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 🔥

Lovers of Pirates of the Caribbean and Cruel Princes will enjoy this YA fantasy novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Summary: Aster and her family spend their lives at sea as pirates. The land is inhabited by monsters who feed on humans, so they have no choice but to live each day in fear of sea monsters and the Nightweavers who make land their home.

Aster and her brother come face to face with monsters who seem even worse than the Nightweavers they have been taught to fear.

William, a wealthy Nightweaver rescues Aster and her family from their sinking ship to become servants in his home. Can she trust William and work together with him to find the creature who killed her brother?


Reaction: I read this in a day! I could not put it down and was so excited to find out what was going to happen.

There wasn’t a lull in the book and I felt it to be extremely entertaining. I loved Aster and how she grew as a character. Will got on my nerves at times, but I feel like it was on purpose. I don’t think he’s going to be end game.

I thought this was a fantastic YA book due to the romance being mild.

The reason I took off half a star was due to some confusion with the magic system, politics and what each creature was and their powers. I think a guide in the book would have been helpful.

I kind of figured out the plot twist only because of some comments that were made throughout the book.

I will be staying updated on when book 2 will be released.

Nightweaver is a high-stakes epic fantasy adventure. I fell into this brilliantly crafted world of magic and myth, and I didn’t come up for air until I reached the final page. Filled with mystery, danger, and a healthy dose of female rage, Nightweaver is a vibrant and spellbinding debut from R.M. Gray.

I loved the atmosphere and high intrigue. The character relationships were dynamic and interesting. I’m excited to continue this series!

𝘔𝘺 𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 4.5⭐️

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🗡️YA fantasy
🗡️pirates
🗡️high-stakes adventure
🗡️stabby FMCs
🗡️gothic vibes
🗡️forbidden romance
🗡️political intrigue

I love a good YA fantasy! I haven't loved one this much since defy the night and am so glad to be entering this time of my life

I gotta say this book has me all confused 😅
Starting off with such a heavy hitting first couple of chapters, I was flabbergasted at the amount of action and felt very engrossed in the story. Pirates surviving in the water because all lands is occupied by flesh eating creatures? Let’s do this!
It took a long way to get there, but I did appreciate the story! The world building fits for a great YA story, with enchanting magic and a mystery plot that keeps you guessing.
My only issue is just as quickly as the action started in the first couple chapters, the story goes into a lull for the next 200 pages and totally changes the premise from “pirates on the water” to “family becomes servants on land”. It wasn’t until the last 50 pages on the book, that any part of the middle actually makes the story full circle.

If you’re looking for a YA romantasy with clean romance and whimsical elements, Nightweaver by R.M. Gray might just be worth exploring. While the story didn’t entirely capture me, I can see it being a delightful read for a younger audience venturing into the world of young adult fantasy romance.

R.M. Gray’s prose is vivid and easy to read. The world being crafted has the potential to be breathtaking and atmospheric. Personally, I found the world-building a bit sparse at times, with the author providing much of the details about the world as chunks of information. I do think, however, that this style is well suited to younger audiences who can benefit from material being given to them in clean/clear chunks, versus interwoven throughout the greater narrative. Pacing felt a little off to me despite there being constant action. The romance, while sweet, lacked the spark to truly captivate me. That said, Nightweaver may still be a great fit for younger readers who enjoy gentle fantasy adventures with a touch of romance.

While Nightweaver didn’t fully meet my expectations, it has its charms. Younger YA readers or those new to romantasy might find it a magical introduction to the genre. If you’re looking for a story with light romance, clean themes, and a whimsical setting, this might be worth adding to your TBR.

3.5

The world building was good. The idea of nightweavers taking over the land, making the humans go to the sea was creative. Meeting Aster as a pirate was a new FMC point of view I hadn’t read in a while. When Aster and her family get captured it gets more confusing. I was quite lost when the magic and politics of this world were explained and I admit it was hard for me to keep reading. Ince we get to some action and getting to know more of other characters it gave me a bit more motivation.

Will and Aster’s short time together was interesting but it lacked the chemistry. I guess I saw Aster with the captain Shade more, however towards the middle of the book it was obvious who this Captain Shade really was. A little too predictable. But I enjoy his character. When he appears in his second persona, I liked him more and how he saw Aster. Basically he knew her even way back and I liked that in a way they have history.

Aster is a very noble character. She chooses not based on herself but what is best for her family. Getting to know all the secrets at the end, which a couple did surprise me, it built a lot of character for Aster. I hope I see more of

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I literally just finished this book and I am so obsessed with it now. I am desperate for book two to come out (even though book one hasn’t even been released yet). I really want to know what’s going to happen next!

Gray created a complex fantasy world full of creatures, monsters, and beings with powers that I was easily able to lose myself in. The writing was spectacular and the plot twists were so good. I loved the characters, especially Aster and Will. I really enjoyed their interactions and I am looking forward to what happens in book two!

I'm really sad to say that this didn't work for me. It had such a strong start, but some things just magically worked out? Also I felt like I was being told about this romantic connection but I didn't feel it. It's just one of those reads that wasn't the best fit but I will say that I really enjoyed the blend of so many magical aspects. You have pirates of course, but monster pets, pixies and other magical beings etc. My personal vibes aside, this is creative, fun and I think readers will eat this one up!

Thank you so much to Little Brown Books for my ARC, I appreciate it!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Mind blowing! What a page turner!
I was absolutely captivated by this book. From the first chapter, I was drawn into a world rich with magic, mystery, and unforgettable characters. The author’s writing style is incredibly immersive, effortlessly blending descriptive prose with sharp dialogue that brings the world to life.

The main character’s journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. I loved watching their growth as they face challenges and discover secrets about themselves and the world around them. The way R.M. Gray balances action, emotion, and intrigue is truly impressive, and I was hooked from start to finish.

The world-building in A Nightweaver is absolutely stellar. The magic system is intriguing and unique, and the author does a fantastic job of making it feel integral to the plot without overwhelming the story. The setting is so vivid that I could easily imagine the landscapes and the complex societies that the characters navigate.

The romance and relationships in the book felt natural and well-developed, adding depth to the characters without overshadowing the main plot. The tension and chemistry between characters were palpable, making each interaction feel meaningful.

Overall, A Nightweaver is a beautiful, gripping read that I can wholeheartedly recommend. If you’re a fan of fantasy with deep character development, captivating world-building, and a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this book is a must-read!

🤯

I first want to thank Netgalley, Little, Brown and company, and the novl, for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and opinions are all my own.

This book had me in its grips from start to finish!
Epic pirate action right from the start with a smooth fantasy transition. We follow Aster Oberon, middle child of a famous pirate family. As she navigates life as a captive while trying to seek vengeance for her brother. But things aren't as they seem. She starts to admit she has feelings for her captor. Her new life isn't as bad as she initially anticipated. But her feelings for Will lead to suspicions. Will gets sent to war again, and while he is away, she goes on a hunt for the truth. Secrets become revealed to more truths than she was prepared for. Things aren't as they seem.
Its so hard to write this review without giving away spoilers.

Just know that if you read this book, you will be set on a road of an epic pirate's adventure, flourishing young love, self-discovery, mystery, secrets, and betrayals. The cliffhanger ending will have you begging for more.