Okay, so I wasn't the biggest fan of book one, but the lack of answers and the ending left me wanting more. Which we got... a little of, in book two.
Stuff is still kind of up in the air, this series could have easily been a duology and been much better. Book two felt like a lot of filler and not enough pastry.

That's not to say it was bad, because it wasn't, it just wasn't very fullfilling. I will likely carry on just because I'm already committed now, I just hope book 3 gives more.

While The Hunting Moon didn't quite live up to it's predecessor (The Luminaries) for me, I definitely still enjoyed this sequel. As always, the atmosphere Dennard manages to weave into her writing is on point and really lends an eerie backdrop to the plot. The narrator (Catlin Davies) was back for this instalment, and her voice is perfect for this story, really capturing the eeriness, and the the almost wistfulness of Winnie.

Winnie is now a hunter, but she is still not happy about it because nobody will believe her that there is a new nightmare stalking the forest. As the plot progresses, the reveals were somewhat predictable, but following Winnie as she tried to work everything out stopped it from being the boring kind of predictable.
I really liked the growth Winnie goes through in the story, and also appreciated how Dennard kept her as a realistic teenager at the same time. I liked the look into the backstories and personalities of other characters we met in book 1, and also learning more about the history of the Luminaries and Diana's as a whole.
The romance was not my favourite, possibly because it really is very 'teenager' and I am in my 30's now, but I guess that means it was realistic!

The Hunting Moon is a solid sequel to a solid YA fantasy series and I think a lot of people will really enjoy it. I am eagerly awaiting an announcement for book 3!

Thanks to Net Galley and Belinda Audio for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Susan Dennard has done it again. She’s written something that I could not put down, and at one point (I listened to the audiobook) I was screaming in my car for the characters to just DO THE THING.

Dennard is an expert at slow burn, pining love stories and this book is the epitome of that. I love how we got to know Winnie and Jay (and the rest of the gang) better, and it was fun to watch Winnie grow into even more of a badass. She goes through a lot of character growth in this one and I cannot wait to see what she’ll do next.

I also loved the theme of friendship in this book. Winnie is still recovering from her family’s outcast status, and the implication that had on her closest friendships (specifically with Jay). She also realises that she might have been a little too in her own head at the time, and she realises that she’s made new friends who she can trust. Overall I just love the friendships in this series, and I hope they get even stronger in the next book.

The writing in this book was just excellent. I was (literally) at the edge of my seat most of the time, and I was never bored. There were some slight repetitions in descriptions and phrases that bothered me a bit, but nothing too drastic.

I honestly cannot wait to see where the next book goes. I have so many questions and I need answers.

Another brilliant read in the Luminaries trilogy, I ended up listening to this one on audiobook and loved it just as much as the first book!

I find these really fun, easy fantasy reads that feel a bit lighter and easier to keep up with than some. The characters are great, especially Winnie who is just adorable, and I’m loving the blossoming romance as well as all of the action going down in this novel! And I most definitely didn’t see that ending coming (stupid really, I probably should’ve 😂), and now cannot wait to see what happens next!

The Hunting Moon is a brilliant expansion to the world of the Luminaries - delving more into the worldbuilding, Winnie as a character, and the romance.

Dennard is incredible at threading in little mysteries that culminate in explosions of realisation, which the reader can figure out on their own or along with the characters.

The regular updates from the testing portal were an ingenious little notifier that had me super tense (since we've all known who the werewolf was since early Book 1, despite Winnie's obliviousness). Speaking of which, I'm SO glad that's out in the open now and I really can't wait to see how that plotline pans out in Book 3.

The narrator is one of my favourite audiobook narrators so I'm very biased, but I absolutely love how embodies Winnie's voice and does character voices and differentiates well between dialogue and narration!!

This second instalment in Susan Dennard's Luminaries series cemented in my mind my love for this series. It's classic YA, with all the insular small-town vibes I'm looking for over spooky season. The Luminaries provided the perfect autumn backdrop, and The Hunting Moon was no different. The eerie forest atmosphere called to mind the feelings of thick fog and leaves underfoot. This whole series feels like being lost in the woods, feeling like you've already seen the trees in front of you before, breathing in a biting chill as the light starts to fade.

