Let me start by saying I was a big fan of the first book in the author's debut series, though I still need to finish the other two books in the trilogy, so I was excited when I read the synopsis for this because it sounded like my cup of tea. And it proved, in fact, to be just that.

The book follows three sisters trained from birth to bring about the downfall of the countries for which they are betrothed. Each sister gets a POV and I think the author did an excellent job of differentiating the sisters. They all had distinct personalities. Their thoughts and understanding of each other are entirely their own. Their relationships with their respective fiances/husbands varied greatly as well.

There were some interesting twists, a couple which I genuinely did not see coming. The pacing worked for me, though I could see how some might think it a tad slow since all the twists and betrayals

I stand by my initial impression that Daphne is my favorite sister. Not so much because she stood by what their mother, who I think we all knew was suspicious as heck, wanted them to do. But because of her clever and calculative nature. As I've grown older, I just tend to gravitate more toward morally gray characters. And Daphe is nothing if not that.

Kindle estimated that this book would take about ~8 hours to read. But Kindle underestimates me. I finished it in a bit over half that time. It was just a fun, easy read.

But the fact remains, WTF was that ending!? So rude to leave us with such a cliffhanger.

TOP 5 REASONS TO READ THIS BOOK-
Reason 1- Castles in their Bones is a uniquely set-up story that incorporates multiple sub-plots and ideas. It is a fantasy, but it also has a good bit of poltics and mystery and scheming aspect, as well balances that out with light romance.
It has hight stakes and pot twists and tension, but it never overwhelms you with it. I would still put it in the 'fun' category. I was not prepared for how much I would like it. I expected it to be a typical fantasy, but it is surprisingly light in the magical aspect of things. If you don't want a complex magic system or epic world and still have your fun, this is the perfect read!

"All her mother has to do to make Beatrice jump off a cliff is to tell her not to do it."

Reason 2- The politics and the intrigue. Initially we think that our protagonists, Daphne, Beatrice and Sophie, the three sisters- who are also our main POVs- are in control. They think they have the plan laid out and they know what's going to happen. But they're very wrong.
Their plan involves a lot of politics and scheming and manipulation, but obviously they are not the only ones with a plan. And some of others might be more nefarious than them. I haven't seen a lot of political Fantasy in the YA age range, except for maybe Flamefall by Rosaria Munda, so I was pleasantly surprised to see these themes in the book.

There are plot twists that you wouldn't expect, betrayals you wouldn't see coming. There are courtiers to trick, a war to start and a keeping the hungry cultures away from the crown that they want.

"One day, we'll live in a better world. One day, we'll make one."

Reason 3- Our three main characters, who might seem like typical princesses, are as trained in poisons and archery and disguises as a professional assassin. Each sister has a different skillset that they have mastered, and it just made them all the more cooler. Apart from that, they can also use magic, though not very often as it is looked down upon in the new lands that they are in.

Despite being triplets and growing up and being trained together, they are very different from each other.
Daphne is a strict rule-follower. She's always obedient to her mother and is cold and calculating.
Beatrice is wild and reckless and a master at disguises.
Sophronia is relatively soft-hearted and a genius.

And every single one of them develop so beautifully throughout the story. They make mistakes, they learn and they grow.
Even the side characters are so well-written that it becomes very easy to root for them and be invested.

"Like Mama says, we're three stars of the same constellation. Distance won't change that."

Reason 4- The writing is great and easy to understand. The pacing is not incredibly fast-paced, but it doesn't drag. We also get to explore the sibling relationships between the characters, how they bond with each other. And then how they are separated and forced to make new friends even though they've been that they can't trust anyone. Because of the tenuous situation, even the reader doesn't trust anyone. You are constantly doubting who is on the good side and who is not. Are WE even on the good side of not..? It's very interesting.

Reason 5- Lastly, read it for the cliffhanger that you would never expect. Me, the uninformed idiot, had no idea that this was a series and had zero there was a cliffhanger coming. So the cliffhanger had more so an organic shock.
Anyway, I'm sure it'll still be as fun if you know there is one coming.
From what I can tell, it is a planned Trilogy and it an amazing first book.

