Bloody, Brilliant, and Badass: Fantasy Fans Need to Read Abercrombie’s The Devils
Arguably, one of the most anticipated books of the year, Joe Abercrombie’s The Devils delivers a dark fantasy tale filled with bloodshed, camaraderie, and humor. Abercrombie is well known for his ability to craft incredibly complex, morally-grey characters, which has made him one of the most popular fantasy writers working today. This is only my second Abercrombie book I’ve read (yes I know I have to read The First Law trilogy) but The Devils was a damn good time! The Devils is what you get when you put the Suicide Squad in a dark fantasy setting – a team of monsters, sinners, and outcasts who are forced to band together for the greater good. The result is a chaotic, highly entertaining novel that will entertain you from start to finish.
A New Kind of Team
In an alternate Europe, Brother Diaz is given a task of the utmost importance, to help deliver the heir to the Serpent Throne of Troy with the help of some of the most dangerous individuals in the Sacred City. Here, we’re introduced to a colorful cast of characters including a knight who can’t die, a Viking werewolf, a woman with a variety of skills, a vampire, an invisible elf, and a pompous, arrogant magician (oh I mean wizard). Abercrombie drops you right into the action and gives you little time to adjust to the new band of memorable characters. While each character had their own quirks and mannerisms that made them stand out, there were only a handful of them that I truly cared for such as Vigga, the Viking werewolf, Jakob, the knight who can’t be killed, and Brother Diaz, who’s own character arc is very satisfying.
The Devils was far more light-hearted than I originally anticipated, especially after hearing about the grimdark aspects of his First Law series, but I’m not complaining. It made the book much more fun and exciting. The book does tend to feel a bit repetitive in some scenes and dialogue choices, and whether or not that was intentional or not, it did bring down my enjoyment a tad. A few of the characters certainly needed a bit more development and time to shine so I’m hoping that they will in the future installments. The dialogue was sharp and witty, leading to some hilarious moments that I didn’t expect from this book.
Should You Read It?
Overall, The Devils is immensely satisfying with a cast of memorable characters and non-stop action, battles, and political intrigue. While it struggles a bit with some rather repetitive scenes and a rather basic and predictable plot, it’s nothing short of a great time. I highly recommend it!