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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
2.0
Finished reading: June 15th 2017
"I have a voice, I have words. I run to a future where there's the possibility of using them."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I admit I have a weird obsession with any title that has the word 'book' or anything book-related in them, so combined with a stunning cover The Book Of Whispers was immediately on my radar. I requested a copy of this story mostly based on this obsession, and didn't realize before I started reading it that it had such a low Goodreads rating OR the fact that demons play such a big role in the story. To be honest, now I reread the blurb I don't understand how I could have missed that part... Because 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...
Set in Tuscany, 1096 AD, Luca is the young heir to the title of Conte de Falconi. He has a problem though: he can see demons and has strange dreams that sometimes predict the future. Luca is forced to keep this a secret since people either don't believe him or are afraid of him... But when he sees his father murdered in one of those dreams, he is determined to stop this vision from coming true. This means following him on the great pilgrimage to capture the Holy Lands against his wishes... But will also be complicated when his father gives him an ancient book that holds a lot of mysteries just before they leave.
I like stories with a medieval setting and I was definitely looking forward to The Book Of Whispers, but in the end it just wasn't for me and not just because of the demon overload. The writing style, the demon descriptions, the characters, the romance... There was a lot that unfortunately didn't work for me and the historical setting couldn't make up for this. The idea behind The Book Of Whispers is very original though and it must have been a lot of work to mix both elements. There is no doubt this story had a lot of potential...
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
anabbesteves's review against another edition
4.0
The Bewitched Reader: The Book of Whispers by Kimberley Starr
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 Bewitched Reader: The Book of Whispers by Kimberley Starr
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 Bewitched Reader: The Book of Whispers by Kimberley Starr
jtisreading's review against another edition
4.0
The premise drew me to THE BOOK OF WHISPERS. As someone who enjoys originality, the fantastic, religious themes (without modeling a particular religion) this novel by Starr felt appropriate for my taste buds.
But it was much more than that... Starr has a strong use of language, there is a distinct sound and imagery to her words. She has done an overall incredible job with this novel.
Starr is also great at drawing unique and interesting characters that are complex and original.
The novel is an easy read, as I read it in one setting, so it really has the power to draw the reader in and felt like a pulsing story ark.
My only drawback is that the plot was a bit too predictable. With many books this is just fine, character studies etc.... But THE BOOK OF WHISPERS needed to keep me guessing a little more.
Either way, the book was well done and is better than 95% of YA Fiction on the Market today.
Thanks NETGALLEY for the ARC.
But it was much more than that... Starr has a strong use of language, there is a distinct sound and imagery to her words. She has done an overall incredible job with this novel.
Starr is also great at drawing unique and interesting characters that are complex and original.
The novel is an easy read, as I read it in one setting, so it really has the power to draw the reader in and felt like a pulsing story ark.
My only drawback is that the plot was a bit too predictable. With many books this is just fine, character studies etc.... But THE BOOK OF WHISPERS needed to keep me guessing a little more.
Either way, the book was well done and is better than 95% of YA Fiction on the Market today.
Thanks NETGALLEY for the ARC.
b00kr3vi3ws's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
screeching_dread's review against another edition
5.0
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Set during the First Crusade, The Book of Whispers follows young Luca, the son of a Tuscan Conte. Luca has the ability see demons and has premonitory dreams, which he must keep a secret for his own safety. He is given a strange and powerful book, which he can’t read, but with the help of the mysterious Suzan -who can- he’ll face men and demons who wish to destroy the world.
This book had me saying “Oh, my God! I can’t believe how cool is this book” to my husband several times a day. The author has so many great ideas and the talent to create a great story with them.
I was -well, still am- in the middle of an international relocation. This past month has been nothing but a big ball of chaos and stress. Under these circumstances, I would’ve dropped any other book in favour of comics or something more bite-sized, but it gripped me and I could not put it down. I had almost no free time and what little I did have, I spent reading this book. This is the only reason I didn’t read it in two sittings.
The characters are fantastic! Their stories are rich, original and made me wish the author had written a separate book for each of them. I haven’t read a book like this in quite a while.
What keeps popping into my mind as I write this and as I read the book, is how full of great ideas the author is! I’m in awe. It’s obvious that a lot of research went into writing this book, It really shows in the detailed descriptions of the places and events. I felt transported. The whole thing about demons and human nature was extremely interesting! And the story, except for a couple of exceptions, never went in the direction I expected. It surprised me until the very end.
This is clearly a book for Young Adults, but I’m in my 30’s and I enjoyed it immensely. It has magic, adventure, history, friendship & romance. What’s not to like? I may understand 4 star ratings, but I’m having difficulty believing anybody would give it less than that!
I’ll soon get started with other books by the author. If they are half as good as this one, I’ll love them.
