Aster is everything I love in a main character. She is fierce, stubborn, and completely unapologetic. From the first page, I was hooked on her story. The world-building is rich but never overwhelming, and the mystery surrounding the Nightweaver kept me turning pages.

The pacing starts slow, but once things pick up, it does not let go. The romance is a slow burn with a hint of forbidden tension, and the twists kept things interesting. Some side characters could have been developed more, but Aster’s journey and the final reveal made up for it. That ending definitely left me needing the next book.

Perfect for fans of dark YA fantasy, found family, and heroines who refuse to back down.

There is nothing I love more than a feisty, fierce, stabby fmc. And my girl Aster is ALL that and more. She is wild and unapologetically a pirate. Through and through. Watch my girl Take. Them. Down. Seriously, what I wouldn’t give to have even an iota of her badassery. Everyone else was cool too, or whatever. Kidding. I loved them all. The connections were deep, the romance was angsty and appropriate for ya, and the plot kept me on my toes all the way through. I felt pain and sorrow, love and light, and attached. #iwanttobeapirate

If you want a gothic fantasy book with mystery like Belladonna but mixed with Pirates of the Caribbean, then you need to add Nightweaver to your TBR. Aster and her family have spent their lives on the sea. The land is ruled by Nightweavers, magical creatures she has feared for her entire life. When her oldest brother is killed in battle and they are taken prisoner by a group of Nightweavers, they begin a new life on land. Working in the house of Nightweaver nobility, Astrid gets to know their son Will and begins to realize that the Nightweavers may not be what they seem and there are even more terrifying threats out there.

This was a fun and exciting story! Aster is a great FMC and I loved her development throughout the book. The atmosphere was amazing and it was darker than I anticipated, but I really loved the mystery. There were lots of great characters and I’m really excited to learn more about them in the next book. After that ending, I have a feeling the sequel will be amazing.

What to expect:
💙 YA Romantasy
💙 Pirates
💙 Murder Mystery
💙 Forbidden Love
💙 Magical Creatures

Thank you to R.M. Gray and HBG Canada for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nightweaver serves as a fantastic start to a new YA fantasy series, one that I see myself revisiting again!

The world-building is fascinating, with no info-dumping. Everything was explained gradually throughout the story in detail, which never made me feel overwhelmed. Beyond the epic world-building, the mystery element of the plot kept me hooked from beginning to end. I found myself constantly flipping the pages to learn more about Aster, the monster, and the nightweaver.

As I delved deeper into the book, I formed my own wild theories. Most of them proved to be accurate, but I still enjoyed seeing how everything unfolded from Aster’s POV. Her perspective added depth to the story and kept me engaged.

I'm curious about the direction the author will take regarding Aster’s love life.
Initially, I wasn't aware of the love-triangle situation. Admittedly, it's hard to predict who she’ll end up with, but I'm leaning towards the one who truly sees Aster for who she is and encourages her growth.

Overall, this is an impressive debut novel!
It was a page-turner with unexpected twists and a shocking cliffhanger at the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it and am eagerly looking forward to the sequel. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next installment in this series!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: violence, gore, blood, death, court intrigue, torture, brief mention of suicidal thoughts and slavery

Nightweaver is an action packed and exciting fantasy.

Aster Oberon is a pirate - she and her family have been sailing and avoiding the land for many years. But a clash with a ship of Nightweavers leads to the death of her brother and her family is taken captive. But the young Lord William Castor is kinder than she thought for a NIghtweaver, and he agrees to bring Aster and her family to Bludgrave Manor to serve his family, and relinquish their lives as pirates. While the family settles into this new life, Aster desperately misses her life as a pirate, and vows to find the evil being that killed her brother. She teams up with Will, who teaches her more about the Nightweavers and their magic, and the world of the vicious Underlings than she ever knew. But when secrets come out, and Will is forced to join the Prince at the frontlines, Aster realizes Will has been keeping things from her. Not knowing who she can trust, Aster vows to find Owens killer, even if it means leaving her family and this new life behind.

I really enjoyed this book! The action was non-stop, and the writing was easy to follow and engaging. Aster is a young and flawed character, she misses her old life and resents her family for how easy they transitioned into a life at the Manor. She has deep trauma in her past, and is slow to trust. Yet she cares deeply for her family and will do anything to keep them safe. I enjoyed the blossoming romance with Will, and how she grew as a character while never giving up on her vengeance to find her brother's killer. I also enjoyed learning more about the mysterious Captain Shade, the pirate who rescued Aster years ago, and the alluring Prince of the Nightweavers, and I am curious to see where their stories will go. The worldbuilding is rich and while somewhat complicated, is introduced gradually throughout the story. There is a rich history of the world which we learn along with Aster, and some exciting twists that have me eager for book 2!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Pirates, and monsters, and humans, oh my! This novel was a fun read. The world is interesting. It starts off in the sea with pirates searching for the Red Island, and it evolves from there. The world builds as Aster finds her way on land and in Bludgrave manor. There is a bit of lore, and the reader learns it as Aster does. The plot kept me entertained, but some moments, especially relationships, seemed to develop too fast (Aster's relationships with Will and Titus for example). Slowing the growth of those relationships would have been more believable. I was also able to guess most of the big twists, but I still enjoyed them. The ending is left pretty open for another book.

