A Compelling Novel packed with thrills galore
An electrifying novel which will appeal to a very large audience of readers. And deservedly so.
Reminiscent in style to "The Da Vinci Code" and with a few vague similarities to the original "The Omen" film, Luke Gracias draws on real historic facts to construct a fictional novel which is a delight to read. From the title you might suppose that this novel is purely a demonic horror story. Not at all. This novel is about much, much more. The book contains an element of several genres mixed together brilliantly in a highly readable, educational and appealing way.
I would describe it as essentially a novel within a novel. In real time we are kept engrossed by a quest by Sister Benedictine's daughter, Siobhan, to learn the truth about her mother's disappearance some 7 years earlier. The daughter's quest is fraught with danger and thrills galore. She succeeds in getting her mother's "confession" which was written by her mother in the hope that one day her daughter would find and read it. It contains Sister Benedictine's explanation of the reason for her disappearance (she deserted two young daughters leaving their Grandmother, Edith to bring them up) and the circumstances of her "suicide". The confession explains to Siobhan that her mother, after making a binding agreement of her own free choice, was effectively deceived and her disappearance was a consequence of events over which she had lost control. She contends that predestination determined her experiences, actions and the rôle she had to play.
Initially dubious, Siobhan reads in the confession a tale of dreadful misfortune: of innocence, the greed of others, murder and vengeance. But often vengeance comes with a price attached and this was the case for her mother.
The novel has many themes but the one which stood out for me was the damage caused to the environment by mankind and the consequences thereof. The author's background is as an activist on environmental matters and his knowledge and concerns for Mother Nature show clearly through. The manner in which the author weaves his concerns into the book are original.
The novel is also exceptionally educational: featuring remarkable research by the author. As I read I recognised, through my own historical reading, the depth of knowledge made available by Gracias to the reader.
For lovers of apocalyptic books, horror or challenging thrillers, this book is a must. If you enjoyed Dan Jones's "The Da Vinci Code", in my opinion, this is a much better novel: containing more eye opening and lesser known historical truths. As I mentioned above at times there are semblances to the "The Omen" film.
I thoroughly recommend this novel for all to read as a compelling, original and inspired work of fiction.
It falls into my must read pile of books. It will transport you to a different time and place and serves as a total escape.
I just can't wait for the inevitable sequel.

This book is very well-written and researched. However, it totally bogged down at the end and lost all feelings of possibility to me. Unfortunate, because I definitely thought it was a unique premise.

My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story in exchange for an honest review. I gave this a 3.5 stars or 7/10.

With loose references to real life people and real events, The Devil's Prayer is a story littered with taboo subjects that might be offensive to some readers. Please do not read this historical thriller with horror and supernatural themes if you're easily offended.

Whilst, reading this story I felt that it would make a great film. With some scenes being very reminiscent to some of Dan Brown's stories, in so much as chasing by religious secret sects was involved, etc.

A Nun commits suicide in Spain and in Australia her daughter Siobhan, realises that the Nun is in fact her Mother who'd disappeared years ago. As Siobhan decides to try and uncover the truth behind the Nun's apparent suicide.  She travels across the World to find out where her Mum had been in the years that she'd been missing.

It's not long before Siobhan finds herself embroiled in trying to keep parts of The Devil's Prayer that she is in possession of safe from those that would rather have it.

On the whole I enjoyed the story, but at times I did feel that I was floundering with it. If you like religious themed stories then grab a copy and let it take you on a roller coaster of a ride.

The Devil's Prayer is a book that never really managed to get me in its grip, it might be one of the reasons why it took me such a long to finish it. The story is about a young woman that follows the story of her mother who suddenly disappeared without any notice. Years later her mother dies under mysterious circumstances which is the first news they ever get of her. This is where the story unfolds.

