Joe Abercrombie is back with a new fantasy series to knock your socks off. The Devils is the first novel in a new series by the same name, and boy, does it start off with a bang. Everything you love about this masterful author is back with a vengeance (best-in-class characters, stunning action sequences, a riveting plot, and a world you could not pay me to live in), but we have some new elements as well. The Devils appears to take place in an alternate version of our own world, making this a strange historical fantasy mash-up. The book defies classification, but it still remains one of the top contenders for the best book of the year.
Elves. The elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh. They have boiled over the holy land, killing and eating every godly man and woman who rightfully belongs in the hallowed hills. When faced with this sort of existential threat, it is no wonder the papacy has turned to alternative soldiers to fight God’s most difficult battles while God looks the other way. While The Devils are definitely not God’s chosen favorites, they are some of his stronger soldiers.
Our story picks up during a moment of crisis in the church. There has been a split in the clergy, and the church is divided between two major sects, each propped up by a royal throne. When the lost heir of the Serpent Throne of Troy is discovered in a back alley, the papacy sees an opportunity to put them on the rival throne as a puppet and mend the sects of the church. Only together can the united church stand against the elvish crusade. Getting our lost heir onto the throne will be a difficult and harrowing journey, but such a task is nothing new for The Devils. With a brand new handler to steer them in the right direction, this chaotic group of divine rejects will make it to Troy through hell and high water.
The Devils is a very dark, grisly, and fun story that feels like Abercrombie’s take on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets The Suicide Squad. As always, with an Abercrombie book, I generally try to say as little as I can about the story, as his novels are always best to read without any priming. However, I will say that this is an absolutely fabulous book. Most of Abercrombie’s work feels very theme-forward; or rather, he starts with the big ideas and messages he wants to convey and then builds incredibly intricate characters around them to deliver the perfect narrative punches. The Devils has incredible commentary and themes, but it also feels like Abercrombie is having a bit more fun than usual.
The book is extremely crass as a way of both building ambiance and conveying the horrors of the world, but know going in that the general vibe is ‘gross.’ Bodily fluids are involved basically every few pages, and the dialogue is basically a constant stream of cursing. Part of this is because contextual repetition is one of the cornerstone themes of the story, and I absolutely love it. If it isn’t immediately clear what that means: Abercrombie spends the book essentially repeating dialogue, circumstance, and experiences both within characters and across multiple characters, but tweaks the context slightly each time so that a “God Damnit” has a different emphasis and meaning each time. I am absolutely sure that some readers will find this style aggravating, but I found it absolutely delightful.
As mentioned, the characters are also delightful. There are eight members of The Devils, and they each combine the best of popular classic tropes and Abercrombie’s flair for detail and depth. All of the cast exist as contradictions in their own special way, and much of the book is an exploration of the ways the world pulls them in multiple directions. There is a lot of care given to cross-group dynamics on the quest, and it is really interesting to see how each member of The Devils has a different vibe with each other member. Some pairings are romantic, some are friendships, some are rivalries, and some are genuine hatred. The result is a chemistry that is powerfully explosive. Their choices feel like they have a weighty agency, and the collective group is forced to adapt constantly as they encounter trial after trial on their deranged quest. The result is people and monsters who end the book in very emotionally different places than they started, and I am starved for more information about where their journey will take them next.
This first book in the series manages to tell an extremely self-contained story that reads like it doesn’t need any follow-up, while also simultaneously prepping the way for an exciting new chapter. Given the big theme of repetition in a new context, I wouldn’t be surprised if the sequel is doing the journey a second time, but as their new altered selves from the end of book one. Regardless of what the next story is, I can’t wait to get my hands on it. The entire thing is a Devil of a tale, and I will happily let it damn my soul.
Rating: The Devils – 10/10
-Andrew
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
