Author: he looked like utter crap.
Me: ah yes perfect.

What a fun ride. The Luminaries reads as the best parts of The Mortal Instruments meets Hunger Games with a dash of The Cruel Prince. I fell in love with this intricate, layered world of nightmares and the hunter society that slays them. The writing is fresh and vivid, and though Winnie felt pretty young to me, the rest of the story balanced out. Jay was a fast favorite and the slow-burn romance was alsjdhaksksjjs PERFECTION. Also, that cover is top-notch.

And that ending?? I need the next book STAT.

Eternally grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc—I loved it, and I think fans of The Hazel Wood and the Shadowhunter world will, too.

-A

I don't think I gel with Susan Dennars as an author and this will probably be my last book from her. Sadly, I found the plot and the world building terrribly lacking. The characters felt dull and predictable, and the writing did nothing to draw me in, leaving me feel detached and that's not how I want to feel when reading a book.
An absolute shame as the vibes of this book could've been so deliciously dark and I am in love with this cover...

🏹 I fell in LOVE with the idea of this book. But, overall it just didn’t fully fulfill its potentional. The world is vast, endless and so darn interesting but was never fully explored.

🏹 There are many sleeping spirits in various locations across the globe and when they sleep, their nightmares come to life in the forest. The Lumanaries contain the nightmares/creatures, keep the outside world from knowing about them, and try to keep their world safe. Pretty cool, right? Except I have very little information about these sleeping spirits. It’s mentioned at one point that they are born… From what?! How often?! What are these spirits… are they the spirits of the forest or something else entirely? Why do they have only nightmares and no good dreams!? What do the spirits do during the day? 🤔 I need answers.

🏹 We mostly got background on The Lumanaries and the nightmare creatures. While I loved this, I needed MORE. I needed to understand the why.

Wow - yes. I love this. I devoured this. What a fun contemporary fantasy. I was unsure going into this how contemporary it would be- but it does feel very grounded in our world. The characters feel realistic and the speculative elements are really interesting and feel comprehensive.

Honestly, the worst I have to say is that I'm angry I have to wait for a sequel.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Tor Teen, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Winnie Wednesday lives in Hemlock Falls, a town very unique. You can't find it on the map, cellphones don't work and the forest is filled with nightmares that can kill you.
Ever since she was old enough to understand, Winnie wanted to join the Luminaries, an ancient order that protects the city and its inhabitants from the forest's horrors. Since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family were shunned, avoided and insulted. Now, at her sixteen birthday she has the chance to take the Luminaries hunter trials and to prove to everyone and herself she's a real hunter and Luminaries and to restore her family's name. But in order to survive, she decides to ask the resident bad boy and her ex best friend Jay Friday for help and to train. Something more dangerous than the usual nightmares is threatening the town and they are determined to understand what and how to stop it.

The Luminaries is the first book in a new, captivating and original series, written by the bestselling author of the Witchland series. A fantasy about living nightmares, a stubborn and brave main character, secrets and lies. The Luminaries is thrilling, wonderfully written and able to capture the reader's attention and to never let go, even after the book ended. The story is truly magnificent, transporting the reader into a world of rules, traditions, old families with their own crests, abilities and mysteries. Fighting to restore her family's name, Winnie is a marvellous main character, young, but determined, stubborn and smart, eager to protect her loved ones and herself, to discover new things, to solve mysteries even though few people seems to believe her.
Struggling with her family being shunned for years, Winnie is determined to change things and when they slowly do, she's eager to protect them all.
The bonds between characters, the nightmares, the hunter trials, I loved everything. The setting is fascinating and eerie, dangerous and captivating and I can't wait to know more about the town and the forests and it spirit.
I need answers!

