The triplets, Daphne, Beatriz, and Sophronia are the daughters of Empress Margaraux. They have just turned sixteen and have arranged marriages with princes and kings in neighboring countries. However, they are really spies for their mother. They are sent to ruin their adopted kingdoms so their mother can conquer them without ever having to lift a finger. Once these sisters arrive in their new kingdom, they find that it was not as easy to ruin their new country as they had hoped. They find that their mission is rife with obstacles. Can the three sisters ever accomplish their mission? More importantly, can the sisters continue to remain loyal to each other?

I found the sisters to be the most compelling characters in the story. They were given different personalities and characteristics. Daphne is cunning and athletic. Beatriz is fashionable and loves balls. Sophronia is clever and loves books. Even though they were trained to be their mother’s ruthless pawns, they actually had a kind heart. Their kindness was often the conflict in the story. Thus, I loved each of the sisters equally and their storylines were very enthralling.

Overall, this novel is full of political intrigue and sisterhood. I found all the characters to be realistic and well-developed. This novel reminded me of eighteenth century politics. Empress Margaraux reminds me of Empress Maria Teresa who married her daughters for her own benefit at the cost of her daughters’ personal happinesses. While this was a long novel, I did not want this to end! Castles in Their Bones had many surprising twists and turns that it made hard to put down! Castles in Their Bones was a delicious, delightful, and flawless thriller that truly made it a feast for both fantasy and royalty fans alike! I am so excited for the sequel that I wished it came out now! Castle in Their Bones is an actual must-read for fans of Game of Thrones, The Glittering Court, and Three Dark Crowns!

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book! The premise sounded so interesting - a set of triplet princesses sent off to marry princes in other kingdoms on the continent, with the intent of weakening them so their mother can swoop in and rule all 4 kingdoms herself - and it didn't disappoint.

I really enjoyed the political intrigue in this book - it kept me guessing, and while I was able to figure out some things, there were so many twists and turns I didn't see coming. The writing was beautiful and the world building was really interesting - I liked getting to see bits of each of the different kingdoms to see how they were different, and it was really cool. I also liked most of the characters - the three POVs were all really good, and depending on what was happening, my fave of the sisters changed. By the end, I am not sure if I can pick a fave because their development was all so good.

The only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is because the story seemed to drag a little in the middle. It was a long book, but the beginning was quick, and the ending was quick, and I think there was just a little too much filler in between. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for the sequel!

Thank you Delacorte Press and Random House Children's for sending me an eARC through Netgalley for early review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"She feels strangely at peace now, not because a sword no longer dangles over her head, but because she knows it's there, because she can name it, because her mother taught her that it is better to know what one is up against than to believe there is safety in ignorance."

*3.75 stars*

First of all, I'll be honest and say I was a little underwhelmed by this book. I expected so much more action and that the reader would be kept in the dark about the full purpose of the sisters' marriages. However, the reader knew EVERYTHING, so it lacked the irony I was hoping for.

On the other side of this though, I DID enjoy getting all three sisters' POVs in the story. Each had their own distinct voice, and I could easily distinguish between the three. I feel like the story would have been better off if it had been written in first person, but third person still worked. It was very interesting to see how each sister felt about their new station and how they grew into it. Sophronia (Sophie) definitely grew as a character - she went from timid to having the strongest backbone of the sisters!

The worldbuilding in this book was magnificent. Language, beliefs, food, clothing, and anything else you could label as "culture" was thought of in this book. The beginning was a little slow with the
little bit of info-dumping, but it quickly picked up and the worldbuilding was better melded with the story. It was a very unique world, and it flowed with the plot well. Not much unnecessary information, but I did sometimes find myself skimming because I was bored.

The plot though was good! A little bit of your average overthrowing kingdoms plus politics and magic. The stakes were high and clear as well, but as I said earlier, there wasn't much action on this time scale. I sometimes predicted what would happen, and other times I didn't. Following Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatrix was a wild ride! Seeing each of their parts in the story was so cool! It was really complex and interesting to see how they accomplished their "duties" to their mother. I also LOVED the love interests. However, the ENDING. How can I describe it besides heartbreaking and completely unexpected? I need the sequel. NOW.

Overall, an enjoyable story with politics, backstabbing, and amazing worldbuilding.

First off I wish they would have done something else with this cover. Although I understand the girls are triplets I think it would have been better to have something from each of them represented. Or do something with the Stardust or something else. This cover is gorgeous don't get me wrong but it just seems lacking with themes from the story.

