Foreign Devils

The Incorruptibles #2

by John Hornor Jacobs

The world is on the brink of war. Fisk and Shoe - mercenaries, very much not wanting to get caught in the middle of a political whirlwind - must deliver a very important message, and find a very dangerous man. They have caught the eye of the powerful men of the world, and now the stakes are higher than they like.And the Emperor has decreed that Livia Cornelius, pregnant with Fisk's child, must travel to the far lands of the Autumn Lords on a diplomatic mission. It will mean crossing half the world, and facing new dangers. And in the end, she will uncover the shocking truth at the heart of the Autumn Lords' Empire.A truth which will make the petty politics of war and peace unimportant, and will change the world.

Genres: Fantasy, Steampunk, Fiction, Westerns, Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2015

About the author

John Hornor Jacobs, is an award-winning author of genre bending adult and YA fiction and a partner and senior art director at a Little Rock, Arkansas advertising agency, Cranford Co. His first novel, Southern Gods, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Excellence in a First Novel and won the Darrel Award. The Onion AV said of the book, “A sumptuous Southern Gothic thriller steeped in the distinct American mythologies of Cthulhu and the blues . . . Southern Gods beautifully probes the eerie, horror-infested underbelly of the South.”His second novel, This Dark Earth, Brian Keene described as “…quite simply, the best zombie novel I’ve read in years” and was published by Simon & Schuster’s Gallery imprint. Jacobs’s acclaimed series of novels for young adults beginning with The Twelve-Fingered Boy, continuing with The Shibboleth, and ending with The Conformity has been hailed by Cory Doctorow on BoingBoing as “amazing” and “mesmerizing.”Jacobs’s first fantasy novel, The Incorruptibles, was nominated for the Morningstar and Gemmell Awards in the UK. Pat Rothfuss has said of this book, “One part ancient Rome, two parts wild west, one part Faust. A pinch of Tolkien, of Lovecraft, of Dante. This is strange alchemy, a recipe I’ve never seen before. I wish more books were as fresh and brave as this.”His fiction has appeared in Playboy Magazine, Cemetery Dance, Apex Magazine and his essay have been featured on CBS Weekly and Huffington Post.Books:Southern Gods – (Night Shade Books, 2011)


This Dark Earth – (Simon & Schuster, 2012)
The Twelve-Fingered Boy – (Lerner, 2013)
The Shibboleth – (Lerner, 2013)
The Conformity – (Lerner, 2014)
The Incorruptibles – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2014)
Foreign Devils – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2015)
Infernal Machines – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2017)
The Sea Dreams It Is The Sky – (HarperCollins / Harper Voyager, October 2018)
A Lush and Seething Hell – (HarperCollins / Harper Voyager, October 2019)
Murder Ballads and Other Horrific Tales – (JournalStone, 2020)

Reviews

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasnt as good as the 1st. Felt the pacing was a little off. The 1st was really original and fun. This just felt a bit forced in my opinion. And I also felt detached from the characters (especially Fisk) who in the 1st was so mysterious and quiet. The action was still great, the fantasy/magic element still fun but the entire novel didnt seem as cohesive.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is part 2, but it works as a stand alone. I had managed to forget that when I started the book. So just cos I was curious I read a few reviews about book 1. But yes it worked as a stand alone as I said. I came in with no expectations and knowing nothing about the two characters.

Shoe is the main character, a half dwarf, half human. A mercenary. His companion and friend is Fisk, the son of a traitor. Fisk is married to Livia, another main character. As her letters to Fisk tells of her journeys to a foreign land.

Oh, back up. I need to tell you what this is first. Why am I speaking of characters without mentioning the weirdness that is this book.

Right. So this takes place in a fantasy world. A fantasy world that reminds us of our world. There is Rume, ruling a vast land. There is Tchinee where Livia goes as an ambassador. And in the Ruman empire there is something that compares to the wild west. It's a steampunk world where engineers use demons to power machines. There are dwarves and elves (the latter being bloodthirsty beasts.) It's a weird world, a mix of things. Our world, so familiar, and yet not. So for this the fantasy world works, yes there is Rume. Tchinee. But it never feels like it's just borrowed from our world. It is its on world.

And in this world Fisk and Shoe tries to find an engineer on the run. Livia has her own issues as the emperor is angry with her family.

It took some getting into, mostly cos it was so strange. But then it became hard to put down and the end! Damn that emperor! Yes it does end with a cliffie. I thought it would be settled, but nope. It will make you want more.

Such an interesting world.

[Linda Bakker-Zwakhals]

DNF at about 50%. It is just not doing it for me. I did not feel the joy, the story was really slow and boring. Which is such a shame cause the first book was brilliant.

