prone to murder. She's basically a deux ex wolfina at a moment when all hell is breaking lose. Aaaaaand, she's puking. 🤮

👉 Let's do a 100 page check-in: So far, this is proving a fun (if silly) romp through a fantasy world. It feels very blokey (what with all the mention of poop and turds and the farting and burping and puking), but the characters are well drawn and the humor is top-notch. 🤌

Least Worst Choices
We're now privy to descriptions of B. Diaz's chafed balls. 🍒

Blessed Is a Stretch
More talk of genitals, only this time it's the story of a guy who took a pike to the genitals and died. Yikes! 😬

See to the Holy Land

"My twat has done more good for the world than any saint I know of!" Vigga waggled her eyebrows at Brother Diaz.

^ So you're telling me subtlety isn't one of Vigga's strong suits. 🤭

For 113 pages I've wondered why elves are viewed so negatively in this world, and I've just learn it's because elves eat humans. 🤢

What Can Be Spared

The humiliation! That he, Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi, luminary of the necromantic community, should find himself wedged into this procession of imbecility, this unholy trudge from nowhere to nowhere, this merry march to physical discomfort, spiritual disappointment, and intellectual impoverishment.

^ Balthazar is the character I feel like I know the best out of the fellowship, but he's made this rant at least once before. In other words, Balthazar is starting to feel very one note.

Clean Not Clean

Next breath, next step, next meal, next fuck. Get what you can from the moments then let 'em go.

^ Vigga in a nutshell.

No Smiles at the Monastery
Finally, a whole chapter on Sunny! She's in the lead for my favorite character, and I adore the glimmers of friendship (or something more?) between her and Alex. 🥰

The Magic of Deportment
✨ This is basically Alex's makeover chapter. ✨


Nothing But the Truth

Vomit fountained from his mouth, his nose, more than likely his ears, sprayed the wall, spattered hissing and bubbling on the still-glowing rings, and left a long trail of splats and dashes all the way across the old floorboards to his very toes.

^ 🤮🤮🤮

Greed

"It amazing me how many men willingly choose to bed a werewolf."
"Well, most men will bed anything, and I don't usually lead with the werewolf thing."
"What do you lead with?" asked Alex.
Vigga slid one foot across the deck until her legs were wide open, displaying the slightly stained crotch of her trousers.
"That," she said.

^ 😶

👉 Let's do a 200 page check-in: Haven't touched this book for a few days and nearly forgot about it. Dove in again today and sixty pages flew by. There's been a lot of fanciful adventure and moderate crude humor. It never feels like much, if anything, is at stake, so it's all just good fun.

Fire on the Water

The Saviour had definitely tended against killing, and she heard priests talk about murder like it was really the worst, but when she finally read the scriptures herself, she found God couldn't go a page without smiting the shit out of someone.

^ 🫢🤣😂

You Did it Now
There's trouble afoot and it seems this time there will be no deux ex wolfina, for some reason. 🤔

Oh, wait! Hah! I stand corrected. 🐺🩸

...after a few stabs she got bored of being where the spear wasn't so plucked it from his hand and ripped his chest open with her jaws and snuffled and licked at the slop inside but it was unsatisfactory.

The Current Set of Enemies
Omg, Sunny and Alex are so cute. 😃

Reverses
So everyone's been split into groups of two and are apparently all horny for each other? ⁉️

Loophole
B. Diaz and Vigga?‼️ What even...


👉 Let's do a 300 page check-in: At this point I'm sticking around because I want to see what happens with Sunny and Alex. 😐

What You Can't Change
💋👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩😃

Vows

"Got something for you, under here." From the way the blanket shifted there could be no doubt she was opening her legs.
"Oh God," he whispered, swallowing as he looked towards the stained glass.
Vigga waited a moment longer then, clearly losing patience, nodded downwards. "It's my twat."

^ 🙄

A Miraculous Medicine
More vomiting. 🤮

👉 Let's do a 400 page check-in: Given where the characters are at this point in the story, I don't understand how there are still 160 pages to go, unless it's to allow time for... Duke Michael to betray Alex because I haven't trusted that guy from the start.