So now that my rant for that cover is over lets talk about the story. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this story when I started it. I DNFed other books that are set up the same so I didn't hold out a lot of hope. Well, that was all dashed by the time that I was 3 chapters in. I was hooked and I couldn't put it down.

This book grows on you as you read each page. I die hard loved this story and OMG that ending was so twisted. You never really know what authors are going to with series these days. And OMG this was just so epic!

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

Castles in Their Bones follows three princesses -- Daphne, Beatriz, and Sophronia -- after their sixteenth birthday as they part ways for the first time in their lives to marry princes from neighboring kingdoms. Unbeknownst to their betrotheds, however, the princesses are not marrying them in order to solidify alliances between their kingdoms, but are actually attempting to sabotage and take over at their mother's behest.

This first installment in Laura Sebastian's new fantasy series definitely left me wanting more. I always love a good political intrigue, and though the political drama of this book is not terribly complex, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

One of my favorite parts, too, was the fact that the story was told from the perspectives of the three princesses. I never felt like I was spending too much time with any one of them, and their different and similar insights on their kingdoms and their mother's plot made for an interesting read.

I do wish I understood more about the magic system. The basics, I do understand, I think -- wishing, stardust, empyreas -- but then there are added elements -- the constellations, who monitors them, what the religious structures surrounding the magic system entail -- that I would have loved to learn more significantly about.

Overall, this was a solid first read, and that ending!! I'm incredibly interested to find out what comes next for our princesses.

4/5 Stars, thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.


If you like YA fantasy, this book is a must read, it’s a slow paced, but tightly woven story of loving, betrayal, and learning to trust those who you are forced to work with.
The story follows triplet princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz who have just turned 16 years old, they are being separated for the first time in their lives, and being sent to three foreign lands to marry each land’s respective prince. Neither sister truly wants to go, but they are being forced by their cruel, conniving mother. See the Empress has a plot, she’s trained each daughter since birth to lie, seduce, and destroy, her plan is to have each daughter drive their respective countries to war in order to weaken them so that she can gain control and eventually rule them all. The only issue with that plot is the each moving piece is an actual human with feelings, wants and needs of their own. This story is largely a tale of what happens when the oppressed and frankly abused daughters of a megalomaniac are finally let out of her grasp and given the ability to make up their own minds for the first time in their lives.
One of my few criticisms of this book is the fact that the three POV characters don’t read particularly different. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy each POV, but being inside their heads sounds exactly the same. The side characters really make each POV shine, I also enjoy each princess (or Queen’s) relationship with her Prince (or King), and I really enjoyed that the Empress isn’t the only villain, each sister, and their own villain, there own person who they have to overcome, it almost reminds be of a video game, you always have to defeat the mini bosses before you reach the final boss. I really enjoyed the side characters and I wish they were more fleshed out, I think they could’ve added even more depth to their respective worlds, but this is just the first book in a series, so that could be coming in future installments.
As far as the world building goes, in my opinion it was the weakest part of the book, I feel like there was a lot of set up for the plot and some potential slow burn romances, but not enough for the actual world. I know heavy world building isn’t common in YA fantasy books, but I feel like we should’ve gotten more than “This country is cold, this one is hot, ect…” Hopefully the world building continues throughout the second book because I’m really interested in learning more about the history of these lands and the previous war that was mentioned throughout the book.
Overall, this book was great, not quite perfect, but well worth the time to read it, and I can only see the series getting better as it continues. I’m very grateful to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book early. As I said in the beginning, if you like YA fantasy, please purchase or request this book at your library, it releases on February 1st.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Castles in Their Bones going into it… and ya’ll I have to tell you, I wasn’t ready for it.

My mind is filled with spinning thoughts, emotions, and an overpowering mix of glee and frustration. This book took me on an incredible journey… and now I have to wait literal years for the next one?!

The premise of this book sounded interesting to say the least, but I wasn’t expecting to be completely OBSESSED at the end of it.

We follow three triplet sisters Daphne, Sophronia and Beatriz as they turn sixteen and are thrust into the life that they have quite literally been trained for since birth. They are sent to marry princes and be kingdom ruiners so their mother can gain more power. It sounds like a set up for some real therapy needs in the future, am I right? WELL JUST YOU WAIT.

