Joe Abercrombie is one of my favourite fantasy authors and is surely at the top of the list when it comes to Grimdark fantasy (a subgenre characterised by its dark, violent and often morally ambiguous elements and settings). And after his latest trilogy (The Age of Madness), he’s back with a new novel, a new trilogy of independent (or self-contained) books full of violence, dark humour and political intrigue.

He transports us to a new world based on a medieval Europe, decadent and full of horrors, in which the Roman Empire never existed and the great dominant civilisation was Carthage. The central faith revolves around the Saviour, executed on a wheel, and her Church (Western and Eastern) controls political, economic and everyday life.

The novel introduces us to this Europe, infested with sacrilegious magic and supernatural creatures (vampires, werewolves, witches, necromancers, elves, trolls, spirits), and gives us a glimpse of how exhausted and impoverished it is, for each place our protagonists arrive at is worse than the last, and each journey they undertake takes them from one danger to another even more perilous.

And at the centre of it all is our motley crew of protagonists, The Devils.

Joe Abercrombie — The Author

Joe Abercrombie is a British fantasy writer born in 1974 in Lancaster, known for being one of the great names in dark fantasy or “grimdark” and often nicknamed “Lord Grimdark”. He rose to fame with the ‘The First Law’ trilogy and other novels set in the same world, as well as the young adult trilogy ‘The Shattered Sea’, the first part of which won the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Novel.

His books are notable for their raw and realistic tone, brutal battles and morally ambiguous characters, far removed from the classic scheme of clear-cut heroes and villains. He often combines violence, cynicism and dark humour with a strong focus on character development, which has established him as one of the most influential voices in contemporary 21st-century fantasy.

What is it about? – Synopsis

Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.

Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters, and the mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.

Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it’s a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.

What did I think? – Opinion

As I mentioned at the beginning, Joe Abercrombie is one of my favourite fantasy authors, so my opinion is unlikely to be impartial. Without beating around the bush, I really enjoyed The Devils. I had been looking forward to reading it ever since Abercrombie announced he was working on it, and when I got it as a gift from my friends, I devoured it eagerly.

I’ve read many of Abercrombie’s books (The First Law trilogy, The Age of Madness trilogy, and The Shattered Sea trilogy) and this one, as expected, maintains his characteristic dark style, full of exaggeratedly violent and bloody scenes, and his touch of black humour.

The Devils is somewhat similar to Best Served Cold — from The First Law world — in that it follows a diverse group of characters on a “political” mission full of violence (and, in a way, revenge), but with a little more horror and more emphasis on action.

As for the plot, in The Devils, the author has not overcomplicated things. There is only one main story, and the author remains faithful to it from beginning to end, without deviating or opening up unnecessary subplots. The novel is divided into four parts; in each one, we delve deeper into the characters, and each one is marked by a “major event” that changes the situation and emotional state of the group. It may seem like a simple formula, but it works.

At the same time, the characters’ personal stories could do with more depth. Personally, I think some of them deserve—need!—more depth! They all have their charms, and I would like to know more about them, but especially Jakob of Thorn, Baptiste, and Balthazar (and perhaps Baron Rikard).

A knight condemned to never die, who has fought in every crusade and seen more than anyone could bear. A con artist who has dealt with all kinds of people, from thieves to kings, and who has worked just about every job imaginable. And a powerful necromancer more concerned about feeding his own ego than anything else.

Abercrombie reveals bits and pieces of these characters’ pasts, but leaves us wanting to know more and more, in my opinion.

The only minor criticism I would have is the humour. In The Devils, Abercrombie goes a bit overboard with the sarcasm, inside jokes and recurring gags.

Although in my opinion it is not Abercrombie’s best work, no one can deny that The Devils is very entertaining. I read it in one sitting and really enjoyed it, so I can’t help but recommend it. If you like the author, it’s a sure hit. And if you don’t, also!

Moreover, if James Cameron himself has acquired the film rights to this novel, it must be worth it!

I can’t wait to read the next chapter in this trilogy! The epilogue in the Holy City introduces two intriguing characters, promising more devils in the trilogy. What new twisted characters, impossible challenges and horrifying monsters will Abercrombie have in store for us?

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