(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

I am obsessed with the lore and the world-building in this series, it has so much depth and you can tell the author has put a lot of effort and research into it. I loved learning about all the nightmare creatures and it was interesting to see new ones or learn more about those we had seen in the first book. We also discovered more about the Dianas (witches) and how their spells work which was super interesting too.

The plot was full of action and had plenty of plot twists (which I always love). And, like the first book, it was also fast-paced and engaging, with writing that’s easy to read but so descriptive that you become immersed in the world.

I love the main character Winnie and seeing her character growth over the two books has been wonderful. She is caring but determined and easy to root for and all the side characters are also well-developed too. There were hints of a romance in the first book which has become more of a main plot point in this one (which I loved).

And that ending left me with so many questions, I cannot wait for the next book!

I really liked the story I just didn’t realise how young the book felt overall but I did enjoy the unique take on the storyline, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book.

For full review, please see @nice_to_read_ya

Book: The Hunting Moon
Author: Susan Dennard

The Hunting Moon is the second book in the Luminaries series by Susan Dennard. I found the first book to be not what I was expecting, but I liked it. I liked the concept. Unfortunately I felt like The Hunting Moon wasn't up to the same standard. If I'm being honest, not much happens in The Hunting Moon and it gets really repetitive. There are some lines and sayings that are repeated word for word 5 or more times. That being said, despite being at a slow pace, I do think this series is building up to what I hope is an epic finish so I will continue on to read on with the series and read book 3 (The Whispering Night) when it comes out in October to get the answers I am looking for. The set up is promising so fingers crossed! And don't let me deter you, this may just be your favourite read of 2024.


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This is such an exciting series. I loved the first book. It felt like slightly less was happening in this one. Book 2 is a little more of a 'placeholder' BUT I will definitely be buying Book 3

This book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023. I loved The Luminaries, and couldn't wait to get back into this world. The atmosphere and the mysteries are unparalleled. I basically devoured this in one sitting. I guessed some of the plot points, but it didn't take away from the book as I loved finding out that I was thinking along the right tracks. I can't wait to return to Hemlock Falls again next year for the sequel.

Fantastic fast paced sequel. I loved the exploration in to Winnie’s past and her relationships. The stakes were raised and I cannot wait to see where the story goes next.

Oh this was soo good. the twists. the turns. the annoyance of KNOWING who the werewolf was for 200+ pages before the characters did??? MWAH. PERFECT.

The follow up to The Luminaries takes us into the darker shadows of Hemlock Falls and secrets come to light and where everything is not as it seems.

Winnie Wednesday returns as The Girl Who Jumped and/or The Girl Who Was Bitten, you choose but she likes neither of these as both have lots of unanswered questions which add to all the confusion and revelations at the end of The Luminaries.

We find out more about the relationship between the Luminaries and the Dianas, both groups and the spirits, and more secrets about the nightmares are revealed. Though this doesn’t make anything much clearer and adds to the growing pile of questions Winnie has.

Then there is the questions of Jay, troubled and hunky Jay, what dos Winnie feel and what does he feel, what secrets is he keeping?

The Hunting Moon takes the intrigue from The Luminaries and ramps it up all the while developing the relationships between the main players. This increase in the focus on relationships throws out lots of red herrings and possibilities whilst developing The Whisperer.

And that very last chapter left so many unanswered questions and possible answers for where Dad has been the past four years.

Another great read from Susan Denning and now waiting for the the third in the series to see where that takes us.

I have just finished reading ‘The Hunting Moon’ which is the second book in the Luminaries series by Susan Dennard. It follows Winnie Wednesday as she tries to uncover the truth surrounding the mystery of her father’s disappearance, who the werewolf in Hemlock falls is, what on earth the whisperer is that attacked her friends in the previous book all while battling being a teenager in a town where death is an every day occurrence.

I enjoyed reading this though I feel that it took a little longer to get into than the first book. Dennard deals with the aftermath of book one really well and it is clear to see how everything has truly affected Winnie, and the whole town. Whilst a few things got cleared up in this book there are still mysteries to solve and I look forward to reading the next one.

WoW The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard and narrated by Caitlin Davies was a wonderful audiobook especially as it is the second book in the The Luminaries series and I loved every minute of it. This was a book that took my breath away.....it was just beautifully written just like the first book.

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

I do recommend you read or listen to the first book but they were both an enjoyable read or listen. This book is for young adults who love urban fantasy books

Big thank you to Netgalley, Daphne and Bolinda Audio for the ARC.

The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard is the gripping sequel to The Luminaries, centering on Winnie Wednesday. Ostracised from the Luminaries due to her father's alleged crimes, Winnie, after conquering the perilous hunter trials, is welcomed back.

Unexpectedly thrust into local stardom, Winnie's newfound celebrity status is overshadowed by a looming threat—The Whisper, a dangerous new nightmare.

As The Whisper menaces Hemlock Falls, Winnie is tasked with saving her community and unraveling her father's mysterious clues, suggesting his wrongful framing. Amidst accumulating bodies and concealed secrets, Winnie grapples with the challenges of being both a true Wednesday and Luminary. The story delves into the true costs of battling the nightmares that haunt the forest.

This was a most expected sequel after the events of The Luminaries and it didn’t disappoint.

It was easy to enter this world again even after a year of reading the first book.

