The Luminaries (Luminaries, 1)

From Susan Dennard, the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series, comes a 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.

An Instant New York Times Bestseller
A Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Pick
An Indigo Best Teen Book of 2022
A Junior Library Guild Pick
An Indie Next Pick
A Goodreads Most Anticipated YA Book

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.

"You'll want to get lost in the world of The Luminaries again and again."--Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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304 pages

Average rating: 7.94

18 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

BookBabe09
Aug 26, 2023
10/10 stars
I loved this book! The idea of a society, where dangerous creatures roam at night, separate clans revolving round the days of the week, hunters who protect the clans and a girl reliving history. This book had been on the edge of my seat every 5 minutes!!!! <3
TheCleverReader
Feb 03, 2023
8/10 stars
This was so good. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the plot, and the characters. I liked that Winnie was just a normal girl thrown into these trials in order to bring your family back into favor among the Luminaries. There was mystery throughout the entire storyline and it left me with so many questions. I'm glad we'll get more of this story because the world is intriguing and I need to know what happens next!

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