After enjoying The Spite House by Johnny Compton I was excited to receive a Netgalley copy of this newest novel, Devils Kill Devils. I don't read about demons and angels often, but the blurb piqued my curiosity.
Three Words That Describe This Book: gothic, demons, violent
› When I saw the cover I wondered, what is this shadowy monster on the cover with big teeth and claw-like hands? Who is the tiny person standing up to it? I love the vibe of this cover. It accurately portrays the creepy monsters found in this story. Devils Kill Devils is different from Compton's first novel, The Spite House. We left Compton's creepy haunted house and jumped into an epic tale featuring a cast of angels, demons, and vampires.

› I found the character development lacking and had a hard time connecting with Sarita. I found Harrah and Cela more interesting than Sarita. I enjoyed the description but wanted more world-building. There is a lot of repetition, too many nicknames for characters, too much "telling", and too much internal dialogue (I did read an advance copy, so some of these things may have been changed in the final copy). The plot had some pacing issues with a very slow middle portion, yet I felt intrigued and wanted to know what was going to happen. There were too many concepts smooshed into one book. It would have been better if there was a lot of trimming and we ended up with a novella. Or, expand it into a trilogy. That would have given the needed space to develop the characters, world, and story. This horror fan loved the violence and gore!

APPEAL FACTORS
Storyline: unconventional
Pace: slow
Tone: angsty, dramatic, sinister, bleak, creepy, gruesome, violent
Writing Style: spare dialogue, stream of consciousness
Character: awkward, brooding

Read Alikes:
Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
Asunder by Kerstin Hall
The Briar Book of the Dead by Angela Slatter
Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh
A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell Hamilton

› Final Thoughts
• Devils Kill Devils is a dark, mysterious, slow-burn story about dysfunctional families, secrets, monsters, friendship and courage. I recommend this one to people who are really into angels, demons, and vampires. In an interview, Compton said he's working on a paranormal detective "witch book" and I'm intrigued.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Well, this one was different. The plot instantly pulled me in but as the story went along…it seemed to drag forever and ever. I didn’t like that there wasn’t much dialogue and I was just stuck in the MC head. The story got messy and a little hard to follow after awhile and it just made me lose interest.

After reading The Spite House by Johnny Compton, I was eager to read his next book, Devils Kill Devils. It sounded exactly like something I would love. Right away, the first chapter had me gripped in its devilish claws. Unfortunately, the grip began to loosen soon after. The intense and intriguing chapters were broken up by so much monotony and unnecessary information, I was tempted to give up halfway through.

However, I don't want to deter anyone interested in this one from reading it. I think there is a lot of insightful discussion here regarding religion and the causes we stand behind, the protections we have or think we have, and the things we will do because of those beliefs. Also, I was into the lore behind the monsters. I needed more of that. I do love a cryptic beginning, but this book spent most of its time telling the trivial parts of the story while keeping its more compelling secrets hidden.

Thank you Tor Nightfire for the copy to read and review!

The beginning of this story had me hooked and ready for the ride! The premise this book starts with is so unique and a story I would have absolutely loved, but then the story expands too widely. The initial storyline would have been enough to create a solid book on its own without the other storyline brought in later. I was lost halfway through which was very unfortunate.

This book was atmospheric to the point of grimdark, relying heavily on mood-setting to guide the story. Because the tone was so heavy, the pacing got really bogged down at several points throughout. There were chapters that flew by and chapters that were a bit of a slog to get through. Key characters had repetitive inner monologues so long it derailed the momentum of the story. Mixed with the unsatisfactory and abrupt resolution of the story, I had difficulty maintaining interest.

Overall this book is A+ for vibes but a difficult read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Johnny Compton, and Tor Nightfire for a review copy.

A mysterious man saves Sarita when a wave crashes down on her. Sarita's mother calls the man an angel. This seems true, as the man shows up throughout Sarita's life to warn her of life-threatening events. But on one of the biggest nights of her life, Sarita's angel proves to be a devil. A great update to the vampire mythos.

🥳Happy Pub Day to DEVILS KILL DEVILS by @comptonwrites!🥳

Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers @torbooks and @macmillan.audio for the audio and e-ARCs.

"Nothing tastes better than the blood of an angel or devil."

Cerida Bardalas has a guardian angel. Or at least, she thought she did. Until her wedding night to Frank when her supposed guardian coined by the name Angelo by her family slaughters her new husband right before her eyes. Stunned with grief and confusion, Cerida begins a journey of figuring out why she has been saved by this supposed angel multiple times in her life just to have him strike down her love and the answers are much more than she bargained for.

😇👿😇👿

While I particularly enjoyed the first half of this book, my attention span waned in the second half at times. Much of this is in historical third person perspective and starts out with lots of action and then kinda slows down with lots of background which is where I think I got off track a bit because of the pace shift. I got back on board and the ending was both expected and unexpected. In comparison to his other book, THE SPITE HOUSE, DEVILS KILL DEVILS is definitely a much deeper read, but THE SPITE HOUSE had a lot more action and suspense in my opinion.

