The Devils was my first Joe Abercrombie book, and I had no idea what to expect—but wow, I loved every second of it. The writing is sharp, the humor is dark and perfectly timed, and the pacing kept me locked in from start to finish. It’s clever, bold, and wildly entertaining in all the best ways. I found myself grinning, gasping, and fully along for the ride. If this is what Abercrombie brings to the table, I can’t wait to dive into more of his work. What a fantastic introduction.

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up

This wasn’t quite what I was expecting when I picked up the next Abercrombie novel but it was a fun time. If you’re in mood for action-packed episodic adventure with a misfit crew…here you go. It felt like if you took the toungue-in-cheek nature of the Suicide Squad and gave it the campy aesthetic and vibes of Van Helsing that would be this book. This story would be PHENOMENAL as a movie or TV series, but in book form it was good but not great. In typical Abercombie fashion, though, the characters all have distinct and fun personalities so going on adventures with them was a good time. I will say that you won’t get to the actual meta plot until more than halfway in to the book, so just be aware going in the first half will be just random adventures.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review via NetGalley.

Fun characters! Fun plot points! But overly long.

The episodic nature of the quest adventure would have been so much better in tv show format, for me personally. Each new little side quest/adventure just dragged on for far too long. The first one, at the inn, was fine. But after that each one was about 5 chapters too long for my personal taste.

And the characters were entertaining, but for some reason they got a bit tedious. Probably because of the pacing issues I had. It felt like it took FOREVER to finally get to Troy.

I kind of like where we left off though, so I MIGHT pick up the sequel to see how I fare with it. But I also might not. It'll depend on if it's just a rinse & repeat New Quest Times plot. If it looks like that's what it will be, then I will definitely pass. Unless the sequel is 400 pages or less. 600+ pages of episodic quest adventures again... no thanks.

The lead foot applied to The Devils presses pedals with no concern of launching an exploded engine out of the hood. That fact could make it your favorite fantasy book of the year or have you reaching for the door to fling yourself out.

Worlds better than The Suicide Squad, but the comparison must be made, a princess is pulled from the slums and a ragtag group that includes a monk, an oversexed werewolf, an elf, a vampire, a sorcerer, and a knight, is commissioned by The Pope is to transport her to The Holy City. Characters are elegantly developed, interact with expertly-timed grace or hostility, and even as the plot is paced to exhaustion it is loaded with innovative flourishes.

This is a dialogue-driven story, but it too never drops below redline levels of quips and sarcastic humor. Most of the jokes hit but they can overwhelm and make one not take the book too seriously. Again, perhaps that is a strength. It left my brow soaked and a longing for lemon water and a fainting chair.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for a review copy.

The tone is humorous, the setting hits all my favorite spots: action, paranormal, fantasy, horror, and mischief. Anyone looking for a good read? I would recommend easily to everyone c:

I really thought I was going to like this book. Like I 100% figured this would have been at least a 4-star book, and I spent about 20% of the book feeling like it was a five-star read.

But then it was all downhill from there.

The biggest issue is that the characters are all one-note with very little character development. Maybe Abercrombie is saving that for the sequel? All I know is that here they barely change.

I also didn't like the humor in this book. It was just TOO MUCH. Every emotional moment was wrecked by a joke a third-grader MIGHT appreciate.

I think a lot of people will love the Suicide Squad setup used in this story, and I can guarantee this will be in many Fantasy readers' Top 10 of 2025. For me, it just didn't work at all, and I'm very disappointed.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Epic Fantasy
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 13, 2025
📖 560 pages

🛡 Multiple POV
🩸 Elves, Imps, Witches
🛡 Epic Journey
🩸 Found Family
🛡 Vulgar & Hilarious

Vulgar, hilarious, and at times, devastating. The Devils is written so beautifully. I loved the characters, all of whom have the biggest personalities. I loved Vigga, in particular, because she felt almost ridiculous and all of her dialogue made me giggle. Reading this gave me Suicide Squad vibes (ie, a group of "bad guys" doing a job under the supervision of "good guys" due to an oath).

Perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, but with a bit more edge, The Devils is a must read epic fantasy!

Thank you so much, Tor/Forge and NetGalley, for the digital review copy!

PG-16 ⚠️ use of g**d***, profanity, gore, violence, suggestive dialogue,

Kudos to Joe Abercrombie for serving up my favorite fantasy read of 2025 - so far! THE DEVILS is giving me everything I look for in epic fantasies - phenomenal atmosphere, pulse-pounding action, and a hilarious ragtag team of characters that will forever take up real estate in my brain. This gang of sinners includes a monk, knight, elf, vampire, thief, werewolf and necromancer. Their dangerous and deadly mission is to deliver a new Empress from the Sacred City to Troy, while still remaining in one piece. I love all of these characters for different reasons, but Vigga the Scandinavian werewolf is hands down my favorite - she makes such an entrance, and her presence on the page is potent throughout. One of Abercrombie's greatest strengths is infusing unforced and naturally funny banter, which only makes you fall in love with them that much more. Found family is a 10/10 here.

The story arcs are so delicious, and our cast mates find themselves in completely different emotional states by the end of the novel. It's so cute to see the budding friendships and romances within the group, so there's a little bit of everything for everyone. This is a network of hardened creatures that have a difficult time trusting others, so seeing them bring down their walls for each other makes me squee with joy! The religious commentary is quite interesting, and makes for a fun fantasy backdrop because religious iconography is unto itself a magic system and fantasy of its own. It's cool to see real European atmospheres incorporated into the settings, while Joe infuses his magical lore into these locations. God, I want to go to Italy.

Thank you Joe for humanizing these "monsters", and showing us that the worst abominations can make the best allies. There's a plethora of life lessons provided that don't feel didactic, but flow and further emphasize his excellent command of language and storytelling. Some important reminders and or lessons that these "devils" taught me:

- Life's painful enough without getting in your own way.
- Smile while you can, the world will kick you in the balls soon enough.
- Why worry about what you can't change?
- If you wait until everything’s perfect, you’ll never do anything.
- We can elect scam artists into positions of power.
- Devils can do God's work.
- Transformation is a part of life, frightening, but necessary.

A very special thanks to Tor and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I won't stop gushing over this one! I am SAT for book two, and can't wait to see where this story takes us, especially after that last chapter! This is admittedly my first time reading Abercrombie's work, and it will certainly not be my last. No wonder he's so revered by the fantasy community!

This was my first Joe Abercrombie experience and what a ride it was! The characters were phenomenal; they were well developed and interesting. It was humorous and action packed and overall enjoyable

The Devils was actually my first foray into Joe Abercrombie's writing. I really enjoyed the history-adjacent fantastical Europe where plague and famine are taking hold has monsters lurk in every shadow. It's a gritty grimdark tale that looks at the soul, faith, redemption, hope, and found family. The rambunctious cast of character were fascinating and funny; I don't know that an author has besot me quite so fully with such flawed characters, but I really enjoyed the whole thing, and in many ways found it very fun and exciting. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the eARC!

After pushing through the 100 pages, I set this novel aside. The humor felt forced, ricocheting from one gag to the next. Plot threads tangled instead of intertwining, leaving me scrambling to remember who was where and why. Stylistic whimsy can work wonders, but here it drowned out the story.

What an absolute romp of a book! I loved The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. The ambitious Brother Diaz is called before a Cardinal and given the most unorthodox task of leading the little-known "Chapel of Holy Expediency" to deliver the rightful princess of Troy to her throne. His congregation, while not lacking in variety of personalities, consists of members who are neither entirely human nor holy in the church's eyes.

This was a blast. This was my first foray into Joe Abercrombie's work, and I really enjoyed his take on a ragtag bunch of misfits who encounter misfortune after misfortune. The humor was dry and never overdone, and you absolutely fell in love with these imperfect, morally questionable characters. (I would kill a man for Sunny.)