[Stephen Aryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most original fantasy / SF books I've ever read. It's a creative mix of a lot of different ideas and unlike other books where the combination doesn't work, in this series it all clicks together perfectly.

The second book in the trilogy, it is an exciting fantasy western with demon-driven technology. There are people with swords, six shooters, demon powered steamboats and ships, plus lots of influences that have been inspired by real world cultures. The names of places and people are almost modern, but slightly off centre, making them both familiar and easy to read.

The fantasy elements come in the form of the non-human races, elves and dwarves but they are nothing like what you are imagining. One of the two main characters is Shoe, a half-dwarf, but don't expect someone who sings, drinks a lot and is a miner. Shoe is an old soul and about a couple of hundred years old, a man of two worlds who doesn't really fit into either, he's also a bounty hunter of sorts and together with his partner Fisk, they get caught up in the middle of a war that they inadvertently started in the previous volume.

This book is packed full of ideas and the cultures of each nation are distinct and somewhat familiar because they are a reflection of our world. World building is definitely a strength of Jacobs, and so are his characters. Everyone is realistically human and flawed, even the heroes. You can like a character one moment and then hate them in the next chapter for being selfish, only for them to redeem themselves a little later on. The characters breathe and flow, growing and changing.

Overall this is such a wonderfully creative and different book to 99% of the other SF and fantasy I read. Definitely worth reading and I can't wait to read the final volume.

[Ant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author mixes genres in the most bizarre ways that when I describe them to friends it even I (having read them) can't believe it would actually work.
I've read quite a few reviews where people didn't like this second installment. Maybe it set my expectations so I could still enjoy it, but enjoy it I did.
In a lot of ways, it is a very different book from the first and I think it's important to accept that from the outset. For me, the characters evolved nicely and the world expanded dramatically - definitely in the direction of keeping the series going. This story builds the tension to what I felt was a spectacular ending. I'm already anticipating the next installment.

[Vedran Mavrović · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent sequel to the same setting (except the new location and people) and story (regarding the way it is told). But this time we also have - letters. :)
I don’t know if this is the new trand (reading the reviews of other writers I follow it seems it is), but I can’t get into it. I can, however, tell you who to blame:
Marguerite Yourcenar and Memoirs of Hadrian.
Simple as that. :) After reading that book I can’t look at the letters or retelling of events in the same way I used to. No one is writing dialog in their letters. I believe it is not the way an epistolary novel should be done.
But I will say that the parts with Autumn Lords were quite briliant. Very well written (if I close one eye to the letters).
Steven Pacey - amazing as always.
Will conclude with the 3rd part to see how the story ends.

[Jasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2015...

One of the books that blew me of my seat last year was definitely The Incorruptibles. It was one of my favorite debuts of 2014. I had never read or even heard of John Hornor Jacobs before... The strongest point of The Incorruptibles was definitely the whole world building and the two characters Fisk and Shoe at the lead. Now the wait was finally over with the release of the sequel to The Incorruptibles, Foreign Devils, which can also be read as an stand alone. This latter means that you do not necessarily need to have read book one, but why skip it?

Some time has passed between the first and second book, the precise timeframe was unclear for me. Anyway. The Vaetter are still hostile creatures but that isn't the only threat that is coming to the Ruman direction. Neighboring countries have set there eyes on invading Rume. So delegations have to be send on diplomatic missions to talk about new alliances... Here in every part of this you find one of the characters who we met in the first book. First and foremost you have Shoe and Fisk. Fisk has made some changes in his life, he has a wife Livia who he also has gotten pregnant. So a big change for him. Despite this, he and Shoe are still sent on a mission. A dangerous and very important mission there is a traitor on the loose and engineer that could cause the downfall of the Ruman Empire, it is up to Shoe and Fisk to catch this guy. With all the trouble brewing diplomatic missions are also required and because Cornelius is on the bad side of the Emperor he and his family are send to be the delegates. all this to the displeasure of Fisk of course. Because Livia is sent as well into the troubled waters, with Fisk's baby... So their roads are split.

For me Foreign Devils had a great utilization of the book in general. I liked how John Hornor Jacobs has set-up the storyline. The first part takes place with the whole party still intact, followed by the split-up. From here on the present story focuses on Fisk and Shoe and due to a clever invention, Fisk can still keep in contact with his loved one, though at a certain cost. Livia's storyline is told via the letters that Fisk receives. The somewhat alternating chapters kept a nice overall pacing in the book.