PS: I’m so stressed at the moment and struggling with my own demon, let’s call it “hēmikranía”, that I feel I haven’t done this amazing book justice with this review. I apologise for that, especially to the author, who gave me several hours of great entertainment when I really needed it.
Set during the First Crusade, The Book of Whispers follows young Luca, the son of a Tuscan Conte. Luca has the ability see demons and has premonitory dreams, which he must keep a secret for his own safety. He is given a strange and powerful book, which he can’t read, but with the help of the mysterious Suzan -who can- he’ll face men and demons who wish to destroy the world.
This book had me saying “Oh, my God! I can’t believe how cool is this book” to my husband several times a day. The author has so many great ideas and the talent to create a great story with them.
I was -well, still am- in the middle of an international relocation. This past month has been nothing but a big ball of chaos and stress. Under these circumstances, I would’ve dropped any other book in favour of comics or something more bite-sized, but it gripped me and I could not put it down. I had almost no free time and what little I did have, I spent reading this book. This is the only reason I didn’t read it in two sittings.
The characters are fantastic! Their stories are rich, original and made me wish the author had written a separate book for each of them. I haven’t read a book like this in quite a while.
What keeps popping into my mind as I write this and as I read the book, is how full of great ideas the author is! I’m in awe. It’s obvious that a lot of research went into writing this book, It really shows in the detailed descriptions of the places and events. I felt transported. The whole thing about demons and human nature was extremely interesting! And the story, except for a couple of exceptions, never went in the direction I expected. It surprised me until the very end.
This is clearly a book for Young Adults, but I’m in my 30’s and I enjoyed it immensely. It has magic, adventure, history, friendship & romance. What’s not to like? I may understand 4 star ratings, but I’m having difficulty believing anybody would give it less than that!
I’ll soon get started with other books by the author. If they are half as good as this one, I’ll love them.
PS: I’m so stressed at the moment and struggling with my own demon, let’s call it “hēmikranía”, that I feel I haven’t done this amazing book justice with this review. I apologise for that, especially to the author, who gave me several hours of great entertainment when I really needed it.
filliefanatic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
3.75
is not a 4 because i didn't enjoy how brutal the crusades were, ngl. unfortunately, that is almost certainly historically accurate, given the author studies medieval history
bookboss85's review against another edition
2.0
Original post can be found at: http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-review-the-book-of-whispers-by-kimberley-starr/
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
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.”
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
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.”
lucyp747d4's review against another edition
5.0
Set in 1069AD we follow young Luca de Falconi as he joins his father and other Christian crusaders into Jerusalem The fast paced story is told from the POV’s of Luca and Suzan as we follow them on this exciting adventure.
The Book of Whispers is a book that has been passed down through Luca’s family and it is now Luca’s turn to look after it. After Luca has read the book he starts to see demons attached to people and objects. No one else can see them and Luca does not know what the books does or what he has to do, other than protect it. He tries to read the book but he can not understand the language it is written in. Later in the story Luca meets Suzan and she joins the siege. Suzan can understand the language of the book and this is where their love story begins.
This Teens and YA book tells an incredible story of history, love, war, magic, fantasy, violence and religion. Although the characters and other aspects of the story are a work of fiction the sad truth is that the siege did happen and the horrifying scenes that are described are accurate recounts of history. Kimberley Starr has clearly done her research and written a memorable book. I am excited to see what she releases next.
Thank you to Text Publishing and Net Galley for letting me read and review this book.
The Book of Whispers is a book that has been passed down through Luca’s family and it is now Luca’s turn to look after it. After Luca has read the book he starts to see demons attached to people and objects. No one else can see them and Luca does not know what the books does or what he has to do, other than protect it. He tries to read the book but he can not understand the language it is written in. Later in the story Luca meets Suzan and she joins the siege. Suzan can understand the language of the book and this is where their love story begins.
This Teens and YA book tells an incredible story of history, love, war, magic, fantasy, violence and religion. Although the characters and other aspects of the story are a work of fiction the sad truth is that the siege did happen and the horrifying scenes that are described are accurate recounts of history. Kimberley Starr has clearly done her research and written a memorable book. I am excited to see what she releases next.
Thank you to Text Publishing and Net Galley for letting me read and review this book.
sofiabookathought's review against another edition
4.0
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
4/5 Strars
You can find this and more of my reviews on my blog A Book. A Thought.
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
cupiscent's review against another edition
Setting aside circa page 75 with more of a meh than a nope. There's simultaneously too much and too little going on--lots of things happening, but too many crossing threads hang loose and it's hard to pick which are important. I'm quite interested in Suzan's circumstances, but we're spending the bulk of time with Luca, who can't even be bothered to talk with his father about his sister's panic about a sexual predator, despite repeated entreaties and promises to do so, so nuts to him.