Thank you to Susan Dennard and Caitlin Davies for bringing such a wonderful story to life. I was given a free audio-ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The world building in The Luminaries really was exceptional, from the creatures to the naming system, everything had purpose which really helped the narrative move. While at times the pacing was a bit off or the focus seemed to slip from the main plot line, this was overall an enjoyable listen.

Though I would have liked more of the ‘answers’ to be delivered by the end of the book, I understand that there will be more to the series. For this reason I hope that the plot holes are filled in the subsequent book and not simply forgotten about.

Sadly this just wasn't for me on so many different levels, in fact I didn't even manage to finish the book.

Firstly, the world building for this is so unbelievably non-existant. You are thrown into this setting that realistically makes no sense, without any idea behind why things are happening. You don't get to see how this 'world' functions. Things are constantly referenced e.g. everyone being named a day of the week and we arent given explanations as to why.

Secondly, off the bat I wasnt interested or invested in the protagonist.

Thirdly, some of the dialogue was cringe at best, bad at worst. We don't need words like 'low key' and 'high key' being used anymore. I get that they are teenagers, sure, maybe this bok should have been advertised to younger audences instead of advertised as a dark YA fantasy with monsters.

This is an intriguing contemporary YA fantasy trilogy, which I experienced as an audio book. The Luminaries are a society of monster hunters that are sought out at night in the woods. Winnie Wednesday is the main protagonist; a young person living with her mum and brother after being vilified by the other Luminaries after her dad was cast out as a spy. This results in them managing without much money, given the worst jobs and falling from their previous high social standing. As such there is a strong theme about the hypocrisy and hive mentality of people.
Luminaries are divided into clans identified by their surnames that represent days of the week. There are Nons who are the humans that live in some proximity and lots of interesting and definable monsters. Winnie has a chance to redeem her family if she can compete and pass 3 trials to become a Hunter for her 16th birthday. Despite being disadvantaged through lack of training, Winnie naively feels able to participate.
Winnie is not overconfident, and all her reservations are revealed through her thoughts, but she is also determined and this carries her well. There is a little bit of romance with Jay, which is a bit stilted but hopefully will develop and be fleshed out, as the story progresses as is needed.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the premise, the trials, the mean girl other characters, her mum seems a bit weak for a previous Hunter. Her aunt Rachel disappointed me, and I wasn’t sure what added value she had for being in the book, so let’s hope that evolves. The dad twist was quite obvious from a short way in. I sincerely hope the clicking teeth end, this odd descriptor was way overused and became irritating. Now I am not sure if part of my reticence comes from the audio version, making me wonder whether I would have been invested more in the characters had I read it. This was because I struggled with the narrator. Don’t get me wrong the pace, the intonation was decent, but the American accent of the narrator was just too saccharine for me and detracted from my enjoyment. Having said this I remain interested to learn what journey the characters go onto take, but whether that will translate into reading the next instalment or not I have yet to decide.

I previously Read the Ebook version of this story and I was super excited to listen to the audiobook! Im a person who likes switching between formats as I read and this audiobook did not disappoint. I often re-listen/read books I own and this will book will be no exception.
The storyline is fantastic and the narrator was a joy to listen to. I’m already itching for the next instalment 💕

A fast paced, easy read fantasy with likeable characters and a good story line. Excellent! And a wonderful cover. The narration was perfectly paced and clear,

This book was even better than I thought it was going to be. Winnie’s determination and strength in the face of all that had befallen her family was so empowering to read. An outcast of four years in a community she’d grown up in, Winnie has been on the outside looking in, isolated and scorned for her father’s sins. She has an opportunity for redemption for herself, and for her mother and brother, but there’s only one chance in a lifetime and despite her lack of training Winnie decides to take the trials to become a hunter of nightmares.

It doesn’t all go to plan and there’s a mystery or two or three to be unravelled and Winnie might just be the girl to do that. If anyone would believe her, that is.

