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.

I found the character development lacked, potential for it though. Also reading in first person between two characters is difficult to keep the names of other people and feelings of said people straight. It also flipped back and forth numerous times during the same 'scene' which was confusing.
The plot has potential, however I did find that that description of the monsters was more childish and could be embellished more.
The thing about a god book is the description of everything to make the world seem real and to truly become enmeshed in what the author is projecting; not something I got from this particular book.

I was so excited about this title - it's not that often you find a YA historical fiction about the Crusades that blends in demons, a world-within-the-world, magic and wonder... Unfortunately, despite a great premise and that excitement, I just cannot get into this one. Luca's plight - how to deal with the demons he sees in an age in which superstition was almost as important a guiding principle (and almost as dangerous) as law - should by all rights be engaging enough to pull me in, yet somehow I find him a flat and uninteresting character. Suzan, the one who supposedly holds the ability to unlock the mysteries behind his demons, feels just as two-dimensional to me. And the supporting cast is not presenting any compelling reasons to keep reading either.

I have tried setting it down and picking it back up when I'm in a different frame of mind, but it doesn't seem to matter. I'm afraid, despite the great reviews it is getting from other quarters, that this one just isn't for me...

A detailed, thoroughly researched and original imagining of the first Crusade. For Young Adult readers who enjoy historical fiction.

I was really intrigued by the medieval subject matter of this book. Unfortunately, I had a tough time latching onto any of the characters and was unable to finish this. This is a great book for the right reader.

A very thrilling and tense story. A young man sees demons wherever he goes but must keep it a secret; his cousin, who lives with the family, is envious and mean and up to no good; his father is off to fight in the Christian wars which will take years. He sees his father's death in a vision and decides to go with to try and prevent it. The family has a secret book only they can open. He knows it has something to do with the demons but can't read it. Along the way he encounters a young woman with issues of her own who can read the contents of the book and they realize they're running out of time to save everyone. Descriptions of demons gave me goosebumps, the evil characters made me mad and I hoped for their comeuppance. This was a nonstop adventure! You can definitely tell the author did the research for,this story.

I feel like if I were to have a catchphrase, it would be “X novel wasn’t what I was expecting”. Although I enjoyed nonfiction Medieval Christian Literature (particularly Hildegard of Bingen or Teresa of Avila), I’ve never enjoyed the fiction aspect of it. Perhaps it’s just too raw and comes too close to being preachy or maybe it’s because aspects of the Christianity that existed then still exist today. Especially when it comes to the Crusades.

The closest I’ve come to being fascinated the Crusades was when I was watching Kingdom of Heaven and that may just have been because it starred Orlando Bloom.

I’m honestly not sure, but despite any misgivings that I may have had about the genre, The Book of Whispers by Kimberley Starr took me by surprise.

First off, it was surprisingly gory for a young adult novel and filled with excruciating details about the crusades. I expected a more sanitized version of events. Even with the demons that are frolicking about (whoops, forgot to mention the demons), I trusted that young adult would spare me any of the gory details. I was incredibly wrong and if you can’t hand a novel that talks about rape (although not as directly as it could), gruesomely kills children off-page, mutilates men, and isn’t above killing/maiming pregnant women, then this isn’t the novel for you.

We start by following Luca de Falconi, a boy who’s desperate to save the life of his father, the Conte de Falconi. He can see demons and has always been able to, but they become even more clear after his father shows him a secret book that has been in the family for generations. Men are being called to the crusades and asked to fight a holy war, but Luca can’t feel anything but dread. He knows that if his father leaves alone, if Luca isn’t there to protect him, then the Conte de Falconi is as good as doomed.

The biggest selling point of the book, beyond the evocative way that it describes the demons in it, is that it doesn’t shy away from the terrible religious fervor that people feel. Yes, it places the blame for some of the worst offenses on demonkind, but The Book of Whispers makes it quite clear that men are more than capable of horrendous violence on their own.

Through the eyes of Luca and later, Susan (a young girl who was raised in a convent by her mute mother), the history of the Crusades is made digestible. Not palatable, no, the history is far from palatable, but we are shown the events of the Crusades through two sympathetic main characters. Luca and Susan are thankfully more socially advanced than any of the other characters in the book and we empathize with them because we can share their frustration in having the right answers, but never being believed. They are the few characters in the book who question the death and destruction of the Christian Crusaders.