Evil Friends
🤴🧊🩸🫢

The Language of Violence
Welp, called that a million years ago. 🫤

Saint Tabitha's Day
SO I GUESS WE'RE JUST GOING TO MENTION ONCE THAT ELVES EAT HUMANS AND JUST NEVER MENTION IT AGAIN.🤷‍♀️ And while we're at it, we'll just gloss over that little detail while a romantic relationship develops between an elf and a human. ⁉️

Belatedly, I'm noticing that elves eating humans is mentioned in the blurb, which oddly starts in third-person POV, then shifts to first-person plural (randomly including the reader), then switches back to third-person. Odd. 🤔

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

expected release 6 May 2025

If you ever watched Anastasia and thought "you know what would make this story better? Is if someone dumped Suicide Squad into this world to spice it up" then have I got some great news for you!

A rough around the edges street urchin named Alex finds her life suddenly flipped on its head, when one day she is found by her Uncle, Duke Michael, and discovers that she is actually, in fact, the lost Princess Alexia and needs to reclaim her rightful place as the Empress of Troy. In order to get her safely placed on the throne the 'members' of the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, also known as The Devils, are made to do the job of protecting her on the long journey back to the Empire of Troy.


‘We seven?’ Brother Diaz waved at his flock. ‘A vampire, an elf, a werewolf – can she please dress herself?’

Vigga had been stripping the clothes from a dead guard but she’d got distracted catching raindrops on her tongue.

‘A knight who can’t die, a sorcerer—’

‘Magician.’

‘— a monk who never even wanted to be a bloody monk, and . . .’ Brother Diaz waved helplessly at Baptiste, ‘a former assistant barber to a mercenary company!’


I haven't read much Abercrombie to tell you how this sits in the larger scope of his work, but what I can tell you is that this books has definitely been put together by an author who is very experienced and gifted at crafting large scale fantasy adventures. The writing and world building is rich, clever and evocative and I was right there every step of the journey. The dry humour in this worked for me and I was deeply entertained throughout the ride.

I think the brightest shining star of this book was its exceptional character work and character growth over the course of the adventure. I loved the complex, morally grey characters of Alex, Brother Diaz, Jakob of Thorn, Baptiste, Balthazar, Baron Rikard, Vigga and Sunny so much. Each step in their journeys felt so honest and organic and each character had their own unique motivations and personalities.

The interpersonal relationships that exist between the characters in the team are also so SO delightful. I should preface this by saying this book is definitely not a romance, but I was so pleasantly delighted that this book surprised me with such a great little sapphic romantic subplot. Mr Abercrombie really surprised me with that one (but I loved it).

This sits in a weird space where in spirit and content it's definitely high fantasy but is set in an alternate Europe with lots of real world countries mentioned so kind of also making it low fantasy at the same time? I'm not entirely sure where that leaves us? Middle fantasy? Lol

I can safely say I'll be excited to see where this world goes to next. This will be the 'doorstopper' fantasy book of the year to beat, at 4.5 stars (rounded up). This thing is a bit of a doozy and although it felt like a fast read it did also feel like a very long one too, so this is a book to pick up when you don't mind taking your time for an epic scale fantasy experience.


Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book and to provide my own thoughts and opinions.

[Krell75 · Rating 4 out of 5]

UDITE, UDITE! GENTE!

Che la vostra attenzione sia posta su un evento di straordinaria portata che scuoterà le fondamenta della vostra quiete!

L'Europa, così come la conosciamo, è minacciata da indicibili orrori: elfi assetati di sangue e principi la cui avidità non conosce limiti, persino la Santa Chiesa si dibatte, divisa e incerta. Ma quando l'oscurità più profonda avanza, chi risponderà alla chiamata?

Loro, Soltanto loro.

Un Fratello tormentato, la cui fede è messa alla prova. Un Cavaliere Nero, la cui immortalita è solo un velo sul suo passato. Un Vampiro elegante, il cui fascino nasconde artigli affilati Un Lupo Mannaro, forza bruta e inarrestabile. Un Negromante dal macabro ingegno. E un Elfo Invisibile, maestro dell'inganno.

