Thank you to Rickey Fayne and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my review!

I just finished reading The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne, and I have to say, this book left quite an impression on me. The story spans eight generations of a Black family in West Tennessee, blending history, spirituality, and the supernatural in a way that feels both ambitious and deeply personal. I was especially drawn to the character of Yetunde and her incredible journey, as well as the Devil’s unexpected role throughout the lives of her descendants. The author does an exceptional job weaving together themes of resilience, sacrifice, and generational trauma, creating a narrative that’s as thought-provoking as it is emotional.

What really stood out to me was the depth of the characters and the way their struggles felt so real, even when supernatural elements were involved. The Devil’s point of view added an intriguing layer to the story, offering a blend of theological reflection and humanity that I didn’t expect. That said, the novel’s scope occasionally felt overwhelming, and I sometimes wished for more focus on individual stories. A few transitions between generations were a bit abrupt, which slightly disrupted the flow for me.

Still, this is a beautifully written debut that tackles big ideas while staying grounded in the personal struggles of its characters. It’s not an easy or light read, but it’s one that will stay with me for a long time. I’d give The Devil Three Times a solid 4 stars for its bold storytelling and emotional resonance, despite some pacing hiccups. If you’re a fan of historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural, this is definitely a book worth exploring.

What a debut! Reminisce of home-going! Using Christianity and spirituality influences which are practices extremely common among black folks was just genius! Seeing how the decisions of Yetunde and then that of her descendants and their impact of the next generation in relation to who they are and their grappling with their identifies manifest in how the Devil comes to them.. Speaking of the Devil, i think using him as an allegory to the black struggle made so much sense! I mean for the longest time and hell even today black people continue to be cast aside and using the Devil and the spin of this origins in this novel to drive that point made sense to me! Overall, i highly recommend this book and look forward to any works by this author! Thank you Netgalley for this e-arc!

The Devil Three Time is a beautifully written historical fiction novel. It's unique premise, that the Devil has come along three times among the time period to wreak havoc and also right some wrongs, is a thought provoking way to integrate the history of the "Laurent" family. The tale of the family from the 1800s in west Africa, aboard slave ships and plantations, all the way to the 1980s was engaging, yet I had some trouble following the names, as there are a lot of characters and many have similar sounding names. Also, the Devil "chapters' are a little confusing as to what time period they are in. This is definitely a character driven plot, for people who like a long, epic tales of family and all the drama that comes along with their lineage.

The Devil Three Times is ambitious and bold. The sheer number of characters and their tangled relationships had me referring back to the family tree more than once, but somehow it didn’t even matter. The story is so immersive and the atmosphere so rich that you just get swept up in it. Even when I wasn’t entirely sure who was connected to whom, the emotional weight and momentum kept me entirely engaged. Definitely one of those books that demands your attention—but it’s worth it.

An incredible debut that weaves generations of family and American history into a dance with the devil. Funny, scary, touching, tragic--it's everything! Highly recommend.

The Devil Three Times is a multi-generation family drama that follows Yetunde and her descendants until the present day. As the book begins, Yetunde awakens on a slave ship. In this truly hellacious situation, she turns to the Devil for help.

Unfortunately, Yetunde makes a bargain with the Devil that will persist for nearly two hundred years as he will continue visiting her family in their darkest times. I loved the religious subtext and how the author built the perspective of the Devil. I was raised in a Methodist home and no longer identify as religious, so I think this layer of the novel can appeal to many who have the experience to relate. It is not written from a place of religion being right or wrong, so I hope many readers can enjoy this aspect.

I wanted this to be a fantastic read, as it includes so many things I love. However, I felt that this book had pacing issues and it was hard to connect to some of the characters as the perspective shifted from generation to generation. The chapters are very long, which is also not my preference. Overall, I'm glad I read it and I look forward to Fayne's future work.

3.5/5 the flipped script from the Devil’s perspective was interesting and the characters were well developed and complex, but the timeline and family structure was difficult for me to track over the course of 8 generations without having to go back and consult the family tree..

