I adored this. With all the humour and grit we expect with a tale from Abercrombie we follow a ragtag group of devils under the employ of the church because when you're fighting devils, devils are your best defence.

The Devils whilst exploring political elements and hints at a coming war, varies from Abercrombie's previous works and focuses more on an adventure across the lands, with a motley crew with one aim. Despite our crew being made up of supernatural and "evil" individuals Abercrombie as usual has crafted utterly complex and painfully human feeling characters and I adored this dysfunctional group! The fight scenes as expected were incredible the magical elements engaging and I for one can not wait to dive more into this world.

The Devils is an exciting mix of dark humour, intense action, and complex characters, set in a Europe on the brink of disaster. Plague, famine, and the ever-present threat of an elven invasion cast a shadow over the land, while a group of convicted supernatural criminals are tasked with an unlikely mission: to place a thief on the throne of Troy and unite the fractured church against the apocalypse. It’s chaotic, violent, and darkly funny, a perfect blend that had me thoroughly hooked from the start.

What really struck me was Abercrombie’s knack for creating characters who, despite being obvious miscreants, feel painfully human. Each member of the group has their own flaws, motivations, and backstory, making them more than just archetypes. I found myself invested in them as they navigated their own personal struggles while facing larger threats. Their interactions feel natural, often fraught with tension, but always sharp with wit.

Speaking of wit, the dark humour in The Devils is a highlight for me. Abercrombie knows how to balance the bleakness of the story with a healthy dose of irreverence. I found myself hooting with laughter numerous times, even during the most intense moments. This humour keeps the novel from feeling too grim and adds a unique layer to the narrative.

The action is another strength of the book. Abercrombie crafts fight scenes that are fast-paced and visceral without losing focus on the characters. Every battle feels like it has weight, not just for the plot, but for the people involved. The stakes are high, and the pacing never falters, keeping the story moving without feeling rushed.

What I particularly appreciated is how the book explores deeper themes of leadership, loyalty, and survival. the characters are constantly navigating the line between self-interest and their reluctant responsibilities. The twists and turns in the plot are not just for shock value—they offer moments of growth for the characters and force them to confront difficult choices.

If there’s any critique, it’s that some characters don’t get as much attention as others, but given that The Devils is (hopefully??) the first in a series, I expect there will be plenty of time for them to develop further in future instalments.

Any Joe Abercrombie book coming out is an event to be celebrated in my book, but this one, The Devils, has reminded me just how much I enjoy his writing
Yes, there is a touch of the formulaic about his tales, but hhs characters zing off the page and the tale rips along and a great and hectic pace.
Nobody in Abercrombie's books is all good, but, those considered bad often turn out to have more honour and innate goodness than anyone, least of all the characters themselves, realises.
There is no real need to recount the plot here, it's basic good versus evil with a twist!
There is undoubtedly a sequel coming up for the members of the 13th chapel, and I for one, am looking forward to meeting; Jakob the impossible to kill Knight, Bathazaar, the complex magician (is he going to land on the side of good or evil?)) Vigga, the girl slash werewolf, ( pun intended) Sunny the ever helpful, but vanishing, elf, and, of course, the Baron with his fascinating tales of dumplings.... all over again, the Devils that they are!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gollancz for this ARC!

I don’t think I would even be able to put into words how excited I was when I saw this ARC listed, and the pure joy that flowed through me when I got it.

I have so far read five of Abercrombie’s books, and I truly think he is an absolutely fantastic fantasy writer. While The First Law trilogy may be my favourite fantasy series of all time, this goes in a somewhat different, but not less enjoyable, direction.

The Devils is a rather humorous but still entirely cruel and gorey fantasy novel, departing from the rather politics-heavy world of the Age of Madness trilogy into the completely different world of historic Europe, only now with the addition of magic and monsters brought to life. Rather than a tale of war and politics, this is an adventure story, in which we follow a lovably-despicable cast of characters in their journey across Europe to see one of them crowned Empress of Troy, a journey that has them falling from one challenge into the next.

Before I started reading this I read some other reviews, in one of which the reviewer expressed that they thought this book was less character-focused than Abercrombie’s previous works, but I don’t think I can agree with that statement. While it is certainly true that some characters are given more “screen time” than others, and we learn more of their backstory, but nonetheless we get to see each of the central characters grow and change over the course of this story, with the aforementioned changes not always being positive, in true Abercrombie fashion. I would also generally say that it is a bit of an unfair criticism to say that the first work in a trilogy didn’t give the full backstory of a character — what would be left for us to discover in the next two works then?

Really the only “criticism” I have of this is that the humour flowed a little less well than it did in previous Abercrombie works I have read, at times it works fantastically and seems well integrated, while at other times it feels a little off putting. Nonetheless, I think that this book is truly as fun and lighthearted as such a dark fantasy can get, and I am already anxiously awaiting book two.

I was super looking forward to reading this one, but I struggled with the Devils, because this book is a complete departure from the previous Abercrombie books I have read. I do have to say that Abercrombie writes amazing action scenes. The problem I had though is that this is a bit of a 'all vibe no plot' style read, and the narrative lurches straight from one epic action scene to the the next. I am absolutely amazed at the varied ways to describe people being mutilated. Although this is not my favourite Abercrombie book, I would recommend this to those that like fast paced books, with the humour of Blacktongue Thief and crews of misfits on a forced quest.

This is my new starting point for people looking to start reading Abercrombie. It's fun, it's faced paced, and it's bursting with life. An all-timer of a novel, and one that I'm going to remember for a long time. Easily my read of the year so far.

Ok, I think this might be the Abercrombie book I have enjoyed most. More of a classic quest narrative with more focus on the plot moving than individual character arcs, this is a little like the Malevolent Seven, a little like The Blacktongue Thief. It is easily his funniest book, and tbh the one where the cast are less morally dubious. I really enjoyed it. I predict classic Abercrombie fans may be a little conflicted.