This was such amazing sequel. You never know how the second in the series is going to be when you really loved the first. This was beyond fantastic. The reveals were amazing f and I loved being back in this world.

This books suffered from the dreaded second book in the trilogy curse. I found it boring and the FMC who was already annoying in book one increasingly more annoying in this book.

I found the first book to be much more action driven, and more interesting but this one didn't have the same pace nor the same intricacy or mystery behind it. The characters felt flat to me, and I just wasn't as interested in the story as I was with the first one. I understand that there has to be something left for the third book, but I feel like I would've rather read one 500+ pg book than three book. I think the first one gave hints that though revealed here, they weren't shocking nor unexpected.

I slugged through this book... I don't know that I will pick up the third one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and engaging followup to THE LUMINARIES. I devoured this book.

Perfect for fans of (light) paranormal romance, scary creatures, and realistic and heartfelt teenaged characters. I will absolutely be gifting a copy of this book to the teenagers related to me.

[NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, my NetGalley feedback is not a blurb or endorsement. If a publisher wishes to use any part of my comments for promotional purposes, please contact me or my agent via email. I would prefer not to include star ratings but NetGalley won't let me post without one, so all will be 5 stars.]

Picking up where the first book left off Winnie Wednesday has finally gotten everything she could want, she's passed her hunter trials, her family is welcomed back into the Luminaries, and she's become the local celebrity. However Winnie is still searching for answers from her dad's clues and the only person who can help her find out what happened all those years ago in Hemlock Falls is her ex best friend, Jay Friday. Jay has secrets and issues of his own, and as the Leader of the Hunters hiding one particular secret is getting harder and harder. When Jay catches Winnie with items she shouldn't be keeping he decides to help her, whether or not she wants it. After their friendship ended four years ago, now they're back in each other's lives and Winnie is beginning to realize that Jay has been clearly trying to tell her his secret, yet when she realizes it... will she be able to stay with him? This book is definitely a much slower book than the first one, in fact this one felt like it only took the span of a few days in the book's timeline. Winnie is fresh from beating the hunter trial and spends the rest of this book working on figuring out her dad's clues and what her feelings for Jay are. This is the second book and realizing there is a third and final book has me asking what is happening in the end of this series. I liked the first book better if I'm going to be honest because it had a lot more going on but this one wasn't bad it just didn't really have anything happening. Jay and Winnie are mostly dealing their secrets and feelings for each other the entire book. Overall, it's an okay second book but I kind of wish this was the last book and any events that would have happened in the third book would have been combined with this one rather than stretched further. This is a much younger YA book and a slower burn romance as well.

*Spoiler: Winnie finds out that Jay was the werewolf who saved her and that he's had feelings for her four years ago and still does (He literally writes a song about her and sings it). Jay is a werewolf and has been keeping it a secret from her and pushed her away/ended their friendship because he thought he was protecting her and didn't want to hurt her. Winnie realizes that there is someone else out there killing people and it's not Jay, and that her dad was framed. Winnie rescues Jay when hunters go after him (while he is in werewolf form) and her aunt finds her (and jayout) and is ambushed by other Dianas (and she then lies for Winnie while in the hospital). Jay and Winnie admit their feelings for each other (this is only the second book in the trilogy).

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This sequel was full of twists and turns, only one of which I had already figured out. Which didn't lessen my enjoyment at all when it was revealed. I loved going along with Winny as she tried to figure out the situation with her father and seeing her grow closer to Jay and her new group of friends was pretty heartwarming. I really enjoyed this sequel, it kept me entertained and sucked in from start to finish and I am so looking forward to the next one!

This sequel was everything I wanted, and somehow more! I enjoyed every moment of Winnie's adventures, and I loved figuring everything out along with her. As someone who went along with the original Sooz-Your-Own-Adventure way back when, it was also sooooo cool to see the little nods to the original poll questions and answers. I cannot wait to get the final installment!!!!

Such an intriguing sequel. I anticipated some of the twists and reveals, but others took me by surprise. I still say this series is perfect for fans of Wednesday or Buffy.

Winnie is such a compelling protagonist because she's the perfect middle ground between gutsy and realistically cowardly/second-guessing. She feels like a real teenager you would know from class.