(Thank you Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving us this eARC in exchange for an honest review)

I liked the concept a lot, it was actually pretty interesting how there was this special town that was hidden away and this group that would protect the town. I'm not a huge fan of witches and super high fantasy type books, but this one was still better than my expectations. I wasn't a huge fan of this book mainly because it felt like there were so many storylines that were started and left open. I assume that there are more books within this series because the ending didn't feel like a proper ending for a standalone book. But I do like the ex-friends to lovers storyline, I am a sucker for that type of trope. I liked Winnie's inner dialogue and thoughts, I felt a lot more attached to this character and she didn't feel like "the chosen one".

I adored the Luminaries and Susan Dennard's writing style. THIS BOOK IS A WORK OF ART. The Luminaries is incredibly hard to put down and has. so many twists and turns!!

I've never read anything by Dennard before, but the cover and synopsis intrigued me, so I wanted to pick this up. Sadly, I wasn't impressed. I found the writing to be a little too juvenile and, at times, had that early-2010 Tumblr feel to it. You don't need to read this book because the synopsis tells you everything. Nothing new or surprising happened. I think Dennard nailed the concept, but her execution was lacking. I loved the idea of watching Winnie go through these trials to become a hunter, but there was no excitement to them. I wanted to feel the action and feel the tension of if she'd make it or not, but it wasn't there. There are also a lot of different plot lines going on here, but nothing ever felt resolved. It had all the potential to be an atmospheric, creepy read, but it fell flat. I wanted more from the characters, more from the plot, just more in general.

DNF'd at 15%

Just could not get into this one -- the tense that it was written in wasn't done well enough for it to feel good and natural, and instead felt awkward. There was nothing that really pulled me in and kept me wanting to keep reading -- Winnie is just like every other YA protagonist, you could see where a forced romance was going to be with a guy that seemed like a Jace-knock off (who in turn is already a Draco knock-off), and none of the characters stuck out at all. There was nothing too terribly original about the monster hunter plot that made me want to find out more about the world/lore. And the naming convention felt incredibly lazy.

** received a NetGalley e-arc courtesy of Macmillan-Tor/Forge - thank you! **

Rating: 3.5/5

The Luminaries explores a world that is above all, intriguing as hell. This story simultaneously goes into nitty-gritty details and doesn't, but to explain some of the main points at face-value: monsters ("nightmares") spawn at night in the forest just outside Hemlock Falls, people fight them each night (and are highly respected for doing so), and teens can become the people who fight them through trials that show their skill and loyalty to the cause.

The unique history of Hemlock Falls and this world in general are by far the most appealing part of this story to me- mostly, the ~treachery~ and the nightmare/forest lore. The forest and trials were home to some BRILLIANT atmospheric writing. The relatable and engaging MC (and her interactions with some sorta-cliché yet alluring side characters) gives sustenance to the plot, as it otherwise fell a little short for me. Some gripping hooks, other than the trials, were introduced so early and left unexplained or unresolved for so long that I ended up simply frustrated. In the forest, I found that the emotional impact highly suffered at the expense of plot armor, which is likely why my interest leaned into other plotlines. What you expect to happen, happens, most of the time. Honestly, there was also the fair amount of filler/repeated inconsequential information that sometimes took away from the writing.... (ex. teeth clicking- I lost count at 16 mentions). Just needed to get that out there.

As someone who had not previously read or known of Dennard, I was unaware of the fan-involvement in the creation/inspiration of this story while reading. I can see how this would be fulfilling to a someone involved in the creative process, but not so much for an outsider, if you will.

I'll probably pick up the next installment to The Luminaries universe, as I am hopeful it digs into the meat of what I found exciting in this one.

I loved this book. The worldbuilding was absolutely amazing and completely sucked me in. I am so happy to know that this is a part of series. Can't wait for book two!

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard is a young adult urban fantasy novel about an outcast in a town of monster hunters who strives to reclaim her family's legacy by undertaking three trials to become one of the hunters. The story reminded me of the early seasons of Supernatural, but with its own rich mythology and well-developed characters that made it hard to put down.

