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The Devil Three Times
An audacious debut spanning eight generations of a Black family in West Tennessee as they are repeatedly visited by the Devil
Yetunde awakens aboard a slave ship en route to the United States with the spirit of her dead sister as her only companion. Desperate to survive the hell that awaits her at their destination, Yetunde finds help in an unexpected form—the Devil himself. The Devil, seeking a way to reenter the pearly gates of heaven, decides to prove himself to an indifferent God by protecting Yetunde and granting her a piece of his supernatural power. In return, Yetunde makes an incredible sacrifice.
Their bargain extends far beyond Yetunde's mortal lifespan. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits Yetunde's descendants in their darkest hour of need: Lucille, a conjure woman; Asa, who passes for white; Louis and Virgil, who risk becoming a twentieth-century Cain and Abel; Cassandra, who speaks to the dead; James, who struggles to make sense of the past while fighting to keep his family together; and many others. The Devil offers each of them his own version of salvation, all the while can he save himself, too?
Steeped in the spiritual traditions and oral history of the Black diaspora, The Devil Three Times is a baptism by fire and water, heralding a new voice in American fiction.
Yetunde awakens aboard a slave ship en route to the United States with the spirit of her dead sister as her only companion. Desperate to survive the hell that awaits her at their destination, Yetunde finds help in an unexpected form—the Devil himself. The Devil, seeking a way to reenter the pearly gates of heaven, decides to prove himself to an indifferent God by protecting Yetunde and granting her a piece of his supernatural power. In return, Yetunde makes an incredible sacrifice.
Their bargain extends far beyond Yetunde's mortal lifespan. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits Yetunde's descendants in their darkest hour of need: Lucille, a conjure woman; Asa, who passes for white; Louis and Virgil, who risk becoming a twentieth-century Cain and Abel; Cassandra, who speaks to the dead; James, who struggles to make sense of the past while fighting to keep his family together; and many others. The Devil offers each of them his own version of salvation, all the while can he save himself, too?
Steeped in the spiritual traditions and oral history of the Black diaspora, The Devil Three Times is a baptism by fire and water, heralding a new voice in American fiction.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published May 13, 2025
312 people are currently reading
21886 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
January 25, 2025
Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley.
This might be my favorite book of 2025. So glad that this book was my first e-ARC.
Summary
The book begins with Yetunde waking up on a slave ship heading to the United States, accompanied by her dead sister's spirit. Yetunde soon finds help from the Devil himself, The Devil, seeking a way back to his Father's house, decides to protect Yetunde by granting her a piece of his supernatural power. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits each of Yetunde's descendants during their darkest hours as they struggle to maintain their sense of self and family.
What worked well:
I liked the vignette style of each character’s chapter. You can see how the choices of one person or generation impact the subsequent child or generation, whether it's their own choices, their outlook on life, or their sense of self. Each character was fully developed, and I easily empathized with them, even though I greatly disagreed with many of their decisions.
I liked the upside-down narrative of the Devil wanting to do right by the woman in yellow since he protected her when she was a baby. I enjoyed the spin on the Devil's origin story and why he tends to be around Black folks.
My favorite part is how the book is written in the dialect and vernacular of Black folks. It reminded me of how my grandparents, their siblings, and elderly Black folks (in general) tell stories, fictional or real-life.
What didn't work as well:
Because of the large cast of characters, it is sometimes challenging to remember who is related to whom and the minor details of each character's stories.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next. This book felt like I was reading my family's narrative across many generations.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy Zora Neale Hurston, Virginia Hamilton (The People Could Fly), Toni Morrison, and Robert Jones, Jr. To readers who enjoy books following one family across multiple generations and historical periods. To readers who enjoy books written in an oral folklore tradition.
This might be my favorite book of 2025. So glad that this book was my first e-ARC.
Summary
The book begins with Yetunde waking up on a slave ship heading to the United States, accompanied by her dead sister's spirit. Yetunde soon finds help from the Devil himself, The Devil, seeking a way back to his Father's house, decides to protect Yetunde by granting her a piece of his supernatural power. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits each of Yetunde's descendants during their darkest hours as they struggle to maintain their sense of self and family.
What worked well:
I liked the vignette style of each character’s chapter. You can see how the choices of one person or generation impact the subsequent child or generation, whether it's their own choices, their outlook on life, or their sense of self. Each character was fully developed, and I easily empathized with them, even though I greatly disagreed with many of their decisions.
I liked the upside-down narrative of the Devil wanting to do right by the woman in yellow since he protected her when she was a baby. I enjoyed the spin on the Devil's origin story and why he tends to be around Black folks.
My favorite part is how the book is written in the dialect and vernacular of Black folks. It reminded me of how my grandparents, their siblings, and elderly Black folks (in general) tell stories, fictional or real-life.
What didn't work as well:
Because of the large cast of characters, it is sometimes challenging to remember who is related to whom and the minor details of each character's stories.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next. This book felt like I was reading my family's narrative across many generations.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy Zora Neale Hurston, Virginia Hamilton (The People Could Fly), Toni Morrison, and Robert Jones, Jr. To readers who enjoy books following one family across multiple generations and historical periods. To readers who enjoy books written in an oral folklore tradition.
June 5, 2025
Oh man, I really loved this—an epic Southern Gothic with a handful of detours into Chicago. If this was a trap, you knew your bait well.
This made me feel the way I felt when I first read Flannery O'Connor, the first time I read Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, the first time I read Shirley Jackson. If you know me, you know this genre is the literary interest that defines me.
Southern Gothic itself relies on the balance of the supernatural and the human condition, and I usually find myself disappointed with modern attempts to write in this area. They tend to end up being haunted house stories with nothing much to say. Folks just want the spooky parts of the story without the thoughts. Not here, though. I loved everything about this story and what all eight generations of the family in it had to tell. There are a handful of quotes and imagery that'll stay with me as long as I have memory, I'm sure.
And, by far, my favorite characterization of the Devil I have ever read.
This made me feel the way I felt when I first read Flannery O'Connor, the first time I read Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, the first time I read Shirley Jackson. If you know me, you know this genre is the literary interest that defines me.
