Book Review | The Whispering Night

It’s always so bittersweet at the end of a series.

The Whispering Night
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.

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I always hate coming to the end of a series when I’m enjoying it, because it feels like a bit of a fight. On the one hand, I’m desperate to know what happens, but on the other, I don’t want it to end, and since there was so much that had happened in the previous two books in this series, I knew I was going to feel that keenly in this book.

This instalment was a little slower to start as it sets the scene, but not in a way that is detrimental to the story, it just allows Winnie to do some investigating and figure out what moves to make. There was a lot more political intrigue in this book as Winnie has to navigate her status as queen of the luminary event taking over Hemlock Falls and her mission to find out more about her dad and the Dianas.

Once the action starts, though, it is pretty much full on. There is no messing about with Winnie in this book, she is doing things her way and unintentionally stirring up trouble at every turn. She is determined to try and go it alone, not wanting to hurt anyone by pulling them into the drama, but luckily, her friends are there to support her because there is a lot resting on her shoulders.

I did feel that the ending, perhaps, didn’t entirely make sense to me. I can’t go into too much detail because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I do feel like I might need to go back and try reading it again. I did feel that everything was wrapped up well, though, and all outstanding matters were explained, which I appreciated. I also liked that there was a balance between the hunters and the nightmares for a while, whilst they fight to make sure that they all collectively survive.

The Whispering Night is a pretty satisfying conclusion to the series, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this author goes next.