September 2026 Group Read #1 - The Devils by Joe Abercrombie > Likes and Comments

Our first group read is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. Please remember to use page numbers/chapters when discussing and put any potential plot spoilers in spoiler tags.
< spoiler>text text text< /spoiler> but without the spaces after the <

Page 89 of 551, chapter 12, Empress or Death

(view spoiler)[ Holy crap what a fight scene. Was not expecting to see a freaking werewolf come out of that wagon. Or animal human hybrids. (hide spoiler)]

I just got this and holy moly this is a HUGE book! I had no idea! Lol

@lupe

I’ve been reading it for two days, and I’m normally a fast reader. I have it on kindle. Like, how am I only 18% and I’m on part 2?!

Sounds like a marathon, the the plot sounds interesting. I'll give it a go.

Page 282 of 551

(view spoiler)[If Sunny dies, Im going to be so upset. (hide spoiler)]

I read this a while back and I enjoyed it! It's very much fantasy Suicide Squad. I liked the action and the characters were pretty interesting. I did read this a bit after Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, and I thought it was very similar it's overall feel. However, The Devils was a lot more campy and actiony while Between Two Fires was more scary and super unsettling. I'll definitely see the movie for The Devils whenever that's out!

Anastasiya wrote: "I read this a while back and I enjoyed it! It's very much fantasy Suicide Squad. I liked the action and the characters were pretty interesting. I did read this a bit after Between Two Fires by Chri..."

Have you read the second one?

Just finished the book and really enjoyed it. Reminded me of Christopher Buehlman at first, sort of a cross between Between Two Fires and Blacktongue Thief. But the resemblance fades the deeper you get into the story, and it becomes something entirely its own. The big showdowns get somewhat formulaic and same-y after awhile (maybe three brothers instead of four would’ve been better?), and the ending doesn’t really make you feel like anything’s changed, world- or characterwise. The entire journey is super fun though.

I'm having trouble sticking with this one. The writing style just isn't grabbing me.

I have made it like 20 pages in...and I'm already not into it. Please tell me it get better?

It is a slow read in the beginning. But it does get better.

Melissa wrote: "It is a slow read in the beginning. But it does get better."

That's reassuring. I'll try to push through. Another book has captured my attention at the mo so it's easy to neglect group reads.

My library actually 15 physical copies of it! But I was still #7 on the wait list. lol

But I'm ready to start this one. Will be my first Abercrombie book.

I made it through the first part. I found it difficult to read. There's a plethora of juvenile jokes about bodily functions and excretions in here that detract from the story (which gets lost in JA's obsession with a child's first creation). Freud would probably have loved to get JA on his couch.

🧐🧐🧐

This is really unpleasant stuff. Haven't thought about DNFing a book in a long time but I'll get through it.

I started this earlier in the year and was struggling to get through it. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a part that gripped you?

I don't hate it or anything, it just felt a bit dense for where I was at mentally (ADHD and such).

A vampire, a werewolf, a necromancer, an elf, and immortal knight and a jack-of-all-trades swordswoman walk into a bar (in Troy)...

I won't be hanging around for the puchline.

I actually like the humor - I am listening to this on audiobook and the narrator is fantastic. That being said, this book is definitely a journey, and like any journey, there's enjoyable parts and parts that are rougher to get through. I'm about 40% of the way through and am enjoying it for the most part.

Amanda wrote: "I started this earlier in the year and was struggling to get through it. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a part that gripped you?

I don't hate it or anything, it just felt a bit dense ..."

Good description. I haven't been able to bring myself back to it. :(

You guys. Get the audiobook. Amazing.

Just finished this, it felt hard to get into at first but I found after the first 200 pages I was starting to enjoy it and by the end I liked it a lot.

It is definitely a slow burn.

Perhaps the real question is not, “Who is the Devil?” but rather, “Where does the line between a human and a Devil truly end?”
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished this book last month and had a good time with it. I found the humour a little jarring at first, particularly because he seems to find repetition funny and I don’t… Ha. However, it did grow on me and the characters are unforgettable (particularly Vigga). Very much looking forward to the sequel.

Is this novel typical of Abercrombie’s work? I haven’t read anything else. I kind of thought it would be a little darker, to be honest.

Hope everyone enjoys it!

I tried to read the audiobook of this and had to stop…I could not pay attention of the life of me. I thought it was the narrator? But it seems I’m not the only one who struggled 😖

I wanted to like it so badly, maybe I’ll try later on

I ended up really liking this one. Maybe I'm immature, or spent too much time watching Arrested Development, but the humor worked for me. Loved the audiobook. Will definitely check out the sequel.

Djamilla wrote: "Just finished the book and really enjoyed it. Reminded me of Christopher Buehlman at first, sort of a cross between Between Two Fires and Blacktongue Thief. But the resemblance fades the deeper you..."

This is pretty much how I felt about it too.
I think one common thread between them is the black humor. (Especially in Blacktongue Thief.)
Which reminds me that I need to read the third book ASAP. (I have an ARC that I haven't started yet.)

Janke wrote: "I finished this book last month and had a good time with it. I found the humour a little jarring at first, particularly because he seems to find repetition funny and I don’t… Ha. However, it did gr..."

Hehehe, Vigga cracked me the hell up!

I loved it! I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was great. Now I have high hopes for book two.

Unfortunately, it was just not for me. I ended up DNF'ing and turned it back into the library. I'm glad so many enjoyed it though!

Well, this was a terrific read. Great action, plot twists dramatic irony and vivid characters. Really flawless stuff and quite friendly to non-fantasy readers. It's not long by the standards of the genre and the genealogies and politics are not complex to follow. Nice comedic writing too.

I loved this too. I am patiently waiting for the next one.