While this isn't my favourite Susan Dennard book, I really enjoyed this start to a brand new series. I liked Winnie as a character and I'm definitely intrigued by all of the unsolved mysteries introduced in this book. I'll be picking up the sequel for sure.

I was really excited to read this because the premise sounded fun; however, it just didn't live up to the hype. The plot felt very long and boring with brief bits of action sprinkled in. I also found the character names to be a little too cheesy. Winnie Wednesday, really? Some of the major plot twists were pretty easy to point out and it didn't leave a lot of surprise to the book. I did like the descriptions of the creatures and the premise that there are people hunting them to keep this town safe. Each "family" has a role in protecting the town and members fall in line pretty easily. I think this book sets up the sequel well because it has a clean ending, but still enough open questions to leave the reader wanting more.

This was so good. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the plot, and the characters. I liked that Winnie was just a normal girl thrown into these trials in order to bring your family back into favor among the Luminaries. There was mystery throughout the entire storyline and it left me with so many questions. I'm glad we'll get more of this story because the world is intriguing and I need to know what happens next!

Get ready to enter this brand new world of witches, monsters and some secrets along with a cute young adult romance plot. This was a fast, fun and cute read perfect for spooky season and I liked the trials part of it. The whole world building was quick actually but the first half was slow in pace. The major action/drama actually occurs right at the end and I expectthe next installment to be more action-packed than this one now that we are already introduced to his interesting new world.

This one was really weird. Never have I read a book where the synopsis exactly describes the plot of a book and nothing else happens. The story was good, although the pacing was a little off and at times the story dragged. Still, I expected more from the ending. It seemed like there was a big build up and the payoff was less than stellar. The cliffhanger was so abrupt, I thought there was something wrong with my ereader, it ended exactly where the synopsis said it would, without tying up any loose ends or answering any questions. I’ll probably read the next one because I’m still curious about the story but I don’t think I’d recommend anyone read this until the series is out in its entirety.

SUMMARY: The book starts off with Winnie and her family being shunned by their town; they are completely ignored— unless they are being made fun of. We soon find out that the reason they are shunned is because Winnie’s father was a spy for another clan, and because they were associated with him, they were equally as guilty.

Winnie is tired of being made fun of, tired of not being able to see her old friends, and tired of doing “corpse duty”— cleanup of dead nightmares and non’s in the morning after a hunt. She’s found a loophole in the Luminaries bylaw; though she’s an outcast, she can enter the trials on her birthday; however, she only gets one shot to not only change her life, but her families as well.

REVIEW: Without giving away spoilers, I will say that this book kept me engaged and entertained. I loved the dark ambiance of this story, the relationships between Winnie and her peers, the vivid descriptions, and I love that this book ended in a way that it seems there were be a sequel coming. If you’re looking for a one-off spooky/dark read with closure, this isn’t it; however, if you’re looking for a quick, fun, dark academia type book that will lead into a series, I think this is worth a read. I do wish that the book had illustrations/drawings of these “nightmares” (ex. Winnie’s drawings, from the compendium, etc), but I’m also a sucker for anything illustrated. 🤣🙈

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Luminaries is a spooky read full of witches, dark secrets, and monsters. The story is captivating and the world is lush and eye catching. You will be kept on your toes and guessing the entire time. I also loved that the romance sub plot wasn’t overwhelming.

Luminaires is a fun contemporary fantasy YA novel, with an ominous atmosphere and a great introduction to the series.

Luminaires does a great job of throwing us into the novel and explaining everything on the way. There was not a moment where I felt confused. I really enjoyed the little bits where Winnie remembered passages from the textbooks about the nightmares that lurked in the forest, so we could get more information about how these monsters worked.

The worldbuilding was a little lacking; Dennard references the different Luminaire families that live around the world, from # to #, but went no further to explain how differently they worked to the Lumairies in town. However, just the knowledge of them made the world feel bigger, and I hope it was setting up an exploration of Luminaires across the world in the future books.


Our main character, Winnie, and her family has been an outcast for the past 4 years due to the betrayal of her father - who was revealed to be a spy for a rival clan. We’re quickly made aware of how difficult* life has been for Winnie, being a pariah and having no friends, and how this has deeply effected her mother too. Winnie’s ambition to win back trust of the Luminaires is quickly made clear to the readers - she is entering the trials to become a Hunter and is determined to get through it alive.

Winnie is definitely the most developed of the characters; she is both brave and naive about the dangers that lurk in the forest. Jumping into the hunter trials with such little training is a foolish thing to do, but I can’t help but admire her tenacity for it. Part of her reason of trying to become a Hunter is selfish for sure, because she no longer wants to be outcasted, but really who can blame her?

