This was a fast paced fantasy that left me wanting… something. I’m not sure what, but I was hoping for more. Reading the description pretty much sums the entire book up.

The Luminaries follows Winnie Wednesday, an outcast from the typical Luminary society who are sequestered in a community all there own destined to look after a forest where a spirit slumbers. In the evening spirits arise from the mist, and the luminaries are fated to kill them. Winnie's family is cast out of society for the belief that her father is a Diana, and he has been MIA for the last four years. Diana's are the Luminaries arch-nemeses. Instead of waiting the 10 years of their banishment, Winnie finds a loop-hole where she can become a hunter as they all do, by undergoing the three trials in the month of their 16th birthday. She notices something along the way though, there's a werewolf that shouldn't be there, but also something that's much more sinister lurking in the deep dark. What could it be? This stellar beginning to a mysterious series is a true delight.

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but it has been three years and I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

I am a huge fan of Dennard's Witchland series and this book did not disappoint! Single POV contemporary fantasy story. Lots of monsters, a little romance story line . The story was fast paced and the short chapters helped make this story fly by.

I think there's not much I can say about this one other than there wasn't much to this story, as far as I can see. The pace was a little off for my liking and the mystery wasn't that interesting. The premise was fascinating, but once again this fell into YA tropes I do not love.

'The Luminaries' by Susan Dennard is the first novel in a YA supernatural series. The story is interesting an well told with likable characters and a well-developed plat.

An intriguing premise with a dark, mysterious town and a strong heroine, Winnie, who wants to prove herself. The tension between Winnie and Jay adds depth to their relationship, but the pacing felt a bit uneven at times. The world-building and monster-hunting elements are fun, though some parts could have been developed more. While the story kept me engaged, it didn’t fully hit the mark for me. A solid read, but not without its flaws

Fantastic pacing and world building. I love a good mystery and this had me hooked.
Thank you for my copy!

The Luminaries is a fantasy novel by Susan Dennard. It is the first book in the The Luminaries series, which blends elements of adventure, magic, and mystery. The book touches on themes of power, destiny, friendship, and self-discovery. It delves into what it means to grow up with great expectations and the pressure of shaping one’s own future in the face of overwhelming odds.
The story takes place in a world where The Luminaries, a secretive group of skilled individuals, use their magical abilities to protect the world from dark forces. The main protagonist, Ziva, is a young girl who is thrust into this world when she discovers her own latent magical abilities. As she trains to become one of The Luminaries, Ziva uncovers mysteries surrounding her past and the fate of the Luminaries themselves.
Ziva’s journey is complicated by the fact that she is not only learning how to control her powers but also facing the weight of prophecy and the role she may play in an impending conflict that could change the fate of the world. Along the way, she forges relationships with other members of the Luminaries, confronts dark forces, and unravels dangerous secrets.

This was okay. It was not perfect but I enjoyed it a lot. The writing was beautiful and it had a cool magic system

The concept for The Luminaries is an interesting one. An entire society that protects the world from the creatures that manifest in a spooky forest is an atmospheric treat. Winnie will do anything to lift the outcast status placed upon her and her family, including participating in the Hunter Trials. These trials are brutal and are the framework for this book.

I enjoyed this book, but it is not without flaws. Winnie clicks her teeth… a lot. It’s a pet peeve of mine, such repetitive actions in stories, but the rest is compelling enough that I can forgive it. I’m a sucker for slow burns and adored the interactions between Winnie and Ugh Jay.

I wanted to like this book so badly but I just couldn’t. The main character just got on my nerves and the story felt really slow paced to me. I was expecting more action.

I really enjoyed the witchlands series by the same author so I had a lot more hope for this one. But this one just fell flat for me. I won't be finishing the series.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

I really loved this book. I listened to it on audio and it was like being told a scary story, which was so cool. I love how there is this dark mist that brings about these nightmare creatures. It's such a cool concept. I really liked the characters. I do think there could be a stronger romance in this. It just wasn't that believable. I can't wait to read the next one!

Thank you for this ARC. Unfortunately, I've lost interest in this premise. I think it will do more harm if I read and do a review at this point. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

Four stars for the portion of the book that I read. Currently putting this down, hoping to come back to it later

On the spectrum of YA, this is on the younger and safe side. So, if you like that then this is a great book that I'm sure many will love. This one just wasn't one for me.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

I've been looking for a paranormal book for a while now, one that is set in the real world but has a fascinating magic system. I've heard good things about the uniqueness of The Luminaries and I was so happy when it came in one of my Illumicrate boxes.

When I first started reading, I wasn't enjoying the book much in the first 50 pages. I was worried I would have to struggle to read and finish it but as I kept going, I started to breeze through and all of a sudden I read 100 pages in seemingly a blink.

I enjoyed all the characters. Winnie seemed so shy and sweet and I was cheering her on as she made her mark on the Luminaries. After her dad was outed as a Diana, the Luminaries's mortal enemy, Winnie's family was cast out, condemned, bullied and shunned. On her 16th birthday, she takes the chance to regain her family's honour and become a luminary herself. To do so, she needs to undertake a series of tests to protect the human world from the paranormal. With a mysterious new force killing the creatures in the forest, the stakes have become even higher for Winnie to become a luminary and survive the trials.

I enjoyed the story, love interest, Jay and the overall aesthetic of the story. There were times when I felt like the pacing was a little slow but all in all, I had so much fun reading this. I ended up reading the sequel straight after I finished this book and I cannot wait to read book three later this year.

I feel like the summary gave away most of the story, but it was still an enjoyable read overall. I really love the haunting cover.

Ugh, Jay! I followed this story from it's conception as a "Sooz your own adventure" and was so excited when it was published. I love Susan Dennard and her commitment to both craft and her audience. For that reason, I support the hell out of this book. This book was entertaining and enjoyable, with great call-backs to the original story on Twitter. While it is not my favorite book by this author, I am excited to see where the rest of the story takes us.

I was hooked on this book. The supernatural elements were interesting and the unravelling of the plot kept me invested in the characters. There was room for work on developing individual characters, but as this is the start of the series I am holding on to hope that we will get more insight in the future. I burned through this book so fast, and definitely would recommend it to those that enjoy supernatural mystery stories with a friends to enemies to possible lovers? I guess you will have to read to find out.