The Hunting Moon, as with book one, feels super easy to read, and addictive - but where I think The Luminaries stands out is Dennard's skilful fantasy writing talents. Yes, this is a fairly simplistic YA series that fits on the lower-YA age range, but it written with all the talent and care of a seasoned adult fantasy writer. This lends itself to a very elegantly plotted story, with fleshed out world building and an interesting magic system that reveals itself more and more with each book.

The key mysteries in this series are adeptly woven throughout, striking a perfect balance of intrigue and pay-off.

Overall, the Hunting Moon give us perfect autumn vibes with a satisfyingly addictive plot and romance, with three-dimensional teen characters.

I haven’t read the first book in this series, but it didn’t matter. This book stands alone as a very exciting adventure involving mysteries, wolves, witches, magic and misery. The family set up and communities snooty behaviour, is most entertaining. I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the story, I’m sure there could be another book- there’s still plenty more to explore with these characters.
I was gifted this book from NetGalley and publishers as an audiobook. It was great. The narrator was perfect for the pace of the book.

I was absolutely desperate to get my hands on the sequel to The Luminaries as soon as I reached the last page and I can smugly confirm that The Hunting Moon does not disappoint!

Winnie Wednesday is a YA heroine whose mind it is a delight to be in. The way Susan Dennard is able to weave together typical traits of being a teenager, with the heavy weight of the community of Luminaries and the effect it can have on a young person shines so incredibly. I love Winnie's observations of the adults while they're adulting and I just genuinely adore her voice.

Jay Friday, Winnie's ex-best friend, has me squealing in delight over a trope that I didn't even know I liked. God, I love a solid YA romance. It just takes you back to feeling like a giddy teenager.

I'm so incredibly excited for the next instalment and can't wait to mark the release date on my calendar. But for now, all the best for the release of the The Hunting Moon

I was a little disappointed with this sequel. The first half had barely any Jay and the romance wasn't progressing at all until the end. Also, the "twist" about him was very obvious from the first book.

I wish there were more plot points and interaction between Jay and Winnie in the first half. But from about 70% it picked up and got more interesting.

Overall, it was an okay read. Although Winnie did grate on my nerves a bit because she seems so oblivious and not very mature. I know this is YA but I just wish she wasn't so naive.

The Hunting Moon 🌙
5/5✨

Thank you blackcrow for allowing me to join the blog tour for the hunting moon, this is the second book in the luminaries series.

I loved this second instalment into the luminaries series, I found it to be a quick and easy read. I enjoyed how we went straight from the end of book one into book two, this just made the story more familiar to me and meant I still have that connection I had with the characters in the first book.

Oh Winnie Wednesday! How I loved her story progression in this book, she become more confident and finally started to let people in. Also seeing her relationship grow with Jay was so heartwarming to read, it’s these romances that I live for in YA fantasy.

I also was kindly given an audio arc from @netgalley and would like to say the narrator for this audiobook was phenomenal! It’s so easy to listen to and emerges you into the story so easily. I would 100% recommend the audiobook if you can 😊

Thanks again to daphne press and blackcrow pr for organising this blog tour and sending me an arc of the book.

The Hunting Moon had surprises and expected elements. It maintained that lighter feel than some YA fantasy and I appreciated that. I still maintain it gives something of a vampire academy vibe in terms of atmosphere.

I really liked the houses (days), their different purposes and I understood it more in this second book. The plot centred to some degree on werewolves (guessed who) and nightmares. A bit of party atmosphere ensued alongside the serious stuff that sometimes felt a little out of sync but I went with it.

Winnie is an incredibly likeable character and she spent this book evolving uncomfortably into her new found status while chasing answers from her father. Winnie's mother was hard to work out as were some of the other characters.

Overall, a solid installment that I liked but not as much as book one.

The audio was voiced well and engaged me with it's narration.

Thank you Daphne Press for the review copy.

My thanks to Bolinda Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Hunting Moon’ by Susan Dennard. The audiobook is narrated by Caitlin Davies.

In this, Book Two of The Luminaries Trilogy, we return to the creepy town of Hemlock Falls to continue the story of Winona (Winnie) Wednesday as she continues her fight against the monstrous nightmares that arise in the forest outside the town.

