Chapter summaries The Devils Joe Abercrombie

Chapter 17: Like a Treat – 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 (Chronological)

Alex prepares a simple meal of cheese and bread, arranging it carefully to make it feel like a treat—a habit born from a life of scarcity. She expects Sunny’s silent approach and still startles when the elf appears. Sunny compliments the presentation and eats. Alex voices her distrust of Balthazar, who has taken it upon himself to teach her the history of Troy after Baptiste initially offered. Sunny quips that Alex could learn twelve ways to tell him to fuck himself.

Alex admits Jakob thinks she should know about Troy if she is destined to sit on the Serpent Throne—a prospect she dreads, along with memories of the violence she witnessed earlier. She misses Duke Michael, who made her feel less like a piece of shit. Alex explains why she avoids the others: Vigga and the baron squabble, Baptiste and Balthazar outboast each other, while Jakob broods. Sunny says Jakob would die for Alex if he could.

They discuss the camp’s absence: most have gone to a nearby monastery to see the foot of Saint Bartholomew, a paid relic experience. Alex is cynical about the Church’s relic trade and notes that Brother Diaz told her elves have no souls. Sunny confirms the Church’s hostility. Alex asks if Sunny gets lonely. Sunny wonders who she would miss, and Alex offers herself. Sunny replies, “But you’re here.” Alex ends with a sarcastic remark about being glad they have these talks.

Key Events

  • Alex sets up a picnic for Sunny and they share bread and cheese.
  • Sunny appears soundlessly, startling Alex again.
  • Alex confides her distrust of Balthazar and the forced Troy lessons.
  • She mentions Jakob’s belief that she needs to know Troy for the Serpent Throne.
  • Alex recalls Duke Michael’s kindness and the trauma of recent violence.
  • The two discuss the relic pilgrimage to Saint Bartholomew’s foot.
  • Alex voices the Church’s doctrine that elves lack souls.
  • Sunny asks why Alex didn’t join the pilgrims, and Alex explains her cynicism.
  • The conversation turns to loneliness: Sunny does not feel lonely, but Alex admits she needs people.
  • Sunny’s final comment implies Alex’s presence is enough.

Character Development

  • Alex: Reveals deep insecurity (feeling like a piece of shit), a need for connection, and a cynical yet practical view of the Church’s relic trade. She uses small rituals (arranging food) to create a semblance of care. Her trust in Sunny grows, but she remains haunted by past violence.
  • Sunny: Demonstrates keen observation, dry humor, and emotional detachment. Her solitary lifestyle is not lonely; she values presence over words. The gap in her teeth humanizes her, contrasting with the Church’s demonization of elves. She offers quiet support without sentimentality.
  • Balthazar (off-page): Comes across as arrogant and dismissive, yet knowledgeable. His teaching is framed as a power play.
  • Jakob (off-page): Characterized by Sunny as a good man who would die for Alex, reinforcing his protective role.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Making a treat / Rituals of care: Alex’s careful arrangement of a meager meal symbolizes her desire to offer kindness despite her own deprivation. It mirrors her need for acknowledgment.
  • Relics and exploitation: The paid relic (Saint Bartholomew’s foot) and the associated pilgrim industry critique the commodification of faith. Alex’s blunt “Hell of a racket” underscores the Church’s mercenary side.
  • The Church’s exclusion of elves: Brother Diaz’s claim that elves have no souls (and Alex’s complicit agreement) highlights institutional bigotry, even as Alex builds a personal bond with Sunny.
  • Loneliness vs. solitude: Alex craves company despite disliking people; Sunny thrives alone. Their exchange questions what it means to need others.
  • Self-worth and status: Alex repeatedly calls herself a piece of shit, while Duke Michael made her feel otherwise. The Serpent Throne looms as a destiny she fears.

Why This Chapter Matters

“Like a Treat” deepens Alex’s internal conflict and her bond with Sunny. It contrasts the brutality of earlier events with a quiet, human (and elf) moment. The chapter exposes the Church’s hypocrisy through relic commerce and anti-elf doctrine, while advancing Alex’s reluctant journey toward power. Sunny’s calm presence offers Alex a rare refuge, and their relationship becomes a microcosm of the larger story’s tensions: trust across difference, the cost of destiny, and the search for belonging.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Alex arrange the bread and cheese so carefully, and what does this reveal about her character?
    Answer: She does it to make a meager meal feel like a treat, reflecting a lifelong habit of trying to create small comforts in the absence of real care. It shows her need to give kindness in the way she wishes someone had given it to her, and it highlights her low self-worth—she has never received such treatment from others.

  2. How does the conversation about the relic (Saint Bartholomew’s foot) critique organized religion?
    Answer: Alex describes the relic as a moneymaking scheme: pilgrims pay to see it, touch its case, and drink holy water. She says, “Hell of a racket, if you can find a way in,” pointing out that the Church exploits faith for profit. Her cynicism undercuts the piety of the pilgrimage and suggests that religious authority is more about commerce than salvation.

  3. What does Sunny’s final line—“But you’re here”—suggest about her view of relationships?
    Answer: It implies that Sunny does not feel loneliness because she values actual presence over abstract connection. She does not need to miss someone if that person is with her now. The line also reassures Alex: her company is enough, validating Alex’s place in the group despite her doubts.

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