Essi sono I DEMONI un'alleanza improbabile di reietti e prodigi, legati da un unico, folle scopo: salvare il mondo dalle sue stesse tenebre a modo loro, con mezzi che vi faranno tremare e sorridere.

Preparatevi a un'avventura teatrale epica, intrisa di umorismo tagliente, azione mozzafiato e personaggi la cui indole vi segnerà a lungo.
Dalla penna oscura e geniale di Joe Abercrombie prende vita sul nostro palcoscenico!

Questo non è spettacolo per animi delicati. È una chiamata all'azione per chi osa affrontare l'oscurità e trovarvi la scintilla dell'eroismo!

Risate! Risate a non finire in questo nuovo lavoro di Joe Abercrombie!
I vostri biglietti attendono!
Affrettatevi, che i posti sono contati!

"Sorridi finché puoi, ti dico. Il mondo ti prenderà a calci nel culo abbastanza presto."

Se da un lato il buon Joe conferma la sua bravura nel saper tratteggiare personaggi memorabili con una scrittura da fare invidia, stavolta predilige un pubblico incline a farsi parecchie risate, seguendo le gesta folli di un gruppo di personaggi folli in un mondo folle. Abercrombie non abbandona i toni Grimdark ma tenta il suo pubblico con un fantasy umoristico, e gli riesce bene. Siamo lontani anni luce dal tono truce della "First Law", o al realismo crudo di "The Heroes" o "The Age of Madness".

"Tu racconta la storia giusta, poi la gente si berrà qualsiasi cazzata"

L' ambientazione non ha alcun senso, le svolte di trama non hanno alcun senso, ma che importa? Divertimento e buona scrittura sono comunque assicurati.

Per la prima volta assistiamo, per davvero, all' utilizzo della magia nei romanzi di Abercrombie, e l' uso che ne fa' mi ha sorpreso positivamente. Viene trattata in maniera scenografica e rimane astratta, senza spiegazioni prolisse, noiose e fondamentalmente inutili.

"E dicono che siamo noi i mostri"

Ps: personaggi stupendi ma Balthazar rimane il mio preferito. Un vero mago secchione asociale!


------------------------------
HEAR, HEAR! PEOPLE!

Let your attention be drawn to an event of extraordinary magnitude that will shake the foundations of your peace!

Europe, as we know it, is threatened by unspeakable horrors: bloodthirsty elves and princes whose greed knows no bounds, even the Holy Church flounders, divided and uncertain. But when the deepest darkness approaches, who will answer the call?

Them, and only them.

A tormented Kindred, whose faith is tested. A Black Knight, whose immortality is but a veil over his past. An elegant Vampire, whose charm hides sharp claws. A Werewolf, brute force and unstoppable. A Necromancer of macabre ingenuity. And an Invisible Elf, master of deception.

They are THE DEVILS, an unlikely alliance of outcasts and prodigies, bound together by one mad purpose: to save the world from its own darkness in their own way, with means that will make you tremble and smile.

Prepare yourself for an epic theatrical adventure, filled with cutting humor, breathtaking action and characters whose nature will mark you for a long time.
From the dark and brilliant pen of Joe Abercrombie comes to life on our stage!

This is not a show for the faint of heart. It is a call to action for those who dare to face the darkness and find the spark of heroism therein!

Laughter! Laughter to the max in this new work by Joe Abercrombie!
Your tickets await!
Hurry, because seats are limited!

"Smile while you can, I tell you. The world will kick your ass soon enough."

While on the one hand the good Joe confirms his ability to outline memorable characters with an enviable writing, this time he prefers an audience inclined to have a lot of laughs, following the crazy exploits of a group of crazy characters in a crazy world. Abercrombie does not abandon the Grimdark tones but tempts his audience with a humorous fantasy, and he succeeds well. We are light years away from the grim tone of "First Law", or the raw realism of "The Heroes" or "The Age of Madness".

"You tell the right story, then people will believe any bullshit"

The setting makes no sense, the plot twists make no sense, but who cares? Fun and good writing are guaranteed anyway.

