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David King is reeling from his travels through historyand from the evil hes found there. The last thing he needs is his great-great-uncle Jesses hospital-bed instructions: You cant simply do nothing. You must fix things.David and his brother Xanders search for their abducted mother has repeatedly led them on strange and terrifying journeys as theyve stepped through the portals of the creepy old house and into some of historys most turbulent momentsand confronted an unimaginably bleak vision of the future. Now Jesses words saddle them with an obligation not only to visit the past, but to rewrite it.Fulfilling their purpose will take everything they have, both mentally and physically. But they have no choice because everything in the pastand the futureis on the line.

Audiobook

First published December 16, 2009

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About the author

Robert Liparulo

32 books798 followers
Robert Liparulo's novels, Comes a Horseman, Germ, Deadfall Deadlock, The 13th Tribe, and The Judgment Stone,have received rave reviews. His short story "Kill Zone" is included in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson. He is also the author of the best-selling young adult series DREAMHOUSE KINGS: House of Dark Shadows, Watcher in the Woods, Gatekeepers, Timescape, Whirlwind, and Frenzy. Robert lives in Colorado with his family.

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5 stars
1,322 (49%)
4 stars
922 (34%)
3 stars
365 (13%)
2 stars
56 (2%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
Profile Image for Celestria.
378 reviews461 followers
April 1, 2023
The second half of this book was more interesting than the first half, I think. My only complaint about this series is I wish they spent a little more time in the different portals. They're in and out so quick and they often don't interact with the people there. I know it's always all they can do to get out alive, but still. I also would like to hear more from Nana and about her experiences and where she went. She basically didn't exist in this book, but she could help the Kings so much.
Profile Image for Long Live Wonderland.
205 reviews10 followers
September 18, 2019
These books are so good, I wish I could give them four stars! The main character is seriously the only thing that stops me from nudging these books into the four star category.
Xander was my absoulte fave in the first book, but he is becoming more and more reckless as the pages go by. Now, he's also corrupting his Angel of a little brother David.
I just wish everyone would listen to Mr. King, he is the only one in this house who knows what's up.
Great book! Meh main character! 10 out 10 supporting characters!
3 reviews
May 28, 2018
"Dreamhouse kings" by Robert Liparulo was a very good book, but is a pretty fast read. Robert tends to restate a lot of events from the previous book in the next book in the beginning, possibly for new readers. Although I did not kike the beginning, the middle and end where good. I picked this book back up after a year and still remembered every detail about it. I also loved when the two main characters, Xander and David, get somewhat stuck in some of the worlds they travel to. It helps create some suspense before the book ends. The series really uses suspense as a tool to keep the reader reading and the book also uses it interacts with the characters in the book. Because when you feel suspense they usually are feeling it too.
The 6-book series “dream house kings” Is essentially 1 book. Each book continues with the story the same as all the others. The only thing that separates the other books is the cover which will usually give you a picture of the setting or (based on what the cover is) will foreshadow what happens in the story and can also give you a hint on the mood of the story. An example is the cover of book 6 that shows 5 people on the cover. This is significant because the series is based on the mother of Xander and David being taken by one of the worlds and the resto of the family trying to find them. I have not read book 6 yet but I have a pretty good idea of what happens.

Profile Image for Evangeline.
420 reviews15 followers
April 6, 2017
Each book in this series just keeps getting more and more intense.

I feel so bad for David and Xander (the two main kids) because THEY ARE SO BEAT UP. They remind me of Daredevil, getting beat up, but still crawling towards the bad guys like, "I'm coming for you." and then the bad guys just kick him in the face.

I love the little twist at the end because who saw that coming?

I love this series, quite a lot, and will continue to reread them for the rest of time.
Profile Image for Jaci.
490 reviews
April 6, 2017
Encantada con la historia, y sí,ya quiero saber el final, pero quiero seguir aventurándome con Xander, David y Toria.
Vamos, que esto no es que el final.
Profile Image for Melanie.
2,215 reviews598 followers
April 4, 2023
Whirlwind was definitely a whirlwind of a read! So many intense moments and new information. The series feels like one big book, so it is difficult to remember which things happened in which book...however, the ending was unbelievable. I'm so glad I have the next book as I NEED to know what happens next. All the books have ended with a cliffhanger, but this one of the most intense.
Profile Image for Mitchel Broussard.
247 reviews250 followers
March 29, 2010
After reading the past 4 books in this series immediately following each other, i feel like i am finding flaws in them more often. Not that they are repetitive in any way, but they always, ALWAYS start with something crazy happening, get kinda calmed down in the middle, then end with another time traveling occurrence. I'm not knocking this set up either, it's pretty fun and helps push the story along, giving that you know they're going to some crazy world in a couple of pages, even if you're kinda bored at the moment.