As a whole this story is about the idea of good vs. evil and how sometimes it is hard to differentiate between the two. I felt some serious Octavia Butler vibes a la the PATTERN MASTER series. There is nothing I appreciate more than a story that explores the gray areas so all in all I would certainly recommend this book.

💚💚💚

Read this one if you:
😇Like ancient cult-like societies
👿Love a historical creature feature
😇Can relate to or revel in family drama
👿Don't believe angels are that far from demons

Are you team Angel or team Demon? And why?!?

💚SMASHBOT💚

#bookreview #netgalleyreviewer #netgalley #booknerd
#bibliophile #bookish #booklover #bookworm #devilskilldevils #macmillanaudio #bookdragon #bookstagram #historicalhorror

Renowned author Johnny Compton has masterfully crafted a literary universe that seamlessly integrates modern and traditional folklore, infused with compelling religious undertones and visceral depictions of violence. Within this realm, we follow the journey of Sarita, our protagonist who has long been sheltered by a guardian angel. However, a sense of unease has always lingered within her regarding this protection. On her wedding day, events take a drastic turn for the worse, setting in motion a chain of events that forever alters her fate. Compton's prowess as a wordsmith is unparalleled, requiring readers to keep pace with his boundless imagination. His works are highly recommended for those seeking a captivating and enthralling read.

Wow, what a ride. Ups, downs, and loops that will leave readers feeling…bewildered? There is so much to love about Johnny Compton’s Devils Kill Devils, but it certainly wasn’t the smoothest experience from beginning to end.

I loved the premise of this book and felt hooked within the first couple chapters, but religious, occult doomsday themes mixed with changing perspectives quickly had me enjoying the storyline less. Not that I don’t love multiple POV novels, but Compton’s plot gets complicated enough without swapping between voices. Perhaps the saving grace, what got me through to the end of the story, was the unique take on vampires. I’ll always be a sucker for a vampire content, whether it be old school Transylvanian or a more modern adaptation. I hadn’t read anything like Compton’s version of them, so the story had that going for it!

Overall, there is a lot to enjoy about this bloody, violent, unsettling book. But it wasn’t what it could have been and I didn’t devour it like I hoped I would. I’d say it’s definitely worth a try this upcoming spooky season! It won’t be everyone’s cup of gory tea, but many fans of horror will still dig it.

As always, a big thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for the opportunity to read the ARC of this story.

Devils Kill Devils, by Johnny Compton, was published on September 24, 2024.

I made it about 50 pages in and DNF'd. When I start skimming by the fourth chapter because everything feels like a drag, it's time to set it down. There didn't seem to be a happy medium in what I read. Showing was too showy. Telling told me far too much. Too many characters were tossed at me when I barely knew the main protagonist. Jumping around in the timeline was jarring and broke pacing. The glimpse behind the scenes of why Frank was killed ruined the tension of his death and why Sarita's guardian angel killed him.

I had a hard time with this one. Upon reading the summary, I was very interested. Unfortunately, I don't feel that the plot of the book matches up with it very well. I was very interested in this book at the beginning, but as the chapters went on and more characters were introduced, things went sideways. For some readers, this may be a great read, but I prefer a more straightforward plot with less mythological aspects.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the kind of horror I love to read. It takes the mythology of vampires and severely twists it on its head so much that it takes a bit to even know that these “devils” are a vampire variation. Compton masterfully crafts this story in a way that keeps you guessing as to what is going on and building up the suspense and intrigue surrounding the devils.

The “normal” that our main character Sarita knows is interrupted by a very upsetting and startling event that I think would be so terrifying to see in a movie and this scene and several others feel very cinematic. The narration for the audiobook added to this ambiance and the feeling of a truly fun read of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @tornightfire for the ARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC! All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, Macmillan Audio, as well as the author for this audio and ebook ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#NetGalley #TorPublishingGroup #Macmillanaudio #MacAudio24 #JohnnyCompton #ImaniJadePowers

Title: Devils Kill Devils
Author: Johnny Compton
Format: eBook and Audiobook
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Producer: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Imani Jade Powers
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Themes: family, paranormal, demons, friendship
Trigger Warnings: murder, gore, violence,

I absolutely adored Johnny Compton’s debut novel, The Spite House. I was hoping this one would be another hit for me. The curse of the sophomore novel is a thing, however. This one wasn’t a favorite of mine. The book is about a young woman named Sarita and her guardian angel, Angelo. Angelo has been mysteriously appearing and saving her from death and disappearing just as suddenly since she was a child. When he attacks and kills her husband on their wedding night, however, everything she thought she knew turns out wrong. Sarita is thrust into a world of evil and she just wants to make it out alive.