While in the first, Winnie did whatever she could to belong and become part of the group, in this one she learns the problem runs a bit deeper. Winnie can’t settle her mind and slowly realises that becoming part of the Luminaries doesn’t ease the feeling like that she doesn’t belong. She continues to try and understand the world around her while we get a deeper look at the history of the Luminaries and of Diana’s, the two major groups in the story. In the background, there’s a bit of teen romance as the Winnie and Jay deal with their past issues and invest more in their friendship.

There’s a clean line that shows how the Luminaries are the good guys and the Diana’s the bad ones, but Winnie was never the one to settle for silos.

The pace of story is quite steady as mysteries come to light and the characters try to discover the truth and put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Read it just as quickly as the first one and I can’t wait to see what mysteries Winnie will unravel next!

I loved the first in The Luminaries series, and was so excited to have been able to get my hands on an arc of this! It follows on with the aftermath of Winnie’s trials, still following the mysteries presented in the first instalment. Winnie is trying to figure out who she is amongst her new found place within the Wednesday’s, as well as the involvement of the Diana’s in her family and home town, and not forgetting the mysterious werewolf lurking in the shadows of the trees. Amongst all this is the question of Jay and how their partnership develops from the first novel.
Once again, a wonderful and magical read with some thrill and tense moments, and one I’d recommend highly!

Thank you to NetGalley & Daphne Press for this eARC.

The Hunting Moon picks up pretty much where The Luminaries ended, with Winnie waking up in the Hospital following her valiant efforts to survive her 3rd and final trial to become a hunter, something she's strived her whole life for. But as the saying goes, 'be careful what you wish for' as this life that Winnie has always dreamed off really isn't what she wants. She's battling with everyones ability to detach from the grim reality of their life, something she finds difficult. She's chasing her Dad's scavenger hunt to get to the truth of the Dianas as well as fighting for people to believe in The Whisperer. Will she find the answers she seeks? Unfortunately, I don't know as I DNF'd this at around 48%

I enjoyed The Luminaries and was excited to read the sequel, but unfortunately it just fell flat for me. I don't doubt Susan Dennard as an author, I've read reviews of her previous series and they sound very good. I just think this series is a bit meh. Winnie is too, well, whiney, and for the 100th time, we know what Jay smells like. Dennard definitely doesn't struggle with world building and scene setting, it is very dark and atmospheric as was The Luminaries.
I tried to stick it out but I've been reading it for a month now and just keep putting it down, I might come back to it in the New Year, but I'm really not sure my feelings will change, I just feel a bit bored with this one now.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Daphne Press for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: violence, grief, injury, death

“The Hunting Moon” picks up almost immediately after the end of the first book, with Winnie Wednesday wondering how she survived her final Hunter’s trial to become a Luminary. Her family has been welcomed back to the fold after four years outcast for her father’s crimes, but now Winnie has clues leading her to believe that her father was framed and that the real Diana is still lurking in Hemlock Falls. Even worse, Winnie is now a celebrity because they think she survived a werewolf- one that the entire town is hunting that she believes is innocent, even though they don’t believe her about the new kind of Nightmare called the Whisperer she saw during her trials. Eager to find out if her father was framed, and feeling even more unsafe than usual, Winnie is forced to turn again to Jay Friday: her former best friend who abandoned her four years ago but inexplicably helped to train her only two weeks ago. Jay has plenty of problems of his own, especially now that he’s been made Lead Hunter, but as things in Hemlock Falls apparently improve for Winnie’s family, it only gets worse out in the forests.

I adored “The Luminaries” when I read it last year so I was delighted to be approved for the sequel, especially because I couldn’t wait to see what might happen next. These books are so easy to slip into while also being packed with mysteries, action and slow-burn romance. This book focused on Winnie having to adapt to life back in the fold, and her gradually developing friendships with other members of the Wednesday clan, and I enjoyed seeing her anger over how she was treated. Likewise, her relationship with Jay, which was one of the highlights of the first book, gets expanded on and all of their scenes are full of gorgeously written tension and tentative trust. This book was darker but still had the YA tone that I loved so much about the first book. I can’t wait to see where this series might go next, I’ll follow Winnie Wednesday anywhere.

Loved this continuation of hemlock falls and Winnies story. I loved the development of the romance and the secrets slowly being revealed. I can’t wait for book 3!

Nothing beats YA Fantasy done right! This was such an enjoyable continuation in the world of Hemlock Falls especially with the further history in what makes a luminary! I just adored the blooming romance as well as the main focal point of the plot! Cannot wait to get my hands on the third book!

This was such a good sequel, i love this series! The characters are so loveable and will be definitely be picking up future works from this author!

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes continue strong in Dennard’s second instalment as Winnie must come to terms with what happened to her… and search for the answers to secrets she’s only just begun to uncover. Immensely readable, Dennard’s prose flows hypnotically and despite the fantasy setting, the realities of being a teen girl are completely believable. This would make an absolutely fantastic translation to screen. Impeccable vibes.

I raced through this book in about a day. Extra shout out to Daphne Press and Illumicrate for producing a physical edition so gorgeously illustrated and luxurious in feel that I didn’t want to put it down!

This is the sequel to The Luminaries and it doesn’t disappoint. We learn more about Winnie Wednesday and the secrets she uncovers. Her dad was framed and she wants to try to find out by who. She enlists the help of Jay and begins to work out the secrets he is keeping. The worst thing about this book is I am now going to have to wait for the next one!