The political intrigue in this one feels like Game of Thrones level and at times it was hard to keep track of. There are three points of view in this one with three stories happening at the same time. It’s a ton of characters, in three different fantasy courts…. but it’s worth it. It’s Tudor England if magic was involved. Everyone has ulterior motives, and no one can be trusted and I was HERE FOR IT.

The world building was phenomenal. Each kingdom was so entirely different and I loved the attention to detail when describing each one. The magic system was very beautifully built. The concept of star dust was such a nice take that I could picture the use of it and I didn’t have the doubt that some magic systems leave me with. I especially loved that we were able to see the juxtaposition of a court seeing stardust as evil/wicked and that added great tension and and grounded the magic system and made it feel more real to me.

There is some good LGBTQ rep that I wasn’t anticipating and I am very excited to see how that develops in the coming books.

The romance plot is a definite side plot in this book, but the relationships that do develop are sweet and I loved watching the real development throughout as it felt genuine. None of the relationships felt rushed or forced, and in a book with three arranged marriages I very much appreciated that.

The ending left me shocked, in pain, crying, but still so ready for more.

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy with thoughtful world building, an exciting plot, and a sweet side romance just add this one to your shelf as soon as you possibly can.

I give it 5/5 stars and I truly cannot wait for more.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Random House Childrens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Three princesses raised to bring chaos and unrest to neighboring kingdoms so that their mother, the empress, can take over.

That was..... so good. Obviously not the best thing I've ever read but holy heck it reminded me so much of one of my favorite series (Three Dark Crowns I'm talking about you). There were twists and turns in every direction. Some you could predict and others literally made my jaw drop. This is a book you're not going to want to put down.

I will say, I hope the physical edition has an index and map of sorts. I just found that all the names and places were very overwhelming and were kind of all thrown at you in the beginning. I did have trouble getting back into the book after putting it down because of this.

That being said, I need the next book now please, and thanks. That was amazing and I can't wait to see where the author goes next. I also know this is one I will easily be able to recommend at work just based on my little snippet description and by comparing it to Three Dark Crowns.

Three sisters. Three weapons. Each with a different skill, honed since birth to deceive and betray.

Castles in Their Bones is an upcoming YA fantasy release by Laura Sebastian. This is the first novel of a new trilogy that will captivate you to the final twist.

Daphne, Beatriz, and Sophronia are triplets raised by their mother, the Empress, as weapons to overthrow neighboring countries to secure one empire for their family. The day after their 16th birthday, the princesses are sent to their betrotheds to set the plan in motion. There is one flaw, however, the girls are discovering that there is more to these other lands than expected and all is not as it seems. More than one plot is afoot.

I REALLY enjoyed this story! It is written in multiple POVs but they are easy to keep track. So far, the romance and fantasy aspects are minimal. I expected more fantasy elements but there is potential for that to expand in the next book. I appreciate the low level of romance, too many books allow the romance to take over but that's not the case here. What you will read about is political intrigue on many levels, the bond between sisters, and a ruthless woman called Mother. Twists are around every corner with a finale that turns everything upside down.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC! All opinions are mine alone.

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this ARC!*

I was a huge fan of Laura Sebastian’s Ash Princess series, so I was super excited when I found out about this book! The first in a series, this is a fascinating look into a world that has you constantly wondering who you can trust, even within your own family.

Let’s start with the sisters: Daphne, Beatriz, and Sophronia. I liked all three of them, but I found myself really identifying with Sophronia the most. She is sweet and smart, and far too much of a squishy teddy bear for this world she was forced into. Beatriz was very interesting to me as she was supposed to be this seductress character, but you got a lot of vulnerability from her. Daphne was my least favorite, but I did enjoy that her icy exterior started to thaw a bit as the story went along so that you could see more of her heart on display.

One thing I will say in critique of this book – there are so. many. characters. Like, so many. I actually had to make myself a pseudo family tree in order to keep track of who was involved with whom and which country they belonged to. I will definitely be keeping it for reference when the next book in this series comes out, otherwise I’m pretty sure I will be completely lost.

I am generally not a big fan of politically centered fantasy, but this book had a lot of other points of interest that helped. I enjoyed all of the romances in this book. Each one proceeded at a different pace, and I enjoyed comparing the three sisters’ different experiences as they went along.

