The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

Blurb:

A brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey

Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.

Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.

Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.

Review:

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. Which is a strange statement to write, given that I only got around to reading it in early 2026. As much as I wanted to dive straight in, there was a small part of me that was deterred by some of the criticisms that fans had for this novel. Also, I wasn’t aware this was meant to be a series and not a stand-alone. However, that’s no surprise. You have to be realistic about these things, given the state of the content market out there.

Having read the First Law Trilogy along with all its short stories and standalone novels, I had a certain expectation from The Devils. While I do have complaints, for the most part, I think it was an entertaining read.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

What I liked:

Immediately, the setting itself feels like a character, a rich, reimagined medieval Europe with monsters, elves, and a Church built around a female Saviour. While I’m not an expert on European geography and history, I did enjoy this reimagined Europe with elves and an alternate religion that borrows from reality enough, but also takes liberty in creating something beautifully twisted. Add to that Abercrombie’s cynicism and wit, and you get a world that’s dark and twisted. The setting—every city, village, church, and ruin—feels alive and lived in. 

Within this world, Abercrombie introduces you to all kinds of flawed characters. Brother Diaz, is a cowardly monk who thinks he’s going to be appointed to a high position within the papacy, only to then be put in charge of the church’s version of a fantasy suicide squad. Alex—or Alexia Pyrogennetos—is a thief who’s grown up on the streets. She finds herself in the awkwardly terrifying position of being the next heir to the Serpent Throne of Troy. While she is the person who’s being transported to Troy by the Suicide Squad, her personality and limited perspective make her story arc compelling and engaging. While I had some issues with some of her middle chapters, her introduction and her finale were absolutely stunning. 

And now for the stars—the Chapel of Holy Expediency. From Jakob, the immortal knight who’s fluent in the language of violence and battle, to Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi, one of Europe’s top three magicians (not sorcerer, not conjurer, not illusionist, not wizard, but magician!), every character has that distinct Abercrombie touch. I particularly loved Vigga’s POV, the troubled Scandinavian pagan who’s a little too stereotypically free, but also struggles with containing the werewolf inside her. Baptiste, the pirate with the most interesting, albeit unbelievably connected, backstory, was a suave and sweet addition. However, the sweetest addition would definitely have to go to Sunny. 

Sunny is the only elf we see in this story. Her tragic-yet-heart-of-gold persona really appealed to me. One of the enemies of humanity, this one POV remained my favorite from start to finish. Baron Rikard—I don’t think he gets any POV chapter—was my second-favorite member of the group. His ‘reveal’ to Balthazar at the beginning of the finale genuinely left a smile on my face. The secondary characters and villains—despite sometimes feeling underwhelming—were unique enough to stand out in this ensemble cast. Abercrombie did a fantastic job using this diverse cast in interesting ways that kept the plot fresh and intriguing for the most part. 

Scenes between Sunny & Alex, between Brother Diaz and Vigga, and especially between Baron Rikard & Balthazar were some of the most entertaining and intriguing things in this book. If you’re looking for a fun, action-packed adventure with Joe Abercrombie’s trademark wit and writing style, The Devils does deliver. The action scenes in particular were so beautifully described, they played out like cinematic scenes you’d see in the best of filmmakers’ oeuvres. The jokes didn’t always land, but they were entertaining enough. 

If you love Abercrombie, you’re in for a treat for half the book, but some parts might disappoint you. If this is your first Abercrombie novel and you loved it, you’re going to fall in love with his other work for sure.

What I didn’t like:

I expected a bit of a rocky start, if I’m being honest. And that’s exactly what I got. A relatively rocky start, which sort of remained that way for longer than I’d have liked. Even after all the POVs were introduced, it still took a while to get used to the characters. My feelings towards these characters—despite what I have said in the previous section—are mixed. With the sole exception of Sunny, every other POV had chapters I loved and others that I struggled with. My guess is that Abercrombie was still finding his footing with this series, because the chapters did get better in the second half. That leaves me hoping that the sequel is going to be significantly better with the way it uses its characters. 

The plot, however, didn’t impress me. It was a little too formulaic and predictable. While I’ll admit I didn’t see one particular twist coming, I have mixed feelings about said twist. The myth of this particular character felt more powerful than the character turning out to be alive. That, along with the oftentimes tedious plot, led to a relatively lukewarm experience. I won’t deny the epic action set pieces with their near-cinematic feel with Abercrombie’s prose. Nor can I deny that I really enjoyed many of the character moments in this book. However, I also cannot deny my boredom for about half the time.  

Red Country is my least favorite Abercrombie novel. That’s a novel that Abercrombie himself has stated he struggled to write. The Devils comes in a close second. That being said, I think the groundwork laid with this instalment should serve as a strong foundation for a tighter, darker, more engaging and entertaining sequel. 

Conclusion:

Formulaic but fun, The Devils was more action-packed, humorous and cinematic than I anticipated. This one feels like Abercrombie’s version of the Suicide Squad.

TL;DR:

WHAT I LIKED: Sunny’s POV, world-building, cinematic action set pieces, Abercrombie’s writing

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Hit-or-miss POV chapters, formulaic and predictable plot