The Hunting Moon didn't give me the same 2000s YA PNR vibes as the first book, but this was still such a fun read! Susan Dennard did a wonderful job at expanding the world-building here and adding even more details to the world of the Luminaries. The writing was engaging and easy to follow and I still loved Winnie's perspective quite a bit.

The overall plot progression here was also really good! The middle of the book dd drag a little bit for me, but I liked how much progress Winnie made in regard to the situation with her Dad and, further, with Jay. She also changed quite a bit as a main character and it was fun going through that with her and reading about her grow into herself a little more.

The romance bits were also very well balanced with all the other supernatural and investigation elements! I did miss a few of the characters introduced in the previous book here, as they seemed to get a bit sidelined, but I do hope they have more page time as the series goes on. This brought some interesting questions as well that I want answers to!

This middle book, The Hunting Moon ( The Luminaries #2) by Susan Dennard, of the series finds Winnie Wednesday on more adventures and shenanigans. There’s different creatures, a possible boyfriend and a key back to the kingdom, so to speak. Clues left by Winnie’s Dad heightens the mystery. A song might further the relationship between Winnie Wednesday and Jay Friday. The ending had me begging for more as it should. Thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a highly engaging sequel that surpasses its predecessor in both storytelling and character development. Winnie Wednesday's journey continues as she navigates newfound fame, challenges within the hunter society, and a growing mystery that threatens her community and family. As the secrets build and tensions mount, Winnie's internal struggle to define her identity as a Wednesday and a Luminary becomes a central theme.

Winnie continues to evolve. She's now a celebrity after passing the hunter trials, but her newfound status doesn't sit right with her. Her determination to uncover the truth about the Whisperer, a new threat to the hunters that no one else has seen, showcases her tenacity and sense of justice. Her refusal to simply blame the werewolf, despite popular opinion, is a testament to her strong moral compass. The mystery surrounding the Dianas, their magic, and the events in Hemlock Falls four years ago deepens, adding layers of intrigue. Dennard skillfully weaves these elements into the story, creating a suspenseful atmosphere.

The world-building in "The Hunting Moon" is expanded, providing a richer backdrop for the story. The vivid descriptions of the living forest and the atmospheric gothic vibes continue to be a highlight of the series for me.

While this is an obvious young adult novel in its writing, it offers entertainment and depth that will appeal to readers of all ages. Loved the narration; the audiobook is the correct choice for this one.

The Luminaries (book 1) was one of my favorites of last year, but this sequel is a bit of a letdown. Don’t get me wrong the world of Hemlock Falls with its monsters and Luminaries is fantastic and interesting, but I feel like I needed more and this was just a middle book slump.
Winnie is dealing with everything after being the Girl Who Jumped during the last trials and no one believes her true story of the Whisperer. The story drags a bit and we get less of the creepy forest and more teenage inner turmoil and angst. Winnie and Jays friendship/relationship is more younger YA and just might not be for me. Still think that Susan Dennard has a great story here and can’t wait to see how it all ties up.

This is the sequel in the Luminaries series where this spooky forest exists and our main character is part of this society where its her job to kill these monsters that dwell in the mist in order to protect everyone. Add some drama from a rival group and you have an on the edge of your seat read. This one sees us with even more threats from the paranormal and even more higher stakes as our main character has to deal with some new responsibilities This is recommended for buffy the vampire slayer fans and I can see exactly why. An absolute thrill ride of a sequel!

So, it may surprise some of you that I’m even reviewing this book given how little I enjoyed the first book. But as I have liked books from Dennard in the past, I wanted to give this series another go. Some of my negative reaction to the first book came down to aspects of the plot and the writing that I wasn’t expecting. Namely, the fact that it was a contemporary fantasy story and the style of writing itself. Knowing both of those factors now, I wanted to see what my experience of the second book in this series would be like. And, while it still wasn’t a huge success for me, I did end up liking this one more than the first.

Let’s start with what I did like! While the YA and adult fantasy genre has been having a moment in the sun for the last few years, I think this book stands out from the pack in the heavy focus on magical creatures and various monsters. Usually, you have a book that has one monster/mythical creature (like the “Mothman” books we’ve seen this fall), but not a book like this that includes a number of different supernatural beings. Speaking of supernatural, this aspect of the storytelling definitely reminded me of the TV show, “Supernatural,” and that’s a pretty high compliment as far as I’m concerned!

