The Hunting Moon was one of my most anticipated reads/sequels of 2023.

I also had read The Luminaries as an arc and absolutely devoured it. I fell in love with the writing from the first page, and the book kept me in its grip. The ending left me with so many questions and so many theories that I couldn’t wait to see whether I was right or not.

The Hunting Moon, for the most part, didn’t disappoint. Dennard continues to shine with her lyrical and atmospheric writing. The descriptions of the forest and the nightmares were gloriously vivid. The plot was twisty and intense, providing some answers, but, like The Luminaries, often leaving both Winnie and me with more questions.

I think for me the downfall of this one was that the plot seemed a lot slower pace, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but paired with my other issues of the book this didn’t work with me. While I enjoyed The Luminaries for all the twists and secrets it had, I felt let down by this one as I did expect to get more answers. While we did seem to get some pretty big reveals (which were pretty obvious based on the last book) like with the first, this book wants you to come back for a third to get answers. And I get it, the story isn’t over, but I think this book could have done a bit more. It felt like it followed the formula of the first and felt a bit too similar for this to stand out.

I’m intrigued to keep reading as I am genuinely invested in the story. I think the world is interesting and I love the characters. I just hope the next one lives up to the love I had for the first book!

This was such a beautiful and enjoyable read. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into the Luminaries blind and ended up loving it, so I couldn't wait for this sequel!

I know others have mentioned the pacing seemed a little slower in this book, and I felt that too but then when you reflect on how short a timeframe the events are happening, I think it seems appropriate because you can't have action all of the time and Winnie is trying to follow up on the mysteries going on around her. She is also trying to find her place back in the community that had shunned her for years, as well as catching up on all she has missed so I feel she's more fleshed out as a character in trying to navigate all of this.

I love Hemlock Falls, the Forest and also the nightmares are just really interesting! I especially liked the last few chapters of this book with Winnie in the forest at night and it feels like we are understanding the nightmares slightly more now. I also love the romance developing between Winnie and Jay.

One thing that distracts me from the story is Winnie's teeth clicking which happens often. I know characters tend to have their own little habits but this one is a little irritating and when she does it, it just pulls my focus from the paragraph I'm reading at the time.

I'm looking forward to the next one! A few parts of the plot I had correctly guessed at but there's still parts leaving me wondering about and I can't wait to see what happens.

4.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Daphne Press and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion

I really like this series, I loved the first 1 a lot especially the pages in their monster book which I cant remember the name of (which this arc doesnt include but I obviously expect will be present in the real copy). I love the town and the monsters but for me I am really repulsed by drug use and Jay is obviously the love interest and I can't get past that to keep reading. I had to cut this read short at 15% unfortunately.

*Thank you to Daphne Press and NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

I wanted to like this book but it seemed more juvenile than the first one. The world building, for a second installment was too much for my taste and in generally I didn't like it. Susan Dennard is one of my favorite writers, so of course I'd read it but I'm a little dissapointed. Overall it wasn't something...memorable.

I want to thank NetGalley and Publisher for receiving this arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Luminaries was a book that tok me by surprise when I read it. It was the perfect fall read, a good YA with a mysterious aura and quite a lot of tension. The Hunting Moon maintains some of the same aspects but for some reason it fell short for me compared to the first book,
One of the main plot twists in this book was quite predictable and since the romance falls into YA category, I did not feel invested as a 30 year old reader. I found it sweet, but that was all.
I found the pacing slower for a good chunk of the book and there was a bit too much diving into Winnie’s traumas, which felt repetitive from the first book (the teeth clicking mentions need to be reduced a bit more o the third book, please.)
The eerie atmosphere and the lore is still fantastic.
I am interested in reading the last instalment of this series, but not as invested as I was in book one.

I really enjoyed this book and the twists towards the end.
It did take me a bit to remind myself what happened in the last book so I could make the connections better in this one, but that’s totally on me ahah.
Loved the romance, the paranormal and teenage angst.