Winnie is brave, talented and intelligent and the town has underestimated her, and as the trials begin, she underestimates herself, but she never gives up. She asks for help when she knows she needs it and puts herself at risk for herself and for her family and friends. Winnie grapples with her anger and resentment for those who turned their backs on her when she needed them and it’s so raw, I loved seeing this struggle and her fierceness when challenging others. This is not a girl who’s going to rejoin society quietly and I’m rooting for her every step of the way. The tentative friendship between Jay and Winnie is sweet and full of potential and who doesn’t go in for a bit of romantic tension between maybe-almost-friends? I sure do! I look forward to seeing where this relationship goes and what secrets emerge in the next book.

Caitlin Davies is also a fantastic narrator and I’d happily listen to her read every book I own.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda audio for providing me with an advanced audio copy, in return for an unbiased review.
I feel like The Luminaries had a lot of potential but fell short on world building and history. This felt like a debut novel rather than from an established author. If there was a book before this one which gave some backstory or even introduced the characters differently, this wouldn't have felt rushed; especially towards the final chapters.
There is a weird use of onomatopoeia throughout the book to describe certain characters actions which, in the audio can get to be too much. Especially the main character who 'clicks' her teeth; which may be an addition to why people aren't always friendly with her. I'm going on the assumption that this is aimed at pre-teens, due to it feeling aimed at those younger than the main character who is 16.
Throughout the audiobook I kept checking the time left as I was unsure how it would be wrapped up and what the conclusion to the whole 'adventure' would be. In the end, nothing is resolved, and you are left with more questions than answers. Which is a good device in a book that is paced better; but here feels like this was a set up for. a sequel rather than novel in its own right. The 'romance' felt slightly forced and was trying very hard for the listener to believe the two mains would eventually fall in love or get together; whereas they just seem to be regaining a friendship and also trust they had in each other. I guess we'll see what the next book brings; as I assume there will be a sequel.
I'll most l likely read the physical book in order to see if there's any difference in how I take in the story.

The Luminaries is a YA fantasy but would also target younger readers with a love of vampires and werewolves. My 11year old loved listening along. The Secret town of Hemlock Falls sits alongside a forest where dark shadows and dark creatures reside. Winnie wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, who protec the town each night from these creatures and shadows, but her family are outcast after her father's shameful public downfall. Winnie decides to take action herself and comes face to face with the horrors of a banshee and the threatening chase of a werewolf. The detail is all in the world building and the slow build of romantic tension between Winnie and Jay. This is the first book in the series, so I look forward to lots of action and resolution in the next book. The character of Winnie is one that is flawed, but courageous. She is filled with anxiety, and the constant clicking of her teeth underlie a slimming or repetitive tic. Her nervous energy is channelled into determination to fight the forest shadows and win back her family's reputation. A well narrated and enjoyable audiobook. #theluminaries #susandennard #netgalley #yafantasy

For fans of Netflix’s Wednesday, The Luminaries was full of supernatural creatures and a school built to fight them. Our main character discovers a monster no one else believes exists, and mysteries only spiral from there.
I really enjoyed this book! I read it in less than a day and a half - it was very easy to read, and there were a few underlying mysteries that made me want to keep reading. A few of them are still left by the end, but it means I just can’t wait to see where the series goes.
I liked the main character, Winnie. I thought it was really interesting that she wasn’t “brave” or perfect, but often scared. She was kicked out of her “family” at the start and she’s still trying to navigate a world that hates her.
Through the book, she rekindles a friendship with her ex-best friend Jay and he certainly leaves questions wherever he goes. I really liked how they interacted and I totally get Winnie’s frustration at him (and everyone else in her life). But I did love Bretta and Emma, who seemed genuinely nice people.
The monsters in this were so interesting. The author has created a really detailed world with history and darkness. You could totally picture being stuck in the woods. I listened to the audiobook so didn’t get to appreciate them as I was reading, but the book even comes with illustrations of the monsters - so cool!
I’m really excited to see what else this world has to offer.