This was a unique story. There is a large cast of wonderful characters and a vast array of stories. I was hooked from the start. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I would give this 3-1/2 stars if I could. There are things about this book that I loved -- it's a sweeping multigenerational saga that traces the lineage from the surviving twin and her journey from Africa all the way through her current day descendants. Every time I read a book like this, I am grateful when the author includes a family tree at the front or back, but so hard to navigate on a Kindle. There are a lot of characters here and it was hard to keep track of who was who, but the thread that runs through the story is a kind of magical realism about this first character and a power that she and descendants have that seems to be given to them by the "Devil" in the title who visits each of them at some point. In addition to so many characters, this book has a LOT going on--and really would have benefitted from a stronger hand in editing IMHO. So many themes—slavery and the horrible physical and psychological violence, biracial and sexual identity, poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic abuse, and so much more. I DID enjoy the book and would recommend it, but it will take focus and attention for a reader to really dig in and appreciate this book. My habit of reading a bit or a chapter at a time may not have done it justice.

A gripping multigenerational tale that follows the Devil and one family from heaven to Africa to US shores and into the future. This is a deeply emotional story that explores the complexities of love, life, death, and freedom. I was hooked from the beginning. While reading this it felt like time paused and held its breath, this story will linger with you for a long time.

Wow what a fantastic debut! There’s really no exact way to categorize this book since it’s a combination of religion, history, horror, magical realism, spirituality, race and even romance. The author does an exceptional job incorporating so many themes and subjects that are so important to be read and understood. While the writing style was exquisite I will admit since each generation has their own point of view it can be challenging at times for readers to keep track of who is who since there are so many characters involved and each one has their own stories.
The timeline of the book begins with the 1800s and takes us into the modern day. This is definitely not the type of book that a person can just skim through or skip through passages since it’s essential to read and grasp every detail. Anyone who reads this book should be prepared for an outpouring of emotions they will experience. I knew going into this after reading the summary that this wasn’t a feel good story but I wasn’t expecting to feel such a rush of emotions from start to finish. This is the kind of book that will stick with you for a very long time way past when you finish reading it. I am still baffled that this was a debut and I congratulate the author for a memorable book.
I will definitely be purchasing the final copy of this book when it releases on May 13, 2025 and will also be on the lookout for more books by this author in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

Overall, this book was enjoyable for me. The writing took a few chapters to get used to and there were many characters to remember. But the author does a great job at storytelling and pacing.

The writing was complicated and The writing felt overly complex and somewhat hard to follow, which made it difficult for me to fully engage with the story. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the narrative had been more straightforward. With a large cast of characters spread across an extensive timeline, it became challenging to keep track of everything. I was initially excited about the premise, but unfortunately, the book didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

ARC Review: The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne

I heard about this book at work, both my boss and my new coworker had read ARCs so I dashed over to NetGalley for a copy.

This novel follows the descendants of Yetunde, a woman stolen from her home and sold into chattel slavery. Throughout the book, her spirit appears to her descendants, haunting them the way enslavement haunts those who have survived and descended from its suffering.

“The woman’s people were river people, and it was known among them that water bridged the worlds of the living and the dead.”

Each generation gets a POV, often encompassing both Yetunde’s descendants and those who marry or have relationships with them. The story takes us from the 1800s to present day and delves into the problems of the times, as well as the supernatural abilities that are passed down through her bloodline.

“Sometimes life feels like it’s just one terrible thing after another.”

The Devil also has a POV, weaving theological examination (how he relates to God, his father, and Jesus, his brother) into the narrative, and it often left me sympathetic to the fallen angel who continually tried to incite rebellions and disobedience to free those enslaved. His relationship with Yetunde and her children is something I’m still thinking about.

“Religion then, its commandments, its restrictions on who he could and could not love and where and why and how, was nothing more to Franklin than slavery of another order.”

This isn’t a happy story, but there are times of happiness. It isn’t a romance, or horror or religious book, but it weaves those elements throughout as eloquently as any romantic magical realism novel. It made me run through a gamut of emotions, sometimes leaving me shocked, but always evoking emotions.

“…even though we are born alone and even though we die alone, we do not, cannot, live alone.”

I highly recommend this debut novel by Rickey Fayne.

