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The Luminaries

The Luminaries, Book 1

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About this listen

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 traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her 16th 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. 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.

©2022 Susan Dennard (P)2022 Macmillan Audio
Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction

Critic reviews

"You'll want to get lost in the world of The Luminaries again and again." (Leigh Bardugo, New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and The Grisha Trilogy)

"Winnie Wednesday is the sort of outcast-turned-monster-hunter you can't help loving and rooting for." (Marissa Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles)

"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 Warcross and The Young Elites)

All stars
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A brilliant story to escape in. Interesting plot and full of excitement and drama.
I'm looking forward to reading/listening to the next book in the series.

Great story

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A really brilliant book, I enjoyed it a lot and I thought the narrator was absolutely fantastic.

Loved it

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Loved it. Coming of age with a hint of fantasy. Beautifully written and cleverly narrated.

Coming of age with a hint of fantasy

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Not what I was expecting! Really enjoyed the plot and the narrator was really good. Left on a cliffhanger so eagerly waiting for the next book!

Wow.

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Amazing story, not at all what I expected, BETTER! A new favourite, I am sure!

Epic!

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