The Devils

By: Joe Abercrombie

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

“Steven Pacey’s performance brings the story to life. Listeners will be on the edge of their seats.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Full of easy banter, dry humor delivered with excellent comedic timing, and tender moments of sapphic romance, this audiobook's memorable characters are expertly realized in Pacey's narration.”—AudioFile (Earphones Award Winner)

A brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey

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.

“Full of easy banter, dry humor delivered with excellent comedic timing, and tender moments of sapphic romance, this audiobook’s memorable characters are expertly realized in Pacey’s narration.” — Locus Mag

This program features original credits music.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

Critic reviews

"The Devils is just an incredibly fun, incredibly action-packed and, by the end, incredibly affecting book. It slammed the living shit out of me."—Tamsyn Muir, New York Times bestselling author of Gideon the Ninth

“Devilish fun, an unholy delight. Wielding his trademarked grit and stiletto-sharp prose, Abercrombie is at his bloody best weaving a tale of monstrous heroes who discover the humanity in themselves.”—Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Rising

“The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, the first in a new series, is ferociously imagined, and rumbles along with the unstoppable force of a city-burying avalanche. It's also frequently shout-out-loud-with-laughter funny. When it comes to big, shamelessly entertaining fantasy, Abercrombie is in a class of his own.”—Joe Hill, author of Heart-Shaped Box

“Mixing the central conceit of Suicide Squad with Hammer horror vibes, as viewed via the lens of alternate history, The Devils is a gore splattered roller coaster ride from start to finish. Probably the most fun you can have reading a fantasy novel.”—Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Song

"Joe Abercrombie is, to me, the undisputed master of creating deep, distinct characters that leap off the page, and never more so than in The Devils. This book is hilarious, profound, tragic, and so thrillingly paced one scarcely has time to breathe between one calamitous adventure and the next. I loved every page, and can’t wait to see where the story goes from here. Straight to hell, I hopefully suspect!"—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

"Bloody, eloquent, and so f***ing charming!"—Hildur Knútsdóttir, author of The Night Guest

“Deliciously wicked, surprisingly moving. The Dirty Dozen, but fantasy, and with literal monsters. An irresistible vampire, an undying knight, a not-to-be-f***ed with librarian, and the lustiest, most killy, most entertaining werewolf in fantasy or horror conspire to elevate a turdish thief to the throne of empire in this razor-sharp, genre-bending romp. Abercrombie’s best to date. Beware!”—Christopher Buehlman, USA Today bestselling author of The Blacktongue Thief

“The Devils is Joe Abercrombie at his best: exciting, witty, vicious. History buffs (like me!) will love the fantasy-historical setting overflowing with brilliant little details.”—Django Wexler, author of How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying

“Oh my days, it is magnificent! Part hilarious, part terrifying, part heartbreaking.”—Peter McLean, author of the War for the Rose Throne series

Perplexing disappointment

I have listened to every audiobook from Joe Abercrombie and have loved them all - except for this wandering and pointless book. it is somewhat saved from disgrace by a fine premise, a lot of humor and a brilliant narrator. Otherwise, it was a trial to finish.

An unholy match made in heaven

Nobody can flesh out an anti-hero like Joe Abercrombie and nobody can bring them to life like Kevin Pacey. Using a parallel fantasy version of our world, the author is able to brilliantly set the focus of the spotlight on the characters. It constantly subverts you expectations and more often than not in wildly hilarious ways.

In The Devils you become each character forced to do something you don't want to do for something you don't believe in, the converse or along any variation in between. With Pacey's masterful delivery of each character you see the world from unique perspectives. No matter where you are taken or for why, you get to experience it from the backseat of someone elses mind... a mind full of trauma, cynicism, self abasement and meglomania. As the characters are changed through their experiences so do the perspectives. The characters grow organically with their experiences adding more depth and dimension to not only them but the readers interpretation of the world.

True to Abercrombie's style, it is grim, humorous, a bit raunchy, cynical, full of gore and at times its a little offensive. Everything fun isn't, yet paradoxically the most fun you'll get out of a book all year.

Incredible Characters

Vampires, Magicians, and Werewolves oh my. Ya this book is incredible couldn’t recommend it enough. Can’t wait for the next one!

Fantastic

Joe Abercrombie is my favorite person to read for a few years now. Very exciting to get a new world that feels quite different while still containing his classic characters striving against the world and themselves to be better. Love it.

Abercrombie & Pacey Deliver (Again)

Glad to have a new book from Abercrombie and Pacey's performance is stellar, as ever.