Southern Gothic itself relies on the balance of the supernatural and the human condition, and I usually find myself disappointed with modern attempts to write in this area. They tend to end up being haunted house stories with nothing much to say. Folks just want the spooky parts of the story without the thoughts. Not here, though. I loved everything about this story and what all eight generations of the family in it had to tell. There are a handful of quotes and imagery that'll stay with me as long as I have memory, I'm sure.
And, by far, my favorite characterization of the Devil I have ever read.
August 7, 2025
This book reminded me in a way of a string of pearls. Each one of the stories individually was interesting and felt as if it had so much depth, and it was even better when you strung them together into the sweeping, dynastic story of Yetunde and the stories that grew from of her family tree.
With any book that has a number of related but ultimately distinctive stories, some aren’t as strong as the others. In general though, they are uniformly strong vignettes that show attention to crafting distinct characters and unique plots. Somehow, despite seemingly feeling like they’re branching out in every direction they weave together in surprising ways.
I loved that the characters are deeply flawed, yet also sympathetic. The characters that we’re lead to believe are “good” make selfish or disappointing choices while some with darker, less flattering characteristics have glimmers of hope. The author is truly, truly, talented at writing humanity in a way that feels like he’s spent a lot of time building and creating.
For me, I really thought that this book wasn’t just engrossing, it also showed a lot of tenderness for the subject. It’s a beautiful piece of literary fiction and historical fiction in one breath. For me this was an easy 5/5.
With any book that has a number of related but ultimately distinctive stories, some aren’t as strong as the others. In general though, they are uniformly strong vignettes that show attention to crafting distinct characters and unique plots. Somehow, despite seemingly feeling like they’re branching out in every direction they weave together in surprising ways.
I loved that the characters are deeply flawed, yet also sympathetic. The characters that we’re lead to believe are “good” make selfish or disappointing choices while some with darker, less flattering characteristics have glimmers of hope. The author is truly, truly, talented at writing humanity in a way that feels like he’s spent a lot of time building and creating.
For me, I really thought that this book wasn’t just engrossing, it also showed a lot of tenderness for the subject. It’s a beautiful piece of literary fiction and historical fiction in one breath. For me this was an easy 5/5.
August 24, 2025
Strong debut from author Rickey Fayne!! I could definitely see the passion he put into the writing and how the author had well-thought story development. The only thing was that I had trouble tracking all the characters. They may be more of a reader error. Really original and can’t wait to see what else this author releases in the future!!!
July 2, 2025
★★★☆☆
A Haunting Debut with Big Screen Potential
My wife and I had the pleasure of meeting Rickey Fayne at a Kenosha Public Library event, and it was truly a memorable night. Fayne is a passionate and talented young author who spoke with warmth, humor, and insight about the creative process behind The Devil Three Times. He even shared how some of the characters “haunted” him during the writing process—fitting, considering some of them are literal ghosts!
As for the book itself, I did enjoy it, though I had some difficulty following the chronology and keeping everything straight at times. I’ll admit that’s partly on me—I listened to the audiobook version, which featured multiple voice actors who really brought the characters to life, but I was occasionally distracted (unmedicated adult ADHD strikes again). Still, some of the narrative threads were a bit tangled, and I found myself wishing for a clearer timeline.
That said, there’s real talent here. Fayne’s gothic imagination is vivid, emotional, and cinematic. I could absolutely see this story making a great film—it has atmosphere, tension, and characters that linger in your mind. From what I gathered at the event, this wasn’t just a writing project—it was a labor of love. Rickey Fayne clearly poured his heart, soul, and sweat into every page, and it shows.
The Devil Three Times may not be a perfect book, but it’s an ambitious and memorable debut from a writer with a strong voice and serious potential. I encourage readers to check it out—and if you do, tell me what you think! Audio edition
A Haunting Debut with Big Screen Potential
My wife and I had the pleasure of meeting Rickey Fayne at a Kenosha Public Library event, and it was truly a memorable night. Fayne is a passionate and talented young author who spoke with warmth, humor, and insight about the creative process behind The Devil Three Times. He even shared how some of the characters “haunted” him during the writing process—fitting, considering some of them are literal ghosts!
As for the book itself, I did enjoy it, though I had some difficulty following the chronology and keeping everything straight at times. I’ll admit that’s partly on me—I listened to the audiobook version, which featured multiple voice actors who really brought the characters to life, but I was occasionally distracted (unmedicated adult ADHD strikes again). Still, some of the narrative threads were a bit tangled, and I found myself wishing for a clearer timeline.
That said, there’s real talent here. Fayne’s gothic imagination is vivid, emotional, and cinematic. I could absolutely see this story making a great film—it has atmosphere, tension, and characters that linger in your mind. From what I gathered at the event, this wasn’t just a writing project—it was a labor of love. Rickey Fayne clearly poured his heart, soul, and sweat into every page, and it shows.
The Devil Three Times may not be a perfect book, but it’s an ambitious and memorable debut from a writer with a strong voice and serious potential. I encourage readers to check it out—and if you do, tell me what you think! Audio edition
May 3, 2025
3.5 stars
This was really well-written, which is why I rounded it up to 4 stars instead of down to 3, but I think this would have been stronger if there were fewer characters and/or if the main plot beats hadn’t been so repetitive. I mean, I understand that since this is a multi-generational story that part of the repetitiveness of it is commentary on racial and familial trauma and mistakes being passed down through the generations, but I can only read about so many men sleeping with their brother’s wife or mistress (or their cousin or their dad’s wife) before the characters start being hard to differentiate, even with the help of a family tree (which I’m very glad the author included). It was also interesting to me how the Devil functioned as a character in the story, not only as a reframing of the biblical narrative around him but also as a kind of commentary on religion and spirituality’s role in slavery and its influence on the ancestors of the people who experienced slavery, particularly in that the presence of Ytunde’s spirit/ghost/whatever you want to call it served as a competing guiding force in the lives of her descendants.
This was really well-written, which is why I rounded it up to 4 stars instead of down to 3, but I think this would have been stronger if there were fewer characters and/or if the main plot beats hadn’t been so repetitive. I mean, I understand that since this is a multi-generational story that part of the repetitiveness of it is commentary on racial and familial trauma and mistakes being passed down through the generations, but I can only read about so many men sleeping with their brother’s wife or mistress (or their cousin or their dad’s wife) before the characters start being hard to differentiate, even with the help of a family tree (which I’m very glad the author included). It was also interesting to me how the Devil functioned as a character in the story, not only as a reframing of the biblical narrative around him but also as a kind of commentary on religion and spirituality’s role in slavery and its influence on the ancestors of the people who experienced slavery, particularly in that the presence of Ytunde’s spirit/ghost/whatever you want to call it served as a competing guiding force in the lives of her descendants.
