First of all I want to say thank you to the author and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Secondly, I want to apologise to the author because I just didn’t like it. I found it boring, boring, boring with way too much information that didn’t add anything at all. It was hard to read, it felt awkward and didn’t flow. I can overlook this a little if the story is engaging but, for me, this just wasn’t and I ended up skipping large amounts of the historical information (I tried to get into it, really I did) and finished (yes, I did manage to) rolling my eyes. If it had been a real, physical book (I was reading an e-copy), there is no doubt in my mind that I would have thrown it across the room and then promptly into the bin. Again, I apologise to the author because I know it must have taken ages to write this book and you will have put your heart and soul into it but you can't please everyone.

I don’t know what else to say to be honest, I don’t want to go into everything I didn’t like about it but let's just say it was the majority of it but once again, if other reviews are anything to go by, I am in the minority so please don't take my word for it - it was actually shortlisted for the Australian Shadow Award - Best Australian Horror Novel of 2016 - maybe I missed something???? Anyway, if you enjoy historical/religious/paranormal/horror books and you don't mind getting a bit confused by the writing style or enjoy being overloaded with information, then give this a go.

An engaging and terrrifying historical horror thriller from an author with a great narrative voice and ability draw his reader into the story and keep them there. If you like it scary, intelligent, and fast, this is the book you're looking for.

A bible with a hidden key, a lottery ticket, a mysterious sect of monks, gorgeous settings...and the Devil. It's an interesting combination of objects and players, and it makes for a mostly gripping novel.

The book is described as horror - and I would attribute that to the 2nd third of the novel. The first third could be more aptly described as a mystery/thriller - if you liked Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, you're on the right path. The last third of the book? There is a lot of history and information packed into this last part, along with some scary, tense stuff and an ending that frustrated as it left me hanging....

This is a book that requires you to go in with no expectations, good, as you've probably read nothing like it. Gracias does an extraordinary job of setting the scene and building tension for most of the book. Parts are graphic and visceral, and Gracias spares no gory detail. The story hurtles along until the final third, the pace slowed by a bit of an information dump only to spin on its tail and gather speed for its climax.

I'm a fan of Exorcist-style books. The Devil's Prayer tells the story of Siobhan Russo who finds her mother's memoir and rushes to uncover some deep dark family secrets. I definitely appreciated the content warning on this one because there is a lot of disturbing stuff that happens in this book. Denise makes a pact with the Devil and...not much of consequence happens afterwards because the book is just one giant flashback wrapped in a history lesson.

The structure did not work for me at all. The book falls into three parts. The opening follows a nun who commits suicide, the bulk of the book is a detailed "confession" from Siobhan's mother Denise, and the ending is a history lesson. Actual plot took up maybe 5% of this story and it wasn't even that interesting. Where I raise my eyebrows is the extent of recollection in the confession portion, which took place in the form of diary entries. A bit of a spoiler, but for most of that part, Denise was a quadriplegic and otherwise completely occupied. The extent of dialogue and action really made me struggle to believe that it was written in the aftermath of the events that took place. All the prose was a little too "in the moment" for the diary aspect of it to believable.

That being said, the reason why this book isn't a 1-star is because the prose was actually engaging. I just wished it was told in the three-act structure it seems to follow. Having Denise's confession in the form of an extended flashback arc would have been more believable. Siobhan as a character seemed entirely superfluous to me. She served as the reader of the book which adds an additional layer of distance that prevents the reader from fully immersing themselves in the emotionally-charged, rage-fueled, and shocking aspects of the book.

The Devil's Prayer is worth checking out for the prose, but the structure demolishes any resonant impact it could have had.

Revenge... a dish best served cold! Trust me, this is not your everyday read, it is very thought provoking.
There is a depth that I was not expecting. It really gave me food for thought, and I had a moment of clarity. Conspiracy theorists will love this one! It is one read that will stay with me for a long time and I look forward to reading further works by this author!!! A humongous five big shining stars from me! It reminded me of The Da Vinci Code - I cannot praise this highly enough!

