Let me start off by saying, I wasn’t expecting this book to be set in our world. I thought it was going to be set in a fantasy world, like the author's previous work, but after that initial surprise it didn’t take long for me to get really engrossed in the story.

The main character Winnie and her family are outcasts in their little community of monster hunters. But when she finds a loophole that allows her to take the hunter trials to become a Luminary, and restore her family’s name. But the trial is not like she imagined, and turns out the forest is more dangerous than anyone first thought.

I really adored Winnie. She’s strong-minded and clever, but also vulnerable and self-doubting. She’s very relatable, and is the kind of underdog you will cheer on because she deserves a win in life. Her emotional turmoil that cut through the pages, to be an outcast from something out of your control and the desire to prove herself worthy of love. As well as the conflict of wanting to fit into a group, when also knowing it’s flaws. She also wears glasses, and I felt so seen by this. Furthermore I loved the fact that Winnie had some actual good friends that were always there for her, always kind and supportive.

The Luminaries is such a fun and refreshing read, while also being wonderfully creepy. The forest and the monster, “nightmares”. The lore is super interesting and there’s an amazing eerie atmosphere throughout the book. The nightmares are not only portrayed as scary monsters, but also creatures that Winnie can’t help but be fascinated with. Because she’s a nerd, even in the deadliest situations will be interested in them, and want to update her material with her new knowledge of them. It was something almost humorous about it, that I also really related to.

The Luminaries is a wild, fun and fast-paced story that had me hooked from the first page to the very last one. I’m ready for book two, as I was left with so many questions after the book ended, and I need more of this world and Winnie!

I don't think this author is for me... When I was reading it I was thinking that I also felt the same things about TOG by Sarah J. Maas — I didn't have the best experience with it —, then I remembered that she and Susan are good friends. Windwitch also gave me the same vibes... some boring ones.

"You either trust the forest or you don't, Winnie."

I couldn't get into the story and the main character was kinda dull. Nothing was extraordinary about Winnie (maybe just the name and that's because I love Winnie the Pooh so...) and I didn't care enough about her.

The main idea was interesting, yet the execution was common and it didn't stand out among the other stories with young people who hunt supernatural beings.

I liked some magical elements and the structure of their "organization". It also has that mysterious element which makes it good for an autumn read. I also love that cover, it was the one who drew me to this book! ❤️

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley, Macmillan and Tor Teen for an e-arc of this book.

It's been a long while since I read a Susan Dennard book. I had read the first three books in her Witchland series when they were first published but unfortunately, never carried on. But when I heard about this new book that was inspired by the work she had previously shared in her newsletters I was intrigued!

And as with most books, I went into this completely blind.

It took a hot second to get acquainted with the story as you are introduced to a horde of new mythical creatures that you think you are familiar with until you read their descriptions. But you quickly understand what they are and the role of The Luminaries in defending the populous from them.

I think it's difficult in books to fail on pacing when the main element has a tournament aspect as you know it will need to hit each major beat. And I think this book did deliver. Stylistically it keeps a reader engaged with all the action elements and keeps you wondering about the outcomes.

While I found the main character Winnie felt a little flat - her tenacity was engaging but her indecisiveness felt almost whiney - the mystery behind the character Jay has me coming up with multiple theories I am hoping will be revealed in the following books.

My only main criticism of the book was the fact that there almost wasn't enough backstory. You get the impression that The Luminaries is a group of people who have been protecting society from these nightmares for centuries across multiple geographies. However, we're not really told the extent of this. While I understand readers sometimes have an aversion to too much backstory - I think with the scope of this book, it is almost needed. Similarly, we're informed of a rival group the Dianas but asides from being told that want to harness the power of the nightmares we are not granted any information on why there is such a rivalry between the two groups.

Overall, I am excited for the next book in the series. The book concluded on a bit of a cliffhanger which I believe allows for the next book to fill in the gaps I had with the rival Diana group.