Wow! The synopsis of this book sounded very interesting to me but I never expected what happened in the book to happen. That ending has my mind blown and now I’m desperate to find out what will happen next. Three princesses trained from birth to bring down three kingdoms so their mother can rule them all. So much happens and so much betrayal as well. I really enjoyed reading each princesses perspectives. The magic in this book is also very unique and interesting. I’m just honestly so shocked and I don’t have the words. I don’t want to ruin anything but definitely read this book if you love YA fantasy.

*thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

This fantasy novel that starts a new trilogy was absolutely riveting and magical. This story three princess and the destiny that they were all born for was captivating from the first page.

When the time comes for the triplets to fulfill their duties of marrying their princes, no one expects what will soon unfold. Everyone underestimates a woman and that is one grave mistake.

Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz have been in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with the goal to bring down the monarchies. It's only the beginning of a plan that their mother has created that she hopes will inevitably lead to them to one day reigning over the entire continent of Vesteria.

But in a world of secrecy and deceit not even the sisters fully know everything of the plan. And when unexpected feelings find their way into the mix it is only a matter of time before the plan could end up crumbling. This story has a heavy element of trust that is put to the test time and time again. I truly loved seeing all that occurred in this story and all that it lays out for the next books. I can't wait to see what happens next in this incredible world that Laura has created.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book.

This book completely took me my surprise. The magic, the not so princessy sisters, political intrigue, betrayal… it was just so much more than what I was led to believe.

These three sisters are not just your ordinary princesses. They have been trained their entire lives to find out how to manipulate those around them, men in particular, to do what they want. The Empress is more general than Mother to them, and will stop at nothing to have control over the nations she has sent her daughters to marry the princess of.

The characters we meet along the way are so well developed. Those you think are true friends end up betraying them in the worst of ways. There was plot twist after plot twist. Just when I thought there could be no more surprises… SURPRISE. I laughed, I cried (how could she?!), I cheered, and I absolutely need the next book as soon as possible!

Another gritty and awesome fantasy series from Laura Sebastian. She is a queen at giving us strong female leads and she gives us three this time! Remarkable, I can’t wait for the next book!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Castles in their Bones

Author: Laura Sebastian

Book Series: Castles in their Bones Book 1

Rating: 4.5/5

Diversity: Gay side character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, court intrigue, political intrigue, villains story

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 17+ (alcohol consumption, alcoholism, classism, romance, rioting, war, sexual content, language, sexual harassment, child molestation mentioned, violence, gore, death)

Explanation of CWs: Alcohol consumption (by a teenager and others) and alcoholism are shown in the book. There is classism shown in the book, as well as rioting and mumblings of war. There is some romance shown and some slight sexual content. There is are a couple of curse words in the book. There are scenes of sexual harassment and one mentioned incident of child molestation. There is violence and some very slight gore shown in the book, but lots of death.

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 528

Synopsis: Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.

Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides—because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal—to bring down monarchies— and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother’s grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans—and their mother hasn’t told them all of hers.

Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can’t trust anyone—not even each other

Review: For the most part I really liked this book. The book follows three girls who are secret villains, but then there are other villains and it’s all a game of out-villaining the other villains who try to partner with other other villains along the way and it’s so bonkers but it works so well! I absolutely loved the premise of the book and all of the political court intrigue. The book had well done character development and a cliffhanger ending that will leave you wanting for more. I also read this book in less than 2 hours because it was THAT GOOD.

There were some issues with the book that I had unfortunately. In one instance the e-arc I had had a chapter out of order I believe as a letter was mentioned that wasn’t delivered until the next chapter. The book was also confusing in the beginning briefly and it initially reads more adult. The book also has changing POVs which makes it somewhat confusing as well, but it gets much better as you continue through the novel.

Verdict: It’s great! Highly recommend!

Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian defied all our expectations except one: We knew we’d love it. And we did.

When I picked up Castles in Their Bones, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and I mean that in the absolute best way. The synopsis, while sounding just unique enough, still gave me the feeling that I at least had some idea of what to expect, especially after having read Laura Sebastian’s Ash Princess Trilogy. I just…I can’t express how much I loved being thrown for a loop—and not just once but many, many times.

