Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this Audiobook ARC!

The concept of the Luminaries was incredible, and immediately drew me in. I really liked the flow and plot of the book and it made it really difficult to stop reading and take breaks. I think if I had read this instead of listening, this would’ve been a one sitting novel. Winnie’s journey and character arc left me hooked and the action was impeccable. The Luminaires did a really good job of being a fantasy without getting carried away with excessive detail and bogging down the reader. The narrator did an excellent job and I hope she narrates the sequel in the future!

I'm a fan of The Witchlands and have been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it. I like the 'nightmares' in the woods and the different families named after days of the week. The concept feels fresh and it was fun following Winnie, who has some training but also is pretty much a normal teenage girl. She struggles to fit in, has a crush on her former best friend, and wants to make her mom proud of her.

The pacing of this is almost a bit too fast. I loved how much action there was, but for a shorter read I would have liked a bit more time spent teaching us about the creatures and how the Luminaries work. I think we'll get a lot more of that in the sequel, but for now I have several questions.

This was a fun audiobook, narrated by the fantastic Caitlin Davies. I definitely recommend checking this one out!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the copy

Welcome to Hemlock Falls, where the woods surrounding town will probably kill you.The Luminaries protect the town from what lurks in the forest, but Winnie wants nothing to do with them since her family was cast out for her father being a traitor. However, when an opportunity presents itself for Winnie to become a hunter and restore her family to their former status, she takes it. She’s in over her head, and things aren’t what they seem, but she’ll have to survive to investigate further and uncover what she’s seen in the forest.

I tore through this one in a couple of days, and though it may have been a tad over hyped on my social media feeds, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I love a good mystery when it’s embedded in fantasy and horror and not a whodunnit, and The Luminaries delivered on that premise. My only complaint is that this one’s going to have at least one more book, and I’d like to dive into the second one right now. Other than the wait for book 2, though, no complaints. Check it out if you haven’t already.

I can honesty say I finished this book just to be able to say I read it. The story was lacking dimension, which lead to a lag in my enjoyment.

This book is exactly what it says it is but nothing more, no added dimension and certainly no world building. All of this together just results in the book being bland, if the audio narrator hadn’t done as fantastic of a job as they did I think this could’ve been a DNF from me.

The protagonist Winnie Wednesday doesn’t have much depth or identity outside of her insecurities due to her families status in their society and desire to join The Luminaires.

The Luminaires themselves are an interesting concept being magical monster hunters of sorts but there’s so much bland background information they aren’t really the star of this book.

Great bones, great concept, poor execution.

2 stars

⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley, TorTeen and Macmillan Audio for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Luminaries is a great new fantasy series to unfold. I liked Winnie's story and how she was imperfect. The world-building was pretty easy to follow as well. I can't wait for book 2.

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.

A World Building Centered beginning for a new series. 4 stars with interest in book 2. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Luminaries are everything Winnie Wednesday dreams of being, until her and her family are shunned due to her father's ties to the enemy. In Hemlock Falls, the Luminaries are tasked with ensuring a magical spirit continues to slumber...even if that means hunting down the spirits nightmares at night...and keeping the Dianas(a rogue group of witches) from attempting to harness the spirits power for themselves. Three trials are all that stands between Winnie and Luminaries glory.....but are the trials more than they seem?

Hear me out....this was a good book, just not the book I thought it would be. It left alot to be desired in terms of plot, but the world building is mostly out of the way for the second book....so I'm not giving up on this series yet. I enjoyed Winnie and her trials....I loved how flawed she was and how she really begins to come into her own. Jay felt like an unnecessary piece to me but I'm sure more will be revealed in the future that will change that. If you're willing to let what should have been at the most the first half of the novel be the first book then I recommend this for you. I can't promise the payoff will be worth it, but we'll find out together.

Four stars for a well written prequel to a story I'm hoping will blow readers away. Recommended for patient readers who don't mind a slow pace with not a lot of immediate payoff. Age range 14+.

