Winnie Wednesday and her family are outcasts. Ever since her father was outed as a Diana, Winnie, her mom and her brother have been ostracized by the Luminaries, the elite warriors who protect the town of Hemlock Falls from the monsters that live in the forest. Winnie plans to take the trials to become a hunter in order to restore her family honour. But out in the forest Winnie discovers a new kind of monster, and she soon must learn to fight for her own survival. Reluctantly she asks an old friend to train her. When he father betrayed her family, she never expected Jay to turn his back on her along with her other friends, but he did. Four years later Winnie and Jay must rebuild their friendship and learn to fight against the new evil lurking in the forest.

The Luminaries is a fun new paranormal series that will appeal to fans of Teen Wolf and First Kill. Susan Dennard has created a new world of Luminaries and Nightmares, but the real star of the show for me is the will they won't they budding romance between Winnie and Jay.

WOW, wow, wow! I remember seeing the tweets that inspired this book and it was so much fun to read. This is the first book in a while that I just couldn't put down. Dennard has such a gift for creating worlds you don't want to leave and characters you care so much about. This is a must read!

i really enjoyed this! i liked the world building and the story kept my attention throughout the whole book. i do feel like there’s a lot of answers we didn’t get (mainly about the werewolf and the whisperer) but since this is a series i guess we’ll get to know more later on. however i don’t think this is a book i’ll find myself rereading so i hope i remember enough by the time the sequel gets published!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing to read an ARC of The Luminaries bu Susan Dennard!!!

I enjoy this book. I liked the world building and the premise behind the story and how the author used twitter poles to write the book. The ending wasn’t as strong as the beginning, but it is still an enjoyable book and I assume a sequel will be coming out. I will have to check more books written by Susan Dennard.

In a world where monsters and nightmares exist and people train to hunt them down one girl is willing to do anything to regain her family’s honor even if it means entering into a competition she has in no way prepared for. In the town of Hemlock Falls there is a forest outside it filled with monsters that could kill you. Winnie Wednesday is part of the Wednesday Clan, there are different clans for everyday of the week, with hunters in each clan who take turns hunting down monsters on their particular day. Winnie’s family however has been outcasted and shunned when her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor. But now that her sixteenth birthday is here she can partake in the deadly Luminary hunter trials to prove to herself and to everyone that she is good enough and she can restore her family’s name or die trying. But after the first trial where she succeeds but based on a lie, she realizes that there is something much darker going on and that in order to survive the next two trials she’ll have to turn to the one person she doesn’t want to for help, Jay Friday, her ex-best friend who abandoned her four years ago when her family was shunned. Jay seems to know more about what is going on with the nightmares of the forest (monsters) than he should and he is willing to help her. Yet the further she gets in the trials the more she realizes that something is out there that could kill them all but no one seems to believe her. This is the first book in the series and it definitely feels like Winnie is a freshly turned 16 year old girl, the story felt lacking and it just didn’t live up to my expectations. The story felt kinda anti-climactic for what it actually is, I mean you have monster hunting families, a disgraced family and a girl willing to do whatever it takes to win and yet it didn’t feel as high stakes or gripping. There is of course my irritation with the back and forth between Winnie and Jay, yes I absolutely get that she’s a 16 year old girl and he was the boy she was in love with, but girl... the anger I feel for you, I would have been so angry with him despite what I can guess is the reason he pulled away ( which on another note, is hinted at but never really fleshed or further advanced so you just are left feeling meh about him as a person). Like I like Winnie, don’t get me wrong, I like how much she wants to prove herself and to save her family, and that despite being stubborn she’s willing to ask for help, but god girl please be a little angrier or something because the anger I feel for you, at how your being treated, at how your two best friends abandoned you and still treat you, makes me want to pull my hair out. I mean I get that you are shunned, but if these were your BEST FRIENDS they would have found a way to talk to you against all odds, even if something was happening, they would have found a way to talk to you. In a way I want Winnie to make new friends, because despite it all I don’t even want her to be friends or forgive Jay or Erica. Girl go make yourself some better friends, seriously I’m begging you. In the end, yes it was an interesting start to a series and yes it has potential, but compared to the author’s previous works this one felt younger and much more juvenile and yeah I would rec it if you’re looking for a fantasy story with monsters and tests.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a mesh of so many different supernatural things and I enjoyed it. It was less dark then I expected, but I enjoyed the ride, and it all had a really good flow.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more to be welcomed back into the Luminaries - the hunter society that she, her brother, and her mother were banned from after her father was discovered to be their enemy. Her plan is simple: complete the first trial, then the second, and the third and the Council will have to revoke their ten year ban. When her first trial goes horribly wrong and an assumption turns into a lie, Winnie and her family are welcomed back, but things are not the same. Winnie is angry that people that wouldn't talk to her family for the past four years is now acting like their best friends. The threat of a werewolf and a secret note from her dad throws Winnie's world upside down. Will everyone survive?

