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.

If you're a fan of the television show Supernatural, I think you would like this book.
It's basically what happens when teenagers go monster hunting. It's all the drama a high school and all the high stakes of Supernatural.
I found it fun and interesting and easy to read.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard is a unique look at magic in America. The main character is Winney Wednesday, whose father betrayed the Luminaries (a group of people dedicated to keeping people safe from the nightmare creatures that come out every night). Winney wants to be a hunter but due to her father's betrayal, she and her mother and brother have been exiled.

This book is rich with details. I supposed it has to be because of the complex social and magic of the story. I was drawn to this book because of the YA outsider/monster hunter vibe. Dennard leans into that quite well, we feel the anger Winny holds from the first chapter and there is carnage right from the get-go. That said, I had a hard time concentrating on the book, which made it less enjoyable for me. This is likely due to me being a bit spacey but it might also be because Winny was so young. Winney was emotional, and rightly so, but as a reader, I just didn't want to see her lashing out so hard for the first part of the book. That's my only complaint though, and it really isn't even much of a complaint.

If you like YA and atmospheric books this is for you! I will try to reread it again at another time.

The Luminaries is a contemporary fantasy set in a small town where magic and nightmares have a strange hold over the surrounding forest, and those who can hunt these Nightmares are considered elite - The Luminaries.

The premise of the book is super super cool. I love magical beasts, and this mysterious Whisperer who keeps haunting Winnie is super intriguing, as well as the mystery of what’s behind all of this. I also thought the characters for the most part were well thought out.

However, my big issue with this book (and something other reviewers have said) is that it doesn’t really go past the premise at all. The synopsis you read is essentially the book. There’s little to no development in the plot, and almost nothing is resolved at the end of the book.

If I felt SUPER drawn in by other elements of it, maybe I would have slightly overlooked that, but ultimately things just felt a tad bit underbaked. I wish there was more to the story, and I hope sequels get there faster

The prologue had me gripped like no one's business, but then Chapter 1 just didn't have the same spark and it didn't pick up for me. It felt like an info dump. I could see average fantasy/sci fi readers giving it an "OK." Too many questions are left unanswered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC.

I've been following Winnie since the choose-your-own-adventure style Luminaries tale on twitter and I was so so excited to read this because I just know I was going to enjoy the chaos and I was not disappointed! I loved Winnie so much, especially because she sort of reminded me of Zahru from Kinder Poison--she has a knack for getting into trouble.

I also think it was so fun to see a hijabi character in this story! I was so shocked and excited about that! Of course, I'm obviously obsessed with her friend dynamics with Erica and (ugh) Jay, especially because I feel like Susan Dennard writes really interesting family and friendship relationships.

I was a bit thrown off in the beginning because it was in present tense, but I got used to it and really enjoyed the feeling of being in the same situation as Winnie throughout the story. It added a layer of anxiety and adrenaline and it made the Trials even more heartracing! The monsters were so creepy and well written and the little mystery interspersed was so intriguing!

I'm just very mad that this wasn't a standalone because OF COURSE THERE'S MORE AND I NEED IT NOW.

The Luminaries is the kind of YA novel that really appeals to me.  It’s a bit of a throwback to early 2000s YA contemporary fantasy, but also has fresh ideas and a darkly imaginative world. Reading it felt like snuggling under a warm blanket.

Winnie Wednesday lives in Hemlock Falls, a town next to a forest that’s full of monsters.  Winnie is an outcast from the Wednesday clan, a group of monster hunters who were betrayed by her father.  Her only way to win redemption for her family is to sneak into the hunter trials when she turns 16 and survive in the woods against vampiras, werewolves, basilisks, kelpies, and other creatures that want to eat her.

Our heroine Winnie feels like a real person.  At times she’s optimistic and brave, and sometimes she’s bitter and fearful.  She’s smart and caring, and a nerdy badass.  There’s a very slow burn romance set up for book 2 (my favourite: slow burn and no love triangle!), and Winnie’s larger group of family members, friends, and enemies are all interesting, well-drawn characters.