★ ★ ★ ★ ✬
Length: 432p
Source: ARC - TBR & Beyond, NetGalley
Release Date: March 4, 2025

🏴‍☠️ I had NO IDEA that this was a debut novel, y’all. I got vibes from so many popular series but this one was one of a kind. From the very first page were thrust into a violent, vivid, thrilling world where nothing is at it seems.

⚓️ Aster is our FMC and she’s a tough character all around. Imagine being raised on the see being told of everything dark and dangerous on lan only to find yourself stuck on land and NOTHING is like the stories. I can only imagine what that fierce girl was going through.

🏴‍☠️ And I’m thinking love triangle (not really—because maybe a twist 🤔)…We’ve got the mysterious Captain Shade and the compassionate Lord Will. I’m vibing with BOTH of these guys. And considering I don’t like love triangles, this one surprised me!

⚓️ The side characters were fabulous! They added so much depth and color to the store. There’s so many interpersonal relationships and surprisingly it wasn’t overwhelming.

🏴‍☠️ Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this debut ya fantasy novel and I cannot WAIT for the next one in the series.

♡ ya fantasy
♥ nobility x outlaw
♡ forbidden
♥ angels and demons
♡ debut novel

{I received a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

“Now’s not the time for dying love,” he said. Remember, you have to live.”

Nightweaver was a dream to get lost in. The romance was so deliciously swoon worthy and the magic of this world hooked me right from the start with a fantastic battle scene that took my breath away. And have you stopped to admire the amazing stenciled edges???? Perfection.

“We all bear scars, Aster.”

✨ Top 5 Reasons to Read Nightweaver ✨

♥️ Forbidden Romance
🗡️ Vengeful Heroine
♥️ Breathtaking twists
🗡️ Vivid & Lush storytelling
♥️ Edge-of-your-seat drama

“I am the one they fear. I am the monster in the dark. I am the judgement.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 / 3.5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
Nightweaver is a story about Aster and her family, who roamed the seas as pirates. After their ship is attacked and they are taking prisoner, they are employed by a Nightweaver named Will to work for his family at their estate.

“Kindness is the greatest deceiver”


I really liked the prose of this book and the cover was really catching my eye. I also love pirates and stories about them so I was excited to dive into this story!

First off, you really need to keep pulling through with this one. I contemplated DNF’ing this book at one or two points, because the first half really drags, felt repetitive and was boring. I was looking forward to the pirate part, but nothing was really shown, only in name the Oberons were pirates…

The second half however was amazing! In the end I’m really glad I kept on reading because past the halfway point it was addicting, action-packed and impossible for me to put down! It’s only a shame the whole book wasn’t like that!

The story needed a long time to really take off, and I do believe the execution could’ve been done better. I feel like too much information was given and there were too many characters to keep track off at the beginning as well. Just Aster’s family has 9 members, plus Will’s family and the other side characters working at the estate. It was just a bit too much.

Aster is a really interesting character, whose determination and loyalty to her family were admirable. She is strong-willed and independent from the start and I really liked that about her. The others were more forgettable, once again because there were just too many of them for all to be fleshed out well.

Family is a big theme in the story, since protecting your family is the biggest motivator for most that happens this book. However, Aster’s family frustrated me to no end. They didn’t feel like the feared pirates they were portrayed to be, and also how they treated her at times wasn’t okay.

The romance felt a bit unbalanced, but I do believe it’s a great stepping stone for a lot of possibilities in the next book! It also wasn't a focal point in this book. I did like Aster with Will, but feel at this point that it wouldn’t really move past infatuation because of all that happened. There is another character I feel like would be a great match for Aster!

The ending was both a bit predictable and a loved the execution! I predicted one of the big reveals to happen, but I have to say I loved that last twist in the very last paragraph!

Overall, Nightweaver is an unbalanced book where it almost feels as if two different stories are put after each other. However, because I loved the ending so much I am very excited about the sequel!

For a book that features pirates, it’s very not pirate-y. The writing style is fine, not amazing but not bad. The world building and magic system is confusing and hard to distinguish. The main character is actually pretty likable, but the rest of the characters lack depth. The family also just weirdly, and GLADLY, accepts servitude after a lifetime in the run?? Like… what?? The chemistry is pretty lackluster between the FMC and the MMC. Last but not least, this novel drags really hard. After the first 30 pages it slows down so incredibly much it’s hard to stay invested. Hardly any progress happens for the whole first half of the book, which is enough for me to give this book a hard pass.

R.M. Gray’s Nightweaver lives up to its intriguing premise: a pirate family forced to work for a wealthy family, in a world where Nightweavers reign with formidable power. It’s not perfect, but it’s damn near close.

