I absolutely love this author, so of course I loved this book as well as all the others she’s ever written. She always creates something unique in her books, and this series is no different.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an audiobook eARC for my honest opinion.

This is the second book of The Luminaries and it was even better than the first one. I can not wait to see what the next book will bring us; I just wish that it was already next year so I could read it already.

I really liked this author’s way of writing; she knows how to draw you with her attention to the details. It’s not just that she knows how to paint a picture of what is happening in the scenes but it’s the way that she makes you feel while reading the book. In the first book I liked Winnie, but she wasn’t one of my favorite characters but in this book, with her character growth and having pieces of the puzzle of this world that she lives in you start to see her in a different way.

I love that in these books you get fantasy, mystery, a little bit of the thriller feel and romance. I thought the romance between Jay and Winnie was done beautifully. It is definitely a slow burn in all the right ways, and will have you saying, “It’s about time”. I think though it was the detective work that Winnie and Jay do together that really helps to cement them together and gives you the warm fuzzies. However, that isn’t the only emotion that you will feel in this book, you are right there with Winnie when she is still trying to piece together the puzzle that her father left her. You will see from her, you will rage, fear, happiness, and love. I think it really helped to make Winnie into a character that you can see yourself in.

The twists in this book, nicely done/also I did pat myself on the back because I kinda had a feeling about it but when I was confirmed I was oh yeah, oh yeah. I can not wait to see what else the next book will have it in or to see if Susan will be explaining more and more about the truth of her father’s disappearance, the truth about herself, and to see the relationship between Jay and herself bloom more and more in the next book.

I thought the narrator did a wonderful job with pulling the reader into the book and keeping them alongside the characters. Her tone really brightens the book and brings to life the characters for me.

If you loved my review and you think this book or the first one is up your alley, make sure to read it.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

Winnie Wednesday’s story continues in The Hunting Moon, the second book in Susan Dennard’s Luminaries series. It was so much fun to return to this world and get a chance to dig deeper into the lore of the Luminaries and Dianas. After the events of book one Winnie is being crushed by the spotlight. No longer and outcast, she’s now the girl who jumped, the girl who was bitten, but no one really knows what happened to her that night. And no one really believes her about the new threat. And now she’s digging into her father’s past. Is it possible he wasn’t a traitor? Did someone frame him? While this series has a much different feel than her Witchland series, The Luminaries books are just as entertaining, and the luminary community, with different ‘days’ clans and their lore/traditions are completely fascinating. Dennard just has a way of pulling you into her stories and making you care about her characters. Caitlin Davies does an excellent job with the narration. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of the audio version of The Hunting Moon.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1VNBRG4I9OLHE/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Susan Dennard really knocked it out of the park with this one! The Hunting Moon is a stunning sequel to The Luminaries. I devoured this book in one sitting. The book did have a slow start but the plot was still incredibly engaging. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. I definitely felt the slow burn and angst big time with this one. I love Winnie and Jay. I can't wait to see what comes next because this one definitely ended on a cliffhanger.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

a cliffhanger?!?!?! wow this was an adventure. I can’t believe there will be another book. I was so ready for the mystery around her dad. If you enjoyed book 1 you will love this one. The narrator did a great job. It was clear & and enjoyable. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in exchange for a review.

DNF @ 22%

I have lost all interest in this series, and I have no patience for the generic YA drama that is happening. I don't care enough about the mythology or the mysteries to keep going. Not rating.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. Sorry I couldn't finish!

The Hunting Moon
Author: Susan Dennard
Narrated: by Caitlin Davies
Release Date: 11/07/2023
Publisher Macmillian Audio, Macmillian Young Listeners

I want to thank the publisher Macmillian Audio, Macmillian Young Listeners and Netgalley for the chance to have the ARC audiobook of The Hunting Moon.

Let me start just first start of by saying I never read the first book to this series, so I don’t know if this holds any bearing on my review. That been said that didn't prevent me from enjoying this story. I will be reading the reading the first book in the series and will be rereading this one.

Thank you to Macmillan for the audio ARC!

I read the first book in this series a while ago, and probably should have reread it before starting this... but, this is written in a way that makes it easy to catch up quickly. After a few chapters, I remembered everything enough to not feel lost.

This is a 2.5 rounded up. This book was a quick and easy listen, and I was able to fully immerse myself in the world. I think I've grown away from YA, as some parts of this felt childish. That's more of a "me problem" but the romance felt SO young and innocent (which fits the genre) but I just didn't really connect with it. I'm not docking points for this feeling young since it's YA! I probably would have loved this if it had come out when I was in middle/high school.

The Hunting Moon has some pacing issues - some sections are action heavy and others are very slow, with almost nothing important taking place. I expected more plotlines to be wrapped up in this book, but there's a lot that's left open for the next book.

