I love this series so much. Winnie's humour is everything. The books are witty, funny and with a well thought out plot to boot.

This was my first time audioing this series and I have to say, the voice actress did an amazing job of capturing Winnie's voice. I sank into this book with so much ease just enveloping myself in Winnie's voice like a blanket and it was so much fun.

I really liked the interpretation of loyalty in this book. Winnie's family have a motto of loyalty, but Winnie doesn't show it as it would be expected - loyalty to the clan. Instead she's incredibly loyal to her family and friends (especially Jay) and her absent father who has left her a mystery to solve.

I really cannot wait for the next book to come out as this one added so much more stuff to the mystery and I really want to know what happens next!

"The Hunting Moon," Susan Dennard's highly anticipated sequel to "The Luminaries," thrusts readers back into the enchanting and perilous world of Winnie Wednesday. Having triumphed in the deadly hunter trials, Winnie finds herself caught in a web of complexities that challenge her newfound celebrity status. Despite her success, she grapples with the unsettling presence of the Whisperer, a menacing force killing hunters each night, and her unwavering belief in the innocence of the accused werewolf. Dennard weaves a compelling narrative, skillfully interweaving Winnie's quest to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Dianas' magic and the events in Hemlock Falls four years ago. As bodies and secrets pile up, Winnie faces the ambiguity of her Luminary identity and confronts the precarious nature of her loyalties. "The Hunting Moon" is a gripping continuation of the series, building on the anticipation and delivering a mesmerizing tale of magic, mystery, and the complexities of identity. Despite some predictability, the story remains engaging, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next captivating installment.

I wish I had reread the first book in the series before starting this because I was pretty confused for a big chunk of the beginning. Once I was able to start remembering the first one more, I was really happy with the way this is a continuation on the story and adds more growth to the characters. This is a really fun world to dive into. Though some points seemed a little predictable for me, I still had a great time with it. I love the theme of loyalty. I definitely recommend this for someone looking for a fun and engaging contemporary young adult fantasy.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Accidentally picked this one not realizing it was a second in a series. Will revisit this one someday but for now, I will bow out. THank you for the opportunity to review.

I am a huge fan of the first book in this series and the sequel definitely delivered. The Hunting Moon continues to follow Winnie Wednesday as she tries to navigate complicated relationships with her family, friends, and Luminary society. The writing style is very enthralling and has made me really excited for future books in this series. This story takes a lot of fun twists and turns, while developing a well laid out romance. Dennard's character development is thorough, and her narrative structure is brilliant. I would highly recommend!

The Hunting Moon is the second book in the Luminaries series. This book was just as good as the first. The characters are well-developed and highly likable, which makes you root for them from the beginning. The mysteries surrounding Hemlock Falls are interesting enough to keep you coming back to see what will happen in this series.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

The Hunting Moon is a sequel that took a while to get started - think around halfway through - but it's one that forces characters to learn that revenge and vengeance has a place. That forgiveness will not give back what is lost. It's a book that begins by sweeping us back into what happened in the past. Into the community group, into this insular community. The Hunting Moon examines Winnie who deals with misrepresentation. About what happened in her past to her family, but also about the trials.

When I requested this audiobook, I hadn't read the first book yet. A good friend of mine recommended the first one because she really enjoyed it. We tend to have similar tastes so I was sure I was going to enjoy it. Around the release of this book, I read the first one and absolutely loved it.

So, I immediately went into book 2. That said, I immediately regretted that as soon as I finished it. How am I expected to wait for book 3?! I made the mistake of listening to this with my toddler sleeping next to me and it was so hard not to scream and wake her up.

I will say that I'm someone that can mostly overlook a cliche plot if the characters are enough to make me care about them and this book felt kind of like that. The big plot twists weren't really shocking to me, but I did really love them and how they played out.

I can't wait to get my hands on some more books from Susan Dennard and this series.

I really enjoy this YA series. Hunting Moon is a great follow up to The Illuminaries. Winnie Wednesday is back and more popular than ever. It has been a major shift from being shunned for years and Winnie is having a tough time balancing the attention with all her emotions around what happened. In addition, she feels like no one is listening to her still about the Whisperer. They are all focused on werewolves, which Winnie believes could lead to people remaining in danger from what is really seeking them.

I love the vibes of this series. This one reads as true YA instead of too mature. Dennard seems to hit it just right. I love that Winnie and Jay are once again found working together. We find out more about their history together as well as Jay's past that still haunts him. Winnie learns more secrets about her father and the mystery around it all is captivating. Plus, we still have the adventure we saw in the first book.

