Nightweaver was an intriguing read with a dark, atmospheric vibe that I appreciated. I enjoyed the world-building and the tension between characters, though some parts felt a bit slow for me. Overall, it was an engaging story that kept me interested, even if it didn’t fully sweep me away.

This was a wild ride. Different from the kinds of YA fantasies I normally read, but I can see why it's become such a hit. It throws everything at you, high seas swashbuckling and tragedy and mysteries and magic. I definitely am interested in where things are going with the love triangle--normally they're not for me, but that masked mystery man leaps off the page and is so appealing, I want to know what happens next.

I had quite a bit of fun reading Nightweaver. While there were a couple of things that left me scratching my head, overall, it was a read that had me clamoring for more by the end of it.

I won't lie: I was hoping for more pirate adventures. Only a chapter or two in, the whole family gets captured and sold into slavery. The rest of the story is about them learning to live, work, and find their place in the world on land. So, not much pirating is happening here. However, I found that I didn't mind. Again, I would have loved it if more time had been spent on the sea, but the story that took place on land was so interesting that it was hard to be too disappointed.

The world and lore that the author created for this book are spectacular. Although I was occasionally confused and the world-building could have been expanded, the information I received was sufficient to keep me engaged and fascinated. Not only are there elemental-like powers, but with a twist, there are demons, fantastical creatures, and mythical islands. It's genuinely like R.M. Gray knew all the things to keep me invested and sprinkled it with some fairy-dust flair. I was in love with the world.

Aster was a great character, and honestly, the only one that I felt reacted appropriately given the situation, which was part of my problem with the story. Aster's family has been living at sea for quite some time (20+ years, I believe). However, once they're captured, it's as if a switch has been flipped, and everyone just accepts their fate, except for Aster. Also, it appears that no one truly mourns Owen. Now, I get that it's hard to know exactly what's going on in other characters' heads when we don't have their POV, but it felt very odd. Though some of this eventually gets addressed, in the moment, it gave me pause.

My other problem was the romance. It moved very fast for a slow burn. Not halfway through the book, and Aster is practically in love with Will. Nobody acts on anything, but it's definitely there, and I'll be honest, she had more chemistry with Titus in half the amount of pages than she had with Will throughout the entire book. It got to the point where I was 100% convinced he was using some compulsion magic to make her feel the way she did. Is that even possible? Does he even have the ability to use that if it is possible? Do I just want him to be the bad guy because I like Titus more? The answers to the first two are maybe, and the last is yes. Oh gosh, I am too invested in this.

In any case, with a compelling story, despite not being as piratey as I had hoped, a gripping world, and a twisty plot, Nightweaver sits high on the list of YA books with a love triangle that I like. Highly recommend.

I received an advanced copy of Nightweaver from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This has been the best example of right book wrong time, because I try to read this book early in the year, and I really couldn’t get into it. Now, months later, I gave it another shot, and I ended up devouring it.
It was a fun and addicting story. You get pirates (though mostly at the beginning and the end, but book 2 clearly will have more), forbidden romance, magic, To me, it’s the kind of book that if you get into the story, you will devour. I enjoyed following Aster’s story, and to see her interact with everyone around her, from her family to Will and his family.
Honestly, I don’t want to go too far, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but the last 100 pages left me waiting for the sequel. I’ll pick it up as soon as it comes out, because I need to know what will happen next.

A wonderful YA fantasy novel with pirates & romance! This had a lot of your favorite plots & tropes. Forbidden love, plot twists and more!

This was a great YA book to read! I enjoyed this! Cant wait to see where the future holds for this series!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

“I am Aster Oberon, pirate of the Western Sea. I need no one’s help, and I bow to no king. I will have my revenge.”

Nightweaver by R.M. Gray is a YA fantasy with pirates, magic and monsters. There’s also lords of the manor, ballrooms and a masked vigilante.

I read the description and immediately signed up for @tbrbeyondtours blog tour. Check out their Web site to follow the tour schedule.

They sent me a free copy of the deluxe limited edition, out March 4th. And wow, folks, this is a very pretty book. There’s sprayed edges, a very cool printed case and special end papers, different in the front and back.

Nightweaver starts off with Aster and her pirate family’s ship being attacked. Her brother is killed and her family is taken captive. In her new life, Aster is forced to question all she’s been taught to believe and value. She wrestles with who she is, while also getting pulled into a rebellion.

Nightweaver is a YA fantasy that has a lot of elements we love in the genre. It’s fast-paced, and focuses a lot on the internal life of its heroine (it’s written from her POV). She’s a teenager, and does make decisions throughout the book that annoyed me, but they felt true to how a 17-year-old would deal with grief and trauma.

Having read quite a few books like this, I found that I could predict quite a few of the plot points. Not all of them though – I gasped out loud at times, and really appreciated some of the twists that came out of nowhere.