A special thanks to Netgalley for sending me an E-arc of this book. I just want to say this, Winnie was probably my least liked character I've read about in a while. I can really tell that this is a debut novel, not saying that the book is bad but I've been reading a while now and I can just tell. It was kind of hard to get into this one. Usually I can read at a break neck speed but I put this one down every chance I could. I feel like there was so much repetition that I felt like I read the same sentence over and over again. The concept was really cool and I was hoping that the Trials were going to be really exciting but for me they just kind of flopped. I would recommend this one for a younger audience, like someone just entering into high-school.

Hemlock Falls is something else. It's not on maps, people in general don't know about the place. And here, lives a secret society of sorts. An organisation known as The Luminaries, who protect the people from Nightmares lurking in the forests. Real nightmares like Banshees, Warewolves, Vampiras and such. The society consists of a few clans named after the days of the week. (too cute this part but also confusing) We have our MC, Winnie Wednesday, whose family and herself got outcasted years back after finding out her dad was actually a spy for their rivals. Now at sixteen, she joins the hunting trials in order to get her family's name back in the society. It's a story of loyalty, upholding your name and your rights. About friendship. Secrets and lies. Deception. And of course, the urban fantasy aspect with all the hunting and fighting and eliminating the Nightmares. Which includes something new that scares even the regular Nightmares themselves.

The premise is definitely refreshing. Something away from the common faes and whatnots. It's like Shadowhunters of some sorts. While the premise had promise, the worldbuilding and overall flow felt slightly stunted. I attribute it to this being the first in a series so i guess i understand the slow build up. It was most definitely atmospheric and haunting. The MC is a tough and determined girl, stubborn yet eager despite actually being scared shitless. All because she knew she needed change for her family. I had difficulty in remembering who was who though cause mind you, there were alooooot of characters with different roles and positions. So with all the questions lingering in my head from book 1, i am expecting answers from book 2.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and devoured it quickly. It was a fascinating exploration of coming of age, belonging, and self-knowledge in the face of adversity.

Winnie's family has be ostracized from their community because of her father's actions and she decided to participate in community trials to regain her's and her family's status. Hunger Games meets Harry Potter (the later books).

It was a nice, fun read and I'd read the next book in the series to find out more.

Susan Dennard, the author most known for her wtichlands series, is back with a brand new novel in the genre of contemporary fantasy. This is definitly taking a much sinister route as it sounds like its full of dark magic and it does have a very like YA plot, like something you typically see which I’m sure will make a lot of die hard YA readers happy. So It’s set In a world where monsters and nightmares exist and people train to hunt them down in fact a secret society called The Luminaries guards the forest and stops the monsters from escaping into this town. Our 16 year old protagonists winnie and her family are unfortunately outcasts because of her father being revealed as a spy. Well she is finally able to enter these trials the town holds in hopes of earning their trust again. So we got some angst, a competition, dark spooky forest, definitly a fall read if you’re looking for one.

"All around the world, the Luminaries live near fourteen sleeping spirits. Each night, when the spirits dream, their nightmares come to life. And each night, the Luminary hunters guard the world against those nightmares, one clan for every day of the week."

The atmospheric forest is cultivated perfectly for the witchy environment and overall tone of The Luminaries. 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 enlists 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.

The characters were well developed and I liked the relationships represented, but the creepy tone is what sold me in the end.

Thank you to Tor Teen and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC.

Secret society of nightmare hunters? What more could you ask for. This is a fantastic paranormal YA novel that sets you up for book 2 so well, I’m very excited to see how this series continues. Excellent pacing and interesting plot.

Rating: 3.5

I really liked the idea of this book with a secret society that hunts monsters and keeps humanity safe. That in itself isn’t such a unique idea, I’ve read plenty of books that have a similar premise but I enjoyed Susan Dennards take!

The plot was pretty straightforward, with Winnie trying to pass her hunter trials so that her family will be accepted by the Luminary society again after her father was revealed to be a witch traitor. And again, trials/competitions are pretty prevalent in YA but I loved the way that the monsters made it feel unique.

