Beautifully written.. I really liked this book. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I was initially intrigued by this book because of the time period it was set in. When have you ever, and I mean in your entire life, even heard of a fiction book set during the crusades?? I never have, which is why I was so interested to try this book. I thought if nothing else, I could learn something from this book. And I guess in a way, I did. I learned about the path the crusaders went on and just how long the crusades were. But other than interest about the time period, there's not much else to recommend this book.

The Book of Whispers follows a young man named Luca who has always seen demons and desperately wishes to go along during the crusades. He disobeys his father in order to volunteer for them after receiving a mysterious book that's been in his family for generations that no one has been able to read. It also follows a young girl named Suzan, who has lived her whole life with her mother in a convent, but now must go out alone in the world during this dangerous time. This book is about demons and attempting to save the world.

The only thing I can think of nice to say about this book I've already said. The plot is what really dragged this book down, in my opinion. The characters were okay, if a bit dull, but the plot really dragged. The pacing in this book is so slow and we meander a lot from the original plot. This book could have been 100 pages shorter and the pace would have really benefited. I also felt like this book had too many mythological elements and I wished it were a less magical depiction of the crusades. I wish Luca were just a knight that really believed in what he was doing.

Another part I disliked was the romance. I don't think it's really hard to guess which two characters fall in love, but I'll keep it hidden. It was basically insta-love, then they spend a lot of time together and just don't fucking communicate. Yes, that's a great basis for a relationship (cue eye roll.) But in all honesty, it just didn't feel authentic.

In general, I just can't recommend The Book of Whispers. There was too much wrong with it that I don't want anyone else to suffer through.

The Book of Whispers is a YA historical fantasy that follows Luca and Suzan throughout the historical event of the Crusades. Luca is a young heir to his father, the Conte de Falconi. As his father prepares to leave for the Crusades, Luca is supposed to stay behind. However, Luca can see demons and he also has a dream in which he sees his father die, so he worms his way into going on the Crusades as well. Suzan is a young girl raised in a convent with her mute mother who is forced to leave. When her and Luca encounter each other, they work together to figure out an ancient book and what it is trying to tell them about the demons.

I’ll admit that I’m not sure my timing on reading this book was the greatest, and I wasn’t very invested in it early on. However, I kept reading and I came to enjoy the story. It builds slowly, but realistically shows the development of Luca and Suzan’s friendship and relationship. It also shows a lot of historical information, and the nitty gritty of the Crusades. At times it is very violent, as is the actual historic event, so be prepared for gore and the intimation of violent acts. The story has interesting pacing, as well, with fast-paced battle scenes, then slower traveling times, and it eventually picks up the pace for the last third or so of the book, and gives a satisfying conclusion. It is open to perhaps turn into a series, but there is not a cliffhanger here.

There were some things in the book that didn’t quite work for me all of the time, but I really enjoyed it overall. The character development was done well, but I didn’t really fall in love with any of the characters. By the end, I had a fondness for Luca and Suzan, and if there were a series, I may read another installment, but it would also depend on what the story of that continuation was. Also, the demons were an interesting addition to history, but there were just so very many of them and I wanted to see that more developed. I wanted more lore surrounding why they were there and how they attached themselves to the humans, so a little more worldbuilding may have helped me in that regard.

Overall, if you enjoy historical fantasy, you would probably like this book. The historical aspects are well done and realistic, and the addition of the supernatural elements was intriguing as well. Luca and Suzan are solid leading characters and it is nice to see things from both of their points of view. If you decide to pick this one up, I genuinely hope you enjoy it, too!

Note: I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I tried to read this a few times, but it never did work out. At first I thought I just wasn't in the mood, so I set it aside. I'm a mood reader and sometimes I like to read more contemporary than fantasy or sci-fi. While I thought the premise was kind of interesting, I just wasn't a big fan of the storyline. I wasn't captivated or into the story at all. I read up to 11% of the book and finally decided to DNF. I really don't like not finishing a book and I really did try to give this one a chance. I thought the writing was decent and the world building was okay from what I read, but it just did not fascinate me.