Want to read
May 24, 2025A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
May 31, 2025
Spanning over eight generations in West Tennessee, The Devil Three Times begins in the bowels of a slave ship and extends its roots through Reconstruction, the Great Migration, and beyond, all through the throughline of one infernal presence: the Devil himself. But this isn’t the horned caricature of Sunday school sermons—Fayne’s Devil is complex, wounded, and yearning for redemption, just like the mortals he shadows.
The Plot: A Pact Etched in Blood and Time
The novel opens with Yetunde, a young African woman on a slave ship bound for the Americas. Her prayers are met not by God but by the Devil, who offers her a chilling salvation in exchange for an eternal bargain. This deal becomes the crucible through which her lineage is tested. From conjure women and passing sons to freedom fighters and haunted preachers, each generation of Yetunde’s descendants wrestles with darkness—internal and external—as the Devil returns during pivotal moments, offering assistance or temptation.
But the question lingers: is he saving them, or using them to save himself?
Characters: Vessels of Struggle and Spirit
One of the most breathtaking aspects of this novel is its panoramic yet deeply intimate character studies. Rather than a single protagonist, the book follows a lineage, and each descendant offers a fresh lens through which to examine trauma, legacy, and resilience.
Key Figures Across Generations:
Yetunde: The origin, the root, the one who made the deal. Her strength and sacrifice echo throughout the novel.
Lucille: A conjure woman with ancestral memory and power.
Asa: A son passing as white, torn between identities and inheritances.
Louis and Virgil: Brothers whose conflict mirrors the biblical Cain and Abel.
Cassandra: A woman gifted with communion with the dead, embodying both prophecy and burden.
James and Porter: Modern descendants grappling with memory, grief, and survival in a world still shadowed by history.
Fayne does not simply write characters—he resurrects them. Each feels fully lived, fully scarred, and fully seen. The Devil himself is the most fascinating of all—a being not of pure evil, but of longing, fallibility, and heartbreak.
Themes: Where Myth Meets Memory
This is a novel about inheritance, but not of wealth or land. Instead, it explores the inheritance of trauma, spiritual gifts, and unspeakable strength.
Core Themes Explored:
Black Ancestry and Diaspora Identity: Fayne roots the story in African cosmology and Christianity, often juxtaposing the two in ways that critique colonized faith and reclaim spiritual agency.
The Devil as a Moral Mirror: The Devil is not just an antagonist; he’s a reflection of divine neglect, asking the hard questions: Where is God when the world burns?
Historical Cycles of Violence: From chattel slavery to Jim Crow to modern racial injustice, each generation’s pain feels tragically cyclical, and intentionally so.
Spiritual Bargains and Redemption: Each character’s interaction with the Devil challenges ideas of free will, divine purpose, and moral ambiguity.
Love and Sacrifice: Familial love is central—maternal sacrifice, sibling bonds, and generational protection fuel the plot more than any infernal deal.
Narrative Structure: Nonlinear, Polyphonic, Mythic
Divided into four parts—Paradise Lost, Sins of the Father, Troubled Water, and All God’s Children Got Wings—the novel’s structure mimics a sacred text or oral epic. Each chapter offers a snapshot into the life of a different descendant, giving the story a mythic quality. The Devil appears in each, a spectral continuity threading their fates together.
This fragmented, multigenerational storytelling might be challenging for readers seeking linear plots, but Fayne rewards patience with cumulative emotional power.
Writing Style: Prophetic, Poetic, Profound
Fayne’s prose is where this novel becomes truly unforgettable. He writes in a voice that marries the colloquial with the theological, the historical with the lyrical. One hears echoes of Black southern vernacular, gospel cadences, and biblical gravity throughout.
Examples of stylistic mastery:
The Devil speaks in riddles, his language steeped in folk wisdom and ancient grievance.
Each generation’s voice is distinct, honoring the oral tradition of storytelling.
Scenes move fluidly between the earthly and the spiritual without losing grounding.
His sentences are long and looping like scripture, filled with metaphor and rhythm that demand to be read aloud. The writing is intentionally performative—it sings, it moans, it mourns.
Highlights and Literary Excellence
1. The Devil’s Evolution
Unlike traditional portrayals, Fayne’s Devil is tragic, even sympathetic. His desire to return to heaven parallels humanity’s desire for dignity and peace.
2. Historical and Theological Interplay
The novel engages deeply with Black theology, not just criticizing Christianity’s role in oppression but also reclaiming its mystical, liberatory roots.
3. Emotional and Spiritual Resonance
Few novels are brave enough to ask: What if the Devil is the only one listening? Fayne dares, and it pays off.
4. Magical Realism Done Right
The supernatural elements—ghosts, prophetic visions, devilish visitations—are seamlessly integrated into real historical contexts, elevating the stakes rather than distracting from them.
Where It Falters (Just a Bit)
Despite its brilliance, The Devil Three Times isn’t without flaws.
Structural Density: The non-linear timeline and constant shift in perspective, while thematically intentional, can overwhelm. Some readers may struggle to track lineage or emotional continuity.
Pacing Issues: Certain segments, particularly in Book II, slow the narrative momentum, dwelling perhaps too long on lesser-impact characters.
Abstract Ending Threads: While much is resolved spiritually, some character arcs—especially in the final chapters—feel more symbolically concluded than narratively tied up.
These are minor quibbles, outweighed by the book’s thematic richness and literary ambition.
Final Verdict: A New American Canonical Voice
The Devil Three Times is a rare, radical, and redemptive debut. It dares to ask not only what is lost through generational trauma but what can be gained through remembrance, resistance, and the reclamation of spiritual narrative. It stands as a challenge to sanitized histories and hollow faith, offering instead a burning bush of truth and myth.
This book is not just read—it is felt. It’s meant to be discussed, dissected, and passed on, like a sermon echoing long after the last hymn has faded.