This story has not one, but three, heroines: Triplet princesses, born and bred to help their mother, Empress Margaux, essentially burn the world down so she could sweep in and claim it as her own. That in and of itself is enough of an interesting departure from so many beloved YA stories mixing royalty and magic. But then, everything that comes after learning who these people are and what they’ve set out to do just…throws the book I thought I was going to read right out the window. Repeatedly. The best plan, after all, is a flexible one, as Margaux has often told her daughters.

In that same vein, one of the most striking elements of the story was just how much it destroyed archetypes and expectations—not just mine, as a reader, but even the characters’ beliefs about themselves. It’s like they were all manipulated into believing they could only ever be one thing, that they had no choice in the matter…But when given the chance, when life showed them something else, they learned how much more they were—some more quickly and willingly than others.

Princess Beatriz is described, from the start, as “the pretty one” and expected to do her part of Castles in Their Bones‘ central mission mostly by using her looks and skill at seduction to her advantage. But that utterly fails, pretty much from the second she leaves her home country of Bessemia to try and sow the seeds of conflict in Cellaria. The very people whom she’s supposed to seduce want just about nothing to do with her, and the one person she can’t bring herself to cross that particular line with definitely wants it.

Or, maybe a reader will be more of a Sophronia: considered “too soft” in a lot of ways, yet quite possibly one of the toughest young women recently put on the page. Any success she has is the result of being both compassionate and calculating. In many ways, it’s the side of her character that’s considered a weakness that proves to be her greatest strength, and she has so much growth in so little time, it’s kind of unfair. Especially considering…

Well. Let’s just say Laura Sebastian is going to be getting a lot of “how dare you” tweets once everyone has the chance to devour this page-turner. So, basically, just a few hours after the book is in your hands, you’ll be tweeting about it. A lot.

And then, there’s Princess Daphne, the middle child, the one considered most like her mother—the most “cold.” So, of course, it’s the outer coldness of Friv that she can’t handle because, whether she wants to admit it to herself or not, what she’s got inside is much, much warmer than she’s ever given herself credit for. Whenever the sequel to Castles in Their Bones drops, she’s the one I’m most excited to learn more about. And while all three sisters were shipped off to marry members of the monarchy in their respective countries (Cellaria for Beatriz, Temarin for Sophronia, and Friv for Daphne), it’s Daphne’s excruciatingly slow burn I’m hoping will turn to fire by the time this saga completely ends.

Like, you know that whole, “ugh. You irritate me” dynamic that, quite often, turns into the best ship? Daphne’s in it. And there’s one moment, when she isn’t physically capable of putting up those walls her mother has built for her, that is exactly the stuff shippers swoon over. Every. Single. Time.

So, we’ve got a ship (kind of a trio of ships…but one big ship). We’ve got constant twists and turns, danger, mystery, a plot to take over the world, heartbreak, and so much more. The magical element of this story, for instance, takes the concept of wishing on a star and even makes it something totally new. And it’s a very subtle, yet vital, part of the story—especially for Beatriz, who is sent to a world that is very much like Camelot under the reign of Uther Pendragon.

Honestly, the only thing I didn’t like about Castles in Their Bones was that it ended. Not only did it end, but it ended there, like that. Laura Sebastian has mentioned, via Twitter, that she hasn’t seen any early readers say they’ve seen the ending twist coming. Count me down as one of the people who was completely floored by it. But I will say this: There are many, many clever hints that there’s something more going on here…But there’s just so much else happening that we don’t see how they all added up until we get pretty much punched in the throat with the outcome. Or, at least, that’s how it feels for me.

There is so much good fantasy being written right now! I read Sebastian’s Ash Princess trilogy, and this exceeds it. This is slightly reminiscent of Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns as triplet sisters vie to win their mother’s favor and secure their future on her throne.

And their mother…wow. What a witch. Sneaky, conniving and manipulative. Even toward her daughters. She has planned their lives from birth, betrothing them to princes from other realms on the continent, all with the plan to undermine their governments and rule the entire continent herself.