Beyond that, Luca and Susan were alright. Not good, not bad, but serviceable as vehicles to the more interesting demons and setting that we were craving. Aside from being frustrated by how often they seemed to miss important events, I enjoyed the setting and the mystery of The Book of Whispers. The first and second time they were taken out of the action, I thought it was fine, but by the time we reached the third time, I found that my annoyance retroactively tainted the first two times.

If you’re looking for a unique and well-written historical fiction novel, then young adult or no, The Book of Whispers is well worth your time.

8.5/10
Surprising AF and a shock to the system.

This is the first YA novel that I have encountered which takes place during the Crusades. I think high school students who have some background knowledge of the Crusades would thoroughly enjoy this book. The vivid descriptions of young Luca's encounters on his way to Jerusalem transport the reader back in time. The conflict with the demons who prey upon the pilgrims creates an original twist to the story line, which I think a majority of teens would find alluring. I will suggest this book to my World History students.

I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I think I was drawn mostly by the cover.

I found this book to be a little slow. It was hard, personally, for me to get into it. However, I would recommend it to students interested in history.

If you love medieval stories intertwined with magic than this is the book for you. A story about the crusades that involves demons is a clever and unique storyline that I have not come across before. The author’s expertise in this era comes across through the rich descriptions of the people, places, and things. I felt it was a little slow paced, but it definitely makes you feel as if you are joining the main characters on their long journey to Jerusalem. Of course with any book about the crusades there is going to be ecclesiastical over-tones, but even if you are not familiar with this time period, a crash course in medieval times is not necessary as the main story-line involves evil entities. A great read for those looking for a unique fantasy novel!

Luca told people he could see demons. His family has him exorcised. He can still see them, but he can't tell anybody as he doesn't want to go through another exorcism. He has responsibilities to learn to become the landowner after his father, whilst his cousin is allowed to go on crusades to prove his honour, which is Lucas biggest wish.
A thoughtful story of demons, magic and responsibilities.

In <i>The Book of Whispers</i> Luca, son of an Italian conte, with the ability - or rather curse - to see demons, and Suzan, a Cappadocian girl raised in a convent, meet on the journey to Jerusalem, the destination of the First Crusade. After realizing that their meeting was fated and having deciphered his family's mystical heirloom, they join forces to prevent evil from overtaking the pilgrimage, against the gloomy background of real events and religious fanaticism.

Sounds like a wonderful setting for historical fantasy (the author actually calls it "augmented history", a great term which I find deserves at least a mention), had there not been a big question for me during the entire read: Which age group is this book targeting?

The narrative is unfortunately lacking complexity. Even if I weren't a fan of purple prose, I'd have a problem with the simplicity of <i>The Book of Whispers</i>. For a great part of the novel, the reader might think that they picked up a children's book instead of a YA novel, were there not descriptions of violence, even cannibalism, and surprisingly, sexual themes. Up until the epilogue, I personally couldn't decide what kind of audience Starr was aiming for, but I soon realized that she just has a minimalistic writing style, prefering simple sentences and avoiding synonyms, which clashes with the harsh content of her work.

Despite that, she does a great job introducing the time period without over-explaining, going for a fast-paced and mostly unpredictable plot. Unfortunately, the simplicity overshadows these positive points as well; some decisions didn't make sense, characters often jumped to (obviously wrong) conclusions, and the transitions during action scenes were clumsy at times.

Somehow, I liked <i>The Book of Whispers</i> a lot anyway. The romance was off-the-charts instalove, but I felt it. The main characters were easy to see through, but I loved them. The antagonists were cookie-cutter villains, but I thought they were fun. The narration, as mentioned, was more than off, but I enjoyed it. The writing style was far too plain for my taste, and I <i>still</i> couldn't put it down.

Probably not a masterpiece, and, if you ask me, in need of at least 200 more pages of description and character-development, but surely a sweet and easy read for the beach and a great introduction to the early Middle Ages for those who are interested.