Capítulo 1
The Dark Dance of Power and Survival
When George R.R. Martin called Joe Abercrombie "bloody and relentless," he wasn't exaggerating. *The Devils* has taken the fantasy world by storm, becoming a cultural touchstone for readers seeking morally complex characters in richly imagined worlds. Time Magazine praised it as "fantasy with teeth," while Patrick Rothfuss confessed to experiencing "fits of both rage and depression" upon finishing Abercrombie's books and finding the next unavailable. What makes this novel so compelling is its unflinching portrayal of human darkness balanced with sharp, sardonic humor. The book's popularity exploded on BookTok, with readers captivated by its subversive take on the "chosen one" trope and its exploration of how good intentions pave roads to personal hells. Like his previous works that dragged fantasy "into the sewer" (as his dedication playfully notes), Abercrombie's latest continues his tradition of creating stories that feel simultaneously medieval and startlingly modern in their psychological complexity.
Capítulo 2
A Thief Becomes a Princess
Alex is a street-smart thief with a talent for getting into trouble and a mountain of debt to dangerous creditors. Her life takes an unexpected turn when Duke Michael of Nicaea appears, declaring her to be Princess Alexia Pyrogennetos, rightful heir to the Serpent Throne of Troy. Despite her initial skepticism, the half-coin she's worn around her neck her whole life matches perfectly with the duke's piece-proof of her royal lineage.
At the Celestial Palace, Alex undergoes verification by the Oracles, who grasp her burning-hot hands and prophesy about "fire at her beginning," confirming her identity as "Pyrogennetos"-born in the flame. Cardinal Zizka explains the political landscape: Alex's aunt Eudoxia was a sorceress who performed forbidden experiments combining humans and beasts, and now her four cousins-Marcian, Constans, Sabbas, and Arcadius-vie for the throne with "soldiers, spies, and assassins."
The Child Pope Benedicta, whose controversial election nearly caused a schism, binds a group of unusual prisoners to protect Alex: Balthazar, a necromancer who can animate corpses; Baron Rikard, an ancient vampire; Sunny, an invisible elf; Vigga, a tattooed werewolf; and Jakob of Thorn, an immortal knight who cannot die. Led by Brother Diaz, a reluctant monk with no qualifications for such a mission, this "congregation of the Chapel of Holy Expediency" is tasked with escorting Princess Alexia to Troy and seeing her enthroned as Empress.
As Alex adjusts to her new identity, she forms an unexpected bond with Sunny, the invisible elf who speaks little but observes much. Their friendship becomes a rare bright spot in the dangerous journey ahead, as Alex realizes she's traded one set of problems for another-instead of debt collectors, she now has cousins who want her dead.
Capítulo 3
A Congregation of Monsters
The journey to Troy quickly turns deadly when Duke Marcian's forces attack the inn where they're staying. Fox-headed creatures-"Eudoxia's cursed experiments"-overwhelm the guards, and a sorceress blasts through the defenses. Balthazar reluctantly uses his necromancy to animate corpses against the attackers, while Jakob of Thorn makes a final stand against a massive goat-headed monster.
In the aftermath, the survivors regroup: Jakob, revealed to be cursed with immortality, sits grimacing as Baptiste digs arrows from his scarred body; Vigga, the tattooed werewolf, washes blood from her hair, completely naked and unconcerned; and Duke Michael, rescued with a badly broken leg. Alex, still crying uncontrollably, makes a pivotal decision: "They want me dead? Well, fuck them! I'm going to Troy!"
As they travel, the group's dynamics evolve. Brother Diaz struggles with his religious convictions in the face of their unholy methods. Balthazar constantly schemes to break the Pope's binding, which causes him to vomit whenever he contemplates escape or harming others. Vigga battles the wolf inside her, describing it as "slinking and slobbering" within her ribcage. Baron Rikard feeds discreetly on pilgrims, taking "only what can be spared." And Sunny, the invisible elf, forms a deeper connection with Alex, sharing quiet moments away from the others.