The Plot: A Pact Etched in Blood and Time
The novel opens with Yetunde, a young African woman on a slave ship bound for the Americas. Her prayers are met not by God but by the Devil, who offers her a chilling salvation in exchange for an eternal bargain. This deal becomes the crucible through which her lineage is tested. From conjure women and passing sons to freedom fighters and haunted preachers, each generation of Yetunde’s descendants wrestles with darkness—internal and external—as the Devil returns during pivotal moments, offering assistance or temptation.
But the question lingers: is he saving them, or using them to save himself?
Characters: Vessels of Struggle and Spirit
One of the most breathtaking aspects of this novel is its panoramic yet deeply intimate character studies. Rather than a single protagonist, the book follows a lineage, and each descendant offers a fresh lens through which to examine trauma, legacy, and resilience.
Key Figures Across Generations:
Yetunde: The origin, the root, the one who made the deal. Her strength and sacrifice echo throughout the novel.
Lucille: A conjure woman with ancestral memory and power.
Asa: A son passing as white, torn between identities and inheritances.
Louis and Virgil: Brothers whose conflict mirrors the biblical Cain and Abel.
Cassandra: A woman gifted with communion with the dead, embodying both prophecy and burden.
James and Porter: Modern descendants grappling with memory, grief, and survival in a world still shadowed by history.
Fayne does not simply write characters—he resurrects them. Each feels fully lived, fully scarred, and fully seen. The Devil himself is the most fascinating of all—a being not of pure evil, but of longing, fallibility, and heartbreak.
Themes: Where Myth Meets Memory
This is a novel about inheritance, but not of wealth or land. Instead, it explores the inheritance of trauma, spiritual gifts, and unspeakable strength.
Core Themes Explored:
Black Ancestry and Diaspora Identity: Fayne roots the story in African cosmology and Christianity, often juxtaposing the two in ways that critique colonized faith and reclaim spiritual agency.
The Devil as a Moral Mirror: The Devil is not just an antagonist; he’s a reflection of divine neglect, asking the hard questions: Where is God when the world burns?
Historical Cycles of Violence: From chattel slavery to Jim Crow to modern racial injustice, each generation’s pain feels tragically cyclical, and intentionally so.
Spiritual Bargains and Redemption: Each character’s interaction with the Devil challenges ideas of free will, divine purpose, and moral ambiguity.
Love and Sacrifice: Familial love is central—maternal sacrifice, sibling bonds, and generational protection fuel the plot more than any infernal deal.
Narrative Structure: Nonlinear, Polyphonic, Mythic
Divided into four parts—Paradise Lost, Sins of the Father, Troubled Water, and All God’s Children Got Wings—the novel’s structure mimics a sacred text or oral epic. Each chapter offers a snapshot into the life of a different descendant, giving the story a mythic quality. The Devil appears in each, a spectral continuity threading their fates together.
This fragmented, multigenerational storytelling might be challenging for readers seeking linear plots, but Fayne rewards patience with cumulative emotional power.
Writing Style: Prophetic, Poetic, Profound
Fayne’s prose is where this novel becomes truly unforgettable. He writes in a voice that marries the colloquial with the theological, the historical with the lyrical. One hears echoes of Black southern vernacular, gospel cadences, and biblical gravity throughout.
Examples of stylistic mastery:
The Devil speaks in riddles, his language steeped in folk wisdom and ancient grievance.
Each generation’s voice is distinct, honoring the oral tradition of storytelling.
Scenes move fluidly between the earthly and the spiritual without losing grounding.
His sentences are long and looping like scripture, filled with metaphor and rhythm that demand to be read aloud. The writing is intentionally performative—it sings, it moans, it mourns.
Highlights and Literary Excellence
1. The Devil’s Evolution
Unlike traditional portrayals, Fayne’s Devil is tragic, even sympathetic. His desire to return to heaven parallels humanity’s desire for dignity and peace.
2. Historical and Theological Interplay
The novel engages deeply with Black theology, not just criticizing Christianity’s role in oppression but also reclaiming its mystical, liberatory roots.
3. Emotional and Spiritual Resonance
Few novels are brave enough to ask: What if the Devil is the only one listening? Fayne dares, and it pays off.
4. Magical Realism Done Right
The supernatural elements—ghosts, prophetic visions, devilish visitations—are seamlessly integrated into real historical contexts, elevating the stakes rather than distracting from them.
Where It Falters (Just a Bit)
Despite its brilliance, The Devil Three Times isn’t without flaws.
Structural Density: The non-linear timeline and constant shift in perspective, while thematically intentional, can overwhelm. Some readers may struggle to track lineage or emotional continuity.
Pacing Issues: Certain segments, particularly in Book II, slow the narrative momentum, dwelling perhaps too long on lesser-impact characters.
Abstract Ending Threads: While much is resolved spiritually, some character arcs—especially in the final chapters—feel more symbolically concluded than narratively tied up.
These are minor quibbles, outweighed by the book’s thematic richness and literary ambition.
Final Verdict: A New American Canonical Voice
The Devil Three Times is a rare, radical, and redemptive debut. It dares to ask not only what is lost through generational trauma but what can be gained through remembrance, resistance, and the reclamation of spiritual narrative. It stands as a challenge to sanitized histories and hollow faith, offering instead a burning bush of truth and myth.
This book is not just read—it is felt. It’s meant to be discussed, dissected, and passed on, like a sermon echoing long after the last hymn has faded.
August 7, 2025
The reason I chose this book among all those was its very interesting plot. However, perhaps because it is the author's first novel, a story consisting of so many characters and such complex relationships cannot go further than being a difficult test for the readers.
I don't know if this is a new trend but, I've come across some books that are written not just for the sake of being a book, but as a draft to be adapted for television (for those streaming platforms to be spesific). If I had consumed this story by watching it rather than reading it, I'm sure my comments would have been very different.
A good idea, a forced novel direction, a slow and tiring read. Like a nasty surprise.
I don't know if this is a new trend but, I've come across some books that are written not just for the sake of being a book, but as a draft to be adapted for television (for those streaming platforms to be spesific). If I had consumed this story by watching it rather than reading it, I'm sure my comments would have been very different.
A good idea, a forced novel direction, a slow and tiring read. Like a nasty surprise.
