This book felt surprisingly short for its length, and I mean that as a compliment. Yet so much happened that I’m surprised it all fit into 500-something pages. It’s full of intrigue and betrayal, but it also shows the development of conscience.

Although I wasn’t a fan of the perspective (third person in the present—it felt weird), I thoroughly enjoyed every other aspect of the author’s writing style. It took me a little while to really be able to tell the sisters apart, though, and I found myself wishing their chapters were written in first person.

Beatriz, Sophronia, and Daphne (all 16) became more likable as the story progressed. I had hopes for them and wanted them to make choices that would prove they were good, choices that would make them happy. Unfortunately, they frequently disappointed me. But not always. More often than not, I found myself pitying them for being the weapons their mother created. Although Margaraux (their mother) was only present in memories until the final chapter, I hated her the whole time. She’s a conniving, heartless monster, and I hope I see her downfall by the end of the series.

I liked the three princes, Bairre (17), Leopold (16), and Pasquale (16?)—they were all quite different from one another, as were the relationships they formed with their respective princesses. I did have difficulty believing the ages of most of the characters in the book, though. At minimum, the sisters felt like they were 18. Pasquale and Leopold felt about the same, but I always assumed Bairre was about 20.

I find myself hoping that the events at the end of the book were somehow not real or can be undone, but I doubt that’s the case. At this point, it prevents me from giving this book a full five stars.

Note: A little swearing. Cliffhanger!

Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian is the first book in the young adult fantasy series by the same name, Castles in their Bones. The story in the Castles in their Bones series is one that is told by changing the point of view between the different characters and one that is best read in order from the beginning of the series.

Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz were raised by their mother, Empress Margaraux, to one day be queens and now the time has come for them to begin to implement their mother’s plan. Now that the girls are sixteen they must each go to the lands chosen for them and wed the princes of those lands. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz have been trained in every aspect of royalty and that of deception, seduction, and violence but little do they each know they are but a pawn in their mother’s game.

Before reading Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian I saw someone mention it reminded them of fairy tales with the princesses in their castles but what I found was this one was infused with Tudor Era politics. Take the time of kings and queens in the Tudor Era and toss in some magic in a fantasy world and you have this new series. I happen to love reading of that time so I easily fell into this story and was hooked. Of course the story unfolds a little slowly being a lengthy read but despite my normal complaints I never felt it was too slow and the twists and turns along the way have me completely looking forward to book two.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Wowwww. To be honest, i saw the page number at first and was a little nervous but then completely devoured this book. This was SO good. I very much got Three Dark Crowns vibes when reading this. I haven’t read anything by Laura Sebastian before, but I am going to read everything now.

The world building in this book, amazing
The multiple POVs of the three sisters, perfection
The ending and plot twist at the end, WOWZERS

Laura’s writing in this book had me invested in every single character. I was relieved that with so many different characters and things at play, I wasnt confused at any point in the story. Its also fascinating how each sister has their own traits and personalities, yet they work so well together despite their differences. I just really loved this book and cannot wait for the next one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC. This is my honest review.

I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this book. I expected a sappy princess romance but I was wrong. Instead there were fully developed characters and a plot filled with intrigue and surprises.

The ending leads me to believe there will be a sequel. I can't wait.

Sebastian’s writing is decadent. The sweeping fantasy she’s built was intriguing enough, but the prose and distinct character voices drew me in. This book follows three sisters as they are sent to respective countries to be married to kings and princes…with the intent of making way for their mother to seize them. Each of the sisters had their own complicated stories and experiences…I expected to prefer one over the other but each time the POV changed I was eager to know what was happening with this sister, in this country. The diabolical genius required to orchestrate their plans was so perfectly woven through the story and I would pick up any of Sebastian’s other books in the hopes I would get a taste of more of her political intrigue because this girl knows her STUFF.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and the ENDING absolutely slayed me. I’m going to need the next one like yesterday.