I just, i don't know, hope that the last book fulfills the promise that this series holds. I mean, they're definitely original and the characters are great, if not naive and immature at times, but not so much that you are bothered by it. They are kids, after all. It's just the way this one ends, there are a lot of, ah whats the word, "implications," to something bigger going on in the plot. I like that idea, it could really give the series the kick in the pants in needs for the final book. I just find myself scared more than excited for it for some reason. Maybe because i like the series so much? I don't know, i still think the first one is the best. You can even tell the kids are getting tired of going through portal after portal and they are time traveling for fuck's sake! What 13 year old gets tired of that in less than a week? (Yeah the entire series takes place in one week, which further complements the pretty fast paced plot)

And the mysteries! These 4 books have accumulated more unanswered questions than a season of Lost. Where is their mom? Why was she really taken? What is Taksidian's endgame with the house? Why was the house built in the first place? Where do portals come from? Why do only Jesse and David have the power to tell when history is changed? Why doesn't Phemus need antechamber items to cross over into the house? I could go on like this forever. Suffice it to say, Frenzy has a lot of mysteries to solve.

Here's to hoping it doesn't completely suck.
Profile Image for Melissa.
237 reviews
July 23, 2011
I finally finished this series , they are short books, but they are so fast paced that you are left kind of tired and exhausted reading them... I couldn't handle Davids broken arm constantly being hit and banged up in all his adventures, I thought who could handle that much pain...but I did like how this whole story was very family focused , I liked how the brothers cared about each other and worked together to save their Mom. It was an interesting and fun series
Profile Image for Brennen Turner.
10 reviews
March 21, 2018
Whirlwind, the fifth book in the Dreamhouse Kings series, starts off with yet another intense situation between the King family and their rival neighbor Taksidian. David, Xander, and their father Ed attempt to distract and sneak into Taksidians house and escape without him knowing; however it doesn’t go as planned. By this point in time, the family is already beat up from the grievances of their mother; however, it is not over. Taksidian comes home well aware of what was going on, as if he knew the whole time. They all manage to hide, except in the wrong places. David manages to find himself stuck in a portal, which leads nowhere with no escape route. All of this happens because of their long lost mother who had been taken by a giant gremlin in the first book. However, things start to go there way for a period of time, that is; until they find themselves stuck in a very unexpected place, one like no other.
This book, along with the entire series(so far!), has ALWAYS kept me wanting to read more. I am by far one to never grab a book voluntarily, however, these books constantly have unexpected plot twists and are action packed. I like the entire plot and how it has been set up, although in my opinion there is far too many unrealistic things that could never possibly happen in real life, such as teleportation and time travel. Overall, this book and series are great, easy, and quick reads. I would highly recommend this book and series to anyone of any age who likes mystery and suspense. I cannot wait to read the final book to figure out how it all goes down!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kris.
780 reviews41 followers
November 3, 2018
This series keeps getting better. The lack of action I complained about in the earlier books is definitely not a problem any more. The King boys are thrown from one hectic situation into another - a medieval torture chamber, Hannibal crossing the Alps, the American Civil War - and David, the younger brother, does all this with his broken arm in a cast!

Great Great (Great?) Uncle Jesse has convinced David and Xander that they've been given a mission (by God himself) to go back through history and correct things that have gone wrong. While searching for their mother in Civil War-era America, they save a Union officer's life by bringing a doctor to him - and prevent Ulysses Grant from dying! Instead of returning to their own time, they keep getting thrown into other dangerous situations, until they're finally captured by the series' main villain in a dramatic cliffhanger scene.

I'm a bit disappointed that there are no girls in the action parts of the book - in fact, the only girl I remember from the whole series is Xander and David's little sister, Toria. I feel like Liparulo could have expanded the appeal of the series by making his heroes a brother-and-sister team, or a boy-and-girl-best-friends team. But that's really the only major quibble I have with this book. The series continues to have a decidedly Christian slant, but again, it's not (so far, at least) central to the plot.
Profile Image for Mary.
243 reviews2 followers
January 24, 2024
I want to like this series, I really do. The premise is good, but the characters are pretty bad, for the most part. David is definitely the best character, but just blindly goes along with anything his brother says to do, and Xander has never had a good idea throughout the entire series. I feel pretty bad that I almost want to see Taksidian win at this point. This installment had a little more plot furtherance, so that's a plus, but it's pretty much the same old continuation from books 1-4. And...Atlantis? Really? Not only that, but a linguist can identify a language that only exists in myth?