I really enjoyed the Luminaries and I enjoyed this one just as much! Very atmospheric, and the perfect read for this time of year. I love learning about all the different types of nightmares that some through. I’m very intrigued to see where this story goes in the third book!

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me this amazing e-arc in exchange for an honest review! So here we go!

*IMPORTANT* there might be slight spoilers ahead, specially if you haven’t read The Luminaries. Proceed at your own risk!

Rating: 5/5⭐️

The Hunting Moon continues right where The Luminaries left and I couldn’t be happier when I realised there’ll be a third book! This follows a more haunted, hurt and traumatised Winnie after the end of her trials and her journey to navigate what’s she has been led to believe about her community and the possibilities that her dad might actually be innocent and come back. This has also confirmed my suspicions about Jay and I just knew Winnie would accept him - as in, he should have told her ages ago instead of suffering in silence and hurting her in the process too!

Also, can I hear a massive cheer for them finally getting together? It felt so natural, no beautifully written, I just wanted to re-read the whole scene over and over! Love, friendship and family, this book has them all! The Wednesday family are all superstars, Aunt Rachel is still one of my favourites. We also got a bit more of Erica but she’s a character that I feel it’s hiding something and I would love to read more about her in book 3!

There was more intriguing information about the Dianas, why they’re a group the Luminaries fight agains’t, about the Whisperer and why it seems like Winnie is the only one that can see/feel it and about nightmares in general.

As usual, Susan’s writing is gorgeous, the story captivating and Winnie is an amazing host to follow through this adventure! I cannot wait for book 3!

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and Daphne Press for receiving this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book picks up after Winnie passes the deadly hunter trials and is welcomed back to the Luminaries. She is treated as a hero by others, but Winnie is more concerned with the clues her dad left her. As more murders are being committed and no one still believes her story about the whisperer all fingers are pointing to the werewolf.

I really liked the first book, aka The Luminaries. It had some flaws, but overall, I remember liking the atmosphere, the mystery and the suspense. I was very excited to read the sequel and requested it as soon as it was available.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like the second book as much as the first book. The pacing was slower at the beginning, which made it harder for me to get into the story. I also felt like this book had less suspense as the first book (especially in the beginning). This made me care less about the story, which is sad because I really was looking forward to continuing this story. The last third of the book was good though, and I really enjoyed the ending.

I think I might still read the third book in this trilogy when it comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc of The hunting moon by Susan Dennard.

I absolutely loved the first book and this, the second book didn’t disappoint. I’m hoping there’ will be a third book in the series. Team Winnie

Thank you!

This second instalment of the Luminaries seems more juvenile than the first so I'm definitely not the target audience. The constant pushing of glasses up her nose and clicking of teeth became very tiresome very quickly. In the first episode I was able to move past this because of the world building and the fast movement of the story but this book really seemed to drag. I'm afraid I won't be reading the final book in the series.

‘You either trust the forest or you don’t.’

An unputdownable sequel to ‘The Luminaries’ that is bound to have you hooked from the first page.

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity. The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten. Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent. On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers. Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

This book maintains an even pace, a quality I deeply appreciate. The mysteries introduced in the first instalment persist, weaving seamlessly into the narrative as Winnie embarks on a journey to discover her identity and her role in Hemlock Falls. The evolution of Winnie and Jay's relationship is expertly depicted as they grapple with their personal challenges, ultimately reuniting. Winnie's connection with the Wednesday clan, her circle of friends, reveals a new facet of her character and reinforces the idea that she isn't alone in life. Witnessing Winnie's growth throughout the book is truly remarkable. The concluding chapters had me at the edge of my seat, and I'm eagerly anticipating the future adventures in store for Winnie as this series continues to unfold.

‘The hunting moon’ is a masterful description of complex feelings after trauma. PTSD, disassociation, inability to enjoy what we previously loved and craved for. It is a story about creating friendships, trusting another even after we have been painfully let down many times before, allowing others to look after us and opening up to our friends. The lore and world building are incredible and the descriptions vivid and filled with emotion. Dare I say, I loved this one much more than the first novel and cannot wait to read the next instalment!