4.5 stars! The first in a new series from YA author, Laura Sebastian. The synopsis lead me to believe this is probably gonna be a typical YA fantasy about some princesses getting married mixed with some romance, and a bit of a plot twist that we all will see coming. Wrong!
Princesses Sophorinia, Beatrize and Daphne are triplets. All are engaged to three princes from different countries. The three of them are trained to betray their future husbands so ultimately their mother can rule the whole continent. Except, when they actually got married to the three princes, nothing seems as easy as they thought. I cannot stress enough how great this novel is!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an arc of this novel.*

I really enjoyed this book. I love books about sisters, and getting to see how the story unfolds through each of the sister’s point of views was great. It took a little while to get all the people and places straight, but once I did I really liked all the world building. The plot twists and turns were so good. I can’t wait for the next installment.

This book was fun! It was all the politics and intrigue of fantasy mixed with just a sprinkling of romance and magic. I loved that each of the sisters was their own person with their own motivations and I found each of them unique in their own ways. And they each had their own problems and faults to contend with. I also really enjoyed the magic system. I found it to be unique and well thought out. It was interesting to see how each of the respective kingdoms felt about the magic and how they used it. And I loved how each of the different threads of the story connected.

My biggest complaint about this book is that it's a bit dense. There's a lot going on and at times I felt like it was hard to follow. While I loved the alternating points of view, it took me a while to really get acclimated with the story and understand what was going on. But once I found my footing, I really enjoyed it. I think if you enjoy politically heavy fantasy stories, you'd enjoy this one but definitely give it a hundred pages to really get into the story!

This was so good! I stayed up late finishing it which I rarely do but I couldn't put it down. The plot twisted and turned and surprised me all the way, I loved it.

The characters took awhile to grow on me but I loved them by the end. I had a hard time telling the sisters apart in the beginning but once I got them straight, they really were different and fun. I wanted them each to succeed even when they weren't working towards the same end goal which was confusing yet made it a really fun read. Their relationships with their princes/king were different and the characters they ran into along the way were varied and each was interesting in their own way.

The plot itself is what really drew me in. Each story individually is a well-written and fairly interesting YA fantasy following pretty normal tropes. But jumping from to the other and seeing how the thing sister A did impacts sisters B and C was just so much fun. My jaw definitely dropped more than once. I saw the twist at the end coming but oh man, it twisted so much further than I expected and I'm so sad I can't immediately jump into the next one. I will be anxiously awaiting it's release.

If you like YA fantasy and a good princess with an evil plot trope, this one is definitely for you.

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*4.5 stars*
This has been one of my favourite books so far, and will likely remain in my top books of 2022. I have yet to read the Ash Princess trilogy, but I'm super excited to give it a try as I really like this author's writing style. I don't normally like books with alot of important characters because I find it difficult to keep track of, and I read for fun not to be laser focused lol! But in this case, it just WORKED. I loved all of the characters!

I really liked how each sister had a romance arc but it wasn't overpowering - romance didn't become the main point of the plot, though it did play a large role in one or two of the sister's story arcs. It was very tastefully done.

In terms of the sisters themselves - loved all three of them. I actually don't have a favourite, they all brought something unique and interesting to the book. I also realyl liked how I was always able to tell them apart. Sometimes in books with more than 1 or 2 point of views, the voices can sort of blend together. That didn't happen here, I always knew exactly who I was reading about. In terms of the love interests, Pasquale was such a sweetheart. Definitely one of my favourites but I have a feeling that in the next book, Baire is going to be my first pick... we shall see!

The plotline itself was fantastic. The ending took me completely by surprise, which I absolutely love! It's always great when a book can throw you off balance like that. I'm hoping to hear more from Empress Margareaux in the next book - I think she could turn into a really formidable character and I'm interested to see where the author takes her. A couple of the chapters ran a bit slow, but other than that I loved this book.

Overall, I found this to be a well-written and interesting. I'm very excited to see what happens next!

This book blew me away! Best book I’ve read of 2022 so far for definite. I read and loved the Ash Princess trilogy a few years ago and it is an underrated series, so when I saw that the author was writing a new book, I knew I had to read it. The synopsis drew me in and the first chapter had me hooked!

Castles in Their Bones follows three princesses, Sophronia, Daphne and Beatriz. Betrothed to princes/kings from other kingdoms, these princesses have been raised with one mission; bring down the monarchies from within. Their mother, the Empress, wishes to rule all of Vesteria, and she plans to do so with the help of her three daughters. For sixteen years, their lives have been dictated by their mother, but will this change once the girls taste a bit of freedom?