I wish that we had gotten more backstory on the monsters and their origins because it was really interesting that they come from a spirit that dreams them up, and the older the spirit gets the more the monsters evolve. I’m hoping we get more of that in the next book, considering the way a few plot lines ended and the clues that were dropped about the witches and Winnie’s dad.

I liked the way that the clans were set up with days of the week, so there is the Monday clan, Tuesday clan, Wednesday clan, etc. The only thing I’m not super clear on is that’s also people’s last names, but not everyone in a clan has that last name and they aren’t actually all related so I’m not sure how that ends up as a last name for a bunch of unrelated people.

I didn’t love this as much as I was hoping for a few reasons. I’m closer to 30 than I am to being a teen and I found a lot of Winnie’s thoughts and feelings didn’t resonate with me as much now as they would’ve if I were 10 years younger. I found I was getting irritated with Winnie for those moments where she’s wondering what others think of her outfits and if someone likes her or not and at times it read even younger than that. There were also things that made me cringe, like the fact that Winnie’s full name is Wednesday Winona Wednesday. I can’t decide if I think that’s creative or uncreative, but when I read that part about her name, I rolled my eyes so hard I felt like I could see my brain.

I would love to see more worldbuilding in the second book some more fleshing out of characters like Jay and the twins who seem really interesting, but there just wasn’t a lot of development especially with Jay.

I enjoyed this book while reading it, and I’ll probably pick up the sequel because I was intrigued, but with how many exceptional fantasy books I’ve read this year this one just doesn’t stand out as much as I wanted it to.

My first Dennard and definitely not my last, this was a fresh idea for young adult fantasy and I kept thinking I wish I had read books like this in my younger years, however that is also where I struggled a bit as well, the juvenile tone of certain scenarios and relationships left me wanting a bit more maturity.

Excellent in its atmosphere and giving a real spooky, eerie vibe from page one. The characters were fascinating and I was committed to their journey. Some more world building I think would of brought this book into a higher rating and I think will
be one of the biggest criticism this series sees.

Predictable in plot but wildly original in concept , a book worth checking out for younger audiences who enjoy YA fantasy.

Thank you to @TorTeen and @Netgalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

This book was fine. I think younger readers who are just getting into fantasy will really like it.

The lore of the creatures was creative and unique. I loved the idea of the sleeping gods and the nightmares. . My favorite parts were the scenes in the forest. There was high-tension danger during these moments that drove the story forward. In fact, I wish that more of the story had taken place in the woods. While I understand that the stuff outside of it--the training, the world building, getting to know the characters was important, but it wasn't very thrilling. I wanted more action, is what I'm essentially getting at.

There's a smaller plot line involving Winnie's dad that was super interesting and I wish that had been explored more. I'm sure it will be in the future books, but the fact that the author introduced a little bit of the mystery right toward the end of the book and then just...ended this book, was a bit of a disappointment.

Reading the acknowledgements, the author says that the story was written entirely from polls she posted on Twitter. This is an interesting way to craft a story, and some of it worked. But there were times the story felt a bit scattered, and after reading about how the book came to be, that makes sense.

I'm not sure if I'll continue on in the series. The first book sort of just ends, and I thought there was going to be at least one more chapter and there wasn't. There isn't a very exciting cliffhanger that would entice me to keep reading. However, I'm not entirely against it.

To be fair I was expecting a lot from this book, the summary sounded amazing and I’m expecting at least one copy in a book box later this year. I was thrilled to be able to snag an audio arc and absolutely tore through it.

I loved it. The world was not that unlike our own, and featured the big fancy houses and secret society tropes which I am absolutely a sucker for. The magic system was recognizable but also new! There are supernatural creatures but many of them are not presented how we typically see them, some were entirely new.

Another thing I’m a fan of, towns built around a secret, was also included in this book. Basically it was right up my alley. I am super excited to see if there is going to be a sequel because I do feel like it’s very open for one and a lot left unanswered and I for one need answers!!!

The main character is very well fleshed out with a great personality and shady parts of her history left unexplored. Many of the side characters are the same, which makes for a very interesting story, you keep waiting for more tidbits! I LOVE that. The mystery element is one of my favorites.

