I really enjoyed the first in this new series by Susan Dennard (although I would also like more Witchlands please?) about a spooky town in mid-Western America where a spirit slumbers beneath a wood, and manifests their dreams in the form of nightmares and spooky beings. Winnie, our protagonist, is about to take the trials to become a full-fledged Hunter, despite her family being outcasts for the past four years. I thought this was Dennard on top form, even if the book did originally start as a choose-your-own adventure on a twitter thread. It's a nuanced and detailed story, with plenty of nods to the original thread and its inspirations, My one complaint, though, was that the narrative consistently referred to the compound bow as having bolts. This is actually the opposite of my usual complaint, which is that crossbow ammo is often referred to as arrows (it's bolts or quarrels), Still though, this came up so frequently that it really irritated me, particularly because the rest of the detail was spot on with the release aid, etc. I took a whole star off for it.

The narrator in the audiobook version of this was spot on, with a lovely pacing and good distinctions between character voices, really easy to listen to and very enjoyable. I'm just sad that I have to wait so long for the sequel!

The Luminaries rides on nostalgia, familiar tropes, especially with the hint of romance which follows a very well-trodden path, shady organisations, shadowy forests, dark creatures, and somehow I'm here for it!

I really enjoyed reading this, a new guilty pleasure, think about it too much, and it' can be easily dismantled, but I still gobbled it up, it's like a tribute to Hunger Games, meets L J Smith, meets Buffy, and I didn't care how familiar and shallow it all was, I just really liked reading it, it brought me back to the books I read as a young teen.

The Luminaries are an organisation that protects the unaware rest of the world from monsters that have been made manifest from a spirit's nightmares.

The world building will hopefully be a bit more in-depth in upcoming books, there's a lot that's still hazy, but since the main character is literally an outcast, and not privy to the secrets of why the world and the institutions they have been outcast from are the way they are, maybe the veil over the details is deliberate at this stage.

There's a lot still unknown, who are the Dianas? Why are they called Dianas? What are the main points of conflict? Who decided on the trials and why? What are the spirits? Why do their nightmares become real? It's unclear if the unknowns are deliberate and will be answered later, or if the world is just a gloss for an entertaining, if shallow, YA story.

I haven't read any of Susan Dennard's earlier work, but I will look out for it now, because I think in terms of plot, and pace, she writes an engaging story.

The other note I have is that the ending felt pretty abrupt, there is a hook for the next book, a rather sudden cliffhanger, but again, for me, it's still enough to bait me and I'll be looking out for the next book.

A note on the audiobook: the narrator wasn't for me, the narration fell a little flat for me personally, the characters blurred, and I found myself realising I'd missed large chunks, but also that I wanted to speed up the narration speed. I think if I return to this again, I'd probably prefer to just read the book, and give the audio a miss. (I don't rate the book any differently for format reasons though)

Hemlock Falls is not your ordinary small town. Every night, when the fog rises, monsters and nightmares appear in the forest around the city. Every night, one of the clans of the ancient order of the Luminaries fights to protect the town and the rest of humanity from certain doom. Winnie Wednesday dreams of nothing else but joining the hunters. She would be training with the other Luminaries if it wasn’t for her father. Believed to be a traitor, his disgrace brought humiliation and isolation to the whole family. As Winnie’s sixteenth birthday approaches, she will be allowed a one-in-a-lifetime chance to prove herself in a traditional Luminaries test. Winning would mean joining the hunters and restoring her family name, but failure might as well mean death...
The Luminaries is a fascinating young adult read. The plot might seem predictable or schematic, as we are presented with a teenager going through a series of dangerous challenges to prove their worth. The cast of characters is not too innovative as well with the usual school drama types: mean girl, estranged ex-friend, popular girls, and a parent overwhelmed by work and problems. What is truly captivating in this novel is the world-building. From the first pages, we learn the secret of Hemlock Falls, the dreaming ‘spirits’ and the nightmares that come to life every night. All the scenes that involved nightly visits to the forest were thrilling. I loved the idea of Winnie’s obsession with the nightmares and her collecting all the outdated information available. I have to say that I loved the idea of a secret society devoted to fighting monsters and would like to learn more about it.

Such a good read. I loved that Winnie isnt the typical badass heroine that can do no wrong and that there seems to be alot more going on to assist with her apparent success in the trials that she has to take part in.
Something is on her side when the world seems to be against her.

I love the world thats been built but there are still many things im not sure about that could do with further development such as are there more of these towns, how are they established and ran? although the many mysteries surrounding the world building could be expanded upon further in the next book

Speaking of mysteries there are many that a large part of the plot that i cannot wait to find out more about, was her dad a traitor or was he framed? What are the dianas? Is the wolf who i suspect they are? I will absolutely be getting hold of the sequel to find out

I really enjoyed the world that is built for us in this story. The world of the Luminaries is intricate and expansive, and I want to know more about it.
This story definitely felt like a really long set up. We are presented with lots of mysteries that aren't solved in this book, but herald a great series ahead. I am impatient though, as want the answers now!
The atmosphere is built really well and the woods where the nightmares live was explained fantastically.

