Not my usual cup of tea, though the description was intriguing enough that I took a chance on this book. An incredible opening chapter that promised a bizarre world and some wild stakes, but then got lost in what I felt was a deluge of hit-or-miss worldbuilding, side characters, and a plot I just couldn't get my head around.

I loved Spite House, but it seems like maybe I'm just not the audience for this type of story.

** Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advanced readers copies in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own**

I loved this author's debut work, and this has a very different feel from their previous book. This I would argue is fantasy horror as there is vampires or demons that act like gods. I felt this story to be really slow which took me out of the story at times. I really appreciated how much folklore, myth and vampiric history is incorporated into the story. The author talks about his research in the author's note at the end. The vampires were portrayed in less stereotypical ways which made them feel more unique. What prevented me from loving this story were the characters. I didn't feel connected to our MC Sarita at all and I didn't care about the side characters. I found myself just reading for the vampire lore. This is definitely horror, there is a lot of gore and descriptive gore in this book. If you didn't enjoy this author's previous work, I would recommend trying this one as its very different in tone, vibes and story.

This book starts off with a fantastic and bloody bang that really sets the tone for an exciting read ahead, then unfortunately gets super boring for kind of a long time. I must have completely forgotten that the synopsis says that this is a vampire book, because I didn't really know where it was going until close to the 30% mark where an obvious vampire shows up and hooked me again. I loved everything after that. It's interesting because it seems like a few other people had the exact opposite feelings, but I really struggled to maintain any interest during the much slower beginning. Johnny Compton is great at writing interesting characters, but the lore he created with his vampires is wild and really interesting and was definitely my favorite part. There is a lot going on, but I didn't find it at all hard to follow, and really loved the pulpiness of it. It took me more than a week to get through that first part, then I ran through the rest in about a day, so despite the pacing issues at the start, I really enjoyed it. It's super violent and really fun. After this and the Spite House, I'm definitely going to be looking out for whatever Compton next.

Johnny Compton proves once again he is a MASTERFUL storyteller!

Devils Kill Devils started out as such a mystery to me. It was seemingly full of a colorful cast of characters all with various backstories and motives. Sarita in particular was such a conundrum to me because I couldn't figure out whether or not I was going to actually LIKE her. However, at about the 25% mark of this book, everything takes a twist for the rather unexpected and that was when I knew I was HOOKED. This story does indeed follow Sarita and her mysterious protector since birth. The machinations that seem to revolve around these seemingly simple plot points just created a story that I could not put down.

As I mentioned, this book takes a minute (medium-paced) to built the setting and to truly frame the world. However, when you meet the mysterious woman in red..... ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. I really wish that I could put into words just how spectacularly this set up. Each character's story follows a full arc and I just really enjoyed how Compton wove these stories together. I just told a story in the way that Stephen King crafts his novels. Each seemingly random piece of information becomes useful eventually.

I cannot say enough good things about this story and I know readers are going to devour this! Mark my words, Johnny Compton is an author you need to keep your eye on! This is perfect for fans of Fever House & The Devil By Name by Keith Rosson!

This started off so amazing--like, blew my mind. Just imagine if you had a guardian angel but he turned out to be a demon. Then the story got really odd with vampires and gods and prophecies. Just very bizarre and seemed to stray so far from the beginning. The ending does tie everything together and kind of made sense. Lots of gore in this and sadness too. Spoilers ahead. Poor Tori! I thought she was such an interesting character and thought she would have had a bigger impact. Everette was pretty cool. Sarita, the main character, was incredibly dull. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Unlikely characters, slow, not fun at all. There was nothing here for me and I slogged the whole way through it as if it was a chore to just get to the end of this book.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

Johnny Compton’s latest, Devils Kill Devils, ups the spooky ante from his previous novel, Spite House. This time, we dive into a world of angels, demons, vampires, and ancient wonders, leaving you questioning who the real villains are. Are the angels truly the devils?

Sarita, the main character, navigates complex relationships and immense trauma as she fights to save her family—and possibly all of humanity. Her journey through this morally ambiguous world is both harrowing and thought-provoking. Compton masterfully blurs the lines between good and evil, making you reconsider your assumptions about these ancient beings.

With its chilling atmosphere and richly detailed mythos, Devils Kill Devils is a must-read for horror fans. Compton keeps you hooked with suspense and dark beauty, proving once again he’s a powerhouse in the genre.

This one wasn't for me. I think the story ended up falling flat because there were too many different elements that seemed to come together in the end in a rushed way. It's an interesting concept overall, but I was not very invested in the characters.

'd read and mostly enjoyed Compton's Spite House, which started strong and lost a lot of its propulsion at the halfway mark. I was hoping to enjoy Devils Kill Devils even more, but unfortunately this one was incomprehensible nearly off the bat despite an appealing protagonist. Too many POVs, too many internal trains of thought that never go anywhere, and every chapter or so is a quick little interlude designed to make the reader go "what"? Well, it did exactly that for me - but never became clear. This is just a classic case of Too Much, unfortunately - it was truly astounding how much this one dragged despite the modest page count. A disappointment for me on every level - I LOVE Southern gothic literature, and this just did not work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for my copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

“Devils Kill Devils” promises a unique kind of vampire story with angels. I was so excited for this one, especially when I finished that opening chapter. SO GOOD. But it’s basically downhill from there. The author, Johnny Compton, made the interesting choice to use stream of consciousness and it was certainly a choice! Others really liked it judging from the positive reviews, but I was not a fan. I normally love that style of storytelling (hello to dear Miss Woolf) but it just does not work here. Not for me. The usage just led to A LOT of pages and pages of meandering narrative that served no narrative purpose in the book’s grand scheme of things. Additionally, it just really killed any good pace set by the opening chapter. And there’s so much time spent on telling us how the impact of the monsters that it resulted in dull and lifeless characters. I mean, truly, I was dead bored reading this and I’m normally really into stories like this. Genuinely, I think this would have worked better in a shorter format like a novella. It just really seemed like Compton was writing a paper and trying to hit the word minimum. They could have used a much more attentive editor to trim the 70% of useless bits from this.

