I've a serious issues with long world building and this one doesn't jump into the story till 100 pages or so. I found the pacing a bit slow to keep me gripped to it. However, once you get past through the glitch you will enjoy it. This was a 3 star read for me.

I very much enjoyed the Book of Whispers. Set in a time period I don't read much (The Great Pilgrimage, now known as the First Crusade), it definitely transported me into a different time and place. Luca can see demons, and when his father gives him the Book of Whispers, he soon discovers there's a lot more at stake. He goes against his father's wishes and joins the Pilgrimage to free the Holy Land, but his main goal is at first saving his father's life as he had a prophetic dream about his death. And then, Luca meets a young woman named Suzan, and together they uncover a plot by the demon Thanatos to possess hundreds of thousands of people.

I appreciated the research the author did about several aspects of the Crusades, and the terrible things that happened. The humans did enough terrible things even without the influence of the demons the author inserted into the story. All in all, it was a spellbinding story that kept me reading, wanting to find out what happened and what was in store for the characters.

My one problem is I felt the book ended a bit too abruptly. I wanted the falling action to be fleshed out a bit more. I wouldn't say it was a bad ending, but I think it could have been nice to see a bit more after the climax, as we spent years with this characters and then after everything, it just stops. It wasn't enough to put me off the book, and I enjoyed the book very much.

Thank you NetGalley for this book. The cover looked great and description sounded interesting.

Luca sees demons but can't tell anyone, his family has a secret book full of demon names and descriptions that they can't read.

Luca rescuses a damsel in distress in the desert and it turns out they are to set out on this journey together. The seceret demon book that Luca has, is in a language only Suzan can read.

I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't get it. I gave up part way through.
For me, I felt the story dragged and the pace was not fast enough.

I was given this book by NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. It is an excellent teen or adult read. It takes place in the times of the first crusades and discloses some of the facts and realities of that time. It does include demons and magic, too, so it is an excellent fantasy book, too. I really enjoyed the book and would look forward to reading more by this author.

The only editorial note is that I sometimes got confused as to who was telling the story as it switched back and forth between two first person storytellers. Other than that---thumbs up!!!

I really wanted to like but by the time I was about 1/4 of the way through it I was so bored and started skimming. From what I can tell I didn't miss much because most of the book is just them wandering through the desert. I mean I understand that that's what most of the Crusades was, a lot of wandering around interspersed with killing people, but with a book you need to do some kind of time skip or invent a new problem because it gets really boring really quickly. Also I think the characters were supposed to be like late-teens but they acted like pre-teens so I kept going 'who is letting these children do this' only to remember oh yeah they aren't actually children. The characters in general and even the romance angle was severely underdeveloped, which there is just really no excuse for in a book that is almost 400 pages long.

I did like the concept that all of the fake religious relics actually had a demon attached to them, but then it seemed like it wasn't just religious relics it was literally any old thing that anyone had at all so I'm not sure if it was actually supposed to be a commentary on worshiping things that really have no value or not because it was never really expanded on except to say that hey there's a lot of demons around. Also we never really get any background on the book or just answers as to WHY for anything. I like the message that the Crusades were horrible and fueled by the greed of men and you know, not that God actually wanted them to kill all those people, but I felt like the plot wasn't fleshed out enough and it just couldn't hold my attention.

There is a story there but it was not for me. I like reading about demons but in this story they are talked about but not really developed. The boy can see them but his interaction is limited and nothing about them or why he can see them is explained, The characters personalities were rather shallow. Reading about the crusades, corrupt priests and people treating people poorly made me not want to finish reading this book. I only made it through about 50%. It was well written but it was not for me.

Set in the early 1900s, The Book of Whispers is the story of Luca and Suzan. Luca can see demons and that is fact that he keeps well-hidden after a childhood experience. His dreams are like premonitions and so when he sees his father getting murdered, he decides to follow his father on a journey in order to be able to prevent it. That is where he meets Suzan, a girl raised in the convent and on the run after a close call at the convent. The thing is that Suzan too can see the demons. So together they work towards stopping the demons from taking over with a little help from the Book of Whispers.

The Book of Whispers is something that Luca inherited. It is surprising to see a book with almost as many secrets and as much character as a person in the plot. Both Luca and Suzan make for interesting protagonists. There is just enough details given about them to make a reader get acquainted with their characters. I loved the setting quite a bit and how the author has sprinkled little details throughout the book.