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.
As soon as I read that then I knew I had to read it, or listen to it in my case. The characters are really well written and they feel fleshed out. Winnie is a great character and you really want her to do well. Lots of monsters crop up in this great fantasy tale. It will be interesting to see where this book goes and what happens with Winnie, Emma, Jay and the others. Its a promising start and I look forward to the next one. The narrator does a brilliant job and draws you into the story.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

A well paced book and a good concept which takes you to a whole new world. I struggled to connect with the main characters, and did find that my mind started to wonder now and again, I do wish more detail had have gone into the world-building and not stayed at surface level, however I do feel this is a good young adult book. Thank you Bolinda Audio for letting me give my opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc.

The story was pretty decent, if not a little predictable, but I do very much look forward to the sequel. My experience was, however, soured by how bad the narrator was at doing accents. Every time a character with an accent spoke it was not only painfully inaccurate, but also bordering on making me cringe. I consider it very fortunate that it was only European accents and not any associated with an ethnic minority, as these were bordering on offensive and had it been anything but European it would have crossed that border. This is coming from a European whose grown up hearing accents like those the characters were supposed to have by the way for reference.

Characters
Winnie Wednesday really grew on me during this book. I found her a little insufferable in the beginning, but I guess angsty teenagers are supposed to be like that. I enjoyed her growth and her character arc throughout the book, but I wish she had a little more Hunter training before embarking on her second and third trials.

As for the other characters, I really wish we get more of them in the next books. Particularly the twins and Fatima. There’s also a bit of a romance brewing between Jay and Winnie, which is cute and I could see myself shipping them.

Atmosphere
The worldbuilding is really expansive. It’s one of those worlds you could just get lost in, even without the story. There’s so much to learn and explore. It’s a little info-dumpy in the beginning, but Dennard quickly finds her stride. I could see this series and this world becoming a new favourite.

Writing
One of my biggest complaints about this otherwise amazing book is that the writing feels very repetitive. I don’t know if it’s just the audiobook, but it feels like we’re not getting to the important parts of the plot fast enough. It picks up in the middle though, but there are still some phrases or descriptions that are repeated a lot. This book has to set up a lot of worldbuilding though, so I’m not too mad about it.

Plot
The plot is a little slow in the beginning and weighed down by some worldbuilding, but the middle of the book picks up quite fast. I became really invested after the second trial, and was hanging on Dennard’s every word during the last 80% of the book.

Intrigue
There’s honestly a lot going on. The main conflict you could say is between Winnie and her desire to be a hunter, and between Winnie and the Luminaries. I won’t venture into spoiler territory, but I will say that a lot of conflicts have been set up in this book, and I am eager to see how they play out.

Logic
I loved the detailed descriptions of the nightmares (there seems to be a theme for me with nightmare books this year, check out my review of City of Nightmares) and I would love to get my hands on the actual Compendium.

Enjoyment
As with all books, I picked this up on a whim. I saw the audiobook on Netgalley and decided to get it. I had a lot of fun reading this, and it’s definitely a series I’m now looking forward to.

3.5/5.0

The Luminaries are a secret monster-hunting society who keep the world safe from "Nightmares," each night the clans of Hemlock Falls hunt the forest when the mysterious fog arises. Winnie Wednesday struggles to redeem her families social standing by proving herself as a loyal hunter in a series of hunting trials facing countless dangers and terrifying creatures.

The premise behind this book is so unique which I loved but I did think this was let down a little by a rather standard plot-line so I am intrigued to see where the author takes this in the second book. I enjoyed the unique descriptions of the creatures of Hemlock Falls and the fact that some are familiar (e.g. basilisks, werewolves) but also that there were new monsters which the author introduced us to.

I think one of the main reasons I'll be delving straight into book two is to follow the seriously slow burning romance between Winnie and Jay!


Thank you to Netgalley & author Susan Dennard for providing me with an e-copy of the audiobook.

