Joe Abercrombie returns with The Devils, a dark epic fantasy featuring plenty of irreverent and often campy nods to classic horror. The novel takes place in an alternate medieval Europe threatened by an imminent elvish invasion. And the elves are hungry for human flesh.
Meanwhile, a religious schism pits the Western Church against the East. Her Holiness, Pope Benedicta the First, believes that the best way to fight devils is with her own band of devils. She assembles a motley crew of classic horror-inspired characters, including a vampire, a werewolf, a necromancer, et al., to unite the land and consolidate power. Led by the rather pitiful Brother Diaz, the ragtag band of antiheroes is tasked with placing a former thief, Alex, on the rival throne.
The Devils delivers a torrent of fast and bloody action. Unfortunately, the plot never slows down enough for the characters to develop the level of emotional depth that I would have expected from an Abercrombie novel.
Instead, the author’s tongue seems to be permanently in-cheek throughout The Devils. The novel’s tone is dominated by its lowbrow humor, never missing an opportunity to go for cheap laughs. Although I found some of the jokes amusing, this book is quite a chonker, and the nonstop onslaught of crass humor became rather grating after a while, making the book feel exceedingly long despite its fast-paced plot.
Another issue with The Devils is its overly repetitive dialogue. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the same lines being used over and over again. Lines that are funny the first time don’t become funnier after repeated usage.
Despite an interesting premise, The Devils is too cheeky for its own good. To me, humor works most effectively when it’s balanced by other emotions, such as found in much of Abercrombie’s back catalog. Unfortunately, The Devils feels shallow and unsatisfying in comparison.
