The Luminaries

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard is a contemporary fantasy novel published by Tor Publishing Group on October 17, 2023. This reprint edition spans 320 pages and is presented in English. The story follows Winnie Wednesday, a young girl determined to join the Luminaries, an ancient order tasked with protecting her mysterious town of Hemlock Falls from the dark forces lurking in the surrounding forest. As she faces the Luminary hunter trials on her sixteenth birthday, Winnie seeks to restore her family’s reputation, which has been tarnished since her father’s betrayal.
Readers will find a blend of dark fantasy and romance as Winnie teams up with her ex-best friend, Jay Friday, to navigate the dangers of the forest and uncover hidden secrets. The narrative explores themes of fear, family, and the complexities of confronting one’s past. With elements of werewolves and shifters, The Luminaries immerses readers in a haunting world where not all monsters can be defeated, and some nightmares extend beyond the shadows.
Official synopsis Publisher
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
Also by Susan Dennard
The Executioners Three
The Luminaries trilogy
The Luminaries
The Hunting Moon
The Whispering Night
The Witchlands series
Truthwitch
Windwitch
Sightwitch (novella)
Bloodwitch
Witchshadow
Witchlight
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