Chapter summaries The Devils Joe Abercrombie

Chapter 12: Empress or Death – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Alex sits among a yard of muddy corpses after a devastating attack. She has swapped clothes with a dead maid to fake her own death, a tactic suggested by Jakob of Thorn. Her unlikely band of survivors includes the undying knight Jakob, the werewolf Vigga, the magician Balthazar, the reluctant monk Brother Diaz, the resourceful Baptiste, and the ever‑practical Sunny. Jacob is having arrows removed by Baptiste; Duke Michael is rescued with a badly broken leg. The group discusses betrayal: someone in the Celestial Palace leaked their location. Duke Michael insists Alex must head to Troy, and she impulsively agrees, shouting, “I’m going to Troy!” The chapter closes with Alex reflecting that she has reduced her choices to two: empress or death.

Key Events

  • Alex wakes in a courtyard full of corpses; she is disguised in a dead maid’s clothes to make her seem dead.
  • Baptiste tends to Jakob’s arrow wounds while Jakob explains his curse of unkillability.
  • Sunny returns the snake‑carved dagger to Alex.
  • Vigga, a naked werewolf covered in runic tattoos, washes blood from her hair and provokes Brother Diaz.
  • Balthazar emerges from the ruined inn carrying the wounded Duke Michael.
  • Duke Michael’s leg is set by Baptiste, who reveals a past as a mercenary barber‑surgeon.
  • The group realises their location was betrayed; they cannot return to the Holy City.
  • Duke Michael insists Alex must go to Troy to claim the Serpent Throne.
  • Alex, after a shouting match with Brother Diaz, declares her intention to go to Troy.
  • The surviving guard and stable boy agree to help Duke Michael back to the Holy City.
  • Alex privately doubts her decision but commits to the path of empress or death.

Character Development

Alex undergoes a pivotal shift. She has always thought of herself as a selfish swindler, but when someone does her a kindness, she feels compelled to act heroically. Her decision to go to Troy – despite her fear – marks a conscious embrace of a larger destiny, even as she inwardly admits she’ll probably regret it. Her swearing and rage at Brother Diaz show a raw, unmasked side.

Jakob of Thorn remains stoic under pain, his undead curse making him a patient, resilient leader. Baptiste reveals hidden competence (and a dark past) through her medical work. Vigga is introduced as a force of nature: shameless, powerful, and utterly indifferent to social norms. Brother Diaz is shaken from his pious routine, forced to confront actual monsters and his own cowardice. Balthazar demonstrates a spark of decency by saving Duke Michael, though he remains boastful. Duke Michael shows sacrificial loyalty, sending his niece onward despite his injury.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Identity and Disguise: Alex swaps clothes with a dead girl, literally wearing another’s identity to survive. This foreshadows the deeper identity crisis she faces: who is she if not a princess, a swindler, or a corpse?
  • Empress or Death: The chapter’s title becomes Alex’s internal ultimatum. It symbolises the brutal simplicity of her new reality – there is no middle ground between claiming power and perishing.
  • **Body and Vulnerability: Multiple characters are wounded, stripped, or exposed (Vigga’s nakedness, Jakob’s scars, Duke Michael’s shattered leg). Abercrombie uses physical brokenness to mirror emotional fragility.
  • Betrayal and Trust: The revelation of a traitor in the Celestial Palace deepens the atmosphere of paranoia. Trust becomes a scarce resource, and the group must rely on strangers who have already proven dangerous.
  • The Supernatural as Mundane: Werewolves, undying knights, and hybrid monsters are treated as practical problems (Jakob’s curse is a nuisance; Vigga is a weapon; Eudoxia’s experiments are intellectual curiosities).

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 12 is the hinge on which the novel turns. Alex stops being a passive survivor and chooses to actively pursue the Serpent Throne. The fake‑death gambit sets up a dramatic identity secret that will affect the political landscape. The small band of misfits is hardened into a genuine fellowship, each member now committed to Alex’s cause. The chapter also introduces Vigga and cements Jakob’s lore, enriching the world’s supernatural rules. The theme of “empress or death” echoes throughout the rest of the book, making this a critical moment of commitment.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What motivates Alex to shout “I’m going to Troy” when she had earlier been passive?
    Answer: She is pushed to the breaking point by Brother Diaz’s panic and her own frustration. The betrayal and massacre have stripped away her old life; claiming the throne becomes the only defiant action left. Her anger overrides her fear, even though she immediately regrets the outburst.

  2. How does Vigga’s behaviour challenge the other characters’ sense of order?
    Answer: Vigga’s nudity, casual violence, and lack of shame confront Brother Diaz’s religious decorum, Alex’s notions of femininity, and everyone’s assumptions about control. She disregards social rules, forcing the group to accept her as an ally on her own terms.

  3. What does Baptiste’s expertise in battlefield medicine reveal about her background?
    Answer: Her ability to set Duke Michael’s leg and remove arrows shows she has survived violent company. The line “among other things” hints at a history far removed from her present role as a servant or assistant. It suggests she is more resourceful and dangerous than she first appears.

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