Hard to get into, bogged down with too many unnecessary details! I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I know it is cliché but this was a fast-paced page turner. My only beef was the open-ended finale. I am hopeful there is a sequel. The two timelines worked perfectly. The author did a great job with Sister Benedictine’s story. Again, I really enjoyed the novel and I would definitely recommend it to others.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

The suicide of Sister Benedictine in Spain reveals that she was Denise Russo, the mother of Australian Siobhan Russo. She had apparently abandoned her family six years before, and Siobhan travels to Spain to pay her respects and find out what happened to give her family closure. A strange group of monks follows her, and she steals her mother's confession that had been locked away in the convent vault. Siobhan reads the journal as she tries to escape the monks and understand why her mother took a vow of silence after leaving Australia. It turned out that her mother had made a deal with the devil to get revenge on the people that had tortured her when Siobhan was a girl, with Siobhan's soul hanging in the balance.

The entire book was an engaging read, full of details that really give the characters life and full atmosphere to the locations. There are two distinct stories within this book. One is Siobhan's home life in Australia and journey to Spain, then being on the run from the monks before returning to Australia. The other is Denise's journal, which outlines the rape and torture she endured from friends after winning a lottery ticket. It's horrific to experience with her, even in the relatively spare description given, as well as the intense revenge she takes after making the deal with the devil. A larger conspiracy is at work, so Denise had also been tasked with finding the Devil's Prayer, which was left to Siobhan in the back of the journal.

It feels very similar to the Da Vinci Code, as it involves history blending together with religion; Luke Gracias had actually taken the Devil's Prayer from a piece of folklore regarding a bet a monk had made to complete a handwritten Bible overnight. That gives the conspiracy behind the drama a little more authenticity, which is always good in a novel like this. The ending feels almost abrupt and open-ended, though the story is complete. It could very easily be the first of a series of novels, exploring the ramifications of the Devil's Prayer and the fallout from Denise's deal.

This book was not what I expected at all. The title and cover give the impression that it will be "Dennis Wheatleyesque"-I expected satanists, devil worshippers and human sacrifice etc.What you get is something completely different.

The story starts with a nun being pursued by red hooded monks, and she ends up throwing herself from a bell tower. We then learn she has a family, and we start to unravel the story of her life, why she is estranged from her family, what caused her to die and the message she has for her eldest daughter..

I found it a very gripping story, and I couldn't put it down. In fact I became resentful when someone interrupted my reading opportunities!

This is a moral tale of revenge, betrayal and the effects of decisions made in desperation.This is all intertwined with the historical story of the Devil's prayer, an antidote to the birth of the anti-Christ , set in the 13th century, and the potential environmental consequences if the devil is not thwarted- leading to the demise of the human race by it's own hand..

I am no history expert but the historical aspects of the novel seem very well researched.

All in all it makes for very good reading , and it was left in such a way that (hopefully!) a sequel will follow.

There are only two possible explanations for what I just read:
a) it is part of a series and nobody told me
b) netgalley only gave me half the book.

I was expecting something more like THE DA VINCI CODE with this so I am a little disappointed. The action I wanted just isn’t there. Most of this novel seems to just be Siobhan reading her mother’s diarised “confession”, and just as it was starting to get really good, it ended. I’m really hoping there’s a sequel to this or something because I need more. I need to hunt it down in a bookstore somewhere and find out.

Siobhan’s journey in her mothers footsteps is fascinating, as is reading her mother’s confession – the things Denise has done are both amazing and awful to read. I loved the slow burn reveal of the truth of the matter – going from Australia’s Gold Coast to a remote Spanish convent, with many wonderful sights to see in between, and many twists and turns in plot.

I’d pick up the sequel in a heartbeat.

Somewhat naively written and also quite graphic in it's description I enjoyed this book despite the cliffhanger at the end.

I was not thrilled with this book at all!! I actually judged it by its cover

This is a most interesting and well thought out book. It is exciting, a bit gory in places, but it holds your attention right to the end. The ending is a bit abrupt, I hope that means there is to be a sequel, although I cannot imagine how that would turn out.
The book is essentially written in two voices. First the mother Denise, who while celebrating her birthday with friends and her fiancé, discovers that she has won the lottery jackpot. The friends are jealous, and resolve to steal the ticket from her, resulting in a horrific chain of events. The other voice is he eldest daughter Siobhan, who when she finds out that her mother has died after mysteriously vanishing six years previously decides to visit her grave. It is very easy to distinguish between the two voices, and the story soon grabs you and you don't want to put it down.
There is a lot of historical facts included in the story, and assumedly the author has interpreted some of this history to provide an absorbing background and 'reality' to the story. It is in essence a morality tale, where the ends justify the means; but it doesn't end at the point where good can be seen to triumph over evil, there is obviously considerable battle ahead before either side can triumph.
It is well worth reading, and quite unusual.

