I absolutely adored the previous books in The Luminaries series, The Luminaries and The Hunting Moon. There’s just something about old friends finding back to each other (maybe?) tentatively while there are weird and monstrous things happening in the surrounding forest. So The Whispering Night was, of course, one of my most anticipated 2024 releases and I was very happy when I got it as an ARC!
Synopsis:
Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.
With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive.
Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task–one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.
As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won’t stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.
What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?
Book: The Whispering Night | Series: The Luminaries #3 | Author: Susan Dennard | Publisher: Daphne Press | Release Date: 19.11.2024 | Pages: 384 | Genre: fantasy / paranormal /urban fantasy
Thank you to Daphne Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This does not influence my opinion.
Review:
What first drove me to read The Luminaries was the promise of a slightly creepy forst. What kept me were the amazing character and complex character dynamics as well as the action scenes and the hint of family mystery. The Whispering Night seamlessly picks up where The Hunting Moon ended, throwing the reader right back into the story. And I loved that there weren’t any more explanations but the action just started up right away. I really like the action scenes in this trilogy and luckily for me, there are many and they’re all a mixture of cool, magical and sometimes even funny. Car chases, running through labyrinths, battling monsters in an public building,… The Whispering Night has it all and I’m here for every page of it. I love well written action scenes and Susan Dennard really gives them her best.
Of course, the character development but especially the relationship development also has to be mentioned. Before the start of the trilogy, the main trio Winnie, Jay and Erica have been friends but their friendship broke, mostly because of the exile of Winnie’s family. We soon learn that there was more to it and I loved reading about the struggles of each of them individually. I enjoyed how the three opened up again and shared their stories and troubles as well as the love and friendship that is still between them. Their relationship was so well written with all its ups and downs and the long way back to fully trusting each other. I also liked how the dynamics between Winnie and each person individually were written, how she’s different with each person, yet in this book she is unapologetically herself and stands up for herself, doing what’s right. Winnie has come such a long way and I loved how she doesn’t take shit from anyone, talks back and in general and very plainly spoken, kicks ass. I love her.
One aspect of this book I absolutely loved and that creeped me slightly out were the nightmare illustrations. They’re so cool and really bring the atmosphere of the book across.
The Whispering Night was such a great, action-packed finale to an amazing series! But I do hope that the world will be explored in further books because I have so many questions about the world of The Luminaries and especially the Dianas that I would love to have answered. Winnie’s story however is wonderfully wrapped up and I’m so glad I decided to read the series!
Rating:
Have you read The Luminaries trilogy? What other books with creepy forests did you enjoy? Do you prefer action-packed books or quieter plots?
Until next time,