I found some of the other characters lacking in depth, though I have to remind myself that this is the first book in a series so will hopefully develop them later. Jay was one of the most intriguing - the “cool, mysterious” boy of Hemlock, who is really just super awkward with speaking to people thus keeps his responses monosyllybic.

One of my biggest qualms with the novel is that it ended at a strange place. I had hoped there had been more to the story past the trials that Winnie had to endure, but it ended quite abruptly. Nonetheless, I'm curious to see how the series will progress.

The Luminaries is a captivating young adult fantasy book with interesting characters and a captivating story line. Witches, monsters and dark secrets - if you’re looking for a Halloween themed read, this book has it all. And if you aren’t that into spooky November reads, well, give this one a chance anyway. Because it’s a really good story with unexpected plot twists that are sure to keep you on your toes and a cute romance subplot. All in all, a really good young adult fantasy book that is very much worth reading!

I have never read a book so intriguing and lacking in everything except atmosphere. I’m not going to lie. It was a struggle to finish. This book seemed like everything and nothing was happening simultaneously, nothing was resolved, and I honestly reads like the first half of a book, with the last 10% being the actual action. I don’t even know if I can describe the plot because there are so many different threads. Winnie and her family being outcasts, Winnie’s old friendships, the hunter trials, Winnie’s necklace, Winnie’s glasses, the monsters. I am really not sure what I just read. But it was atmospheric as hell and I really did feel immersed in the forest with the excessive details.

Secret societies, clans, sleeping Spirits and awakening Nightmares collide in this new urban fantasy from Daphne Press. Winnie has been on the outside of her secret small town of Luminaries since her father betrayed them. Shunned by the people she used to spend all her time with, from best friends to extended families, Winnie has one chance to get welcomed back- survive the hunter trials. Hunters are the lifeblood of the Luminaries, performing of the most important duties, killing the Nightmares that rise with the fog in the forest. Physical manifestations of sleeping Spirits that must be destroyed or kept within the boundary of the forest to protect the outside world. Now Winnie must survive three trials to be welcomed back unless she dies first.

The Luminaries, with it's attention to detail and lots of little clues, felt more like a set-up for the second instalment than an entire story arc in itself.

We were given crumbs from the start on what titbits were important but it's definitely a slightly frustrating slow burn, the reveals were small (there were no plot resolutions) and you end up with a lot more questions than answers. I will admit I think I fell prey to some early marketing that gave away a key plot point (that doesn't even happen, at least in this book) but I could see it building and got frustrated at waiting for this reveal that never came. Despite that, I do struggle with books that draw out twists or reveals when you can see where the author is heading anyway.

Yet, this isn't a short novella, it's a 300-page book but it reads with a focus on: this is Winnie's past, and this is her experience trying to pass the trials. It doesn't expand much further than the blurb, leaving a missing richness to the unfolding plot. There is so much potential and while I hated the drawn-out set-up, it does make me excited for the next instalment.

Additionally, the attention to detail came across in other ways, apart from just plot twist hints, that added depth to the characters. For example, I loved how Winnie had glasses (which you really don't see in many fantasy books), and the writing didn't skip on trying to battle Nightmares while navigating needing to see through a pair of lenses.

In general, the characters added a vivid colour against the backdrop that I loved. Winnie came across like a newly aged sixteen-year-old with a plan, flawed, young, untrained and running on adrenaline, hope and pure luck. I just wanted to simultaneously give her a high five and a hug. Like in real life, her goal to win the trials and bring her family back into the cultish fold of the Luminaries wasn’t exactly going to go to plan and as she gets deeper into the fold once again, it's with new eyes. There was a missed opportunity to explore the Luminaries in less info-dump detail and more psychological depth but again this just added to the overall set-up feeling, getting across the little details to explore in greater depth in book two.

Apart from Winnie, there was a whole host of interesting characters, from ex-best friends to new friends to shadowy members of this illusive secret society, and I definitely became invested in their actions and way too engrossed in what was going to happen next. I would characterise this as an easy read because of the characters and even though the focus was held primarily on the trials I still wanted to see how it played out and found myself not stopping for a break and just reading intensely for ages. I cannot deny that’s a sign of good writing.

Overall, I enjoyed it much more than I didn’t which is why it came out at 4 stars rather than my usual rating of 3 stars when a good book has set up feels. Also, Dennard has the obvious talent to create vivid characters and the imagination to dream up the Luminaries, so I’m interested and excited to see where she takes it. Also, I NEED ANSWERS.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC and audiobook.


Description from NetGalley:
Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

I thought that this was a good start to a series. There’s a lot going on in this book, and I’m left with a lot of questions that will probably be addressed in the next book. I felt like it did need some more background info or world building, though I guess this is more like an urban fantasy. Some of the characters feel flat, but maybe they’ll be fleshed out more in the future. I’ll probably pick up the sequel.

