I went in not knowing much about this book. It didn't go as I thought it would, but that's on me.

The premise is very interesting and the world created here is full of intriguing creatures. I loved to see the different nightmares that inhabit the forest. Would love to learn more about the ones from all over the world. I didn't know the book would focus on her trials, so I expected more forest time. But what I saw intrigued me. It got a bit repetitive, as the trials felt like the same over and over.

I also wanted more on her father's story, but I guess that's something for the sequels.

I didn't know this was a YA book, so Winnie annoyed me a bit in some parts, but luckily there was less focus on romance than I thought. Wish we had gotten to know her past and current friends a bit better, they all felt a bit flat to me.

Not sure if I'll get to the sequels, but if you like YA fantasies, go for it.

Can't believe it took me this long to read this book, it went way beyond my expectations for it. Because I had to know more about the main character, and her world I just kept reading ,which meant I finish it in a day . The characters, the challenges they faced, the world they lived in it seemed to come alive .

Thank you to the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Luminaries are a secret group of nightmare/monster hunters worldwide. Winnie’s mom was one of the lead hunters before it was discovered her dad was a spy for their enemies. Her and her family were outcasted but it’s in her blood to be a hunter and she will do anything to be just that, and win a place amongst her people again.

I really liked this!!! The nightmare element was unique and though, vaguely defined, it still was super cool. I loved the families were split by days of the week and they split the hunting responsibilities based on that. I loved Winnie and all of her flaws, feelings, vibes. Jay was the perfect mysterious MMC counterpart. This town was so atmospheric and spooky in nature, I just loved it so much. This was just a really cool spooky read and I wish I had read it sooner for sure. But now I have less time to wait for book 2!! 4/5 stars!!

3.5

Maybe it was how short the book was, maybe it was something else. But I just wanted more. The book never seemed to get to the climax. It coasted through on anticipation. Every time I flipped the page I was like "here's where the action is going to start" and I was disappointed every time.

But I still enjoyed it. Or I enjoyed where it was going. I'm hoping that the second book gets to the plot that the first book was so desperately trying to get to. I look forward to it.

I inhaled this book. It's the first in The Luminaries series, and the second book, The Hunting Moon, comes out Nov. 7, 2023. This one definitely has me ready to dive into the next one.

Genre wise, I'm not sure how to classify this. It's almost like urban fantasy except it takes place in the woods. There's a whole town of hunters keeping the rest of the world safe from the nightmares that come to life in the forest at night. Winnie, Wednesday is from a hunter family. Unfortunately, she, her mother, and her brother have been labeled as outcasts for the last four years. She wants nothing more than to be a hunter and has figured out a way to take the challenge.

I loved Winnie. She is fierce, courageous, and uncertain of the people around her. She's bright, knowledgeable and prickly at the same time. If you like a fantasy and paranormal, I would recommend this. There is also a competitive aspect to this book. All the perspective hunters aren't battling against each other, they are in dangerous circumstances as they try and survive in the forest.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for sharing a copy with me. All opinions are my own.

"The Luminaries" immerses readers in the mysterious town of Hemlock Falls, a place shrouded in secrets and danger. As Winnie Wednesday, I yearned to prove my worth by joining the Luminaries, tasked with protecting our town from the malevolent forces that emerge from the sinister forest every night.

This novel brilliantly explores themes of belonging, family, and the cost of redemption. Winnie's determination to clear her family's name, even if it means facing deadly trials, adds depth to her character. The reluctant partnership with Jay Friday, the town's bad boy with hidden knowledge, creates an intriguing dynamic filled with secrets and unexpected twists.

In "The Luminaries," not all monsters can be vanquished, and the forest holds secrets that challenge everything Hemlock Falls thought it knew. This dark and gripping tale will keep you on the edge of your seat, unraveling mysteries that reach beyond the shadows. It's a must-read for those who crave thrilling adventures with a touch of the supernatural.

This book was really good. Winnie was such a reliable character, and the story invoked many emotions from me. I will be picking up the sequel ASAP. I felt this book was well thought out and the world-building beautifully detailed. I'm excited to see where the storyline will go.

Loved this title. Typical teen angst and questioning in the midst of pretty stressful circumstances. I didn't not realize it was going to be part of a series. While it wasn't a cliff-hanger, there was a lot left open-ended.

Did I absolutely completely devour this book in two days? Yes. Have I discovered a new author to auto buy? Also yes. Will I be buying and mentioning this book to all my reader friends, also yes. Thank you for the review opportunity

I absolutely loved this book! I love the fantasy drama so much and the added romance in this one really gave it a bonus for me. The world building was magnificent and kept me engaged and wanting to learn more as it went on. The characters were well developed and made me want more. I really enjoyed that the names of the different clans were days of the week! Winnie Wednesday is either fearful or fearless and trying to get out from under her father's shadow/disgrace. I honestly connected with this and wanted to see how it went for her! This read was a fast paced, action driven, and enticing for me. I honestly can't wait for the second one!

