Winnie wants to be a part of the Luminaries, but since she had to stop training four years ago when her family was shunned, she isn’t sure she has what it takes to survive the three tests. When Winnie unexpectantly accomplishes the first test, her family is quickly welcomed back into the community. She asks Jay to help train her before the next two tests and he seems to understand what she saw the night she “killed” her first monster. What is the creature that is stalking the already dangerous forest? Does Winnie have what it takes to join the Luminaries?

The Luminaries is the first book in a series by the same name. This fantasy/supernatural novel took elements from older stories and weaved in new and updated creatures that made it a refreshing read. Dennard has created a new world that has the promise for many stories and the end left readers with no doubt that there will be more books in our future. Readers don’t need to be diehard fantasy or supernatural fans to enjoy this story.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Teen for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book so much that I had to read it while at work! I couldn’t put it down! Winnie’s family has been labeled outcasts due to her dad being a witch. They are not allowed to join The Luminaries in the hunt against mythical creatures and are basically treated like the are invisible. Even Winnie’s best friends stopped talking to her. But there is hope she can take the trials to become a hunter for the Luminaries and restore her family name. But when the first trail doesn’t go as planned and she discovers not all is as it seems will she be able to complete the trails? Will she be able to restore her family to the Luminaries? And exciting adventure with mythical creatures and one groups duty to keep them at bay! Winnie’s determination and drive were fun to read! I enjoyed her interactions with Jay and her brother as well! The book ends on some major cliffhangers so I’m excited to see what comes next! You you enjoy fantasy novels then you’ll enjoy this adventure! Can’t wait to read it again!

A book that promises dark & creepy atmosphere vibes, which it definitely delivers. Unfortunately that means it’s not really for me. I don’t mind a strange story but with it starting out with a pretty descriptive, gruesome scene of human corpses, I was like that one character who ran off. It didn’t sit well with me.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

This is my new favorite book and I'm so excited because it's a series!!! The writing, Winnie's character and the amazing depictions of monsters (Nightmares) left me wanting more. As soon as possible, please!!!

Winnie Wednesday is a Luminary. She is part of a large group that keeps the rest of the world safe from Nightmares. However, Winnie and her family are outcasts because her father was caught as a witch (a Diana). So, Winnie feels like she has one shot to get her and her family welcomed back to the Luminary's... and, that is to attempt the Hunter trials when she turns 16.

I loved everything about this book. Winnie is a great character to follow and there is no lack of imagination and excitement throughout this whole story. I cannot wait for book 2 because the ending left me with some major theories!

Highly recommend!

Out November 1, 2022!

The Luminaries was a great book to ring in the fall season for me! Winnie was a relatable character with real flaws and emotions - I felt as though I was experiencing the rush of the forest and the fear of the nightmares with her. The story also developed at the perfect pace. Susan Dennard was careful not too reveal anything too large too soon, while keeping the book exciting and the reader guessing. I am already excited for the sequel so that I can see how everything resolves.

Thoughts

This book was such a great start to a new series! I do wish it was a tad more self-contained--that a few of its plots had wrapped up entirely--but I very much enjoyed the spectacularly spooky atmosphere Susan Dennard creates.


Pros
Drama By Omission: This is something that usually ends up in my critiques instead of my pros list. Here, however, the fact that Winnie skirts the truth--and thereby creates tension--proves a positive. When others assume something about Winnie that isn't true (but does in fact help her cause), of course she doesn't deny it. This makes perfect sense. It plays right into her own desires, and the tension that it subsequently creates isn't as cringe-worthy as drama-by-omission usually is. This little white lie-by-omission is also cleared up in the end--somewhat--and I appreciate that, too.

World of Nightmares: This is a world of werewolves and vampires, kelpies and will-o-the-wisps. The nightmares of this forest come alive each evening, and they are vicious and startlingly real. Supernatural spooks and eldritch horrors drip through these pages--and it's delightful.

