Thank you Daphne Press for a chance to read this for an honest review

This reminds me of how YA used to be before it really became new adult and I have to admit I loved it and enjoyed it with my teenagers as they too sat with me an read along

The Luminaries is the first book in a new, original series all about living nightmares and Winnie, who is so stubborn but admiringly braves adventure in keeping her town safe from them and restoring her family name, it doesn't take long to fall into the pages filled with secrets and lies and bad boys we cant help but admire as much as Winnie does. I mean what more does it take but to get a YA at Heart hooked.

We are taken on what i can only say is a promising direction, where like any realistic world there are rules to follow, traditions to maintain, abilities and mysteries, its a little shaky at times, its even predictable, not leaving much for the imagination but its promising, it holds the elements of what I predict to be a great series loved by many and me and my girls cannot wait for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Daphne Press for the advance reader copy of The Luminaries by Susan Dennard.

I have to start by saying that I really enjoyed this book, the story gave me a lot of nostalgia for the 2014 dystopian era when the Hunger Games and Divergent were incredibly popular.

The Luminaries are an ancient order who protect the town of Hemlock Falls from the monsters and nightmares that are in the forest. The book follows Winnie Wednesday who wants nothing more to join the Luminaries and become a hunter like her mother and grandmother before.

Unfortunately Winnie's family are outcasts after her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor. However on her 16th birthday she can take the luminary hunter trials to restore her family's name.

Winnie enlists the help of ex best friend Jay Friday to train her to survive. However the two uncover a dangerous new nightmare in the forest that no one has ever seen before one that can traverse all the boundaries put into place and does not fit the rules of any of the nightmares they know of.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, the writing style was easy to follow meaning I completed it in a few days when I did happen to sit down to read. The story was well paced and the characters were likeable. The ending while a little lackluster (I was hoping for a larger cliffhanger or reveal than what we received) sets the story up well for a sequel. This I will definitely read as there are many questions and theories I have that have been left unanswered.

Overall if you are a fan of the dystopian/fantasy type genre this was a really fun read with a new take on an old concept. As mentioned above I really enjoyed the themes that reminded me of the dystopian YA era of reading. I would definitely recommend giving this book a read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Teen for an eArc of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Wow. Just wow.

When I say I devoured this book, I’m not joking. It has been so long since I read something so fresh & new & exciting. This is everything that I thought it would be & more.

I fell in love with the world & Winnie Wednesday from the first page. The writing is so vivid I felt like I was pulled into the world along side her & I’ll be honest, I never wanted to leave.

I love stories with mythical/mystical creatures/monsters & this story is packed to the brim with them. The copy I received even had pictures & information on some of them as if right out of a text book which I hope stays in the finished product as I absolutely adored it.

Winnie is a pretty relatable character; she goes through hardships, she makes mistakes silly mistakes as all teenagers (and adults to be fair do), and she’s not invincible which makes a refreshing change from the last few books I’ve read.

Over all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book & I’m so excited for Book 2 to be released as I have so many questions & theories that I need answers to!

A must read for fans of YA Fantasy/Mystery/Horror

4.5/5

Thank you to Daphne Press and NetGalley for giving me an ARC to review.

Winnie Wednesday's family has been exiled from The Luminaries, a secretive order that protects the world from monsters and spirits known as Nightmares. Determined to restore her family's honour and status after her father's betrayal, Winnie enters herself into a potentially deadly trial to become an official hunter. After passing the first trial by a misunderstanding, Winnie realises she needs help and approaches Jay Friday, another member of The Luminaries, to tutor her in hunting.

Now, I loved Winnie's determination to restore her family's status and position in The Luminaries. She's an active character and she kept the narrative moving forward. I also enjoyed reading about Winnie making tea a little bit too much. I appreciate the diversity in the side characters as well as the slow-burn relationship development we're getting with Jay Friday. I'm a sucker for slow-burn and all the moments with Winnie and Jay MADE ME SO HAPPY!

