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!
.
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.
.
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.

This was such an in depth tale of good vs evil, definitely a slow burn…starts with a bang then you get the whole picture bit by bit. Seems crazy to me that this author write Spite House as this is a completely different novel. So kudos to the author for their creative imagining in a totally different direction from his previous novel. Loved this tale, seemed highly realistic while reading & you care so much for the characters within that it drives you mad with wonder how it’ll end. Loved it. Beautifully written.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton
My rating: 3.5 Stars
Themes: Vampires, Gore, Blood, Body Horror

When I received this ARC to review, I expected to read a story about demons/ devils and angels, but in fact, what I found myself reading was much more interesting than that. Compton's vampires are a unique creation- part vampire, part demon, part animal, part otherworldly. The vampires Compton has created are best described as animalistic, indiscriminate violent killing machines, as opposed to partially human/ formerly human versions of vampires we are used to seeing.

If you are a fan of unique stories, vampires, violent/ gory horror, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire/ Tor Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of Devils Kill Devils to read and review.

Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC
Unfortunately I found this largely dull and confusing. Maybe I will revisit the story later.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I liked the beginning of this book and the general premise I found to be really interesting. There were so many different supernatural creatures thrown in which made things interesting. Unfortunately, there were also so many different supernatural creatures and wild elements thrown in and it sometimes made things a bit convoluted. I can see where the author was going for this, and I enjoyed where it was going, but I didn't love the execution. There were just too many moving parts for me and I was honestly just confused for some of this book. This was ambitious and interesting but it just didn't fully work for me.

Big thank you to Tor and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!

That first chapter had me. I was totally drawn in. But then after that it slowly fell apart for me. I was confused much of the time. Confused what the things were, why they did what they did, what the church was, why the prophecy was made, how they could be defeated and then what happened in the end. There were parts that I just couldn't focus on because it was too much talking but still not giving answers. There were parts that was full of action and suspense and I was sucked back in again. Overall, I finished feeling confused for most of the read.

I had a tough go with this one. I found the first half to be very slow and I almost gave up on it but then it finally started giving information on what exactly these creatures were and their history; SLIGHT SPOILERS
.
.
.
.
Some of these vampires/demigods/demons are using humans as pawns to fulfill a prophecy and ignite a war between humans and vampires.

I found this to be more of a dark fantasy than horror novel. And I actually preferred the vampire characters and their stories to that of the humans. I would have loved to learn more about the creature "Z" and his backstory. The human characters all seemed pretty mundane to me, including Sarita who's grief for her husband didn't feel believable to me.

This book would probably appeal to someone who enjoys dark fantasy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. I have voluntarily left a review.