Atmospheric: In addition to the dreadfully fantastic nightmare beasts of this forest, Dennard absolutely nails the unsettling atmosphere. From the rising fog to the trickling creeks and the crashing waterfalls, this forest is full of nightmare-fuel even before the beasts come away. Blood drips through these trees, and the clicking of Winnie's anxious teeth--and the teeth 0f the resounding vampires--sets an unsettling sort of score to this tale. It's spine-tinglingly good.


Cons
Flimsy Worldbuilding: As atmospheric as every setting Winnie finds herself in might be, the actual world itself here needs a bit more fleshing out. There are slumbering spirits all around the world, communities of Luminaries who keep their nightmares contained, and Dianas who want to... exploit the spirits, I guess? But, but, but I have so many questions and no explanations. The surface was here. There's a nice scaffolding in place. But there's nothing really to sink my teeth into--and I wanted that something more.

Jumpy Pacing: The pacing here was sometimes incredibly fast and sometimes awkwardly slow. The whole book only spans a week of time, and so a quick pace throughout makes sense. That some more tedious and mundane scenes therefore wend on and on seems a little much. Why dedicate so many pages to so little content? That isn't to say that anything really dragged, but the overall feeling here wasn't quite balanced.

Unresolved: At the end of the day (and the book), there were just a few too many unconnected dots for me. The competition itself wraps up, but the competition isn't the big plot here. Winnie's struggle to be accepted isn't the big plot. The big plot is, well, bigger than that. There are a lot of other struggles happening, and there are a lot of hints dropped that meant I was disappointed when the end came without these dangling bits tied up. I know there needs to be something for the next book... but something more major should have found its conclusion here. It was an irritating note to (not end) on.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9/10

Those who liked the modern flair to the magic worldbuilding of Christine Lynn Herman and Amanda Foody's All of Us Villains will like this new world of dangerous magic. Those who appreciated the romantic-tension-filled training sessions of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy will enjoy these new soon-to-be hunters.

Thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I've read a few of Dennard's other books and followed along with this story when it was on Twitter. I loved the changes and am excited for this novel to be out in the world.

As part of a long line of Luminaries, an ancient order that protects the outside world from dangerous, corporeal nightmares, Winnie Wednesday has long hoped to become a hunter. After her father was revealed to be a traitor, Winnie and her family have lived as outcasts, though passing the hunter trials might restore their family reputation. The only problem is, Winnie hasn't been allowed to train alongside her peers, and the trials she's facing are deadly. And even worse, Winnie soon discovers that there is something in the forest even the Luminaries aren't prepared for.

Come for the lovely cover, stay for the urban fantasy. As someone who notoriously starts series only to never finish them (I'm working on it, I swear) I was originally caught by the cover. The world sounded interesting, and when I got there I was totally engaged. This book definitely has some high points. 4 stars.

Dennard's newly-minted contemporary fantasy stars the small town of Hemlock Falls, which surround a "sleeping spirit" whose nightmares become very real, and are very dangerous. The town is run by the Luminaries, a group of experts that make up clans named after the days of the week. These people are hunters, scientists, teachers, and more, but their lives revolve around the forest of Hemlock Falls and ensuring that nothing dangerous gets out.

This is where we're introduced to Winnie, a Wednesday, whose story we follow. Her family has been shunned over the actions of her father. Winnie has always dreamed of becoming a hunter, a dream that has become stronger when she realizes that succeeding might be a way to gain favor within the Luminaries. Winnie is a well-rounded character who struggles with the dichotomy between being favored and being outcasts, as well as her dreams and the reality she's living. On the flip side, many of her supporting cast are as yet one-dimensional, though I imagine that they will become more important and become more fleshed out as the series continues. This, of course, includes Jay Friday--Winnie's former best friend, resident "bad boy," and the rising star of the hunters.

This novel is an introduction to a new series, and sometimes it feels like just that. This nearly-400-page novel opens up with Winnie's first trial of three, and takes place over the next week, in which she will either pass and become a hunter, or fail. Because of this, there are places that it feels rather slow, and places where it feels like far too much is happening in such a short period of time.