As for the plot itself, I was able to stay mostly invested, however I wasn’t overly surprised by any of the twists and turns that we saw. In fact, there was one particular “reveal” that I thought was so obvious that surely there was something else going on, that characters did in fact know this thing and simply weren’t really addressing it for a mysterious reason, or something! I even went back and looked at my ebook of the first book to confirm that no, I guess this particularly thing wasn’t revealed and was, indeed, still a “mystery.”

Much of Winnie’s story and the romance were just OK for me, too. Having a better sense of the type of book that I was going to read did help set my expectations more appropriately. But this book did highlight that while I can still enjoy YA books, sometimes greatly so, there are distinct examples where a book is not going to fit for the simple fact that I am well past the target age group. The love story, in particular, felt very young, even for YA. And while many of Winnie’s thoughts and feelings read as true to a teenage girl, they were not the sorts of struggles that I personally find as compelling to read about anymore.

All of that said, if you enjoyed the first book, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one. On the other hand, if the first book didn’t work for you as well, this one probably isn’t going to be turning that opinion fully around, even if it was stronger in some aspects.

Rating 7: While a bit predictable as far as the plot goes, this book will likely appeal to readers who enjoyed this world and these characters, particularly its emphasis on supernatural beings.

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on Nov 10

I'm so glad I chose to read this one! I may be in the minority here, but I really didn't love book one, The Luminaries. I found it too slow in places, so I was hesitant to read this sequel. But, I flew through this one by comparison!

Winnie develops more as a character. Looking back, the first book definitely put in some important world-building and background. This enables The Hunting Moon to really focus on character development and relationships. I loved see Winnie and her family no longer be outcasts, but I also think that may help Winnie figure out the mystery surrounding her father in the next book. She has some insights those who have never been outcasts don't. She gets a bigger picture so to speak.

Can we say slow burn between Winnie and Jay? Yet, it remains age appropriate and something I wouldn't mind putting in the hands of older middle school students. This is really almost refreshing to see because some YA fantasy skews more towards older teens/adult readers in that regard. Additionally, I liked the suspicions I had about Jay become confirmed.

My only real frustration with this book....that ending! Now, I have to patiently wait to see how Susan Dennard wraps up this story.

The perfect addition to The Luminaries series. I was hoping to see more of this world and feel more connected to our characters and this book achieved that and more. I'm anxious for the final book.

This really expands on the world from The Luminaries. I think Winnie's character arc in this book was excellent. It also sets up some interesting reveals for the final book in this trilogy! Very excited for how this story wraps up!

The Hunting Moon was a fantastic sequel! I loved The Luminaries and this follow-up was even more intriguing and mysterious 👀 I flew through his book in an entire day, as the plot was fast-moving and the main character compelling in her trauma, grief and struggles to fit into the mold of her society!

Winnie remains a compelling heroine who’s trying to find her way ➽ She has just been through a traumatic experience that left her shaken and questioning everything she thought she knew about the Luminaries. Meanwhile, everyone else is sensationalizing her trauma and worshipping her as a hero. I loved how this was discussed, as Winnie is appalled that everyone is so blase about her near-death experience and hailing her as the ‘Wolf Girl’ as if there isn’t a different, dangerous nightmare out there that could kill all of them. Her friends quickly catch on, but most of the Luminaries leave her feeling alienated from their culture. It feels like they aren’t taking the right danger seriously and are too caught up in turning her trauma into a spectacle to notice. Winnie always wanted to be back in their good graces, but she’s not the same person she was before or even during The Hunter Trials. Now, she’s questioning the core of her society, such as the rigid clan rules about what you should value and their insistence that all a Nightmare like the werewolf should be killed. Their fixation on the wolf especially bothers her, as no one is facing the real danger – the Whisperer – and no one takes her warnings seriously. Caught between being a local celebrity, but knowing what it feels like to be an outcast, Winnie’s still processing her family’s banishment. She’s now a hero to them, but it frightens her how quick their favor can change and how brutal their punishment was for something neither of them did.