The stars of this book for me are the monsters.  The Luminaries completely immersed me in its world.  I’m obsessed with the different twists on monsters that Dennard created — the vampiras and the whisperer in particular are so delightfully creepy.  I also like the slow mystery of what’s really going on in the town, and I wish I had book 2 in this series right now.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for my review copy of this book.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
This YA fantasy started as a Twitter adventure, with followers voting on how the story unfolds, and grew into this amazing tale.

Winnie Wednesday and her family have been shunned because their father’s traitorous activities. This means they can no longer have the important jobs they once held, best friends avoid them, and others make derisive comments. Winnie is desperate to alter her family’s course by taking the tests without formal training to become a hunter, a hunter of nightmares that threaten the town of Hemlock.

What I loved: the cover! OMG I knew I had to read it as soon as I saw it.
What I liked: the ideas of the nightmares that came to life with darkness and faded with dawn.
What made me angry: the societal shunning - it’s supposed to I know!
What frustrated me: the ending! It just sort of stopped.

This is a nice YA book. If you’re looking for adventure you’re in the right place. If you want steam check out something else.

Thank you #torteen #netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc!

Pub date November

I remember when The Luminaries was a twitter book and people voted on polls for what would happen next. I flitted in and out of voting and reading along, and I remember enjoying what I read! So when this book popped up on Net Galley I needed it 😌

I’m happy to say I had fun reading The Luminaries! I know for sure that sixteen year old me would have been absolutely obsessed with this book. It had so many elements to enjoy, mainly creepy monsters and a spooky forest. I am always here for that, sixteen or not 😹

The world building could have done with some work but there’s a chance this could be improved in the final book as I was reading an ARC. More could also be explained in book two. As it was I did have questions but just went along with what I did know.

Winnie was a teen protagonist that actually felt like a teen, and this was really refreshing. As was the lack of smut for adult readers because this is a book for teens after all 👌🏻

As a narrator, Winnie was likeable and relatable, and I rooted for her throughout the books and trials. There was a wee hint at romance between her and her childhood friend, Jay, and it was really sweet.

All in all, I enjoyed my time reading The Luminaries, and I’ll most likely be picking up book two when it comes out!

TW: hunting violence, gore, near drowning, blood, emesis, underage drinking, bullying (extensive), and poison

A part of me was upset to learn originally of this book's release because I'm dying to get the Witchlands finale, but after the initial shock wore off, I became very intrigued by this book. For starters, while I did not follow/ actively participate a lot in the Luminerds Twitter polls during the pandemic, I knew they existed and checked on them every once in a while. When I realized this book was partly based off of those Twitter polls, that's where my excitement truly mounted. And I read Susan's acknowledgments at the end and know she took liberties with this story ultimately with a few easter eggs, but it's so incredible to think about where this story began. Someday, I'll have to really dig deep into the Luminerds Twitter posts.

Anyway, let's get this review rolling for The Luminaries!

I loved the concept for this book. I've always loved cryptids, which this story is not about but reminds me of my nostalgia, and monster hunting stories—cue the Supernatural Carry on My Wayward Son—so it comes as no surprise that this book was meant for me. I've actually just finished reading a lot of dark adult fantasies, so I went into this book wanting something light but mysterious and was rewarded with exactly that.

The Luminaries is a contemporary fantasy about the town of Hemlock Falls where monsters run rampant through the forest and hunters known as Luminaries seek them out. The Luminaries are actually a global organization. A new sect springs up whenever a specific spirit forms and starts to create/ nurture monsters within its borders. My favorite part of this world building is that from every Luminaries sect around the world, clan families go by last names in accordance with the days of the week. There's a detail about about a transfer family with the last name Lunes, which is Monday in Spanish, and then another transfer family with Vtornik as their last name, which is Tuesday in Russian. It was these little details that made the world feel more real, and I liked it a lot.

