The Luminaries is a fast & fun YA fantasy. This is the first in the series following the trials Winnie Wednesday faces to become a hunter for the Luminaries, a secret organisation that fights nightmares, & save her family from exile.

The book use some well known fantasy tropes: secret societies, outcasts, hidden clues, magic & monsters, so this would be a great introduction to fantasy for a younger reader.

I particularly loved the descriptions of the nightmares that rise from the mist of the forest, they were really visual & you couldn't help but see what Winnie was seeing. The ending left me wanting more with a soft cliffhanger.

This would be perfect for fans of Divergent, Twilight & The Hunger Games.

This well-paced YA novel quickly pulled me into its world of Luminaries and Nightmares. Whilst not wholly original, the concept is well-executed and full of interesting elements and memorable characters.

There were times I was screaming in my head as certain plot points seem so very obvious but I won’t mention them specifically as they aren’t resolved in this book, which is clearly intended as the start of a series. However, I’d be pretty surprised if you can’t work them out for yourself as I think that the author made it too obvious if there is meant to be any kind of ta-dah revelation later.

I listened to the audiobook version which I enjoyed, although there wasn’t much attempt at differentiating between character voices. The narrator also has a strange verbal tick of not annunciating ‘t’ so ‘button’ becomes bu-un’ etc.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Luminaries is a YA contemporary fantasy featuring supernatural/fantasy creatures and the people who train from childhood to hunt them, the eponymous Luminaries.

The audiobook is narrated by Caitlin Davies, who is great at interpreting different characters and their emotions, as well as conveying the specific vibe and atmosphere at any given moment in the story.

The story itself features some familiar and popular elements: a secret society, a magical forest that comes alive after dark and fills with creatures, trials to allow the MC to fulfill what they perceive as their destiny. There are a number of characters but they are relatively easy to keep apart. Unfortunately none of them entirely made an impression on me personally, except from the one who is completely absent from the events that happen in the stretch of story we “witness”, and instead is only talked about in hushed tones: Winnie’s dad, who apparently turned out to be a spy of a rival society of allegedly evil witches and betrayed his family, dooming them to being ostracized by the Luminary society for 10 years.
The mystery behind how this happened and who exactly are the Dianas, the aforementioned evil witches, is only touched on in this book, and that’s a pity because it really is the most interesting part of the story.
Without it, the book is somewhat rich in lore but a little light in terms of plot and depth, in my opinion.
We meet Winnie, her mom, and her brother; all of them still dealing with being marked as outcasts by the Luminary Council, and then we see Winnie attempting to rejoin Luminary society by entering and passing the Trials to become a Hunter. We see what the past four years since the incident with her dad have been like for her, and how things change once she is on her way to becoming a Hunter.
It’s a relatively emotionally charged story, and yet I didn’t really feel much of an emotional connection with any of the characters, including Winnie. I also found myself wishing this read a bit older — as it is, it reads on the lower end of YA, occasionally coasting the line with MG, like in the naming of the clans with the days of the week, a detail which made it hard to take this society seriously, despite how deadly they may be, and how seriously they may take themselves.

The subject matter (featuring bodies of dead creatures and unsuspecting tourists relatively early on, as well as the constant risk of death to anyone venturing in the forest after dark for any reason) clashes a little with the tone of the story, requiring a much darker approach than the one author chose, in my opinion.

It was an entertaining read, with nice visuals and some interesting elements, but in the end it felt like a “light” version of the book it could have been — one with more atmosphere, with a little more story (I get it’s the first in a series, but at 300 pages it still could have had a bit more meat on its bones), and with perhaps slightly different choices in terms of worldbuilding (starting with the family names, which just hit the wrong note IMO).

I haven’t decided yet if I’ll read the sequel, but I can see myself recommending this to younger readers who are ready to move from MG to YA.

Rating: DNF

The description of this book sounds interesting and once I found out it was an Illumicrate book of the month I thought it might be a solid read, however from the get go I struggled to connect to the story and characters. It was a pretty basic YA story with monsters and the world building felt very basic and just a billion concepts. I am not normally someone to not finish a book but I just dreaded sitting down and listening to this one.

