Review--Starchaser by R.M. Gray

 

Seventeen-year-old pirate Aster Oberon faces a stunning new reality, gifted with a magical ability that she’s struggling to master. Worse, both she and Will—the Nightweaver who has captured her heart—have been cursed. In mere weeks, they will become ferocious Underlings, creatures forced to serve the evil Morana. The only way to break the curse is by procuring Morana’s blood.

To reach Morana, Aster teams up with both Will and Titus, the infuriatingly handsome prince of the Eerie who secretly aims to overthrow his royal family’s tyrannical reign. The trio’s journey takes them to Castle Grim, where danger is around every corner, and no one is who they seem. Between deadly dinners, extravagant balls, and shifting desires for Will and Titus, Aster will have to keep her blades at the ready and determine who she can rely on before the ticking clock of her fate runs out. 

Layered with devastating revelations and twisty romance, this heart-pounding sequel to Nightweaver will leave readers racing toward the truth about Aster and her destiny.

Starchaser is R.M. Gray's sequel to Nightweaver and is even more intense and adventurous than its predecessor! This is a read that just dives right into the action and you're left breathless the entire time as new revelations and new secrets arise! It's a non-stop thrill ride for sure!

Aster's main goal is to find Morana and put a stop to her so that she can save her brother Owen, and hopefully put an end to the curse that effects her and Will that will eventually turn them into Underlings. A lot is riding on finding her in time. Titus believes that his fiancee is possessed by Morana and once Aster can confirm its validity, they will be able to move forward with their plan.

But that's going to be easier said than done, naturally. For Aster apparently has a "stalker" of sorts. Stalker feels like such a modern word, but in truth, someone is stalking her, watching her, and plotting to possibly kill her. Their plans for Aster remain unclear, but one thing's for sure...Aster wants nothing to do with them!

And though we all dread it, we knew it was coming. There is a love triangle in this one! It seems both Titus and Will are contenders for Aster's heart, but with Titus engaged to be married, things seem like they'd be pretty cut and clear, but obviously that's not the case. I felt like in this one, Will kind of takes a step back. True he was coming and going in the first book, but in this one, he seems like he's more in the background and Titus is more front and centered despite being spoken for. But of course, it's been said, this is not a love match for him and his fiancee. But despite this love triangle nonsense, the romance was still pretty lowkey for the most part.

The secrets and mysteries that were being unraveled in this one was mind-boggling! It wasn't confusing or anything, there were just so many things being revealed. Just when you thought you couldn't be surprised more, we're thrown another twist! This book definitely keeps you on your toes with trying to figure everything out.

The ending was also filled with a quite a few surprises! Let it be said that Gray is an author who can continually surprise readers! While we are treated to a handful of surprising moments, the ending itself wasn't what I would call a killer cliffhanger. Yes, we have quite a few things happening and the characters are setting their courses and the final book will be one heck of a battle journey, but I feel like the ending itself was leading us down the path all along. We are at a brief pause before this adventure starts and the finale is almost here at least! Lol.

If you love a good pirate story or fantasies filled with adventure, monsters, devious "humans," and pirates of course, then be sure to check this series out as it's fast becoming a favorite!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars