Book Review - The Devils

Few books manage to combine humor, strong character work, and relentless pacing in a way that keeps you turning pages late into the night. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie does exactly that. It may be the best book I’ve read in the past couple of years—it’s at least in my top five.

The Devils is immersive, fast-paced, genuinely funny, and filled with tragic, memorable characters. Once I started, it was almost impossible to put down.

!!! Spoilers Ahead !!!

A Story That Moves

One of the biggest strengths of The Devils is its pacing. The story flows incredibly well, balancing action, character moments, and humor without ever feeling bogged down. The group faces obstacle after obstacle throughout the story, but what keeps the narrative satisfying is how the solutions arise from the characters themselves.

One structural choice I particularly liked was splitting the group after the sea battle. It provided a refreshing shift in perspective and pacing. That said, I would have enjoyed even more time exploring the opposing sides of the battlefield—especially the dynamics between Baptiste and Balthazar, and Rikard and Jakob.

Another nice touch: Balthazar getting physically sick when he tried to violate the papal binding. It reinforced the stakes and rules of the world in a visceral way.

Abercrombie plays with familiar tropes, and some story beats felt intentionally predictable, but predictability didn’t detract from my enjoyment. If anything, it let the characters and journey take center stage.

And there were certainly several aspects that surprised me--moments that added emotional depth and prevented the story from feeling formulaic.

Various Perspectives from Brilliant Characters

Even though the characters lean into classic fantasy archetypes, Abercrombie makes them feel deeply human—and deeply tragic. What makes them memorable is that each character carries their own weight of tragedy, frustration, and longing.

Some standouts include:

• Jakob of Thorn – the cursed immortal knight whose body still shows centuries of wear and tear.

• Vigga – the exuberant Swedish barbarian werewolf who lives fully in the moment but ultimately cannot control her nature.

• Baron Rikard – the ancient vampire who ages and de-ages depending on how much power he has stored up. At one point someone remarks he spent forty years as bones—and he’ll get over it.

• Balthazar – perhaps the character who grows the most, evolving from ego-driven mage to someone who learns the value of loyalty and teamwork.

• Sunny – an elf who can turn invisible but longs simply to be treated as a person.

• Baptiste – the charming rogue who somehow seems to have mastered everything.

• Alex – a street thief turned princess who ultimately pulls off the greatest deception of all.

• Brother Diaz – the uncertain monk and reluctant leader who slowly gains confidence as he learns from those around him.

The novel uses multiple POV characters across the entire team. Every member gets moments inside their head. This approach works incredibly well because it reveals the emotions that would otherwise stay hidden: the resentment, self-doubt, despair, and occasional hope that drive the characters forward. It adds depth to what could otherwise have been a straightforward fantasy adventure.

Well-Timed Humor

This book made me literally laugh out loud more than once. Abercrombie’s trademark wit is on full display. There is witty banter among the characters, and Baron Rikard has a particularly dry view of the world.

One scene in particular, involving the demon Shaxep, felt straight out of Monty Python. After delivering a grand, ominous speech, the demon apologetically backs down when confronted with the details of its summoning: “Oh, sorry. I can’t do that. I know I gave the whole ‘my greed is a famine’ speech and everything.”

It’s perfectly timed absurdity in the middle of high-stakes fantasy.

Marketing vs. Reality

One interesting aspect of The Devils is how it’s presented. The cover and title suggest something closer to horror, but the story itself is much more epic fantasy than horror. That mismatch might actually do the book a disservice:

• Readers who dislike horror might skip it.

• Readers expecting horror might instead get something very different.

The book ultimately succeeds on its own merits, but it’s an interesting case of marketing not quite aligning with the story inside.

Conclusion

In the end, The Devils is exactly what I want from fantasy: immersive, funny, character-driven, and full of memorable moments.

It’s a true page-turner with a cast of deeply flawed characters trying—sometimes failing—to do the right thing.

Highly recommended.