I enjoyed the writing style and language in this novel as well. There are some haunting descriptions of Hemlock Forest throughout the novel that was absolutely beautifully written.

I have SO many questions about the Dianas. I think their existence (as well as general questions about Winnie's father) intrigued me the most. I have many questions about various aspects of the world-building/universe as well. Although, I do think it's safe to say that this will be a series, so I understand that more will be revealed in the following novel(s).

One more point: This is a little bit irrelevant but I'm currently supposed to be studying for my final law exams, however, the intrigue of this novel kept me coming back. So, I love that a lot of the chapters are reasonably short. If that doesn't demonstrate my love and interest in this novel then I don't know what will.

Now, I only have two critiques which will be included in my full review on my blog. They are minor critiques and it's really just me being nit-picky.

Overall, I love the plot! The idea behind this novel is what got me curious about this novel to begin with and I was certainly not disappointed. I love Winnie's character. I love the Wednesdays. And I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel.

Our FMC Winnie Wednesday is an outcast. Her family is continuously shunned and taunted by the locals of Hemlock Falls, a mysterious town inhabited by a secret order known as The Luminaries.

The Luminaries are highly trained organisation sworn to protect humanity from spirits, also known as Nightmares. These creatures take many forms such as were-creatures, banshees, vampira and basilisks. Every night these creatures rise from the mist and seep out of the forest that surround Hemlock Falls. It's their job to track and kill them.

Winnie's family were once prominent members of The Luminaries, however, once it was discovered that her father was a traitor working for their enemies, a group of witches known only as the Dianas, Winnie, her brother and mother were punished by serving 10 years in exile. Her father hasn't been seen since he fled and left his family in ruin.

Winnie desperately wants to restore her family's status. When her sixteenth birthday arrives, she finally gets her opportunity. She is eligible to take part in a series of challenges which, if successful, will bring honour to her family and allow her to become an official hunter.

I really enjoyed this book, although I still have a huge amount of questions which is a little frustrating. I understand that The Luminaries is Book 1 in an ongoing series, however, I would have appreciated more depth and closer attention to world-building in order to fully immerse myself in the story.

The town itself is a bit of an enigma. My understanding is that it's like a compound, completely closed out of the outside word, however, I would have liked to understood more about its' origins and structure. Likewise, the mysterious Dianas. Their so-called rivals are completely shrouded in mystery.

That being said, it was a very enjoyable read. I'm invested in Winnie's story and I loved how driven and determined she is. This book was a wonderful introduction into the hidden world of the Luminaries and I can't wait to see where the series takes us next.

I know it’s cliche now to compare books to others but The Luminaries is like walking into a room of all your favourite people despite the fact it is brand new. Of course this made all the more sense when I read it was loosely based on the pandemic twitter polls Susan was creating to keep us all sane! Winnie Wednesday is naturally a very self deprecating teen who has been put in an unfair situation of being shunned from the community for her fathers actions. Those actions we’re not 100% certain on and there is an air throughout that something is not quite right. Winnie begins the Hunter trials in a bid to recover their social standing and with a bit of ‘luck’ (we all think Jay is the Werewolf, right?) she sails through. With a mysterious new nightmare, a supposedly nameless werewolf and a lost parent seemingly framed I cannot sit for the next book. Also, Jay, KISS HER.

The Luminaries is a deeply atmospheric and beautifully written urban fantasy. I really love Susan Dennards writing style and it shines throughout this book. The plot was really interesting and felt reminiscent of a few classic YA titles whilst remaining unique. I really enjoyed the majority of the book but unfortunately the ending fell a little flat. Regardless of this, I am eager to read the sequel and am hoping that it brings more world building and the same vibes!

Great world-building and towards the end of the book there's terrific excitement. In fact there's incredible promise but so many plot lines were left unfinished that I feel rather cheated. I'm assuming that this is the start of a series in which case I will definitely read the next book.