Away from each other and their mother for the first time, all of the girls embark on some self-discovery. Plans don’t go exactly as anticipated, and the girls are forced to improvise—and they sometimes choose to depart from their mother’s plans completely. They don’t always make the best choices. They, too, manipulate, like, and even use poison in order to further their mother’s agenda. But on the way, the also find friendship and even love.

This is the first book in a trilogy, so I think it’s not too spoilery if I say that things come crashing down around them. I’m really hoping that a particular event in the penultimate chapter is subterfuge, and the next book will show that Sebastian herself has been tricking us.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Some violence. Kissing. References to sex, none shown. In fact, the two daughters who marry do not consummate their marriages. Poisoning. Manipulation. Magic.

Who Might Like This Book:
Those who like complicated and manipulative family stories. Those who have the patience for a trilogy. Fantasy fans. Those who like strong female characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2022/02/february-1-releases-part-2.html

Initial Thoughts
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian but I really learned to love the rest of the series. When I learned about this series, I was eager to give it a read.

Some Things I Liked
Multiple POVs. While the cast of characters was a bit much to juggle at times, I actually really loved the three converging points of view. Each sister was completely unique and her circumstances unique as well. I loved the way the stories felt disconnected but also that they were drawing closer to each other with each chapter.
Romance and relationships. I loved the way each sister found the relationships she was missing or that she needed. There was romance, friendship, and even a father daughter relationship that developed and I really loved that it wasn’t just all romance.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
This book had a slow start for me. I started it in November and only just picked it back up yesterday. The beginning was captivating but I found myself temporarily bogged down by the lengthy list of characters.

Series Value
While this book had a slow start, I feel like I understand it all now and I would definitely read the next book in the series. There are many unanswered questions and I can’t wait to see what direction the story takes.

Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. I think if it stays on this pace, I’ll like this series even more than Ash Princess.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is so enchanting and beautifully done, I absolutely enjoyed it! It definitely feels like a bit of a slow start with the three sisters each being sent off to settle into their new roles, but the book really picks up later and I found myself enthralled by the story! This book has family bonds, political intrigue, romance, betrayals, everything needed to really draw you in and wrap you up in the story being told. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I am reviewing of my own free will and all opinions in my review are my own.

Read if you like: YA fantasy
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The book follows three sisters, triplets, who are sent out by their mother to marry into other territories and bring destruction to these empires so that their mother can absorb them into their kingdom.
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The three different perspectives kept the pacing up and made me want to keep reading to continue on with each story. The book was a bit darker than I expected for YA, but I still enjoyed it and I recommend if you like YA fantasy!
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CW: death of a loved one, poisoning, murder, execution, minor sexual content, sexual harassment, betrayal.

Castles in their Bones kicks off a new fantasy series which focuses on triplet sisters conceived in magic by their scheming mother Empress Margaraux, who wants to marry them off to expand her rule. Sophronia, Daphne and Beatriz have been betrothed to princes of neighboring kingdoms. They have been tasked with driving their new countries into war against each other so that the Empress can swoop in and gain control. However, Sophronia falls in love with her fiancé, Leopold of Temarin. Daphne's fiancé dies and she is passed to bastard son Bairre of Friv, who becomes an ally. Beatriz finds herself married to Pasquale, the gay prince of Cellaria, where magic is banned. Although platonic, they develop a strong friendship and have plans of their own. The story is told in alternating perspectives of the three princesses, who are trained in poisoning, coding and seduction in order to accomplish their goals. Along with her instructions to be achieved however the girls see fit, the empress has gifted each daughter the ability to pull magic from the stars to grant one wish. The tale is filled with intrigue and changing allegiances as the girls attempt to decide whether to carry out their mother's plan or follow their own hearts. Meanwhile, Margaraux is behind the scenes manipulating characters and situations to her own end. I suspect their being conceived in magic will impact the girls' fates in the sequel.

When Empress Margaraux learned she was being graced with Triplets, she put into place a chain of events that would impact the whole of Vesteria. On reaching their 16th birthdays's Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will travel to neighbouring Kingdoms to marry their Princes and Kings, using all the skills their mother taught them, not to bring peace to the Empire, but to bring it all crashing down. They each have their own specific skill that will ensure their Kingdom comes toppling down, but life doesn't always go to plan. The Princesses struggle to bring down the lives of people they are coming to care for, desperate to please their mother, but also unwilling to end innocent lives. But their mother has kept a secret from them, one that will change their lives forever.

