Nightweaver

Nightweaver #1

by R.M. Gray

This New York Times bestselling romantasy is filled with elemental magic, forbidden romance, and breathtaking twists, as an iron-willed heroine sets off to avenge her brother—and discover her destiny. Perfect for fans of Powerless and Heartless Hunter. Six hundred years ago, Nightweavers, cursed beings with untamed power, claimed the continents for their own. The ocean was meant to be a safe haven for humanity, including seventeen-year-old Aster Oberon and her pirate family. But after Aster’s brother is killed in an epic battle at sea against Nightweavers, Aster and her family are thrust into a new life on land.When a handsome Nightweaver named Will offers the Oberons protection and work at his opulent estate, Aster is suspicious. As the arrogant and entitled right hand to the wicked prince, Will is everything she has been taught to hate. But as he shows empathy and kindness, Aster can’t ignore a blooming attraction. And even more, Will opens her eyes to a new There are monsters worse than Nightweavers, monsters who may be behind her brother’s death.As Aster hunts the creatures responsible, dark secrets threaten to unravel everything she once believed about her family, herself, and her world.Read the entire Nightweaver  
Nightweaver 
Starchaser 
Cursebreaker

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Pirates, Young Adult Fantasy, Fantasy Romance

431 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 4, 2025

About the author

R.M. Gray lives in Texas with her husband and two giant dogs, where she enjoys writing stories about pirates, magic, mystery, and all things fantastical. A self-proclaimed expert at whistling and a dedicated collector of lightsabers, she spends her days drinking too much Earl Grey tea, re-watching old cartoons, and thinking up new ways to break readers’ hearts. She invites you to visit her online at rmgraybooks.com or @rmgrayauthor.

Reviews

[ari [gin’s vrsn 🩵] [semi ia] · Rating 5 out of 5]

6⭐

now playing: he's a pirate (yes pirates of the caribbean)

14+

romance: 4/10 (there was tension, but only, like, one kiss.)

violence: 6/10 (it wasn't so bad, but keep in mind that it's a dark fantasy romance. i was personally unperturbed but, other readers might be a little sensitive to blood. a fountain gets filled with blood. decaptitation. brutality. maiming. hanging.)

cursing: 1/10 (hell and damn maybeeee once or twice each. ass a couple times?)

tropes: nobility x outlaw, forbidden romance, she's a pirate, angels and demons

first person, present tense

- OVERVIEW -

psssstttt there's a playlist at the bottom besties 🤫

- BUDDY READ WITH -

⤷ violet my best friend everrrr, thank you so much for crying over and loving this book as much as i didddd

violet’s review

SPECIAL THANKS TO SARA, one of my first goodreads friends whom i unfortunately lost contact with. thank you so much for making me read this masterpiece of a book, i owe you loads

this book was absofreakinglutely amazing.

the world building wasn't like i was drowning in useless knowledge, but it gave enough to fully understand.

it was a high-stakes fantastical mystery, that kept me turning the pages. i also hiked to the top of a mountain and read it, so that was pretty cool. the ambiance lol.

PIRATESSSSSSSS, FRICKING BALLGOWNS, AND A HOT LORD? YESSSSSS

R.M. FRICKING GRAY HOW COULD YOU CHANGE VIOLET'S NAME IN THE REPRINT?
to ASTER of all things. bruh. her name was perfect whyyyyyyyy

claim your "here before aster" tickets below 👇😔
🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫🎫

this book made me want to tear out all my hair, but in a good way yk?

i would pay so much money to read this again for the first time. everyone should read this book. EV 👏RY👏ONE👏👏👏

- CHARACTERS -

violet
she's a BA who has a PERFECTLY FINE NAME THANK YOU VERY MUCH. i love her.
if i see anyone calling her aster i'ma cry

will
green eyes? dark hair? aka, my perfect man. not to mention he's so fricking sweet. lilies became one of my favorite flowers bc of him ngl.

captain shade
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe. HOTTIE PIRATE GENTLEMAN? YES PUH-LEEZ

titus
he's a prince 🤷‍♀️ he's a HOT prince. he's my husband. my little bloodletter baddie fr

owen
i cried (it's not a spoiler bc it's on the back of the book y'alllllll). then i lost my everloving mind. then i screamed. and punched. and cried again.

- QUOTES -

"the notion that you find me gentle...” his thumb brushes my lip, sending a shiver through me. “that will be my undoing."

"there is only one thing more powerful than fear, violet.”
“what?”
“love."

"you're too late. i don't need you anymore.”
“you never did."

- CONCLUSION -

this book is a 100% 100000/10 you-you need to read it. 🥺🔪

- PLAYLIST -

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JH...

devil doesn't bargain - alec benjamin
screaming underwater - alex warren
if you only knew - alexander stewart (beware it's explicit)
panic room - au/ra
head above water - averil lavigne
was it real - ben rodrigues
in the stars - benson boone
forever and a day - benson boone
perfect - ed sheeran
he's a pirate - pirates of the caribbean
bruises - lewis capaldi
i miss the days - nf
high hopes - panic! at the disco
war of hearts - ruelle (literally perfect for this book in every way)
in my blood - shawn mendes
monster - shawn mendes & justin beiber
rewrite the stars - the greatest showman

[✨ tazannah ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad! A mesh of Powerless, The Otherwhere Post, and Fable in one book. I loved the tropes and the ending!

