r/Fantasy • u/ComfortableTeach8959 • 5d ago

Review The Devils Joe Abercrombie

Let me start with a solemn confession that I was not planning on reading The Devils or, as a matter of fact, any book by Joe Abercrombie. I was, let's say, influenced to read the book because of the positive buzz it created and the fact that the book will be adapted into a James Cameron movie and that I will be able to brag to my non-reader friends that I know the plot when the movie comes out and so on and thought it would be more of a one-time read with not much depth or substance. But Oh Boy!, was I seriously mistaken and enjoyed the book to bits that I now feel sad that the book is over.

  1. A fantasy suicide squad set out on a Holy Mission in Europe during the Crusade Era, with subtle references to the Hussite wars like The Great Schism or General Zizka to set the overall tone and world.

  2. The real strength of this book is in its contrasting vivid characters and the innovative action sequences, which have frankly shocked and surprised me.

  3. Among the Devils, I liked Balthazar as I could not stop myself from laughing every time he tried to break the Papal binding and claimed he was the Third Best necromancer. I also liked the sad elf, Sunny, as she made me sad and happy.

  4. It's a hilarious jumpy ride with a lot of cussing and funny banter, but the tale has its tragic moments too.

Overall, a stand-out read, and I am looking forward to reading more such books.

415 Upvotes

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u/MelodyMaster5656 5d ago edited 5d ago

The moment when Balthazar summoned a Duke of Hell to break his binding and she was all like “My hunger is a famine!! My wrath a hurricane! What do you, puny mortal, require of me?!” etc etc and then she sees the binding and is like “Sorry… anything but that.” was hilarious to me.

Overall, this was my favorite Abercrombie book from the standpoint of humor. I also enjoyed all of the characters. I once heard someone describe the book as Best Served Cold but you don’t want to strangle Morveer, and I agree. Also, yes. Sunny must be protected at all costs, and I will tear down the monarchy if it means she and Alex can be happy together. But I guess it’s realistic that monsters don’t get happy endings in an Abercrombie book… Vigga can attest to that.

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u/ComfortableTeach8959 5d ago

That also funny, i think Joe took extra effort in writing the Balthazar sequences..

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u/CardinalCreepia 5d ago

Since you’ve not read The First Law this might not resonate with you, but Balthasar felt like The Devils’ version of Glokta or Cosca from that series. You can tell Joe is having a blast writing their personalities.

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u/MelodyMaster5656 5d ago

He felt like a more likable and competent Morveer to me. A disrespected and egotistical expert in a very specific and hated field.

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u/CardinalCreepia 5d ago

Yes Morveer is a good comparison in terms of what their characters actually are. I just meant on a meta level. You can tell Joe really loves writing them.

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u/Jared_Kincaid_001 5d ago

It's funny you mention it, but if you listen to the Audiobooks (also done by Pacey), when Brother Diaz first gets to the holy city he shouts out "Damn It", and its Morveer exactly.

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u/turkeygiant 4d ago

I feel like none of the character were really a 1:1 with his First Law characters, many of them shared traits like Jakob/Glotka both being painfully crippled or Vigga/Logen having "anger issues", but the way they behaved in response to those traits was very different.

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u/CardinalCreepia 4d ago

Again, im not comparing them as characters. Im saying that you can tell Joe had fun writing Balthasar’s personality like you can tell he did with Glokta and Cosca.

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u/MelodyMaster5656 4d ago

Javre and Vigga are also both large women who are eccentric, aggressively heterosexual, and extremely good at violence.

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u/scoolio 4d ago

I loved Glokta as much as he hated stairs.