In terms of narration, I initially thought I would really enjoy as they sounded similar to the voice of Alex in the Ninth House audiobook but the pacing of it all just felt a little flat and slow, and found the side characters voices jarring.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard is set in the small town of Hemlock Falls, where families of hunters form an ancient order that protects the world from the monsters and nightmares that rise every night in the local forest.
Winnie Wednesday has dreamt of becoming a Luminary hunter, but that dream was squashed when her dad was outed as a witch and a traitor four years ago.
Making use of a loophole in local law, Winnie enters the hunter trials on her 16th birthday. She hopes to prove herself loyal and true, and to restore her family's good name. But the nightmares lurking in the forest are deadly, and Winnie may have taken on more than she can handle by entering the trials.
In order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of her former best friend Jay and the most promising young hunter in the town. Together, they prepare her for the trials, and will discover a danger lurking in the forest unlike anything the Luminaries have seen before...

I enjoyed the world building in The Luminaries, and the audio narration by Caitlin Davies really brought the story to life. Overall, I felt that the novel contained a lot of set-up work for further along in the series, and some plot elements were a but predictable. However, I absolutely loved the small town setting, the concept of family clans of hunters, and Jay as a character, and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.

Thanks to @netgalley and Bolinda Audio for providing me with access to the audio book.

This did not work for me, but I think I'm just not the target audience. I could not keep my mind from wandering, and so had to skip back continually to figure out what had happened.

From the cover I think I was expecting something a little older, but once I’d worked out this was Teen (Winnie, the protagonist is sixteen) I was along for the ride. Dennard gives us a vivid depiction of Hemlock Falls, where Nightmares rise from the mist in the forest each night, killing whatever crosses their path, unless the hunters of the Luminaries can get to them first. The forest is a character in and of itself, and if protagonist Winnie is to become a hunter as she desires, and restore her family name, she’ll have to learn to navigate it and trust it. I listened on audio which really brought the story to life and I’ll be looking out for the next installment.

I have to say that I did not realise from the cover that this was going to be a YA title. I'm sure if I'd read the description a bit closer I'd have realised. So I went into this a little surprised and it's not the sort of thing I usually read, and I'm not the intended target audience.

That being said I did quite enjoy this story. I did feel fairly predictable, and I guessed some plot points before they happened. But I enjoyed following the main character around and meeting the characters she interacted with.

If I had one main gripe it was that the world building felt a little shallow and underdone to me. I could enjoy the story on a surface level, but I would have liked more detail on the world and the supernatural elements. The make up and rules of this secret society of monster hunters didn't quite make sense to me, and therefore didn't really ring quite true.

The same could be said of the plot. It was fairly simple and I'd have liked to delve more into the mythos of the world.

But overall an enjoyable enough read/listen.

This is a fun, fast paced YA contemporary fantasy novel which has Supernatural elements plus lots of monsters and a bit of romance and mystery. A single person POV and short chapters makes this easy to follow and it’s very much a page turner. The MC, Winnie Wednesday, is a luminary who are a secret group of monster hunters that protect humans. We follow Winnie as she goes through trials to become a proper hunter. As a middle aged lady this did read a little YA at times and there were a few cringey bits of dialogue but I find that ok if I like the story which I did. I found Winnie a relatable character and found myself really rooting for her throughout
The world building could have been a little tighter as it leaves you wanting more and with some questions.
I really liked the strong descriptions of the various monsters in this book, they were very well thought out.
The narration was good and really brought Winnie to life. The overall feel to this book was fun and entertaining, I read this really quickly as the pace is fast. The author left me wanting more at the ending so I will definitely read the next book and would be interested in more from this author

I will say that the premise of this one really did appeal - fantasy, monsters that aren’t the stuff of imagination, a secret order that protects the world, with the mystery surrounding Winnie’s dad’s betrayal hanging over her head.