I feel bad for disliking this book so thoroughly because, judging on the cover and the plot, it sounds like a lot of fun. But ultimately the vibes are so conflicting I barely made it through. I understand it’s the intro to a series but literally not one single plot thread went anywhere and the suspense isn’t enough to carry that many random loose ends. This feels like it was published about 2 decades ago. I might give #2 a chance to see where this werewolf thing ends up but it’s really going to have to deliver on some of the loose ends or develop the characters more before interest fades completely.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book that I wanted to read for the cover and all the hype. I am really glad that I did. Winne was such a fun heroine and I loved seeing her grow and learn more about her community and the world that she lives in. This was such a unique concept with all of the monsters and honestly was the perfect fall read! I just need more Jay in book 2!

The Narrators for this were amazing and I really enjoyed the audio!

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. I received an arc audiobook and enjoyed the story and the narrator.
Hemlock Falls cannot be found on any map. It is a place with different clans that are responsible for fighting off the monsters who rise in the night in the forest.
Winnie Wednesday wants to join up with the ‘Luminaries’, an ancient order that protects the town from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest.
Her own father was exposed as a traitor so now Winnie and her family, being shunned, must prove their loyalty and try to restore their family name.
Winnie must sneak into the forest on her sixteenth birthday and try to pass the first of the trials to become a hunter. If Winnie can do that, it may just help move her family out of being shunned and prove their loyalty to the clan. But Winnie might just be in over her head. She asks for help from Jay Friday, a ‘resident bad boy’ but he just might be the one to help her.
I found the story interesting and look forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Sixteen-year-old Winnie Wednesday wants to redeem her family by joining the Luminaries, the group of hunters and fighters that protects the town of Hemlock Falls from things that go bump in the night. There are all sorts of nightmares lurking in the forest by the town and Winnie is determined to face and fight them. The problem? Winnie’s family has been outcast from the group due to her father’s betrayal. And she needs to enlist the help of her former best friend—and the town’s seemingly aloof, bad boy heartthrob—Jay to train. Can Winnie survive the trials to join the Luminaries? Can she bring honor to her family again? Can she protect her town?

This novel sucked me in. Once I started the audiobook, I didn’t want to pause it or put it down. This YA novel deftly juggles some of the social pressures that face teenagers, the hierarchy and red tape of the society in which Winnie and her family live, and the fantastical elements of the forest. I highly recommend it to any YA fantasy or YA paranormal fan.

Caitlin Davies’s audiobook narration was fantastic. She captured Winnie’s personality, and I loved the voices she used for the various characters—especially soft-spoken Jay.

I have my theories about what is really going on and can’t wait for the next installment in this series.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

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

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.

I listened to an audiobook, and the narrator, Kaitlyn Davies, was not my favorite for this manuscript. I've heard her work before and liked it; but she's breathy in the beginning of this one and I think it affects her articulation. Still a good audiobook, lots of fun and creepy as heck, I recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Dennard, and MacMillan Audio for the audio ARC.

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

In this intriguing first book in a YA fantasy series, sixteen year old Winnie, who has wanted to be a Luminary hunter, hunting and killing the nightmares that plague the forest of her town of Hemlock Falls, must face the monsters as well as the people who have rejected her and her family since her father was exposed as a witch four years ago causing her family to be shunned. Together with Jay, hot guy, bass player, hunter and an old friend, she sets out to make her dream of being a hunter come true. However, she encounters more than she had bargained for. This is a good book and I look forward to the next one in the series. 3.5 stars

The above review is on Goodreads. However, wtf is with the clicking teeth? At first, I wondered if the character was not supposed to be human. Click, click, click. That is just really strange.

This was so much fun and so different from what I expected! I was obsessed with the different nightmares and wish there were a compendium I could browse to better picture how each looked. The world is clearly so expansive and well crafted, as is typical of Susan Dennard, and I love her so much for that.

I was glad to see the romance backgrounded! While I’d have loved to see a Big Kiss Scene with #UghJay (which I was DYING over the frequent use of his name with Ugh before it! So clever!!!), I think it was better to get a picture of Winnie first. I loved how she developed and the way she slowly gained footing in a confusing adult world. The way she started to question things with deep roots and tried so so hard to fight for that. I saw her as autistic, especially during the second test when the compendium just keep repeating in her brain. And her unstoppable quest to get the truth out. #JusticeForTheWerewolf!! (side note: I absolutely think Jay is the werewolf but I could be persuaded otherwise—maybe Jenna? Or the dad? Darian???)