The romance in the book adds another element to the plot though I am not very sure of it. It felt kind of instantaneous and then builds on it. It wasn’t really the kind of romance I enjoy, but then again, the romance is not the main focus of the book so it is pretty easy to look beyond it. The book has a slow start, but once all the elements are in place the pace does not lag at all. So, readers need be patient towards the beginning.

Overall, it is a YA Fantasy that will appeal to many.

A very good book, I really liked this one a lot. Fast paced, good structure, and fascinating characters. Five stars!

So this book was actually really really interesting! I didn’t start it as soon as I got it and I went into it without knowing very much about it. I just knew that it was a book set in 1096 AD and that there were demons. That’s all I really needed to be sold on such an interesting looking book.

This book wasn’t very long and it was something I could just pull up when I had some time to chill out during school. I ended up finishing the last half of this book in one night because I kind of wanted to get through it but I did really want to find out what happened in the end.

This book had duel perspectives and it really did work for the book and I did appreciate being able to hear what was happening through both Luca and Suzan’s POV. I really enjoyed reading about both characters and they were both people I would enjoy being friends with. Suzan is, in fact, naive but she is incredibly eager to learn about everything which is amazing!

One big thing that annoyed me about this book was the writing style. I just couldn’t stand how the book was written and because of that, I doubt I would pick up another book by Starr. It wasn’t terrible but it just read like a draft and I thought certain parts were cringy and seemed really fake. I know this book is an arc and thus it technically is a draft but unless the writing style completely changes I don’t think that aspect will really change.

I don’t know if I would really recommend this book to anyone because of how the writing style is but it’s not a bad book. If a person can get past a writing style that can be a little lacking then I think the story would be a really interesting read. Some stories are worth pushing through a “bad” writing style but to me, this isn’t one of those stories.

Luca has always seen demons but has learned to not speak about it. When he looks in The Book of Secrets this ability increases. With the help of the mysterious book, Luca and his friend Suzane work towards defeating a very powerful demon. Set during the Crusades this books combines historical events with a magical fantasy world. I liked the setting of the Crusades, something only vaguely taught in school. To add demons was clever. It was creepy and believeable the way demons were attached to relics and how they influenced the actions of the people.

I had a hard time getting into the book as it started slow, but it did pick up as the story progressed. Unfortunately the story had moments of jumping ahead without developing reactions to events, leaving me confused because my mind was still in previous time/place/action. Also, the two characters of Luca's best friend and his non-betrothed seemed one-dimensional - I was never sure who they really were.

When reading books it frustrates me if characters have the affliction of "Great And Important Things Unsaid or Unasked" just to create suspense or confusion. To go days/weeks/months without addressing vital topics is so unrealistic. For example, why did Luca not speak to his father about his sister's betrothal in all the time it took to get ready to travel? Why didn't they discuss the book and why his father did not want it on the crusade? It also did not make sense to me that his father did not trust his judgement about his cousin's character - was he not his son and heir that he had raised to take his place?

Descriptions of battle and other events are very graphic and gory so I would not recommend for middle grades.

Wonderful book that will be popular among tweens. This would be a good selection for the OBOB (Oregon Battle of the Books) in an up coming year. There are lessons to be learned in this story. Very much enjoyed this one.

Not going to review as I did not connect enough with the book to go further than a few chapters.

Tuscany, 1096 AD. Luca can see demons, and when his father entrusts him with the Book of Whispers, an old family heirloom, his powers seem to intensify. His father is about to embark on a Crusade to "free" Jerusalem from the rule of the Saracens. Luca foresees his father's death in a dream and therefore decides to accompany him to prevent it. On their way to Jerusalem, he meets Suzan, who lives in a convent together with her mother, and who happens to be the only one able to actually read the book. The book predicts that the demons, led by the demon of death, Thanatos, and an evil priest, will try to perform a terrible ritual in Jerusalem. So Luca and Suzan have to devise a plan to stop them.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the author definitely knows the subject she's writing about and thus managed to capture the horrors of the crusades in great detail. On the other hand, the plot and the characters are somewhat wanting. Although Luca's book and the demons he needs to fight with its help are the central plot device, we get little to no information as to why and how. I'd like to know how the book came into being. Who created it and why? The same applies to the demons: why do they seek power at this precise moment? Because they know that the massacres committed by the pilgrims will fuel their powers? Moreover, I had problems with the writing style itself. First of all, some sentences were short without working as a stylistic device, on the contrary, some passages are repetitive and incredibly dull as they add nothing to propel the plot or create atmosphere:

'I lift my face. His eyes are round and sincere. Smoke from burning buildings stains the air. I can trust him. I love him. He's always been kind to me. I do believe him. I stop shaking.'