August 15, 2025
this is precisely the type of book i would have hated in middle school and can barely tolerate now
March 22, 2025
The Devil Three Times" is a captivating read, especially for fans of magical realism. While I'm not great at categorizing books by genre, I believe it fits into magical realism, given the presence of the Devil as a character and elements like flying.
The story begins with the dark themes surrounding the slave trade. A man encounters a slave woman and desires her for a specific purpose, and from there, the narrative unfolds, revealing the interconnected relationships among the characters, depicted like a family tree. The Devil, rooted in Christianity, is one of the characters, and his portrayal is both creative and unique, as he has connections with various characters throughout the story.
The narrative revolves around a group of people linked to each other through their history that traces back to Africa and the transatlantic slave trade. The characters are fascinating, the writing is excellent, and the blend of plot and genre elements is imaginative, which keeps you engaged and turning the pages.
The only drawback I found was that the book felt a bit too long and could have been more concise. However, I highly recommend picking this one up; you certainly won't regret it!
The story begins with the dark themes surrounding the slave trade. A man encounters a slave woman and desires her for a specific purpose, and from there, the narrative unfolds, revealing the interconnected relationships among the characters, depicted like a family tree. The Devil, rooted in Christianity, is one of the characters, and his portrayal is both creative and unique, as he has connections with various characters throughout the story.
The narrative revolves around a group of people linked to each other through their history that traces back to Africa and the transatlantic slave trade. The characters are fascinating, the writing is excellent, and the blend of plot and genre elements is imaginative, which keeps you engaged and turning the pages.
The only drawback I found was that the book felt a bit too long and could have been more concise. However, I highly recommend picking this one up; you certainly won't regret it!
May 8, 2025
A multi-generational tale of a black family visited by the Devil seeking to redeem his way back into the good graces of the Almighty. Anchored by the spirituality and folklore of the American south and the black diaspora, Rickey Fayne crafts a sweeping and haunting southern gothic novel that reads like the oral tradition that preserves Black familial tales, secrets and the American history poured from the mouths of ancestors. Fayne shows himself to be both a historian and weaver of affecting, down-home mystical fiction.
I’m looking forward to more from this brilliant writer!
I’m looking forward to more from this brilliant writer!
August 3, 2025
Well written and lyrical, but a little slow with its layering. This one took patience that I didn’t have. 3.5 stars rounded down.
May 13, 2025
Thanks to Little Brown and Company for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.
This story follows eight generations of a family from their home in Africa, through slavery and into modern times as they cross paths with the devil again and again in their times of need.
This one read more like a series of interconnected short stories. Some I enjoyed more than others but all of them followed one member of the family. The jumps sometimes felt jarring but then I found myself immersed in that character's story so easily. These were all likable yet flawed characters with lots of the heavy topics in life beyond just slavery including violence, rape, incest and alcoholism. Equally it focuses on love and loyalty and spiritualism offering a really balanced story. I also thought the Devil as a character and how there was rationale to his presence and decisions that impacted this family over time.
This story follows eight generations of a family from their home in Africa, through slavery and into modern times as they cross paths with the devil again and again in their times of need.
This one read more like a series of interconnected short stories. Some I enjoyed more than others but all of them followed one member of the family. The jumps sometimes felt jarring but then I found myself immersed in that character's story so easily. These were all likable yet flawed characters with lots of the heavy topics in life beyond just slavery including violence, rape, incest and alcoholism. Equally it focuses on love and loyalty and spiritualism offering a really balanced story. I also thought the Devil as a character and how there was rationale to his presence and decisions that impacted this family over time.
May 17, 2025
Great read. I was fortunate enough to have a teacher who recommended Ralph Ellison and Toni Morrison to me in high school and I definitely felt their influence on this one. Fayne mention in the acknowledgements these were some of his defining writers, and it shows. The Devil Three Times is a fairly dense piece of literature. This isn’t a sit at the beach and skim along type read, it takes some work. It takes place over a century and a half and there’s a lot of characters. Fayne also excels at vernacular so it’s definitely one where a bit of focus is required. I’d classify it as dark lit fic with some magical realism elements in it.
TDTT starts with the kidnapping of a woman during the slave trade and follows her and her ancestors as their history is intersected with race, sexuality, trauma and just about every affliction you can envision. There is some preternatural elements both with certain characters and at times The Devil visits with the Laurent family, but never too abstract.
I wouldn’t really classify it as a slow burn as the pace is steady throughout, but so much happens and it’s such a fascinating portrait of familial bonds and race in America during the last three centuries. I think some readers may be frustrated with Fayne’s writing style. I loved it but at times he’ll mention an event which seems quite impactful but with few details given. He always circles back and fills in the gaps, but I know this may be an issue for some. I really enjoyed the read. I’ve lived in the southeast my entire life so while I can’t truly relate to the racial elements I still understand the South and what it still is like in many places. I recommend this to readers who like deeper books that delve extensively into the repercussions of actions on generations to come.
TDTT starts with the kidnapping of a woman during the slave trade and follows her and her ancestors as their history is intersected with race, sexuality, trauma and just about every affliction you can envision. There is some preternatural elements both with certain characters and at times The Devil visits with the Laurent family, but never too abstract.
I wouldn’t really classify it as a slow burn as the pace is steady throughout, but so much happens and it’s such a fascinating portrait of familial bonds and race in America during the last three centuries. I think some readers may be frustrated with Fayne’s writing style. I loved it but at times he’ll mention an event which seems quite impactful but with few details given. He always circles back and fills in the gaps, but I know this may be an issue for some. I really enjoyed the read. I’ve lived in the southeast my entire life so while I can’t truly relate to the racial elements I still understand the South and what it still is like in many places. I recommend this to readers who like deeper books that delve extensively into the repercussions of actions on generations to come.
dnf
June 12, 2025I’m bored and confused. The first 2 chapters had me sucked in. But the more I continue the less interested I become. Maybe it’s me…maybe it’s the book. The world may never know. But for now…DNF
July 10, 2025
3.5/5
They came because they had not believed witches in league with the Devil could die. They came because she was their pastor's mother. They came because she was one of the last living among them to have known slavery.Rickey Fayne is a writer with a whole boatload of potential. I say that having finished his debut novel and awarding it the most solid 3.5 stars I've encountered in a long time. You see, this text regularly ran the gamut from 2.5 to 5 stars and back then, settling in the most strongly at the beginning and end and running risk of undifferentiated tepidness when the names repeated over too many generations. I say that as someone with no head for no names, however, to the point that I actually tend to avoid the multigenerational tales (although the flippant attitude many authors have to researching their 'epic historical tale' doesn't help). The fact, then, that I muscled through for that prose and those scenes says something about how well Fayne pulled his way through the river of his story.