For the first time we actually see magic in Abercrombie's novels, and I was positively surprised by his use of it. It's treated in a dramatic way and remains abstract, without long-winded, boring and basically useless explanations.

"And They Say We're the Monsters"

Ps: great characters but Balthazar remains my favorite. A true antisocial geek magician!

[La Librería de Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fui de los afortunados que pude leer esta obra de manera anticipada, y doy las gracias a @alianzaeditorial y a @leerunas por ello.

Ya puedo hablar con total libertad, pero no os preocupéis que la reseña será SIN SPOILERS. El domingo subiré en youtube un vídeo de casi 20 minutos con mis pensamientos extendidos.

Los Diablos nos lleva a una Europa medieval alternativa, con el mundo lleno de criaturas fantásticas y guerras santas por la "salvación de la humanidad".

El hermano Díaz es asignado a como "persona a cargo" de una compañía muy especial al servicio de la Iglesia: Los Diablos

Cada personaje está obligado por una atadura a llevar a cabo una misión casi imposible: Volver a colocar a una princesa perdida en el trono de Troya.
El libro se me ha hecho muy corto, a pesar de su longitud. A partir de las 30 primeras páginas ya me había absorbido por completo y no podía parar de leer.

Algo que se me ha hecho muy ameno también ha sido la falta de "info dumping". La historia del mundo y los personajes se va contando de manera orgánica, con pequeños párrafos a lo largo de toda la historia. No sientes que el narrador te esté llenando la cabeza de información, y eso es de agradecer.

Las escenas de acción me han gustado por lo gráficas que son: parecen una película hecha novela.
Es cierto que a veces en mitad de la batalla pueden ser algo confusas, pero ahí es donde tu imaginación completa las lagunas.

Creo que es una historia que todo el mundo que al que le guste el estilo tan "macarra" de Abercrombie va a disfrutarlo mucho.

Por último, es verdad que algunos giros han sido predecibles y una parte del final no ha sido del todo de mi agrado, pero en rasgos generales me ha dejado con ganas de más.

Ha sido mi primer libro del autor y estoy deseando meterme a leer el resto de su obra.

[Gyan K · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 stars for this grim-dark cozy fantasy!

Joe Abercrombie has spun a world parallel to ours where faith, war, and cunning shape fate, and magic and magical creatures abound. Brother Diaz, a man of faith, is given a grim task. Sent to unify a fractured church, he soon sees that his allies are worse than his foes: killers, sorcerers, beasts in human form. This earth is crumbling, where murderous elves wait at the borders, and greed rots the hearts of kings. To survive, Diaz must choose to either hold fast to faith or wield the same darkness as those he fights and those he fights alongside.

There is a motley crew of a found family of sorts, a horrendously dysfunctional family, and Diaz leads the band. He is no saint, nor is he pure. His path is torn by what is right and what will keep him breathing. Each Cast of characters is uniquely memorable with peculiar quirks/things-they-can-do, things-they-can’t-help-doing, personal struggles, voices, strengths and weaknesses. This was not a surprise after having read Abercrombie’s First Law, Age of madness trilogies and other stand-alones.

What was a surprise was that the story had heart and moments that elevated, enthralled, and inspired. Despite its very grim dark skeleton, the story is not bleak, has glimmers of hope, and explores many positive emotions like integrity, loyalty, living one’s truth, faith and even love.

Also amply explored are power, greed, lust and their clash with faith. Trust is rare, blood flows free, and war has no victors—just those still left standing. Abercrombie has crafted a tale where honor is a myth and survival has a steep price. This earth-adjacent medieval world is brutal, sharp, and full of wit. Each town, each battle reeks of dust, blood, and decay. The land pulses with life, yet hope felt scarce. There is vast lore, deep wars, and no easy truths.

Abercrombie's prose as usual cuts like steel. No fluff, no waste. Each line lands with force, each sentence grips tight, holds fast, and does not let go. I feel Devils will leave a mark. It does not ask for heroes. It asks what will you do when the light goes out. Grit, wit, and war, and don’t forget there is heart.

