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The Devil Three Times

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The Devil Three Times

By: Rickey Fayne
Narrated by: James Fouhey, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Robin Miles
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About this listen

'A major new talent announces himself' Attica Locke, New York Times bestselling author of Guide Me Home and Bluebird, Bluebird

'A debut of enormous ambition that succeeds on every level. .. a page-turning, rollicking novel' Nathan Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Sweetness of Water

The Devil first visits Yetunde aboard a slave ship heading to America. Her home burned to ash, she lies shackled in the belly of the ship with only her dead sister's spirit for company. Worse, she has a caught the eye of a white man. To survive the hell that awaits her, the Devil offers his protection and 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 all her descendants in their darkest hour of need. There's Lucille, a conjure woman; Asa, the white-passing son of a slave; Louis and Virgil, a twentieth-century Cain and Abel; Cassandra, a girl who speaks to the dead; James, a father struggling to keep his family together; and many others. The Devil offers each of them his own version of salvation, all the while wondering: 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 fiction.

©2025 Rickey Fayne (P)2025 Little, Brown & Company
Dark Fantasy Editors Select Fantasy Genre Fiction Literary Fiction

Editorial Review

A reckoning. A prayer. A howl.
As I write this review I am still awestruck. This is undoubtedly one of the best books I’ve listened to so far this year. Rickey Fayne’s haunting debut grips you from the beginning with its Southern gothic atmosphere and taut emotional core. Fayne explores the idea that sometimes the devil we face is not a single event or person but the echo of mistakes made—and remade—across generations. What makes this novel exceptional is its intimacy, both poetic and raw. His characters are heartbreakingly real, and their search for meaning feels urgent and true. The Devil Three Times isn’t just a novel, it’s a reckoning. A prayer. A howl. And it will stay with you long after you finish it.—Dawn G., Audible Editor

Critic Reviews

'A brilliant gospel chorus of resilience and humanity. We cover generations with storytelling that is equally smart, sexy, propulsive, and inventive. It's a scary novel that holds armfuls of beauty. Whole pages will stick with you, as they've stuck with me. Rickey Fayne's talent is a joy to behold' (Gabriel Bump, author EVERYWHERE YOU DON'T BELONG and THE NEW NATURALS)

'Rickey Fayne's extraordinary The Devil Three Times is a book that understands both the sweep of history and its indelible characters' most intimate thoughts. Polyphonic, complex, heartbreaking, beautiful, enveloping, full of the devil and full of grace, this brilliant book is like nothing you've ever read. It reads like music, lore, history, and life itself' (Elizabeth McCracken, bestselling author of THE HERO OF THIS BOOK and BOWLAWAY)

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.