It had been a while since I read the previous two books so I devoured all three in just a few days!

The concept of these books was gripping and unique, with action, intrigue, and a slow-burn romance that teased us throughout. I adored Winnie's determination to discover what had happened to her father, even when nearly everyone around her had judged him guilty. This last book is a massive journey of discovery and development for her.

The only thing I struggled with was the 3rd person, present-tense method of storytelling, and some of the other points of view. I did at times find myself drifting away during certain parts which didn't feel entirely necessary for the story. This is just a pet peeve of mine, however, and in no way ruined the overall quality of the book.

Equal parts young adult, paranormal and fantasy, this book was an adrenaline-filled adventure and a great conclusion to the series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

What a satisfying conclusion (but I wouldn't mind returning to this world). Susan Dennard managed to tie up all the loose endings we gathered up through the 3 books, and still give us some interesting plot twists! I just wish we had a recap of previous books and/or character list to make it easier to rembember all the happenings in ths previous books.

4.5 stars

To summarise my feelings on The Whispering Night, it didn’t quite live up to the fun of book one, but it was nowhere near as bad as book two. TWN had a cohesive plot and the stakes were elevated back to their original heights. The writing and characterisation of teenagers remained mail-bitingly cringe at times, and one of the main characters was practically written out, but I enjoyed that other character bonds/relationships were prioritised.
Overall, this is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and all of the questions sprinkled throughout were answered. I’m glad I finished the trilogy, but I’m equally as glad it’s over.

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

Susan Dennard has done it again with the third instalment of her Luminaries series. I can't get enough of Winnie's story and find this dark YA series compelling and well-crafted, with twist upon twist woven in that you don't see coming, plenty of danger, and at the heart of it a clever, brave, and determined teenage girl. It can be hard to forget that Winnie is in her teens as she faces off against witches, luminaries, and monsters, all while unravelling the dangerous secrets of her town and the forest of mist and monsters. She's independent and bold, but we do see her relying more on others in this story and finding help in unexpected places. The details of this series are intricate and I fell in love with the story Dennard is weaving after the very first book but it's a story that keeps on bringing more to the table and I can't recommend it enough!

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

The Whispering Night is a pulse-pounding and satisfying ending. As ever the illustrations of monsters and creatures is a feature I absolutely love the inclusion of and the end made me smile so so much. In terms of the actual plot, this moves along nicely with new peril, magic, creatures of the night and mystery. How the whole trilogy is relevant and linked shows great writing skills. The writing also creates a unique atmosphere - these books just have their own feel to them - kind of cozy yet terrifying. Highly recommend this series especially for YA readers as I know this would have been my Twilight as a young reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

*Actual rating is 4.5*

I love this series and The Whispering Night gave it a satisfying ending. It has been such a wonderful thing to follow Winnie’s journey from a timid outcast to a badass and loyal Wednesday bear. In this book there were times where I wanted to applaud her actions, because I was so proud of her. But apart from Winnie being a great character, as well as there being a wonderfully diverse cast of supporting characters, the dark atmosphere and the nightmares kept the story going and the pages turning. There was danger, romance and so many twists. While the pacing dragged a bit at places for me, it was overall a really enjoyable read and one I will return to re-read in the future.

WOW what a brilliant conclusion to the series!

I'd been totally hooked following this hauntingly atmospheric series so far, and this book really brought everything together that I loved then ramped it up some more!

I was totally captivated seeing where this story was going to go. Hooked on Winnie's story as she investigated her father's disappearance, Jennas death, Diana's, Jay's curse and the nightmares in the wood.

There wasn't anything I didn't love about the conclusion in the series. Lots of extra plot twists and a brilliant wrap up that answered all the big questions of the series.

I loved the darkness and fantasy aspects of this book, the characters and the friendships of the three.

This is a brilliant read, and one I'll be thinking about for a long time yet.

I adored the other books in the series so I was ready to be blown away by this and I 100% was! It felt like a fantastic way to end and loved how everything came together at the end.