[Mike Shackle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me awhile to get into it but once I got used to the fact that this was a very different tale from the First Law, I really enjoyed it. Humour, always a strong part of Abercrombie's writing, has been turned up to the max and the cast of characters almost sounds like the start of a bad joke. But it's not long before the blood is flowing along with the gags and I discovered I'd fallen in love with the motely crew. Great stuff

[Sergio Ferenczy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Abandonado con mucho dolor en la página 260. No descarto más adelante, mucho más adelante retomarlo, pero en este momento me es imposible leerlo.

Vaya por delante que Abercrombie es de mis autores favoritos, las trilogías y novelas de La Primera Ley las tengo en un pedestal y Los Diablos era la más esperada de este año.

Pero es que es toooodo el rato, chistes, chascarillos y pullas entre los personajes. Que de vez en cuando tiene su gracia, pero en todas las páginas resulta muy cargante, aparte de que la trama ni fú ni fá.

Como ya dije porque lo pone en la portada, pero en la vida hubiese dicho que esto lo ha escrito Abercrombie. Si hasta a El Mar Quebrado lo hace bueno.

Su fantasía siempre ha sido muy realista, algunas pinceladas pero poco más, aquí, bueno, desde el primer momento criaturas random, vampiros, elfos, mutaciones con cerdos qué se yo...

De verdad que estoy escribiendo esto y me echo las manos a cabeza al leerme, pero es lo que siento.

[Julie Storing (thefoxyreader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trust me. There is no one more surprised that I didn’t like The Devils by Joe Abercrombie more than me.

Like I was sure this would be at least a 4-star read, and I spent at least the first 20% of the book thinking this could even be a five-star read.

But NOPE. Just utter disappointment.

SYNOPSIS: So that’s it? What? We some kinda…The Devils?

Originally, I didn’t think I hated a Suicide Squad setup, but after hating both movies and now this book, it’s probably safe to say that I hate a Suicide Squad setup.

And that’s exactly what The Devils is. You got your ragtag gang of “bad guys” who struggle to work together to achieve a common goal.

The characters start off pretty fun. You got your priest who isn’t really your normal priest, a mercenary who has the longest resume ever, a sorcerer who thinks he’s all that, a guy who literally can’t die as much as he wants to, a thief who just discovered she might be a royal, an old ass vampire, a werewolf who wants to have sex with and eat everyone, and an elf that’s pretty good at disappearing.

And yeah a lot of those are interesting character summaries, but The Devils is so repetitive and never allows its characters to grow in any meaningful way.

The basic plot just repeats the same structure over and over again. Our group travels somewhere, gets into a big battle action scene, and then moves on.

And yeah, I realize a lot of books probably do this, but it felt so noticeable because there wasn’t a ton of variety in these scenes and it had me questioning what the intent of the book was.

And the characters just aren’t likable. And I know they aren’t supposed to be, but they just felt so shallow.

In fact a lot of this book feels shallow, and it’s not helped by the amount of juvenile humor throughout the book. Any sort of emotional moment in the story was consistently ruined by an off-hand, unnecessary joke that wasn’t even funny.

It’s like Abercrombie was trying his hand at writing a Marvel movie.

So, overall, I found this book incredibly disappointing. This was my first crack at reading Abercrombie, and it has me questioning whether I should still give his First Law trilogy a shot.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the eARC of this book.

[Scottsdale Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”
Trust me, you want to know these devils.

Brother Diaz must lead a crew of holy bound and irredeemable devils to ensure the safety of Empress Alex to her rightful throne. Brother Diaz has never lead anything in his life and Alex has never “empressed” anything in hers. You ask about the devils? Well, they are an unusual crew of blood-thirsty, moon- howling, magically stubborn, invisible shifting, sword and verbal assault wielding misfits who would just like to have a day or a week off.

How do they fair in this deviant Tolkienian-like journey?
“During the last few months’ of Alex’s life the insane had become standard, the horrifying unsurprising, and the impossible routine.”

Sublimely witty, extremely dark and humorous, and quite sage in its offerings and fellowship. I cannot write a review befitting how much I loved this book and the characters and invite you to meet and journey with them as well. - Sara W.

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for our honest review.