Once again the characters that really left a note were Fisk and Shoe, they are mercernaries at heart and aren't afraid to show this. Fisk is the more sensible one. Especially now that Livia is carrying his child. It was nice to see some barriers being slowly beginning to dissapear and see the more caring Fisk, who actually doesn't do the charge in guns a blazing thing anymore. Luckily there is still the counterpart of Fisk the Dvergar Shoe. Who favors that sort of action. Shoe to be honest leads the story a bit more than Fisk this time. I loved to read how well they cooperated. At some part during the story they do get separated and for a while have to rely on their own, this actually made the story that much more interesting, character learning wise.

Foreign Devils excels in the same bit that made The Incorruptibles so unique world building. Though there are similar elements that we see returning. The demons that are enslaved to do the bidding. They are in ships functioning as engines and even in guns. Yes guns. Brutal and powerful stuff I tell you. So what new things does the sequel bring? Well that of a world that is on the brink of war and with it John Hornor Jacobs lift that much more of the veil of his imagined world. The way that he does it is cleverly integrated in the storyline with the engineer that Fisk and Shoe has to find as well as what Livia has to do. Making it not seem as an infodump but more having that natural flowing feeling, great stuff.

So the verdict? Once again another winner. John Hornor Jacobs has written a worthy predescessor with Foreign Devils. It has the feeling that The Incorruptibles gave but also a lot of new stuff. Foreign Dievils can indeed be read as a stand alone, there is enough information given to enjoy the story directly but once again, why would you? John Hornor Jacobs has build an amazingly rich world with both lovable and hateable characters that is just downright awesome. Now I haven't even talked about the plotline that John Hornor Jacobs introduced with the engineer, this is so cool and creative, it's scary. Who can you still trust? Again another winner for me. John, keep up the good stuff!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was in no way as good as the first book. The pacing was off; there was a lot of telling rather than showing, and generally, not a lot happen. The characters move around alot but it almost edges on being pointless. My main issue with the book was actually Livia's letters. Nobody is going to go into so many details in a letter - especially not when the ink contains blood. If the author wanted to tell the story from Livia's point of view, it would have been better to just do so without the letters. I also just didn't particularly care about Livia's story - they're in a different country which doesn't really affect the current story of Fisk and Shoe who I personally consider the main characters. I'll likely still finish this trilogy since the third book isn't particulary long and because I like the world-building a lot.

[Joss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really like this world and it’s characters and the development of the main group. I’m starting the third book straight away bc I NEED to know what happens next.

I did like the first book more though and some parts of this were a real slog to get though. Using letters to get around the issue of the book being written in first person and the group being split up was clever - but it meant that a lot of the time I was just being told what had previously happened, and it only really picked up pace at the end.

Also Shoe says this and it made me sad :( “You can live your whole life on the outside and when you find yourself among those who should be your own, you’ll still be on the outside looking in”. So unnecessarily sad I just wanna be his friend

[Bogdan]

I liked the first volume, but this one didn`t get it`s grips on me.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The follow up to the Incorruptibles slows down the pace and cranks up the stakes. The purely Western journey of the first book is replaced by political intrigue, Far Eastern adventure, and one devastation after another.

The book is somewhat dissatisfying though, in that it's essentially just setting up the third book and so lacks any great resolution.

[Shane Kiely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expands on the "fantasy western set in an alternate steampunk Rome that never fell" elements of the first novel by throwing in lashings of Kung fu/wuxia action (clearly the third book will be set in a Hong Kong warehouse and feature balletic pistol duels and doves if it wants to complete the triple crown of action genres). There are multiple perspectives this time and the book finds a novel way of achieving this that makes good use of the world's unique take on steampunk established I the previous instalment. Highly readable and attention grabbing throughout, though the ending feels a slight bit signposted. Like most second books in a trilogy, it expands the world and the overarching plot but keeps the big cathartic pay off for the finale which I think is very well set up here. Look forward to seeing how it all pans out.

[Pandora Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

j'ai mis beaucoup de temps à le lire pour diverses raisons, du coup il y a des moments où j'ai eu du mal à me remettre dedans et quelques passages que j'ai trouvé un peu longs, mais quelle fin ! Plein de révélations et un méchant cliffhanger, je veux le tome trois... (qui ne doit pas être encore écrit :'( )

[James Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fucking awesome doesnt even begin to describe it. Seriously one of the best books I have read in a while, the whole ancient rome meets the wild west meets oriental chopsuey was very refreshing

