Joe Abercrombie is writing a new fantasy trilogy, and it’s totally nuts

British fantasy author Joe Abercrombie has amassed a huge following thanks to his First Law series. Drawing comparisons to A Song of Ice and Fire due to its grittiness and brutality, The First Law quickly became a staple for fantasy readers. Now, Abercrombie has announced a much different and zanier series, all about an elf invasion of Europe.

Last year, Abercrombie published The Wisdom of Crowds, the final book in the Age of Madness trilogy, which is the third trilogy in the First Law series. The author is taking no breaks, jumping right into a new trilogy, The Devils, which sounds utterly nuts. According to publisher Gollancz (via. TheBookseller), the trilogy is a blend of heist, spy, and thriller fiction.

What exactly is The Devils about?

Besides elves attacking Europe, the books will also follow a child Pope. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read the full synopsis:

"In a magic-riddled Europe under constant threat of elf invasion, the 10-year-old Pope occasionally needs services that cannot be performed by the righteous. And so, sealed deep beneath the catacombs, cathedrals and relic stalls of the Sacred City lies the secret Chapel of the Holy Expediency. For its highly disposable congregation – including a self-serving magician, a self-satisfied vampire, an oversexed werewolf, and a knight cursed with immortality – there is no mission that cannot be turned into a calamitous bloodbath."

In a statement, Abercrombie reaffirmed that he’s set on dominating the British fantasy genre with his books. “I’ve been working hand in glove with Gillian Redfearn at Gollancz since I was first published 16 years ago – it’s the kind of creative and commercial partnership an author dreams of having with an editor – and in recent years Orion as a whole have been going from strength to strength,” he said. “I’m delighted to be continuing our righteous battle for domination of the British fantasy genre.”

Now, all we need to know is whether Steven Pacey, the beloved narrator of the First Law audiobooks, will return to narrate the audiobook edition of The Devils. We can hope.

The Devils does not have a release date yet. Stay tuned!

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