Blog Tour, Review & Playlist: Nightweaver (Nightweaver #1) by R.M. Gray

Title: Nightweaver
Series: Nightweaver #1

Author: R.M. Gray
Release Date: October 13, 2023

For fans of Adalyn Grace's Belladonna and Lauren Roberts’s Powerless, Nightweaver is a propulsive YA fantasy debut about a strong-willed heroine avenging her brother and discovering her destiny.

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 that 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.

Filled with elemental magic, forbidden romance, and breathtaking twists, this is a propulsive romantasy about an iron-willed heroine avenging her brother and discovering her destiny—perfect for fans of Powerless and Heartless Hunter.

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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!

For those of you who cannot use the widget here is the link to my playlist on Spotify.

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.