DNF.  I simply couldn't get into the book.  The premise was promising but I found the concept to just be awkward once I started reading.  Every time a concept looked interesting it would be cut short and I was left bored.

I loved the concept but not the execution. The characters were boring, the plot dragged and the romance felt forced and out of place.

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.”

I couldn't get into this one at all although the premise was really good. It's YA but really didn't feel it. The idea of every little thing having it's own demon felt a little weird. It made for a very busy world. 

I liked the idea of the magic and demons but for me it didn't gel well with the crusades story. This is the second book recently I've read that's tried to do this and I didn't like that either so maybe this is just a style that isn't for me. 

This one just wasn't my book. Free arc from netgalley

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.

This is a historical YA book with elements of paranormal. 

Luca lives in the 11th century in Tuscany. He leads a rather normal life. For the most part. The fact is that he can see demons, and since no one else can that has caused him a lot of problems in the past, and also earned him a reputation for being weird. One day he learns that his father is about to join the crusade. Luca is not thrilled about that, and after he dreams about his father’s death, he is determined to join him. As all of these changes are occuring in his life, he also comes in possession of The Book of the Whispers, which also seems to have plans of its own. 

I went into this book with high hopes. The synopsis sounded amazing. I have never read a YA book that would take place during a crusade, so I couldn’t wait to dive in it. Soon I realized that I was not going to get what I was hoping for. 

The writing felt hollow, just going through the motions of telling the story. It didn’t make me care for the characters one bit, and the only reason I kept on reading was so that I would find out more about the demons and how it will all turn out at the end. By the time I reach the end, I wasn’t even interested in it anymore.

I didn’t find the characters compelling, and I didn’t care for any of them. 
Luca is very innocent in his views, and pure in his actions. Suzan has an interesting background that I wished was a bit more explored and used in the book (not just when it came to the book). 
There is also insta love. The first time these two characters meet it is like they are fated to be together. While romance doesn’t play a huge part in the book, it is always there in the background.

The demons were an interesting element. I honestly did not expect there to be as many as there were. The further you get into the book, the more you find out about them. I thought the whole concept was very interesting, and I liked who it was symbolically linked to humanity. 

What I appreciated the most about this book, was the historical elements. I loved learning about what life was like during that time, especially on a crusade. That was something I have never thought about before, and this book really opened my eyes to the roughness of it. 

While this book was not a right fit for me, I would definitely encourage others to pick it up, and decide for themselves.


I would like to thank the publishers for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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 was unable to read this book before it was archived and therefore cannot provide a review until such time I can purchase it. The publication date appears to be incorrect leading me to think I had more time to read it that I did. I am very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. I have however read a sample available on Amazon thought it did seem interesting and plan to read it in the future.

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.

I picked this book without a second thought as I gone through the summary. 

Though that didn't go well. The blurb is catchy just as the cover is. The writing of author is amazing too. I liked the idea of that MC can see demons all his life but that didn't attracted me that much. 

Usually a reader should be inclined more towards the MC but here I found the sub character (or so I think) Suzan's story more interesting and mysterious. The pace of the book was so slow that even after I read 50% of the book nothing actually happened other than him seeing demons and well how the book of whispers look like; nothing significant. 

I was so disappointed that I had given up if not for b00k r3vi3w's review here. She said to give this book some time to get in action and I did. It didn't exactly was mysterious or action packed but was okay in overall rating. The concept was good but the execution was delayed. 

I would only recommend this book if you're a fan of pilgrimage and everything related to that.

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.

This book was a decent read, although I typically do not like books set in historical settings, I enjoyed this novel.

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.