Johnny Compton is a great writer and he’s really good with settings. I enjoyed a cinematic view of the setting and characters while I both read and listened to this novel. I enjoyed the narrator’s performance more than my own. I admit I had an easier time with the audiobook. The first third of the book, in which we’re introduced to Angelo and his mission to keep Sarita safe, is great! I loved hearing about Angelo’s daring rescues and meeting Sarita and her brother. However, somewhere near the middle of the book, the plot comes to a screeching halt and begins to plod along using a meandering narrative. It got boring very suddenly and didn’t pick back up for me. I feel bad but I lost the hook and couldn’t find it again. I’m still a huge fan of the author and will continue to read what he writes. This one just didn’t make it for me.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had ever knowingly read this author before and at the beginning of this book I was impressed. Then it started dragging down and I found myself re-reading portions thinking I had missed something, but NO, it was just a slow read. Now I am aware some people like the "slow burn" approach but Jay likes a book that grabs my attention and keeps it, no skimming, no re-reading, just non stop action. I do appreciate a new take on a known trope.

3 Stars

Dnfing this book at page 100.
• Repetitive with Sarita getting drunk & sleeping around (girl needs more hobbies)
• The Angel is boring for being one that kills people
• Sarita is boring
• Book is slow & boring
Book feels so monotone

A woman must confront a figure she sees as her guardian angel after he kills her husband.

This was started out so intense it was a little off putting. I hadn’t even really gotten to know any characters and boom trauma scene. I think maybe the second chapter would’ve been a more interesting hook - with the childhood scene where we first meet this mysterious figure. The writing style overall also wasn’t for me as much.

I loved Devils Kill Devils. I went in cold and had assumed this would be a religious horror novel. It was, to an extent. The religion is an insane cult, the members following an ancient prophecy created by their cult leader.

Serita, the main character, I has been followed and protected by her guardian angel, Angelo. But Angelo is no angel. He murders Serita’s husband on their wedding night. Why? It all circles back to the prophecy.

I don’t want to give too much away, but this has amazing characters. I can’t say I liked Serita all that much but she was such a good protagonist. And Harrah, her mother in law, was a great antagonist. I actually found myself more empathetic to Harrah than Serita. The loss of a child can turn a mother into a monster.

Read this if you’re a fan of cult horror, folk horror, vampires, Gods and demons.

Devils Kill Devils had me intrigued from the very beginning. What I thought was angles and demons then had me guessing it was demons vs demons, up to revealing what our "Devils" really were. Which in my opinion was a very unique approach to a wildly used type of devil/monster. Even though there was some fall off towards the end.

My one major complaint--if you want to call it that--of this story, was that we start off with some solid foundation to an unraveling mystery plot, which then just starts to impact the story and unravel all together. At one point I felt that there was just so much lore dumping--which I am a lore junky--that I felt I was drowning in backstory or world building that I completely forgot about the main plot point of the story. Why did Angelo kill the person that Sarita loved?

Our devils go from mysterious guardian angels, to demons, to vampires, to eldritch gods. And unfortunately I felt overwhelmed, despite the very unique and creative approach to how our devils look and act.

The pay off with Angelo and Sarita is very lack luster, along with our main antagonists getting the same treatment as the Night King from Game of Thrones. All accumulating to a very rapid and unfulfilling conclusion.

All that being said, I do thank the author and Tor Publishing for the opportunity to read this early on NetGalley for an honest review.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton was a love letter to vampire lore. Our main character Sarita becomes engrossed in eldritch terror after a loved one is murdered at the hands of someone she trusted. This vampire tale reads like a Guillermo Del Toro movie, which is to say I did enjoy it for all its horrors.

I’m sad to say I didn’t enjoy this as much as Spite House, but I loved the homages to a wide array of vampire history. The most frustrating aspect of this story is the main plot driver is spurred by a misconception. This story fell flat to me, but I loved the violence and the mythos, so I’ll give it three stars. It really didn’t feel as much of a southern gothic as I would have expected it to considering it’s in the main blurb.

Johnny Compton has created a world blending new and old folklore, religious overtones, and a lot of blood. Sarita, the protagonist, has been protected all her life by a guardian angel, but has always felt nervous about that. Things go far south on her wedding day, and never turn back.

There are devils, and then there are devils. A unique take on vampirism and hidden societies fighting for control beyond the knowledge of the rest of the world.

For me, there is a break between the beginning, set firmly in our world, with the exception of the guardian angel, and the rest of the story, where Sarita, her brother David, her friends and family find themselves enmeshed in an ancient war, and a prophecy. Due in part to the above-mentioned world-building, there are long expository sections often giving more information than necessary to move the plot along. This doesn't spoil the story, but it slows it considerably.

An entertaining dip into a new mythology that offers a solid conclusion, but still hints there might be more to the story.

Recommended.