As this is part of a trilogy and so a continuous story, the books should be read in order. I won’t say more about the plot in ‘The Hunting Moon’ in order to avoid giving details of events that took place in ‘The Luminaries’ for those who have yet to read it.

As I observed in my review of ‘The Illuminaries’, this trilogy is intended for a Teen/YA readership and does read quite young. Even though I wasn’t particularly invested in the novel’s romantic themes, I didn’t find these overly cloying.

With respect to the audiobook edition, Caitlin Davies is again serving as its narrator. She is an award winning voice actor with over 200 audiobook titles to her credit, including many in the Teen/YA category. She has quite a light voice, which works well for titles with younger characters though she is able to shift smoothly into a more mature timbre when the novel’s older characters have dialogue.

‘The Hunting Moon’ is beautifully presented with striking cover art by Micaela Alcaino, a map of Hemlock Falls, and a scattering of illustrations by Kerby Rosanes that depict more creatures from the Luminary compendium.

Overall, I found ‘The Hunting Moon’ an engaging second volume that progressed the overall plot and character development. I was pleased that Susan Dennard provided more background on the unique society of Hemlock Falls, the Dianas, and the nature of the Nightmares. I look forward to reading Book 3 in due course.

I was curious to where the story would go from book onwards, and book two takes off with a vengeance.

There are still many mysteries and questions that needs solving, as slowly Winnie's family gets reintegrated into the wider community of Hemlock Falls.

What I truly loved where the woods surrounding Hemlock Falls, where ou never know who or what you might encounter when you enter into it. The mists add an additional layer of suspense and horror to the scenes within the woods.

And then there is the slow burn romance that has this big huge elephant in the room throughout the whole book and any reader knows from the beginning who the wolf is, and well, can it be said that at some point, the penny drops?

Thank you to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for an advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:1/5
The Luminaries was a 2 star read for me, and while I was disappointed, I decided to give this series another chance because it had potential......and now I regret it. The Hunting Moon is even worse than the first book.

First of all, I don't get why the author decides to end a chapter on any random line instead of something that piques the reader's curiosity and propels them to read the book further. The writing quality is super YA(in the bad sense) and has not improved since book 1. Winnie is one of the worst, most infuriating characters I've ever read about. Most of the book was about her self pity, about how she was oh so sad for being an outcast, and now that she isn't, new problems have come forth. I just couldn't stand all that whining. None of the characters undergo any development. I kept blanking out multiple times( it's not the narrator's fault, the story is terrible). NOTHING happened for almost 80% of the book, and the climax was so rushed and ridiculous I laughed out loud. The book is also very repetitive at times. Both books 1&2 could've been condensed into one and it wouldn't have affected the story in any way, as there's not plot for the most part. Never once in this book did I get proper dark/eerie forest vibes, which I have been expecting since book 1.

The way the 'Whisperer' was revealed was so laughably stupid it doesn't even count as a plot twist. Winnie gets all the information about Dianas from books and everything is suuuper convenient....Winnie doesn't even require any effort. The weirdest scene was when the librarian looks at Winnie's locket and asks if it's some kind of code or something (I don't remember the exact words), and that's when Winnie starts thinking about it. I mean...... seriously???! Whose first thought upon seeing a locket would be this?? Like I said.....wayyyy to convenient. Where are the stakes? The epilogue was not shocking at all, so I have nothing to look forward to in book 3.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to the Luminaries, which continues the story of Winnie Wednesday and her town of luminaries, protecting the world from the nightmares of the forest. Everything gets a little more dense, a little more complex, and things that were seeded in the first book come to fruition. There's no major shocking revelations here, but the romance and the plot develop steadily. This series skews a little younger than Dennard's Witchlands series, but once you accept that, it rolls along happily, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to the third in the series.

The narration in this audio edition was excellent, with just enough distinction between the characters that you could tell who was who but it wasn't distracting or over the top. The atmospheric delivery added to the overall appeal of this magical adventure in the forest.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Hunting Moon
Susan Dennard

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Ok, I did a bad thing!
*whispers* I haven't yet read The Luminaries .....😱

Let me explain.
I've heard such good things and had book 1 on my wishlist for just so long!
When I spotted this on audio book for early review, I jumped at the chance.
I instantly ordered book 1 ....then spotted the pub date for this and realised I just didn't have time 😱

So, as much as I hate to read a series out of order, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book worked beautifully still as a standalone read.
Don't get me wrong, there were questions I had about the world and the previous events, but not so many that it confused the current storyline.