In The Hunting Moon we’re discovering more about the Whisperer and the Dianas! ➽ Ever since Winnie found out that her father was framed and left her clues, she’s chasing his mystery and the dangerous Whisperer, that no one wants to believe in. While everyone else is fixated on the werewolf, Winnie knows that there’s a much bigger danger – a brand new nightmare that annihilates everything in its path. She’s got to keep her search hidden from her loved ones, as no one can know she’s close to committing treason in the eyes of her society. I was on the edge of my seat, as Winnie uncovers all the connections and we feel the foreboding sense of danger all around her. We also learn a bit more about the Dianas, the elusive archenemies of the Luminaries, who dabble in forbidden magic. There are some answers, but even more questions in the end and I’m excited to see all the reveals in the next book 👀

Winnie’s relationships with Jay and Erica are also in focus this time. ➽ She’s been training with Jay for the trials, but now there’s chaos in the wake of the hunt for the werewolf. Jay’s just been named Lead Hunter for the Fridays after a tragic death and there’s still so much unspoken hurt between them. There was just the right amount of chemistry and angst between them! Jay wasn’t there for her when her world was falling apart, but he’s also been through more than he lets on. Their conflict is because Winnie’s loyalty to her family and Jay’s honesty about everything are at odds with all the secrets they are hiding. Winnie’s research is dangerous and she knows that if anything gets out, her family will be the ones paying the price for anything Diana-related, even though they had nothing to do with it. Erica and Winnie also keep warming up to each other, though barely. Their dynamic keeps shifting to be much more civil, even though their history still lingers with them.

This was a fun follow up to The Luminaries, the first in the series by Susan Dennard.
Winnie Wednesday has gotten close to achieving her goals. Her family is no longer considered outcasts, she has passed the trials to become a hunter... but nothing is quite right. There are still so many unanswered questions and so many secrets.
Nobody believes Winnie about the mysterious Whisper haunting the woods, everyone is still hunting the werewolf... despite her insistence that it must be something else. Winnie is also determined to figure out what the clues her dad left behind mean.
While I enjoyed the second book, it definitely had that middle of a trilogy book feel. There were some plot points that moved along Winne and Jay's relationship progressed a bit, Winnie seemed to begin to accept that he new friends were actually her friends, but a good bit of it could have moved faster and felt a bit like background.. interesting but also not moving us along well.

Can not wait to see where the story goes next though.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect followup to The Luminaries. The pacing was great, not too fast, not too slow. We get even more world building and I love this world. I love the spooky, fall vibes. I love the families and their values and how they stick to them and how we see, as Winnie is thrown back into it all, that maybe they don't quite stick to them as much as they appear to, showing a depth to the world. While Winnie's teeth clicking isn't one of my own anxiety tics, her anxiety and tics are super relatable to me and I like that she isn't hunky dory after the events of book 1. I like the contrast between her thoughts on all of that and the apparent nonchalance of the town. It helps build tension. I liked the unraveling mystery of the Whisperer. We finally find out what it is in this book and I'm excited to see how it's all resolved in the last book. I love Winnie and UghJay's relationship and how it develops. It's perfectly awkward. I love them both so much. There's a reveal that I've seen some complaints about being too obvious and I don't mind. Yes, it's obvious but I greatly enjoyed watching Winnie piece it all together and seeing her reaction to it. I thought that was very satisfying. And besides there's another reveal that's *VERY* interesting that I didn't see coming and I'm very interested in seeing what happens with it in book 3. I'm definitely going to listen to the audiobook when it comes out because the narrator for book 1 was fantastic.

★ 4.75 / 5

I read The Hunting Moon in roughly a day, and I don't know how I'll be capable of waiting for the third book. These first two books in the trilogy overall have been a breath of fresh air for me. They remind me of nostalgic YA from my youth, and that's such an indescribable, wonderful feeling to behold. So I truly treasure these books.

The relationships were my favorite part of The Hunting Moon, notably Winnie's friendships and romantic relationship. Darian and Winnie's mother didn't really shine bright in this sequel, but that's because they are so wrapped up in the possibility of their banishment from the Luminaries being rescinded that they don't notice Winnie acting weird and hunting for clues. I do believe Winnie's immediate family is going to have its moment in the third book. Her dad, while never physically on page, will probably make his first appearance there, and it's gonna cause chaos for this particular Wednesday family. I'll talk more about Winnie's dad later though because the reveals around him started slowly streaming into the plot.