This was a highly anticipated fantasy book but it wasn’t made clear in any of the marketing or the blurb that it’s set in a contemporary setting. The story follows Winnie Wednesday whose family has been ostracised by the town and the Luminaries due to the betrayal of her father being a Diana, who’s a witch. Winnie tries to win back the good graces of the Luminaries by entering the trials to become a monster hunter.
Winnie is a pick-me character who is underprepared for the real dangers of meeting Banshees, Vampira, Werewolves, Basilisks and other terrifying monsters called Nightmares who would kill her. Yet she miraculously avoids death and gets through the trials. I’m underwhelmed by the relationships she has with her family, her former friends and the love interest. It would be nice if the love interest didn’t blush so much or stayed so mysterious the entire time.
I read the audiobook and I was impressed by the narrator’s ability to bring a modicum of excitement to a mediocre storyline. The narrator made all the chases feel terrifying with the right pacing and her breathy voice. Overall I wasn’t impressed with the story or characters but enjoyed the narrator’s performance.

A lovely book, easy to listen too. And a great story. It had everything I loved in it! Magic and monster!

This was a great listen - the story was really easy to get into and held my attention from start to finish. It was an interesting premise which I liked and the storyline is one that has been set up perfectly for series potential. The mystery was definitely intriguing - I did manage to work out some of what was revealed, but I look forward to the threads hopefully being explored further in subsequent books.

I really liked Winnie’s character and the way the story explored the impact that being outcast had on her ability to give trust and form friendships, for example with the twins. The dynamic that was developed with Jay over the course of the story was a good one and I look forward to seeing where things head for the pair.

The narration of the audio was great, the narrator captured Winnie’s character perfectly and was engaging. I also particularly liked the voices given to the twins, I think this captured them exactly as I’d imagine them.

Overall this was a really decent, straightforward listen. I’ll definitely pick up any more books that form part of this series - It would be good now that the world is established for some of the threads laid to develop in their complexity so that it’s not so easy to guess.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for my copy of the audiobook.

Thank you for the audiobook

I absolutely loved this novel. The narrator Catlain has the perfect voice and it made me want to keep listening.

The storyline is fantastic and kept me gripped throughout.
The chapters flew by really quickly and the characters were great.
I really liked Winnie.

I loved everything about this novel. It got me out of a reading stump.

Thank you again to the publishers and netgalley for letting me have the audiobook.

🎧Audiobook review🎧

I find audiobooks are excellent for broadening my genres, allowing the narration to involve me in books I wouldn't usually choose to read.

The Luminaries is a YA Fantasy story set in Hemlock Falls. The Luminaries are a community charged with protecting the rest of the population from the nightmare spirits that haunt the woods at night.

Starring Winnie Wednesday, about to turn sixteen and from a proud family of hunters. Sixteen is the age when Winnie can face the trials to become a hunter.

I really enjoyed it, there's a strong environment build around the Luminaries and their traditions, a fresh mix of the nightmare mystical world and the everyday teenage real life. There's a good amount of geek details around the various species of nightmare creatures, which I appreciated.

The narration by Caitlin Davies is excellent, clear and distinct, lively and excitable when it's required.

There are some big questions to answer, and plenty of scope for a sequel or series, I'd definitely listen to another one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The narrator, Caitlin Davies, brings this story to life. I could imagine Winnie Wednesday pining to go into the Luminaries, her sadness at being ignored for four long years because of her father's betrayal. I was right there in the story, watching everyone in this life... Caitlin does different voices for other characters and they help to follow the story further. I especially like the twins!!. The voice makes them sound like typical teenage girls!!.
The story is a good one and it gets quite tense in places. I was listening further and further, knowing bedtime was getting closer but not wanting to stop!!.
So, if you like audiobooks, hunters,werewolves, and monsters that come out at night, this is the book for you!.
I received this free audio book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #bolindaaudio, #stdennard.