The world of this series is so interesting. The social dynamics, the "nightmares" and the way they're handled, the Dianas - all neat concepts that I enjoy. I also really liked the way friendships were shown here!!

The ending section was definitely the strongest part of this book. I'm intrigued by where this is going, so I'll probably pick up the next book when it comes out!

The Hunting Moon is a solid second installment in this fun YA contemporary fantasy series. Fans of the first book likely will not be disappointed as mysteries from the first book are solved, more questions are asked, Winnie grows as a character, and there are some great developments with her relationships with other characters (particularly Jay). The slightly spooky vibes of Hemlock Falls and the fascinating Nightmares that Susan Dennard crafted in the first book continue in this installment making this series the perfect fall read.

Like the first book, The Hunting Moon is fast-paced and hard to put down. I suspect that when this series is completed it will be a fantastic one to binge read as not much time passes between installments. There are quite a few elements that feel a bit predictable - a major plot twist that gets revealed toward the end of this book was something I predicted in the first book and so the fact that it took so long to be revealed irked me a bit but overall it didn't detract from the reading experience too much since I overall enjoyed the journey getting to that point. I loved Winnie's character arc throughout and I'm excited to see how this story ends.

There are two things I love in particular about The Luminaries that make this series stand out to me:
1. The books are quite short, under 300 pages
2. They fit firmly in the YA category - Winnie is a teen protagonist who feels like a teen protagonist.

I think a lot of YA these days (particularly in the fantasy genre) tends to be long and written with older (18-20 year old) protagonists to fit in that YA/Adult crossover space. YA Fantasy geared toward the younger teen crowd (13-17) tends to be harder to find and recommend and so I'm happy this series exists - especially because it has great characters and fun worldbuilding with lots of interesting magical creatures (something it has in common with Susan Dennard's The Witchlands series).

The audiobook is also fantastic - Caitlin Davies captures Winnie's voice so well and it make the reading experience even more enjoyable.

This books suffered from the dreaded second book in the trilogy curse. I found it boring and the FMC who was already annoying in book one increasingly more annoying in this book.

I found the first book to be much more action driven, and more interesting but this one didn't have the same pace nor the same intricacy or mystery behind it. The characters felt flat to me, and I just wasn't as interested in the story as I was with the first one. I understand that there has to be something left for the third book, but I feel like I would've rather read one 500+ pg book than three book. I think the first one gave hints that though revealed here, they weren't shocking nor unexpected.

I think the narrator did a great job, and its not their fault that the story is not the best.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the advanced listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This audiobook was not as good as the first. When sped up the voice was warbled and chapters 10 and 18 would not play at all. As for the writing: the book was extremely repetitive and all that space could've been used for making bits of the story make more sense (especially with the puzzle pieces fitting together?) and not leaving so many story lines just open ended again. 3 stars because despite these things, I did enjoy listening to the story and the details of this world. I also like all the characters.

I would like to preface by saying I am a fantasy book snob. It's got to be brilliant or I'm not going to love it. I have to start by saying that I enjoyed the first Luminaries book, but I'm more of a fan of Dennard's Witchlands series. The Witchlands series has a more mature feel, whereas this series seems to be aimed at younger teens. It's not really my cup of tea, but that's okay. With that being said, I don't think Hunting Moon is as good as Luminaries. It serves as a decent sequel, advancing the plot and introducing a romantic relationship. It also provides more information about the world. However, the romance feels very young, and since I'm not a teenager myself, I didn't feel particularly invested in it. The plot reveals weren't surprising, as they were pretty much what I expected based on hints from the first book. Additionally, the heavy focus on different magical creatures and monsters in the world-building isn't really my thing.

Thank you to #Netgalley for this alc for an honest review.

The Hunting Moon is the second installment in the Luminaries series. It continues with the main character Winnie Wednesday, and her attempt to bring her family back into the Luminaries Society after being outcasted. This book picks up with Winnie successfully completing her hunting trials and her family is welcomed back. Winnie is still trying to figure out why she is able to see and hear the Whispers in the forest, and no one else is able too. Winnie is trying to figure out the clue that her father was set up by a Dianna within the community that led to him fleeing. Winnie in this book is desperately trying to figure out the mysteries of the forest while at the same time figure out her feelings for Jay Friday, and her feeling that he is keeping secrets from him. Winnie is also trying to get the town to not focus just on hunting the werewolf in the woods but the whispers that are killing luminary hunters in the forest.
Some of the storyline I was able to figure out but I am very excited to learn more about the Diana’s a coven of witches that have been driven out of the Luminaries, and what dark spells they are castings in the forest. I am also interested in learning more about the friendship of the ex best friends that include Erica Thrusday. Also that ending has me really thinking because I haven’t been able to quite figure out that mystery of the crows.
Highly recommend for fans of YA fantasy. Thank you Net galley and Macmillan Audio for this arc.

First thank you to Netgalley and the Author for allowing me the pleasure to read this arc. I was not paid and this is my honest review.