"The Luminaries" by Dennard crafts a vivid fantasy world with intricate magic systems. The characters' interwoven destinies add depth to the plot, although pacing occasionally falters. Dennard's prose shines, though some exposition-heavy passages could be streamlined. A promising start to a series with ample potential for growth.

pros:
- interesting concept.
- the plot was very interesting (but I found large gaps between plot points left me kinda bored).
- the odd bits with fast pacing were good (but most of the pacing was medium-slow).

cons:
- why do her teeth click so much? (someone needs to see the dentist …)
- really juvenile characters (yes I know this is ya, but the characters act like they’re in the middle grade!)
- the concept was interesting but the execution didn’t meet my expectations.

unfortunately this book bothered me way too much in regards to her teeth clicking and overly juvenile characters. (The teeth clicking was literally driving me insane! I wanted to dnf on this fact alone. It was mentioned at least once per page, sometimes more).

Susan Dennard is one of those authors who’s books I keep trying as they sound so good. I have yet to read a series by her that actually meets those expectations. I was hoping the luminaries would be that one. 😕

The luminaries was a bit of an expected read for me. I am not sure what I was expecting but overall I found it to be an enjoyable read.

I don't typically read fantasy, but I enjoyed the fantasy overlap with paranormal feel that this book gave off.

The luminaries is fast paced and definitely a quick and easy read. My main complaint is that the ending was a bit rushed and It left me a little unsatisfied. I honestly wouldn't mind reading more from this series if the author decides to continue it.

As always thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review of

DNF @ 26%

This reads on the younger side of YA, particularly its use of teen stereotypes and tropes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because I am not the target audience. Some of writing was very heavy handed. I found the concept of each clan being named after a day of the week pretty cheesy.

I absolutely LOVE Susan Dennard and am a huge fan of the Witchlands, so when I heard about the Luminaries I knew I had to get my hands on a copy (or 4).

What I loved about this book was the immediate intrigue I felt when I saw the cover and read the synopsis. I mean monsters, mystery, and mahem with a dash of romance? Sign me up!

Unfortunately, the book fell a little flat for me. I wanted to love this one, but I wanted more from the story. I wanted more character-building, more world-building, I wanted the story to be darker.

I will absolutely be continuing this series to see where it goes and any other books Susan writes because her Witchlands series means so much to me and I wouldn't want to miss out on what she does next.

Winnie wants to join the ancient order that protects her town, the Luminaries, from monsters and nightmares that stir every night. She doesn’t want to join to protect humanity - she is also determined to restore her family’s good name.

To have a chance to survive, she turned to her ex-best friend, Jay Friday. With his help, Winnie has a better chance at surviving. Together they end up discovering someone no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

I was so excited for this. The paranormal mystery with some high stakes life or death situation sounded right up my alley and like it was made for me. Unfortunately… this was not for me and I ended up DNFing it at 72%.

While YA, the plot is something that easily allowed for it to be on the darker side - this was not. It seemed to skim over everything. The world-building felt non-existent to me. There was so much here that I wanted to know more about, but we either got the bare minimum for it or nothing at all. It wasn’t just the world-building that seemed to be skimmed over, but a number of the plot points that didn’t get resolved. I understand that this is a series, so that could help, but the amount of unresolved points feels like a lot going forward.

Winnie as a main character was not someone who really pulled me into the story. She was naive and seemed to be relying more on others to get her through things that figuring out something herself. I felt frustrated by her more often than not.

I wanted to like this so bad. Mystery, paranormal, I came in eager to eat it up and be obsessed over. This fell short for me and I left so disappointed to have DNF’d it so late in the story.

Such a fun read that had me nostalgic to the 2010's era of YA paranormal fiction. Susan Dennard perfectly blended a youthful tone of our MC while also making the plotline have a grounded and serious level of stakes.

While it will have a place in library collections where low fantasy/urban fantasy circulates well, it isn't a must-buy in the genre. There is a potential for interesting worldbuilding, but the book gets mired in the story it is trying to tell and ends up feeling rushed/unfinished, or like the first half of a whole book. While I found myself itching for the rest of the series immediately after finishing The Luminaries, I forgot the book existed until writing this review, months after my initial read.

At first, it took me a little to get into it. I loved the storyline and enjoyed following the characters throughout.

But I hated that they all had last names that were of a day of the week. It was annoying and took me out of the book more than once. It was a distraction from the interesting things going on with the trials and the dark creatures.

I wish it had stuck more with first names and not always stating everyone's last names, too.
I get that everyone was part of a different clan, but for a fantasy, it struck me as odd to use something so common as a day of the week. And the constant repetition....

Thankfully, the story itself was good. I liked Winnie and how, with help from a friend, she was able to overcome a lot of the obstacles. It's one thing for a character to be strong or weak, but it's always nice to see when characters can accept help. Not all stories have to be about being the best and not needing anyone, and this was the perfect example. It worked well for the story. I always enjoy a good friendship.

This book gave me Wednesday (the TV show) vibes, which is funny, since the MC's last name is Wednesday....

Anyway, I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. But I hope there is less of the weekday last names in this upcoming book

One of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint at all. I was even able to get the Owlcrate edition for my shelves!

I love how beautiful her writing is and it just pulls you in!