[Carlos Henrique · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love so very much the flavor of this world, the mix of Rome and cowboys, the flair of demons and the small touch of horror. That been said, it's tough to ignore so many flaws.
The book commits pretty much every writing "cardinal sin"
- telling instead of showing (the book's lore is almost all told in conversations, specially during dinner);
- having too much fat (there's galore of "extra-type" characters that are named and described only to never be seen again, which only gets to clutter my mind with useless information);
- a important, almost main character just... Puufs out of existence in the later third.
- waaayy too many descriptions, interfering with the pacing;
- the Chinese representation that was aaallmoostt racist;
- conveniences after conveniences (and I do mean a lot. No, no, you don't get it, it's like "how many times Yugi cheated on Yu-Gi-Oh" a lot);
- a main character conveniently getting captured just so the story moves forward, which is a personal "favorite" of mine;
- and, of course, the cherry on top : the book main plot goes unresolved.


Seriously, I adore this setting and the idea, dare I say I love the ideal of the book - and do intend to comeback to finish the trilogy at some point - but.... Sheesh.

[Benj · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was very different, very good. A world where the Roman Empire still exists (the book is set in the year 2368 since the foundation of Rome i.e. 1885AD) and has conquered much of North America. Rather than the Industrial Revolution, this world is run by the harnessing of daemons, who (unwillingly) provide all motive power and also the force that drives bullets from guns.

One thing confused me - the main enemy (the Medeirans) appear to be the Spanish Empire in South and Central America, and yet Spain was an integral part of the Roman Empire. Perhaps I'm over-thinking this.

Also, the book is very badly in need of maps.

About two-thirds of the way through I realised that this is the sequel to a previous book, The Incorruptibles. I shall look that one out asap.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun sequel in this Roman Empire is the Age of Steam with demonology replacing technology and elves and dwarves replacing natives for the alternative universe European powers. It did seem that there was not a great deal to the story here though, and it was basically a bit of a forced plot in order to show off the Chinese part of the world. It makes me wonder if the next part will take place in Africa...

[Thomas J. Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

JHJ has a true talent for blending genres, characters, and worldbuilding, and wrapping it all in unique and compelling narrative. If the last book was Julius Caesar + The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly + The Lord of the Rings + Doctor Faustus, then Foreign Devils is all that + Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Don't ask me how it works, but it does. It's not just a bunch of novel ideas, either; it's a complete story, which strong characters and a twisting plot.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little action, lot of description

I went to this series after reading Southern Gods, this second book stalls and for me becomes laborious to read. Too much effort on describing surroundings i skipped a lot of paragraphs just to get back to a short story. Also a little overuse of obscure names, it became irritable as I progressed, as they provided little value when you could have just used a more "modern" term.

Too bad as I was hoping for a chance at more reading material.

[Fiona Park · Rating 1 out of 5]

A friend lent this to me. I only gave this book two chapters before putting it aside. Highly descriptive world building with less emphasis on the motivations of characters. I'd suggest that the target reader for this book is an older male with an interest in warfare and politics. However I see from the Goodreads title that it is number 2 in a series. Perhaps my mistake was not reading book 1 before opening this one.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could rate this higher because I do love many of the characters and the overall story remains compelling, however, I had some problems with this one. I didn't like the structure - too much of the story was told to us by the characters rather than feeling like it was happening. Also, there was an imbalance of descriptions to action as in not enough action - I found myself skimming many of the descriptions by the end. I will read the 3rd book though.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps this entry suffers from being the middle book of a trilogy. I found myself skipping entire paragraphs that only described rooms, hallways, etc...in excruciating detail. I thought that bogged down this book. The meat of the story though was pretty good, enough that I'll finish the trilogy.

[Jeff Frane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly a middle book, with an ending that will send the reader gnashing teeth to take up the third book in the series. It is at least as wickedly-paced and inventive as The Incorruptibles and why John Hornor Jacobs is not more widely-read and dripping with awards as he should be is an evil mystery.

[John Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the one hand, hopping-vampire-elves who might also eat people.
On the other hand...
There is no need for another hand. This series is just the fucking best. Steampunk demon guns and Roma Mater for the win again.
A good, solid second entry in a series that's really fun.

[Ben Brackett · Rating 1 out of 5]

The decline in story telling from the first in this series was like falling off a cliff. Characters radically altered for no reason, a story arc was told like a child who read about a new country for the first time, just really disappointingly terrible.

[Nakul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as engaging as the first book but a v good read. Pace became slower than first book and I got a bit irritated by the constant referral to the Ruman calendar without any glossary to put days / dates in context.

[Derek Slattery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

[Jim Delity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5

[Justin Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I found this so much less engaging than the first installment, but by the time it was done, I was more than ready to move on.

[Kelvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable. Love these characters