Castles in Their Bones is told from three POV's: Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz. Sophronia, or Sophie is the weakest of the triplets, at least according to their mother. Ever since she was told of her betrothal to King Leopold they have exchanged letters, letters that have allowed her to come to care for a man she has never met. But Sophie knows that isn't allowed, that she can't risk loving someone who she will eventually have to depose, maybe even kill to ensure her mothers plan comes to fruition. She is the soft heart of the triplets, the one who wants to see the best in people. She may not be skilled with the sword, or the use of her womanly wiles, but she is a knack with encoding and decoding messages and, more than her sisters, learned about the political side of running a Kingdom.

Daphne is the sibling most like her mother, something she takes great pride in. She is distanced, never willing to let her feelings show and determined to make sure her mothers plan works. But no sooner is she sent to her new home, than she gets embroiled in a plan to take down the King, and with it, her only hope of ruling as Queen. She is fast with a blade, knows how to shoot a bow and has a knack for poisons and, even though she may have come to care for some of the people around her, will stop at nothing to help her mother achieve greatness, even if it comes at a risk to her sisters.

Beatriz is the one sibling who ever really stood up to her mother. She is feisty and unafraid to use her beauty as a weapon, something which her mother sent her to do. The only problem, the man she was meant to seduce see's her as no more than a daughter, and she has unfortunately caught someone else's eye. Similarly to Sophie, she finds it hard to deceive these people she has come to care for and starts to question her mothers plans, something that could have disastrous consequences. Thanks to the siblings all travelling to different lands we get a wide breadth of side characters, some you'll love, others you will hate but no character should be taken lightly. They all have an important part to play in the story, although you might not know exactly what part they have to play until it's too late.

Don't be deceived by the pretty Princess on the cover of this book, the contents are decidedly darker. With our three POV's being exceedingly morally grey, as well as some characters who pop up who are just straight evil, it's hard to know who you can really trust when reading. Sebastian sure knows how to keep her readers on their toes and her use of plot twists ensures that we never know which way the story is going to go until it happens. I did guess at the big plot twists but thought for sure that the author wouldn't got there. Reader... she went there. And even though I had guessed it I still found myself gasping out loud, not able to believe what exactly was happening.

As I stated above, all three of our Princesses travel to different lands which makes for some epic world-building. Each of the Kingdoms have their own beliefs, some use magic while others don't and they are all wondrously brought to life thanks to Sebastian's descriptive and lush writing style. Each Kingdom has their own political problems and they are filled with backstabbing and secrecy but, thanks to the Princesses training, they are able to manoeuvre through these problems with more ease than others might. The magic system itself was so well thought out and developed. It's a wish based magic, with certain people, Empyrea's, able to pluck stars from the skies for especially strong wishes, and stardust being used for everyday things such as fixing broken bones. It was especially interesting seeing how it was used over the different kingdoms, revered in some and deemed illegal in others, which added to the world-building.

I really enjoyed all the different romances this story focuses on. A relationship based on lies and deceit isn't the easiest to have but the sisters, having only grown up with each other, never allowed to cultivate relationships as children, are eager to have something in their lives that wasn't approved by their mother. Sebastian also puts a lot of focus into the relationship between the sisters themselves. Showing how Daphne is the one to cut ties the easiest, always feeling a little like an outsider, and hoe Sophie and Beatriz were always closer due to fear and resentment for their mother. She shows how growing up, having one goal drilled into you from near birth, never being allowed to make relationships can have a lasting effect, something that their mother didn't plan for.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Darker than I anticipated, but that's what made me love it more. Castle's in Their Bones is filled with unforgettable characters, political machinations and plenty of deceit. I can't tell you how much I need book two in my hands after the killer cliffhanger the first book end on, and will definitely be checking out the authors other works in the meantime. An easy 4.5/5 stars.

