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.

I used to adore young adult fantasy but sadly I am now growing out of it. This one did not catch me at all and I struggled to pay attention to the audiobook.

It is no surprise that I am a huge fan of Susan Dennard, so I will purchase almost anything she writes. The Luminaries was no exception. I was around for the whole crowd source story when Dennard started this on Twitter. It really was a great way to get the community together and see how our choices would shape the story. So when Dennard said she was going to try and take the breadcrumbs of that project and recreate something new, I was sold. Dennard did not disappoint. I really liked the atmosphere and the vibe of the story. Dennard's writing has gotten so strong over the years. My one and only little gripe with this book was that the characters could act a little too childish at times. I know the age group is like teens in high school and I am now older, so maybe I just find it annoying, but that is why I am not going to punish the rating. The Luminaries is a strong start and foundation for this series and I look forward to seeing how this wraps up in the final book.

This book was a fun concept and was quite enjoyable. It had me hooked, especially the different creatures and the romance. This was a very easy, fast-paced read, it was predictable though. I like the characters and was rooting for the MC. The ending was great and I want to know where the cliffhanger is going. I originally was going to give this book 3 or 3.5/5 stars but I had to round up after reading the acknowledgments at the end. (Which I've never done before). Excited to read book two. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

The narration was great. Winnie is just awesome. She is so loyal and caring. She just wants to be liked and a productive member of her community. After her dad was labeled a traitor, her family has basically been outcasts. She thinks by completing the hunter trials, she can prove her family worthy. Winnie was born to hunt the nightmares that plague the forest. What happens when the nightmares start to come closer to home? I cannot wait to read the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. Thank you, NetGalley for sharing this with me. I'll definitely be looking forward to reading more.

It's my new favorite triology. I like all the energy of every characters. There is a way where they are fully aware that there's a sense a family and then one of blood. The younger wants to show the others that the trial is really something dangerous.

There is a multi generation problem that only keeps on going better. After that beliving what Winnie is seeing. It helps that she has a nice name and a good personnality.

I may just not enjoy Susan Denard’s writing style cause I didn’t enjoy this as much as I was hoping. I also didn’t enjoy the Witchland series after a few books into it. So it could just be this is not my style.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard is a young adult fantasy that mixes action, mystery, and romance. It's for fans of dark reads.

Protagonist Winnie Wednesday was once a luminary, which means she was a protector against the darkness. But she's been shunned by her community and must now prove her worth.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this one with me. All thoughts are my own.

Good concept and I enjoyed Caitlin Davies narrating, but the total package left much to be desired.
There was a lot of build-up to events, but the excitement came and went fast.
I felt like if you read the description, you read the book. There was very little added that made it extra exciting. The hunter trials were which I was thinking was where all the excitement would be also fell extremely flat. And, what is with the teeth clicking. At first I thought maybe it was just Winnie and a tick she had, but then it was happening with other characters and I just didn't get it. Constant. Overall, there was quite a bit of repetition of actions. The potential was there, but I just felt I didn't get anything in the end and especially didn't get enough to want to continue reading the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners for the arc.

Winnie Wednesday and her family have been shunned. Her father is a known witch and traitor. On Winnie's sixteenth birthday, she's allowed to take the Trials and hopefully reestablish her family to their rightful place in society. She accepts the help of Jay, her former comrade, and prepares to face whatever is lurking in the forest.
Here's the thing... after concluding my read of this, I felt exactly the same way with Truthwitch. A little ambiguous, a little clueless, and a lot curious for book two. I devoured the Witchland series - would highly recommend it to anyone - and I have faith that Susan will sucker me into feeling the same about The Luminaries. I may just need to dive into the world more. So here's me hoping that The Hunting Moon brings me what I expect out of Susan's writing.
I listened to the audiobook featuring Caitlin Davies as the narrator. I think she is a good choice for the genre and made for an easy format choice to start the series.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the alc. All thoughts are my own.

