𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒕.

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The Devils is my first Abercrombie and it definitely won't be my last. I've become very attached to this little ensemble cast of morally dubious misfits.

I had no idea what to expect, not being a usual consumer of Grimdark (as far as I know?!) What I got was copious amounts of violence, non-stop action, hilarious banter and grudging cameraderie.

I found a collection of characters who delighted me in every way possible - and they carried a great balance of Pratchettesque wit and wisdom (though more gratuitously violent than Pratchett's suggestions of violence.

The pace of this carried me half way through without much stopping for breath, and my swapping between book and audio (and the incomparable Steven Pacey) kept it all feeling very vibrant and fresh for a good portion. I felt it a smidge too long. I don't dislike an episodic sort of narrative, but it did feel a little repetitive in places. The last quarter lost a pace a little. One of the twists was so very obvious I can only assume it was deliberate so I am not marking it down there.

So overall, excellent. I think this is a great intro to Abercrombie (though I feel some of his superfans might come at me for that 🤣)