I requested this book because I thought that it sounded interesting and the cover art was absolutely stunning. A large sword planted into the countryside with a title of the book curling like a flag around the sword.

Total disclosure before I even talk about this book. I didn’t finish it. I read 9% and I was totally creeped out. The demons were just too much for me. I totally got the creeps every time I tried to read it. I attempted it multiple times. The story revolves around Luca, a young Italian boy who can see demons. He sees them on everything: clothes, homes, books. Luca discovers a secret about his dad. He can also see the demons. He feels more of a kinship with his dad when he finds out. Luca desperately wants to fight in the Crusades with his father and his stepbrother. His dad wants him to stay home and learn how to run the farm and the house. He refuses and stands up anyway at the ceremony to join the Crusades.

Like I said, I didn’t finish the book. I don’t want you to think that it’s a horrible book. Make that decision for yourself. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t get into it. The demons creeped me out to the point of “sleeping with one eye open.”

Luca is the heir to be the next Count of Falconi. Luca sees demons and has prophetic nightmares but when he had talked of them he was locked and put through an exorcism.In one of his dreams that Luca has had several times he sees his father on the ground bleeding to death Then Luca finds out his father is going off to the Crusades. Luca has been trained for this but his father is taking another to be his knight. Even though Luca was told he couldn’t go he decides to follow after his father anyway to try to save his life. His father gave Luca The Book Of Whispers which holds many secrets and has a demon attached to it that some would do anything to get a hold of. Suzana also sees demons and has prophetic dreams. Suzana had been living in a underground monastery . She has a vision of a great army coming.Suzana dreams of meeting Luca and riding through the desert. A local priest tries to attack Suzana and she escapes into the wilderness and finds a group of people heading to Jerusalem and Luca was there. Only Luca and Suzana can see the demons and they rely on each other to foil the demons as they go along.
I had mixed feelings on this book. I liked Luca but felt he was too impulsive. I felt this was well written but it did drag at times for me. I liked the twists and having the demons added even if Luca really couldn’t say anything about them or be ridiculed and have to worry about another exorcism. This book also took a while to get going so I found it hard to keep my attention at times. I liked the growth I felt Luca did during this book. I also learned some more about the Crusades. This book had: holy wars, demons, prophetic dreams, magic, love, action, the horrors of war, an important book, and so much more. I do think Suzana and Luca started with instlust. I did confused at times while reading this but did enjoy it enough to finish the book. So as I said I had mixed feelings.

A wonderful blend of history and fantasy that takes the reader into the middle of the epic first Crusade. Follow Luka as he travels from his family's estate in Tuscany, across the vast distance to Jerusalem in a quest to liberate it from the Saracens. Luka is a little different to most crusaders though, he has the ability to see demons, and when his father reveals an old family secret and a mysterious heirloom, in the form of an ancient book written in an archaic language , he knows that his quest will have greater consequences than he ever imagined. Along the way he meets the mysterious Suzana, fleeing from the convent she grew up in, and with a mysterious secret in her past too. It seems fate has linked this unlikely pair, especially when it becomes apparent that she is the only one who can read the Book . As the thousands of crusaders, and our young heroes travel east, it soon becomes apparent that there is demonic corruption at the heart of this crusade, and it may fall on their shoulders to save the world.
I loved the setting of this book, and the author vividly brings the world to life, describing the sights ,sounds and smells vividly for the reader. The inclusion of a fantasy element also added a nice extra dimension to the story.

Unfinished and thus not rated/reviewed publicly. Simply just not for me, though I can't put my finger on why.

I wasn't as drawn into this book as I thought I would be. I enjoyed it enough to finish it but I'm not sure I'd recommend this to anyone.

Wow, this was awesome. I didn't know a whole lot about the crusades for some reason, and now I feel so sad at the horrors that are committed in the name of religion over and over.

*An ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I wanted to like this book. I really did. The premise sounded very cool. Unfortunately, it's terrible. I kept trying to give it a chance, to see if the author would use any of the interesting possibilities that were on offer, but by 60% of the way through I realized that wasn't going to happen and then I kept reading just to see how much I would actually hate it by the end.