The considered and effortless movement of her fingers seems, to Porter at least, uniquely capable of unthreading reality.'Ambitious' would have to be the word for this text, and not the most consistently fulfilled. Given the market these days, though, I don't blame the author for going the sprawlingly supernatural seven + one generations, as I have my doubts as to whether I myself would've committed to this had the devil not promised to go down south and take on Christianity with all its soldiers. Still, at bottom, I would've preferred an entire novel devoted to either the first three generations or the last two, as while it certainly would've made it easier on my poor myopically social brain, it would've given Fayne more room to develop his particular breed of passionate humanity without having to reinvent the wheel every 30-50 pages with new technology here, new social justice movements there. In the end, though, that closing sequence was a marvel, enough to send me onwards on the right side of the 3.5.
If I wanted her to live, they said, I would have to carry her, so I carried her. I carry her still.In terms of comparisons, I've seen Morrison bandied about more than a few times. To entertain the thought a moment, I recognize in Fayne a similar confidence in invoking the unknown without the slightest hint of gimmick and everything and then some to do with grace. It's something I didn't realize I needed until I was in the (queer) thick of it, so if you find yourself put off by that unctuous family tree at the beginning, don't be. Here's a rare tale that attempts to do something with writing in the year of our lord 2025 that doesn't seek to lop off its feet to satisfy its face, and I'm eager to see where Fayne takes us next.
"Is this heaven?" he asks, smiling like back when we first met.
"It can be," I tell him.
July 26, 2025
Author Rickey Fayne's debut novel is an ambitious and challenging text that unfortunately loses me structurally as it goes along. It's a multigenerational tale spanning almost two centuries, which is an approach I've enjoyed in other works. Here, however, the handoff isn't a clean break from one generation to the next -- instead we weave backwards and forwards in time, periodically revisiting figures from earlier in the book. In the process it becomes exceedingly difficult to keep all the characters and their relationships in mind, especially as certain repeated thematic dynamics echo throughout the timeline as well.
The writing is beautiful and immersive, situating us in the lives of an extended Black family in western Tennessee from the era of slavery onwards. I really like how these people's folk beliefs about communicating with the dead are treated respectfully and incorporated naturalistically into the narrative in a magical realist fashion too (despite how this further tangles up the chronology, since any given protagonist might be visited by one long gone). While I suspect I would have liked the volume better as a collection of discrete short stories, and I particularly think the intended framing device of the devil on a redemption mission isn't nearly fleshed out enough for us, I'm definitely flagging this writer as an emerging talent to keep an eye on.
[Content warning for racism, slavery, torture, domestic abuse, incest, homophobia, suicide, and rape.]
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The writing is beautiful and immersive, situating us in the lives of an extended Black family in western Tennessee from the era of slavery onwards. I really like how these people's folk beliefs about communicating with the dead are treated respectfully and incorporated naturalistically into the narrative in a magical realist fashion too (despite how this further tangles up the chronology, since any given protagonist might be visited by one long gone). While I suspect I would have liked the volume better as a collection of discrete short stories, and I particularly think the intended framing device of the devil on a redemption mission isn't nearly fleshed out enough for us, I'm definitely flagging this writer as an emerging talent to keep an eye on.
[Content warning for racism, slavery, torture, domestic abuse, incest, homophobia, suicide, and rape.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/lesserjoke
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
August 22, 2025
I really liked and didn’t like this book. Awesome book premise that didn’t really deliver.
The beginning of the book was really well done and I liked the idea of each chapter being a new member in the family tree as it worked down the generations but 1) too many generations. It got so confusing at times and I could not keep straight who was whose daddy and who was alive yet and who was dead. The author should have kept it down to 3 to help make sense of what was going on when plus some of the characters I wanted to know more of 2) the authors writing style at times was a bit unclear. Throwing in random characters like I was suppose to know them or having long winded run-on sentences that I’d have to read two or three times to understand. It was well written and really worked on brining out notes of the local culture but could have made parts easier to understand
Because of the book jumping to a new character every chapter, I never felt connected to any one character, never rooted for anyone, never got enough story for truly understanding what someone was searching for or how they were growing and evolving and so by half way through the book it started to get old and difficult to read. By the end of the book, I felt like I all I had read were some short stories on random people’s lives. I didn’t feel like I was reaching the end of any grander overarching theme or progress.
The BEST part were the prologues on the Devil at the beginning of the different sections. I could not get enough of his story (and there was way too little) and it was written from such an interesting and different point of view. This is where the gold was and should have been fleshed out more. I’m not sure at all how he was actually connected to the family and the different generations which the book sort of promised and sounded awesome
The beginning of the book was really well done and I liked the idea of each chapter being a new member in the family tree as it worked down the generations but 1) too many generations. It got so confusing at times and I could not keep straight who was whose daddy and who was alive yet and who was dead. The author should have kept it down to 3 to help make sense of what was going on when plus some of the characters I wanted to know more of 2) the authors writing style at times was a bit unclear. Throwing in random characters like I was suppose to know them or having long winded run-on sentences that I’d have to read two or three times to understand. It was well written and really worked on brining out notes of the local culture but could have made parts easier to understand
Because of the book jumping to a new character every chapter, I never felt connected to any one character, never rooted for anyone, never got enough story for truly understanding what someone was searching for or how they were growing and evolving and so by half way through the book it started to get old and difficult to read. By the end of the book, I felt like I all I had read were some short stories on random people’s lives. I didn’t feel like I was reaching the end of any grander overarching theme or progress.
The BEST part were the prologues on the Devil at the beginning of the different sections. I could not get enough of his story (and there was way too little) and it was written from such an interesting and different point of view. This is where the gold was and should have been fleshed out more. I’m not sure at all how he was actually connected to the family and the different generations which the book sort of promised and sounded awesome
June 4, 2025
The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne is a sweeping family saga that spans 175 years, and is filled with moments of light magical realism as Fayne reimagines what the devil might truly be.
