Joe Abercrombie is already writing the third and final book in The Devils trilogy.
In a new progress report published on August 31, Abercrombie revealed that he is roughly 30,000 to 40,000 words into the first draft.
The update comes more than eight months before the second book, The Heretics, is scheduled to arrive. That novel is now through copy editing, with only proofreading and some final changes left before publication.
Work on the Final Book Is Moving Quickly
Abercrombie had only just started writing book three when he posted his previous update at the end of June. At that point, he had spent time planning with a pad and fountain pen before typing the first 1,000 words.
Two months later, the draft has reached somewhere around 30,000 to 40,000 words.
He says his plan is to write the first part of the novel and then go back over it several times before continuing. He wants to spend that time rewriting, developing the voices of the new characters, and working out which ideas are worth keeping.
There is also no release date. The Heretics is not coming until May 2027, so the third book is still some distance away even with a substantial portion of its early draft already written.
The Heretics Is Almost Finished
Most of Abercrombie’s latest update focused on the final production work for The Heretics. The text has been copy edited and is now down to a proofread and final adjustments.
Joel Daniel Phillips is also creating the interior artwork. Phillips produced the Byzantine icon-style character illustrations in The Devils, while the art for The Heretics will be built around stained glass and family trees.
The Heretics is scheduled to will be published on May 4, 2027, in the United Kingdom and May 11, 2027, in the United States.
The Devils Is a Loosely Connected Trilogy
The third book is expected to complete the trilogy first announced by Tor in 2022. Abercrombie has not said that it will be the last story he ever writes in this world, only that The Devils was acquired and planned as a three-book series.
Readers should also not expect the three novels to connect in quite the same way as The First Law trilogy.
Abercrombie previously described the series as a collection of loosely connected misadventures. The books share the same world, some characters, and a larger plot, but each is intended to work as a more independent story.
A Film Adaptation Is Also Planned
James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment acquired the screen rights to The Devils in 2025, with Cameron and Abercrombie expected to write the movie together.
Abercrombie said he has film and television work coming up but offered no new details about any of those projects.
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