→Buddy read with the wonderful Alana 🤍
____________________
⚓ Pre-read review: 🌊
A book with pirates? With clean romance? AND ITS A ROMANTASY?!?!

Heck yes.

[ray ৎ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

—🗡️ 3.5 stars !
⤿ reread finished 9.19.26

⊹ “i am the one they fear. i am the monster in the dark. i am the judgment.”

˚࿔ my thoughts
my rating didn’t change after my reread, so i’m gonna take it as a good sign? although i did enjoy, at times it felt repetitive. also, i HATE insta-love so….

seeing as this book is marketed around it being inspired by pirates of the caribbean you’d think they would be in the ship longer…but it was only like the first 20 pages 😭 however, that doesn’t mean i didn’t enjoy. i really liked aster and the premise of the story did feel original


˚࿔ plot
after aster oberon’s ship is captured and her brother is murdered, her and her family become servants for lord bludgrave and his family who are nightweavers, beings with special abilities. but when she discovers the dark forces who killed her brother followed her to the bludgrave manor, she allies with william bludgrave to hunt those creatures down


˚࿔ romance
sorry not sorry but i hate insta-love. will, the love interest was saying things like “i feel like i’ve known you my whole life” after knowing aster less than a MONTH, 30% into the book 🤨 he was super sweet, it’s just their relationship was really rushed. the prince, titus, that was introduced towards the end of the book is the second love interest so i’m looking forward to that 🤭


˚࿔ characters
aster oberon. okayyyyy i see her!! she was super nice, it’s just at times her inner dialogue was SO repetitive. she kinda felt like a lot of fmcs so i hope in the next installments she grows as a character!

william bludgrave. no because why at times did he not help aster? like bro you had one job 🙃 he was still sweet tho

prince titus. YESSSS 🤭 i read 47% of the sequel, starchaser, before deciding to reread this and he’s the best

[Maeghan 🦋 semi-hiatus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me through this book : this is a debut. This is a debut. This is a debut.

I am so disappointed. This was sold to me as a pirate story… they’re in the water for what, not even 5 chapters? I’ll just start off by saying that my expectations for this were SKY HIGH.
The beginning was so well done. I was gripped… and then the whole family was contracted/sold and it went downhill from there.
How can 8 people (who were free and fierce pirates) just… accept being maids and cooks in a blink of an eye? I had SEVERE whiplash! Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who suffered whiplash from this - so did our FMC Aster. But instead of asking or talking about it with her family members, she was just throwing tantrums left and right and falling for a guy she literally had 2 conversations with. Why are you so thirsty 😭. She was 17 and read like a 13-14yo…

The other thing that gave me SEVERE whiplash is the fact that we don’t really see them grieve Owen?? They’re a big close family, how can this just be brushed off? I know the story had to move along but it was just so weirdly done? Aster just lost her best friend & big brother and she’s thirsting for a boy she just met 😭 why! Obviously, everyone has their own coping mechanism for grief but this was so bizarre to me.

I was really happy to finally read a Fantasy book where both parents are alive and so are most of the siblings. But their time was cut off abruptly to focus on the FMC… which left me feeling worse than if they weren’t apart of the story :/. The FMC has more interactions with the love interest than with her family members. Which was another thing that rubbed me the wrong way. The dynamics were completely off.

Never have I read more plotholes than I did in this one. The plot was… ? A lot of nonsense if I’m being honest.

I haven’t been dwelling on books I didn’t like for the past year (I think?) but I couldn’t just not say something. I saw some people comparing this to TOG (????) and Pirates of the Caribbean (????!) and I’m left wondering if I read the same book. Was I sent a wrong copy or something?

This book is physically beautiful. I read every word until the 45% mark and then I skimmed till the end. I shouldve DNF’d. But I always find it hard to DNF when a book has such a gripping start and then goes completely downhill from there… I keep hoping it’ll pick back up. It sadly didn’t. Keep in mind that reading is subjective and you might fall in love with this. It just severly wasn’t for me.

[Darby Johnstone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely NOT. What a waste of precious paper. Paper that could have been used for books that are actually good. Not whatever this shit show was.

this book was SOOOOOO underwhelming to the point where my life was more entertaining than this piece of crap. I mean hell should I just start writing autobiographies??? Books like these give me hope that my unedited first drafts of a book could get published.

For starters this book gave off debut vibes like CRAZYYYY. And that’s not me trying to be mean or anything because there ARE some fantastic debuts out there (TOG, TNMN…) but this was NOT one of them. This whole book made me want to scream, throw up, kick something, choke on my own saliva and cry over and over again. In other words it was really a full package of disgust.

Whoever told me this book was high stakes I will be unfriending:) Our friendship is done. It’s over. WE are finished. There weren’t even low stakes or high stakes. there were NOO stakes at all.