The audio is fantastic. This book has the same narrator as in the first one. She does a wonderful job with the characters and her narration and pacing really set the mood of the book.

Overall, I really liked this one and felt like it was a good follow-up book. I do believe it could be read as a stand-alone but it would be better to read The Illuminaries first as it will enhance your experience. I look forward to more books set in this world.

A much better book than its predecessor. Which is surprising for a sequel. While book 1 seemed far too short, and lacked substance or stakes, book 2 more than made up for that.

As the stakes to find the "werewolf" being blamed for the increase in Luminaries death rise, Winnie finds herself unraveling the truths her ex-best friends have kept from her that fateful day her family was exiled from the community. She is also trying to keep the secret of her father's messages. If anyone finds out, she'll be shunned yet again. She can't let that happen, not now that they've finally been able to get out from her witch father's shadow. Now that she is trusted again. But there's a chance her father was framed. And new clues are being uncovered. And the only people she can trust are the two who abandoned her when she needed them most.

I can't even really say that this book starts tying up loose ends because book 1 really just did nothing except scene setting. This book begins unraveling loose ends. We see the clue that Winnie's dad left her, and she begins actively searching like a one woman scooby gang. Her running into Jay constantly while searching for clues was great, and I highly enjoyed it.

I also really enjoyed how while Winnie is valid in her feelings of abandonment, she is never outright shamed for being upset when its revealed Jay was going through something on his own as well. Yes he was going through something and couldn't be there for her. But 1- how was she supposed to know that if he doesn't talk to her, and 2- that doesn't explain the years long silence she spent all alone. Together they move forward, not past the issue of their childish lack of communication, but forward.

I'm not about to start on my girlish glee when Winnie realized Jay was singing about her, when her other ex-best friend gave clues about it, when Winnie and Jay finally kissed. Dennard really knows how to capture that element of girlhood so well. I also really enjoyed the solidification of Winnie's new friends. I felt like those relationships fell a little flat in book one, but there was a real attempt at solidifying that friend group.

Overall, a great time and I'm very excited for the secrets book 3 will reveal.

The girl who jumped. The girl who got bitten.

The Hunting Moon starts right after events of the final hunting trial in the Luminaries. Winnie has got everything she could possibly want. She has passed the hunter trials and has been offered the opportunity to be hunter in the Wednesday Clan, her family believes that they will no longer be outcasts and she has the attention of her peers. However, nothing seems to be right in Winnie's world. The town still believes that the Werewolf is to blame for the current hunter's death and the events that occurred during Winnie's trial. Winnie has also just found evidence that her father may have been framed as being a witch. Winnie must continue to find evidence of the Whisperer's existence while now trying to decipher her father's clues.

Although the first half of The Hunting Moon felt slow, I loved the second half of the book. There were so many revelations that occurred, I couldn't stop listening to find out what happened next. I was completely shocked by the end and felt that it opened up perfectly for the last book. I also enjoyed the blooming romance that occurs between Jay and Winnie. I am hoping to see them both grow as characters in the next book.

The events of The Hunting Moon make me excited for the last book in the series. I am anxiously waiting for the release date and cover reveal of The Luminaries book 3.

The Hunting Moon is out now.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review The Hunting Moon. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve been in a horrible reading slump, but the Luminaries series by Susan Dennard brought me out. I’ve always loved mythical creatures and was intrigued by the concept of a town of hunters trying to survive and co-exist with a forest full of nightmares.

I listened to both The Luminaries and The Hunting Moon on audio and thoroughly enjoyed the pacing and narration of the stories. I loved following Winnie’s journey and watching her relationships develop, especially with Jay and Emma. In The Hunting Moon, there were some added mystery elements that drove the book and added depth to the plot- setting things up nicely for the story to continue. I’m looking forward to the release of the third book in this series.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of the audiobook for The Hunting Moon in exchange for an honest review.