Their journey is complicated by various enemies pursuing them: Bishop Apollonia betrays them for a reward offered by Duke Constans; Frigo, a baker and crime lord, forces them to retrieve a mysterious box from an enchanted house; and Duke Sabbas, the self-proclaimed "Angel of Troy" with massive white wings, hunts them relentlessly with his own band of monsters and sorcerers.
Capítulo 4
Illusions and Betrayals
In Venice, the group confronts one of their most psychologically challenging trials when they must enter the labyrinthine house of Maestro Grimaldi, a notorious illusionist, to retrieve a white box marked with an intricate silver star. The seemingly straightforward mission transforms into a nightmare as the house's enchanted architecture traps them in recursive loops - corridors leading back to themselves, doors opening to impossible spaces, and mirrors reflecting versions of reality that shouldn't exist.
Each member of the party becomes ensnared in personalized hallucinations that force them to confront their most haunting memories. Vigga finds herself reliving her transformation trauma, trapped again in the iron cage where she first changed. The memory is made more potent by her mother's cutting words echoing through the illusion: "You were an animal before the bite - the wolf just showed what was already there." These words reveal the deep-seated rejection that shaped Vigga's self-perception and her subsequent struggle with identity.
Jakob's hallucination manifests as a grotesque forest where corpses hang from trees like grotesque fruit, each impaled victim wearing the uniform of his former command. He confronts a younger version of himself - the proud, unyielding Grandmaster who justified countless atrocities in the name of duty. The specter forces Jakob to acknowledge how his rigid adherence to order led to unconscionable acts of violence.
In parallel to these supernatural challenges, Alex undergoes a different kind of transformation under Baron Rikard's exacting tutelage. The lessons go beyond mere etiquette - they're a complete reimagining of her physical presence. She learns to transform her street-honed movements into graceful gestures, her rough accent into cultured tones, her defensive posture into regal bearing. Despite her initial resistance, Alex demonstrates an unexpected talent for adaptation, suggesting that perhaps royal blood runs deeper than circumstance.
Their journey takes a violent turn at sea when Duke Constans launches a devastating attack using a disguised Trojan galley. The assault reveals horrifying new threats: fish-human hybrids with razor-sharp teeth and scaled armor emerging from the depths. Jakob and Constans engage in a desperate duel across the burning deck, their swords clashing amidst falling rigging and exploding powder kegs. Alex and Sunny are forced into a precarious climb up the ship's remaining masts, pursued by crab-men whose chitinous claws tear through the wood behind them.
Below deck, Balthazar faces a nightmarish scenario when he discovers Baptiste has fallen under the influence of a phrenomancer - a mind-controlling mage who has inserted a control needle into her forehead. The resulting battle forces him to defend himself against his closest ally while trying not to harm her. The ship's destruction scatters the group along the coastline, leaving them to find each other amidst the wreckage.
Their path leads them to an abandoned monastery where Duke Sabbas and his elite hunters lay in wait. Cornered and outnumbered, Balthazar makes a devastating choice, tapping into forbidden necromantic powers to raise the monastery's dark history - hundreds of plague victims buried in mass graves beneath the stone floors. The rotting horde overwhelms Sabbas's forces, and the Angel of Troy's famous battle cry turns to screams of terror as the vengeful dead drag him into their eternal embrace.
Capítulo 5
The Serpent Throne
Troy overwhelms Alex with its breathtaking scale and imperial grandeur. The sprawling harbor bustles with countless vessels - merchant ships from Carthage laden with purple silk, grain barges from Egypt, war galleys from Greece, and trading vessels from as far as India. The legendary Pillar dominates the cityscape, a colossal monument rising thousands of feet into the clouds, featuring intricate clockwork mechanisms, cascading waterfalls, and hundreds of dwellings ingeniously carved into its weathered sides. Lady Severa, the shrewd Warden of the Imperial Chamber, receives Alex with precise formality that barely masks her dry wit, establishing what will become a complex relationship built on mutual respect and careful verbal sparring.
