4.5 ⭐️

I’ve been really looking forward to reading something by Susan Dennard because so many of my book friends love her writing. I figured The Luminaries would be a great start for it as it’s the first book in a new series!

The story starts off quite slowly and the situation of Winnie, who's an outcast, is painted very clearly. You immediately understand what drives her to change the situation and I immediately connected with Winnie and sympathized with her.

The worldbuilding was very intriguing and I understand the spooky and atmospheric reference hahaha. It really felt like that. The nightmares that appear in the forest are really interesting and I really want a Compendium to learn about all the different ones! It was really apparent as well that this book is part of a series, since some things were mentioned, but not really explained yet. The Dianas being the biggest example. And knowing there are more communities around the world als well. I'm really excited to learn more about the world in the sequel.
The characters were sooo good! I loved them, all of it hahaha. Winnie is such a believable character. Her luck isn't annoying or comes across as convenient. It actually makes her that much more believable and connectable. Jay as well is very mysterious and I'm curious to see his secrets revealed. personally I think he's the werewolf after seeing what happened in the last trial!
I liked the connection Winnie has with the different Luminaries and how it compliments her journey and growth during the trials. So much happens and it was hard to grasp that the timeline of the whole book is actually a little over a WEEK!!!

The ending was really gripping! I had such a hard time putting the book down because I wanted to know what would happen next! The stakes were super high and loved the way those stakes were raised throughout the story. while a lot is still unknown who's the werewolf, what's the whisperer, why does it seem to help Winnie, was her dad really set up etc. We have so much that’s still left unrevealed and it has gotten me really excited to get to the next book!!

Overall, it was such a good start to a new series with compelling characters and a really intriguing world and forest full of spooky creatures. I can't wait to find out more about all that!

The Luminaries is a gripping contemporary fantasy that weaves magic and suspense into a thrilling adventure. With vivid descriptions and a unique setting, Susan Dennard takes readers on a journey into the dangerous forest of Hemlock Falls. The characters are well-developed, and the dynamic between Winnie and Jay adds depth to the story. Packed with mystery, action, and unexpected twists, this book kept me hooked from start to finish. I really liked it!

Thank you to netgalley for an arc. The Luminaries was a very fast-paced book with monsters and a sprinkling of romance. The world the book is set in is our world, which not a lot of fantasy books do. The chapters were short and had only one POV. The tropes and themes in this book are monsters, coming of age, family drama, and fantasy. This was a refreshing change of pace from the books I usually read.

Wasn't a fan of this read. Didn't feel like it really went anywhere, the world building was ok. The main character wasn't that likeable. Felt like it was a lot of build up to nothing remarkable.

This book is an okay book. The premise was interesting but I just could not really get attached to characters or the plot. It didn’t suck me in and make me want to forget everything but reading.

I really really liked this book! The writing is phenomenal, the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and overall I really liked the world of the Luminaries and can't wait to keep reading!

Purchased for my high school library. Students have enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next installment.

The Luminaries takes place in a world where there are creatures called nightmares. Nightmares are not nice and they will kill humans. the Luminaries are a group whose purpose is to kill these nightmares and keep them away from humans. Winnie and her family were banished from the order because her dad was a traitor, Now Winnie is finally old enough to take the test to become one of the Luminaries again. She hopes that this will restore their faith in her family and they will no longer be banished from the community. This book puts you right into this world and you won't want to leave.

DNF. I have loved Susan Dennard's Truthwitch series and I was so hoping I'd enjoy this one as well but sadly it didn't work out. I've been trying to read it for months now and I have to admit that it's just not for me, unfortunately.

This book is amazing! It's really fun, it's fast paced and it has romance...so, it has it all. Short chapters made this book a page turner and impossible to put down. After I finished it, I was left wanting more. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I initially requested a copy of The Luminaries not necessarily because I loved the premise, but because I enjoyed (and am still reading!) Dennard's Witchlands series. I had decent hopes for this! However, I was left quite disappointed.

Winnie

Winnie is a very shallow character, made that much worse by her being the main character. There's very little to learn about her beyond a few cardboard cut-outs for "teen girl" and "extra special chosen one." What I wouldn't have given to get away from Winnie for a bit.

I can't remember anything about Winnie from the book other than she was also boring. She didn't have anything interesting to say, just a huge chip on her shoulder that is absolutely beaten into you. She has daddy issues, I get it.

Several of the other characters drew my attention more than Winnie did, and they were even weaker than she was. The broody love interest, the clingy mother, the frustrated brother...I'd almost rather read about any of them than spend more time with Winnie.

The World

The world was also pretty disappointing. One of the major sources of conflict in the book is related to a betrayal committed by Winnie's father, rendering his family outcasts. This was a good opportunity to express the complex tension that can exist between loyalty and family.

Dennard doesn't pull it off. The way the rest of the world treats the family is unrealistic and unbelievable. I can't say a lot about this without spoiling it but it almost seems like a child wrote how they thought adults would act in that situation, without knowing the reality.

Another issue that I had with the world is that it was boring. The different clans are organized to a day of the week (which, I don't know why the day of the week was so important they built their whole society around it) and each has a specific function. They also fit into very clear stereotypes, right down to how they dress and what their clan houses look like. It was comical.