Hemlock Falls isn’t like other towns. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you…
Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town and the rest of humanity from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night. Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.
But in order to survive, Winnie must enlist the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.
Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.
Really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press
I just reviewed The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. #TheLuminaries #NetGalley

Creepy and compelling!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

Winnie is part of a secret group of monster hunters, but her family was ostracised from the community four years ago when her father turned out to be a traitor.

I really struggled with this book - nothing about it was particularly gripping and the world building was full of holes. It felt very much like the first part of a much larger story, which made it a drawn out setup with no real resolution. I'm probably interested enough to see where it goes next, but there are a lot of answers needed!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A fanyastic book that had me hooked right from the start. The premise of the book intrigued me and I found the whole story really interesting. The writing was engaging the whole way through and the characters were really well developed. and I loved them. I cannot wait to read more by this author

Winnie Wednesday has spent her whole life training to be a Luminary hunter like her mother, until 4 years ago her father was accused of working against the Luminaries and her family became outcasts. But Winnie never stopped training, and she’s determined to take the trials regardless and bring her family back into the fold. With her old friend Jay’s help, Winnie is determined to prove her loyalty once and for all - but there’s something in the forest that no one has ever seen before.

I loved Winnie as a character - she’s stubborn, loyal, and terrified. She falls into the situation she’s dreamed of and finds herself mired in an accidental deceit, but she’s young and determined to make things right. I loved her friends as well, although I disliked many of the adult characters in the book (but we’re supposed to!)

The mystery of the day walker in the forest is intriguing, as is the fact that Winnie’s dad never showed any sign of betraying the Luminaries until he was cast out, and both of these will carry over into the sequel, so I’m interested to see how they play out.

Overall I really liked the pacing and plot of the book, however I did feel like it almost could have been the first half of a book rather than a complete first novel, I would have liked to continue the story further before the book ended. It was a solid start to the series and I can’t wait for the next book!

This book was intriguing and fun. I enjoyed the world building and found it easy to read and overall I had a great time. My first by this author and it will not be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing me with an eARC of The Luminaries.
Wow. It has been a minute since I have found a fantasy novel that has absolutely sucked me into its world from the first page, but Susan Dennard has absolutely smashed it with The Luminaries. Dennard was able to quickly set up the world of the American Luminaries, without it feeling forced or rushed. The set up of the different families with weekday names made it easy to remember who was who and the set up for the hunters. I loved the fact Dennard included Winnie's illustrations, it made the story immersive and gives the reader a clearer picture of the monsters Winnie and the hunters are facing. The characters are flawed but this makes them relatable and easier to like! I found it hard at times to understand how the luminaries could go from out casting Winnie's family to treating them like real people/family again, but seeing Winnie and her family struggle with this as well certainly made the story more believable. I really loved every second of this booked and struggled to put it down, I absolutely cannot wait to see what is next (even though this book isn't even out yet), I just need more! Dennard has set the next book up perfectly with so many questions left to answer, I desperately want the answers now haha!

Holy Nightmares, this book was EPIC.

I was looking for a good Spooktober read and remembered I got approved for a The Lumanaries ARC so of course it became my next read. It was delightfully spooky and interesting and wowza! I still have soooo many questions so I sure hope we're getting sequel and SOON.

This was an action packed adventure that was over waaaay too soon. I need MORE MORE MORE. GIMME GIMME GIMME.

Sooz always sucks me into her stories and she's done it once again. Her writing is just unlike anyone else's. Any another author would have me annoyed at the fact we know so little still about The Whisperer and The Wolf, but Sooz just makes me crave that next book.

I would looove to see Jay and Winnie's friendship / relationship grow. I already love their connection and wish we'd seen just a tad more of it.

I'm giving The Luminaries 4,5 stars because there's a few things that irk me too much to give it the full 5 stars but DAMN, this book was so cool. I could really feel how much love went into writing this book.

So book two... Can we strike a deal, Sooz? GIMME GIMME GIMME

[This e-arc had a defect on my device and I was graciously given the US e-arc by Sooz.]