My questions:

Why is the fmc’s name Aster when her siblings are named: Lewis, Margret, Charlie, Owen etc???

Why were there no pirates?? I was promised a swoony pirate romance. I did not swoon and there were no pirates. They were literally on a ship for negative 2 seconds.

Why were there no stakes???

Why does this book exist?

Why am I wasting my time still writing this review when this book was so dumb that it doesn’t even deserve one more thought from me??

Moving on the characters were boring too. Aster doesn’t deserve my attention. And Will was as boring as his name. I genuinely couldn’t feel one ounce of chemistry from the couple at all. There were as interesting as a useless heap of rusty metal. The fact that I didn’t dnf this book is crazyyyyyy. But sadly I was blinded by the delusions of hope. Something I won’t fall for again. *sigh*

What a shame this book is to the reading community. If this is considered literature just make me illiterate already. Overall this book made my boredometer reach unhealthy levels. I think I might need a doctor… or a good book. I think I’ll choose the latter. Just do me a favor. And don’t read this book or touch it or even say the title because i can assure u it is not worth ur time. Bye. 👋


Pre-read: 🏴‍☠️💜

Buddy reading this with kiki! Pirates and magic? COUNT ME IN. Not to mention the cover? AHH. i predict this will be no less than a 3 star read

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy publication day!!

Update! We have a thumbnail for GR! 🏴‍☠️

4.5 stars rounded up ⭐️
🌶️ 0/5

This was a solid YA fantasy debut novel!

The plot felt like a mixture of FBAA (minus the spice), TOG, and a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean thrown in. There was bit more gore description than I anticipated, but it was tastefully written. That’s not something I typically care to read about but it wasn’t overdone by any means.

Pirates, magic, and dark haired love interest(s)???, what more could you ask for? Nightweaver has the fantasy trifecta with endless possibilities for growth in the sequel.

The chemistry between our FMC Violet and MMC Will was slow growing and had all of the tension you could hope for between love interests- but Captain Shade??? HELLO!? I think I feel a love triangle brewing and I’m not mad about it 😇


Huge thanks to the author, R.M. Gray, for giving me the chance to read the e-arc!

[AndaReadsTooMuch · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%. I was promised pirates. I did not get pirates.

[Si 🇵🇷 (✨💅Cardan Greenbriars v · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6/5

YEAH ITS THAT GOOD

Romance: tension but no kissing

Language: none that I can remember maybe some uses of damn and hell. I think there might have been one bastard

Violence/drinking: sword fighting. Characters get stabbed and some die. Non descriptive. I don’t remember drinking but I may be wrong

~Book summary~

Nightweaver is about a girl named Aster (apparently her name was Violet before it got changed) and her family who are a group of pirates that hunt creatures called nightweaves. They meet a charming nightweaver named Will who offers them a place to stay at his family's estate. In return Aster’s family works for his family. Meanwhile Aster’s determined, with Will by her side, to find the nightweavers who killed her brother.

(I hope that was good I suck at book summary's)

~Overview~

First. Can we just give a round of applause to R.M. Gray for making this FIRE book and it being her first one👏👏👏. Like it's definitely one of my top favorite books

Ahhhh guys this book was so good. Although I saw people comparing it to pirates of the Caribbean…🤨🤨🤨. Yes, their family are pirates, BUT it doesn't really involve them BEING pirates. But like fr can we stop comparing every pirate book to pirates of the Caribbean PLEASE. It's like how people say every fantasy book is like “the hunger games” mixed with another popular book.

But this book was so GOOOOOD!!! I know I've probably said it like three times but…IT'S SO GOOOOOOOD. The characters…PERFECT. The world…PERFECT. The writing…PERFECT. The cover…PERFECT. PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT!!!

Can you tell I liked this book?🤭

~Characters~

•Aster (aka Violet)- She's so cool. That's it. That's all you need.

•Will- This man is fine af. And he's so nice and charming😩😩😩 it's guys like him that make me want to go crawl in a hole and die because the guys I know are just- yeah🤠

•Henry- Is it weird that he was my favorite character even when he was acting like a butt? I want him for myself

•Titus-he wasn't even in the book that much till the end but DANG I LOVE HIM. I can't wait to see him more in the second book


Okay um guys…I don't have any quotes…I READ THIS BEFORE I STARTED HIGHLIGHTING IM SORRY. ITS SO SAD CUS THIS BOOK IS QUOTE WORTHY

aNyWaY…

~Final thoughts~

For the five hundredth millionth time…THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. Definitely recommend. I'm impatiently waiting for the second book to come out. But yeah…don't hesitate go read it *hair whips and walks away dramatically*

[✞𝑳𝒆𝒙𝒊☕︎ (∘₊✧Delusional Optimism✧₊∘) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Holy cow….😍

This was SO good oh my days…🥹🙏

I screamed. I cried (a lot). But I’m still here👹

I will admit…the first 100 pages were a bit hard to get into..but the rest of the book def made that up😌👍

PIRATES?🗣️🔥
A VERY GOOD LOOKING LORD?🗣️🔥🔥
SOMEWHAT OF A LOVE TRIANGLE?🗣️🔥🔥🔥
ALSO A VERY GOOD LOOKING PRINCE?🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥
BANTER?🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH👹

Yes I already have the next book in my cart😌🙏


✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰


Characters ! 🏴‍☠️


Aster : Okay I’m not gonna lie when I say she was lowkey annoying…👹. Like in the FMC way😭. Other than that she was a decent character🤷‍♀️. She just needs someone I guess…which she has Will heh. Nothing really left to say about her other than I wanted to slap her a little bit throughout the book🥰.



