Review - The Luminaries (The Luminaries, #1) by Susan Dennard

 

Title: The Luminaries (The Luminaries, #1)

Author: Susan Dennard

Pages: 305

Publisher: Daphne Press

Release Date: 1st November 2022

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

From NYT bestselling author comes a haunting, high-octane contemporary fantasy for fans of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Winnie Wednesday fights to take the deadly Luminary hunter trials in Hemlock Falls' nightmare-filled forest.

Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you…

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. Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie must enlist the help of the one person who can help her Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie's ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

 

 

My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Daphne Press and NetGalley*

Winnie Wednesday lives in Hemlock Falls, a place where nightmarish creatures stalk the forest every night.

The town is protected by the Luminaries, who have treated Winnie and her family like they don't exist since it was revealed that Winnie's father was a traitor.

Winnie is determined to become a Luminary hunter and get her family back into the Luminary fold. To do this, Winnie must survive three trials, and she finds herself asking her ex-best friend, Jay, for help.

Can Winnie pass all three trials? The forest may be more dangerous than anyone realises . . .

This book started out as a series of Twitter polls, some of which I voted in, so I was intrigued to see what this finished version would be like. However, I was also a little hesitant to read this, as the only other book I've picked up by the author I ended up not finishing, so I wasn't sure if that would be the same case with this book. Luckily, I enjoyed this book more.

Winnie was a likeable protagonist - I felt sorry for her and was rooting for her to get what she wanted and become a hunter. One thing that really annoyed me about Winnie was how her teeth were always clicking - I didn't even know that teeth could click, but Winnie's seemed to click nearly every page.

I was angry on Winnie's behalf by the way she, her mother and brother were treated by the Luminaries. I think I would have moved away if I were them, but they were very loyal and stayed.

The concept of the sleeping spirits and them dreaming monsters into existence at night was interesting and something I wanted to find out more about.

The plot was interesting and held my attention throughout, but I wasn't gripped. There were a couple of things that happened that I didn't expect.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.