I really enjoyed this one, it was giving me
Supernatural for high school kids vibes - I could see Dean and Sam Winchester wandering those school halls, taking part in the trials. The whole hunter in training was a good spin. I really liked Winnie’s character too - there’s dealing with the fallout of her dads aforementioned betrayal and her desire to do her family right and so they’re no longer outcasts (boo to the Luminaries for casting her family out!) She rocks that knowledge of the compendium of monsters - and shows that knowledge is power. There’s some good supporting characters in this one and you can see that it’s setting up a series of books the follows Winnie - which is secured by the big reveal at the end (although to be honest I was expecting her dad to be the big bad…. Guess I got that wrong! ☺️) If a YA fantasy with monster hunters is your thing - check this one out.

This book was fun and fast paced but other than that it was just okay. I enjoyed the premise and it has good potential but this book just didn’t really do it for me. The main character Winnie was very reminiscent of the 2010 female main character mould and I felt that this made her come across as flat and not very likeable. There were also points where it felt like plot twists that might arise in future books were being very obviously hinted at. I think the series does have potential to be enjoyable as Winnie grows up to be a hunter and possibly grows up a bit.

A really promising start to what will obviously be a rich plot. I have to say though I found that it shoehorned in a lot of facts very early in the opening chapters that seemed like listing rather than showing the reader the world more organically.

I liked the clan ideas and enjoyed the teenage angst. Hallelujah , no love triangles in sight and I think a potential Twist is well signposted in this opener, but I may be wrong.

The trials that Winnie had to pass were slightly anticlimactic ( I know that it was a plot device) and so I suspect anyone expecting a Hunger games or Maze Runner here will be sorely disappointed.

A solid and enjoyable book that uses different monsters to whet a Zombie/Vampire/Government experiment (at least thus far) weary reader’s appetite


I found the narration solid and well paced but in the compendium sections just a bit monotonous and with it being a device used so regularly, it broke me out of the narrative thrust a bit.

Couldn't finish this one. It was boring - just seems to be setting the scene for something that doesn't actually happen. I guess this must be book 1 in a series. Not gonna read the rest, though.
The narrator's voice, to me, is really grating and doesn't make me engage with the story.

3.5 stars rounded up

This YA contemporary fantasy is fast-paced and engaging with some interesting and unique worldbuilding that felt a bit hand-wavy in places, and a cast of characters that ranged from relatable to bland. It had the feel of a 2010s YA, with high school (and general social) drama: Winnie, the protagonist, is an outcast—literally. After her father was revealed as a traitor, her family were banished to the outskirts of their community of monster-hunters. Nonetheless she’s determined to participate in the hunter trials, a coming-of-age ritual which her outcast status has prevented her from training for.

Despite the slight shortcomings in worldbuilding and characterisation I enjoyed reading this book, and I think the prose is accessible to younger readers as well as the traditional YA bracket (as long as they like their fantasy with a bit of blood and adrenaline). That said, I finished it yesterday and I’ve already forgotten quite a few of the specifics. So it was really fun while I was listening but it’s not the sort of story to stay with me afterwards. Nonetheless I’m looking forward to the next book.

I listened to the audiobook, and Caitlin Davies did a good job of capturing the energy of a teenage girl and in general the characters’ individual voices were recognisable (there was an attempt at an Italian accent for a minor character that I feel missed the mark).

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The story is really lovely and well written and I really enjoyed the magical world and characters in this.

I was a bit disappointed in the end, I felt like I wanted there to be a few more chapters - there were so many questions that I felt were left unanswered.

The Luminaries is the first book in a new serie. Winnie Wednesday opens up the world of Nightmares Hunters for us. So yes, monsters is what's awaiting you here, but also secrets.
This definitely feel YA, in a cute, monster fighting teenage girl trying to figure out the world she is living in and starting to question all the things she's been told her whole life.
Book 1 is bringing us to a place with SOME answers... but definitely not all of them...
It's nicely crafted and keeps you guessing.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for access to the Audio book in exchange for an honest review.*

The moment I started to get into the story, I was swirled into it straight away. As smooth as it started, the story about Luminaries and Winnies life seemed to flow as a river. There was enough of story telling and action, dialogue were easy to follow same as to follow the action that happened during the book.

