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MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
Format: Kindle Whispersync
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Holy 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. 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.
MY REVIEW
I’ve been looking forward to reading this for some time, especially after seeing The Broken Bindings cover by John Anthony Di Giovanni, and I was finally able to get to it. I knew Abercrombie wouldn’t let me down, but what I was surprised about was how much I loved the story, characters and the fact that it was much more fantastical than his previous work. I loved the First Law world, but I enjoyed the more fantastical elements of this story a bit more, so this is my favorite Abercrombie novel he’s written to date. It’s a classic Monster squad of a reluctant ill-fated monk, a standoffish vampire, a werewolf, an elf, a magician, a jack-of-all-trades, a cursed Templar knight, and a street thief.
In Abercrombie fashion, the characters are masterfully done, each brings their own uniqueness to the story, making the story that much richer and more compelling. While I liked all the members of the group for various different reasons, it’s extremely hard not to like Vigga and Jakob for what they bring to the table. The cast of these characters work so well together despite their different backgrounds, feeling more like a family of misfits rather than just a squad. It’s exactly like everyone says it is, it’s Suicide Squad, The Hateful Eight and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but with a little more horror flair.
“In my youth I dreamed one man could tip the balance of history,” said Jakob.
“Time has taught me that when one does, it can tip the wrong way as easily as the right.”
On top of the great characters, Abercrombie pieces together an intriguing story where he uses some historical accuracy while making a few changes to better fit his world, including a daughter rather than a son of God and a female pope. This change helps give the world an alternate Europe-vibe to sell these weird characters and their quest to Troy. I think what makes me love this more than anything else he’s done is that the pace is completely different from The First Law world. It’s much faster, and very action heavy while staying entertaining with the banter of the characters.
And of course, you can’t have an Abercrombie story without the phenomenal narration of the legend, Steven Pacey. There’s not much to say on this front since he is one of the very best in the narration field and these two belong together. Abercrombie writes it to perfection and Pacey brings it to life with mastery in every way imaginable. All in all, The Devils delivers everything I hoped for and more. If you are a fan of Abercrombie or character-driven adventures with dark humor, a hefty dose of monsters and action, this one is absolutely worth picking up. It has quickly become my top Abercrombie read, maybe even my top read of 2026, and I cannot wait to see where the series goes next.
Wolfmantula.com 