Overall: 3/5

I loved this book so much and I cannot wait to read the next one. Winnie is a great main character and I loved her personality. The writing is well done and I would recommend it to all of my friends!

LUMINARIES by Susan Dennard is an entertaining, captivating story about how one girl shoulders and finally contends with the heavy yolk of family legacy, while also literally fighting for her place in a world full of monsters. The creatures, as a collective, are rich and varied, representing a terrifying villain powerful enough to put pressure on the characters and the story itself.

The main character, Winnie, is the sort who is too worn out by life to stand up to the challenges represented by the book's conflict. She also changes and, inch by inch, roses above what holds her down, her and her whole family. I found Winnie deeply relatable, even heroic by the end of the book.

Besides Winnie though, I was a little disappointed with how Dennard developed the rest of the characters. Or rather, didn't develop them quite enough-- only the twins, Emma and Bretta, have the depth to make them interesting. Similarly, I felt that Dennard somewhat neglected the narrative in this book, likely as she planned to make this the first in a series and carry it forward. I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a bit more cohesive. Still a good book, lots of fun and creepy as heck, I recommend it.

If you feel like you've seen this review before, you probably did-- over on the audiobook! I had both formats of this book; both are excellent reading experiences, though I preferred the audiobook for this one. If you do choose the book, it's a fast read.

Rating 3.5 star rounded up
Finished November 2022
Listen to this book if you like:
🐲 YA Fantasy series
♟️ Dark academia
🎂 Coming of Age stories
👹 Monsters and monster hunting
👩‍👦 Family drama
🕶 Mean kid cliques

I loved this ARC! The Luminaries is atmospheric and spooky, with creative twists on mythical monsters. Beneath the fast-paced plot is a lot of heart, with a diverse cast of characters and early-2000s YA paranormal vibes. A perfect read for a gloomy November!

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard was everything I love in a contemporary fantasy. I am a big fan of Susan Dennard’s writing. I adore The Witchland series and The Luminaries did not disappoint me. I loved it the supernatural creatures and the spooky forest vibes. I adored our main characters Winnie and Jay. I can’t wait for the romance to beginning in the next installment. Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to receive an early copy. I am happy to say that I now own a physical copy for my collection.

This book is extremely unique and is bound to hook you from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the mythological creatures and the trials that the main character had to pass - I also really liked that the stakes were so high for her (either pass the trials & be reinvited into the luminaries or remain as outcast forever)
However, I do wish there was more. There were a lot of things I wish had gotten resolved & I felt like things were left up in the air- especially with a couple of the side characters. It feels like this book is building up to something big so I am hoping the sequel answers some of the questions I have!
Overall, this was entertaining and enjoyable & I am rooting for a certain potential romance 🤭

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Teen for the chance to read The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. It took a bit of time for me to get into the world of The Luminaries. I have not had the chance to read Dennard's Witchland series and wondered whether that was the reason, however, that wasn't a deterrent and I quickly was sucked up into this supernatural world where teens are trained to become monster hunters (and since I am watching reruns of Supernatural, this book fit right in!) Winnie has had a hard life since her family has been ostracized from the town because her father was accused of being a spy for the deadly witch society The Dianas (and didnt I just love this name!!!) Winnie takes all the crap thrown at her, vowing to become hunter, so that her family can rejoin society again. When a misunderstanding does exactly that, she struggles with continuing the lie, or telling the truth, and be right back where she started. This book was a quick read, and I loved the different take on the supernatural beings. The only issue I had was obvious plot threads were left hanging to be revealed in the next book, (although there was no cliffhanger). I would have liked a bit more in this book. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long for book 2! Totally recommend for teens, and those who are into YA urban fantasy.

What a book! I ate this up in one day. And whenever I had to pause, my head was still in the story.

I love Winnie’s tenacity. Knowing that she can’t wait out the 10 years of her family’s exile, she took things into her own hands.

Also loved how she was able to handle her newfound popularity and was able to reflect on how maybe not everyone had been nasty to her.

Her newly reestablished friendship with Jay had me gaga.

Very little time actually passes but a lot happens. Winnie goes through such an evolution as she gets through the hunter trials and in the end she proves to herself that she really does belong with the Luminaries.

The secret Winnie decoded has me reeling. I hope we get more info on Dianas in the next book. I’m also dying to know her reasoning for that setup of her old friends.

The way my expectations were not met. I'm so utterly underwhelmed by this book. I don't understand how so much can happen, but it amounts to nothing.
I thought about rating it lower, but the concept is really interesting and that alone kept me reading, even when the execution was honestly less than desirable.