Back to the friends/romance though—I really appreciate Winnie opening up in this book. She was extremely isolated during The Luminaries because of her trials and desire to become a hunter. She hid that from everyone, and even though Jay was teaching her hunter skills on the side, Winnie still didn't give him much room back into her life. The Hunting Moon is not significantly different, but it's enough to show her growth, particularly after what happened during the last trial with Emma/Winnie falling into the waterfall due to the Whisperer/werewolf event. Fatima, Emma, and Bretta are closer to Winnie than before. They are actually the first people period to notice Winnie's resistance to Luminaries cheering her on for going up against a werewolf. When the hunters howl at Winnie, her friends see her discomfort (PTSD honestly) and support her always after that first initial display of trauma. They're her backbone as she starts questioning the Luminaries ideologies too because they humanize the hunters that ignore the death and destruction of every night hunting. When the girls help Winnie write her paper in the Sunday library even, you can see how its these moments where Winnie is able to catch her breath and relax.

Which somewhat and kinda also applies to Jay Friday.

The difference in his and Winnie's relationship throughout this sequel is APPARENT. Winnie officially comes clean about the clues her dad left behind to Jay. He's the only one who knows the full situation, and thankfully, he respects her decisions not to go forward to the Tuesdays or any hunters. Even though Jay is the new Lead Hunter of the Fridays, he chooses her over the Luminaries (LOVE HIM!). His willingness to hear Winnie and trust in her instincts was wonderful. It made the cracks in their relationship start to heal over—not fully but we're getting there at least—and this secret ultimately gives readers some of the best scenes in the books so far.

Notably this scene—Winnie and Jay investigate the smaller x marked on Winnie's dad's library map (Winnie forgot to mark this x on her drawn version and the big X represents where Grayson Friday died allegedly by a werewolf at the end of book one), and it leads them to this random granite hole in the earth. There appears to be similar trauma to the scene like what happened to Grayson Friday, so the two believe the Whisperer may have murdered someone else in that spot. But the granite is not in Grayson's death area. While the two run into a completely different nightmare while in this scene, the Whisperer does eventually appear in the granite hole. The two left before witnessing this because Winnie is poisoned by the previously mentioned nightmare (a stag nightmare but can't recall the name). Jay has to drag/carry her miles and miles back to the Friday estate where she ingests melusine liquid/venom, which completely heals her wound and makes Winnie incredibly high. I did cringe at first during this scene because Winnie was not acting like herself, but I also cackled and screamed, kicking my feet in the air with a deep gleeful giggle. It was TOO GOOD. I think that moment is still my favorite of the entire series so far. It allowed Jay and Winnie to break down their barriers because all of their history was semi-removed since Winnie was so giggly and high.

Plus, Jay's werewolf status is officially confirmed at the end of this book. Susan, I was starting to think you'd pull another fast one on us and not confirm it, but thank the heavens, she did. Winnie has to throw caution to the wind and essentially high tail her ass through the forest to save Jay in his werewolf form after he is tranquilized essentially by six volts to the chest by Winnie's aunt. This entire scene will make everyone so anxious. Winnie runs into a changeling, which was such a traumatic scene to watch. She's getting sucked dry as the changeling ingests her blood to turn into her, and once she escapes, she sees her naked body behind her because the changeling got soooo close to killing her. Then, Dianas appear (again, I'll talk about this later in the paragraph about Winnie's dad) in the forest searching for the werewolf. Now three separate people are looking for him: Luminaries that shot him, Dianas for some scary reason, and Winnie to save him. I was expecting Winnie to be clumsy or get attacked by another being and be revealed to the Dianas, but LUCKILY they don't bother her until the near end when she's arguing with Aunt Rachel over what to do with Jay in his werewolf form.

By the way, still don't know how I feel about Rachel Wednesday. She fibs and stretches the truth when it fits her goals, and even though she let Jay go this time, I don't know quite were she falls. Is she wholly loyal to the Luminaries like she previously did, or does Rachel now feel protective over Winnie and her family? Your guess is as good as mine. She did take the two pieces of Diana magic to the torso to protect Winnie, but I'm still unsure.