A fantastic finale to a stellar trilogy! The pace picks up dramatically in the second half, delivering plenty of action and long-awaited answers to questions about the Whisperer, Winnie’s dad, and Erica’s sister. It’s a lot to take in, but the story stays compelling throughout.

I enjoyed the focus on Winnie and Erica’s dynamic, though I did miss seeing more of her other friends. Overall, this was my favorite book in the series—immersive, thrilling, and packed with a satisfying conclusion. Perfect for fans of suburban fantasy and action-packed endings!

The Whispering Night is the third and final book in The Luminaries series. In this novel, everything seems to be going well for Winnie Wednesday. She has her friends, Erica and Jay by her side, and the Nightmare Festival to look forward to. That is until some uninvited guests change everything. Like her previous books, Dennard manages to build suspense and keep the reader on the edge of their seat in this grand finale.

I think that what I appreciated most about this book was the closure that it afforded. I’m always nervous to start a series because I know that so many of them are left open for spin-offs, get discontinued or simply don’t conclude properly. Thankfully, this book doesn’t suffer from any of these problems. As readers, we are left with many questions from the other two books in the series and I think that these mysteries are solved in a satisfying way. The stakes are also high enough that, aside from the personal dilemmas, there is enough driving the plot to its conclusion. Whilst there may have been too many moving parts to keep in mind at some points, these plot points certainly keep you reading.

Although this isn’t my favourite gothic/fantasy series, I think that it will appeal to a lot of different readers. It’s unique and dark enough to intrigue people who like dark fantasies (like me) but also fun enough that it doesn’t alienate other fantasy readers. If you like small towns with secrets, monsters and ancient orders this is definitely for you. And now that the series is completed, you can binge read it all at once!

I was excited for this book as I’ve really been enjoying the Luminaries series, but it disappointed me a little bit. I still enjoyed it enough, but it didn’t have quite the same feel as the others. There wasn’t quite enough of the humour that I loved from those books, so I didn’t fall into it in the same way.

Other than that, it was a really good conclusion. I was a little confused towards the end. It was hard to work out exactly what everything meant, though, I think it was supposed to be that way. I enjoyed how all the plot points came together to reveal the conclusion.

I also just really enjoy the lore in these books. It’s obvious that the author really sat down and thought about all the different creatures and what she wants them to be.

I would happily read more of these books even about different characters!

As someone who has just binged the previous books in the Luminaries trilogy, the final book truly didn't disappoint! In fact, I feel like each book has got better in terms of both the writing and plot, which is a real treat for someone used to a bit of a downgrade in quality with multiple books series I've read.

Winnie was a great MC to follow and as other reviewers have mentioned, the story wraps up nicely but also leaves the door open for future stories to come from this world - which is very exciting!

Thank you so much to Daphne Press and NetGalley for this e-arc.

4.5 ⭐️

What a way to end this series! My heart has not stopped racing from reading the last couple of chapters.

What I've enjoyed most about this series is that, for me, the books have just gotten better in both writing and plot. For me, the unravelling of the mysteries that has been building in the previous two books was intense. It felt like the inevitable end was coming closer, but even so, the mysteries were still not as easy to solve at all. Like Winnie, they just seem to come to you right before something terrible or drastic happens.

I've enjoyed watching Winnie grow across the three books, I feel like in this final book, she was at her full potential. My favourite thing about Winnie is that you don't have to be the bravest or the toughest. You just need to have a lot of hope and trust.

The last couple of action-packed scenes played out in my mind like a movie scene. Especially the grand finale moment (no spoilers here 👀🤭).

I feel so proud of Winnie after reading this book. I just can't explain the feeling. I think that after how turbulent everything was and how Winnie still kept pushing forward and never sort of wavered was like really fulfilling. I just thought she had such a perfect way to end her character and story arc (if this really is the last book with her in it).

Thank you, Daphne Press and Netgalley, for an e-arc!

