ARC Review--The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard

In this swoon-worthy conclusion to the New York Times instant bestselling Luminaries trilogy, Winnie continues her fight against the monstrous nightmares of Hemlock Falls and finds answers about her past.

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?

The forest is more dangerous than ever as secrets are revealed in this highly-anticipated, swoon-worthy conclusion to the bestselling Luminaries trilogy.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Susan Dennard brings a wild and heart-racing conclusion to the smash hit The Luminaries series with The Whispering Night! The series that started out as a choose-your-own-adventure story on the bird became this daring and exciting trilogy and now here is its glorious conclusion that you will not want to miss!

Winnie, Erica, and Jay have formed a tentative alliance to solve the mystery of what happened to Winnie's father and what led to the death of Erica's sister. Things are still tense between them since Erica was training to be a Diana and trust is hard to come by, but Winnie is willing to give it a go despite Jay's reluctance.

Meanwhile, there is building excitement around the annual Nightmare Masquerade where all the clans get together for a big celebration. This year, they have named Winnie their queen with the Midnight Crown, which Winnie was not even in the running for, but apparently, everyone voted her in. So now her time becomes consumed with events leading up to the big celebration and trying to solve the mysteries currently haunting her and Erica.

An enemy makes their appearance known to Winnie and sets an ultimatum before here. It's pretty much the "or else" kind, so the danger factor really amps up at that point! The tension runs thick throughout this one, Winnie is low on options and time making for an exciting story!

I really enjoyed this one and getting to spend one last trip in this world! I love the forest and all the nightmare creatures that live in it! It's such a fun (and spooky) place! I mean, it's probably not "fun" for Winnie and Co, but as a reader, it's pretty fun! Lol. I especially continued to enjoy the budding romance between Winnie and (Ugh) Jay! Not so much, ugh anymore, but it was fun while it lasted! Lol. I just love how these two came together and that there's no other hidden obstacle i.e. third interloper that stands between their happiness! You never know these days when a triangle might form! 

As far as series endings go, this was a good one! I felt like we got all the right questions answered with a little wiggle room should Dennard ever want to return to this world. But for the large part, we hit this one with a The End. I love when an author leaves the door open, just a teeny, tiny crack. Just enough to say that while we may be closing the door, it's not fully shut or locked, so you never know what could happen down the line. But we can be completely satisfied with what we have here and be just as happy if that door never opens up all the way again. But as I've learned, never say never!

If you're looking for a fun and engaging YA Paranormal series to try filled with a different variety of supernaturals, this is the series to read! This was an exciting and intensely driven trilogy that it was a joy to read! And to think...it all started with a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure strategy! The Luminaries is PURE gold!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

The Whispering Night releases November 19, 2024