I won’t spoil anything, but there was an incident that happened at the end of the book that broke my heart…and I want to believe that the next book will rectify what happened, but I’m not holding my breath 😭

If you enjoy fantasy that follows strong female protagonists, with some political intrigue, deception, and a bit of romance thrown in, you will enjoy this book! I can’t wait for the next one!

My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I gave Castles in Their Bones 4.5 Stars!

This was soooo good! I find myself being pickier about YA these days, but something about this really appealed to me (maybe that lovely cover?) and I decided to give it a shot. Glad I did because I couldn't put it down!
We are introduced to Beatriz, Sophronia, and Daphne who are the triplet daughters of Empress Margaraux of Bessemia. They have been raised since birth to marry into the royal families of the three other kingdoms on their continent so that they might be weakened enough for Bessemia to take over. Nothing quite like being raised from birth for one purpose and left only with your sisters as friends. The story begins just prior to the sisters parting ways and we get to follow each of them as they enact their mother's plans, though the situation is a little more malleable than it should be.
Sophronia is sent off to marry the young king of Temarin and find a kingdom already filled with unrest. He's young, naive, and totally unprepared for ruling a nation and has left ruling up to his mother and her advisors. Taxes keep rising, people are starving, and revolt is brewing. Sophronia, being the good-hearted woman she is, is determined to help save the kingdom and her mother's plans be damned.
Beatriz has possibly the most difficult assignment, since the kingdom of Cellaria hangs those who are accused of using star-magic. The triplets were conceived via that same magic and have the tell-tale silver eyes, so Triz must use eye drops to conceal hers. Their king is also an absolutely mad bastard who sees enemies at every turn. The entire court is on tiptoes around him, even his son Prince Pasquale who Triz is now married to. Beatriz and Pasquale find an unlikely friendship and they aim to protect themselves from the King's madness, even as Triz discovers secrets of her own.
Daphne seems to be the coldest of the sisters and as such, the northern kingdom of Friv seems a fitting land for her. She quickly finds out that her intended (who had been ill) died just prior and she is now to be engaged to King Bartholomew's bastard son Bairre. He is also completely unprepared for this role, which seems to be a common theme among this world's princes. Turns out there's also a secret band of rebels in Friv which keeps Daphne on her toes. While she and Bairre don't quite get along they develop a grudging respect for one another.
I loved each of the sisters and there was never a boring POV! While this story isn't full of battles and sword wielding heroines it is jam packed with court politics, intrigue, assassination attempts and powerful female characters. And then the ending you guys!!! My jaw hit the floor and I can't stop thinking about it! Talk about an incredible cliffhanger and set up for book 2! This is probably going to make my top reads of 2022 list because I am STUNNED.

<i> But her mother didn’t raise does, she reminds herself, swallowing down the bile in her throat. She raised vipers</i>

Castles in Their Bones is a YA book. Don’t go into this one expecting new adult. It is good YA though. The magical world is interesting enough without being overly complicated. It’s fairly simple in design. While there is a fantasy element here, there’s also a lot of political intrigue and scheming that readers will enjoy. The romance element is there, but it is light.

These girls are trained from infancy to help enact a scheme to gather land and power for their mother, The Empress. The sisters are raised to be a certain way, but they all struggle to fit into the roles they are given. They struggle with who they are meant to be and what they are ordered to do. They realize the paths they’ve been given aren’t as straightforward and simple as they expected. It is one thing to plan for betrayal in the abstract, but it isn’t as easy when you form attachments and relationships with those you are meant to use and betray.

<i>”You wish to appear smaller?” she asks, shaking her head, “You are a queen. Why shouldn’t you take up every bit of space you deserve?”</i>

In this book, the girls begin to discover who they are and what they want. The question is, can they hold their own? Can they and will they stand against their own mother? The bond between the sisters is strong, but it may not be strong enough.


<i> “All powerful people are monsters,” she says quietly.</i>

Indeed.

I can’t wait to see what happens next after that ending. Thank-you Laura Sebastian, Netgalley, and Delacorte Press for this free arc providing in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Babies born beneath the Thorned Rose are known to be beautiful.
Those born beneath the Hungry Hawk are ambitious.
Lonely Heart children are known to sacrifice more than others.
The Crown of Flames offers its offspring power.
And the Sisters Three bestow balance and harmony.”