An enjoyable end to a good series! Winnie has been an endearing MC throughout, and whilst the pacing did ebb and flow a little in the third book, the plot resolution was well written and answered all the questions I'd had from the previous books

Thanks to Daphne Press and NetGalley for providing with an ARC in exchange for a review.

I loved this whole series and the final instalment did not disappoint. I read the entire trilogy in less than a week and I don’t think I can pay a higher compliment than that.

The Whispering Night was such a fitting and satisfying conclusion. It tied the loose ends up nicely but also left the door open for more visits to Hemlock Falls which I would be straight onto if they ever come. I loved how the final book expanded the world and gave us more insight into the history and the luminaries and Diana’s society. It also caught me by surprise a few times and I always love when a story does that.

Definitely a series I’ll go back to again which is why it got a 4.5 (rounded to 5) star rating.

✨4 stars✨

This was a solid conclusion. I found it really easy to follow which meant I flew through this.

I really enjoyed how the answers from throughout the trilogy were finally revealed which led to a satisfying ending. As a result, I would recommend this book to anyone that has read the first two and are looking forward to seeing how everything wraps up!

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I'm not sure who enjoyed this series more, me of my teenage grandaughter. She was so excited to read the final (?) book in the trilogy. Apparently it is all she and her friends talk about so I anticipate lots of sales when the book is released. Perhaps there could be more books set in the same world, a spin off series would be well recieved.

The Whispering Night is the conclusion to The Luminaries. A mostly worthy ending but one I also feel has left too much open at the very end.

Things seem to be going rather well for Winnie. Well, for as far as can be when your boyfriend is a werewolf and you are still trying to figure out what actually happened to your father. But then the Diana's come into your town for the masquerade and everything just gets a little darker.

We find out what actually happened with Winnie's father, Erica's sister and her boyfriend. How it all fits back into each other. It reveals some of the Diana. We get answers. But it doesn't quite wrap up. This conclusion leaves open a very wide door at the end. Nobody is actually getting punished and we don't know how Winnie's grandma exactly fits in. It feels like the author is planning on writing more in this world. I would certainly read that, but I just wish it hadn't left this conclusion feeling quite so open.

Other than that I thought this was a good ending to the trilogy. And can I say, what a bloody cowards some of these adults are. Lets just put some kids through the ringer, shall we?

The little bits between Winnie and Jay, and Winnie and Erica were great to read. Though I was sad to see that the twins and Jasmine felt a bit neglected. I think if Winnie had told them, they would be loyal to her. I also enjoyed learning some more about her father, and about some other members of the Luminaries community.

I am curious to see if we will get a sequel series. If so, I will read it for sure.

A fitting finale for a luminous trilogy, Susan Dennard has given us the best of the three.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Daphne Press for the chance to read a book I’ve been itching to read(!).

A Whispering Night wrapped up the plot carefully, answering mysteries from the previous books, and giving all of Hemlock Falls closure, while keeping the reader wandering and wondering (and worried) in the mists until the last climatic chapters.

Fantastic YA series, which walks a carefully balanced line between dark and funny, spooky and swoony, mysterious and chilling while celebrating love and life and hope.

I adored the fantastic fantasy elements, the compendium of creatures (please, please release a full illustrated companion compendium at some point!) the focus on importance of relationships, to each other and the world around us, being a running theme throughout. The underlying messages of inclusion and balance and the world (and all beings within) functioning at best when connected.

I had really really high expectations for this final book, it was one of my most anticipated sequels for 2024! I’m still not sure how to feel about it; I enjoyed it but it didn’t reach my expectations. I felt that the plot pace was very different from the first two books and it felt a bit dragging - I wonder if it would have been better to divide it in two and add it to the other 2 books and make this a duology? I did, however, enjoyed the 2nd half of the book more! I think in general it was a good wrap up of a trilogy.

Susan’s writing is, again, very good and I still enjoyed following Winnie around and discoing more about the Dianas! The Whispering Night is definitely about the Dianas, to discover more about her dad and her rekindled friendship with Jay and Erica.