#TheHuntingMoon:⁣
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“But you either trust the forest or you don't, and so far, trust has worked out pretty well for Winnie Winona Wednesday.... not all humans deserve to die. And some might even be worth saving.”⁣
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Massive thank you to @macmillan.audio @torteen for my gifted copy. ⁣
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I’m sorry, but The Hunting Moon brought out something feral of me and I have never wanted someone to win so hard in my life. I loved this book so much, it truly came out of nowhere and stuck with me throughout the book. ⁣
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I have never cheered so hard for someone like I have in Winnie Wednesday. I want her to win. I want her to have her roses. I want her to get the guy. I want her to figure out the deal with her dad. I want her to win. ⁣
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I enjoyed book one (The Lunimaries) but I 100% loved The Hunting Moon more. Book one gave us a solid foundation, but book two expanded on it in such a great way. There were forest scenes where I gasped (I’d follow the will-o'-wisps to the end of the world and probably end up not living because of them) and where I cheered. ⁣
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Audio was amazing. Caitlin Davies brought some of the best tense scenes to life. Plus, the sarcasm that sometimes hit was too good and landed perfectly. I absolutely loved the audio and highly recommend if you’re an audio person. ⁣
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Overall, another hit for me! Just released 11/7!⁣
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Predict Text: The hunting moon…⁣
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The hunting moon is coming back up to earth.

So good!! I was lucky enough to get the ARC and I devoured this! It was so captivating!! A must read!

The Hunting Moon is the second book of The Luminaries series, following one of the Luminaries on her journey to restore her family name and not get killed in a Forrest full of magical creatures her family has been fighting for generations.

Winnie Wednesday is an expert at not doing what is expected of her and finding trouble at every corner. She and Jay Friday were the best of friends as kids but had a falling out when Winnie's family was excommunicated for something her father was accused of. But what if he was innocent? What if everything the Hunters of the Luminaries thinks is true, just isn't. Winnie was outcast long enough to question everything and wonder if what everyone assumes is true about the Luminaries (the good guys), the Diana's (the bad guys) and the Woods of Hemlock Falls is right.

***You either trust the Forrest of you don't.***

In this second book of the series, we get deeper dive into what it means to be a Luminary and some of the history. We also get to see some Diana's in action so we understand how they are a bit different than everyone Winnie Wednesday grew up with. There is a lot of focus on trying to find the wolf that everyone believes is responsible for recent deaths of hunters in the woods. Winnie, knows the wolf isn't responsible; she is sure there is something else going on and she seems to be only one that ever sees it. There is also some lovely longing and teenage romance blooming but it plays a slight back seat to everything else happening. Also if you were paying attention in the first book you will already know who the wolf is and probably at least one of the Dianas. But, the slow tease out of information is fun and I enjoyed spending time in Winnie's head as she tries to juggle the responsibility of saving her family's name and trying to be a normal teenager.

This is a fun YA series. The Hunting Moon did suffer from a few slow pacing issues at the beginning of the book. But once the action starts happening it is a good time and didn't really seem to slow much after that. Winnie is an actual teenager; she never seems like she is really 20 which I've found some other YA books to suffer from. There is enough mystery that I really can't wait to find out what is going on in Hemlock Falls and with the addition of a few characters in the book I think we will get some great answers later in the series.

Narration:
Caitlin Davies is an accomplished narrator of over 250 titles and well known to me as she has narrated some of my favorite YA UF novels. She is fantastic as capturing the voice of a younger PoV and her narration performances for those characters are wonderful. I have completely enjoyed other series by her and was not let down in this performance. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.

This sequel was a VAST improvement on the first installment. The worldbuilding continues to be a strength of the series, but character development and interaction was much better this go around (far less telling, far more showing). The ending was both rewarding, earned, AND unexpected. I believed in Winnie and Jay and their friends, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

The audio performance fit the tone of the book, too. Sometimes the delivery felt a little over the top when paired with the sparse language, but ultimately, I think it elevated the source material.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC. I am used to reading sequels or series, without reading the first in a series, and being able to pick up some of the nuances of the text. However, this is one where one must have read the first in series. Despite not understanding some of the intracies of the Lumanaries. I did like the atmosphere and overall mood of this text. It was a great mix of dark academia and the supernatural. I also appreciated the themes of loyality, friendship, and nature. Overall, and interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: November 7, 2023

4.5 stars rounded up.
I really love this world and characters that Dennard has created! This is a really solid second book in a trilogy that keeps the action and the pace moving right along (something a lot of second books can struggle with). I am so excited to see how this wraps up!

I also really love this narrator and I will definitely need to listen to the audio of the last book! She does a great job bringing their emotions to life and making you feel the atmosphere the writing is capturing.

4⭐️

I adored this book!

If you're looking for a book with:
• monsters
• small town
• strong FMC
• angsty slow burn
• deep family secrets
• secret hunter society
• YA fantasy romance

Please give this one a shot, it's totally worth it!