This book belongs in a literature class; there is so much to pick apart, and the richness of the characters is something that begs for deeper analysis. Critiques I’ve seen of the novel have largely been about the wide cast of characters - it does get a bit overwhelming, but I don’t think this is meant to be a breezy read. I found myself frequently turning back to the family tree at the beginning, and pausing quite a bit to straighten out the storylines for my own understanding. However, I do not think any of that detracts from the novel; in fact, I’d go as far as to say that’s part of what makes it such an epic family story. Fayne brings to light the generational struggles of a family rooted in enslavement, and he does so with truly beautiful prose.
One stylistic thing I liked in particular was that each character’s story almost felt like its own vignette. The book reads very fluidly all together, but also has the vibe of a collection on interconnected short stories. I feel like this worked really well with the plot of the novel.
I’d put this on the shelf with books like Homegoing, Peach Blossom Spring, and Pachinko - stories rich with the complexity of the human experience, rooted in the world of a single family. For me, Fayne joins my list of auto-buy authors. This was a deep reading experience, and one that showcases his ability to capture a wide spectrum of emotion.
Thanks to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review; I can’t wait to see what Fayne writes next!
This book belongs in a literature class; there is so much to pick apart, and the richness of the characters is something that begs for deeper analysis. Critiques I’ve seen of the novel have largely been about the wide cast of characters - it does get a bit overwhelming, but I don’t think this is meant to be a breezy read. I found myself frequently turning back to the family tree at the beginning, and pausing quite a bit to straighten out the storylines for my own understanding. However, I do not think any of that detracts from the novel; in fact, I’d go as far as to say that’s part of what makes it such an epic family story. Fayne brings to light the generational struggles of a family rooted in enslavement, and he does so with truly beautiful prose.
One stylistic thing I liked in particular was that each character’s story almost felt like its own vignette. The book reads very fluidly all together, but also has the vibe of a collection on interconnected short stories. I feel like this worked really well with the plot of the novel.
I’d put this on the shelf with books like Homegoing, Peach Blossom Spring, and Pachinko - stories rich with the complexity of the human experience, rooted in the world of a single family. For me, Fayne joins my list of auto-buy authors. This was a deep reading experience, and one that showcases his ability to capture a wide spectrum of emotion.
Thanks to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review; I can’t wait to see what Fayne writes next!
July 25, 2025
The Devil Three Times is a sprawling, soulful marvel of a debut. Rickey Fayne weaves together generations of one Black Southern family that is bound by blood, betrayal, ghost stories, and gospel with such grace and gravity that it feels less like reading a novel and more like being entrusted with a sacred oral history.
At the heart of it all is the Devil himself -- not as a cartoon villain, but as a character of surprising tenderness and wit. He’s exhausted, mournful, sometimes manipulative, sometimes merciful. He’s the Devil who tells a broken preacher he has to serve God. The one who names a train after himself in the 1800s. The one who watches a young Ida B. Wells board his locomotive and feels, perhaps for the first time in decades, something like hope. There is nothing tidy or simple about him, and that’s what makes his presence so moving.
Across the chapters, we hear from those he’s brushed up against: Yetunde, the conjure woman who defies Death to save her newborn; James, the quiet man who raises his dead brother’s son as his own; Robert, the aging patriarch facing the end with a fractured family and an unfixable past. And of course, there is Cassandra — a daughter broken by a world that taught her hunger, not healing. Her delusions, her insistence on divine favor, her haunting death in childbirth — she is a deeply frustrating and deeply human character. I never warmed to her, but I never stopped thinking about her, about her presence in the life of Porter after her death, or about her irrevocable beliefs that her love, desire and needs are divinely sanctioned.
The novel is theological without preaching, poetic without vanity. It is full of ghosts, visions, baptisms, reckonings, and an understanding of Southern Black Christianity that is both reverent and unflinching. And it is, always, concerned with inheritance—not just of bloodlines, but of pain, silence, tenderness, music, and myth.
I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this before. It’s Beloved meets The Book of Job meets Coates meets a whisper in a pine forest. And it left me undone in the best possible way.
Read it slowly. Let it work on you. You’ll leave changed.
At the heart of it all is the Devil himself -- not as a cartoon villain, but as a character of surprising tenderness and wit. He’s exhausted, mournful, sometimes manipulative, sometimes merciful. He’s the Devil who tells a broken preacher he has to serve God. The one who names a train after himself in the 1800s. The one who watches a young Ida B. Wells board his locomotive and feels, perhaps for the first time in decades, something like hope. There is nothing tidy or simple about him, and that’s what makes his presence so moving.
Across the chapters, we hear from those he’s brushed up against: Yetunde, the conjure woman who defies Death to save her newborn; James, the quiet man who raises his dead brother’s son as his own; Robert, the aging patriarch facing the end with a fractured family and an unfixable past. And of course, there is Cassandra — a daughter broken by a world that taught her hunger, not healing. Her delusions, her insistence on divine favor, her haunting death in childbirth — she is a deeply frustrating and deeply human character. I never warmed to her, but I never stopped thinking about her, about her presence in the life of Porter after her death, or about her irrevocable beliefs that her love, desire and needs are divinely sanctioned.
The novel is theological without preaching, poetic without vanity. It is full of ghosts, visions, baptisms, reckonings, and an understanding of Southern Black Christianity that is both reverent and unflinching. And it is, always, concerned with inheritance—not just of bloodlines, but of pain, silence, tenderness, music, and myth.
I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this before. It’s Beloved meets The Book of Job meets Coates meets a whisper in a pine forest. And it left me undone in the best possible way.
Read it slowly. Let it work on you. You’ll leave changed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 1, 2025Generational and magical realism? I loved. Also good distinguishing of different characters and voices and the family tree was so helpful.
August 11, 2025
Idek what's going on in this book. It's trying to be clever. Meanders too much and the story barely gets anywhere after pages and pages of sentences meant to explain, what exactly? Nothing is said.
July 23, 2025
3.5
The Devil wants to go back to Heaven and Jesus tells him that he can if he frees his people, the Black people. That’s how the Devil meets Yetunde, a slave Black woman going from Africa to America, and between them is born a bond and the Devil will honor that bond by following and visiting Yetunde descendants. The story of this family is told by different point of views; each member has its own chapter.