For me the book can be cut into two parts. The first is where the daughter goes to the places where her mother died, the second is the part where she reads the diary her mother left behind for her.
The first bit I found a bit dull and it nearly brought me to the point where I wanted to put the book away. There is nothing wrong with it, the writing is solid and enjoyable, but the story just didn't manage to get me interested. Just at the point where I was going to give up I started the part about te diary. The story truly picks up there and gets very enjoyable. How the mother makes a pact with the devil and murders her former friends one by one is great to read. If the book could have kept this pace until the end my personal rating would have been much better. However when the 'friends' are dead the story slows down again and a great mist descents. At this point the story changes from a tale of revenge into a lot of talk about old religious papers. It is very similar to the Dan Brown books, I never enjoyed those either.

For me personally this book wasn't a great succes. This doesn't change the fact that the writing is solid and it contains a deep story. If you liked the Da Vinci Code this is definitely something for you.

A well researched book which much to my surprise found totally addictive.
The age old good against evil and human greed but most importantly the lengths a mother will go to protect her children.
Shades of Dan Brown and the DaVinci Code come to mind.
A real page turner my only disappointment was the unsatisfactory ending what happens next . I just hope there is a sequel.

"The Devil's Prayer" has many of the great things that reminds me of a classic horror novel or movie: A suicide by a nun (in a faith where suicides automatically go to Hell), a Giallo film (where the focus is an investigation into killings that cannot be explained), a little bit of Dan Brown (like the secret societies reminiscent of "The DiVinci Code"), and of course the Devil. The action revolves around the suicide of a nun and her two children whom she abandoned suddenly when the oldest was in her teens. The mystery of her demise becomes the main focus of her oldest daughter, Siobhan, and a diary the explains most everything. Most of this novel flows well and moves quickly and is highly entertaining. It is highly entertaining, and like some of the others have said, if you go into this without knowing too much about it, you will most definitely enjoy the speed of the story unfolding. The only real flaw that I see is that the last twenty or so pages turns into more of a history lesson than plot movement, and the story kind of grinds to a halt because he is trying to spend the time tying up the loose ends. In the end, it is an enjoyable, fun story and worth the time.

I received an ARC of "The Devil's Prayer" from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book had me skimming the first few pages. I wasn't too sure. After chapter 1, I was hooked. I love this book so much I'd rush through my responsibilities just to get back to reading it. I did have to go back and reread that first chapter. Bravo!

The Devils Prayer by Luke Gracius is not only interesting, but it never fails to surprise. At a time when many novels follow predictable, well-trod paths, Gracias keeps readers guessing right up to the end.

The tale begins in Spain with delicious, haunting, cinematic prose. Readers first meet Sister Benedictine as she self-flagellates during the festival of Maundy Thursday. One might believe the action takes place centuries ago; however, it actually takes place in the present. The author employs his copious knowledge of history to build realistic, authentic activity that is sure to draw readers into the action. Soon, desperate to evade red monks who are stalking her, the mysterious Sister Benedictine is off on a nightmarish mission that revolves around a Bible and a key.

Soon, the plot drops out of the frame and readers are taken to Australia where they meet Siobhan Russo, a young woman struggling to come to terms with the disappearance of her mother, many years ago. Then, Siobhan finds that her mother has passed on, at a convent in Spain. At a memorial for her mother, an enigmatic priest hands Siobhan a Bible with a key in it, and Siobhan embarks on a search for answers.

The rest of the tale bounces back and forth between Sister Benedictine’s history and Siobhan’s quest for truth. Why did Siobhan’s mother disappear without a word? What does this all mean for Siobhan and her sister? Not only are the girls in danger, but their souls are at stake.

The characters are well-drawn and likable, and the settings are extremely interesting. The convoluted, intertwined plot lines work well together to create a pleasant read.

Unfortunately, the superior prose that graces the beginning of the novel stagnates toward the end with a patch of authorial intrusion that does not serve to propel the plot and comes off as a history lesson. Luckily, it can be skipped without losing anything. The tale ends with a teaser that portends a possible sequel that will be welcomed by many readers.

When reading this I was transported through words to some of the most beautiful churches imaginable., had my heart broken, became truly terrified. I just wish the story wrapped up (i.e. finished at all) or that I knew book two was on its way.