The Hunters instituted these trials to thin the herd but at the same time, they're really low on Hunters? The trials aren't even particularly difficult as there is help from adults available.

Plot

There wasn't much of a plot in this book. As many other reviewers have said, all that happens is exactly what is written in the publisher description. There are no surprises here. What you read there is exactly what you will get.
What you do get isn't explained at all; you're supposed to go along with that but there isn't anything revealed as the story progresses. There are several important secrets hinted at but by the end, you're just as confused as you were at the beginning. It's very unsatisfying.

Some of the conflict is the drama around Winnie's family and her taking these trials, but we all know she's going to pass them. There is never a hint that our protagonist might not succeed. We all know somehow that it will be wrapped up with a little bow - and it is too neat. Instantly it's all forgive and forget.

The worst part is that the book couldn't get me to care. Not for the flimsy characters, the shallow world, nor the thin plot. I kept reading just to finish it and get it out of my mind. I can't imagine how this came from an author I like so much. I'm disappointed and I'm not sure where that leaves me for the rest of the Witchlands series.

Thank you to Tor Teen, Macmillan, and NetGalley for allowing me early access to an eARC in exchange for my review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I made it about an hour into the audiobook and just wasn’t hooked into it. I had “paused” it in the meantime but I’ve just hit the point where I don’t think I’ll be picking it back up.

Adventure, secrets, action! This book was another amazing adventure. Written well, character driven, descriptive and immersive. What an amazing story.

This author is one of my buy without question, I found her through the truth witch series which I love and got a friend even hooked on to it. So when I saw she was writing a second series I had to get it

The Luminaries is a YA coming of age story following Winnie as she restore her family name after her father’s betrayal resulted in them being kicked out of they community.

Sadly there is romance which is okay if you like that (my heart is too black for that). The plot has a lot of twist and turns which I can’t wait to see develop as the series goes on. The story flow is great and as someone who has read her books you can see how. She has a grown as an author as well as a story teller.

Easy to read with short chapters and great monster guides. Just need book 2 to see if I am right about a few things

Unable to review at this time. Will review at a later date. I'm cleaning up my netgalley in order to review 2023 books. This book sounds delightful and will read once fully caught up on my account. Thank you for this opportunity! I look forward to reading this book!

I must say that I didn't read this book but, I listened to it!
Beacause I liked it so much, I decided to buy a special edition of the book!

The Luminaries is such a beautifully written fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. Susan Dennard has earned herself a spot on my auto-buy authors list. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out The Luminaries today.

This one was too slow for me, too repetitive, nothing is actually happening. Beautiful cover, but i did not liked the book. Boring and annoying characters, i was not curious about them. Nothing big is happening, no twist, no plot development.

Winnie Wednesday has ben an outcast since her father was outed as one of the Dianas, a group that is effectively the mortal enemy of the Luminaries. She is still required to do corpse duty every week but will never attain the status of ‘Hunter’ within her community, a fact that leaves her friendless and ridiculed despite her mother previous holding the title of head of the family. Despite this fact, Winnie decides she will still undergo the trials, a series of dangerous tasks that would usually determine entry into the prestigious order of defenders of her home town. There’s only one problem, Winnie has trained for years and isn’t suppose to enter the forest unaccompanied.

I thought throughout that I knew where this book was heading and for the most part I was correct. That tiny chunk that I couldn’t predict though – an absolute revelation. Let me scream it from the rooftops that this novel will not serve as a replacement for the next Witchlands novel, it will just make you need yet another sequel from the wide works of Susan Dennard.
I absolutely adored (but also lowkey despised) Jay Friday with his rugged good looks and marshmallowy demeanour towards Winnie. He’s the big brother figure of this one – there’s also the ACTUAL big brother but he has his own thing going on – and while he has his flaws, he’s really just a likeable guy. Winnie on the other hand holds grudges against pretty much everyone because, well, they all decided to be jerks post the ‘dad’ incident. She’s independent and smart but also a little bit sassy so she makes a rather good protagonist for the most part.

If you have read Dennard before, you know she goes hard on the worldbuilding and this one is no different. The forest has its own personality, lurking in the background the whole time with its sinister fog and dastardly creatures after night falls. As a reader I appreciated that it wasn’t just tacked in for the tournament, instead forming the centrepiece of the story.

While on the surface this is a YA fantasy novel, it also delves into current world issues relating to bullying and social isolation. Winnie and her whole family have been shunned from polite society based on something that they had no control over – her mother’s family even vetted her dad prior to accepting him. But as soon as Winnie does something that the town can see as valuable, the change is instantaneous with Winnie suddenly regaining lost friends and being welcomed with open arms. It actually gave me the heebies and I really hope it gets explored in the follow up because can you say society dysfunction?

Overall, The Luminaries is another triumph for Dennard, appealing to the masses as well as long term fans. As previously stated, this one is not like Witchlands and I am definitely here for it. Also, that ending was *chefs kiss*

Had the opportunity to witness this project come to life in Twitter as a create your own ending kind of game, but finally reading it in print transported me back to the world and characters. This is a contemporary fantasy with a unique lore and world-building, and a book that holds promise and adventure and I can't wait to read more in the rest of the series