The Pillar of Troy represents the pinnacle of ancient engineering prowess. Mountain springs feed an elaborate network of hidden aqueducts and pipes that thread through the structure's core. These waterways power the city's innovative lift systems through a series of counterweights and wheels, while simultaneously providing fresh water to the sprawling metropolis below. The water's path culminates in spectacular waterfalls that transform the Pillar's facade into a shimmering curtain of light. Atop this marvel sits the Basilica of the Angelic Visitation, its golden domes catching the sun's rays, surrounded by an intricate complex of noble residences and administrative buildings that form the heart of the Empire. The legendary Athenaeum - though bearing the scars of Empress Eudoxia's destructive reign - still houses an astounding collection of over a hundred thousand volumes, including irreplaceable texts from the ancient world.
Alex's new life includes four carefully chosen handmaidens: the scholarly Athenais from Athens, the politically astute Cleofa from Antioch, the artistic Zenonis from Alexandria, and the practical Placidia from Rome. Each represents not only their "unimpeachable families" but also different aspects of imperial culture and knowledge. In this gilded cage, Alex finds unexpected solace when Sunny manages to visit her chambers through secret passages, their clandestine meetings evolving from friendship into a deeper, more intimate connection.
The political arena proves as treacherous as expected when the nobles gather to debate Alex's claim to the throne. Brother Diaz emerges as a masterful legal strategist, wielding ancient documents and obscure laws from the Athenaeum like weapons. He methodically demolishes opposition: proving Duke Kostas's ancestral lands were actually granted conditionally by the Crown, exposing carefully forged documents presented by other nobles, and turning their own legal precedents against them with devastating precision.
The political chess game reaches its climax when Duke Michael presents his seemingly elegant solution: a marriage alliance between Alex and Duke Arcadius, Empress Eudoxia's eldest son. This proposal - combining the two strongest claims to the throne - appears politically unassailable. Despite Alex's passionate private objections and the heart-wrenching necessity of ending her relationship with Sunny, her advisors unanimously counsel acceptance. They argue persuasively that this marriage would provide dynastic legitimacy, political stability, and crucial protection from both internal and external threats. With bitter resignation, Alex accepts this arrangement, sacrificing personal happiness for imperial necessity.
Capítulo 6
Fire on the Water
On her coronation day, Alex ascends to become Empress of Troy in a ceremony steeped in ancient tradition. The Patriarch conducts the elaborate ritual in the grand cathedral, placing the heavy crown upon her head as thousands watch. The day's events leave her physically and emotionally drained - "dizzy from applause, worn out from expectations, and terrified about both ruling an empire and her impending wedding night." The weight of imperial responsibility settles on her shoulders like the ornate ceremonial robes she wears.
The dreaded meeting with her new husband Arcadius takes an unexpected turn that brings immense relief. They discover they share a peculiar compatibility in their differences: he prefers the company of men while she harbors feelings for women. Rather than this being an impediment, Arcadius approaches the situation with surprising pragmatism and humor. He suggests practical solutions for producing the heirs expected of them, including "a curtain with a hole" and "fragranced lubricant." Their candid discussion creates a foundation of mutual understanding and potential friendship.
This moment of relief proves devastatingly brief. Arcadius's eyes fall upon Placidia, and recognition dawns - he knows her as one of his mother's apprentices. Before anyone can react, Placidia strikes with supernatural speed, her grip on his wrist unleashing devastating ice magic. Arcadius freezes instantly before shattering into crystalline fragments. Zenonis immediately retaliates, summoning waves of scorching fire that force Alex to flee through a concealed panel into the palace's secret network of passages. The flames pursue her relentlessly, turning the hidden corridors into an inferno.
Desperate, Alex races to the summit of the Pharos lighthouse where Saint Natalia's eternal Flame burns. With trembling hands, she grasps the warning chain, transforming the lighthouse's beam into a brilliant blue - the empire's ancient signal of dire emergency. Her companions, already aboard their ship bound for the Holy City, spot the distress signal cutting through the darkness. They immediately turn back, though Balthazar initially resists, his reluctance revealing deeper conflicts about their mission.