Winnie Wednesday is part of the Luminaries, or at least she was until four years ago when her father was exposed as a member of a rogue group of magic users and disappeared. On her 16th birthday, Winnie is finally eligible to undertake 3 trials to become initiated as a hunter and, if she succeeds, reclaim her family's standing in the community. As the trials progress and Winnie is forced to work with Jay, a friend who abandoned her 4 years before, she realizes not everything in the woods may be as they appear.

Dennard balances the fantastical premise of The Luminaries with grounded characters that I found myself wanting to learn more about as the story went on. Winnie struggles with getting everything she thought she wanted but realizing it doesn't erase the four years the community abandoned her and her family and the reality of what she must face when she confronts the nightmares in the forest. The side characters feel equally developed, especially Jay who cares about Winnie but still had disappeared from her life, either because it was required or because of his own monsters. I particularly enjoyed the way that Dennard builds atmosphere and develops the characters through subtle moments that deepen the larger scale plot developments.

This is the first book in a new series, so there are a couple plot points left intentionally open at the end, but the conclusion to the novel is still fulfilling. I'm just excited to have the chance to delve back into this world again with a sequel. I definitely recommend this one and can't wait to pick up some of Dennard's other work!

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the arc!

The Luminaries is the start of a new series from Susan Dennard. The Luminaries are a society of clan families, each named for a day of the week, who hunt monsters or as they call them Nightmares. Welcome to Hemlock Falls. A town of Luminaries. A town that our heroine Winnie Wednesday has been outcast from along with her family. We follow Winnie as she attempts to earn her place back in the Luminaries of Hemlock Falls. Winnie has wanted nothing more than to be a Hunter like her mother and she believes that its in her blood. But as she gains an opportunity to earn that place she discovers that things are not what they seem and there is a true nightmare dwelling in the forest.

I am keeping the synopsis short because I went into this book somewhat blind and it was the best experience for it. I absolutely loved this book. It was the monster hunter book that I didn't know I needed. Winnie was such a great character. Even in the moments that could've been overly repetitive or annoying I never found myself feeling that way. Rather, I was right there with her feeling the anxieties and emotions alongside her.

The atmosphere of this book was excellent. Especially when we got to enter the forest with Winnie. The terror of the mists rising was palpable. Any time we went into the forest I was on the edge of my seat. I love that Dennard used Winnie's tendency to review the monster knowledge she knew to calm herself as a tactic to teach us as the readers.

This was a great take on the Monster Hunter. It gave me Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Supernatural meets Vampire Diaries vibes and I was here for it. The whole concept of the clan families and how they divided the responsibilities of hunting were so interesting and I am very excited to see more of that in the next book.

One thing that I think could've been done better was some of the side characters and their development. There were a lot of characters and I felt like we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with them, which granted is hard in a first book. I hope that we get them a little more fleshed out in the next book. I am also really interested to see the relationship between Winnie and Jay develop. I have a pretty good theory about Jay and I am really interested to see if it pans out.

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and I cannot wait for the next book!

In this world there is a secret society called The Luminaries that protect the world from monsters or “nightmares.” The groups are made up of monster hunters that patrol the forest at night to prevent the nightmares from coming out. Winnie and her family were outcasted and to try to get accepted back in she takes part in the hunter trials to become a monster hunter.

I found this world intriguing and loved learning about the different monsters. The best parts of the book were anytime Winnie stepped foot in the forest. I was always on the tip of my toes to find out what would go down. However there was just something that felt missing in this book. I thought the characters were just okay and wasn’t very satisfied with the ending. I was expecting a different kind of twist.