The Luminaries was a pleasing opening to a new YA Fantasy series. The premise was interesting and the world building mostly worked well. I still had a number of questions at the end, but hopefully they'll be answered as the story progresses in the next book. Winnie was a fun character and I was really able to get behind her. I would have liked to have seen Jay fleshed out a little more, but, again, this may come in future books in the series. Overall, it was a solid start that left me keen to discover what would happen next, so I am interested in reading on in book two. It gets four stars from me. Recommended for YA Fantasy fans.

First of all, I wanna thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance.
When I read the synopsis for this, I thought it was really interesting but reading it was way better than I imagined!
The systems in which they are "separated" in societies within their society is really unique and different from everything I've read. I loved the kind of trials with the nightmares they have to pass and love the main character Winnie for how resourceful and courageous she is.
Really this was a fantastic read and I'm really curious to read the continuation and see what happens with the unsolved issues of the last couple chapters! A 5 stars for me!

A fantastic monster-hunting adventure!

In a world cut off from our own, Winnie is a luminary, part of a society of people dedicated to keeping the rest of us safe from the monsters in the woods. Or she was, until an incident left her, her mother and her brother as outcasts, still part of the town of Hemlock Falls but not really accepted or welcomed by anyone there.

A large part of the focus of the book is on Winnie's outcast status, and how it makes her and her family feel, the mistreatment or neglect from other members of the town and the few exceptions to that. Then, as she's welcomed back into it, that emphasis shifts to both gladness and gratitude at their new found acceptance, and also resentment and anger at how readily people can shift their opinion. It's a fascinating mix of emotions and something that I'm sure will resonate with anyone who's found themselves outcast in any kind of social circles. Adding further to this heady mix is Winnie's own guilt that her new status is built on a lie, something that escalated beyond her control.

I particularly liked the subversion of popular tropes in the way different people treated Winnie. Some of the coolest, most popular kids weren't the "mean girls" and actually treated her really nicely, something she had a hard time accepting. The relationship between Winnie and Jay is absolutely delicious! From the hurt, resentment, and bitterness at how easily a close friend cast her aside to the sneaked glances and forbidden thoughts and feelings, I loved every moment of them together!

There are greater dangers in here than teen emotions though. The nightmares are particularly nasty! Monsters that roam the forest at night, they're the reason there are clans of hunters patrolling and people ready to clean up the corpses in the morning. Most of them are based on mythological or folklore monsters but with some really interesting twists and changes, and whenever Winnie is in the woods the tension is palpable! There's a very real sense of danger throughout and it gets positively frantic as she's running from one nightmare only to run into yet more. It feels scary and tense and I loved it! There's also some really intriguing lore about sleeping spirits around the globe, and I'm looking forward to seeing it explored more in future books.

There's a lot left unresolved here. It's clearly written as book one of a series, with threads just starting to reveal themselves for future plotlines, and other secrets yet to be uncovered. And a lot of sexual tension just aching for release!

I really enjoyed The Luminaries, with its mix of dangerous emotions and dangerous monsters!

thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for this arc.

3.5 stars.

i've been thinking about what to write about this book for the past five minutes and figured i would just have to begin, and hope it'll come on its own. because i just finished reading, and for some reason, i just can't transform my feelings about this book into words. i will try, though, for the sake of writing a coherent review. bear with me, please.

the first third of this book was a little boring to me, and i didn't like winnie much because she annoyed me a little. that said, i didn't like any of the other characters much either at first, and then throughout the book some of them grew on me, but most of them didn't. i'd come to love winnie, and jay, and the twins. i guess that's about where it ends. i didn't care much for any of the other characters, winnie's family included.

on the other hand– the premise of this story is really intriguing. a forest with monsters that are only able to come alive at night, and within the forest's boundaries. until suddenly, there's one that defies all previous knowledge, and no one believes it exists. and i enjoyed reading it, it was well written and kept me amused once i was past that first third. i just really wish i could've loved those other characters more. and winnie, sometimes, was just a bit of an unbelievable character to me.

all that said, this was still a good book. and that revelation at the end of chapter 40 definitely has me wanting to read the next book. :)