The Devils by Joe Abercrombie is a grimdark fantasy filled with sharp humor, unforgettable characters, and relentless D&D-style chaos—brilliant for some readers, but undeniably dense.

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Some books land squarely in the “you’ll either love this or hate this” category—and The Devils firmly lives there. This was my first experience reading Joe Abercrombie, and while I ultimately enjoyed the novel, I completely understand why it’s proving divisive. It’s a grimdark fantasy packed with sharp humor, memorable characters, and relentless momentum—but it’s also dense, verbose, and occasionally exhausting. For me, it landed as a strong four-star read with some very real caveats.

A Steep and Dense Introduction

The opening of The Devils throws you headfirst into a large cast of characters with little breathing room to form attachments. That’s not unusual for epic fantasy, and it’s a structure I’ve enjoyed many times before. Here, though, it felt heavier than expected. The prose is dense, the descriptions are long, and the early chapters struggled to hold my attention.

This wasn’t helped by the fact that the writing style can feel overly verbose. Even readers who loved the book agreed that it could have been tighter—easily trimming a significant number of pages without losing impact. The story isn’t bad; it just lingers longer than it needs to in places.

Where the Audiobook Shines

Switching to the audiobook completely changed my experience. Hearing the dialogue aloud brought the humor, banter, and personality of the characters to life in a way the physical text sometimes buried. The inflection, timing, and delivery helped cut through the density and made the wit land exactly as intended.

Once I had those voices in my head, even returning to the physical book became easier. If you struggle with the pacing or prose, the audiobook is genuinely the best way to experience this story.

Characters, Humor, and D&D Energy

Where The Devils truly excels is its cast. The characters are sharp, funny, and deeply memorable. Sunny is an absolute delight and deserves protection at all costs. Alex Brother Diaz and VGA show significant growth, and the group dynamic is consistently entertaining.

The humor is a major strength—especially moments like the demon-summoning scene, which plays out like a perfect tabletop role-playing failure. In fact, the entire book reads like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign: one chaotic encounter after another, barely any rest, and constant momentum. If you love that style of storytelling, this book will absolutely work for you.

That same structure, however, can be a drawback. The story rarely slows down, and combined with the dense prose, it sometimes loses momentum instead of gaining it.

Pacing Issues and Missed Opportunities

There are sections—most notably a prolonged ship sequence—that felt unnecessary and forgettable. Even readers who rated the book highly admitted those scenes could have been cut entirely. These moments interrupt the flow rather than enhancing it, contributing to the feeling that the novel occasionally overstays its welcome.

That said, the dialogue-driven scenes and character interactions consistently pulled me back in, reminding me why I wanted to love this book in the first place.

Final Thoughts

The Devils is a grimdark fantasy with fantastic characters, sharp humor, and a tabletop-style narrative that will absolutely click for the right reader. Its biggest weakness is its density—both in prose and length—which kept me from fully losing myself in the story. Still, I’m invested enough to be excited for the sequel, and I strongly recommend the audiobook for anyone who struggles with the pacing. A solid four-star read that proves Abercrombie’s reputation is well earned, even if this one isn’t universally accessible.