Our narrator was lovely and did a fantastic job of guiding us through the story. I have listened to books with her before and I was very excited to see she was chosen for this book! She made listening a complete joy as always.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for providing me with an advance review copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @netgalley, @torteen and @stdennard for the opportunity to read this arc! ♥️

"That's why we're called the Luminaries, Winnie; we are lanterns the forest can never snuff out."

I absolutely enjoyed diving into the Luminaries' world! There were a few times I just wanted to shake some sense into Winnie though.

Ok, so she started off on the wrong foot with passing the first trial, but why can't she see how badass she grows to become!? She did the task for the first trial and so much more by the third trial that if that were me, I'd be elated! BUT I'm also glad someone was able to talk some sense into her about this internal dilemma she was facing.

Also, what with the dad's code?!?!?!? I'm going to have to go back and reread this book for more clues now 🤣

Heres the burning thoughts that are keeping me up at night until I see a second book come out:
- Winnie's dads situation + code + the other letters, do they come into play too?
- is Jenna's death a thing? How does that play into the whole society/local community?
- is Erica being weird or is it just me? Should I continue to stay pessimistic about her?
- what was everyone else's 3rd trial? Will that be discussed in future book(s)?
- how long does Winnie have before they get tired of waiting for her to join the hunt?
- will Winnie's mom get to rejoin the hunt in the future?
- where does Winnie's family's social status stand now?
- WHAT the heck is this whisperer?!?! I can't even formulate an idea on what it is, where it came from, the daylight thing etc etc

Ok that's my ramblings for now. Can you tell I'm an overthinker? 🙈🥲

FYI THIS RELEASES ON NOV. 1, 2022 - Make sure you get your hands on this!

“You either trust the forest or you don’t, Winnie.”

✨Secret Society/Ancient Order
✨Deadly Trials
✨Paranormal Creatures
✨Mystical Forest
✨YA/ Teen Fantasy

Winnie Wednesday has always wanted to follow in her family’s footsteps and be a Hunter for The Luminaries, an ancient order/secret society who protects humanity by hunting monsters and nightmares that awake in the forest at night. But 4 years ago, her dad was caught being a witch and traitor and her family was outcasted. Winnie’s only chance of redemption for her and and her family is to take the Luminaries’ deadly hunter trials on her 16th birthday. Unknowingly, a new danger lurks in the forest and only Winnie seems to see it.

This story was such an original concept and I quite enjoyed it! I was so captured by Winnie’s plight as an outcast, her desire to be a hunter, and her journey in the hunter trials that I finished this book in one sitting! I loved her determination, tenacity, and her overcoming of obstacles, including her own self-doubt. There was a slight hint/ tingle of a possible romance with Jay, her ex best friend, and I’m dying to see where the relationship will go. I have numerous theories about what will happen in the next book and will be looking forward to the sequel!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for this advanced copy!

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

🥷💀👹👻🧟🧛

The worst part of arc reviewing is that you've just read book one, not even out yet, and now you will have to wait a long time to see book two. 😭 I need to know what happens next. Thanks to @NetGalley and @torteen for a digital copy of this ARC.

All the stars! This book deserves everything! It just made its place on my 2022 top 5 reads.

It got my heart racing, I was questioning everything, the pacing was perfect. It was the kind of book I kept saying "one more chapter, one more!" You could feel Winnie's duality about being a hunter or trusting everyone around her. You could feel her pain and her sadness, the resentment of being an outcast for four years. She also hasn't really trained during those years and it's well reflected in the story. She's part chance, part talented.

This is a YA low fantasy novel meaning the setting is modern with just a glimpse of magical creatures/monsters. Children and teenagers are trained since a young age to fight against those creatures and become hunters at the age of 16. The trials to become a hunter can be deadly.

🥷💀👹👻🧟🧛

To pass the first Hunter's trial, you have to kill a nightmare and survive the forest. Alone.