There’s a strong romance plotline, and it was really interesting where she ended up taking it. I have a lot of theories about what I think will happen in book two, but we’ll have to see where @rmgrayauthor decides to take things!

Nightweaver by R.M. Gray is an intense and wild ride full of pirates, high stakes, mysteries, forbidden romances and so much more!

This book is a very nice YA Fantasy Debut with clean romance, intriguing and developed characters, and world building that is evenly paced in a way that is not overbearing even in the slightest. Fans of spice will not find it in this book, but that’s not always a bad thing! I’ve found that spice, as of late, is all I see in fantasy novels these days so this was a breath of fresh air. The MC’s have great chemistry and I’m side eyeing Captain Shade a little too hard. Sksk

I’m a sucker for pirates and a massive fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, so when I read the blurb of this, I was practically frothing at the mouth to get my hands on it! I was definitely not disappointed! This was the first book I’ve read from the author, and I will definitely be tuning in from here on out!

Thank you R.M Gray & Team and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I loved this book so much! You have an incredibly strong and powerful (in more ways than one) female protagonist who’s part of a family of pirates. They get taken captive by Nightweavers who they were brought up to hate and despise. Turns out the lore got them confused with Underlings. Nightweavers are more like vampires with powers, some of whom are actually nice— namely the family that captured/took them in.
In the battle, her brother Owen died, and Aster spends the whole book trying to avenge his death.
There was a plot twist that I expected and one that I did not that was WOAH. Nevertheless, what an incredible ride this was.
She has a romantic entanglement with Will, who cares for her greatly but sometimes feels like that toxic ex who’s like “but we can’t be seen together in public”. Though in this world it’s understandable—- humans and Nightweavers are forbidden from being together.
Then there’s the chemistry she had with the Prince, who she was supposed to want dead but ended up being more than she thought. I don’t know if we are getting a long triangle here since he has a Princess fiancée and he’s friends with Will, or if something is going to happen that will make us decidedly for one team over the other but I’m intrigued.
I enjoyed the character arc for Henry, Will’s brother, and I hope we see more of him in the next book. Aster’s army of siblings are also a riot and I’m curious to see what becomes of them.
Also what is revealed about Aster makes me so excited to see what she does in the next book!

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for the read! This sprayed edge edition is absolutely gorgeous!!

3.75 ⭐️

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I was reading a pirate fantasy romance, instead I got a girl who was a pirate and is now a servant to a rich lord. I did still like this book and enjoyed the read. Although it didn’t really grab my attention too much until the very last chapter. With that being said, I do feel like this is going to be some sort of love triangle, and I have my hopes set on one specifically, though both are decent matches. It would definitely seem to be set up for one of them more at the end of book one.

I was surprised a few times but I did guess most of the twists that were set up, the hints were written pretty well and made sense with the plot. I am definitely going to be reading the second book when it releases.

This book definitely leans young adult in its dialogue, which might not work for everyone. The premise had a lot of promise, and while some plot points were predictable, a few genuinely took me by surprise. That said, Aster’s repeated Inigo Montoya/Moana moments—where she dramatically states her name, plans, and purpose felt a bit cringe at times. However, the plot itself was engaging enough to keep me reading, filled with twists, turns, and immersive world-building that made the journey worthwhile.

One thing that stood out was the sheer number of characters introduced. It took time to sort out who was who and how they fit into the plot, though by the end, I could see why the author included so many. The romance element had a A Court of Thorns and Roses vibe, where Aster has connections with multiple people, and it’s unclear who she’s truly meant to be with. While the familial relationships are a major driving force for the main character, I wish more time had been spent developing her many siblings, rather than just describing them once with dialogue that doesn’t always show personality. Hopefully, the next book expands on these relationships.

The magic system took some getting used to. There’s a distinction between lesser magic and the more powerful Nightweaver abilities, but the lesser magic often felt like a catch-all, while the major abilities were only emphasized during big action scenes, making them feel forced into the plot rather than seamlessly woven in. But maybe that’s the culture of their magic? Additionally, the way Aster’s pirate family so easily slipped into domestic roles as maids and butlers was jarring. Their introduction from Aster as strong, fierce pirates felt at odds with how quickly they adapted, and Aster’s frustration with them became repetitive. I hope future books explain this shift, maybe some persuasion magic was involved? Because if so, that would add an interesting layer to the story.

While I wouldn’t call this book life-changing, it was entertaining. The dialogue between the main character and her romantic interests was fun and witty, and the world-building was intriguing enough to keep me going. I do wish we had seen more of Aster and her family’s pirate life before everything changed because there’s so much potential there. I also found it odd how quickly she trusted and became attached to Will, despite being portrayed as fierce and formidable. Again, if persuasion magic played a role, I’d love to see that developed more clearly.

