Skip to content

The Devils

The Devils

Dark FantasyFantasy
Pages
576
Published
2025
Language
English

Synopsis

Europe is under constant pressure from merciless elves at its borders, and the Church holds the line — or claims to. Brother Diaz is a mild-mannered monk who finds himself appointed Vicar of the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, a secret papal office whose methods are as ungodly as its ends are righteous. His flock: a cursed knight, a pirate, a werewolf, a vampire, a magician, and an elf. His mission: escort a former thief across a continent at war to a city where she may be heir to the throne.

Abercrombie's first novel outside the First Law universe since 2015 transposes his grimdark sensibility into a setting closer to dark historical fantasy — an analogue medieval Europe with monsters, magic, and a very corrupt Church. The Devils is faster and funnier than his earlier work, built around an ensemble of morally disreputable specialists who are very good at their particular flavour of terrible. The epilogue signals this is the start of a series.

Prose complexity
6/10

Vibe

DarkGrittyAdventurousFunny
QuestReluctant HeroMorally GreyFound FamilyAnti-HeroHeist
Writing5.0Impact3.0Characters5.0Plot3.0Atmosphere4.0

Genres

Dark Fantasy Fantasy Grimdark Medieval Religion

About the author

J
Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie (born Joseph Edward Abercrombie, 31 December 1974 in Lancaster, Lancashire) is an English fantasy novelist. He was educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and read psychology at the University of Manchester, then moved to London and joined a television post-production company before going freelance as a film editor, cutting documentaries, music videos and concert films. He began writing The First Law in 2002, and the trilogy — The Blade Itself (2006), Before They Are Hanged (...

Characters

Brother DiazProtagonist

A mild-mannered monk appointed to lead a crew of monsters on a mission for the Church, armed with good intentions and not much else.

Alex (The Devils)Protagonist

A street thief passed off as the lost Princess Alexia, heir to the Serpent Throne of Troy, whom Diaz's crew must deliver across a continent at war.

Jakob of ThornSupporting

A cursed knight who cannot die permanently, one of the "devils" Brother Diaz is given command of.

Balthazar Sham Ivam DraxiSupporting

A vain, garrulous necromancer and the crew's practitioner of forbidden magic.

Baron RikardSupporting

A vampire recruited into the Chapel of the Holy Expediency's crew of monsters.

All characters in The Devils

Frequently asked questions

  • Is The Devils set in the First Law world?

    No — The Devils is set in an entirely new world, Abercrombie's first since the Shattered Sea trilogy. It is a dark historical fantasy analogue of medieval Europe with monsters and magic, unconnected to the First Law universe.

  • Is The Devils the start of a new series?

    Yes — the epilogue introduces what appear to be Diaz's replacements at the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, indicating more missions to come. A sequel, titled The Heretics, has since been confirmed as the second book in the series.

  • Do I need to have read Abercrombie's other books before The Devils?

    No — The Devils is a clean entry point. It is set in a new world with new characters and requires no prior knowledge of the First Law or Shattered Sea books.

  • Is The Devils as dark as the First Law books?

    It shares the moral complexity and willingness to depict violence, but the tone is noticeably lighter and funnier than the First Law trilogy. It is dark fantasy with a stronger comedic current.

  • Is The Devils more humorous than Abercrombie's other work?

    Yes — most readers and reviewers note that The Devils is his funniest novel, with comedic set pieces that run alongside the violence rather than being undercut by it. The ensemble dynamic lends itself to darker humour.

  • Who is the main character of The Devils?

    Brother Diaz, a monk appointed to lead the Chapel of the Holy Expediency — a secret Church office that uses morally questionable means for ostensibly righteous ends. He serves as the ensemble's straight man.

  • What kind of monsters are in The Devils?

    Diaz's crew includes a cursed knight, a pirate, a werewolf, a vampire, a magician, and an elf. The elves of this world are the primary external threat — merciless invaders rather than noble beings.

  • When is the next book in The Devils series expected?

    The sequel is titled The Heretics. Abercrombie had completed a second draft by early 2026 and read an excerpt publicly, but as of September 2026 the publisher had not confirmed an official release date — retailer listings have circulated a tentative May 2027 date.

Read all 8 reviews