📚Review: The Luminaries ✨

By: Susan Dennard
Published: November 1, 2022

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 of town might kill you. Winnie Wednesday wants to join The Luminaries, the secret order that protects Hemlock Falls - and the rest of the world - from the monsters living in the forest. However, ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winner and the rest of her family have been shunned. Winnie hopes becoming a Luminary will clear her family’s name, but the hunter trials are deadly. To stay alive and in the trail, Winnie enlists the help of Jay Friday - resident bad boy, her ex-bestie, and the most promising new hunter out there (even if he knows more about the nightmares in the woods than he should). Together, they discover an evil no one was expecting.

Time for a #FlashbackFriday and #FantastyFriday review! ✨

With the second book coming out soon (SO excited for it), I’ve been thinking back to the first book in this series again. I read this one back in January and snagged this picture from the holidays in MA.

This one is fast paced, filled with gruesome monsters given to us in graphic detail, and splits this world open to readers. I liked Winnie, even if she felt a little naive in her understanding of her world, and appreciated her headstrong, run into the fray of it nature. The trials were a fun backdrop to moving the story forward and there’s so many things I’m curious about and have high hopes for getting to them in book two.

With spooky season here, it’s a good time to creep in Hemlock Falls, just beware of the monsters in the dark. 😉

Verdict: Really Liked 😍

Thank you so much for the #gifted copy, @torteen! 🥰

I love Susan Dennard's Truthwitch series, so I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into this one as well, however, I got about half way through and just had no desire to pick this up anymore. The pacing was just off for me and there just wasn't enough connection to pull me into the story.

At first, it took me a little to get into it. I loved the storyline and enjoyed following the characters throughout.

But I hated that they all had last names that were of a day of the week. It was annoying and took me out of the book more than once. It was a distraction from the interesting things going on with the trials and the dark creatures.

I wish it had stuck more with first names and not always stating everyone's last names, too.
I get that everyone was part of a different clan, but for a fantasy, it struck me as odd to use something so common as a day of the week. And the constant repetition....

Thankfully, the story itself was good. I liked Winnie and how, with help from a friend, she was able to overcome a lot of the obstacles. It's one thing for a character to be strong or weak, but it's always nice to see when characters can accept help. Not all stories have to be about being the best and not needing anyone, and this was the perfect example. It worked well for the story. I always enjoy a good friendship.

This book gave me Wednesday (the TV show) vibes, which is funny, since the MC's last name is Wednesday....

Anyway, I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. But I hope there is less of the weekday last names in this upcoming book.

Susan Dennard is an auto buy author for me and so I am so grateful I got to listen to this book!! The narrator was fantastic and the magic system was unique. I have the special OwlCrate edition on my shelf now and it’s amazing!!

DNF at 20%. This was poorly written and hard to get through. I don't even know what else I can say! So sorry, just not for me. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review!

I love a good dark fantasy where students have to fight against evil creatures for survival, so The Luminaries sounded like it was right up my alley. If you had never read this type of story before, I imagine you’d probably really enjoy this one. That said, having read other books with similar concepts, this one is was okay in comparison. The plot was fine. The MC was fine. Nothing was catastrophically wrong with it. It just felt like I’d already read it before. Perhaps as the series develops it will get better.

I definitely didn’t know what the expect with this book and went into it blind and I’m glad I did. This was a fun YA fantasy read and I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of it. I instantly was hooked from the start and loved how atmospheric it was. I loved Winnie and I especially loved her and Jay’s interactions (forever shipping the two).

I do wish you would’ve learned more about the three trials before they ended up happening, especially the last two since you just get thrown into them and don’t really know what they’re suppose to be. This book does a good job of laying the ground work for the second and I definitely will be picking it up when it comes out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one more than I thought I would and it was such a fun listen. Definitely a good one to read during early fall.

The Luminaries is a novel that will leave readers wanting more. The magic and danger of the hunt are expertly woven into the story, creating an immersive and thrilling experience. With so much potential for the series, readers will be eager to continue on this adventure. While the story itself is great, it does feel like only half a book, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the sequel. Overall, The Luminaries is an excellent read that is sure to captivate fans of adventure and fantasy.

This was so atmospheric and drew me in right away! The world building was woven in so well and I felt like I knew some many of the characters. I think the biggest thing is that I had a lot more questions than I’d like by the time the book ended. Excited for book 2 though!