A great novel about the story of the film by the same name.

Chilling, highly engrossing, rip-roaring tale. This one had me awake nights, reading way past my bedtime!

The Devil's Prayer by Luke Gracias is rated as historical/horror fiction. I had a bit of a problem putting it into a specific category.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty-three year old Siobhan Russo, and her seventeen-year old sister Jess, lost their mother six years ago. Denise Russo went out the door and never returned. When Siobhan recognizes her mother as the nun who committed suicide by hanging herself from a bell tower, in front of thousands in Spain, she has many questions. At the funeral service, Siobhan meets Father Jakub, who knew her mother as Sister Benedictine, and who came to give Siobhan her mother's bible. Searching for answers, Siobhan boards a plane from Australia and heads to the convent where her mother had been living. There she discovers her mothers' written confession, where she had recorded the details of her "deal with the devil". She tells of the brutal rape and betrayal of her friends which ended up leaving Denise paralyzed. To be healed, and to get revenge, Denise makes her deal with the devil, but ended up wagering Siobhan's soul.

In Siobhan's search, she learns of The Devil's Prayer, an ancient text that, if read by the wrong person, can unleash apocalyptic mayhem on the world. The pages are in the back of her mothers confession. Unfortunately her mother had enemies, and they know Siobhan is in possession of those pages. Extremist monks are after her, and although Father Jakub says he is helping her, she doesn't really know who to trust. As she reads more and more of her mothers diary, her disbelief starts to lead to terror. And then there is Jess....

Luke Gracias writes very well, and I really liked the way the story was told, alternating between present-day with Siobhan, and the past being told through her mothers confession. The characters really came to life. The research the author did was extensive, and on his website, he has pictures of many of the places he visited.

One of the things things I did not like was the depth of the history which was related. We went from present day back to 1222. Too many historical dates, people and place names. I understand that some information regarding the origin of the Devil's Prayer and Bible had to be told, but it was too much....way too much. Part of that may be that I do not normally read historical fiction. As well, there was a lot of detail provided about each town/convent/monastery that Siobhan visited. Again, too much detail. I guess the final problem I had with this book (apparently other than its length), was that it didn't end. Nowhere was I told that there was going to have to be a sequel, but now there had better be! (the author has since assured me that there will be).

Anyway, without the reasons given in the above paragraph, I would easily have given this book 4 stars, because the story itself and the writing was really good.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars, rounded up. Overall, I'm afraid this just wasn't really for me. First the good. The writing was well done, in the historical sections of the book, and it's clear that a lot of research has gone into it. (How accurate it all is, I have no idea - religious history is about as low on my knowledge list as it gets.) And the underlying plot points - revenge, deals with the devil, lost pages from ancient texts - were interesting.

What made it not work for me were a couple of things. First, it felt like two really different stories/writing styles. The story of Denise, the dead nun, as told in diary form, was not nearly as well written as the historical sections. The dialog felt somewhat stilted to me (maybe just the Australian/US difference?). And this story was filled with pretty brutal scenes, and I'm fairly used to reading murders, etc. I also thought some details were missing that should have been revealed sooner - like Siobhan's father, and her early years. And honestly, I wanted more about Jess and what she was like. Then, the story seems to really switch gears, and the last 1/3 or so is filled with historical information about the monks and Catholic church back in the 12th and 13th century. This part of the story, as noted above, was written better, but ultimately for me was not terribly interesting. A little too much history - felt like a well-written religious history lesson.

And finally the ending - or non-ending. I had no idea from the description that this was going to be a series. I really expected to get some sort of resolution to at least part of the story, and was ultimately disappointed when that didn't happen.

I am clearly in the minority here - there are many, many 4 and 5 star reviews, so if you are a fan of religious history, and don't mind the brutality of the present day part, it may work better for you.

At first I thought this book would be predictable. I said to myself here comes another Angels and Demons type of book but was I mistaken. I found this book to be very intriguing. I'd often look up a lot of the history mentioned in the book and the author was right on point. Great research but yet it wasn't a history book. I don't want to spoil anything but this book is definitely worth the read. Thank you Netgalley this was one book I was unable to put down. The Devil's Prayer was a very good book.