This was my first Joe Abercrombie, and I'd heard things about his writing and I have to say his character work are worldbuilding are, in fact, top notch. He fleshed out a fully believable version of the Medieval ages in just a few chapters.
I think that fans of Abercrombie will like this one a lot, I can see the potential. However, overall there was way too much crass humor for me, and after the first few they didn't land. I get that this lot is full of unorthodox, not the good guy, horny, uncouth misfits, but I didn't need that to be the primary focus of some characters dialogue. Multiple times a page is a little much for me, and it made it hard to stay focused on the story while trying to get the joke to land.
I think I'll try Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, because like I said, the magic is there, I just don't know that this was the one to convince me to love him.

The devil is in the details, and every one of them is bloody brilliant. The Devils is looking like a contender for one of my favorite books of the year. Not only does The Devils break new ground outside the familiar turf of The First Law universe, it somehow manages to carry that signature Abercrombie edge while building something wholly fresh, gloriously chaotic, and sneakily heartfelt.

“If there’s a secret . . .” “it’s to never be shy about asking the question, and never fear what the answer will be, and waste no tears over the refusals, and clutch with both hands at any flicker of warmth that can be clawed from the uncaring darkness of existence.”

Set in a warped version of late medieval Europe on the verge of collapse, The Devils introduces a continent ravaged by plague, famine, and political rot. Oh, and elves are real. Terrifying, otherworldly, and very hungry. As the world teeters toward oblivion, the fractured Church and scattered kingdoms are too busy backstabbing each other to notice the real threat creeping in from the dark. So what’s the grand plan to save it all?

Put a thief on the throne of Troy. Specifically, Alex, a cynical, silver-tongued rogue who would rather be anywhere else than playing politics or dodging assassins. To get her there, the Church assigns Brother Diaz, a mild-mannered monk who’s all wide eyes and good intentions. He’s also the only one mad (or desperate) enough to lead a group of magically bound convicts—the titular Devils—through war zones, haunted forests, collapsing cities, and literal hellfire to make it happen. And this is where the book really takes off.

“The Church is not that keen on God, in my experience,” said Baron Rikard. “They think of him much as a lawyer thinks of the law. Something to be got around.”

The Devils are the heart of this story. Each one is a ticking time bomb with a backstory soaked in blood and regret. There's Jakob the Thorn, an exhausted knight whose chivalry is just barely keeping his rage in check. Baptiste the pirate, driven more by guilt than greed. Sunny, the invisible elf who just wants to be liked. Vigga the werewolf, whose hunger is matched only by her dry sense of humor and confidence. The Baron, a polite and well-spoken vampire you absolutely do not want to cross. And of course, Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi, a flamboyant necromancer whose ego is somehow both unbearable and completely deserved. Vigga and Sunny are new all-time favorite characters.

They’re all bound by magical oaths to follow Diaz and protect Alex, but Abercrombie doesn’t just use that as a gimmick. He digs into what it means to be forced into redemption. To fight for something better when you’ve already lost everything. These are broken people trying to claw back pieces of their humanity—and sometimes failing spectacularly. Think found family on a quest but dark.

The plot barrels forward in four big acts, each explosive, beautifully choreographed action set pieces. Whether it’s a desperate ambush in a crumbling monastery, a surreal journey through plague-devastated Venice, or a final siege that rivals anything Abercrombie’s ever written, the momentum never falters. There’s political maneuvering, religious zealotry, ancient magic, and just the right amount of deeply sarcastic commentary on all of it. And yet, what really got me was the emotional undercurrent. For all the grit and carnage, The Devils has soul. You start to care about this blood-soaked crew. You root for Alex not because she’s some chosen one (she’s absolutely not), but because she keeps trying.

“We are all the prisoners of our own flaws.”

If you’re here for the usual Abercrombie flavor—razor-sharp dialogue, moral ambiguity, characters who feel like they’ve lived ten lifetimes—you’ll get all of that and more. But The Devils adds something new to his arsenal: hope. Not cheesy or clean-cut, but messy, hard-won hope.
So yes, I adored this book. I devoured it. And I’m already dreading how long I’ll have to wait for the next one. Pre-order it. Tattoo it on your soul. Whatever you need to do—just don’t miss this one.