Finally, the main event.

Winnie's dad is single handedly the most interesting character of these books. He has so much mystery to him, and I want answers stat! The fact that he only left clues for Winnie is interesting. Are he and Winnie just that similar that she'd be the only one prepared to hunt for the clues, or is Winnie somehow different to the rest of her family? Does she have magic of some sort? I've had this theory for a while that Winnie's dad comes from both Diana and Luminarie ancestors, so he's a mixed bag. Maybe the magic doesn't transfer to descendants always, so only Winnie has it? We find out in this book that the Whisperer is actually a piece of Diana magic meant to destroy anything in its way. Currently, its target appears to be Winnie because it only appears when she is in the forest but that isn't confirmed. Just my alleged theory. That leads me to think the Dianas want Winnie or someone close to Winnie (partially why I think they went after Jay besides the fact that he's a werewolf). But also the Whispere may not even be a full Diana mechanism—more on that later. The biggest surprise, besides the Dianas, was the final chapter in this book where a crow watches over the ongoing confrontation/conversation between Winnie, Jay, and Erica before traveling to watch Winnie's mother at the diner. Obviously, we assume it is Winnie's dad, but whether he was turned into a crow permanently or uses the crow to see his family from afar... we've yet to learn.

Now I want to talk about Erica's role in this book. She is in second place behind Winnie's dad now as the most mysterious character. Winnie and Erica have two good interactions in this sequel where the two try to help the other, but it is revealed that Erica has ties to Dianas... Kinda. She is most likely the unnamed opening chapter of this sequel, and she declares that she wants to crush both the Dianas and the Luminaries, particularly after the death of her sister Jenna. She blames both groups for Jenna's death and seems to seek vengeance. Her sister also appears to have been a Diana before her death. Her sister passed away roughly three weeks or so after Winnie's dad disappeared/ Winnie's family banishment. Erica's sister could definitely have been a part of the Dianas who framed Winnie's dad. Maybe he found out about the Whisperer spell (Erica mentions using her sister's spell that was left behind as a way to hurt the Luminaries) and needed to be stopped, so Erica's sister did so. I'm curious if Erica knows part of Winnie's dad's past because of his ties to Jenna possibly. There's a lot of IFs going on right now, but that truly shows how lacking we are in Erica's situation/goals. We do know that Erica stole the dampener/source, Winnie's Venn Diagram notes, and her dad's birthday clues from Winnie's bedroom, and I think that's enough to show Erica has something to do with the Whisperer. Although, I'm currently leaning towards the Diana and Whisperer being separate plots. I think Erica is controlling the Whisperer with her sister's instructions, but she's also doing something to hurt the Dianas, which is why they're in the Luminaries forest. Not a perfect theory but it feels right for now.

I'm completely at a loss for the Dianas plot. I don't know who the woman with the grey hair in the crow mask is. My best guess would maybe be Erica's mom, but also, I cannot recall anyone with grey hair. It's a small detail to remember and also try to find back in the book without rereading. Maybe I'll look out for it during a reread before the third book's release.

Lastly, I have one mini complaint about something. I'm getting a bit annoyed with the adults reading and reviewing YA books on social media. I've seen a number of people comment negative reviews because this series does not have the same tone/feel of The Witchlands. To that I say—it's younger YA! The lead is newly 16, turned 16 right at the start of The Luminaries. Don't read this trilogy then if you don't like the age range. It's so annoying for people to expect all of YA to be the same, particularly upper YA.

Now that I got that off my chest, this sequel was somehow even better than the first book. It's definitely more research and theory-based rather than hunting-based like the previous book. I could see some people getting bored because of the bias into thinking vs. hunting, but I still think the plot pieces coming together are far more interesting than just Winnie hunting some more. And even then, we still get some kick-ass scenes of Winnie battling some nightmares. But we also see some moments where Winnie realizes some nightmares may not be the monsters Luminaries make them out to be—notably the will-o-wisps, werewolf, and melusine. She's starting to question the Luminaries ideologies, so it makes sense that this book centers on her internal indecision.

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.