⭐⭐⭐.5 stars

I'm going to preface this review with the fact that I did read a series of consistently 5-star book series before this that admittedly put me in a bit of a slump, considering how long it took me to read this book and possibly affected how I overall felt about The Devils.

This was my first book by Joe Abercrombie, and I was genuinely impressed by his writing style. His prose is sharp, witty, and very readable. I found myself laughing out loud more times than I expected. I will absolutely be picking up more of his work.

Overall, this was a solid read, and I enjoyed it. That said, parts of the story felt predictable and leaned heavily on familiar tropes, and the middle felt slow and dragged on. Still, it managed to surprise me in places and kept me entertained with its humour.

Where it fell short for me was in emotional depth. After major reveals or dramatic moments, there was... nothing?. The reactions felt muted, leaving me wanting something more substantial. Most of the characters felt a bit one-dimensional, except for Sunny (justice for Sunny!).

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for my eArc, in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for this ARC of The Devils.
This was my first experience of Joe Abercrombie, and after finishing The Devils, I will be reading his backlist.
Enjoyable characters, simple premise and some comedic relief to break up the more adult moments.
There is nothing groundbreaking in this work, but it would be an excellent 'palate cleanser' book, i.e. one to read between heavier themed works, it's not something you have to use too much brain work to follow.
My only drawback was the predictability of the plot, there was an over-formulaic quality that was hard to ignore.
Overall, though, a good read.

British fantasy author Joe Abercrombie kicks off his new fantasy series The Devils in the way it is meant to continue: chaotically. The two opening chapters introduce Brother Diaz, a hapless priest on his way to meet the Pope, stuck in traffic caused by a Saints Day, and Alex, a thief being chased through the same streets by a couple of brawny enforcers. The streets are noisy, dirty and packed with beggars and pilgrims. The world in which they live is a twisted alternate medieval Europe in which the Pope and the clergy of the Western Church are women and are in an ages-long dispute with the Western Church. But everyone is aligned against the Elves, against whom there have been a number of crusades.
The Devils kicks into gear when Father Diaz finds that he is to take charge of a group of evil doers – a vampire, a necromancer, an elf, a werewolf, an ancient soldier and a former pirate – who have been pressed into service by the Chuch, to escort Alex, who turns out to be the long lost heir to the throne of the city of Troy, where she is to be crowned Empress. The idea being that once this happens she will help bring about a rapprochement between East and West. The only problem is that Alex’s five cousins are keen not to see her succeed and have eldritch forces of their own.
The Devils is essentially a medieval Suicide Squad. Each of the members of Father Diaz’s group has their own unique powers which come into play in varying ways when the going gets tough. And the going gets tough a lot. Abercrombie delights in lengthy set piece battles between his central group and the various forces that stand in their way. And while these are bloody and fun for the most part, they do start to get repetitive after a while. Probably the most interesting part of the journey is when they are forced to split up and the action is more about influence and manoeuvring rather than fighting.
The Devils is Grimdark-light fantasy. There is plenty of mud, blood and other bodily fluids, body horror, monsters, sex and depravity. But it is all a bit tongue in cheek. Abercrombie goes for a more humorous mode which works for the most part the lighten what is otherwise a fairly grim progression from one set piece to the next. And again, similar to the Suicide Squad model, each of the characters has a wisecrack or two up their sleeve no matter how grim the situation gets.
While there is a fair amount of world building in The Devils, there is also much that is left unexplored, in particular the apparent threat posed by the Elves who hold the lands further East to Troy. So while the action in this book is wrapped up, it is clear that Abercrombie has more story to tell. He has created an engaging group of characters so hopefully the next instalments will be a little more varied in their plotting.

This was such a dark, chaotic ride in the best way. A cursed priest leading a gang of magical misfits—including a vampire, necromancer, and werewolf—on an impossible mission? Yes please.

It’s gritty, fast-paced, and full of sharp banter and morally grey chaos. Classic Abercrombie with a fun, almost Suicide Squad-esque twist. I had a blast.

3.5 stars

In The Devils, Joe Abercrombie weaves an action-packed tale, following a ragtag group of characters from a bloodthirsty werewolf to a necromancing sorcerer (… er, magician?). There’s no doubt that Abercrombie is a talented writer, creating a vast cast of personalities and an intricate world, which I’m sure will only be explored further as the series unfolds. The start of the novel instantly grabbed me, I was intrigued by the writing (truly, it’s so well-written and I felt blessed to be able to devour it with my eyes) and the beginnings of the plot.