The first-person present perspective does not work. The time and place settings are practically irrelevant. This could have been set during any war in any country, and a 17 year old knight in the First Crusade would have been a grown man, but our hero is akin to a sheltered modern 14 year old. The pacing is all over the place. The main characters are so intensely stupid (and practically indistinguishable from each other) I found myself hoping there would be a twist at the end where they both died. All other characters are cardboard. The villains are also very stupid and their intentions are vague at best. The book's demon could have been a great character but there's absolutely no development of it, no point to even introducing it, and no mention of it by the end. The magic is for convenience only and there are so many set-ups that lead to absolutely nothing. The magic relics are introduced, used once for random plot points, and then apparently forgotten in the bottom of everyone's travel bag. A magic bow teaches one character to become "the best shot in the world" and then that skill is never even referenced again. Just, why?

Maybe I'm being hard on it because I expected so much, but I was very disappointed. If you want to read a really good book about knights and demons, pick up Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. Definitely pass on this unless you like bad books.

Demons are everywhere. But only Luca can see them. Having barely survived a torturous exorcism, he has since learned to keep his mouth shut about the creatures he sees lurking at the corners of his vision. When his father joins Pope Urban II on his crusade to take Jerusalem back, Luca defies his father to seek the church’s promise of divine forgiveness for crusaders. Once the journey begins, however, it becomes clear that the nature of Luca’s demons are not as simple as he previously thought. Coming into possession of a mysterious book of prophecy, and surrounded on all sides by devious relations, sinister clergymen, and terrifyingly powerful demons, Luca must avert disaster.

This is a medieval crusader story by way of Game of Thrones. Your flawed protagonists find themselves set against devious and powerful opponents, the conflict more or less direct depending on the relative position of the baddie. Luca and Suzan, our teenaged protagonists, are nicely fleshed out and well written. The concept of the demons used in the book is original and interesting as well, and there is a definite sense of menace that pervades the book.

But for all that, the book just couldn’t keep my interest. A lot happens in this book, and a story set against a major crusade has plenty of exciting things going on, but there just wasn’t much sense of excitement for me reading the book. Despite the sense of dread I mentioned earlier (a feeling like waiting for the other shoe to drop), I simply didn’t feel any suspense or tension as the plot moved along.

So in sum, the historical details are great, the protagonists well written (though every other character is pared down to two dimensional sins), and the demonic aspects are interesting. But the book just never took off for me.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ebook free from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
The Book of Whispers by Kimberley Starr is a historical fiction story set during the crusades (with Demons). I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as a historical setting I felt completely immersed in the world and loved loved loved the idea of seeing demons.

A large part of the story revolves around the idea of death and the seven deadly sins, those being the different types of demons attached to different items. I don't know how to describe my feelings for the characters. I wouldn't say I loved them, often finding them a bit whiny but I have to say they definitely felt real, given the circumstances. The contrast in love stories between our main characters and their friends was huge. Serafina and Mattias felt real and was completely understandable, but for me personally I do not like the love at first sight vibe and the whole 'I've seen you in my dreams' thing either. However, I do like the connection between Suzan and Luca and the fact that they accept they are in this together despite the views of everyone around them. I'd like to hope I'd have that attitude if I was destined to save the world.
I really liked the aspect of the book, obviously, and the ever changing content of it. Having it written in a seemingly dead language was also something that really intrigued me.

One of the downfalls of this book for me which stopped it being a 5 stars was its ending. Some of this book felt long and like it was building up to a huge dramatic finale and yet the final 'battle' was underwhelming. So underwhelming in fact that the main villain doesn't even realise its happening for most of it. I was so invested in this story and was so there for a huge end but I felt a little let down.

