The Luminaries by Susan Dennard Series: The Luminaries #1
Published by Tor Publishing Group on November 1, 2022
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance, Young Adult Fiction / Werewolves & Shifters
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781250194114A haunting and high-octane contemporary fantasy about the magic it takes to face your fears in a nightmare-filled forest and the mettle required to face the secrets hiding in the dark corners of your own family.
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 enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: 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.
I was really excited to read this book! It’s been on my TBR for a while and when I first read the summary (after seeing the beautiful cover), I was ready to jump into the book. When I went to the library a few weeks ago and saw it, I knew I had to check it out.
Well, sadly, it wasn’t as good as I was expecting. I was thinking it would be a 4 or 5 star read, and unfortunately, this ended up being a 3 star read.
The main issue is with the plot itself. So much happens, while at the same time, nothing happens. There are three trials that Winnie must pass to become a hunter (of monsters in the forest). The whole time she goes through these three trials there is a mysterious monster that has never been seen before (Winnie starts calling it the Whisperer). But at the end of the book, it’s really just not acknowledged. Instead, as per usual, the town takes the easy way out in blaming a werewolf (who I agree with other reviewers that the werewolf is totally Jay). Winnie felt really flat to me, and her and Jay’s relationship I couldn’t care less about. I don’t know if there is a romance that’s going to happen between them, but I don’t see or really buy into their romance.
There’s also the mystery surrounding Winnie’s dad, who four years earlier was found to a traitor to the Luminaries. The group Winnie’s dad is part of is called the Diannas, all that is explained is that they’re witches who want to take over the world. The Luminaries are the good guys and the Diannas are the bad guys, got it! It wasn’t even surprsing when Winnie found out that her dad was framed, saw that coming from a mile away.
The base of the world building was so fascinating and maybe it’ll be better expanded in the next books. I’ll probably read the next two books, again utilizing the library cause one thing I do know is I don’t want to waste my own money on these books.
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