All I can hope is that somehow these jumbled plotlines all start to make sense in the final book. And a side note- I DO NOT recommend the audio book version of this series. The narrator is terrible!! He gives David, the best character, a whiney, little boy voice that should've been switched with Xander. Keal's voice and accent is embarrassing, and the narrator has overall odd intonation and inflection. It's been driving me nuts for the last four books. I'm only listening because the books aren't good enough to buy or wait for on interlibrary loan, so I'm suffering through the free-through-Hoopla versions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lilium Coraias.
75 reviews
August 4, 2024
*Whirlwind* by Robert Liparulo is a heart-pounding thriller that grips readers with its relentless pace and high-stakes action. The novel follows a tense and gripping narrative that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

Liparulo’s writing is both sharp and evocative, creating a vivid and immersive experience. The plot is filled with twists and turns that keep the suspense high, and the stakes are continually raised as the story progresses. The characters are well-developed and face intense challenges, adding emotional depth and realism to the action-packed narrative.

The suspense is masterfully built, with Liparulo skillfully balancing action scenes with character development. The pacing is brisk, ensuring that the tension never wanes and the reader remains fully engaged. The novel’s intricate plotting and unexpected revelations make for a captivating and thrilling read.

*Whirlwind* is a standout thriller that combines high-octane action with strong character work and a compelling storyline. Robert Liparulo delivers a memorable and exhilarating reading experience that will appeal to fans of suspenseful and fast-paced thrillers.
Profile Image for rach.
222 reviews
April 5, 2022
Ok. Finally picking up with the story. It should NOT have taken five books to do this. But I’ve already complained about the pacing, the unnecessary repetition, and excess filler info. Once again, it would make a great trilogy if an editor would have hacked it up a bit.

Lots more action here, with the portals, the purpose (although I’m all Eh on the God thing, but the purpose of helping that’s cool), more info on the antagonist, their mom, the language. Lots happening.

The plot hole with Ulysses S Grant which I left in one of my updates, annoyed me… But, I’ll live….

The Atlantis bit really threw me like… really? lmfao???? but let’s roll with it and see how this thing finishes out. I’ve completely forgotten the last two books in this reread.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sarb.
231 reviews
October 30, 2017
This was such a good book!!! Action, suspense, love ❤️ everything was in it and I totally loved it, I lived every moment. David and Xander are the 2 main characters and every book, every chapter they bare more and more stuff, it’s horrid. But seriously hats of to them, they always act strong no matter what circumstance. I loved it. Toria is so cute, she acts so lovely, she reminds me of my family every-time and I live for it. I just can’t I can’t this is too good and the ending oo girl too good to handle. More than 5 stars ✨ ⭐️
Profile Image for Josh.
3 reviews
November 21, 2018
Whirlwind is the fifth book out of six. I chose this book because out of all the books I read in the series this one was the most suspenseful. Dream house kings is about a family who buys a mysterious house but later on they find a secret hallway and in the hallways are portals to different times in history and they are always shifting. A mysterious man takes the mom in the family so the dad and the kids have to find their mom but also fix times in history. Whirlwind is one of the most suspenseful books I have read in the series because Liparulo demonstrates many themes within the book to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
Profile Image for Book Wyvern.
558 reviews7 followers
December 20, 2024
More action than the others, of course this is the second to last book, but not really anything that stood out to me. I’m really not sure what to write for this review and that’s why I gave it two stars even though it had more action.

It was fun enough while reading it, but it just feels forgettable to me. The boys go through worlds so fast and make the same stupid decisions over and over, I’m really not sure this many books were needed.

If you'd like to read the rest of my review, please visit my blog!
255 reviews4 followers
March 29, 2018
I really enjoyed the book. I accidently picked up this one first. I have to hunt down the rest so I can finish reading them. I can't wait to learn more about the family and the house. I would Not want to live there. Im good Takisdan could have it. I get theyre looking for their mom. that house would not be for me. ;)
Profile Image for Jen.
1,434 reviews138 followers
October 26, 2022
I read this book on October 25, 2022. I thought Joshua Swanson did a fantastic job performing this story! I thoroughly enjoyed his narration.

The action between the boys and Taksidian really heats up in this book! David is stuck in the past in the end, and being confronted by boys who don't speak English! I need to listen to Frenzy soon!
13 reviews
January 23, 2020
Awesome!

I love this series. The story is so well written; and action packed it keeps you on the edge of your seat! I can't wait to go d out what happens next to the King boys!
Profile Image for Taylor  Van Ierland-Mietus .
6 reviews
March 29, 2021
A lot happens in this one and there is more and more action. Some things are getting clearer but also raise more questions. I wonder how this will end with only one more book left..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews

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