The Luminaries’ world is a dark one. They are monster hunters that protect the rest of the world from nightmares including werewolves, banshees, and vampires. Winnie wants nothing more than to be hunter - unfortunately for her she and her family are considered outcasts ever since her father was convicted of being a traitor. Can she prove that she can be a hunter and save her family from the shame of being outcasts?

This was a great YA novel. It definitely starts with all the 16 year old teenage angst and bad parenting choices but then morphs into a dark urban thriller. It is fast paced and I read this one in a day. My biggest complaint is this one ends without wrapping up a lot of loose ends. I believe this is the beginning of a series but I have so many questions! Mostly like when is book 2 going to be released so I can know what happens?

"That's why we're called the Luminaries, Winnie: we are the lanterns the forest can never snuff out"

The forest near the town of Hemlock Falls is full of monsters every night. They are the nightmares dreamed up by the Spirit that sleeps below the town. A secret society called The Luminaries guards the forest and stops the monsters from escaping. The Luminaries is broken up into Seven clans named after the days of the week that they are assigned to protect.

Winnie Wednesday, along with her mother and brother were outcast from the Wednesday clan four years ago when her father was revealed to be a spy for the rival Diana's. After four years as the pariah of Hemlock Falls on her 16th birthday, Winnie is allowed to compete in the hunter trials and hopefully win back the towns trust in her family and be allowed to hunt the monsters.

Until then Winnie has been on corpse duty. Clearing the forest of monster bodies and the bodies of the humans they kill.

The town is worried about a Werewolf loose in the forest and Winnie has seem the Werewolf but it pretty sure it's not actually the monster they really need to be afraid of. Winnie has seen the strange phenomenon that moves through the forest, warping and destroying which she calls the Whisperer but no one is taking her seriously, solely focusing on the Werewolf.

The book is full of nightmarish creatures harpies, banshees, manicures, Sylphids, ballisks and other creepies but also a bunch of humans who I don't totally trust.

YA Urban fantasy with elements of horror

This is my first Susan Denard novel and I am looking forward to book two in this series.

If you love Lovely, dark and deep and Wicked walking by Claudia Cain you will probably also like this.

Thank you to MacMillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for the review copy of The Luminaries

I absolutely loved this book! I blasted through it! If you loved The Grace Year and The Nature of Witches, this book is for you. Atmospheric with characters that you can't help but root for every step of the way.

I love Dennards writing and The Luminaries isn't an exception to that. Eerie and on brand for the type of book it is, Luminaries is a great Autumn read with great characters and phenomenal writing. The plot got a bit muddled in the middle but I think she worked it out by the end.

Loved this. Winnie and her family have been exiled from the Luminaries,, a society which keeps nightmare monsters at bay. However, she’s determined to restore her family’s fortunes by passing the hunter trials. However, there’s things in the forest that are worse than the typical nightmares. With a werewolf on the loose, a whispering creature , and mysterious notes from her traitor father, will Winnie success in her mission to prove her loyalty and get her, her mother and her brother accepted back in the family.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great teen heartthrob in the form of Jay, gutsy heroine, scary monsters. Twists and turns and intrigue. Reminded me a little bit of the Scholomance series and a bit of All of Us Villains. Can’t wait for the sequel and to find out what happens next.

Want to learn much more about some of the side characters (Erica in particular) and to wrap up some of the mysteries left hanging. Great book. Fun from the off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this earc!

This book has so good! It’s been too long since I’ve read a YA book I enjoyed and read basically in one sitting (more like two but I’m still counting it)

I enjoyed everything about The Luminaries. The story, the characters and the relationships. I liked how it’s a little spooky but at the same time can totally happen in the forest next to your house.

Winnie, 16 year old main character was very related: yes, she wants to kill nightmares and help her family but she’s also not perfect, and gets scared and lies. I really enjoyed the fact that this book definitely felt like the first book in the series. We learned some things but left with more questions than answers.

I liked that most of the characters are actually not bad people. You can see that some of them wanted to be friends/ family with the Wednesdays but couldn’t because of the laws. I liked even more the fact not everything was magically fixed after Winnie “passed” the first trial. Erica still has her secrets and Jay is no better.

Can we also for a moment appreciate that even though there’s definitely something there between Winnie and Jay, we leave this book with them trying to be friends again, nothing more? Just makes it feel so much for real and truthful. Like that have to find their way back to each other.

Even though the plot of this book is not complicated, I really enjoyed the writing style and all the sets up will definitely be needed for the future books.

Thank you to Susan for making me believe in YA again.

