Reviews

The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard

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guardianofthebookshelf's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

kellicat94's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

libertyreads789's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I was appalled that it took me so long to read the second book in The Luminaries given 1) how excited I was for the new release, and 2) how much fun I was having while reading it. But working at this new location with more than double the commute I had before is really trying to hold me to the New Year's Resolution of reading fewer books. I think it'll be a good thing moving forward but normally a book of this size, and that level of enjoyment while reading, would have gotten it finished in two days maximum. Other than that, this book was a good time.

I really enjoy the world of The Luminaries. I would have the best time if I could read both books on back to back days right before the third one comes out. Dennard does such a good time crafting both Winnie and Jay. (A little bit to the detriment of other characters, but with Winnie and Jay just sitting there you kind of can't complain.) I just want to reach into the book and give them both the biggest hug. They need it. I enjoyed seeing this magic system again and getting new information about how it works. I especially loved seeing Winnie learn about the Dianas and their magic. She kept herself distant from the accusations thrown at her family, but being pulled in that direction by the mystery gave her a reason to really look. And I liked that part of the story becoming more developed.

I thought that the pacing felt a little slow while reading it, but there's a chance that had more to do with my reading pace than the actual pace of the book. I think if I had sat and read it all in a day like I wanted to then it might not have felt that way. In the next book, I would love to see the trio of Winnie, Jay, and Erica to come together to deal with all the shit from 4 years ago and all of the shit starting to happen now. I'd also really love to find out more about Winnie's father in the next one. With the way this one ended, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the direction Dennard is planning to take the series. Overall, a lot of fun and definitely worth the read.

bewareofthereader's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Audiobook review

Narrator: Caitlin Davies

5 stars

This sequel is as good as the first book and I need the third one already!

In this second instalment, we follow Winnie after she has passed her trials to become a hunter. Her family is back in the good graces of the luminaries and hes rejoined the Wednesday ranks.

Winnie should be over the moon and yet, she is torn.

She discovers that she loves being in the forest and that she does not want to kill all nightmares. Some like the werewolf do deserve to live in her opinion but then, where does that leave her with her loyalties?

She is also deeply unsettled as the whole town is dead set on catching and killing the werewolf but Winnie knows the wolf is not evil. She knows it’s a new kind of nightmare “the whisperer” that is killing hunters but no one else has seen the “whisperer” and no one believe Winnie.

The only person that can help Winnie is Jay Friday. But even with Jay, she can’t tell him that she is also following the clues left by her father to find who is truly a Diana and who framed him!

This story confirmed two of my theories (that I won’t give as I don’t want to spoil your read) and I was very happy to know that I have been right all along!

It’s still shrouded in mystery and the nightmares, seen through Winnie’s eyes are strangely alluring. There was a melancholy seeping from the pages of that book that I found perfect for this time of the year.

Winnie is also a complex character, all in nuances and her being uncertain about where her loyalties lie made her even more interesting to follow.

It’s a perfect blend of character driven and plot driven story with still tons of questions unanswered at the end of the sequel. I recommend that series for lover of darker reads with morally grey characters, mystery, great lore and original world building.