Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
Breathless action sequences make The Devils an enjoyable read
The Straits Times
|May 18, 2025
The Devils is the first book in a new series by Joe Abercrombie, best known for his grimdark fantasy series The First Law.
THE DEVILS By Joe Abercrombie Fiction/Gollancz/538 pages/$36.95 ★★★★
Set in an alternate-history Europe, the female pope of this world has asked Brother Diaz, a priest of questionable standing, to lead a ragtime team to escort Alex, a street urchin, to claim the kingdom of Troy.
The team, comprising an immortal knight, a vampire, a necromancer and others, forms a kind of supernatural Suicide Squad, pressed into service for a mission that promises redemption. Thwarting them are the sons of the newly deceased Empress Eudoxia, who want to lay claim to the throne.
Many of the main characters in the ensemble are riffs of classic monsters such as the werewolf, the invisible man and the vampire. The monsters which serve their adversaries bring to mind the beast hybrids from The Island of Dr Moreau (1996).
While the main characters are mostly one-note, Abercrombie can still make them engaging and sympathetic.
The fantastical ensemble makes
This story is from the May 18, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Straits Times
The Straits Times
MAIA WELCOMES MAIDEN KOREAN GROUP WIN ABOARD MUNHAK BOY
Ex-Kranji-based Brazilian hoop lands the Kookje Shinmun Cup
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Chinese H-6K bombers fly near Taiwan ahead of Trump-Xi meet
A group of Chinese H-6K bombers recently flew near Taiwan to practise “confrontation drills”, Chinese state media reported late on Oct 26, publicising the action just a few days before the US and Chinese presidents are due to meet in South Korea.
2 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Kohli, 36, fights an age-old battle: Talent v time
This is an old story. A story about talent, longevity and defiance. A story about how, for all the shining confidence of champions, time humbles them all. A story which starts by clarifying an untruth.
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
'MASSIVE WIN' MOST VALUABLE FOR ARTETA
Gunners overcome difficulty of beating Palace while on a tough stretch of games
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
IT'S ONE WEEKEND AT A TIME: NORRIS
Relaxed Briton to focus on himself as he leads by 1 pt from Piastri, with 4 races left
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
The 'sleeper issue' at the heart of Trump's trade war
How his govt decides the origin of goods could blow up laboriously negotiated deals
4 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Not another work e-mail with exclamation marks!
It turns out there is less to worry about than you might think.
3 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Anti-scam probe • S’pore firm sanctioned
Khoon Group, a Singapore investment holdings firm, has been sanctioned by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control over its links to Cambodian national Chen Zhi.
1 min
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
Trump strikes deals on trade, critical minerals in S-E Asia
The United States signed a flurry of deals on trade and critical minerals with four Southeast Asian partners on Oct 26, looking to address trade imbalances and diversify supply chains amid tighter export curbs on rare earths by China.
2 mins
October 28, 2025
The Straits Times
S'pore, HK stand tall as prime hubs in Asia for family offices
Financial infrastructure, regulatory clarity part of cities' appeal amid geopolitical shifts
3 mins
October 28, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size