Match Book

The Devil You Know

Mike Carey

2006 · 406 pages · Fantasy

dark moodmoderate pacebalanced tonecliffhanger ending

How it reads

The Devil You Know is fantasy (urban fantasy, specifically), and its dominant mood is dark. It goes to difficult places and doesn't look away. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in a big city setting, in the present day, told in the third person, staying close to one character. Its central concerns are redemption, secrets and justice. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It opens a series. It ends on a cliffhanger, so have the next book ready. At 406 pages it's an ordinary novel's length. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.

Pick it up if…

  • you're in the mood for something dark
  • you're drawn to stories about redemption

Maybe not if…

  • you need something cosy, heartwarming or funny
  • you hate waiting for a sequel

All 15 dimensions

Genre
fantasy
Author gender
male
Author experience
established
Setting: place
big city
Setting: time
contemporary
Mood / feeling
dark
Pace
moderate
Tone / weight
balanced
Length
medium
Narrative style
third person, one viewpoint
Publication era
modern classic
Popularity
moderately known
Series vs standalone
first in a series
Themes
redemption, secrets, justice
Ending style
cliffhanger

What these mean: the 15 dimensions of a book.

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