‘The hunting moon’ will be published on 7th November 2023

Tags: teens and YA, urban fantasy, magic, contemporary

Thank you NetGalley, Susan Dennard and Daphne Press for the ARC of ‘The hunting moon’.

First of all thank you to Susan Dennard, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing my to read this in advance as they did with The Luminaries. I'm grateful cause I really love this story.
Well where to begin? I just finished and my head is a turmoil!
I already liked Winnie in the first book and this one cimented my opinion of her. She's so smart and resourceful, she's knows more about the nightmares than the actual Compendium. I love how that and the fact that she trusts certain nightmares and the forest itself, helped her towards the end of the book.
As for Jay... I'm happy we got more about his past and understood better what happened 4 years ago. Something I was 99% sure about him in the first book actually confirms to be true here and we could really see his struggle in that last chapter talking about it all. I want more of him and Winnie for sure.
Love her 3 friends, they're so supportive of her. Erica is a mistery for me and after that last encounter with her and Winnie, I'm beyond curious to know what secrets she's hiding and how that has to do with Winnie's father. Talking about Winnie's father, he was clearly framed and I want all these answers in the 3rd book. Where is he and what happened to him in these 4 years?
Definitely this book added more and more knowledge in the nightmares and in the Dianas and showed more of certain relationships.
I really love this series and I want the 3rd book ASAP. Specially after these last few chapters, I need to know all the secrets that are hidden! I need to see that cabin encounters of the 3 of them! A solid 4.5 stara for me.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Daphne Press for approving me for an ARC of this book. I read The Luminaries earlier this year, with my friend Bex, so we decided to audio this one together.

⭐We pick up where The Luminaries left off with Winnie Wednesday trying to piece together what happened at her last trial. I did find the pace at the start a little slower than I had hoped but I’m pleased to say it soon snowballed into a dramatic finale.

🐺Once again we are introduced to many monsters and creatures, all lurking within the forest. Winnie’s interactions with them were interesting, particularly the Willow of the Wisp. Whilst I had guessed the wolf’s identity I did enjoy the lead-up to the reveal and the events that followed.

📖During this book we learn more about the history of Hemlock Falls and the Diana’s. This gave me more questions and theories, particularly about the next book. Throughout the story, Winnie is clearly struggling with knowing what to do for the best. She’s conflicted in her loyalties and doesn’t know who she can really trust.

💗 This was another great addition to the series. I’m intrigued to see what happens next, especially after that final chapter!

This book was, to use a phrase said book loves so much, a clusterfuck.

Whilst The Luminaries really reminded me of all the YA fantasy books I loved so much when I was younger, The Hunting Moon was just a badly written hodgepodge of cliches. At first I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt and thought that maybe it was simply due to me outgrowing the genre and no longer fitting the intended age of the audience, but the more I read, the more I realised this was just…not good.

It was less than 300 pages, and somehow the majority of this was repeated clunky phrases about lockboxes and Venn Diagrams and rehashing the plot of Star Wars. Book 1 really benefited from having followed the trials Winnie had to go through, and was constantly hitting interesting high points in the narrative and always having high stakes. Book 2 had none of this. I can’t emphasise enough how much NOTHING happens in this one.

It is 90% Winnie’s internal monologue and her internal conflicts, which were done so heavy-handedly and contained not a single bit of nuance. She was a likeable protagonist in the first book, but this one she was unbearable, and couldn’t think about anything but how bad her life was - it got to the point where I was actively hoping something would come along and make it worse.

I won’t give spoilers, but there was also a ~reveal~ that just absolutely wasn’t a reveal. I’ve never known a book that puts so little effort into keeping a secret. It was laughable that it tried to play out like it was a plot twist.

Maybe this was just the most severe case of Second Book Syndrome I’ve ever seen. Maybe in a year’s time I’ll have forgotten how bad this was and see how this story wraps up, and it’ll find it’s way back to the genuine fun of the first book. Here’s hoping.

