You know those series you want to finish and then never get around to it? That’s me and the Witchlands series by Susan Dennard. I really enjoyed the world building in Truthwitch and then proceeded to buy every one in the series, and then it got buried on my shelf. So when I received an ARC of The Luminaries I had to read it! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
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.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Luminaries is a contemporary fantasy with magical societies, questions of friendship, and complicated family. My heart broke for Winnie, how her family is cast out of the magical society, scorned, and made fun of. All the ways her father’s actions have changed their lives forever. Because one of my favorite aspect was how even though Winnie’s dad is absent, even in his absence we feel his presence. How the town’s silence, their family’s reversal of fate, all have his mark on them.
So Winnie is the ultimate underdog – and while everyone loves an underdog, not a traitor as well. I couldn’t help but empathize with her resilience, cunning, and recklessness. But quickly her story becomes about unraveling the true danger that faces her community, even if they will not admit it. If you liked books like The Devouring Gray, then this is for you! It has that similar vibe of magic and this communities that are so wrapped up in each other.
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The Luminaries is a solid beginning to the series and while I felt a bit of a lull in the middle, I was invested all over again at the ending. It has training montages, tons of monster lore (which had to be another of my favorite elements), and a heavy dose of mystery. This is a series I will be keeping up with – this time I promise! Find The Luminaries on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.