Beatriz, Daphne and Sophronia, the triplet princesses of Bessemia, have just turned sixteen, and it is time for them to depart to the three neighbouring kingdoms to marry their betrothed. This is the first step in a plan that has been in motion ever since they were born, for Empress Margaraux’s intent is for the sisters to turn the kingdoms against each other and incite them to war so that she can sweep in and take over, bringing the entire continent under her rule. However, things don’t go according to plan for long as the princesses arrive to royal courts rife with lies and political intrigue and as they begin to understand that they can’t trust anyone, not even each other, will they complete their missions, or break away from the plan and stand for what they feel is right?

I’ve been looking forward to this book ever since I finished the Ash Princess series, so I was extremely excited to get an ARC. While the author’s previous series was really good in terms of plot, narration and writing, I felt like there was a lot of improvement in all three areas with this book. The story as a whole seemed to flow much smoother, balancing three different POVs when there was so much going on around each of the sisters without taking away any of the steadily building tension.

The magic system is pretty straightforward, so far atleast, with the entirety of it being centered around things being fated in the stars, using stardust to make small wishes come true, while certain people known as empyreas have the power able to call down stars for bigger and more complex wishes. The world building was rather standard and beyond some basic descriptions of the defining features of each kingdom, there wasn’t much time spent on it. I felt however, that this style worked perfectly as it was neither the magic nor world building that was central to this story, but the politics. When the sisters arrive at their respective royal courts, it quickly becomes evident that the situation they trained for, to ingratiate themselves to their new homes and work from the inside will not be as cut and dry as they planned, not with the plots and conspiracies that already seem to be afoot in each court, and the many twists and turns their journeys take made this an entertaining read.

Beatriz, Daphne and Sophronia were all well developed characters. Their arcs, as they changed and grew once they were out of their mother’s control and began to question everything they had been taught and trained for, was very well written. They don’t quite have the same ruthless mindset as their mother, though some of them were more inclined to follow the plan than others, but each of their voices were very distinct and easy to identify between POVs. I particularly liked how, despite being so different, the bond between the sisters stayed strong throughout. There were some references alluding to real world history, mostly in Sophronia’s arc that I thought was a good touch as it made the story feel more realistic.

I can’t really think of anything I disliked about this book, but I hope there will be more focus on the magic in the sequel as it fell to the background for much of the story. It does appear that it might play a much more important role going forward and it would be great to see it explored in more depth since it was an intriguing system and I’m curious to know what its limits are especially given that ending.

I had started to suspect that there was a deeper plot afoot by about the 70% mark, especially when things started to go out of control for all three sisters, but the ending was a shocker I definitely did not see coming – I would say it’s one of the the best cliffhangers I’ve read in a while! The chapter from Empress Margaraux’s POV to finish the book was a phenomenal touch as it really changes things going into the next book, not to mention making the sisters’ positions all that much more dangerous. I’m so happy this is a trilogy because this is a story that has a lot of potential and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the sequel. Highly recommended for any fantasy fans!

Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian is a first-class young adult epic fantasy with a superb mix of political intrigue and romance. With a fast paced-plot and lots of action, I found little to critique in the story.

The story follows three princesses, Beatriz, Daphne, and Sophronia who are being prepared to be sent to neighboring kingdoms and become queens in their own right. Their mother, Empress Margaraux, has trained her daughters their entire lives to become spies and saboteurs so she can ultimately take over the continent. However, when the princesses arrive at their new homes it becomes evident that their plans will not be as easy to execute as they might have hoped.

I loved how elements of the story were influenced by real-life royal families. For example, some of the events of the book seemed to be influenced by the history surrounding the Tudor family. I was also appreciative of the female-driven storyline. Despite the fact that Empress Margaraux is power-hungry and gives very questionable advice to her daughters, she was the one to cement her power base and is obviously not just a figurehead. Her character reminded me a lot of Catherine the Great, and stories with strong female characters are always some of my favorites. I’m excited to see where the author takes her as a villain in future books. Even though each sister is placed in a position of power, they have very different issues to deal with in their new homes. The story is told primarily from their perspectives, and while this may have caused an issue for some authors Ms. Sebastian wove it together seamlessly.

The magic system was another highlight of the story. I enjoyed how Ms. Sebastian highlighted the differences in each country’s view on magic. For example, one of the princesses has to hide her oddly colored silver eyes because they would not be well received by those in her new home. “Stardust” was very tightly interwoven with the politics of each individual kingdom and how they interacted with the other kingdoms.