Started well but too much violence for my liking and I didn't really enjoy the ending.

The Devil’s Prayer – Luke Gracias

A compelling story to rival The Da Vinci Code in its complexity and attention to historical detail. What starts as the story of the suicide of a missing mother quickly evolves into something else. We learn that Siobham, the now grown up daughter of the missing mother, was saved from drowning at a young age by a mysterious stranger who reappears frequently as the Mother’s passed down story unfolds. It turns out the roots of the story are in the thirteenth and fourteenth century and involve a long missing book known as The Devil’s Bible. Determined to uncover the truth about her mother’s death, Siobham’s quest takes her from Australia to Europe and the Middle East to Malaysia with help and hindrance from other mysterious priests and monks also keen to uncover or prevent the uncovering of the truth about The Devil’s Bible, as she gradually puts together the complex reasons for her mother’s original disappearance and death. A very enjoyable tale with plenty of action and suspense and a plot that you will find enthralling. I found myself unable to put this book down and was always wanting to read “just one more chapter”. A great read.

See link.

Truly inspirational. By the definitions in this book i am one of the damned. It shows the depths a mother will go to to protect her young. With talk of the end of time the graphics with in the story are extrardinary

I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review. What follows is my opinion after reading the book. . .

Okay, so, I'm a big horror fan. I love watching something that freaks me out and reading a horror is just that much better. There's nothing more intriguing than seeing the darkness of humanity mingling with the light. The Devil's Prayer looked like a horror book that I was going to love sinking my fangs into (pun intended).

Unfortunately, I was very conflicted about how I felt. The prologue was downright boring and read like a textbook. I understand why the author chose to do a prologue, however, I feel that if it was fictionalized and given proper imagery, the prologue would catch the reader better. I am a person that keeps trying until I'm either asleep or crying from boredom. Fortunately, the prologue is a quickie, but is pointless to have.

That said, the rest of the book was a challenge. Not in a "I'm freaking out" kind of challenge, but more in a "do I like this?" challenge. The story is better described as being broken down in two main stories. There is the story that the blurb states and there is the story about Siobhan's mother and how she ended up where she did. I liked one story, but I could care two shits about the other.

The one I liked was Denise's story. It is raw, disturbing, and heartbreaking. This is a woman who was loving, experienced evil, became evil, and found redemption in her future only to have something more wicked come up from her past. It had humanity all in it and I wanted more of her story.

Siobhan's story could be casted away in whatever depths the prologue should be, in my opinion. I had no reason to love her as a character and I felt she was nothing more than a cardboard vessel to bring out Denise's tale. Sure, her trying to find closure and being chased is interesting, but nothing comes from it. NOTHING. We aren't given a solid answer as to why she's being chased down and we aren't given a solid resolution. Now, the motivations of the baddies can be easily determined and another character does state what it is, but that character is just as shady and nothing comes up with that. Instead, we are left taking him at face value just as Siobhan does.

And like I stated before, we aren't given a resolution. Siobhan gets off the plane, sees the Devil, and that's the end. It's open ended. Now, I love a good horror ending with an unclear ending. This book is not one of those great horrors. If you want a great horror with an open ending, read Water Rites by Guy N. Smith or Daphne du Maurier's short story, The Birds (a story that inspired Alfred Hitchcock's iconic movie). Those stories are open ended and they are stories I will always remember (in case you are wondering, I read du Maurier's story back in ninth grade and Guy N. Smith's book back in tenth. That's well over ten years ago).

In the case of this book, I found the open ending as either the author's laziness in finding a resolution or that there is a sequel. If there is a sequel in the works, I only hope that the story is more fluid like Denise's.

All in all, I was both surprised and greatly disappointed in the book. The disappointment went on through most of the book with glimmers of surprise when it was Denise telling her tale. Take it what you will, but I didn't care for it.