*Publication Date May 13, 2025*

I liked it !!very funny and if you know your bible stories even more hilarious. .The book was almost like Neil Gaiman in the style of writing made the Devil seem multifaceted. Other than just being plain evil .Family members stories were hard to keep up with in the beginning as the conclusion to one characters may be in another family members chapter further in the but I got the hang of it .
Loved how the book explained on what happened to family that passed away really sweet. I would recommend to others when it released

Summary
The book begins with Yetunde waking up on a slave ship heading to the United States, accompanied by her dead sister's spirit. Yetunde soon finds help from the Devil himself, The Devil, seeking a way back to his Father's house, decides to protect Yetunde by granting her a piece of his supernatural power. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits each of Yetunde's descendants during their darkest hours as they struggle to maintain their sense of self and family.

What worked well:
I liked the vignette style of each character’s chapter. You can see how the choices of one person or generation impact the subsequent child or generation, whether it's their own choices, their outlook on life, or their sense of self. Each character was fully developed, and I easily empathized with them, even though I greatly disagreed with many of their decisions.
I liked the upside-down narrative of the Devil wanting to do right by the woman in yellow since he protected her when she was a baby. I enjoyed the spin on the Devil's origin story and why he tends to be around Black folks.
My favorite part is how the book is written in the dialect and vernacular of Black folks. It reminded me of how my grandparents, their siblings, and elderly Black folks (in general) tell stories, fictional or real-life.

What didn't work as well:
Because of the large cast of characters, it is sometimes challenging to remember who is related to whom and the minor details of each character's stories.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next. This book felt like I was reading my own family's narrative across many generations.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy Zora Neale Hurston, Virginia Hamilton (The People Could Fly), Toni Morrison, and Robert Jones, Jr. To readers who enjoy books following one family across multiple generations and historical periods. To readers who enjoy books written in an oral folklore tradition.

WOW! What a book! I loved this so much! I can't wait to talk about this with people. This book should be getting a lot of buzz! It is wonderful and beautifully written.

"The Devil Three Times" is a bold and imaginative debut novel integrating elements of history, spirituality, and the supernatural, it follows the consequences of a fateful deal between Yetunde and the Devil made on a slave ship, affecting her descendants' lives. The story delves into resilience, sacrifice, generational trauma, and spiritual battles. Must read!

Sweeping and immersive, this epic is an impressive and ambitious debut. The voice and composition was not quite for me, but I admire the author for everything he has put into this beautiful novel.

Most times I loved this book, sometimes I hated it...all times I was in engrossed. When I first picked up this book it took me a second to adjust to the writing style but by the 10% mark it evened out. It is very much a (fictional) oral history. I think it is meant to transport you. If you decide to read it, DO NOT read it like you're ‘reading’—read it like you're listening.

It is a family epic/saga but a plus is that just about everything can read as a stand-alone short story. Much like real life, the villain in one story is revealed to be just a man in another and choices made early on are explained in a different POV further in. Just about every character ended up being my favorite when their story was told and though the book focuses primarily on men and their thoughts, I loved the depiction of all the women.

From jump the magic is there, not wand and spell magic, Black spiritual/everyday magic—seeing spirits, auras, dreams, etc. are just as much commonplace as the Black church. Toward the end, I wasn't sure how it was going to all fall out. Generally concepts like the devil would have a hard time being reconciled and packaged nicely, but I think the author did well in that regard. The through-line is Black folks just existing, thriving, surviving, and living in community and I love that.


This is for the girlies that love Blackness or want to dabble in authentic Black stories, esp. Southern/American. It is for the magical realism/spirituality crew and those that like complex character driven stories.

You’d like this if you like: Daughter’s of the Dust, Eve’s Bayou, Ours: A Novel, Toni Morrison, & Zora Neale Hurston

TW: slavery, substance abuse, suicide, violence, mental illness.
Themes/motifs: destiny/calling, dreams/spirituality, the taboo, religion, duality (fire/water-destruction/healing-life/death-twins-freedom/responsibility), generational trauma, envy, soul-ties, absent fathers & elusive mothers.

(c)haracter—8.5
(a)tmosphere—9
(w)riting—8
(p)lot—8
(i)ntrigue—8.5
(l)ogic—7.5
(e)njoyment—8

Thank you Little, Brown and Company for this opportunity. All opinions are my own.