The true horror of her situation becomes clear when Duke Michael corners her, dropping his carefully maintained facade. He reveals with cruel satisfaction how he manipulated events, using Alex merely as a pawn to distract Eudoxia's sons while he consolidated power. His contempt for his sisters drips with venom as he dismisses Eudoxia as "a crippled pervert" and Irene as "a preening do-gooder." Years of resentment pour forth as he declares his rightful claim to the Serpent Throne. As he raises his sword for what he intends to be a fatal blow, Sunny appears like an avenging spirit, launching a fierce attack that creates the crucial moment Alex needs to escape this betrayal.
Capítulo 7
The Battle for Troy
The battle for Troy's throne reaches its devastating climax across multiple fronts as ancient loyalties splinter and shocking betrayals come to light. In the city's winding streets, Vigga, Brother Diaz, and Baptiste fight through waves of palace guards-their blades flashing in the torchlight as they cut a path toward the Palace's gilded gates. Meanwhile, deep within the palace walls, Alex and Sunny race through centuries-old secret passages, their footsteps echoing off stone as they flee from Lady Severa's handmaidens-once-trusted servants now revealed as practitioners of forbidden blood magic who turn shadows into weapons.
In the opulent throne room, Jakob confronts Duke Michael in a scene charged with decades of betrayal. The Emperor's uncle lounges with calculated insolence upon the Serpent Throne-its obsidian scales seeming to writhe in the flickering lamplight. The ancient seat, said to have been carved from the bones of the first Emperor's defeated enemies, serves as a stark symbol of the power Duke Michael has usurped.
The revelation of Lady Severa's true identity sends shockwaves through the palace. She is none other than Empress Eudoxia herself, who cheated death through a forbidden ritual of consciousness transfer when her original body began failing. In a chilling confession to Balthazar, she describes how she condemned the real Severa-her own lady-in-waiting-to die a horrific death trapped in Eudoxia's withered corpse. She justifies this brutal body-theft by revealing Severa's years of espionage for her brother, passing palace secrets to enemies of the throne. With calculated precision, Eudoxia tempts Balthazar with visions of unprecedented power, painting pictures of a future where "the princes of Europe, the cardinals of the Church, even the elves themselves would tremble before us!"
The violence escalates as Vigga undergoes her dreaded transformation into the Vigga-Wolf-her bones cracking and reforming as silver fur erupts from her skin. She faces Eudoxia's most terrifying creation: a chimeric horror stitched together from dozens of victims, its mismatched limbs and multiple faces a testament to its creator's madness. Though Vigga-Wolf emerges victorious from the bloody battle, the transformation leaves her mind fractured-her human consciousness submerged beneath bestial fury.
In the lighthouse tower, Duke Michael reveals his most heinous crime to Alex-the calculated poisoning of her mother, which he then blamed on Eudoxia to ignite the civil war. As they struggle in the confined space, Alex fights with desperate courage despite being physically outmatched. The battle reaches its climax as Jakob-grievously wounded with a sword impaling his abdomen-summons his remaining strength to burst through the mystical barrier of Saint Natalia's Flame. He tackles Duke Michael through the lighthouse window, and both men plummet toward the rocks below. Against all odds, Jakob survives the fall-though barely.
The aftermath reveals the true horror of the Vigga-Wolf's rampage. When she finally returns to human form, she lies broken and trembling, violently expelling black hair and a distinctive gold tooth-grim evidence that she has killed and consumed Baptiste in her feral state. This final tragedy serves as a dark reminder of the price of power and the consequences of unleashing forces beyond human control.
Capítulo 8
Devils Doing God's Work
Alex emerges victorious as Empress of Troy, but at great cost. She confronts Cardinal Zizka about her treachery, but Zizka remains coldly pragmatic, explaining that such compromises are necessary in her position-"walking in shadows" so the Pope can stand in the light. Despite her anger, Alex recognizes the political reality and agrees to consider reuniting the Churches of East and West, ending the great schism-but warns Zizka "it's going to fucking cost you."
Jakob of Thorn, having survived his fall, meets with Alex in the cathedral. She offers him John of Antioch's legendary sword, asking him to become her general against the elves. Despite the temptation, Jakob refuses, explaining that good causes always lead him to become "a devil" again. Alex instead gives him an icon of Saint Stephen, patron of warriors and protector of the desperate, and promises to keep a grave beside Baptiste's free for him.