Although I liked the humour, at the same time, I think it is also one of the main reasons why I’m not rating this higher. It was funny, but for me, it was also at the expense of the plot. Every moment that had me biting my nails, on the edge of my seat was broken with humour. I struggled to take the narrative seriously or feel like there was any real threat to the characters or their mission. To a degree this also made it feel like some actions characters took didn’t have any serious repercussions and I stopped worrying about the outcome (without spoiling anything, there is a big-ish moment where a character does something and everyone freaks out about it because it’s so ‘bad’, but it’s smoothed over in a joking way). Yet, I adored how ridiculous the characters were with their quirks and bickering, and even though I thought the amount of jokes were a discredit to the story, they still made me laugh.

The characters were definitely the strongest aspect of the story for me, I enjoyed reading about the relationships that developed between all of them and the little found family they built together. I’m interested in delving deeper into their backstories, and most of all, want to know what all the fuss was about Barcelona.

THIS. BOOK.
This was my first Joe Abercrombie novel—and it definitely won’t be my last. I was completely hooked. I can’t even express how obsessed I am with this cast of characters.
We follow Brother Diaz, a reluctant monk suddenly promoted to lead the Chapel of Unholy Expediency—a secret Church squad made up of an old knight, a pirate, a werewolf, an elf, a vampire, and the (third) best magician in Europe. Their mission? Escort the long-lost princess of Troy across a monster-filled landscape so she can claim the Serpent Throne and become Empress.
Found family is one of my all-time favorite tropes, and this book nailed it. The banter? Top tier. I genuinely think the characters are what made this story so addictive for me. Yes, the pacing did start to feel a little repetitive towards the end—but honestly, I didn’t care. I loved these characters too much to mind.
This is a dark, character driven fantasy full of action, humour, and gloriously morally grey characters—what’s not to love?

This book has fast pacing, morally grey characters, brutal violence, and clever plot turns. There’s real skill in the writing, especially in the action scenes and narrative surprises. As a work of fantasy adventure, it’s entertaining and often thrilling.

But here’s the thing. I struggled with the comedic tone, especially during scenes of tension, danger, or violence. The near-constant flow of one-liners and irreverent dialogue made it hard for moments to land emotionally. While I can see how it leans into a Suicide Squad–esque vibe (and perhaps that’s intentional), the humour diluted the impact for me. If you're a fan of comic-book-style banter and dark comedy, this might hit the mark. If not, it can feel exhausting.

Tonally, the book straddles Grimdark and action-comedy, but I tend to prefer my Grimdark with more weight and fewer quips. Not every character needs to be snarky, sweary, and sardonic. Some tonal variety could have given the ensemble cast more depth and contrast.

That said, the twists are excellent, and there’s no denying the author's control over narrative momentum. I just wish the tone had let the story breathe in more than one emotional register.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 Stars

ARC provided by the publisher—Hachette via Netgalley—in exchange for an honest review.

I had high expectations for Joe Abercrombie's first foray into epic fantasy and safe to say he lived up to them. The Devils is a fantasy horror, adventure story with a wild mix of characters and personalities.
Joe's prose is a highlight throughout the story, while his characters feel familiar. He brings it home strongly, and despite some of the twists being obvious, I'm not sure where book 2 will go.

It was almost a 5 star book, but some repetitive catchphrases, overuse of humour and some obvious twists detracted enough to drag it down to 4.25 stars.

If you're a fan of Abercrombie's previous work you'll love this, and if you've never read one of his books before this is a fun starting point.

An epic journey through an enchanting, dark and ethereal fantasy land- The Devils by Joe Abercrombie was fast paced and emotional with suspenseful action all rolled into one along with humour for good measure.
The story revolves around Alex (thief and street urchin) who finds out she is, in fact an empress of the kingdom of troy. Alex is placed with a unique rag tag group of people (both supernatural and religious) who are put in charge of guiding her to Troy in order to claim her birth right at the behest of her uncle and a child pope.
However, along the way they encounter werewolves, hybrid creatures (who are part human, part beast) abominations created by her evil Aunt Eudoxia a sorceress of sarcomancy along with her power hungry, evil cousin's who are all vying for the thrones at any cost.
The overall incorporation of elves being the "big bad" was a clever addition to the storyline adding both depth and intrigue to the plot as a whole. There was even a twist that I didn't see coming at the crux of the book and what a shock it was but in a very good way.
This was my second foray into the work of Joe Abercrombie and it certainly won't be my last- well crafted varied characters, well structured immersive settings along with a unique plot and constant action that had me on the edge of my seat- grimdark fantasy at its finest!.
I will definitely be reading more works by this author in the future.
Thankyou to both Hachette Australia and New Zealand and NetGalley for an ARC of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review- all opinions are my own.