Final thoughts? A promising premise, mixed execution, and a cute-ish romantasy with hope for more pirate content in the future. I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, but I’d pick up the next book out of curiosity to see where the story goes.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher/author. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

Loved this!! This book was a romantasy that was right up my alley and I truly, wholeheartedly, irrevocably fell so hard for this story. Reading this book is like falling into a manic state of euphoria. I just clicked with it so much.

Right off the bat, I have to say that I loved the unique ideas that the author came up with for this book. They were so interesting and riveting. I can honestly say that I have never read anything like this before. This author's writing voice was magnetic. I was pulled right into the story. The plot was marvelously crafted. Many of the plot points were very predictable but I was still engaged and excited to read more. The storytelling was so immersive and compelling that I was totally unbothered by the predictable elements in the story. The world-building was so vivid and atmospheric. I felt as if I had stepped into this world. I also loved the darkness in the story. There was a lot of blood, gore, and monsters in the book and I was grateful that the author didn't hold back.

These characters were so fascinating. I was so drawn in by them. They were full of so much depth and were so relatable. Aster was so sassy and rebelled against authority (pirate) and was unapologetically herself. I just adored her! I definitely have mixed feelings about Will. I liked him at first but as more things came to light I wasn't as enamored with him. The way that he lied to Aster and kept things from her was such a betrayal of her trust and if I were Aster I don't think that there would be any coming back from that. I am interested to see how Aster handles it in the next book. I enjoyed Aster's character growth. She came a long way from the obstinate, grief-stricken girl at the beginning of the story. All of the side characters in this book were excellent. They added tons of depth to the story and made things very interesting.

I enjoyed the forbidden romance in this book. I felt that Aster and Will had great chemistry. I am almost certain that the second book is going to swerve into love triangle territory and I am here for it! Aster and Titus also had incredible chemistry and I am excited to see where the author takes the romance in the story. Aster has formed a genuine connection with both of them so I think that a love triangle would be very convincing. The spice level in this book was in the "just kissing" zone and I'm not upset about it because the romance was very well written. This is also marketed as a Young Adult Romantasy so I expected the spice level to be low.

Overall, this is a captivating and unique story brimming with pirates, strange magic, forbidden love, and a bit of havoc. If you love a good revenge plot then this book is going to be perfect for you. This is an imaginative story with memorable characters, beautiful storytelling, a fascinating magic system, and mysterious non-human creatures. This book was just so fun! It's going to be torturous to have to wait for the next book in this series!

Oh my goodness. This book was phenomenal. The depth and intricacy of this story was unexpected, and beautifully done. Aster and her family are pirates, surviving at sea as humans have been forced to do for centuries. The Nightweavers rule the land, but the Oberon Clan's fate is about to change dramatically.

Captured and taken by a Nightweaver ship, her entire family is headed for land. Somehow, the boy who saved her this time has managed to keep them together and is even bringing them to his family's home to serve. They will be together. They will be alive. Aster should be relieved, but all she feels is anger and grief.

Watching her friendship bloom with Will was really nice, but the duplicity he represents was shocking, and so many layers of secrets just kept coming. This book kept surprising me, over and over, tossing me around like the waves of Aster's beloved ocean.

This book felt like it was personally written for me. If you also had a crush on both Jack Sparrow and Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, love vampires, and binge watched Downton Abbey, pick up this book immediately. It was spooky, it was gothic, it was romantic, it had pirates and ball gowns and magic, and I devoured it in less than 24 hours. Aster and her family are human pirates trying to survive in a world controlled by Nightweavers, but they are captured and forced to work for Lord Castor. His son, Will, is the right hand to the Nightweaver Prince, and everything Aster hates. But as they spend time together trying to find the monster who killed Aster’s brother, she realizes that nothing is what she thought it was. This book has a sassy and stabby heroine filled with rage, close sibling bonds, political intrigue, and the swooniest enemies to lovers, slow burn, forbidden romance ever. Go read it immediately!
🌊
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌊
Read if you like:
▫️vampire-like Nightweavers
▫️pirates, magic, and murder mystery
▫️slow burn forbidden romance
▫️”who did this to you”
▫️enemies to lovers
▫️morally grey hero
▫️political intrigue
🌊
Thank you to The Novl, Little Brown, Young Readers, R.M. Gray, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a captivating dark fantasy that swept me away from the first page. Seventeen-year-old Violet Oberon, a pirate who’s never set foot on land, faces unimaginable loss when her brother is killed and her family is taken captive. Offered mercy by a Nightweaver lord, Violet begrudgingly becomes a servant at Bludgrave Manor. Fueled by revenge, she uncovers dangerous secrets about her captors and herself while navigating forbidden romance and court intrigue. The vivid world-building, dynamic characters and thrilling twists kept me hooked. The balance of romance, family loyalty, and vengeance was beautifully written. Fans of pirates and gothic tales will love this unique debut. I can’t wait for the sequel!

