NIGHTWEAVER

Raised at sea as a pirate with her family to escape land-dwelling monsters, a 17-year-old suddenly finds herself a captive, navigating a world of magic and politics in order to survive.

Aster Oberon has lived on the Lightbringer with her parents and six siblings her entire life. Six hundred years ago, people took to the sea after Nightweavers began hunting and enslaving humans. After her family’s ship is attacked, and her oldest brother, Owen, is killed, Aster and her family are brought to shore and sold into service at Bludgrave Manor, home of the wealthy and influential Castor family of Nightweavers. Despite their lowly status, the other members of Aster’s family seem relieved to have left their hard life at sea behind; Aster is the only one with the urge to run. But the night she tries, handsome, green-eyed Will, the son of Lord Castor, stops her with a promise: He’ll help her find the monster who killed her brother. What follows is a complicated web of half-truths, political conspiracy, magic, bloody gore, and forbidden desire. The worldbuilding in this debut grows to the point where it’s challenging to keep up with the details, and readers may become confused about who’s on the side of right and who or what they’re fighting for. Aster and Will’s romance becomes a bit repetitive, but overall, the plot offers enough twists and turns to keep readers’ attention. Main characters present white.

An overstuffed yet engaging series opener.