This was extremely enjoyable and a step to the left of what I would typically read. That being said, I've been meaning to try a Joe Abercrombie book and take a dip into some grimdark for a while. So, while I'm sure its a little bit different from his grimdark catalogue (The First Law etc...), I'm glad that my first Abercrombie read was The Devils.

One major standout from this read was Abercrombie's prose - you can tell as soon as starting this that he is a fantastic writer. I've seen in promotional material for The Devils being described as "devilishly witty" - and honestly, that is a bang on description. The Devils has a motley crew cast of characters, all of which created a chaotically enjoyable experience. I for once, found that I liked every character, and that there wasn't the one that rubbed me the wrong way.

The only critique I could add to this review was that it felt a smidgen too long in certain parts - but, I also struggle to pin-point what exactly was off regarding pacing in those moments. I might honestly just be that I don't personally enjoy reading action scenes as much.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and a great introduction to Joe Abercrombie. I would definitely pick up a sequel and bumping up his other works on my TBR.

I've never read Joe Abercrombie. I’ve heard nothing but good things about his work, but I had a very long period in my teens, when The First Law was being released, where I didn't read anything, so I essentially skipped him. And when I decided to apply for an ARC of The Devils, I knew there was a chance that I’d either not be approved for it, or I wouldn't even like it.
The Devils is devilishly delightful. Featuring a veritable rogues gallery of terrible mythical creatures, and cursed criminals killing their way across an alternate Europe, The Devils is packed with action and laughs. While the perspective shifts were a little jarring at first, I began to appreciate them for the way that they forwarded the action through the eyes of the various characters. There's action aplenty here, and the clash of magic and creatures across various different folklore makes for a world with some impressive depth.
It doesn't take itself too seriously, but still allows itself to indulge in sincerity from time to time. The cast of characters are endearing and packed with quirks that make this a crazy enjoyable read. The alternate Europe serves as an intriguing world that is both familiar and strange. The Devils is a wonderful read and Abercrombie is a master of his craft.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Devils.

This is my second Joe Abercrombie novel and I must say, I was pretty impressed. The world building was really interesting and kept me coming back for more. I'm excited to see where Abercrombie takes this series. The only things that weren't to my taste: (1) the amount of talk of faeces and (2) the book felt a tad long.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars!

I love Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy so I had really high hopes for the Devils and I was not disappointed!

I was hooked from the moment we had my favourite you might secretly be a princess reveal in fantasy yet!

The Devils are a great band of misfit characters, Vigga was by far my favourite, I might be a bit obsessed with her. I also laughed out loud at Balthazar’s internal dialogue several times, even if most of his internal musings did lead him to projectile vomit 😂

Overall, the Devils is witty, exciting and everything I would expect from the master of Grimdark. It should be on every fantasy fans TBR list this year!

Thank you to Hachette Australia and New Zealand and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I've heard the phrase "delightfully witty" used to describe many things in my life but never has there been a better example of a "delightfully witty" novel than this. The Devils is one part fantasy epic, one part deranged Dungeons & Dragons campaign, one part Monty Python skit, and the result is brilliant. Abercrombie is a wonderful writer and I came away from the book feeling smarter just for having read his prose.

The main characters are all great, which isn't usually the case for big ensemble casts like this. Balthazar got on my nerves sometimes and I would have liked more insight into Baptiste, but overall each character had some brilliant moments and rarely overstayed their welcome on the page. Vigga was a personal favourite, as were Jakob and Baron Rikard. I'd love to see more of them and their backstories in future works.

That said, the book did drag in parts and I honestly think it could've been about 150 pages shorter. The pacing dragged in action scenes, which were very drawn out because of all the perspective shifts. While that might work for readers who love action, I honestly got exhausted and spent some of the most climactic battle moments just hoping it would end soon. This won't be an issue for everyone, but I found it made it hard to get through some parts of the book, especially because the pacing was so snappy in other areas.

I would definitely pick up a sequel, but I think I'd have to carve out at least a month to get through it if it's as long as this one and had the same pacing issues.

