Halfway through 2025, I can safely say that The Devils by Joe Abercrombie is the best book I’ve read so far this year. It’s a laugh-out-loud, character-driven fantasy with harrowing action, massive set pieces, brutal betrayals, and a bittersweet ending. In other words, it’s classic Abercrombie.
I was hooked after the first chapter. Maybe even after the title of the first of four parts: “Worst Princess Ever.” Or perhaps it was the slogan hidden beneath the dust jacket: “The Worst Monsters Make the Best Allies.” Those two phrases perfectly set up the premise: a monk leads a team of monsters, magically bound to serve the Pope, on a mission to install a long-lost princess on the throne of Troy. Think James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad or Creature Commandos, but set in the Middle Ages.
The setting is an alternate-history version of medieval Europe. In this world, the priests of the Holy City (Rome) are all female, and the Pope is a ten-year-old girl believed to be the reincarnation of the Savior, who, here, is the Daughter of God. Troy takes the place of Constantinople, and a schism divides the churches of the East and West, much like in the real Middle Ages. The Templars and Crusades exist, too, but these holy wars target the elves, branded the “Enemies of God.” If all that sounds like blasphemy, this may not be the book for you. But as a fan of historical fantasy, I found it to be a clever twist.
The story unfolds through a host of viewpoint characters (all but two of the team, by my count), so it’s hard to pinpoint a true “main character.” In a sense, the Devils as a group are the main character. But the story begins with Brother Diaz, a young Spanish monk summoned to the Holy City and appointed by the top-ranking Cardinal to lead the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, a euphemism for the team of monsters the Church deploys whenever the need arises. Naive but endearing, Brother Diaz is the closest thing to a “good guy” the story offers.
He’s joined by Jakob of Thorn, a grizzled Templar with a secret I won’t spoil. He quickly became one of my favorite characters, and I looked forward to every scene told from his point of view. Then there’s Baptiste, a beautiful and swashbuckling former pirate who once served as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen of Sicily. Together, the three command the Devils, who are bound to them through a magical rite performed by the ten-year-old Pope in one of the novel’s many hilarious scenes.
The Devils themselves consist of Baron Rikard, a charming Eastern European vampire; Vigga, a Viking warrior and werewolf; Sunny, a diminutive elf who can turn invisible by holding her breath; and Balthazar Sham Ivan Draxi, a necromancer with a name as flamboyant as his personality. Each character gets their moment to shine, but Balthazar—always scheming to break the Pope’s binding spell—steals the show, delivering some of the book’s most comedic moments.
Then there’s Alex, the so-called “Worst Princess Ever,” revealed to be Alexia Pyrogennetos, heir to the throne of Troy. She bears the royal birthmark, but has grown up as a streetwise thief in the Holy City, dodging her many debt collectors. When her long-lost uncle, Duke Michael, arrives to take her to Troy—with the Devils as her protectors—the real adventure begins. Like every member of the cast, Alex is wonderfully drawn, and her evolving relationships with the team add real heart to the story.
Naturally, there’s plenty of conflict. Alex has four ambitious cousins, each vying for the throne and willing to kill her to get it. Worse still, they’re aided by the monstrous creations of their deceased mother, the former empress and a notorious sorceress whose twisted experiments fused humans with animals to create an army of abominations.
What follows is an unforgettable adventure: epic battles that span multiple chapters, perfectly-timed plot twists, and harrowing scenes that put the characters you’ll come to love in serious danger. The book is wildly entertaining and blends humor, action, and suspense in a way only Abercrombie can. And the book’s final act is one of the most thrilling I’ve read in years.
I can’t recommend The Devils highly enough. I can only hope there’s a sequel in the works and, fortunately, the ending leaves room for one. And we may even see The Devils on the big screen since James Cameron of Avatar and Titanic fame has reportedly purchased the film rights. Trust me, that would be a movie worth watching.