At the same time, the novel introduces many issues that Winnie and her peers will have to contend with, yet these are all left open-ended. It was a little frustrating for me as a reader; assuming the next book will take approximately a year to reach publication, this might be a long road for those that want to stick with the series. It may also be due to the roots of this novel; according to the author's note, the characters and the world were pulled from a social writing experiment that took place over the author's Twitter during the pandemic. While she says many aspects are different, maybe there's a part of it that is still stuck in this "what will happen next" mindset.

Posted to Goodreads September 26, 2022.

Great YA Fantasy title but it does skew a bit younger than most YA these days, not that there's anything wrong with that, just be aware.

I really enjoyed the story as I'm a sucker for the whole haunted forest vibe, world building and character development were well done with the exception of some strangely annoying character trait repetition. It did read a bit younger than I was expecting, and all in all it was a decent read.

The Luminaries

Do you like haunted forests? Winnie Wednesday and her family live Hemlock Falls which just happens to be next a a deadly forest full of monsters. Very night the Luminaries go out into this forest and kill the monsters before they can escape and wreck havoc on the world. Winnie dreamed of becoming a Luminarie one day. However, her dad was exposed as a witch and a traitor and since that day her family have been shunned by the community making her life pure misery. Her only hope is her one chance to escape the shunning and become a Luminarie is to pass the test on her 16th birthday. But, things dob’t go as planned and she soon finds out there are monsters in the woods not every one knows about.

So, I fell in love with this world from the first page. There were times when I got tired of hearing how bad her life was. Am I a bit of a jaded reader. However, the book moves extremely fast and soon we stop dwelling so much on her bad life and more on what is happening.

I love the forest and the descriptions of the monsters. If you have ever liked looking up monsters in books you’re going to love this. Winnie studies the Compendium, the book where they store their knowledge of the supernatural monsters. She also draws them and I hope we get some really good fan art from this!

Winnie is a very relatable character to follow. She struggles, things do not come easy for her, but so continues to fight and struggle. She’s smart and capable, but not invincible. 

The romance was okay. But, the guy kinda annoyed me. There is more to him though and I have a feeling in the next book we’re going to learn even more. So, hopefully he will grow on me.

There is some fun mysteries in this book and I really liked them. There is a plot twist that comes that you can kinda see coming but that you’re pretty happy about, at least I was. 

Overall, this book is fast paced, full of monsters, a haunted forest, some high school drama with kids who liven a secret society, and there’s some really great moments. I’d say if you liked A Deadly Education this book has some very similar vibes and you’d probably love this book as well.

I've been reading some heavy books lately so The Luminaries has been a nice change. There is a really sweet crush that gave me some high school nostalgia. If YA is your jam, this one felt solidly young adult. Hunger Games mixed with monsters vibes and classic topes such as: family secrets, imposter syndrome, and community outcast. It ends with a bunch of unanswered questions so I am on the lookout for news of a follow-up. I would have liked more questions answered however, it felt like none of the plot was really resolved. I also agree with some of the other reviews that the main character had some repetitive habits (glasses pushing, teeth clicking). The author should have mentioned those things less and used varying descriptive terms to describe them because it got annoying. I would use a different term other than "clicking" for the teeth all together. I love the friendship group and am curious to see where this goes as a series.

Love. Everything about it is love. I love Susan Dennard’s writing so much; it just bring happiness and joy while ultimately punching you in the face.

The Luminaries tells the story of Hemlock Falls and Winnie Wednesday. The town itself is a character in the story with its dangerous Forest and ancient traditions. Amidst this back drop, we are introduced to Winnie, who is facing prejudice due to her father's misuse of magic. In order to prove her family's worth she joins a trial to become a Luminary, a hunter of an ancient order. We follow her through three trials as she works toward this goal.

The book is a little slow to get started, but picks up quickly.

Magical realism is not my favorite, and the story starts out slow, but as the book progresses I enjoyed it thoroughly. Definitely recommend.

An intriguing start to a new series that I'm sure to recommend to the teens at my library. Dark, but romantic -- and ultimately very beguiling.

As always, really appreciated the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book! I originally requested an ARC because I thought that this would be a good book to stock in our shop, and after reading the book I still find that to be true! However, to my personal tastes, I don't think this book lived up to the expectations I had for it.