In terms of the plot, Winnie Wednesday is our protagonist, and for the last four years, her family ( along with her mom and bro) have been outcasts from the Luminaries because Winnie's father betrayed the clan to the Dianas, which is another group of people within this monster hunting world that take advantage of the magic within these special forests. The Wednesday family is known for their loyalty above all else, so their fall is especially harsh in that they are disgraced for 10 years. And dear old dad ran away in the process. With Winnie's 16th birthday coming up, she's determined to exploit a loophole which allows her to compete in the dangerous hunter trials. But monsters even worse than those within the Compendium (Luminaries monster hunting guidebook) are lurking within Hemlock Falls, and Winnie may have much more to lose than she ever thought before starting the trials.

Winnie is by far one of the shining lights of this book. She's intelligent and blunt, realistic and compassionate, and most importantly a freaking badass. She has not officially trained with other hunters since she was around eleven years old, but for the last four years, she's created her own version of training because she wants to be a hunter that badly. She's basically willing to die to end this disgrace on her family, and while many of us would agree that's a bit extreme, the toxicity of the hunters and their culty, bureaucratic indoctrination make this reality understandable. If you aren't a hunter, then you're nothing, and Winnie refuses to let this be the case any longer. Moreover, I relate to her wholeheartedly with her experiences in losing friends. Erika, Jay, and Winnie grew up as a trio before her father's actions, but suddenly, Winnie lost them both along with her aunt and whole community. When the tide starts to change in the midst of the book due to Winnie's first trial, Winnie doesn't embrace these people's change of heart. It actually makes her bitter, more enraged, because it took her putting herself in danger for anything to become better. That part felt very realistic to my own experiences in my life with friendships. You're allowed to be angry and unforgiving because your feelings and pain are valid. Jay and Winnie's relationship really exemplifies this point because they start to grow close in the book, and Winnie cannot forgive him immediately, which causes strain in their rekindled friendship and her tumultuous feelings for Jay. And while I don't think this fully applies to Jay cause he has a lot going on, the change in people's hearts prove that this society is fake. They don't actually care about the hunters individually, and they're a hive mind more than anything else. This makes me excited for the sequel because I think toxic bureaucracy is going to play a huge role.

Now a giant surprise, in my opinion, about this book is the number of theories coursing through my brain. I was expecting this big reveal on a particular element throughout the course of the book, and to not have it happen at all blew me away. Susan is building some tension and angst with not revealing the truth, and my theories are spinning wilder and wilder. I'll be returning to this review to word vomit all about them once The Luminaries releases—notably my ones that involve Jay because he's the mysterious rocker, ex-bestie, bad boy that everyone fawns over in town. But the new, haunting creature is another big theory of mine.

Lastly, going back to my old nostalgia for monster hunters, I loved every minute Winnie was in the forest. From the terrifying chase scenes in the mist to fresh scents of trees and plants, it was a wondrous atmosphere and setting. The details in the monsters was another phenomenal element to the book's atmosphere. I'll never get over the vampira horde at around the mid-way point in the book, and I really enjoyed Susan putting her own spin on these creatures, like vampira, that have been written about for centuries. The monsters gave me goosebumps at times, and I can't wait to see Winnie trudge into there even more in the sequel, particularly with Jay as her hunting buddy—please and thanks Susan!

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

I loved the concept of a creepy forest full of monsters and a society that hunts them, those are my favorite kind of eerie stories. At first, it started good but overall the story was very flat. I wanted more details about the world/forest/monsters. It could have done with more details but it wasn't horrible.

Well I'm already freaking ready for book two!! Let's goo. I really enjoyed this story, the characters were so great. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of all the nightmares, so fun! I havent read a book like this before!

Thank you netgalley for this earc in exchange for an honest review.