The writing is really good and I found it ok to follow the story of all of the characters and their connections, but the family tree at the beginning of the book helped – I found myself consulting it various times during my reading.
It’s a story about family – a multigenerational story – full of trauma (past and present), secrets, expectations, lies and love. A bit repetitive, but aren’t we doomed to repeat the same mistakes as our ancestors?
I found it a great debut novel. Magic realism and family trauma go good together.
The Devil wants to go back to Heaven and Jesus tells him that he can if he frees his people, the Black people. That’s how the Devil meets Yetunde, a slave Black woman going from Africa to America, and between them is born a bond and the Devil will honor that bond by following and visiting Yetunde descendants. The story of this family is told by different point of views; each member has its own chapter.
The writing is really good and I found it ok to follow the story of all of the characters and their connections, but the family tree at the beginning of the book helped – I found myself consulting it various times during my reading.
It’s a story about family – a multigenerational story – full of trauma (past and present), secrets, expectations, lies and love. A bit repetitive, but aren’t we doomed to repeat the same mistakes as our ancestors?
I found it a great debut novel. Magic realism and family trauma go good together.
May 8, 2025
Yetunde awakens on a slave ship heading to the US. With a unique ability to see between the veil of living and dead, carrying around and conversing with the ghost of her dead sister, Yetunde is approached by the devil himself. He needs something and in an exchange, of sorts, starts the procession of him visiting upon each of her bloodline for the next 175 years.
Jumping around through the different generations, there were a few characters that I clung to more. The devil comes to them all in various times of need. I thought his character was crafted so well. This is a beautiful, but at times dark and haunting story about choices and how they impact not only you, but generations to come.
Once you get past the PLETHORA of different characters and you parse through the different generations, this comes together so incredibly. The writing is so entrancing. I switched back and forth between the book and the audiobook. I cannot recommend the audiobook enough because the casting and the production is done so, so well.
Jumping around through the different generations, there were a few characters that I clung to more. The devil comes to them all in various times of need. I thought his character was crafted so well. This is a beautiful, but at times dark and haunting story about choices and how they impact not only you, but generations to come.
Once you get past the PLETHORA of different characters and you parse through the different generations, this comes together so incredibly. The writing is so entrancing. I switched back and forth between the book and the audiobook. I cannot recommend the audiobook enough because the casting and the production is done so, so well.
June 15, 2025
I listened to the audiobook and I don’t know if it was too long or just felt too long to me? It was hard to keep track of the characters. Felt the whole book dragged a bit.
August 27, 2025
This follows eight generations of a black family whom have the Devil ironically as their guardian Angel as he tries to get back into the good books of Heaven. Magical realism, generational trauma, family secrets, a little historical fiction all rolled into one.
Whilst each chapter genuinely has beautiful prose, they don’t seem to layer well together. With such a diverse cast of characters and non-linear timeline throughout, it can get confusing. I had to refer to the family tree at the beginning of the book multiple times. When I did draw the connections, though satisfying, I found the process demanding and takes away from the reading experience. I also found the pages on the Devil a little bit too short to make any impact. It reminded me of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, although The Devil Three Times was a lot less compelling.
Whilst each chapter genuinely has beautiful prose, they don’t seem to layer well together. With such a diverse cast of characters and non-linear timeline throughout, it can get confusing. I had to refer to the family tree at the beginning of the book multiple times. When I did draw the connections, though satisfying, I found the process demanding and takes away from the reading experience. I also found the pages on the Devil a little bit too short to make any impact. It reminded me of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, although The Devil Three Times was a lot less compelling.
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June 21, 2025Starting with Yetunde, a woman who wakes up on a slave ship bound for a plantation in America, the Devil visits her and several members of her family across two centuries to save them in their darkest hours and to attempt to save himself.
Ambitious and unusual, this book is ideal for readers who enjoy classical-style storytelling with strong biblical allusions.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Ambitious and unusual, this book is ideal for readers who enjoy classical-style storytelling with strong biblical allusions.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
August 27, 2025
The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne – a collection of stories touching on slavery, colorism, generational trauma, scandal and familial bonds - was not what I expected. Certain tales were well written and quite intriguing - and I found myself appreciating the author’s take on spirituality/Black Southern folklore, and the parallels weaved from chapter to chapter. For instance, the significance of water was well thought out and each character’s experience with escapism was beautifully written. In addition, the novel’s characters were flawed but relatable. In my opinion, the lives they lead and the choices they made were understandable and greatly mirrored realistic human experiences from the beginnings of the American slave trade to the current modern-day slavery setting.
While I did have some fun reading this book, I would not recommend it to all readers. The novel is very niche, and could be quite complex to follow given the number of characters and the various timelines (with or without the drawn-up family tree). There were also too many love triangles, incestuous-like entanglements, and repetitive plotlines to my liking.
Despite the author’s talent in writing a book focused on eight generations of an African American family’s personal and societal struggles, my motivation in finishing Rickey Fayne’s work was more about moving on to the next novel in my TBR list. The stories were not as gripping as I had hoped, and the most interesting character – the Devil – did not play a consequential role. I initially thought the Devil would be an anti-hero or an antagonist, but he was mostly absent.
Although the book was not a bad read (overall), I will not be picking it up for a second try anytime soon.
While I did have some fun reading this book, I would not recommend it to all readers. The novel is very niche, and could be quite complex to follow given the number of characters and the various timelines (with or without the drawn-up family tree). There were also too many love triangles, incestuous-like entanglements, and repetitive plotlines to my liking.
Despite the author’s talent in writing a book focused on eight generations of an African American family’s personal and societal struggles, my motivation in finishing Rickey Fayne’s work was more about moving on to the next novel in my TBR list. The stories were not as gripping as I had hoped, and the most interesting character – the Devil – did not play a consequential role. I initially thought the Devil would be an anti-hero or an antagonist, but he was mostly absent.
Although the book was not a bad read (overall), I will not be picking it up for a second try anytime soon.
June 11, 2025
The author clearly admires Toni Morrison and Yaa Gyasi (specifically the novel Homegoing), but this a case where imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. The book falls short of both of the key influences driving the author. Often, I did not feel fully invested in a character before the character was dropped and a new character was the focus of the story. The devil is not a large enough presence in the story.
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