4.5 stars

This was my first Joe Abercrombie read and I wasn't really sure what to expect - I really enjoyed this book!

The characters were like a Suicide Squad, motley, rude, funny, all from different magical lineage (a werewolf, a vampire, a magician (not a sorcerer thanks!), an elf) plus their guards, the soldier who can't die, his offsider who has done everything and worked in every industry and the monk who got into the church by accident, who is now tasked with leading the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. They are tasked with transporting the new Empress of Troy, Alex, to her new home. She adds to the motley feel by being an ex street urchin, who swears, steals, lies and has no idea how to become an Empress but needs to run away from her problems.

Following this group across Europe is never boring, as they find themselves battling those who would keep Alex from her new home. It's a lot of fun to see how the characters interact with each other and grow to become something like friends. I'm a sucker for a found family trope and this book definitely ticked that box for me.

The writing was excellent -there was some great dialogue, the book is filled with banter and one liners. Though written in 3rd person, each POV has a distinctly personal feel, you could feel the differences in how each each part was written. The writing almost has a cinematic feel, with scenes written from different perspectives, showcasing different parts of the plot. I will say that the descriptiveness did feel a little over the top at times (a bit like Stephen King) but for the most part I didn't mind this, it was just a bit of a slower read for me.

I'd definitely recommend this book and I'll be waiting to see where we are going next with the Chapel of the Holy Expediency!

I was so excited to get a chance to read an ARC of this, but the only problem is that it was one of those books that I just wanted to savour - I didn’t want to start it because I didn’t want it to end. Have to say, it was everything I hoped for.

The band of Devils sounds like the start of a joke: a knight who can’t die, a horny werewolf, a necromancer who has too much confidence in himself, and an invisible elf (just to call out a few of them), on the way to put a thief on a throne to help fix the schism between the churches.

I laughed so much throughout this book. The banter was so good, the character development was fantastic, and the whit and jokes that just came out of nowhere at times. It was such a great read!

You need the devils on your side when you’re headed through hell. Plague stalks the land, monsters lurk in every shadow and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions. A darkly imagined world, a colourful cast of characters and gruesome action scenes this will appear to fantasy and horror readers alike. There was something akin to religious zeal in this novel that translates to the ideology that holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 | 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐳 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐨𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐞

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for a copy of this e-arc.

I loved, loved, LOVED this book. This is absolutely going to be my top read for the year, I feel pretty confident in saying that.

Vigga, my love! She had my heart from that very first scene I saw her. I love her immensely, but after that ending I just want to give her a hug.

I grew to love each and every character in this main cast, and there are a lot of them! Each was given time to shine and save the day in their own way. But what a tortured and sorry lot they are too. I was half expecting Balthazar to whip out some magic at the end to... you know.

I'm not sure how this fits in with Abercrombie's other work, as it is my first, but the book is filled with chaos, action and humour the entire way through. It is raw, and gritty and I can't wait to see what's next for the series.

Thanks to the publishing team for an ARC!

I had high hopes for The Devils - but unfortunately this book felt a bit like a slog by halfway through. There were some good points where writing felt tight and the plot progressed quickly, but these were tempered by prose that was repetitive and (honestly) quite trite. I also felt the romantic relationships that developed were there simply to say they occurred - rather than having any real relevance to plot or characterisation.

All-in-all, The Devils was an okay read, and ended with some action. I'm not sure I'll be jumping to read the next though.

With its dark humour, colourful characters, and superb action, The Devils perfectly encapsulates everything I love about Joe Abercrombie. Although not set in the First Law universe, this novel contains everything I enjoyed from that series—and more. It's fast-paced, packed with fantastic action, and every character is incredibly distinct and memorable. While I admit I was disappointed when I heard Abercrombie was taking a break from the First Law universe, that quickly became a distant concern as I began reading and became immersed in this new world. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and see where Brother Diaz and the rest of the cast end up on their journey.

I'm so grateful to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for providing this advanced reading copy. This was one of my most anticipated books for 2025, and it certainly did not disappoint. My only criticism is that Joe’s tour for The Devils isn’t coming down to Australia—I would have loved the chance to meet him in person (though who can blame him, considering the gruelling 24-hour flight!). I know I was rather vague on plot details in this review, but I wanted to give potential readers the same blind experience I had going into it, as it made the story all the more exciting.

Thanks again to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for providing this review copy.