I’ve heard before that Joe could write a heck of a story. This was my first and now I know that I need to go back and check out his earlier stuff.

I loved the story, it was very unique. It’s not too often you read about a pope working with devils. I mean, how do you not fall straight into a story like that? But maybe that’s my religious trauma talking. That being said, the dark humor was right up my alley.

This misfit group of characters were well thought out and easy to love. While you’re along for the ride, it shows all kind of life lessons and humility.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I might and highly recommend it.

This was my first Joe Abercrombie book and now I am convinced I need to read everything by him. These characters are all standout characters that will live with me for a bit. The plot was fun and typical of a fantasy adventure, but these characters were phenomenal.

I love the idea of the pope sending a group of “devils” on a holy mission to install an empress in another city. The group of devils is a werewolf, “an ineffectual priest, an enervated knight, a misanthropic elf, and an antique vampire. It sounded like the start of a bad joke to which the tragic punchline was yet to be revealed.” Each of these characters pops off the page in their own way - from humor, to gore, to their own motivations - every bit of them is larger than life, larger than the plot itself, in a very good way.

There were, of course, a few plot twists. One I definitely did not predict, partially because I forgot about a character that had been MIA for a bit, others were a bit more predictable, yet still enjoyable. The story felt like it hit an ending at about 75% into it, yet I am also satisfied with how it continued and chose to wrap up instead. I can’t wait to see where these devils go next.

Thank you to @torbooks and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much to the publisher Tor for this eARC.

Beyond stunned by this book!! The dark humor, character development, and descriptive combat scenes left me feeling awestruck. One of my favorite reads this year and I am already foaming at the mouth for the next one.

This is my first book by this author, and honestly, it’s not going to be my last and I might go look at their other books. This has one of the most unique plots and involves religious tones and demons and all of the other creatures that just proved to be a great time. It’s a chunky one but well worth it.

Book review - The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
5/5 stars 🌟

Released on 6th of May

The empress of the Byzantine empire is dead and the heir has been found in Rome. It is up to a ragtag band of monsters led by an upstart priest to get her to her throne, but will they get there?

Joe Abercrombies book needs little to no introduction, as one of the most hyped books of the year. I've seen it described as a gothic horror suicide squad and that is actually really accurate. The story somehow also feels like a religiously tinted of a tabletop RPG.

Of course Abercrombies character work is where this book shines. He makes me feel for a Werewolf, like a Vampire and sort off respect a snobby Necromancer. His writing always feels like coming home. He also makes you wonder who the true monsters are.

The world created here feels both familiar and totally foreign. His take on alternative history where the byzantine empire never fell, gothic horrors and religious fantasy are prefectly blended to the point that it almost feels like real history.

In writing the Devils Abercrombie has done the impossible in that I want to add more alternative historical fantasy to my TBR. I highly recommend this to everyone who likes a good quest story with some morally grey characters!

Thanks to TOR, Gollanz and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a lot of fun to read: one of those misfit groups that somehow manages to get things done and succeed against all odds. And when I say "misfit" I mean really misfit (a vampire, a man cursed to immortality, etc.). And their trek from the Sacred City to Troy to safely ensure that Alex gets to be crowned Queen is going to take all their special talents.

My biggest complaint is that there are several battle scenes and they not only go on too long, they're repetitive. A few snips with the editorial scissors was called for there.

How this will become a series is a question: will the Devils be sent on another mission entirely, or will they be back with Alex in Troy? I can't wait to find out.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

4.5/5 Stars

ARC Disclosure: This book was received free of charge from Tor Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

The Devils represents Abercrombie’s most daring project yet as it fuses historical fantasy with monstrous components to produce an original yet recognizable experience. Readers receive all the familiar elements they desire—moral intricacy and brutal violence alongside biting humor—but the narrative also explores new dimensions that enhance Abercrombie’s unique style.

The greatest accomplishment of The Devils is its ability to portray literal monsters with deep humanity. Abercrombie skillfully develops characters and crafts interactions which transform supernatural archetypes into complex individuals where their monstrous traits serve to deepen their characterization. The characters’ battles with outside dangers and inner demons reach beyond the book’s dark fantasy elements to create emotional impact.

World-building earns equal acclaim for its ability to create an environment that appears historically authentic despite the presence of supernatural components. The fantasy version of Europe devastated by plague and facing elven attacks creates an ideal setting to examine the concepts of corruption and redemption as well as the true nature of monstrosity. This world holds the same value for salvation as Diablo’s Sanctuary even though it exists in ruins.

Full review can be found on our site at https://bromantasy.com/reviews/the-devils/

This was actually a 4.5.

Positives:
* The characters are amazing, even minor ones! I cared about all of them and thought they were incredibly unique. They had amazing chemistry with each other and succeeded both at being hilarious and characters I could take seriously. Despite being in their heads, they were still able to pull plot twists out on me in regard to their backstory and I think this was pulled off super well.
* Adding on the dialogue is awesome! I think this falls into the same category of the characters and their chemistry being amazing.
* I have,, no idea where the next book is going to go and I love it.

Negatives:
* While it did manage some plot twists, others such as the entire final act when they reach Troy were,,,,completely predictable. I definitely would have preferred for these plot points to have been set up only for my expectations to be subverted and that’s almost what I expected with how talented of a writer I know Joe Abercrombie is. That made it incredibly disappointing when everything played out exactly as you’d think it would.
* Some of the humor fell…very flat. While other points were hilarious to me, the number of shit piss sex type of jokes got old fast. Definitely subjective and not something completely out of left field for Abercrombie, but something I could do with less of.

Not necessarily positive or a negative, but we realize early on that this world is some kind of alternate to our own. We have Europe, but with an entirely new religion (with close similarities to Catholicism) and nations like Troy that didn’t exist in the time period it seems to be set in. I loved this, but wish we could’ve learned more about what exactly made the world different from our own.

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.

When it comes to grim-dark fantasy, Joe Abercrombie is one of my favorites. I love how he balances the gory, dark parts with a little bit of humor. His books are just so fun!

Joe's writing is so bingeable, too! This is a 560 page book, but you don't even realize it when you are reading. The story just flies off the page and before you know it, the book is over.

I am also a sucker for stories with unlikely allies being forced to work together to accomplish a common goal.

I'm highly anticipating the next book in this new series.

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.