# The Devils

By Joe Abercrombie · The Devils, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/the-devils-dca85df9/

Brother Diaz goes to the Holy City expecting the church to recognize his good work. Instead he’s put in charge of a band that includes a vampire, a knight who won’t die, and a werewolf. Their job is to get a thief onto the throne of Troy before the church’s divisions leave it unprepared for the end of the world.

## What makes it funny?

Diaz has been imagining the sort of assignment that might help him get ahead. He gets one in which the people he’s meant to lead are far more alarming than he is. When there’s work that calls for a sarcastic vampire or a werewolf, the monk’s standing in the church isn’t much help.

### The comedy at work

The church’s plan depends on people it would ordinarily have reason to keep under lock and key. Abercrombie gives them real work to do along the way, so Diaz has to keep making use of the qualities that make him least comfortable around them.

### Try this if…

This is a dark epic fantasy with room for rude company and violent fights. If you like your traveling party to give its own leader almost as much trouble as the people trying to stop it, there’s plenty of that on the way to Troy.

## What to expect

- Genre: Adventure · Fantasy · Historical · Science fiction
- On the shelf: Alternate history · Epic fantasy · Quest
- Kind of humor: Dark comedy
- The atmosphere: Irreverent
- Format: Novel

## Sources & further reading

- Publisher: [Gollancz: book description and paperback](https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/joe-abercrombie/the-devils/9781399603584)
- Book information: [Apple Books: Tor ebook and series order](https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-devils/id6502292045)
- Review: [The Unseen Library: book review](https://unseenlibrary.com/2025/06/09/the-devils-by-joe-abercrombie)