Will : AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH.🗣️🔥 LOVE HIM🙂‍↕️. The green eyes? The black curly hair? THE FLIPPING FRECKLESSS?!?!? All green flags for SURE.😘 The ONLY thing I didn’t appreciate from him is that he kept some things to himself…thinking he was protecting Aster..but it lowkey just made things a bit worse😔. But he was a FANTASTIC character. I loved his care for Aster it was so cutie patootie🥹🙏.


Henry : AND MY FAVORITE CHARACTER AWARD GOES TO….HENRY FLIPPING CASTOR AAAAHHHHH🗣️🔥🔥. TRUST THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Listen I HATED him in the first half…BUT HE GETS SO MUCH BETTER OH MY HEAVENS😍🙏🙏🙏. I cried so hard at the end with a specific scene he was in which I will NOT say bc I don’t want to give out spoilers!😭👍.


Jack : He reminded me of Blade from Assistant to the Villain👏😍. So obviously he was a great character. Him and Margaret are SO adorable together🤭.


Titus : I KNEW IT. I KNEW IT. I. KNEW. IT.🗣️🔥🔥🔥Heh. I LOVED him. Better than Will? …yes.😍👹 He’s so book bf material…so on the list he goes Hehehehehe👹. AND HES MY TYPE RAAAAAHHHH🤭🤭🤭.


owen : …😀🔫


✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰


Quotes ! 💕



“You say pirate like it’s an insult.”




I will not let them take me.

- I have very unfortunate news for you Aster…




“I think, you would make an excellent queen.”
“If I were Queen, my first decree would be to have Percy strung up from the castle walls.”
“Surely you could think of something more creative than that.”
“Surely, but I’m afraid it would be far too gruesome for your lordship to hear.”
“Now that, is what I like most about you.”




“There is only one thing more powerful than fear, Aster.”
“What?”
“Love.”




“You’re afraid of me.”
“Afraid? Of you?”
“You flinched.”
“I twitched.”
“You have a habit of twitching?”
“All my life.”




“You love her.”
“It was on those nights that I realized I didn’t care where I was, as long as I was with her. And now she’s all alone, and I just wish I could hold her.”

- IM CRYING😭😭😭



“If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to be alone.”
“How interesting. I’d prefer not to be alone.”
“Do you prefer to be annoying as well?”
“On occasion.”
“In that case, there are about two dozen women inside that I’m sure would be thrilled to be annoyed by the Prince of Eerie.”
“I’d much rather be here, annoying you specifically.”
“Lucky me.”



“But you weren’t here! You left.”
“I had to. Titus needed me-“
“I needed you!”



“That laugh, I missed that laugh.”



“Nothing my darling, nothing. You’re going to be all right. Everything’s going to be-“

- YEAH IM CRYING STOP😭😭😭



“You really don’t give up.”
“No, I don’t. And I never will.”



“You’re mad.”
“No, I’m a pirate.”


✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰


Overall ! 🗡️


So…I’m team Will🤭 Because…well he’s a perfect match for Aster and uh TITUS IS FOR US GUYS😍🙏

And…HENRYS MINE🗣️🔥🔥🔥


This book was SOOOOOO good hehehehe🥹👏.

It had me screaming in the middle of my class and uh let’s just say I got some weird looks😭👍.


Anyway I def recommend this to you if you like pirates, banter, forbidden romance, action, magic, good plot twists, and scream worthy scenes!😍🗣️🔥


*cue the pirate music*
*cue me fight/dancing*💃🩰🤺💥



✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰


Post-read ! 💙

Holy moly guacamole…😭

Let’s just say I cried….a lot.😔👍 RTC!

[kitkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

- post read -
a little bit underwhelming in my opinion

- preread -
i keep seeing so many good reviews for this all over my feed, so what the hell, i guess im reading it too 😅 dont you just love fomo???? 🤡🤡

[jaycee ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

═══════ ∘◦ ✧ ◦∘ ═══════
This review contains a few random statistics, my personal thoughts, and a content review! ♡
═══════ ∘◦ ✧ ◦∘ ═══════
• Book - Nightweaver
• Author - R.M. Gray
• Pages - Kindle, 423
• Genre(s) - YA romantasy
• Published - 2025
• Recommended time to read - Summer
• Cliffhanger - Yes
• Vibe - 🏴‍☠️🩸🌌🗡️👑
⇢─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⇠
→ Setting - 4/5
→ Characters - 3/5
→ Writing - 4/5
→ Cover - 4/5
→ Vibes - 3/5
→ Plot - 4/5
→ Pacing - 3/5
→ Romance/Ship - 4/5
→ Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
⇢─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⇠
Recommended to fans of-
✔︎ Pirates
✔︎ Love triangle
✔︎ Forbidden romance
✔︎ Nobility x outlaw

♫ Now Playing - Bruises by Lewis Capaldi ♫
═════════════════
╰┈➤ My thoughts (spoiler free)
♫ ”I’ve been holding on to hope, that you’ll come back when you can find some peace.” ♫

I’m not really sure what to rate this so I’m just going to go with four stars and call it a day. This was certainly…interesting. I’m really struggling to describe what I thought.