★★★★.5

such an amazing ya fantasy debut novel!

i was lucky enough to read ‘nightweaver’ last year before being traditionally published, and the reread did not disappoint!

loved the storyline, plot, and characters! as much as i enjoyed aster & will’s chemistry in the beginning, i’m just not sure of him - he kinda gives me weird vibes lol. i love the friendship aster & henry finally formed after hating eachother. we didn’t get to see much of thr mysterious captain shade, but i’m looking forward to getting to know him better in book 2! and that plot twist at the end 🤯 you’ll never see it coming!!

one thing i would have liked to see more of is the pirate life. we unfortunately only got to see a little of it in the beginning of the book before aster & family had been taken.

i can’t wait to see what r.m. gray has for us next!

thank you netgalley and publisher, little brown books for young readers for the arc of ‘nightweaver’!

what to expect:
- pirates
- forbidden love
- slow burn
- enemies to lovers
- banter
- magic

Minor spoilers

This is the perfect YA adventure for readers who loved One Dark Window. The main character reveals some extra skills that are going to be relevant in a war. Secret societies, fantasy, male characters flirting, the main character not entirely sure who is true to her or lying. Siblings, loss, falling in love, misunderstandings, revenge... politics, intrigue, a ball... YA readers of the genre will love it. It was not for me, but the design done with the cover makes this edition a wonderful collector's item so I am excited to collect it in March.
Recommending it to all romantsy YA fans.

Absolutely fabulous.
I was taken away on a whirlwind adventure through this book.
The battles, bloodshed, romance, deceit, magic, and more had me completely captivated. Now this is advertised as a YA which I agree with but I don't think any adult should turn their nose to this book. There was so much to relate to even with the characters being young. Their actions felt authentic as they were reacting to the situations.
I adored this book. I'm already itching for the next book to see what the author does to add to this incredible story.
Thank you so much to Hachette and to the author for the gifted e copy of this book to read.

The vibes of this book were immaculate. I was sucked into this story immediately and couldn’t get enough of the adventure. This has gothic, vintage, pirate vibes with action from start to finish. The atmosphere was so strong and I can tell the author put a lot of thought into making sure the reader felt like they were actually there. This had fights on pirate ships, magic awakening, dancing at balls, violent monsters and… not-so violent monsters. I fell in love with these characters and I can’t say much more without spoiling but yeah, loved them all. The romance was absolutely amazing and I’m still reeling over that ending. I will be on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next in this series.

Breathtaking! A fast-paced whirlwind adventure that sucked me in from the start. Pirates, monsters, magic, revolutions, deaths, betrayals… so much jammed packed into this epic fantasy that’s not to miss!!

I loved it!! I loved everything about it. It was easy to fall in love with the characters especially Aster! She was a fearless fierce female lead. I really enjoyed her journey and self-discovery in this book. I loved watching her come into her own and can’t wait to see what happens next!

Her family and the various Nightweavers in her life were equally enjoyable to read. I really enjoyed a certain villain prince.

This book was full of exciting tropes and vibes that won’t disappoint; enemies to allies, forced proximity, family of pirates, fierce fighter pirate FMC, morally grey characters, who did this to you?, banter, secret identities, lies, unexpected twists, chosen one vibes, fish out of water, captive, mystery, monsters, who to trust, magic, family sticks together, political strife, revolution, royalty, and so much more!

Thank you as always for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this book, I wasn’t expecting to love it nearly as much as I did, I have already recommended this book to plenty of our readers! I am so excited to hear their thoughts and have more people to talk about this book with!

3.5/5

I have very mixed feelings about this book. Overall I enjoyed this book but came into this expecting way more pirate scenes based on the previews and marketing. But honestly after the first few chapters the main characters renowned pirate family at sea turns into captured servants on land. Which is where 95% of the book then takes place. So I was a bit let down with that. However, I did love seeing main character Aster and her family adjust from pirates to servants. Each family member handles this differently and that is a big struggle for Aster early in the book. I loved that Aster kept her passion and strength throughout the book. She wasn’t afraid to hold onto her pirate side.

Based on Aster’s relations with Will and Titus I see this heading to a love triangle which again mixed feelings. I never really felt the chemistry between Aster and Will so I was excited when Titus showed up. Although a bit predictable with that revelation about Titus at the end I’m curious where the author will take these relationships.

For me the best part of the book was the action and mystery. At times the world building felt a little disconnected especially with some time jumps following high stakes moments. But the action moments were so good. I loved seeing the Nightweavers affinities and really enjoyed seeing Aster’s pirate side come out. All the way to the end I was questioning who was truly behind all of murders. It was a fun mystery with lots of moving pieces and was one of the best parts of the book! Especially that end confrontation!

I think this series has great potential and I’m definitely curious to see what will happen in the next book!

Thank you to R.M. Gray and NetGalley for an arc copy!

I requested this one after reading the indie published one to see what differences there would be. There wasn't many but I felt some sentences were tighter and the ending made more sense. What really endeared me to this book was the complex side characters. It really left me wanting to know more. I want to see where she takes these characters next.

Thanks netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this so much, I had to read it twice! I love the setting, I love pirates and spooky manor houses. I love magic powers and broody men. It was such a fun adventure and I really cannot wait for the sequel! I'm so glad this was picked up to be traditionally published. ALSOOO the second MMC??
HELLOO? Did a blondie finally get me because he is FINE 🔥