Thank you to Daphne Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

After reading The Luminaires, I knew I wanted to read the next book in the series purely because of the plot concept alone. After receiving this E-Arc from Netgalley, I was thoroughly surprised and really impressed with this book.

The one thing that I didn't enjoy much in the first book, and to me let it down slightly, was the writing. At times, I found it enjoyable, and at others really cliche and slightly enjoyable. With this book, there were a handful of times where I thought it to be cliched or the use of actually writing down the description of a sound as it happens (like doing up a zipper). Though from the first book, you can see this was taken into consideration as there were minimal times this happened.

I like how this book picks up a couple of weeks after the first book ends, so we get to dive right into what Winnie is now experiencing after the final trial and how she is coping with being back in the world of the Luminaires. I loved seeing how Winnie finally got what she wanted at the start of the book but does not want it anymore. The turmoil of her trying to embrace the popularity she has, but also despising it even more.

I loved how there was some focus more on the plot line of Winnie's dad and the Dianas, though without any spoilers the last chapter of the book, although wholesome in a sense and adds questions. I really did find it irrelevant and pointless, unless they plan to expand upon this in book 3? I'm guessing there will be a book three based on the ending. I would have liked to learn a lot more about the forest which we do, but only in smaller portions than in book 1.

If there is a book 3, I'd be really intrigued to see where this story goes and what happened with the people (ahem no spoilers again), and if they will play a bigger role in book three because as their identities weren't revealed and one just vanished? And I feel like there is still more to uncover that was mentioned in this book but like never went anywhere really?

I'd recommend to pick this up if you really enjoyed book 1 or like me was just really intrigued with the plot alone and wanted to see if through.

Brilliant! Ahhhh! I loved The Luminaries, so I was overjoyed when this second book came out.

There’s not a reminder at the start of the book of the story so far (which is a bug bear as barely anyone does it), but I picked the story up again quickly enough to be honest, and fell straight back in love with everyone.

The story picks up exactly where it left off, and it’s just as gripping as the first book. There are some big twists here so be prepared.

And what a way to end it. I see #3 in my future…

My thanks to Netgalley and Daphne Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I actually think this surpasses the Luminaries for me. It was so easy to jump back into this world, which made this so enjoyable. Winnie continues to grow as a character and a big theme throughout the book is her struggling with her identity, trying to navigate being a Wednesday and a Luminary. One thing that hasn't changed is her inability to take things at face value. Throughout this book the mystery continues to unfold and she refuses to accept that the werewolf that 'attacked her' is responsible. Going against the grain she it ultimately proven right in her conquest to find the truth. This is a testament to how strong Winnies moral compass is.

We get more of an insight into the mystery that is the Dianas. From their magic to the events that took place four years ago provided another layer to them and added to their intrigue. Dennard successfully weaves these aspects to create a brilliant suspenseful atmosphere.

I loved the expansion on the world building, I gave me as a reader a more enriching experience. The vividness in which Dennard describes the living forest combined the gothic atmosphere continues to be one of my favourite things about this series.

This was an entertaining instalment and I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook. I look forward to the next one.

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity. The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten. Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.
As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this book after finishing The Luminaries last year. The Hunting Moon feels very different, but is still an excellent read. Quite a bit slower than its predecessor, not actually picking up a proper momentum until around 50%, however the last half of the book more than makes up for it. I did get concerned it would suffer from dreaded Second Book Syndrome. The understanding of it being a YA is necessary, since in the beginning it just felt like a young and naive lass worrying about school and drama at school - and less a book about a new magic system, magical creatures and intriguing mystery.

The Hunting Moon is used mostly to dive deeper into the history of both the Luminaries and the Diana's, showing just how dangerous both can be, but also how dark the Diana's are and how much they would do for power. One of the big reveals is glaringly obvious, but I didn't find it take too much away from the story. Other than that, it's just a story about growing up and finding one's feet at such a young age in the world and in romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Daphne Press and Susan Dennard for an advanced copy for review. The Hunting Moon is set for release November 7, 2023.