This book was very violent, which I can typically handle, but there was definitely some things that made me cringe.

I enjoyed the bits of Christian allegory. There was some content in the book that I thought a Christian author shouldn’t have included, but I did really find it interesting that R.M. Gray included the allegory.

I was very strongly team Will until the end. Now I don’t know what to think. Oh, and I loved the pixies. Liv was so feisty 😂
═════════════════
╰┈➤ Characters
♫ ”I’ve been told to get you off my mind, but I hope I never lose the bruises that you left behind.” ♫

Aster - She was…I’m not sure what she was. Jaron from Ascendance meets Spensa from Skyward? I also was envisioning her blonde the whole time even though I know she’s brunette.

Will - He was a gentleman 🥰 Like I said, I was very strongly team Will, but now I’m not sure. Guess I have to read the second book…but I’m pretty sure it ends on another cliffhanger, and the third one isn’t out yet.

Titus - I didn’t like him at first, but I’ve warmed up to him 👀

Jack - He was so sweet omg, he and Margaret are adorable.

Henry - Okay the character development was great. I felt sooooo bad for him!
═════════════════
╰┈➤ Spoilers below!
♫ ”There must be something in the water, cause everyday it’s getting colder.” ♫

Woah. Okay. That was a lot to take in. The plot twists weren’t especially shocking, except the one about Shade being Titus (which I totally should’ve guessed!) but the foreshadowing was great.

I hate Owen. I felt bad when he died, mostly cause Aster was so hung up on it, but now I don’t feel any sympathy for him.

But on the other hand, POOR HENRY AND DOROTHY NOOOOO 😭 They were so cute together 🥲 I almost cried when Henry was totally breaking down when she died. I actually expected to cry during this book, but I didn’t at all, sooooo 🤷‍♀️

Also, the love triangle is basically just like: weird vampire nobleman vs pirate prince, and somehow I’m leaning towards weird vampire nobleman.
═════════════════
╰┈➤ Content review
♫ ”And if only I could hold you, you’d keep my head from going under.” ♫

➸ Age Rating - 14/15+

➸ Language - A couple uses each of damn, b@stard, and @ss.

➸ Romance/Sexual - A lot of tension, a couple kisses, mentions of how being alone together without a chaperone is inappropriate.

➸ Violence - A lot. Worse than Hunger Games, for a reference. Threats of death and violence, dismemberment, a lot of blood, mentions of cannibals, stabbing, burning, decapitation, body parts being chopped off. I think you get the idea.

➸ Religious/Spiritual - Christian allegory, mentions of the “True King” and how he sees everything, mentions of the Nightweavers fall from Elysia and the Underlings coming from a world that seems akin to hell, Underlings can possess people.

➸ Magic - A lot of magic, some that can control water some that can control people. Nightweavers, Underlings, and humans all have different kinds of magic.

➸ LGBTQ - None.

➸ Alcohol/Drugs - Characters drink wine a couple times, I think the mc is drugged.

➸ Other Notes/Possible Triggers - Death of a brother, death of a father by suicide, heavy violence and gore.

[Saylor Sardine · Rating 1 out of 5]

A girl is mad that she didn’t go to jail for her crimes and that her family has a stable income and is living in a relatively safe environment
I tried so hard to love this 😭
So first off I’d like to share the good things about this book
It was spice free
It was low language
I loved the idea of the magic system
And I loved the non human entity lore
Henry

Now onto the things I didn’t like

The plot was all over the place and what I thought was the main objective was never really discussed after the first part of the book
On top of that the magic system is never really explained and the non human entities were just background noise there was a ton of potential for some really cool lore that was never addressed
I REALLY despised aster (and will because he’s the enabler to aster that she doesn’t need and their relationship is just really cringy 🫠)
The whole first part of the book was talking about how
“Aster was cruelly taken from her life as a pirate and then thrust into working for the son of the rich night weaver
Who just so happens to be the only noble to value human lives who gives them decent wages for their work and doesn’t try to harm them”
Every like 3 sentence’s she was talking about how she was “too selfish for wanting to go back to the seas”
(Because yeah aster WANTING YOUR LOVING AND SUPPORTIVE FAMILY TO DIE IS SELFISH 🥹)

This was also sold to me as a pirate book
The whole pirate part of the book was like 5 pages and then they never pirate again 😭