Don’t judge a book by its cover they say, and often it’s good advice. For this book, not so much.
Firstly, let me say, in my – and the author’s defence – that I read this book through completely, somewhat compulsively, in one day.
But that was more through incredulity than because the story was compelling – it was compelling but in a way where you looked for yet more impossible things to happen; yet more cribs from other stories; and from conspiracy theories; and yet more plot holes. For me, this was wonderful B movie fodder for a very late student night after a few bevies, when your critical faculties are rather blurred. [I wrote this well before I read the final statement by the author, where he admits it was originally a low budget film script before funding collapsed.].
It was difficult for me to rate this book as unlike many, I did finish it right through to the end. So 2 stars for keeping me reading and getting the book published!

A woman has been horrible betrayed by trusted friends, so in order to seek revenge she concludes a pact with the devil.Well, the first half of the book is quick paced ( and although the descriptions and details of the revenge taking are unnecessary gory and after the second killing have lost all their necessity) it reads well.,barring numerous platitudes such as "more people have died in the name of religion than any other disease ".And then, not only is the devil implicated but also a lot of ( not always accurate) historical facts and myths.In this case the Nag Hammadi codices, a 13th century Benedictine manuscript, red monks and to top it off, climate change is brought into the whole lot.The writing doesn't get any better and frankly it feels as if the emphasis lies on writing a blockbuster. And the end is an absolute disaster, as a matter offact there is no "end".This book is often compared to Dan Brown 's work, but unfortunately it has the same flaws and pluses.Not very well written, dubious historical data, a certain artificial flavour and yes,it is fast paced, horror and mystery merge and it is an easy read. But just not good enough...

Despite a slow (but beautifully crafted) start, this story soon took off - and how.
After learning of her mother's death (Denise Russo) in Spain, Siobhan travels from Australia in an attempt to understand why her mum left the family six years without saying goodbye. In the hope of learning the truth and regenerating the bond they had, she visits Spain to pay her respects and is immediately thrown headfirst into a cryptic maze of red-hooded monks and ancient texts.
Her mother bequeaths her a book - the confession - which explains everything. From the most appalling betrayal of her friends which left her in a quadriplegic state for months to her pact with the devil, Siobhan is immersed in a mystery than spans centuries and soon learns the book contains secrets wanted by others - others who are prepared to kill her for them.
This story is a thrilling ride across continents as the confession reveals the devil's handiwork and the prophecies of doom and destruction that face the human race. It's a chilling tale, very appropriate in current times as global warming and climate change wreak havoc on the planet. Was it all planned long ago? Can mankind stop the end of the world or is our greed too big an obstacle? A fascinating read.

A book you will not be able to stop reading until you have completed it. A well researched book mixing fact and imagination to very good effect. Not really a horror story more like an historical novel, that said I will look out for books written by the same author

My apologies for not realising this is historical horror. Not my kind of book. Sorry.

I received this free as an e-book in return for an un-biased review
I didn't mind this book at all, it was an entertaining read.
If I had to compare it to anything I have read previously then Dan Browns novels come to mind, I didn't really enjoy those much, or the movie.
However this was much more entertaining.
Opening a novel with a nun killing herself is sure to get your attention and it did.
Throughout the novel there was plenty of excitement, twists and turns.
There was also a nice melding of actual History and Religious facts mixed in together some some good fiction which made it readable and educational at the same time.
There was some horror and sometimes graphic violence but I feel it suited the novel and did not find it out of place.
I enjoyed the story and if there is another one I would certainly read it.

Luke Gracias' book is an interesting read. The ancient Church order trying to obtain the religious artifact, the friendly society trying to assist the heroine, the historical references - all of these are components of the best religion based thrillers. Gracias cooks up the story, blending in the ingredients and adding historical knowledge to serve up the perfect thriller.

It is quite an intense and disturbing subject matter and some of the injuries suffered are quite dramatic, but none of it felt gratuitous.

Not a writer that I've read before, but certainly one that I will read in the future.