Let me just first start of by saying I never read the first book to this series so I don’t know if this holds any bearing on my review. I really liked this book but it definitely left me with questions. Maybe it will be in the next book or maybe it’s in the first book.

Either way I there is thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will be reading the first book to the series and I would love to read more by the author. I would definitely recommend this book and will be getting both the first and the second (this book) in physical copy.

I was pretty disappointed in this book. I was immediately drawn in by the cover without realizing it was the second book. So I went back and read the first one and loved it. Then I listened to this one, and it just wasn't as good. It wasn't BAD, but in comparison , I was let down. It felt less thorough, the world was flatter, the characters more-surface level, the story and writing more middle grades than YA. So sad!

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgally, all opinions are my own.

This book picks up right where The Luminaries left off. You are going to want to read that first or you will be completely lost reading this. Book 1 sets up the entire backstory of The Luminary society and how we got to this point in the storyline. The Hunting Moon continues on with major plotlines that were introduced in the first book.

This does end with a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm not sure if this is a trilogy or there will be more than three books in the series. There is obviously another book planned as this ends with several open plotlines and sets us up for more excitement in book 3.

This book has more of a scavenger hunt feel to it and doesn't focus as much on the monsters and world building that we saw in book 1. The world building is still great, but this book does expect that you have read the first installment and builds on that knowledge. Winnie is trying to unravel the clues her dad left her claiming he was framed by the Dianas, the witches that are the enemies of the Luminaries. She is also trying to help reclaim Luminary status for her mom and brother by becoming a hunter. After getting bitten by a werewolf she is a bit of a celebrity, but no one else has seen the new nightmare she has deemed The Whisperer. She is determined to unravel the clues her dad left and figure out what this new nightmare. As her quest continues she finds herself teaming up with her former best friend Jay. Jay has his own secrets that Winnie would like to figure out. Turns out all of the secrets and clues are much more related than Winnie could have ever imagined.

This is action packed and fast paced. There are times that Winnie acts very immature and holds grudges. She doesn't want anyone to know what she is up to and that she is having a bit of PTSD from her experiences. Eventually she starts to let Jay in on her feelings but it takes her quite some time to get there. There are alot of secrets being kept in this installment and there were a few times I wanted to yell at the teenagers too knock it off. Having teenagers myself who want to solve all of their own problems and don't want any of the advice they ask for, they were acting fairly accurately.

As with the first book this is perfect for the YA reader. It deals with your typical teenager stuff like going to school, family drama, and figuring out what to wear while also dealing with their secret monster hunting society stuff. This has a bit of a romance plot. Winnie is dealing with alot and at times is a bit reckless, but she acts like a teenager faced with big problems. She also looks for a trusted person to help but also knows that it may put her family in jeopardy and has to weigh the consequences. I am anxiously anticipating the next book in the series as there are so many unanswered questions that need to be answered.

I would like to start by saying thank you to Netgalley, Edelweiss+ and the publishers for my E-ARC in both eBook and eAudiobook forms. I am rating this book 4/5 stars as I did enjoy it, but I do feel there is still room for it to grow (and I often don't love the miscommunication trope that was prevalent here)

Just like it’s predecessor, The Hunting Moon is fast paced and addictive. Though I can say I see where the writing has elevated somewhat in this novel. I do think that is related to the fact that the author is now mostly done introducing the backstory and is now able to more freely have the characters journey through the looming mysteries.
A major difference I notices is, that while it felt like I really got to know the characters in the first novel, I felt as though I was being held at arms reach with this novel. Seemingly because the main character consistently removes herself from social interactions, and instead the focus in this novel was placed more on the slow burn romance between Winnie and Jay. But they’re both keeping so many secrets from each other that their romance felt more like a strain than something they could both relax into.
Would I read the last book in the series? Yes, I would. Is it going to become one of my favorite series? No, probably not, but it is still a read I enjoyed and would read again, and even recommend to readers who are looking to get into mystery/paranormal based fantasy.

DNF at 20%.

I was so excited to read this one after enjoying THE LUMINARIES. But this one lacked the compelling/creepy forest vibes and monsters that I loved in the first book. Instead I spent 20% of this book listening to Winnie whine about being popular and no one believing her. Sigh...

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to have the ARC audiobook of The Hunting Moon! The sequel was an excellent continuation to the first and I can’t wait to see where this story takes us.

The characters are very well written and easily likable. Winnie the FMC does experience what some would consider bullying by her peers but she handles it well. I had some theories as to who the “Werewolf” was but was actually shocked to find out their real identity.

Overall, great story! I think it might have been just a tad bit better than the first. A must read!

While this series wasn't exactly my cup of tea, this sequel to The luminaries was still full of action, adventure, romance and betrayals. I'm excited to see what will happen to the characters even if the overall world didn't completely grab me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!