I have a few minor issues about some character relationships and how they interacted and just aster in general but
My only other big complaint was how the nightwear magic system wasn’t really addressed
My understanding is that they’re Magic vampires but I don’t know why certain nightweaver a have certain powers or why they don’t or how they get different powers
I wanted more of their lore but never got it

Oh and I guessed the two Major plot twists within the first 3 chapters 🥲

I kept having to constantly remind myself that it’s a debut novel and I shouldn’t judge it harshly
It was rough


Overall : 0.25 ⭐️
I see the potential
The idea was sound but the characters and writing were just not there yet
I plan on reading the second one and third one when it releases because everything had the potential to be fantastic
It just fell a bit flat

Language: 0.5/10
Violence: 2/10
Suggestive content/Romance: 2.5/10
LGBT content: No



Edit: Since they added 1/4 ⭐️ 😈
I am changing this rating ❤️

Edit 2: after reading Pumpkin Spice And Everything Nice i apologize to Nightweaver as it had redeeming Qualities and as such it is getting moved to 1 stars🙂‍↕️

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pirate romantasy with monsters, magic, and mayhem.
The Nightweavers have claimed human lands for their own, so Aster and her family (they gave me The Umbrella Academy vibes but violent pirates) and a lot of other humans have made the sea their home.
Their lives are uprooted (upwaved?) when they are taken captive by a Nightweaver Lord who buys their indenture.

Aster had been taught that the monsters on the land eat humans and now she is living among them and maybe falling in love with someone she really shouldn’t.

The romance was not a huge focus of this book, instead it is about relearning everything Aster thought she knew and the different factions at play.
My favourite character was not the love interest, so I’ll be interested to see how that plays out.

“You’re too late,” I say, my voice a quiet breath. “I don’t need you anymore.”
As if those were the words that he waited three months to hear, a tentative smile breaks out over his face, though it doesn’t reach his heavy-lidded eyes. “You never did.”

We have great action scenes.
A ball.
Jealousy.
A captain saviour with a secret identity.
SARCASM AND WIT.

Family loyalty is a key theme of this book. I loved this as I love families represented in fiction. Especially stabby ones.
However, the behaviour of Aster’s family frustrated me. They are supposed to be these fearless, violent pirates and yet they adapt and accept to being cooks, maids, housemaids, etc so easily.

WARNING: This doesn’t really play into the whole pirate thing. The first 25 pages sees the family being taken from their ship to be sold/rescued.

This would have been a four stars, had it not been for certain inconsistencies in characters and plot conveniences.

Physical arc gifted by Penguin Random House UK.

Bookstagram

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screaming!!! Full review to come.

---

EDIT: Officially in my Nightweaver era!!!

I first found out about this book through Instagram, where someone had shared one of the author’s posts that had a few quotes from the book. It sounded amazing but of course there’s always a worry that the finished book won’t live up to the promotional quotes, especially with a debut… but after reading it, I can honestly say that Nightweaver went above and beyond.

I loved everything about this book. It was like Pirates of the Caribbean meets Crimson Peak meets The Cruel Prince. Our FMC, Violet, was giving me major Jude Duarte vibes - a rare human in a land of beautiful monsters. (And she’s stabby, ladies and gentlemen.)

The characters were all so great and complicated. There’s a slowburn romance with a boy who has more secrets than he lets on, foes that become friends and vice versa, a villain who’s more than he seems, and a mysterious pirate captain with an unknown identity. I was trying to guess Captain Shade’s deal throughout the entire book and there were quite a few options, so I was wrong a few times before I got it!

The ending left me screaming, crying, throwing up. I cannot wait to have more questions answered in book 2!!

Thank you so much to the author for sending a digital ARC. All opinions are 100% my own.

[kate ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.25 stars

[Mim.Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 20ish%

Are we.... are we all reading the same book?

It's not often I read a book where I dislike the main character from the get go but here we are. A quite tedious read, I feel.

[abigailscupoftea · Rating 5 out of 5]

pirates and monsters and a gothic manor?? i instantly fell in love with this story. it was spooky and dark, but also whimsical because there were pixies, a prince, and a talking badger (honestly perfect for summerween)! this was kind of like pirates of the caribbean meets supernatural meets belladonna.
i loved all of the intricacies of the magic, the mystery, and the politics. and the tension and secrets within the forbidden romance really had me on the edge of my seat. i’m immediately diving into the next book because it was THAT GOOD. young adult fantasy will forever be my favorite. 🕯️🌊🦢✨

[maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

all i can say about this book is that you have to wait for the last 100 pages. i’m also in love with titus 🤭

[📚 Alana (professional book nerd)(officially 18!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read:(2025)
November 6th cannot come soon enough

Reread: (2026)

Reread to read book two!

[Olivia | Liv's Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sorry but I have no other choice but to read the second book ASAP because this had no business being THIS GOOD!

Things I loved:

• Pixie named Liv
• Talking badger & dwarves
• Magic system with so many layers
• Intricate politics
• Ghosts & shifters
• Gothic Belladonna series vibes
• Did I mention pirates & a guy named Will? IYKYK. 😏

[Meghan R · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. 180 pages in and there’s no real consistent growth in the story. Sad because the story had potential.