I listened to this book as an audiobook and the narration was really well done. There were subtle inflection for each of the different characters that worked really well.

Overall, I felt this was a great start to an exciting series.

3.5 stars!

Thank NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

This book was very different from what I expected. YA paranormal fantasy set in the real world where there are supernatural creatures called Nightmares that appear in the forest each night.

Hemlock Falls is a small town in the forest home to hunter clans that kill the Nightmares each night. Winnie, 16, is an outcast, as if the rest of her family because her dad turned out to be a traitor 4 years ago and her family has been outcasts ever since.

Winnie, however, is determined to be a hunter and sneaks into the hunter trials.

The book is about Winnie’s journey through each hunter trial and coming to terms with her family’s past and reconnecting with her friends who abandoned her 4 years ago. Especially with Jay, the lonely Friday hunter who she is clearly in love with and who returns her affections as well.

The story is very slow paced. We follow Winnie during her daily activities between school, training, hanging out with her brother, mom and friends. It’s gave me cozy fantasy/small town vibes and I really enjoyed its pace but it’s not for everyone.

The world building was fantastic with all the different clans, their roles in the town and hierarchy, as well as the various creatures in the woods was fascinating. I love how diverse the characters were as well.

Winnie was an interesting character but I felt she was quite passive at times and then behaved quite childishly for my taste, which is understandable since she’s 16.

I was hoping for more questions to be answered by the end of the book especially about her dad and am looking forward to book 2.

Book 1 was a fun introduction to the world but it did feel like not much had happened in the end.

The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job and I loved all the voices she provided. It was easy to tell the characters apart and she really pulled me into the story!

And one small detail that bugged me beyond belief was Winnie’s teeth clicking. I guess it’s a nervous tick but it was mentioned in every single chapter, sometimes 2 or 3 times. Teeth clicking is unusual so to mention it so often really stood out!

I’ll be looking out for book 2!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher's for this audio copy of The Luminaries.

As soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to read The Luminaries and as soon as I saw the audiobook, I knew I had to request it.

The Narrator Caitlin Davies was perfect for this novel, her voice complimented the story really well. I just found her perfect for Winnie's sarcastic undertones and she pulled you into the story with ease.

The Luminaries on a whole I found was fantastic, I really enjoyed the concept and the storyline was one that I was eager to run along with. I absolutely loved Winnie, initially an outcast became a favourite due to circumstances that never happened, yet she was still strong enough to go along with it. She had determination and I really liked that about her. I did think at the end when she's listing off things she didn't do, I wanted to shout at her because she still survived them.
The interactions with all the characters felt realistic for teenagers and the progression within the story felt organic.
The ending - wow! What a twist.
I originally thought this was a standalone but with that I'm assuming it's not and I can't wait!
Loved it!

My first read by Susan Dennard, the forest truly came to life, and so did the nightmares each night…

YA books haven’t became favourites of mine in recent times, but this one completely knocked others I’ve read out of the park.

I am extremely excited for book two and cannot wait until November for its release (hint hint Bolinda Audio and/or Daphne Press)

Caitlin Davies was an excellent choice of narrator, keeping the story engaging throughout, I hope she returns for book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley & Bolinda Audio for the Audiobook ARC of the Luminaries, I read this novel in a mixed media format, swapping between physical & audiobook depending on my circumstances, and Caitlin’s Narration was inviting, yet also easy to pick up from text to audio, and to switch back, making for an even more enjoyable read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I really enjoyed this story and the audiobook too! The characters are well fleshed out and relatable. This was a super easy and interesting read. I’m very excited to read the sequel because I have so many questions and can’t wait to see what Winnie does next. I feel like this could’ve been longer and a bit more fleshed out but

I haven’t enjoyed a YA fantasy like this in a long time! Brilliantly drawn characters, foreshadowing which makes me want the next book immediately, and a great storyline. I was hooked when this was a Sooz your own adventure on Twitter, but the real thing is even better. Next instalment immediately please!

This book was not for me, and that's okay. I feel like I would have connected with this book more 10-12 years ago when I could have emphasized with Winnie a bit more.

Regardless, while I was interested in the mystery of what exactly happened with her father, what exactly the creature was that she found and if this had anything to do with her father as well, I kept feeling pulled out of the story. The narration is heavy into Winnie's head, and I'm not able to connect with any of the other characters or care about them. There are several expositions about the anguish that Winnie feels about being shunned and it makes me feel like we're supposed to greatly dislike or distrust certain characters but we're going strictly from Winnie's tiny world view, and when she finally interacts with these characters that she's ranted about it feels very artificial any feelings I'm supposed to have for them.