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

This is told from the perspective of all three of the triplets, which was necessary in order for the story to flow and to understand what was happening in each country. Each sister had a different experience, regarding their betrothed, the status of magic in the kingdom, and the simplicity of the plan. I found it very easy to like all three sisters, and found that my favourite storyline changed frequently. Away from their mothers influence, Sophronia, Beatriz and occasionally Daphne begin to think of the consequences of their actions on the kingdom and the relationships they have made with the people living there.

‘You didn’t raise them, Margaraux. You built them.’

The magic system is so interesting and I feel like it’s going to become more of a plot point in the sequel as there is still so much unknown about it. It is all connected to the power of the stars, and wishing upon the stars to create stardust. The triplets are startouched, which may become more important in future books.

The relationships in this book are complicated, especially between the sisters. Loyalties are tested and occasionally betrayed. There is, of course, romance, but this adds to the plot and doesn’t take away from the political intrigue. Still I did get invested and was rooting for each sister. The romance didn’t feel over done and it felt like just the right amount, although I am hoping there may be a bit more in the sequel!

‘I’m here because I want to be. Because you are lightning – terrifying and beautiful and dangerous and bright all at once. And I wouldn’t wish you were anything else.’

I wish I could say so much more about this book, but then my review would be full of spoilers! I couldn’t put it down and pretty much read it in one sitting. I was obsessed with this story and these characters. I will just say that the ending came out of nowhere and shocked me. I am still reeling just thinking about it! There were so many twists and turns that I did not predict that just made this book a whole amazing experience! I couldn’t recommend this more if you are a lover of YA fantasy, romance and political intrigue!

Ohhh, I enjoyed this so much. The premise was intriguing and the writing pulled me in from the start.

The story alternates POVs among three sisters, recently separated to each get married in a different country. Each sisters has her own story, but the stories are all somewhat connected by their mother's plans for them. This is the perfect story for people who enjoy court politics and court intrigue.

The world-building felt a little on the lighter side, especially until the end, so I was confused about some of the finer points for most of the book, but everything is set up nicely for book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley and author Laura Sebastian for a e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Three daughters, three sisters, born for three kingdoms, three crowns. Sophrania, Daphne, and Beatriz are triplet princesses who were each born and trained in the art of seduction, deception and violence. Trained for roles in their mother's grand vision of gaining rule over all of Vestria. At 16 they are each sent to fulfill their long planned bethrothals in their future kingdoms. But with their mother's grand plan at the center of all they are meant to do, loyalties are tested. The daughters are each meant to betray their kingdoms, their husbands, but what if they can't follow through? And with wishes pulled from the stars in the sky, the sisters have a lot to muddle over before fully committing to their mother's scheme.

This read went a little slower than I originally felt it would. I wanted to love the entire piece, but unfortunately I really only connected with about the last 25% of the book. I did love that the story jumps right into things from the start. There is no lengthy backstory, just the three sisters sharing their 16th birthday, celebrating yet remorseful knowing they are to part ways for their own pre-planned lives soon after.

Then you get to follow each of the sisters as they embark on their paths. You learn of their prospective husbands and the differences of the kingdoms they are each to rule. Gradually, the story works toward how their paths ultimately merge together to achieve their mother's end game. I just felt like it took too long for me to connect with the sisters emotionally.

When I eventually did though, the last quarter of the story flew by page after page and left me in a position where I felt 'well damn, now I need to know more'.

So despite being a slow read that took time to connect, I do think I would plan to continue on with the series in the future because it has a lot of potential to really go somewhere interesting.

Overall rating 3.75 / 5

Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian is the first book in a new trilogy. It follows triplet sisters Daphne, Sophronia, and Beatriz. The sisters have been trained since birth for their roles outside Bessemia. Their Queen mother wants each daughter to travel to a different land and get married to the princes they’ve been betrothed to since they were children. They are then to set their mother’s grand plan into action: unravel each land so their mother can swoop in and rule them all. The triplets have every intention of doing their mother’s bidding, but when the time comes, they realize things are a lot more complicated than they planned. They also begin to question their mother’s motives.

I absolutely loved this book. The political intrigue was so engrossing. I loved the romance. The sisters were fierce and strong in their own unique ways. I am dying for the sequel!