[Simmy Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever rated a book 2 star before but the reason why I did for this one is because, In my opinion, there’s nothing out of this world or memorable about this book. I hate to say that but I’m being true to myself. This book was marketed as “Pirates” “You say pirate like it’s an insult”, let me be clear without any spoilers… they’re basically pirates on land. You don’t get any pirate vibes from this book.

The plot, honestly just lack luster. The book started out action packed, exciting but then the plot just went downhill from there because it was repetitive and stagnant. The protagonist was being so insufferable and annoying, I was honestly tired of her POV. None of the characters are memorable nor was I emotionally connected to any of them and because of that I couldn’t care enough about the book.

There’s a lack of structure, nothing really made sense when it came to the kingdoms, the magic system, the irrelevant love interest that added nothing to the barely there plot. It’s unfortunate because I hate leaving bad reviews but I also want to be honest with myself and other readers.

Thank you to the NOVL for sending me this book in exchange for an HONEST review!

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a pirate who spent her whole 17 years of life at sea, Aster sure is thirsty.

Centuries ago, Nightweavers, evil vampire-like shadow creatures took over the lands and pushed humans to the seas, the very seas Aster Oberon and her pirate family inhabit. The seas were meant to promise safety, but when Aster's best friend and brother, Owen is murdered in a fight with Nightweavers, the only home she's known sinks.

Handsome and enigmatic Nightweaver Lord Will Castor offers the Oberon's refuge on his family's estate, promising the king to reform the pirates as his servants. However, Aster seems to be the only Oberon suspicious of him and when a murder happens on the grounds, Aster realizes there are scarier creatures than Nightweavers and they're looking for her.

I binged 75% of this book in one sitting because it was just that GOOD. I had to keep turning the pages to find out what happened. I couldn't stop reading this book, but that doesn't mean I found it spectacular.

I think this book is GOOD, but not great, hence my three-star rating. Before you yell at me, a three-star is still great, and if Goodreads did quarter-star ratings I would lean more towards a 3.5/3.75 stars. There was not a single thing in this book that I didn't predict; perhaps that's because I read too much. I also think that a book being predictable isn't bad, it just means the author did a good job at dropping the breadcrumbs. Now, why would this be so page-turning if I knew what was happening? BECAUSE IT KEPT GOING. There were so many times I looked at the percentage mark of this book to see if it would be over. This book had perfect cliffhangers to leave on and it still pushed forward. THANK YOU, R.M. GRAY FOR NOT ENDING A BOOK IN THE MIDDLE OF A SCENE.

Next, the romance!! I smell a love triangle and a damn good one at that. I don't know WHO I want her to end up with and I'm SO excited to see where this leads. I NEED to know who she ends up with. I'd compare the romance to Powerless by Lauren Roberts or Heartless Hunter/ The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli. Mostly because of the forbiddenness since Nightweavers and humans aren't supposed to mix like the romance in the other books. The romance in Nightweaver has a lot of potential, but nothing has happened yet. We're at a plan for a slowburn in terms of actually getting to the final couple being together. Fingers crossed no one dies!

I don't know how long this series is meant to be, but I will be reading it. I cannot wait to buy a physical copy because the deluxe edition is stunning!

Thank you to the publisher, Little Brown Books, for the DRC! This title releases March 4, 2025!

[CC ⊹⋆˚ [on-and-off] · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc in the morning bc it's late but also..... WHAT?!?! *cries in sequel not out yet*


➵ pre-read┆🏴‍☠️

Buddy reading with the amazing Mia!!!! 😍 Im so excited!! 😆

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5🌟

2024 Read #73/250

[⚞☆bellaaaa(tanka jahari's pizza)☆⚟]

I'll come back to this later to review. my brain is too exploded for a thought process rn.

[Lyla Joelle :) · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

“Wake up, love. Now is not the time for dying.”

Woah…alright…this was GOOD!

Besides the ending…it reminded me VERY much of Caraval…and even a little bit of the heart of betrayal…

*~Characters~*

Will: MY BABY! I loved him!! He…made me yell at him a lot but hey, he was an amazing fella.

Titus: MY OTHER BABY! Okay, he mayyyy have put Will in the least favorite child position. I AM TEAM TITUSSSSSS! (Idk If theres a love triangle buttt I saw smt on pintrest that said team Titus sooo).

Aster: she was so strong! Annoying at times…but I loved her!

Owen: I thought I liked him…I rlly did…*vomits*

Jack: ah he was so sweetttt!

Henry: okay, I thought he was a villain, but he turned out to be one of my favorite characters!

Obvi shout out to the rest of Asters family and Will’s cus i loved them all!

*~My thoughts~*

As I said, this was amazing! It had those dark a moments—but then those cute little fantasy moments. I did think the romance was rushed. Like, I think the author should have slow burned it a lil more just because I felt like they were barely friends, and then they kissed. Wait, I think Aster kissed two boys in this book and she only knew each of them for like, two months 😭.