Give me that cozy, found family except everyone is incredibly murderous.

Sweet Saint Beatrix, The Devils was so much fun!! It was an absolute rip-roaring adventure from page 1 and has that classic Abercrombie grim dark feel.

Brother Diaz finds himself a new job - escorting a thief turned princess to Troy to retake the throne and become empress. And for protection? How about a group of devils enslaved by the church. What could go wrong with a werewolf, vampire, magician, elf, and undead knight?

Abercrombie’s character work is always top notch and this is no exception, although I would say these characters definitely don’t take themselves too seriously. There’s a more lighthearted tone to this work with more added humour among the viscera.

I adore Abercrombie’s character work! He could write the most objectively unlikable characters and I would still read a trilogy about them. The found family in this band of “monsters” is so fun and I felt such genuine fear any time they were approached. The fights were brutal and gory to the point where I would start to feel sick. This is what the standard for grimmdark fantasy should be.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first foray into Joe Abercrombie's work, and I was not disappointed. I have always heard good things, and some of his other books have been on my TBR for a hot minute, but something about the description of this one really hooked me. The Devils is the first of a new series, The Devils, and is a vicious good time!

The story is set in an alternate medieval Europe where Brother Diaz is summoned to the Sacred City for a new assignment. It turns out not to exactly be what he was hoping for, though. It seems he is now in charge of the Chapel of Holy Expediency, which is a dark, disowned branch of the Church full of murderers, and monsters including a werewolf and a necromancer. Together this rag-tag group must escort a princess across the continent to her new throne unharmed. But they will face other monsters along the way who want to kill her and taker her throne.

There is A LOT going on in this book, but it is an absolute blast to read. There are multiple POVs in the book, and each chapter has a distinctive voice. There are also lots of fun twists and turns (and tantalizing hooks) throughout the 500-pg adventure, and the foreshadowing is top notch. And there's plenty of violence! I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy!

If you love fantasy novels and are looking for your next big fantasy read, look no further! The Devils will take you on a truly dark and gritty wild ride!

I will definitely be recommending this one!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Books, and Tor Publishing Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Devils on May 13, 2025.

God damn it, was this a fantastic start to Joe Abercrombie's latest series. We are SO BACK with another band of misfits joining forces under unfortunate circumstances to deliver someone safely to the City of Troy. What could go wrong? (Everything).

I love how Joe's books always introduce the most fascinating, off-the-wall characters, and The Devils was no exception. We have an immortal knight who showers everyone with bits of gruff wisdom while complaining about being alive so long. A werewolf who's always itching to come out and find the good meat. A magician (not sorcerer!) who is definitely not a narcissist (but introduces himself by full name at every meeting). An aloof vampire who loves waxing poetic after drinking blood. An invisible elf who uses her powers for very slight inconveniences that end up getting them killed (Sunny is my favorite, argue with the wall). And finally, the jack of all trades who uses her quick wit and experience to enlighten others and raise the mood.

This band of devils accompanies Pious Brother Diaz and newly returned Princess Alexia back to Troy, and of course, chaos ensues. I just couldn't put this book down, and now that I know it's the beginning of a series, not a standalone, I'm itching to get my hands on Book 2. Definitely pick this up if you love humorous dialogue, found family vibes, and elaborate casts of characters!

The Devils was such a fun read and I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. A story about a squad of various monsters, a priest and a thief journeying to reclaim a lost kingdom is such a wild concept for a story.

This is the second series I’ve read from author Joe Abercrombie with the First Law trilogy being the first. Say what you will about Abercrombie but he writes characters incredibly well. I also think that his storytelling has improved so much in this story.

I had such a great time in this world of The Devils. I love these characters and this world and I’m patiently waiting for more from this world. Excellent start to a new series!

This took me WAY too long to get through, but I had such a good time with it! This was my first Joe Abercrombie novel, and I loved the writing so much. This was dark, hilarious, and grotesque, but this was written absolutely beautifully. I'm so upset I haven't picked up one of his novels before this and cannot WAIT to read more of his!