The Devils Review

Hi. I’m mad. I might be writing this review too soon. I literally just finished The Devils, and I have some things to say. So, let’s get to my review. It doesn’t help that I’m having to eat my words on this Instagram post. This is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t rate a book in your head before you finish it.

Synopsis

Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.

Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.

Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it’s a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.

My Thoughts on The Devils

I have a few bones to pick with Mr. Abercrombie. I enjoyed The Devils up until the last one hundred pages. Obviously, I trusted that I would enjoy it to the end, but man was I wrong. Let’s talk about the good things first and then I’ll get to my rant at the end.

The characters. They were great. I loved the varied personalities that were individual and pretty well developed. There wasn’t a lot of character development but most of these characters knew exactly who they were, and they were firm in that. They’re borderline stereotypes in a tongue and cheek way. And they interact well with each other. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a found family, but it did have that vibe. I’m sure you’ve heard this comparison before but think Suicide Squad plus fantasy.

The setting. It was a weird mashup of real world and fantasy. It had me brushing up on my geographical knowledge because I’ll admit I had to Google a few places to see if they were real or not. It’s also an alternate history and religion that mirrors our own. I got used to the setting and I enjoyed it for the most part.

The humor. This is where this book lost a lot of people. There was a ton of banter and a lot of it was immature. I found it humorous in a few places, but it was done with a heavy hand. Almost every page had a joke on it. It wasn’t really a deal breaker for me, but it was something that stood out.

THE FREAKING ENDING. The Devils is slow. It’s a character driving story with a lot of journeying involved. It took a long time to get where they were going, and it could have honestly been about a hundred pages shorter. But I was rolling with it. I expected some big twist or exciting finale at the end. IT NEVER CAME. I guessed the plot twist (the most obvious twist might I add) wayyyy back at the first of the book. It was such a letdown. I felt my bubble burst and there was just no saving it from there. I considered dnfing it, but I had made it too far to give up. It never redeemed itself. I’m just so disappointed.

My Rating: 2/5