Overall, not for me.

With an opening chapter like this banger, I thought I was going to be in for one hell of a ride.

I don't know what kind of ride this was but it was certainly...bumpy?

Some chapters dragged on so much that I forgot I was reading and my eyes were just grazing over the words.

But then there would be an amazing chapter between those that was action packed and kept my attention. Packed with gore and blood and all the stuff horror lovers expect to read from a vampire novel.

I will say I was confused for a lot of this book. I thought the different take on vampires was very cool but the designed religion in it was too convoluted. Multiple names for characters did not help this.

The lack of dialogue in most chapters made it feel super sluggish. I also didn't feel much emotion from any of the characters given the horrendous deaths they witnessed.

Were there some awesome scenes with scary monsters? Yes! But it definitely dipped closer to fantasy in some aspects, like other reviewers have mentioned.

The oddest part is, I didn't hate. I just didn't love it.

The story opens with our main character, Sarita, witnessing her husband's brutal murder. His murderer is someone she has trusted with her life up until now - her guardian angel. Sarita is determined to figure out why this happened.
From the beginning of this story I was gripped, I needed to know more about her guardian angel and his motives. The direction this story takes I could have never predicted and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The vampire elements were very unique and different from the typical vampires you read about, which kept this story fresh. I did find it lost me a little in the second half with all of the new characters and history introduced. Overall an enjoyable read!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book. Thank you, Netgalley!

Unfortunately, this did not live up to my expectations. I loved the Spite House, but this book felt so different.

There is nothing that I would say was wrong with this book, it just wasn't for me.

I didn't expect this book to feel so different from his previous book. If I didn't know better, I'd never have guessed it was the same author.

Just my personal opinion and feelings. Would still recommend for those interested in checking out this story.

Thank you first off to Netgalley and Tor for the early access to Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton!
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This book started off with a bang and sadly I really never got that thrill again. I liked the idea of a new type of vampire story and the prose was phenomenal, but what took me out of the story was how much was told in exposition rather than actually happening on the page. This story has many points of view and very little dialogue. Many of the points of view are told through streams of consciousness with very little actually being said out loud. The actual style of writing did have me reread sections occasionally.
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When the violence and the action happened though, I was completely there and wanting more. But more time was spent on world building and with it being under 300 pages it seems the story had to be rushed at times. I did enjoy parts of this story and I do think many people will find it works for them, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. 2.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Unfortunate DNF! The concept seemed interesting but I just couldn't get past the writing style.

Sarita has always had a guardian angel watching over her, but when that angel commits a horrific act, Sarita is forced to confront the darkness that has been lurking in the shadows. In Devils Kill Devils, author Johnny Compton tells a fast-paced, unrelenting and a heart-pounding thrill ride of a novel.

Johnny Compton's writing in Devils Kill Devils is extremely violent and intense, creating a sense of urgency that propels the story forward at a fast pace. Compton expertly weaves together elements of horror, suspense, and supernatural intrigue to create a truly gripping tale that had us quickly turning the page.

Devils Kill Devils is not only a graphic and violent horror story it explores grief and revenge. Sarita's journey is driven by her desire for justice and her need to confront her own inner demons. As she delves deeper into the darkness surrounding her, she discovers a strength within herself that she never knew existed.

Compton's writing style in Devils Kill Devils is distinctly different from his previous work, The Spite House, of which we are huge fans. With this novel, he demonstrates his versatility as a writer and his ability to tackle different styles of horror with equal skill. Fans of The Spite House may be surprised by the darker tone and more intense action in this book, but they will undoubtedly be impressed by Compton's skillful storytelling and vivid imagination.

Additionally, Compton's vampires are a unique creation that set themselves apart from others in vampire style novels. They are part creature, part human, part animal and are wonderfully described.

Devils Kill Devils is a pulse-pounding thriller and a solid followup novel to The Spite House. Johnny Compton has crafted a thrilling and terrifying tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. It has compelling characters, gripping plot twists, and graphic horror that is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who dares to dive in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Johnny Compton delivers a fantastic followup to The Spite House. Bold, original and fresh! Angels, devils, vampires. This story was a monstrously good time. Highest recommendation.

I want to thank NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the e-arc that made this review possible.

This is different for those expecting something like The Spite House. Mr. Compton shows that he can take on entirely different styles of horror. Devils Kill Devils is a slow-burn, almost gothic take on the vampire trope featuring a strong female lead and plenty of gore.

There has been a resurgence in vampire novels lately, and each one brings something new. Mr. Compton’s vampires are complex, more animal than human, and all-around badass.

Devils Kill Devils suffers from some pacing issues. That said, it’s a worthy read, especially for fans of vampire tales. Devils Kill Devils will hit your favorite book retailer on 9/24/24. I rate this novel 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

I am a fan of Johnny Compton. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone I know. If you read this, go and get this book. It is so good.

[received an arc from tor publishing group, thank you!]

not really for me! started off with a bang, then unfortunately suffered from meandering pacing and stream of consciousness that kept the book from maintaining the tempo it needed to keep me engaged. this book struggled to balance its elements and often spent too long lingering on reactions and internal musings--i felt as though the author wanted to elevate the impact of the monsters through how much people weren't able to comprehend or contend with them, but the gimmick began to drag after the third or fourth time.