I am obsessed and I can't wait to keep reading this series! Castles in Their Bones is about three sisters who have been raised and trained for one purpose, and that is to help their mother grab control of more kingdoms. On their 16th birthday, the girls are sent out to wed princes and begin their plot. Not everything goes to plan (at least to the girls' understanding of the plan) and things get more and more sinister as time goes on. What is their mother not telling them?

This was a fantastic intro into a new series. Each chapter is from a different sister's viewpoint, and the farther along you go, the more frantic you can feel them becoming. It was palpably tense, and I loved it. There are plenty of characters to keep up with, and if you're not careful it can get confusing. However, the story powered along and kept me absolutely interested the whole time. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about reading it.

Recommend for you if you like feminist fantasy, plot twists, the Three Dark Crowns series, or you just want to read something different.

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the e-ARC!

4.5 stars
This book was really good! It's about triplets who are born and raised by their mother the Empress to go off and marry rulers of 3 other countries so they can tear them apart from the inside and the Empress can swoop in and control all the countries.
So this book is (obviously) told in 3 different POVs, one for each of the triplets. I honestly had a hard time remembering who was who for a lot of the book. Daphne was the one that stuck out the most, but I felt like Beatriz and Sophie were extremely similar and I couldn't remember who was living where. But that really didn't take away from my enjoyment. I was really invested in all 3 story lines and I absolutely loved the side characters in all 3. I think my favorite storyline was with Beatriz. I loved her husband Pasquale and their group of friends. But I really liked Sophie's storyline too and how determined she was to fix the country despite what her mother's plan was. Daphne was the one I liked the least, which I think is supposed to be the point, but I was still really invested in her story line as well.
While for some reason, I couldn't remember between Beatriz and Sophie, the story lines themselves were never confusing and very different from each other. They were all political, but the politics were never too confusing or boring. They really added so much to the story and I don't usually say that about politics in books.
There was something that happened at the end where I'm really hoping it will somehow be reversed in the second book and we also got a little bit of the Empress's POV at the end too to kind of tie it all together and get it ready for the second book which I already can't wait for!

Ooooooooh boy I loved this! This is exactly the kind of fantasy I lap up - three sisters separated, sent to different kingdoms to fulfill their mother's plan of bringing down each kingdom so that she would rule over them all. But alas, it never is that easy, is it?

It does take a little bit to get used to all the names and differences between the three kingdoms, but once you get a handle on it, the story moves much quicker. The sisters are all unique, as are the friends they make and the princes they marry. I always love to pick a side in books like these with different factions, but I found myself going back and forth between all three. I love that.

I feel like I could list a bunch of things I loved, but I guess I'll stick to my favorites:
1. The friendship between Beatriz & Pas
2. Daphne's relationship with Bairre
3. Sophronia, the most underestimated princess, taking the reigns in Temmarin like a boss

Seriously, there were things to love about each of them and I found myself just rooting for them all finding their way back to each other. I am so into this world and this story and I already CANNOT WAIT to read the next one.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars**

Political intrigue, light romance, magic system, rebellion, mad kings, and plot twists!

Really enjoyed this book and it’s a pretty quick read. I will point out that this book has 3 POVs which did not bother me but I know can put off others. Beatriz, Sophie, and Daphne have different enough voices and personalities that I had no trouble telling their stories apart. This definitely reads more like YA as it was advertised nothing too spicy or anything. The three princesses were not my favorite characters but they grow on me as they start to grow and become independent from their mother’s plots and schemes. It would have been a 3 star book but the end twists boosted my rating! I think I would definitely pick up book 2 if I can still remember the plot when it drops.

This was such a different fantasy read. I really enjoyed the premise of the book, the writing, and the characters. I didn't want the book to end and I cannot wait until the next one!

I really enjoyed Castles in Their Bones! This is my first book by Laura Sebastian that I’ve read, and now I want to go back and read her other series and her adult fantasy. Her writing was so immersive! I loved that this story was told from the three sisters’ points of view, and though it was jarring at first, the choice to tell it in third person present tense made the story very immediate and fast-paced. It was so fun to explore the different countries and their similarities and differences. I’m excited for the next book in the series!