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The Devils

The epic fantasy sensation – prepare for a wickedly dark and twisted adventure

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The Devils

By: Joe Abercrombie
Narrated by: Steven Pacey
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EUROPE STARES INTO THE ABYSS

Plague and famine stalk the land, greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions, and an ancient evil lurks beyond the edges of the map..

When only dark paths lead towards the light - paths the righteous dare not tread - the Chapel of the Holy Expediency steps forward. Its congregation of cursed monsters and convicted heretics will cross every line, commit every sin, and turn every mission into a disastrous bloodbath in the service of the greater good.

Now the hapless Brother Diaz must somehow bind the worst of the worst to a higher cause: to put a thief on the throne of Troy, and unite the sundered church against the coming apocalypse.

WHEN YOU'RE HEADED THROUGH HELL, YOU NEED THE DEVILS ON YOUR SIDE.©2025 Joe Abercrombie Action & Adventure Best of 2025 Dark Fantasy Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Fantasy Historical Funny Scary Witty
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Critic reviews

The Devils is just an incredibly fun, incredibly action-packed and, by the end, incredibly affecting book. It slammed the living shit out of me
The Devils is Joe Abercrombie at his best: exciting, witty, vicious. History buffs (like me!) will love the fantasy-historical setting overflowing with brilliant little details
Joe Abercrombie is, to me, the undisputed master of creating deep, distinct characters that leap off the page, and never more so than in The Devils. This book is hilarious, profound, tragic, and so thrillingly paced one scarcely has time to breathe between one calamitous adventure and the next. I loved every page, and can't wait to see where the story goes from here. Straight to hell, I hopefully suspect!
Visceral, vivid, and violent, The Devils is exceptionally good. Every page is laced with an edge, an energy, written with a fiercely confident voice that demands and deserves your attention. Packed with insightful commentary and sharp wit, this is a delightfully irreverent tale from a master of his craft. If competing works of fantasy literature are a forest, Abercrombie is a damn flamethrower
Deliciously wicked, surprisingly moving. The Dirty Dozen, but fantasy, and with literal monsters. An irresistible vampire, an undying knight, a not-to-be-f***ed with librarian, and the lustiest, most killy, most entertaining werewolf in fantasy or horror conspire to elevate a turdish thief to the throne of empire in this razor-sharp, genre-bending romp. Abercrombie's best to date. Beware
Devilish fun, an unholy delight. Wielding his trademarked grit and stiletto-sharp prose, Abercrombie is at his bloody best weaving a tale of monstrous heroes who discover the humanity in themselves
Mixing the central conceit of Suicide Squad with Hammer Horror vibes, as viewed via the lens of alternate history, Joe Abercrombie's The Devils is a gore splattered roller coaster ride from start to finish. Probably the most fun you can have reading a fantasy novel
Bloody, eloquent, and so fucking charming!
The Devils is ferociously imagined, and rumbles along with the unstoppable force of a city-burying avalanche. It's also frequently shout-out-loud-with-laughter funny. When it comes to big, shamelessly entertaining fantasy, Abercrombie is in a class of his own
Devilish fun, an unholy delight. Wielding his trademarked grit and stiletto-sharp prose, Abercrombie is at his bloody best weaving a tale of monstrous heroes who discover the humanity in themselves.
The Devils is ferociously imagined, and rumbles along with the unstoppable force of a city-burying avalanche. It's also frequently shout-out-loud-with-laughter funny. When it comes to big, shamelessly entertaining fantasy, Abercrombie is in a class of his own
All stars
Most relevant
Long have I waited for this, was not disappointed..…..really hope for more soon.
Abercrombie has yet again brought life to the grey areas of life.

Felt familiar yet is new!

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This is a long book although it could probably be much shorter if all the calls of "oh God" and "St Beatrix" were cut out. There are 8 characters 6 of which get inner monologues and it switches between view point often meaning the story can get bogged down as each characters point of view is taken into account. The story is a bit predictable and the villains even acknowledge the fact. Still an entertaining listen with dark humour and wit.

Standard Joe Abercrombie

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This is everything you'd want from a new Joe Abercrombie book but with added 'glistening innards'. Another superbly drawn cast of characters, a fantastic alternate historical setting, and the trademark world-weary droll dialogue. This also introduces the reader to what may be Abercrombie's best creation yet: Vigga the Viking werewolf - absolutely lethal and hilarious in equal measure yet also touched with pathos and beautifully brought to life by Steven Pacey's voice characterisation . The plot has a Suicide Squad / Dirty Dozen vibe as a cast of absolute wrongens is charged by the Pope with safely delivering a reluctant 'princess' to her rightful throne, including an unkillable knight, a charming vampire, an insufferable necromancer (one of the top 3 in Europe!) a pirate, and last but not least a dark elf, all lead by the superb administrator Brother Diaz. This is breathlessly paced entertainment at its finest.

Worth a credit just for the Viking Werewolf alone

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You will get everything what you'd expect from Joe Abercrombie and Pacey duo. Great language, great narration, and of course the characters are just something that only Joe can do!!!

Fantastic!

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The Devils delivers everything fans love about Joe Abercrombie—gritty characters, dark humour, and razor-sharp dialogue—but with a fresh and daring new story. It’s different, but unmistakably Abercrombie. Steven Pacey is absolutely brilliant, as he always is. Five stars.

Classic Abercrombie with a Twist

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