Susan is so good at establishing roots that will grow throughout a series and I loved to see them settle. Like the stories surrounding Winnie’s dad, Erica’s older sister, etc. This was such a fun, unique take on a world I already was obsessed with when Susan began posting the poll to Twitter! I think it’s similar to a lot of books I’ve read, but nothing has felt as confident in its own setting as The Luminaries. This is a world we are just passing through. It existed long before this book and will continue long after. I can’t wait to read more!!

(Also I loved the audio. The narrator had a great voice for Winnie! And she made me sit up and pay attention every time I pressed ‘play!’)

While I was entertained over the course of the book, I felt like there was something missing from it that I can't quite put my finger on. Perhaps it's that the biggest mystery is left unsolved (a cheap cliffhanger to get us to read the sequel) or even that the Dianas aren't fleshed out and don't seem like a real threat (even though they're the reason Winnie's family is shunned and the motivator behind Winnie's participation in the trials).
Great concept, poor execution.
Character wise... we have the over-played dark, broody, and mysterious love interest for the quirky MC who doesn't quite fit in to the community. I appreciated that the popular pretty girls weren't portrayed as catty and cruel, and were actually friends with MC despite her outcast status. It's 2022 and it's about time that internalized misogyny is put aside as the main source of interpersonal strife in media target at teenage girls.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an early copy! An interesting plot and storyline! Horror elements and gore which are why I gave this 4 instead of 5 stars but otherwise a great story from the fantasy standpoint. Intriguing characters. Definitely recommend.

I fell headfirst into the world of The Luminaries and I’m not sure when I will be recovering.

This is one of the best YA fantasies I have read in such a long time. The story is a slow burn with a slow unraveling of the world of The Luminaries told through Winnie’s trials but throughout there is the added mystery of Winnie’s familial past.

Her father was a traitor, and Winnie spends much of the novel remembering this and dealing with the consequences of someone else’s choices as her family is treated as outcasts.

I loved the worldbuilding, the rich vastness of the Forrest filled with nightmares that come out when the mist falls. I loved this secret world hidden amongst the world all of us live in and it was so original I couldn’t get enough of it.

I found myself second guessing my guesses as to where the story was going and I have read a TON of books and normally am good at feeling out story beats.

I cannot wait for book two, I absolutely loved this one.

I read this one on ebook and audiobook intertwined and the voice of Winnie and the pacing of the audiobook I found to be easy to follow and it matched the vibe of the novel I had while reading.

I highly recommend this audio!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Susan Dennard’s book The Luminaries. It was exciting and full of mysteries that slowly revealed themselves as the story progressed. We aren’t given a lot of back story on Luminaries or Dianas, but I feel like that was done on purpose in order to build suspense and guide the reader to things the author wanted revealed at specific points.
Winnie drove me a bit crazy at first, as did her habit of clicking her teeth. But she also slowly grew and developed into a bit more of a likeable character as the book neared its conclusion. By the end, I was cheering her on and wanting her to unravel all the secrets she discovered on her “hero’s journey”. (Full confession, with her constant clicking of teeth, though, I was sure one of the major plot twists was going to be that she turned into a banshee, or some other Nightmare. But that was my own imaginings.)
The Luminaries was a lot of fun to listen to on audiobook, and I look forward to reading/listening to the 2nd book when it comes out.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley

🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the Advance listening copy of “The Luminaries.”

I didn’t know what to expect with this, but I loved it. The luminaries job is to hunt and kill nightmares that live in the forest and come out at night. Winnie Wednesday’s one and only chance to pass the test to become a hunter has arrived, but she has to sneak in since her family are under a punishment for her father’s exile. Winnie’s tests challenge her and her town when a new, previously unknown, nightmare has emerged. Can she pass her hunter tests and survive all of the nightmares that await in the woods.

This was so, so good. It’s a great YA fantasy story, that left with the inkling that there may be more to come. Yes, please!

Themes: 😈💀🧌🧛🏻‍♀️🧟‍♀️🧜 🐍nightmares, 🥷 hunter, 🧠👣👁 intelligent and smart, 👩‍👧‍👦 family, 🌒 night, 🌳🦌forest

My feelings: 😀🤓😬😱😵‍💫👊🏻👍🏻

#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
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