Super creepy and unique story! I loved the Luminaries, and it was a great way to kick off my Halloween month adventure! It was such a huge world filled with magic and great characters. Super excited for the next installment!

DNF

The Luminaries was one I was really looking forward to. Unfortunately, this one did not end up working for me. I kept getting pulled out of the story with an overabundance of unnecessary similes & metaphors and what I believe to be attempts to be quirky/relatable. For example, right off the bat we have this analogy:

"Just like that, the inseparable trio, triad, triangle was split in two: A right angle on one side, still welcome in the world of the Luminaries. A lost hypotenuse on the other, cast adrift, floating and alone."

Just....why? I don't read fantasy for math lessons. This line annoyed me so much, I had to set the book down and walk away. Once I came back to give it another shot, I read this:

"Now it will serve as a crude body bag. Or . . . foot bag. With her hand in the bag, she picks up the two corpse remains like she used to pick up Erica’s dog’s poop. Crinkle, crinkle. One foot. Two."

Again...why? I think the intent was to give the book a creepy, atmospheric feel but this line was just creepy, hold the atmosphere.

In addition to this, we get a lot of repetitive, unnecessary details like the fact that the main character keeps clicking her teeth. I don't particularly care if she is clicking her teeth ten times, nor does it add to the story.

Overall, this one just didn't work for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fast paced, creepy, unique adventure!

This book captures my attention VERY quickly. The world is introduced fast, and the action is quick to follow. From the very moment Winnie steps into the forest, I genuinely could feel my heart pounding from a very real sense of fear. This is something that doesn’t happen to me very often in books, and it was incredibly impressive.

I can’t get over how unique this story was. The premise of a sect of monster hunters protecting the world from being overrun by vicious nightmares from a haunted forest really brings the creep factor, making it perfect for this time of year. I enjoyed Winnie as a character; and found much of her inner monologue and experience relatable and easy to empathize with in a very real way.

As the story goes on, a lot of intrigue and tension builds. This ended up being good and bad, as it completely kept my attention, but it also left me feeling like it didn’t stick the landing.

There are about 3 important plot lines happening alongside the main arc of Winnie’s tests to become a luminary. At times, I found myself much more engaged in some of these side mysteries, and I wanted to learn more about them before the book finished. I was hopeful that there would be more on them, only to find the book ending after focusing only on the main plot line and giving us quite literally not even a nibble of what could be happening with the side ones.

This was a great book overall, and it felt like a 5⭐️ until the ending, which fell a bit flat. The action at the end regarding Winnie’s final test was absolutely heart-pounding, though, and I adored seeing her grow into herself as a hunter after so many years of being treated like less.

All this said, I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Susan Dennard’s books in the meantime!

Thank you to Macmillan Tor/Forge & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title before publishing!

I really struggled to connect with this book. The premise was interesting, but I did not get on with the writing at all.

3.5 stars

I wanted to love this book but sadly, it felt unfinished. I didn't hate this book but I really wish that it was much longer. It felt like nothing really happened and it made me dislike the main character. I really enjoyed the world and wish I could see even more of it. I will likely read book 2 because I want something to happen. I have a feeling I'll end up wishing the two were combined into one longer book. I had high hopes for this one and it just fell flat.

This is a really promising start to a new series. I really liked the ideas behind the worldbuilding (though I'll admit to not fully understanding/keeping everything straight with the various week day named families and how they work and what each one does). And Winnie is a great, complex character. She turns 16 at the beginning of the book and has spent the past 4 years as an outcast in their society (along with her mother and brother, for something their dad did). The hunter trials are coming up and Winnie is determined to pass them to help her family be recognized in the society again.

Along with the conflict of the trials, she also has to deal with people who have shunned her for the past four years (including her best friends) suddenly paying attention to her again. What does it mean for their relationships to have people who cared about her ignore her for years and then want to be in her life again? It's a really rocky path for a teenager (or anyone for that matter) to navigate.

I really like Jay's character and look forward to getting to know more about him in future books. And although the book doesn't end on a cliffhanger exactly, there are a LOT of unanswered questions that really make me wish the second book was already out because I want to find out if we get any answers.

Welcome to a world where nightmares come alive at night and Luminaries man the forest hunting creatures spawned from mist. I was so thrilled to get approved for this book! Susan Dennard creates beautiful, lush worlds enriched by magic and characters that feel all too real. Winnie Wednesday is a fantastic heroine who's emotions came through so well that they were bleeding through the page. I loved how the author examined the role of outcast and how it felt to be on the outskirts of society due to something that is not your fault. The world of the Luminaries was epic and I am so excited to learn more about the origins of the nightmares and how the Luminaries came to be organized in the manner that they are, because clearly there is way more to that. Overall, this was an incredible read that really took my breath away.