The Luminaries
By:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This book was such a fun read. It had its hooks sunk so deep into me by the tenth page, I finished it in under 16 hours, including work and sleep. That’s not a flex, it was simply that good.
✨
The story follows Winnie, a disgraced nightmare hunter in the making who finds herself as an outcast of society, along with her mother and older brother, for crimes her father committed.
Shunned from all she knows, Winnie is bound and determined to win back her rightful place in the society of the Luminaries, monster hunters, By taking on the three deadly trials of becoming a nightmare hunter like her ancestors. But little does Winnie know that there are new forces at work that stem far beyond the reaches of the nightmares she hunts. Forces that can prove far more deadly than anything she will face in her trials.
✨
I am so thrilled that this book is a part of series. I’m already salivating for book 2. A fun, fast paced monster filled read that will leaving wanting to know what happens with each turn of the page.

Winnie is a wonderful character. For students who experience slights and think about the situation, Winnie’s evaluation of the way her family has been treated is relevant I want to read it the students. And I want to know how the story ends/continues!!!

Susan Dennard is one of the authors I will buy something from without knowing anything more than that she wrote it.

BUT THEN SHE HAS GIVEN US THE GIFT OF A CONTEMPORARY FANTASY AND SPOOKY FORESTS AND THE TOWN IS CALLED HEMLOCK FALLS AND WINNIE WEDNESDAY.

I really enjoyed Winnie Wednesday as a protagonist. I really enjoyed Hemlock Falls. I also found myself wanting to join the Luminaries.

The Luminaries is a haunting contemporary fantasy that will have you wondering exactly what lives in the forest after dark. I absolutely loved the premise of this story. A forest filled with nightmares and a secret society of Hunters to kill said nightmares? Sign me up. Overall, I loved the idea of this story, but I felt some of the execution fell flat.
First off, the plot; I felt like there ended up being more questions than answers in the end. I realize this is part of a series, but this book ended up being 90% setup and about 10% plot progression which made it feel a bit slow and I was surprised when it ended that there wasn’t more. I really loved the nightmares, the fight scenes and Winnie earning her spot as a hunter, I just wish all the other open plot points had been fleshed out a little more, so it didn’t feel like such an enormous cliffhanger ending.
The characters: I liked Winnie and felt my teenage self resonated with her and her feelings of being an outcast. I liked her overall progression as a person through the story. I also found the side characters to all be fun and serve a purpose and the love interest was very intriguing. I hope we get more answers on him in the next book as I do feel like there is a lot more to that part of the plot and his character progression. One thing I found jarring was this story was told in 3rd person which felt off to me for a bit and took some getting used to.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and hope that the next book will answer a lot of the questions that were asked in this first book. I will be picking up the 2nd as I do really want to see what happens to Winnie next but I do hope the plot picks up a bit and doesn’t fall into the same trap as the first one with too much setup.

The Luminaries was excellent. It has been a while since I’ve read a YA of this genre and truly enjoyed if so this was a breath of fresh air. The books is raw with emotion and yet written with beautiful prose. This is a lot of emphasis on friendship and family in this book. Add those onto that a forest of monsters and nightmares and we have the perfect mix for an excellent story.

I would first like to thank Susan Dennard, TOR publishing group, and Net galley for kindly sending me this book to review.

4.5 Stars
Let's start with the premise of the book, which is hunting nightmares, aka mythological creatures, like vampires, werewolves, and manticores. I loved Dennard's unique take on these creatures, like vampires not having feet but instead walking around on stick-like legs. I thought the idea of hunting these nightmare creatures was a unique take in this genre. I found the pacing of the book to be good, and I kept looking forward to the challenges and to see how Winnie would fare.

I am typically skeptical of reading young adult fantasy novels because the characters are usually juvenile and not mature. However that was not the case with Winnie Wednesday. I loved her character, and the other MC’s of the book. I especially loved the relationship between Winnie and Jay, and I can not wait to see where that relationship goes.

The only cons of this book was that in the beginning of the book there was a lot of information given all at once for this new world we were in, and was hard to digest at first. The author however does a good job of further explaining more in detail as the book goes on.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book, especially to a new reader of this genre. I can not wait for the second book in this series to be released.