Secondly, the transitions between the paragraphs and different story lines are not well developed. This makes the reading process a bumpy ride rather than a smooth journey through this world. I would say this book is a bit incoherent as both the text and the plot are not always well developed. Plotholes and awkward passages make for a rather tedious read.
Also, the romance part is pretty annoying. Luca and Suzan never talk about their issues and therefore jump to conclusions about the other's feelings. And this plot line is dragged through the whole story. As is the entire pilgrimage. I understand that the Crusaders took a long time to get to Jerusalem, but in the book, it's just boring because every page is more of the same. The only changes from looking for water and riding through the desert we see are some brutal sieges that don't spare any details of the brutality of the pilgrims.

If you are interested in this historical period, give it a shot, but it, unfortunately, didn't work for me.

(Thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

This book took me by surprise has been so fun, full of magic and action

I want to thank to NetGalley and Text Publishing Company for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review


I was a bit worried when I started with it since it's a historical fiction, I wasn't sure if it would catch me, but the promise of demons and magic kept me interested, and when I was halfway through the book I realized that the fact that it was a historical fiction hadn't affected in any way my enjoyment for it, in fact it has made me feel more confident to try more of the genre soon


The book begins in Tuscany around the year 1090, I'm sorry I don't remember the year exactly, following Luca, he's the young heir to the title of Count of Falconi, which is a great weight on his shoulders, but the big issue here is that he's able to see demons and also has premonitory dreams of what seems to be the murder of his father, this is something that torments Luca for which he decides, although it's prohibited to him, to follow his father on his journey from Italy towards Jerusalem in the crusades, along with Suzana a girl with a mysterious lineage who can also see demons, and from here they begin with their adventure


I had heard some people say that it was a rather slow book to read and that you enter the main story just after a couple of chapters, and I can say that it's actually true, you get into the real plot maybe after the 100 pages, but I didn't find it difficult to get into it, in fact, I think that everything that happens before is super important since we know more the main character, his family, and his affections and for me it has been enjoyable.


I like Luca as main character I think he has an inner strength that has trapped me, he has made me want to discover everything as much as he, I think he's a young man a bit careless at first, a little clumsy with his actions but he grows a lot during his journey and that's great, I still like it very much as it's a character who defends what he thinks, that has been super valued. Suzana has been incredible, she's a great leader, she's very strong and mysterious and I think in the end her story has catch me much more, it's very interesting


I think it would be amazing if there would be a sequel at some point, but on the other hand, it's a book that seems to me to be very good on its own, so if you're looking for a stand-alone and you enjoy historical fiction then it's a book that you should try, besides being very entertaining has also been very informative for me, I learned more about the crusades and the passings of the time and I liked that aspect of it


The book is narrated in a very nice but simple way but it has cost me a bit of getting used to it, in fact now that I've finished itI don't really feel that this is a book that falls into the YA category but I've found it more like a Middle Grade, since the only thing by which it's considered a YA book is for the age of the characters, I think the writer has focused a lot on the aspect of the adventure leaving everything quite simple, which may like you once you enter into it, even though I feel that for me, I would have liked to know more about why certain things happened and the why of some actions or to know more about some characters, but it ends up being enjoyable although I've lacked a little bit to be really a more solid read


Anyway, I highly recommend it if you want to go on a very entertaining journey full of demons, magic and love, as well as being located in a super interesting historical moment

Set in 1906 Tuscany, with the promise of demons, mystery and a love story, this book had a solid foundation to be a very enjoyable read.
For the most part this book did live up to some of those expectations. The setting of this book was so rich and full of life. I loved reading a story set during the Crusades, in the backdrop of deserts, underground cave chapels and Italian villas. Our two main characters, Luca and Suzan had a really great chemistry and i loved seeing their relationship develop through the novel.

What i think let this book down was the pacing. I found it very slow throughout most of the book which just lead to me feeling quite bored and that a lot of the plot line was being so dragged out it ended up making it bland. The secondary characters as well were very textbook and not fleshed out enough for me.

If you want a short YA novel that will immerse you in the ancient Italy and the religious conflicts of the crusades with some romance and magic thrown in then definitely try this out. Just don't expect too much, and i'm sure you will love it, this would definitely be a good start for someone just getting into the historical fiction genre.

Historical drama mixed in with demons. It was an interesting read but I felt a little slow in places.

I would like a sequel to find out how the story progresses

Comme vous pouvez le constater, cette histoire fait intervenir le fantastique dans un contexte historique spécifique et qui, surprenamment, s’y prête plutôt bien.

