Author: Susan Dennard
Genre: YA Fantasy
Published by: Daphne Press
Publication date: 07/03/23
Pages: 344
My rating: ★★★★★
I received a free review copy from Black Crow OR & Daphne Press in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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 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.
The Luminaries was one of my most anticipated 2023 releases and it did not disappoint. It started off as an interactive twitter thread before being expanded into a duology, this one being the first installment.
I was hooked from the first page, I loved joining in with the interactive element, the full length book is even better. I was captivated by Hemlock Falls and it’s inhabitants. I loved Winnie, her relationship with her family, Jay, the ‘ugh Jay’ moments throughout and the lengths she went to achieve her dream of becoming a Luminary and restoring her family’s name her father destroyed, leaving them outcasts in Hemlock Falls. Honestly, her whole family deserved better. I’m intrigued to see where that element goes after the plot twist involving them. Its going to be epic!
The Luminaries is full of twists, tension and is unputdownable from start to finish. I can’t wait to read the next book!
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