I did listen to this book in audiobook format; and honestly the narration is what kept me going. The narrator was very compelling and I wanted to listen to her more. She had a voice that vaguely reminded me of Jennifer Coolidge, like she could be Jennifer's cousin, and it gave me enough dopamine to push through and finish.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

This was my first book read, written by Susan Dennard. I have The Witchlands series on my shelf patiently waiting to be read. I was very lucky to have received an advanced copy of The Luminaries, which prompted me to finally pick up one of Susan’s books. Like many people I felt this book had a nostalgic feel about it. I felt like I’d been transported back to the Hunger Games era, which certainly wasn’t a bad thing. I loved the setting of Hemlock Fall’s and discovering the main characters, Winnie’s backstory. Winnie is a headstrong character who is determined to take the deadly Luminary hunter trials, in the hopes of restoring her families name, after her father left the town stunned and Winnie’s family shunned.


I found it to be a super quick enjoyable read, with a blend of genres ranging from YA Fantasy to YA contemporary. I am looking forward to reading The Hunting Moon, book two of three, in the future.

I thought this was fun enough but for me everything that happened was extremely obvious and predictable. Unfortunately when it comes to YA the age range is very broad and I would say this is very much younger end of the YA spectrum and it very much spelt out absolutely everything that was going to happen before revealing it.

I liked the main character but she didn't read like a 16 year old, I'm not sure if this was intended or not as we do hear throughout the book that she is 4 years behind in training but then the fact that she has still been doing traditional schooling and more than everyone else is also really stated so it doesn't feel like this is intentional.

Overall I could have fun with it but it was to young and too cheesy for me.

I was given the audiobook by @Bolindaaudio via @netgalley and I thought the audiobook and the narration was really good, if you are going to read the book I think the audiobook could be a very good route to take and I definitely read it quicker thanks to the audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this audiobook in exchange for a honest review. I really enjoyed the narrator and found her very engaging!

However, I would say for the most part this is a story that does what it says in the synopsis annnndddd that’s about it. Going into this story we know that the FMC, Winnie, needs to complete 3 trials to become accepted into The Luminaires, a monster-hunting faction which her family have been ostracised from. And to be honest, that’s all we got in this story. Other plot threads were opened up, but we didn’t really get any twists, turns or closure in this story.
Whilst the setting was quite atmospheric, I just found that everything else about this fell a bit flat 🙈

Thank you net galley for giving me a review audio copy of the luminaries in exchange for an honest review.

So this is a YA fantasy based around our main character Winnie Wednesday, she is 16 years old and wants to become a hunter just like her mother and grandmother. She especially wants to get her family’s name back after her father got her family disowned by the other Wednesdays.

I did enjoy this book, however there was something that I can’t quite figure out that just made this book hard to read for me. It took me a lot longer than expected to complete. The writing style was okay, the character were okay as well (with a bit more in-depth moments with the character it would be better) and I enjoyed the plot quite a lot.

Due to the ending I’m guessing this book will continue on as a series which I will be interesting in reading as the cliff hanger (even though I guessed it) I am very intrigued by. I can definitely see the next book becoming more interesting and hopefully things will go a bit further with the love interest.

Winnie Wednesday is on a mission to win back respect for her family by becoming a hunter for the mysterious Luminaries - a monster-hunting guild who live in their own society, their only mission to save humanity from monsters.

I devoured this book within a couple of days, finding it to be very interesting and easy to read. The characters were loveable and intriguing, my favourites being Winnie and Jay. All of the elements were well fleshed out and the concept of the luminaries was interesting.

I listened to the audiobook read by the talented Caitlin Davis which I thought was spot on. Her voice is easy to listen to and she has great range.

Overall this was a great and fun read, setting up what looks to be an interesting fantasy world. I can't wait to dive into the next instalment!

A fun and enchanting read! The concept is really interesting, something new to me which is always exciting.
The character development was solid throughout the book, and it was very easy to root for the MC. The plot was solid, and progressed much as you would expect it to, but it wasn't boring. It does read very YA, but again, that is not a bad thing. Dennard really captured what it is to be a teenager!
The audiobook was great to listen to! It was a perfect choice of narrator, they made it very engaging!
3.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchance for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a fun ride. I liked the tasks element, it was great high stakes tense reading. The characters were interesting and I actually cared about them. I don’t reach for YA much anymore but this book reminded me why I should!

This was a really enjoyable listen. The narrator reminded me of the lady who narrates Holly Black's the folk of the air series. She's a really engaging narrator and manages to convey a wide range of emotions as well as different genders, ages etc. The story itself was quite enjoyable but is very typical YA. At times I felt myself frustrated with the main character, who can be quite selfish at times, but then I had to remind myself she was only 16. I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel and I think I'm going to listen to it on audio as it just became a much more engaging experience. This book is perfect for those that enjoy stories about monsters and unbeatable odds. It gave me real Twilight meets The folk of the air meets red Queen and I quite enjoyed that.

I have just finished listening to the audiobook courtesy of NetGalley and enjoyed it. I thought the narrator was great, didn’t try to change her voice for different characters (one of my pet hates when it’s done badly).

This is almost a cross between The Twilight series, the Hunger Games and Harry Potter. That said as I enjoyed both of those it was a safe bet that I would enjoy this one.

It basically revolves around a disgraced and almost outcast family and their daughters attempts to become a “hunter” like her mother was before they were ostracised. It is fast paced and there is never time to get bored.

As I believe this is the first book in a series I will definitely look out for the next book.