3.5 stars
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC.

I liked Laura's series Ash Princess so I was excited when she had a new trilogy being released in 2022. I did like this story and the ending was insane so the sequel should be good, but following 3 courts and 3 princesses was sort of hard. I kept getting them mixed up and had to write down some things to remember but other than that, it was enjoyable and I'd read the second.

First off thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own unpaid review!


I’ve been burned out with a few YA tropes. A few YA plots. Then again, I’ve been reading YA for 20 years and things get … repetitive. “Castles in their Bones” escaped my vents though. I became attached to each princess in their own adventures. It has royalty, conspiracy, magic, loyalty, and betrayal. I quite enjoyed it, I think I might enjoy this more than ash princess! (I’m assuming there will be more than one with that cliffhanger of an ending…) overall, fun book and looking forward to more!

One of the things I enjoyed most about this story is that you never knew what was going to happen next! The three princesses Beatriz, Sophronia, and Daphne are sent to neighboring kingdoms to follow through on their mother’s plan to destabilize their governments and eventually take the countries so she can rule over the entire continent. Each princess has specific tasks that she needs to do in order for the plan to run smoothly, but what really throws a wrench into everything is that their mother is also making things happen within each kingdom and the princesses don’t always know what it is or what the purpose is.

The three princesses all had distinct personalities, although I wish we had gotten to see more of their abilities in action instead of being told how good they are at subterfuge. I think I enjoyed Sophie’s POV the most, and the growth that she went through to find herself and take control of her life was great to read!

The world-building was okay, the only country I felt like I could really get a good picture of was Friv, the other two countries seemed pretty similar, with the only difference being how they treat magic. I do wish we had seen more of the world to get more of a feel for where the girls were at and what they needed to do, but that could easily come with the next books since this is the first in a series.

What really made me love this book was the ending! The entire time I was reading the ending I wasn’t expecting it to actually continue the way it was going, and then the reveal at the end made me both excited and nervous for the next book in this series. Honestly, this book was worth the read for that ending alone and I’m very curious to see how everything plays out in the next book!

Castles in their bones is written by Laura Sebastian and what a story it is! I was hooked onto this story from start to finish and I loved all of the twists and turns. Some I saw coming and others I did not foresee which really took me by surprise. I want to say a big thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for letting me be on this tour! I also want to thank the publisher Hodder and Stoughton, and Netgalley for giving me this arc to review, so let's begin!

The plot development in this story is just fantastic! We follow three Princesses who have been betrothed to three Princes's in different lands but with a twist, they have been betrothed to bring down the countries making way for their mother, the Empresses, to come in and take control. However, nothing is quite as it seemed and I loved the way the plot developed throughout this story, but there were times where I wanted a bit more from the payoffs of some of the twists.

Another element, I loved was the character development I thought It was absolutely fantastic. My favourite character arc was Sophie's, I loved the way she grew to become stronger and to take control of her own life and destiny. I also really enjoyed Daphne story of going from someone who believed themselves to be cold to learning to open herself up to love and I adored Beatriz, in how she grew to be more selfless. I am really interested in see what happens now with Margaraux and what she is planning next although there were times where I thought she seemed a bit to know a bit too much so hopefully that will be explained in the sequel.

I adored the world building and how each country is different in regards to its people, its language, its food, its clothing, politics and its culture. I thought it was built really nicely. I think the pacing was fairly consistent although there were times where I wished it had slow down a little but especially at the end.

Overall, I really loved this story and I am looking forward to the sequel to find out what happened after that twist at the end. I give this story 4 stars!

I loved this story. The pacing is wonderfully done and I really enjoyed the twists in the story. The characters are well written and it was captivating to discover the secrets they were hiding.I particularly enjoyed seeing how different the different countries and their courts are and how the sisters had to adapt to fit in and continue their plans. Their bond and how they continued to care for each other when apart was also well written. I am a sucker for royal intrigue and plotting, so I was happy that this book was full of satisfying schemes. Switching between the three sister perspectives was also a great choice it kept me glued to the page trying to put together the complete picture of their mother's plan. All around I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the political games that are being played in the different countries. I did not expect the ending. It took me by surprise and i can not wait for the next book.