The Luminaries, Susan Dennard
The Luminaries, Susan Dennard
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

The Luminaries

Author: Susan Dennard

Narrator: Caitlin Davies

Unabridged: 9 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/01/2022


Synopsis

"Narrator Caitlin Davies brings her talents to this NEW YORK TIMES bestseller. Davies captures the magic of Dennard's exciting world and illuminates each character. While this audiobook is intended for a YA audience, it will keep listeners of all ages enthralled and spooked."- AudioFile

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.

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

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

About Susan Dennard

Susan Dennard is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series (now in development for TV from the Jim Henson Company), and the Something Strange and Deadly series, in addition to short fiction published online. She also runs the popular newsletter for writers, the Misfits and Daydreamers. When not writing or teaching writing, she can be found rolling the dice as a Dungeon Master or mashing buttons on one of her way too many consoles.

About Caitlin Davies

Caitlin Davies is a New York City-based actor and audiobook narrator. Davies specializes in audiobooks for teens and young adults, including the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast. She has performed in New York and regional theaters and is a member of the WorkShop Theater Company in New York City. She has a bachelor's degree from Vassar College, and has studied acting at the Eugene O'Neill National Institute, the British American Drama Academy, the Barrow Group, and Brown University/ Trinity Rep.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Megu on August 11, 2022

I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull. We know that the......more

Goodreads review by Mary on November 21, 2022

DNF @ 60% Buckle in, because this is going to get ruthless. The premise was interesting, as was the idea of groups of people defined by the days of the week. But unfortunately that's where the good things I have to say ends. There was so much telling vs showing, which is surprising because this is a......more

Goodreads review by Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) on November 04, 2022

A fun, fast-paced supernatural mystery with lots of monsters and a bit of romance! I'm a huge fan of Susan's Witchlands series, and this is a definite change of pace. Single POV, short chapters, very much a page-turner, and a fantasy set in our contemporary world instead of an entirely different one.......more

Goodreads review by Dona's on November 18, 2022

LUMINARIES by Susan Dennard is an entertaining, captivating story about how one girl shoulders and finally contends with the heavy yoke of family legacy, while also literally fighting for her place in a world full of monsters. The creatures, as a collective, are rich and varied, representing a terri......more

Goodreads review by aphrodite on January 05, 2023

picked this up for the “small town that knows about fantastical beings” trope that I love so much (i.e. darkest part of the forest & enchantment of ravens) but it was a bit too contemporary for my taste. something about hunting the entire monsters wiki page and going to high school art class was giv......more


Quotes

“Will draw you in and leave you begging for more. Rich with tension, atmosphere, and finesse, you'll want to get lost in the world of The Luminaries again and again.”—Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shadow & Bone and The Ninth House

“I lost myself from page one in Hemlock Falls and its deadly forest, as vicious as it is inescapably alluring. Winnie Wednesday is the sort of outcast-turned-monster-hunter you can't help loving and rooting for.”—Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gilded

“Readers will want to don a motorcycle jacket and join the nightmare hunt.”—Kirkus Review

Enthralling from the first page, The Luminaries lures you into a misty darkness rife with thrills and romance. Living nightmares may stalk across the pages, but this book is a paranormal fantasy dream. The forest calls, and you will love every second of devouring its mysteries.”—Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lore

The Luminaries is exactly the thrilling, dangerous, heart-pounding fantasy I needed, with an incredibly original world and a heroine who knows and fights for her worth. Prepare yourself accordingly—I devoured this in a single sitting.”—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Skyhunter

"Dennard’s newest is overflowing with action, adventure, and mystery with a sprinkling of romance that will keep readers turning the page."—Booklist

The Luminaries is your next obsession. Part family drama, part fantasy procedural, part helpful guide to monster hunting, all with a dash of romantic tension—this book is all my favorite things combined.”—Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

“In The Luminaries, bestselling author Susan Dennard kicks off a darkly magical, action-packed new series and introduces a mysterious world filled with monsters. . . . Plenty of gasp-inducing thrills, monstrous gore and empathetic soul-searching—plus a little tentative flirting—bring The Luminaries to a satisfying conclusion.”—BookPage


Awards

  • NYPL Books for the Teen Age
  • Chapters Indigo Best of the Year