A Book Review: The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
The elves are coming to eat the humans…
Joe Abercrombie is back with a darkly fun, historical fantasy novel that is the first installment in a brand new series. It has all the trappings of an Abercrombie novel that we have come to know and love—fast-paced action sequences, deliciously dark humor, and top notch character work.
In a fantasy version of medieval Europe, the western and eastern churches have split over matters of theology, famine and plague haunt the land and the false Empress has recently died, leaving a power vacuum that her four sons are competing to fill by whatever ruthless means necessary. Oh, and the flesh-eating elves are waiting just beyond the borders to devour the humans. Pope Benedicta, in an attempt to combat the coming apocalypse and establish her puppet empress in Troy, commissions Brother Diaz to lead a motley crew of monsters to see a thief-turned-princess safely ensconced on the throne. Brother Diaz's "congregation" consists of a vampire, an elf, a werewolf, a knight, a pirate, and a sorcerer--er, magician of the dark arts. As they embark on their journey across the continent, monsters of a different sort pursue The Devils and chaos and mayhem ensue.
The Devils might be Abercrombie's most plot heavy book to date--spanning four total parts and approximately 560 pages--he really packs in a lot of action. The action sequences are the exquisite bloodbaths that you would expect from Joe--and he gives you just enough time to catch your breath before we're whisked to a new location, with new enemies and more death and gore. At times, this can be a bit jarring as a reader, but it's oh so much fun, and as a result, easily overlooked.
When it comes to character work, Abercrombie once again proves why he is one of the best. While he doesn't give us quite the character depth that we are accustomed to from his series set in the First Law universe, every character still has a remarkably unique voice. Even the most minor characters leave a lasting impression. One thing I found interesting, and was even a little disappointed by, was the fact that we don't get a POV from every member of the Church of the Holy Expediency--a couple of characters are noticeably left out in this regard. There is one in particular I would have loved to get inside their head--as terrifying as that might have been.
One of the overarching themes in the novel is that of redemption—is it possible to overcome previous bad deeds by trying to do the right thing or will the terrible things you’ve done always define you? And while all the characters are the morally gray, self-serving kind we should expect from Joe, many do attempt to do “the right thing” even if it doesn’t always work out. And let’s be honest, this is a typical Joe novel, so characters trying to do the right thing rarely works out. While every member of The Devils congregation has their endearing qualities, far and away my favorite was practitioner of the dark arts, Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi, one of the top three necromancers in all of Europe (self-proclaimed). I eagerly anticipated each of his POVs—his disdain for the rest of the group gave me life. Speaking of the group, another theme explored in The Devils is that of the found family and sense of belonging. At times, these themes were expressed in the most poignant of moments, leaving me deep in my emotions.
Overall, I found The Devils to be a darkly funny, wildly fast, and furiously action-packed ride. The character work from Joe does not disappoint and is the nexus linking all the elements of the novel. If you are a fan of the First Law series, this new book will not disappoint. I look forward to the next installment in this series. Please leave me a comment below and let me know if you plan on reading this book when it comes out next year.
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for sending me an arc of The Devils in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: 4.5/5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Publish date: May 6th, 2025 by Gollancz & Tor Books
