Breathless action sequences make The Devils an enjoyable read

The Devils is the first book in a new series by Joe Abercrombie, best known for his grimdark fantasy series The First Law.

- Dave Chua

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