I’m just saying…I guessed one of the plot twists 😝. But then the other I was BLOWN away by! Which threw me off completely…

*~age rating~*

13+! VERY VERY VERY VIOLENT! If ya wanna know more comment and I’ll tell ya more….romance was just kissing nothing more. A few cuss words here and there but it was very infrequently and mild. But, if you can’t read gore and blood and just LOTS of killing, then this might not be for you.

*~Overall~*

if you want a bingeable Romantasy that will keep you on your toes, I totally recommend this! Literally, I was so lazy this week cus I couldn’t stop reading .

Add this on your TBR!

*~Post read~*

My oh my oh my….

RTC!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightweaver by R.M. Gray follows our main character Aster, who has grown up as a pirate aboard the ship Lightbringer alongside her parents and siblings. Their life at sea is all they have ever known—until everything changes during a brutal battle. In the chaos, the family is captured by the mysterious Nightweavers, magical beings who long ago invaded and claimed the mainland as their own. Aster and her family are taken ashore and delivered into the hands of a Nightweaver named Will, who brings them to his family estate. There, the once-free pirate family is forced into servitude within the household. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers, but this premise sets the stage for a story filled with tension, secrets, and shifting loyalties.

I found the premise incredibly intriguing. I initially expected more time at sea—more of the pirate atmosphere. That aspect was somewhat less prominent than I had imagined, since much of the story unfolds on land. While I did miss that seafaring vibe at times, the shift in setting ultimately serves the story well. The atmosphere of the estate is vividly portrayed and carries its own distinct mood, blending mystery and unease in a way that feels fitting for the narrative. Perhaps future installments will return more fully to the pirate world.

The book is undeniably gripping. Especially in the second half, the tension intensifies significantly, and I found it hard to put down. The pacing picks up, secrets begin to unravel, and the stakes feel much higher. It’s in these later chapters that the story truly shines, pulling the reader deeper into its web.

Before starting the novel, I didn’t realize that it is aimed at a younger fantasy audience (14+). This does become noticeable at times, particularly in Aster’s characterization. She can act quite naïve, occasionally making decisions that feel impulsive or frustrating. However, considering that this is a young adult fantasy novel, this aspect is understandable and even fitting. Despite her moments of naivety, Aster is an engaging protagonist. As a pirate, she carries a fierce, “badass” energy that makes her enjoyable to follow. Her strength and determination balance out her inexperience.

There are several plot twists throughout the story. I didn’t predict all of them, which made the reading experience more exciting. One major twist near the end, however, was something I had suspected quite early on. Even so, it was satisfying to see how it unfolded within the larger narrative.

I do have one very minor point of criticism—and it truly has nothing to do with the overall quality of the book or the story itself. As someone who rides horses and owns a horse, I noticed that the research regarding riding details wasn’t entirely accurate in one small instance. For example, you don’t simply pull on the reins to steer a horse. This detail is completely irrelevant to the plot and doesn’t affect the story in any meaningful way, but it stood out to me on a personal level because of my own experience. It’s a tiny inaccuracy rather than a real flaw.

Overall, while I do have a few small criticisms, I genuinely enjoyed reading Nightweaver. It was entertaining, immersive, and compelling enough to keep me turning pages late into the night. I would definitely recommend it, especially to readers who enjoy young adult fantasy with pirates, magic, and slow-building tension. I’m certainly planning to read the next installment—I’m too curious to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy (German ebook). This review reflects my honest opinions.

[steph reads (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Karly Rose · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

(4.25/5) It’s been a hot sec since I finished a fantasy book in one sitting, but I just did that with Nightweaver by R.M. Gray.

📖 ARC Review 📖
Pub date: March 4, 2025

What to expect:
🏴‍☠️ 1st person POV
🏴‍☠️ YA romantasy
🏴‍☠️ Forbidden romance
🏴‍☠️ Elemental magic
🏴‍☠️ Mystery & secrets

Nightweaver sucks you in from chapter one and throws you straight into a battle scene on a pirate ship. This book is said to be perfect for fans of Belladonna and Powerless, and I agree (as someone who likes both of those books). I’d also add Heartless Hunter to the mix.

The FMC, Aster is strong-willed, feisty, and witty. She very much acts like a 17 year old girl who was raised on a ship, so I enjoyed the way her character was developed. I also liked that the story focuses a lot on her large family and the dynamics between her and her siblings.

It’s clear that the author was partially inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean, which I love because it added a level of charm and nostalgia to the story. However, I want to level-set expectations that, even though this is marketed as a pirate romantasy, the majority of the story takes place on land.

Overall, I enjoyed the pacing of the book, which may be obvious since I finished it so quickly. But there were some parts that did a LOT all at once. Specifically, I was a bit surprised by how much was jam packed at the end. I felt like a good chunk of it could’ve easily been moved to the second book.

This is a strong first book to a series, and I’m very impressed it’s a debut. I still have a lot of questions on this world and the magic system, so I’m very curious to see where she’ll take this story in the second book.

A sincere thank you to the publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the gifted copy ahead of its pub date.