J’ai été convaincue. J’ai pris plaisir à suivre les aventures de Luca et Susan.

Autour d’eux, gravitent des personnages et des démons qui ajoutent du piment à l’histoire. Je me suis régalée avec leurs jeux de pouvoirs et leurs complots. L’intrigue m’a tenue en haleine car j’ignorais où elle allait me mener. J’ai été agréablement surprise. On sent que l’auteure s’est bien documentée sur les croisades car elle en décrit les aspects négatifs avec justesse. On s’y croirait.

Le mélange croisades/démons rend donc bien et me fait alors être étonnée que cela n’ait pas été fait avant. J’ai passé un bon moment avec The book of whispers même si j’aurais voulu une fin plus élaborée.

Sometimes I browse Netgalley. I don’t do it often, but when I do my eye sometimes stumbles on some titles. Of course with a title like The Book of Whispers there was no way that was going to escape my attention. Also the cover I found very eye catching. Unfortunately the book could not quite live up to it.

If I had to describe my reading experience of The Book of Whispers in one word it would be boring. I was bored for most of the book. Especially the start of the book really had nothing that drew me in except the mention of demons. The demons were interesting. The book was interesting. But it stayed with that. It lacked depth. Who created the book for instance? While it slightly picked up after the introduction of another character to the main story line it still could not hook me. I think for me that was because of the pacing, the writing style and the characters.

The pacing just felt off. There would be portions of the story that would go on and on like the camping, but the actual traveling flew past as did the sieges of the cities though they were just the backdrops. There were also events that were important to the story that would fly by in a page while the love conversation could get a few pages.

Added to that was that the writing style is very simple. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that as long as you make every word count. If you do that a simplistic writing style can really draw a reader into a story. But in this case that failed. I missed details of the surroundings. I didn’t feel like we were specifically in that time period for instance. There was no feel in this book. There were just simple words that couldn’t sway me left or right. Added to that, at some point the chapters would switch between our two main characters within the chapters with first person point of view. It kept drawing me out of the story.

Which brings us to the characters. Initially I thought Luca could be interesting but that never came to be. He didn’t truly change. There was little growth in him. He was a brash and stubborn kid and even when he became conte there was very little change to that. Suzan did spice things up a little. Unfortunately there was a forced romantic relationship there with some ‘troubles’ of course. As for Suzan, she could have been a great character if she had been worked out better. There is a lot around her, concerning twists, but in the end that didn’t quite get wrapped up. In fact, it almost felt like these things are kept open for a chance for a next book.

What I thought would be a historical (medieval) fiction about a mysterious book actually turned out to be more of a demon-infested fantasy read. Stories involving demons are always  a hit or miss for me, so I guess I have myself to blame for that part... It wasn't just the demon overload that didn't work for me though, but also the way they were incorporated into the story. Especially in the beginning this mix of historical and fantasy felt awkward and the many many descriptions of the demons and all their strange forms slowed down the pace considerably. Trust me, there were many many eyebrow raises before the story started to flow better! Luckily the book itself made its appearance quite early on; otherwise I'm not sure if I would have decided to continue this story. I liked the medieval setting and the crusade and the idea behind The Book Of Whispers is without doubt an interesting and original one. I appreciate what the author wanted to do by mixing a traditional crusade story with fantasy and its complexity when trying to balance those elements; I just didn't enjoy actually reading it. Mind, this could have been just me and my aversion to demons... Although I had a hard time connecting to the writing style or characters as well. Apart from the awkward demon descriptions that slowed down the pace, the writing style in general didn't flow and felt a bit like trying to drive a car that is running out of fuel. This haltered feel did fade away a bit towards the ending, but all in all I struggled considerably reaching the final page. As for the characters: like I said, I had a hard time connecting to them and some of them were quite annoying. I liked that the demons were connected to the seven sins, but some of the characters were basically caricatures of those sins and maybe not that credible. Also, the romance. Boy, did I struggle with that feature. I know I'm almost never a fan, but besides the fact that this story has a love triangle, I found the romance in general didn't feel credible at all and mostly a cliche. I can't go into details without spoilers, but insta-love and all those sappy and cliche descriptions and feelings? Definitely could have done without that. There were some twists though and I liked the historical elements. The ending was interesting enough as well I guess. And there is no doubt this book surprised me, although in my case not in a good way...

An incredible story of love, war, chaos, magic, history and religion. This fast paced story has something to offer everyone and recounts a moment of history perfectly. I am very excited to see what comes next from Starr and shall be adding this book to my shopping list.