Only one thing that annoyed me was Winnie and how sometimes she were acting, but throughout the story you can see her growing in character and personality.

The story started with so many questions why, how and all of them were answered in the book. I still have some questions about Jay, Winnies dad and Whisperer but I hope I will get a chance to know the answers to them later.

Im so glad I had a chance to read this book. And the narrator were amazing too

I listened to The Luminaries on audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job and injected just the right amount of tension in to the story. I really liked this introduction to The Luminaries' world and think that it makes a great 'entry level' fantasy read, perfect for young adults and adult readers alike. It's clear that this is set in our modern day world with the element of monsters and ghouls added in. So no heavy world building to have to get your head around. Winnie is a great lead character and I'm very intrigued by Jay, he's such a mysterious brooding character! I think this is going to be a great series and I am really eager to read more. The first book gives the reader just enough to hook them in, with plenty of questions and cliff hangers to leave us keen to read on...
Overall a great book which I enjoyed more than I expected to.

Thanks to @Bolindaaudio for providing this Audiobook. Caitlin Davies did an amazing job portraying all of the different characters. The different tones, accents, and pitches were beautifully done, she made this book very engaging, and is probably my favorite narrator out of all the audiobooks I’ve listened to.

This book is expertly plotted and paced with pauses between trials to get to know Winnie and her life as an outcast. It is beautifully written and seeing everything Winnie went through really made a huge difference in how I felt about her as a character and upped the emotional impact of the book. The writing style is dark with light moments throughout, it’s so different, and I absolutely loved it.

These characters are beautifully written and I fell in love with each and every one of them! Winnie goes through amazing growth throughout the story. For four years she has been taunted, harassed, and ignored for being an outcast but as the story goes on she finally gets angry about it. I loved seeing her stand up for herself and grow as a young girl who is trying to figure out her place within the Luminaries. I love that Winnie also exhibits signs of anxiety and panic attacks throughout the story - I’ve seen reviews of some saying the teeth clicking gets repetitive but I think it was brilliant and every time I heard it, I thought about the fact that she’s anxious and what were the circumstances that stressed her out. It adds insight into her mental health which has affected her because of her circumstances. The other side characters are all wonderfully written and I cannot wait to get to know them better in the second book. I was a little hesitant to pick this book up due to the young ages of the characters but I am SO glad that I read this. Dennard really made these characters feel mature and wise while also having the young teenager vibes as well. I was worried I would be cringing or rolling my eyes at teenage shenanigans but I didn’t do any of that and the characters were easy to read about and love!

There wasn’t much romance but due to the circumstances of Jay and Winnie’s relationship, it made sense. It also took a back seat with the plot being the main focus of the book but it definitely didn’t bother me and the interactions between the two left me NEEDING more conversations between them. I’m really looking forward to seeing them in book two!

Overall, I’m adding this book to one of my favorites of 2023. It is full of nightmare creatures in dark, eerie woods, secret societies, mysteries to solve, adorable hints of romance, and it’s an absolutely brilliantly paced page-turner that I couldn’t put down. I cannot wait to read the second book and see more of the unique, well-developed characters and get some answers to questions that the first book left out.

There were a lot of aspects of this book that I really enjoyed, but there were definitely others that I could have done without. I thought the world of Hemlock Falls and the Forest were interesting and nicely fleshed out, while still leaving enough to be discovered in later books. I enjoyed Winnie as a protagonist for the most part. She was resourceful and brave and had a dedication to her family that we don't often see in YA books. I also liked that her mother was very much present throughout the story and knew all of the dangerous things Winnie was up to - this was another way in which the world played well into the plot. With all of that being said, I do think that the book relied too heavily on tropes at times that bogged down the pacing and there were too many plot threads left untied for the ending to feel satisfying for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.