You are allowed to pass the trials during your 16th birthday month. You have only one chance. Everyone has been training every day, every week, for the past couple of years. You've been an outcast of the society for the past four years and couldn't train like everyone else. You tried your best in your living room and around your house but will it be enough? Will surviving the trials grant back your family status after your father betrayed all of you and fled somewhere you don't know?

Winnie surely hopes so but something else, something darker, is creeping up in the forest. Is the forest really dangerous or should she trust it? Can she still trust her childhood friend Jay even after he turned his back when her family was declared outcasts? Coming back to the Luminaries society raises so many more questions for Winnie. Does she really want to be a hunter?

How I wish this was one of the first books I read in my childhood.

In fact, I really enjoyed the whole plot, how the protagonist fights to be someone worthy, for her family and to feel good about herself. And how, despite how the community or the environment in which she finds herself treats her, she continues to fight for a place.

I also loved the world created with all the mythology and these warriors who control that things do not get out of place

Review posted on GoodReads (October 25, 2022)
Review linked.

3.5/5 stars!

A huge thank you to TorTeen for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed Dennard’s writing in the past, so I was excited to pick this up.

The atmosphere of this book was one of my favorite things about it, because despite my issues that I had, every time I picked the book up I was transported into the creepy, spooky atmosphere of this story immediately. To me, this book is Scooby Doo meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as a childhood fan of both of those things, this book was super fun to read.

Ultimately, I think that this book is a great idea, but just did not have the space it needed. To me, I devoured this book because I was so intrigued by the characters, the world, and the story, but in the end I was left wanting more.

Dennard’s language in this book was really beautiful. I remember opening up the first page and really loving the first paragraph. I think that was one of my favorite parts of the story itself. I also loved Winnie (Being autistic, she read as very autistic coded to me, but in a very good and respectful way). I really loved how Winnie interacted with the world and just how unapologetically herself she was.

I think my issues with this book stem from the story not having enough space, and some plot points being hinted at, but not expanded upon in this book. I know that this is a series, and I will definitely be picking up the sequel because I need to know what happens. But I did feel like some big plot points were left out to be revealed in the next book where I felt they should have been revealed in this book.

Language, amazing.
Character design, great for the main characters, but I did need a lot more from some of the side characters.
World building, super cool, but in the end wanted a bit more.
Plot, needed more.

I would say that I recommend this book, because I really had fun reading it, and I am interested to read what comes next in the series!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

I don't really know where to start with the Luminaries. I was so excited to read this book, since the premise sounds amazing. And of course because the few books I had read from Susan Dennard had been really great, and I was curious about her new series. Yet, I found myself really struggling to get into the story.

I feel like the biggest thing for me was that we were told a lot of things rather than shown. And I get it, there are a lot of things that we need to know about the world and the nightmares, but it did slow the story down. Winnie, our main character, often recites the definitions or descriptions of different nightmares in high stress situations, which is a way to deal with the mental stress, but as a reader just can be redundant, and slows the pacing down.

The other thing was that there wasn't as much story wise as I would have liked. Yes, we see Winnie go through the three trials, but other than that, it felt like there were a lot of plotlines being started. It felt like this could have been condensed to become the first half of a faster paced novel, with a second half that made it feel a little more complete, while still leaving me a hook for a sequel. Because this first book left me feeling underwhelmed.

Overall, The Luminaries is not a bad novel. It's okay. I think it had a lot of potential, but failed to set a pace that worked for me. I truly think many readers will enjoy it, but it was fully what I expected and wanted from it. Will I read the sequel? Yes, because the premise still has a lot of potential, and I want to see if she will bring me more in the rest of the story.

The premise of this book was delightful and new. The world building and creatures were fresh and exciting. I enjoyed Winnie and her inner monologue as well as her fervent desire to be accepted back into the fold and fulfill what she considers to be her life's purpose. However, that was all we got....the end. I'm not sure why anyone would publish a book without a clear climax or even a cliffhanger to entice readers back for another installment. There are hints at what could be to come but as a singular entry it is lacking. The writing and pacing were on point I just wish there had been more here to cheer for.