Overall 4/5 Stars

It is so unusual to find YA written about the Crusades. I actually can’t think of any I have read in the past so “Book of Whispers” was a particularly intriguing book. I was fascinated and horrified by this account, some of which is based on historical documents and actual events. What takes this historical fiction into the realm of fantasy is the inclusion of demons. These invisible demons were mostly attached to objects and secretly goaded people to do evil. In real life I think people are capable of evil all on their own but I can see that blaming human actions on an outside influence would be somewhat comforting. Despite the subject matter I don’t feel that this book was particularly religious in tone. It didn’t take sides in the Christian versus Muslim conflict but the Crusaders are the ones we follow into the battles and the Saracens are the ones being invaded so they are definitely more sympathetic than the invaders. The story showed the absolute brutality of the Crusaders and several times the main character Luca questions the morality of their invasion and if they are fighting for good or if they are murdering innocent families for their own gain.

This review is a really difficult one for me because I’m torn. While I was intrigued by the setting and the time period I felt the plot was too slow at times. There were parts that were very exciting but a lot was pretty boring. The story could have been a lot tighter and more compelling but instead it fell flat. I also felt like the magical element was a little too convenient. Suzan and Luca would find just the right item at the right time or were given the exact information or warning they needed by the book and this was used to advance the plot a few too many times. It felt like a bit of a cop out. I think my problem is that I am more of a historical fiction reader and less of a fan of fantasy so for me the book would have been better if it left out the demons and magic completely. I’m sure a lot of readers would feel the opposite and be charmed by the supernatural elements but it just isn’t my thing. I also had a few quibbles with problematic details of the novel like how to mount a horse with two riders and the use of the term “Levant.” The horse mounting made me laugh because as described Luca would have been unable to mount without kicking his passenger in the head! The Levant issue actually really annoyed me because it was used repeatedly in an inappropriate time period and geographical area. I should admit that I’m a Near Eastern archaeologist so this is likely an issue only I care about and I imagine few other readers would even notice but it really got my goat!

The most important thing I have taken away from this book is what I believe is the main message of tolerance and peace. It was pretty shocking to witness the atrocities that the Crusaders inflicted on the Saracens in the name of religion. The Christian Crusaders completely depersonalized the Muslim Saracens so they could slaughter them and invade their cities without guilt and perpetuate horrific violence on men, women and children. This feels like an especially relevant lesson for today’s world. Although there are no literal demons (as far as I know) prodding world leaders to make hateful, destructive decisions I think the Crusades as depicted in this story are a good example of where dehumanizing other religions or groups of people can lead. Let us learn from history and not repeat it.

Thank you to Text Publishing Company for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

Welcome ti the augmented history (history + demons) that is #BookOfWhispers, #KimberleyStarr takes you on a wild adventure that spans from Tuscany to Middle East as you travel with pilgrims on ther way to retake Jerusalem from saracens during the 1st Crusade

Get ready to meat Luca, the heir to the Conte de Falcony, and Suzan, the daughter of a voiceless nun & a whole cast of character both friendly and treacherous, not to mention the host of demons as they ravel and provoke human misery all along the way. Our heroes meet, and wonder, and get sidetracked on numerous side quests as they begin to comprehend that their journey isn't what it appeared to be, their destination and their ultimate goal isn't what they've been told, and the dangers they face are not always of the human kind

While most of the characters and things that happen in this book are a work of fiction, many events did take place during the actual pilgrimage, which only makes this work of historical fiction more interesting. The battles, the sieges, the cannibalism. So get ready to dive into this story regardless of whether you're a fan of historical fiction or not. Wheather you love history, fiction, or good old YA, this is a story you can read and enjoy