Alex finds Sunny in a grove of trees to say goodbye before returning to the Holy City with Cardinal Zizka. Though Alex wishes Sunny could stay in Troy, they both acknowledge it's impossible. When Alex worries about ruling without Sunny's protection, Sunny advises her to "do good for everyone else" and perhaps save herself. Their farewell is bittersweet, with Alex calling Sunny "the best person I ever met," prompting Sunny's rare smile.
Meanwhile, Vigga lies wounded in a cage, consumed by self-loathing after killing Baptiste while in wolf form. She rejects Father Diaz's compassion, agreeing with Cardinal Zizka that she's a monster who can't be cured. Balthazar, unexpectedly mourning Baptiste's death despite their antagonistic relationship, finds himself unsettled by the lack of resolution between them.
Capítulo 9
The Thin Line Between Saints and Devils
The Chapel of the Holy Expediency-the hidden thirteenth chapel beyond the twelve virtues of the Celestial Palace-represents the moral ambiguity at the heart of the story. As Brother Diaz initially observed, fighting devils might require using devils, and throughout their journey, the "congregation" of monsters proved this true.
When Alex visits Father Diaz in the palace chapel, expressing doubts about ruling an empire, he credits Saint Beatrix for their survival. Alex reminds him it was actually the "enemies of God" who repeatedly saved them-the werewolf, necromancer, cursed knight, and others. Father Diaz, uncomfortable with this theological challenge, suggests that perhaps these "devils" were simply the tools Saint Beatrix chose to make a thief into an Empress.
The novel ends with Mother Beckert arriving for an audience with the Pope, joined by a handsome young man named Caruso. Their conversation reveals that both have been summoned as replacements, with Beckert suspecting she's to resume her old position at the mysterious Thirteenth Chapel-suggesting the cycle will begin anew, with new devils doing God's work.
Throughout their journey, each character discovered that the line between good and evil is rarely clear. Jakob, the immortal knight, wonders if evil men can still do good. Balthazar, the necromancer, finds purpose in serving a cause greater than himself. Vigga struggles with the beast within her, questioning whether she was "bad" even before becoming a werewolf. And Alex, the thief-turned-empress, must navigate a world where political necessity often trumps moral purity.
In the end, *The Devils* suggests that salvation might come not from saints but from the very monsters we fear-those who understand darkness because they've lived within it, and who choose, despite their nature, to fight for something better.
Capítulo 10
When Monsters Choose Humanity
What makes *The Devils* so compelling is how it subverts traditional fantasy tropes about good and evil. Each character carries their own demons-literal or metaphorical-yet finds moments of profound humanity within their monstrous nature. Sunny, despite being an elf in a world where elves are feared and hated, shows more compassion and loyalty than many of the humans around her. Baron Rikard, the ancient vampire, exercises restraint in his feeding and ultimately helps protect Alex despite having no binding to do so. Even Balthazar, arrogant and self-serving, chooses to reject Eudoxia's offer of power in favor of serving the Pope he once despised.
The novel asks us to consider what truly makes someone a monster. Is it their nature, their actions, or their choices? Vigga's tattooed skin records her crimes as warnings, yet she repeatedly risks herself to protect others. Jakob has centuries of bloodshed behind him but strives for peace whenever possible. Brother Diaz breaks his sacred vows but finds genuine connection with Vigga. And Alex, raised as a thief with no moral compass beyond survival, grows into a leader willing to sacrifice her own happiness for her people.
Perhaps most poignantly, the story suggests that redemption isn't about erasing one's monstrous nature but about choosing how to use it. As Jakob reflects when contemplating the icon of Saint Stephen: "Maybe that's all any of us can hope for. Not to be good. Just to be... less bad than we might have been."
In a world where politics is played with human lives, where churches wage proxy wars while preaching peace, and where power corrupts even the most idealistic, sometimes it takes devils to do what angels cannot-to walk in darkness so others might stand in light. And in that paradox lies the heart of Abercrombie's masterful tale: the most human stories are often told through the most inhuman characters.