I would recommend this book to young adult fantasy readers who would enjoy a story told from multiple points of view, and love all the drama and conflicts that come with royalty. Beware the cliffhanger at the end of the book - I NEED the second book ASAP after how this one ended. I’m really sad that details of the sequel have not been announced yet, but I also have to remember that I’m reading this book before it’s even been released so *shrug*

Thank you to the author, the publisher at Delacorte Press, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy of this book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review Castles in their Bones immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed Castles in their Bones. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

The official synoposis gives an excellent overview of the book. The triplets Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz leave Bessemia after their sixteenth birthday to implement their mother's years of plotting. The ultimate goal: to rule over a united Vesteria. Each is sent to marry the heir of a different court: Sophronia to Temarin, Daphne to Friv, and Beatriz to Cellaria. However, despite careful years of spying, the sisters find that happenings and personalities at court aren't exactly as expected. They must pivot the art of deception to achieve the Empress's end goal. But as they become more intimately familiar with the workings of the courts, they begin to question what is right and what is wrong.

Castles in their Bones is told from the points of view of each sister. It took me a few chapters before I could keep everything organized in my head. However, once I squared away that challenge it was easy to settle into alternating accounts of each sister's encounters in their respective courts. Sebastian sets up the story such that the readers expects the sisters will already be familiar with what to expect in Temarin, Friv, and Cellaria. Temarin is a country full of vibrancy and life; Friv is to the north, cold and bland in both color and demeanor; and southern Cellaria is conservative and intolerant of any sort of talk or display of magic. Yet when they arrive Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz find that years of spying and recent events throw a wrench in their plans.

To go into more detail would introduce spoilers, but suffice it to say, I enjoyed reading through these curve balls. Empress Margauraux may have laid a road to her best intentions, but she can only control so much. Now the princesses are seemingly on their own, which provides great opportunities for nuanced character development. Loyalties are tested, new ones formed. I can't decide which storyline is my favorite because they're all quite different. But if you held a knife to my throat I'd probably pick Beatriz in Cellaria because it's the most volatile, in my opinion.

I also had a lot of fun guessing at what might happen in the plot. At the ~70% read mark something clicked and I decided to call the anticipated outcome. Overall, I'm pleased to say, I was correct, but the events that unfolded for one of the storylines still surprised me. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the books in this series. I can't wait to read about how the princesses will overcome their sticky situations.

For those hoping for romance, note that it takes a back seat in this book. Sebastian sets the stage, perhaps, for some romance in the sequels. This book focuses more on setting up the political stage and events that really send events into quick motion. If you're searching for a book with strong female protagonists, subterfuge, spies, and Game of Thrones vibes, then look no further. Castles in their Bones checks all of these boxes and more.

[I'm oscillating between 4 or 4.5 stars because in my mind Half Sick of Shadows is a perfect 5 stars. I enjoyed Castles in their Bones, but loved Half Sick of Shadows more and had a book hangover after reading it. However, Castles in their Bones is more different than similar to Half Sick of Shadows, so I have to consider that in my rating as well. So, 4.5 stars rounded up.]

3.5 stars
I was looking forward to reading about each sister’s journey. I am a fan of the concept and I was kept entertained enough.

The cover confused me a bit as I thought each sister was getting a book, instead we ended up switching between the sisters. Keeping the sister’s straight was hard at first. I think if each sister had gotten their own book I would have liked it a bit better. Here is a tip for what the sisters look like, because I think we didn’t learn one of their hair colors until a bit further in the book. Daphne: ink black curls Sophronia: blonde Beatriz: auburn

The sisters weren’t the most likable but I do have my favorites. All the characters’ young ages definitely came through a lot but then they’d be doing things teenagers shouldn’t be capable of. Maybe that’s just something that bothered me because I’m older and this is YA.

Romance, I’d give a C-/D+ rating. I was hoping for more, since I’m pretty sure I saw an advertisement for this specifically mentioning romance. Hopefully we’ll get more from the next book.

Overall this wasn’t super thrilling until the end, but the twists have me thinking the next book will be more exciting and I’m desperate to know what’s really going on!

*thank you so much to Laura Sebastian and Random House Children’s for giving me a copy of the book for review*

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own, and I am writing a voluntary review.

“Remember to keep your enemies close, my dove-and the enemies of your enemies all the closer.”