Having previously been banished from the luminaries, Winnie and her mum are hoping to be reinstated again.
Winnie has trained hard and passed the trials - but something bad happened and people are dying.
The town are blaming (and hunting) a werewolf, but Winnie knows better and is determined to prove it to everyone else.

Apart from a couple of questions about the past, the introduction back to Hemlock Falls worked really well and recapped plenty for those up to date.
I was hooked within just a few chapters and connected to Winnie instantly.

I loved the relationship between Winnie and Jay.
Not knowing what happened to make them be ex-friends - I was intrigued by their development throughout this book.....and the ending was just perfect.

There was a huge sense of loyalty through the story. Friendships, family and within the luminary groups - although keeping it real, with this age group, there will always be cliques and banter. But this enhanced the plot and development of our main characters.

I'm obsessed with the world of Hemlock Falls! The magic and mystery, the Diana's and nightmares and the whole concept of the luminaries.

I am now obviously going to make some time to read book 1, learn all about the Luminaries, their powers, their differences and what happened with Jay and Winnie before - then I'm going to re-read this one again.




💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

Winnie Wednesday has made it! She passed the hunter trials, her family are part of the luminaries again and she's became a bit of a celebrity... but something doesn't feel right. No one really believes her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's been unaliving hunters every night. They all still believe it's the werewolf. Winnie tries to follow her fathers clues about the Diana's and their magic and what happened at Hemlock Falls all those years ago.

Firstly I want to thank, Susan Dennard, Bolinda Audio and Net galley for letting me listen to this audio ARC.

This was a really easy book to following and thankfully there wasn't any where near as much "teeth clanking" in this book (my only negative about the luminaries) I found the storyline flew quite well. The characters were engaging and the mystery was evolving. I actually preferred this book much more compared to the luminaries! I feel we got more characters growth and we learnt more information about the story, the nightmares and the Dianas Which I found very interesting! I will have to get the paperback when that is released so match my copy.

This book was a little predictable but I find all YA's usually have this sense. My hearing isn't the best so I do struggle to hear sometimes but Caitlin Davies spoke so clearly for the narration and I had no problems understanding any of the words spoken!


I'm seeing a lot of comment about other saying they wish it was easy to follow for other that haven't read the first book... I assumed it was common sense to read the first book in a series but perhaps I'm wrong. I don't understand why you would read, then negatively make a comment about that but there you go.

The second book in the Luminaries series follows the aftermath of Winnie passing the trials and is still left to tackle the nightmares and the secret whisperer. The weird fame she got from her last win "The Girl Who Jumped" - never really sat well with her and now she is really troubled by the clues left behind by her father.

The story continues in the same setup with just a few added complexities. It takes its sweet little time to hook you to the story, but once you are past 35%, it's pretty smooth. I did have an initial hitch that this one may not be as good as book 1, but it wasn't bad either. Apart from the initial lag, the story was great. "Jay Friday" is by far the most rooted character in this book. N the hidden sparks only escalate as the story moves ahead.

Thankyou @netgalley @stdennard @bolindaaudio @torteen for the digital ARC

Genre: #fantasy #ya
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️

Disclaimer: You must read book 1 before reading this one, it cannot be read as a standalone. Also, for someone who read the 1st book long back, it's better to have a quick revision too.


#TheHuntingMoon #NetGalley

This is a good young adult fantasy book 2. I enjoyed how the questions from book 1 were having answers but you still want more. The only improvement I could see is make it possible for readers who haven't read book 1 to follow along.

Another banger from Susan Dennard!

In the second instalment in the Luminaries series, we dive deeper into the lore Hemlock Falls, find out some very surprising things about characters we love (*ahem* Jay *ahem*) and root for Winnie Wednesday like it’s our job.

Dennard has a real knack for making you invested in the little mysteries- all the tiny questions that fester until you absolutely need an answer, making you and concerned for the mental wellbeing of these characters (and yourself).

On the audiobook: really well narrated! Felt like I was right there in Hemlock Falls with Winnie, being afraid of the forest and annoyed (and in love) with Jay