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.

I had the hardest time trying to focus on the ebook. I'm not sure if it was the layout or the story itself. Unfortunately for as of this moment I have given up on finishing this one.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an entertainjng read from the start with really great character work. I found each character interesting and their interactiond beteween each other really well done. I also enjoyed the oerspectives changing and how each characters personality matched their narration.

Immensely fun romp with monsters to claim a throne.
This dark-humour found-family fantasy has the best of Abercombie: his ability to create loveable flawed characters and bringing them to full HD life.
While this is a long book, that you will take some time reading as you don't want to miss a single crumb of humour, the characters will keep you completely entertained.
The journey has some repetition, but I didn't mind at all, as I just wanted to spend more time with each character. We hop from head to head and completely believe each of their voices and world views. You'll also enjoy a good number of twists and turns, though if you've read anything else by Abercrombie you'll probably guess a few of them ahead of time, but once again, the joy of this book is the interactions and the way each of the group interpret the events and move towards their goal.

my first delve into joe abercrombie’s writing, and i was not disappointed.

- super gritty but the humour between characters? the dialogue? the internal thoughts of the characters? AMAZING. had me actually laughing at some points.
- each character is wrote so differently personality wise, but it’s so easy to keep up with!
- super fast paced. it’s just one thing after another plot wise, boom boom boom. it’s so much fun. just so much fun.

best way to describe it, suicide squad in medieval europe in an alternate timeline? honestly 10/10, 5 stars i will be reading the next book & eventually going through all of his work.

High fantasy with low characters from the master of grimdark himself, Joe Abercrombie.

I must admit, I was a little concerned with the above elevator pitch. I love me some Abercrombie, I adore the First Law books and the sequel series, Age of Madness. But The Devils is a very different beast. It's full of elves and necromancers and vampires and werewolves. Characters banter, they quip, they go back and forth with zingers and such. It's well-written, you understand, but it threw me for a bit of a loop.

I saw a review elsewhere that suggested The Devils was a bit like "Baldur's Gate 3 meets The Suicide Squad", and while I think that's apt, I'd add that it feels like a DnD session hosted by a sadist and played by a cadre of half drunk, hilarious smart arses.

I was a tad worried in the first third, mind you. It all felt a bit too glib, a bit too lightweight, with far too many action scenes involving characters I barely knew. Giz a minute to understand who these folks are, please Joe. However around the halfway mark something clicked for me and I became feverishly involved with the various misfits that are our protagonists.

The plot twists and turns and we get plenty of death and glory, blood and romance. It's a wild tale and a journey well worth embarking. I suspect those who've been a bit put off by Abercrombie's grittier works will enjoy this one a great deal more and those of us who love his nasty gear will likely appreciate the author's versatility and gift with wit and pathos.

The Devils is a blood-spattered, chuckle filled, rollicking adventure and the start of a promising new series.

Much thanks to Hachette Australia and New Zealand the ARC.

A sprawling ‘Suicide Squad’ adventure from the master of wry satire. When this book is good, Abercrombie’s talents are on full display, but when it’s bad it feels like a repetitive slog with one-note characters.

Abercrombie’s skill is in his hyperbolic characters and sharp observations, and this book is filled with snarky, sarcastic characters who aren’t afraid to confront the darkness of their world with a grimness of their own. It’s an eclectic cast of classic monsters - vampires, werewolves, necromancers, elves – and Abercrombie does his best to draw out the humanity hidden within the monstrosity. There’s an issue, though, in that the characters end up being defined by their powers with little complexity to deepen our understanding of them. Jakob can live forever, Sunny can turn invisible, the rest all have their thing and it’s all they really do for the whole book – which gets old fast.

There is a repetitiveness to the first two-thirds of the book, as characters use their powers in the same way in different set pieces. There are only so many times I can read about an unwitting foe being surprised that an immortal character doesn’t die from a deadly wound before it gets old – and that happens frequently. Once the adventure reaches its destination, things improve and accelerate.

Abercrombie’s insights can be delightful and cutting – although long-winded – so moments of the book are fun to read. Fun descriptions with utterly visceral details. Great fun for fans of grim-dark but perhaps not the place to start with Abercrombie.

expected release 6 May 2025

If you ever watched Anastasia and thought "you know what would make this story better? Is if someone dumped Suicide Squad into this world to spice it up" then have I got some great news for you!

A rough around the edges street urchin named Alex finds her life suddenly flipped on its head, when one day she is found by her Uncle, Duke Michael, and discovers that she is actually, in fact, the lost Princess Alexia and needs to reclaim her rightful place as the Empress of Troy. In order to get her safely placed on the throne the 'members' of the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, also known as The Devils, are made to do the job of protecting her on the long journey back to the Empire of Troy.


‘We seven?’ Brother Diaz waved at his flock. ‘A vampire, an elf, a werewolf – can she please dress herself?’

Vigga had been stripping the clothes from a dead guard but she’d got distracted catching raindrops on her tongue.

‘A knight who can’t die, a sorcerer—’

‘Magician.’

‘— a monk who never even wanted to be a bloody monk, and . . .’ Brother Diaz waved helplessly at Baptiste, ‘a former assistant barber to a mercenary company!’


I haven't read much Abercrombie to tell you how this sits in the larger scope of his work, but what I can tell you is that this books has definitely been put together by an author who is very experienced and gifted at crafting large scale fantasy adventures. The writing and world building is rich, clever and evocative and I was right there every step of the journey. The dry humour in this worked for me and I was deeply entertained throughout the ride.

I think the brightest shining star of this book was its exceptional character work and character growth over the course of the adventure. I loved the complex, morally grey characters of Alex, Brother Diaz, Jakob of Thorn, Baptiste, Balthazar, Baron Rikard, Vigga and Sunny so much. Each step in their journeys felt so honest and organic and each character had their own unique motivations and personalities.

The interpersonal relationships that exist between the characters in the team are also so SO delightful. I should preface this by saying this book is definitely not a romance, but I was so pleasantly delighted that this book surprised me with such a great little sapphic romantic subplot. Mr Abercrombie really surprised me with that one (but I loved it).

This sits in a weird space where in spirit and content it's definitely high fantasy but is set in an alternate Europe with lots of real world countries mentioned so kind of also making it low fantasy at the same time? I'm not entirely sure where that leaves us? Middle fantasy? Lol

I can safely say I'll be excited to see where this world goes to next. This will be the 'doorstopper' fantasy book of the year to beat, at 4.5 stars (rounded up). This thing is a bit of a doozy and although it felt like a fast read it did also feel like a very long one too, so this is a book to pick up when you don't mind taking your time for an epic scale fantasy experience.


Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book and to provide my own thoughts and opinions.