My biggest complaint is definitely that this work read oddly younger than I expected. Maybe this is because other YA books are reading older these days, but I felt that the style of writing, if not the content itself, fit more as a middle grade book. The choice to group the families by last names corresponding with days of the weeks felt very juvenile; again, as if were written for a younger audience than its marketed audience, and was overall really distracting to taking the characters or their narrative arcs seriously, especially as we got a lot of information about the characters in exposition but weren't really shown any of these details in action.

The atmosphere was not quite there, either. While the pacing and plot held their own, the ambiance really wasn't there, and though the creatures and situations themselves were often rather nightmarish, there wasn't enough world-building to really catch my attention, either. Some of the tropes felt like reused elements from dystopian 2010's popular literature, which both failed to really bring anything new to the table and came across as rather overused as well.

Overall, I do think this will appeal to a specific target audience and will be happy to order a couple of copies for our shop! However, I personally was not a fan of some of the bigger elements of this work and would not re-approach it myself.

Absolutely spellbinding and a clever play on magical realism. I devoured this book in one sitting, The story pulls you into it immediately, opening as we are about to join Winnie Wednesday on corpse duty as the hunters come off patrol. She comes from a family that have been outcast for four years after her father was discovered to be a traitor. She is looking to earn back her families honor by taking part in the hunter trials.
The cultish undertones, subtle commentary on classism and the difference between being in favor or out of favor give the story nuanced layers. The characters themselves are flawed and imperfect, making them all the more relatable and credible. Winnie's struggles and that of her family are deeply relatable and show the impact that choosing to stay in a toxic environment can have. The shattering loss of friends and family in the wake of the betrayal contrasts beautifully with the discomfort Winnie and her family feel as they move back into the fold.
The concept of the hunt, the nightmares they are hunting all feature smart twists on lore that we all recognize. The "big bad" is unique and I am deeply looking forward to finding out more about it throughout the rest of the series.
All in all, Dennard has given us a book (and hopefully a series) that will be read for many, many years to come. Very much looking forward to the next book.

The Luminaries is so good, Susan Dennard always write some amazing adventures but this one begin as a Sooz your own adventure on Twitter. It was already incredible but this story is even more amazing.
The characters are great, the story is creapy and very nice, it's a good book for autumn season, it's spooky and has some Halloween vibes.
The writing style is perfect, at the end of the book we have so many questions but there will be a book two so yeah to that.

Before I get into the bulk of my review, I want to say a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Tor Teen for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Luminaries tells the story of Hemlock Falls, a town unlike others. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work there, and the forest outside town might just kill you. Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, an 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. We follow along as she faces ridicule for her father’s choices and faces the three challenges that will determine if she gets to fight another day. The Luminaries comes out on November 1st and is available for preorder now.

I came into this story not knowing much but knowing that I’ve enjoyed other things this author has written in the past. I was a little concerned when I saw she was writing YA, but I needn’t have worried. Susan Dennard has done it again. This is absolutely the perfect book to read in the Fall because the author builds such an amazing atmosphere and setting. I love this world that she has built and I’m already ready to jump back into it. I also find the characters to be relatable and well rounded. I especially like Winnie’s family and her friend Jay. It feels like real people dealing with real problems and not just puppets moving around a stage. I love the fact that they have their own secrets that they’re protective of and their own desires. And I think the author does a great job with taking monsters we know from our real world stories and turning them on their heads. Especially the basilisk. That fight scene was intense.

I struggled a little in the beginning with getting my footing in the story, but I think if you just keep reading you’ll get it. I think it didn’t help that I came in with my own preconceived notions of the author’s writing. And this is just so different from the Witchlands series.

I really cannot wait to see what happens in the next one because I’ve got theories and I have to know if I’m right.

Thank you so much to Tor Teen for sending me an early copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a refreshing YA Fantasy! Plus you don't see too often anymore with a main character that kills monsters and wears glasses. I loved Winnie and loved how fiercely loyal she was to those she cared about. This was such a good cozy read and i loved the world and all the side characters actually had personality to them and didn't feel so one dimensional to me. I actually felt like i was in the story alongside Winnie and i'm very excited for the sequel! that ending!