The Luminaries

📘 About This Book

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 At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

📖 Summary

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard, published in 2022 and spanning 279 pages, invites readers into the enigmatic and perilous town of Hemlock Falls. Written by the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series, this high-octane contemporary fantasy immediately establishes a haunting atmosphere where ordinary technology fails and the boundaries of civilization are aggressively tested by the wilderness. In Hemlock Falls, standard maps do not apply, cellular phones lose their signals entirely, and the dense forest just outside the town limits teems with deadly monsters and nightmares made manifest. Protecting humanity from these terrifying forces is an ancient order known as the Luminaries, a group that maintains vigil over the boundary between safety and utter destruction. At the heart of the story is Winnie Wednesday, a determined young protagonist who harbors a singular, burning ambition. Winnie wants nothing more than to join the ranks of the Luminaries and prove herself to the ancient order that keeps her home secure. However, earning a place among these elite protectors is no simple task. It requires facing the deepest, most visceral fears that lurk within a nightmare-filled forest. More than that, the journey demands a unique kind of mettle to confront the hidden secrets and dark corners that fester within Winnie's own family. As Winnie navigates this treacherous path, the narrative weaves together pulse-pounding action with deeply personal stakes, exploring how internal struggles and familial revelations can be just as daunting as physical monsters. Dennard crafts a world that feels both claustrophobic and expansive, blending the isolation of a hidden, unmapped town with the expansive lore of an ancient hunting order. The book quickly captured the attention of readers and critics alike, becoming an instant New York Times Bestseller, a Barnes and Noble YA Book Club Pick, an Indigo Best Teen Book of 2022, a Junior Library Guild Pick, an Indie Next Pick, and a Goodreads Most Anticipated YA Book. Through Winnie Wednesday's eyes, readers experience a thrilling ride that tests the limits of courage, loyalty, and self-discovery. It is a story about the magic required to stand against literal darkness and the emotional resilience needed to bring long-buried truths to the light.

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