Didn't get to read, book was archived whilst Kindle was broken

We are in the middle of the Crusades. In Tuscany, Luca, heir to the Conte de Falconi, can see demons, they are attached to things and some of them are really really scary but he must not say anything or else people will think he is crazy.
Besides seeing demons, Luca also has dreams: he dreams of things that are going to happen in the future. When Luca witnesses his father's murder in his dreams he decides to go against his wishes and follow him to the great pilgrimage whose objective is to reconquest the Holy Lands.
After being given an ancient, maybe magic, book Luca discover that there may be some truth to what he sees and maybe he's not the only one. With the help of Suzan, a beautiful girl he has met during the journey, he must unveil and complete his quest: to defeat the forces of demons and the man that wants to help them destroy the world.
I have to admit that, opening up this book, I was not expecting what I actually got: an amazing adventure during the crusades that crosses the fates of two very peculiar people. Yes, I am talking about Luca and Suzan. Even though I have never studied the crusades I feel like the author was able to characterize and set the environment in a way that allows even the most unsuspecting of readers to get immersed in the story. One of the things the author did not forget was the bloody and dark side of the quest: the deaths, the sieges, the poverty, the unsuspecting people under the hands of ambitious rulers, etc.
One of my favourite parts of the plot was Suzan's backstory and the overall mystery that she brings to the narrative. In a world infested by demons, she is able to bring a little bit of light and magic (good magic) as well as make you wonder about who she really is. Luca is the typical noble son that actually has good intentions but that has an overly unrealistic view of the world: he has never seen the horrors of war, he is somewhat blind to the world's ugliness. Besides all this, he knows he can only trust himself, or people will think he is crazy. All of this makes it more wonderful to watch the journey of two souls that are used to not trust anyone and start to learn to trust each other and work as a team, even in the darkest of times.
I think this is a wonderful read for everyone, everyone can take some lessons from this wonderfully crafted story. One thought remains with me after reading this book: even in the darkest and ugliest of places/times it is possible to catch a glimpse of light, you just have to believe it exists and work to find it.

The crusades are a rich and interesting time in our history. It’s a period in time that isn’t common amongst fiction writers (well not the ones I’ve read anyway).

Taking a little creative license, Kimberley adds a layer of the fantastical to an already intriguing and busy plot by adding demons.

The addition of demons to an already religion-charged story would always raise a few eyebrows, but despite there being a strong religious and spiritual backbone to the story, there were only a few times throughout that felt a trifle overwhelming. I expected there to be more instances of that.

The simple fact that a large chunk of this book is taken up by thousands of people walking thousands of miles, makes for a slow burn of a read.

Kimberley did well to intersperse the continuous travel with action and character development. But it’s not all roses.

I quite liked Suzan’s character, but felt like we only ever got half a look at her. She felt under developed and used as a crutch to carry the story.

Luca irritated me, Mattiolas was but a pawn to use to create drama and tension but little else, and don’t get me started on Serafina (she started out well but swiftly turned into a ditzy Princess who constantly needed to be saved!)

I also have concerns about how much negativity is heaped upon Suzan being the ‘ugly nun’ and how the men (and women) treated her with little more than open hostility. Is this book trying to talk to society’s trend of attributing goodness to beauty? If so, it doesn’t work. Instead, it feels forced and adds nothing to the story.

I did like Kimberley’s take on demons, particularly Thanatos and Percy. I’d have liked more on the demons, particularly more female characters that held their own.

I was left with some questions that I feel deserved more closure than they got. Luca’s father, Suzan’s mother and Thanatos just to name a few.

Overall, this held my interest but only just. I feel more could be done to engage the reader and build a stronger story. It has interesting ideas and a fantastic historical backdrop, but it drops the ball and doesn’t live up to that strong setting.

**Note: I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I have such a love/hate relationship with this book, it's not even funny. The cover was the thing that made me give this book a second look, cause it's gorgeous. The story sounded super interesting. It just didn't work for me at all.

I had the hardest time getting into this book, it wasn't the writing. It was the character. Luca. I just didn't care about him at all. Because of that, I only got into the story as soon as Suzan showed up. We get POV's from the both of them. As soon as the two of them met and the journey was told from the two of them, this is when things started to get really interesting for me. I still didn't care for Luca, tho. I'm so sorry. It hurts my soul to actually write it.

The world itself was super interesting. To have these historical events combined with the magical world of demons. But it kinda fell flat for me. Towards the end of the book, I just got bored (even though lots of things happened), I just didn't care enough about it anymore and had the hardest time picking this book up to read a few pages. Giving this a three star raiting, cause there were some parts that I really enjoyed and that I loved reading. Mostly when it came to Suzan. And later Serafina. Loved these two.

I really can't get through this one, it has sent me to sleep twice now. I think it's a case of it just not being for me but I can't make myself carry on any further than the beginning of chapter 3 at 11%