This is a solid dark YA fantasy full of political intrigue, mystery, action, and family loyalty.

The FMC is strong and has a lot of great character development throughout the story. There are also many supporting characters to get attached to and the

There is a budding romance (0/🌶) with lots of great tension and possibly (🤞) a love triangle in the works. I can feel it brewing and it's going to be a good one! I'm loving all of the tension and I can't wait to see where it goes! There is also a bit of a forbidden romance aspect which I love - rebel!

I will say I expected more pirates and time on the sea so I was a little disappointed that it was a small part of the book. However, I still loved it and I'm hoping that Aster and a certain someone fall madly in love and run off to pirate together ❤️

I read this book in one sitting because there is just so much action and intrigue to keep you turning the pages. I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series!

DNF'd at page 213. It was already boring but adding a talking badger really was the top of my limit.

Honestly, this is officially the book to steer me permanently clear of indie-published books picked up and re-packaged for traditional publishing. Over and over it is nothing but a cash grab with no meaningful edits done, resulting in a bland, uninteresting and incorrectly marketed book that is riddled with crumbling world building, confusing scenes and conversations, and so many plot holes. This is not a pirate book, no matter how many times the main character insists upon it. The love interest is a cardboard cutout who pops up once a chapter to perform his role in sharing a tidbit of information or being shoehorned in for a clumsy trope. Every character, of which there are too many, are flat, indistinguishable and without a single flaw. Her entire family is essentially kidnapped and sold into servitude and they're just fine with it. And that annoyed me the most. Everyone is just there and there is no plot.

With dark, mysterious romantasy vibes, Nightweaver weaves together a story about cursed tales, dangerous monsters, loyalty, and who to trust.

Overall, I thought the premise of the story was very intriguing. I loved the idea of the inspiration coming from Pirates of the Caribbean and wished we saw more of the pirates aspect and storytelling. The suspenseful mystery and twists and turns kept me immersed, wanting to read more, but the pacing distracted me a bit. With that ending, though, I am curious to see how everything will play out in the next book!

3.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

A YA Fantasy romance with pirates, monsters, and forbidden romance. In a world where there are Nightweavers, cursed beings who have elemental powers and can drink blood, humans have found a way to hide at sea... or so they thought. Aster Oberon is a 17 year old girl who has been hiding at sea with her family, they are pirates escaping Nightweavers... until they are caught and her brother Owen is killed. Aster and her family are caught and sold to become slaves essentially to a family of Nightweavers. Aster and her family are taken in by Will, a Nightweaver with his own agenda despite his kindness. Aster is on a path of revenge, she won't so easily settle into the life of servitude like her family has and wants to seek out her brother's killers.... only something much darker is hunting her and leaving her morbid gifts... and the more Aster begins her hunt the more she is beginning to realize the secrets her family kept from her and the secrets that lie between her and two men that she might be falling for, Will, a Nightweaver with a ruthless agenda underneath his kind face and Titus, a prince with a bigger secret. I appreciate that this is inspired by Pirates of the Carribean but for a pirate romantasy this lacked a lot of pirate and I could barely stand the FMC. Aster is throwing tantrum after tantrum and I just couldn't figure out why her family so easily just gave into being servants?? Hello?? Also the love triangle?? Seriously? I just want to see how this book ends after every that has dropped into our laps in this book.

*Spoiler: Turns outs Aster is half Nightweaver, Owen didn't die, he in fact is also half Nightweaver but was saved by Queen Marona (evil queen who is after Aster and wants to take over) and turned into a Shifter. Owen has been trying to get Aster to realize all the bloody clues he was leaving her, she didn't ever figure it out until he told her (seriously how lame). Will knew her brother was alive, knew what she was, and was trying to use her for his own revenge and agenda while "falling" for her apparently. Then there's Prince Titus who is actually the famous Captain Shade who saved her life when she was younger and who kept saving her, he offered her escape when her family was captured but she refused, and now he reveals that he was working with will. Aster finds out that she has a connection with water powers and that all three of them have to go visit Will's Fiancee ( who he never told Aster about, even after kissing her). Yeah I know this book was hardcore pushing Will to be the main love interest from the looks of it but honestly I vibe so much more with Titus. Hell I would go for Titus myself, he's the more interesting character and story, but hey that's just me I guess.*

Release Date: March 4, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Oh my goodness! I don't even know where to start. This was so good! I couldn't put it down. You have pirates, monsters, forbidden romance, a badass FMC out seeking vengeance for her brother's death, twists, and so much more! I can't believe this is a debut novel. It absolutely blew me away. I don't know how long I have to wait for the next book, but I know it will be too long. If you're a fan of romantsy, make sure to check this one out.