CASTLES IN THEIR BONES is a brilliant young adult fantasy story full of political intrigue, a large cast of unique characters, enchanting world-building, and a twisting plot. It reminded my of the Three Dark Crowns series, but with much more sparkle and whimsy, while still having similar dire stakes and complications. The book releases on February 1 and is the first in a trilogy. Having read the eARC, I am in desperate need of Book 2 as well as a physical copy of the beautiful cover!

“We’re three stars of the same constellation. Distance won’t change that.”

While fantasy political intrigue will always hit gold for me, my favorite part of this story was the sisterhood, even when they are parted, each in their own new kingdom. I loved the establishment of each sister, how they were each so unique and didn’t feel like triplets in personality or copies of characters from other books. While they were certainly “born to rule, raised to deceive”, they have an unmistakable bond together that is so well established in the first chapter before they are separate. They made each other stronger, better, and I really felt the sorrow of them being torn from one another.

Sophie, though, is my absolutely favorite of the three. I related to her the most strongly, and found her to be admirable and inspiring, especially when she is struggling between obedience and following her own convictions.

The entire cast of characters were really incredible though, and when you have such a large cast - due to having three points of view that are each in their own separate plot and kingdom - that is a feat to achieve! All of the royal families of the three neighboring countries are well rounded and established, having plenty of history that clearly surpasses the pages we are given and makes them feel real rather than only existing when one of our three princesses enters their lives. Lord Savelle was one of my favorite happy character twists, and the way that he upsets Beatriz’s goals is a great catalyst for her character development. Gigi and Nico are also two of my favorite characters with such juicy secrets, but I love how each of the princesses had her friend close friends and rivals.

The only characters that gave me pause were the three princes the sisters each marry/are betrothed to. While individually, I liked how distinct each of them were, and how they were turned the tables on our expectations, however I wish those princes would have had a bit more brains and backbone. Bairre was certain my favorite of the three boys because he had the most agency of the three, although I also loved the friendship between Beatriz and Pasquale.

Now the Empress. AH! Can we just talk about her for a brief moment? Because I loved her, and I know I shouldn’t have because she is terrible. So that makes her an excellent shadowy presence, doesn’t it? I hope we get more of the empress In future books, because she was a terrifying force when absent…and I practically cheered when she finally entered the stage!

“They are a means to your end […]. That isn’t love.”

Now, the world building. It was astounding. Each of the four countries were so distinct and defined, and yet it also makes sense that they exist in the same world. Sometimes, authors want each kingdom to be SO unique that they don’t seem to fit together, as if they belong in entirely different books altogether. That is not the case with CASTLES IN THEIR BONES. Each country is beautiful formed and explored, with believable history and connections to their neighboring kingdoms and royal families, while still maintaining their own culture and way of life. Getting to learn about each country was definitely a big highlight for me, and I eagerly await to return to this world.

There were also some incredible twists and surprises in this story! And they were my favorite kinds of twists: ones that make sense, are set up properly, and I should have seen coming but I didn’t. The way this book ends is brilliant and I have no idea what will happen next!

I will definitely be reading this book again, not only to enjoy the characters, world, the twists and turns, but also for the masterful and inspiring writing. I give this book five stars for being all around brilliant and enjoyable!

Betrayal! Magic! Politics! A! Mad! King! Rebels! Assassins! Insomnia! You'll get it all!

Okay, but seriously, this book is! Good! I'm using way too much exclamation marks but blame that on my foggy sleep-deprived mind. But really though, it's really good

Light 3.5 This first entry into a new fantasy series was good but felt a little anticlimactic. This story follows triplets Sophronia, Beatriz and Daphne as they each venture to different kingdoms to marry their betrothed princes. Little so these princes know the are part of a plot to overtake the continent by the Empress Margaraux. The three princess have trained their entire lives for this mission and plan to sow discord in these kingdoms so Bessemia can become an empire again.
I liked this book I really enjoyed reading from the different perspectives and learning about the different kingdoms and customs. I really enjoyed how much detail they went into each kingdom but felt it seemed like it didn’t come together in the end like I was expecting. I felt like the book should have kept going it just felt a little predictable and anticlimactic. I still plan on picking up future books in this series. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book!

The fact that I cannot immediately jump into the next book is utterly devastating. This book was absolutely phenomenal! I consumed it. I couldn't put it down. So many different and interesting story lines and it all came together really well. And WOW that cliff hanger ending?! I need to shove this book into people's hands.