I liked this young adult fantasy novel, but I wasn't blown away by it. Laura Sebastian has improved in her writing, but I think her characters still need more context and there should be more world building than there is. But I did enjoy it nonetheless.

~4.25 stars
Three princesses are sent to three foreign kingdoms to be married and, unbeknownst to their new spouses, to take down the kingdoms from the inside. The princesses, Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz, have been training since birth for this; they know how to break codes, use poisons, seduce men, and kick ass. Once they destroy each kingdom from the inside, their mother, the Empress, will be able to take total control of the land.

I adore fantasy books where there is political maneuvering and espionage, so I was SO ready for the girls to carry out their missions. Here's the thing, though: the princesses, in all honesty, initially came off as somewhat inept. Don't get me wrong, I liked all three of them, and enjoyed how they were each masters of their own thing (Sophie, the brainy one; Daphne, the cunning one; and Beatriz, the seductive one), but once they arrived in their respective kingdoms, they started making some not-so-smart choices.

Obviously, these characters are teenagers trying to navigate an adult world, but they have also been training for this their whole lives. However, this issue was, mostly, remedied in the second half of the book, when the story picked up and some plot twists propelled the princesses into action. We then got to see them utilize their skills and individual strengths, as well as engage in some self-reflection and discovery.

Overall, this was a really good YA fantasy with an interesting plot and likable protagonists. The magic system was unique and well-explained, and I am very much invested in the princesses' story and plan to continue on with this series. I would recommend this if you enjoyed The Bridge Kingdom or the His Fair Assassins trilogy! Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this! Get your hands on Castles in Their Bones on 02/01/22.

Castle in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian is the dark fantasy we've all been waiting for. Get ready to hunker down in a comfy chair because once you start reading this book, you won't be able to stop.

The premise of this story is very clever, and the execution was superbly done. Castle in Their Bones revolves around triplets sent to three kingdoms to marry the king or prince heir and drive their people to war. The girl's cunning mother plans to sweep in behind them and conquer the kingdoms, uniting the continent under one ruler. The princesses have trained for their roles accordingly, and it was delightful to see their skills in weaponry, poison, forgery, and subterfuge come into play. I won't say any more on that account out of respect for prospective readers, other than the fact that it made for a phenomenal read!

In my opinion, there are three major aspects that distinguish a mediocre book from a fantastic one. These include writing style, originality of the plot, and the amount of world-building/character development that occurs. Castle in Their Bones hits all three of these marks and is one of the best books I've read in 2021. This is coming from a person who reads over 100 books a year, so this is no small praise.

The twist at the end was clever, and I know I'll be rereading the book several times to look for the hidden clues sprinkled throughout it. A Castle in Their Bones isn't without its flaws, but overall it was a fantastic read and one I'd definitely recommend.

I received an ARC courtesy of Random House Children's Books and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

This book is told in my least favorite person/tense combination (third person/present tense) so that is always a lot for me to get over. I cannot stress enough how much it pulled me out of the story, though that’s probably not something that would bother most people. Even apart from the tense, I did not particularly care for the writing voice. Nothing atrocious, but not my favorite style either. Randomly, it reminded me a lot of the writing in All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman (a novel I also very much enjoyed) more than it felt like anything out of the Ash Princess series. This paired with info-dumps and the slow pacing (which is almost unavoidable at the start of a book with three POVs in separate places) caused me to care rather slowly. I did, however, end the novel caring about all three girls and I very much want to learn what happens next. And Castles in Their Bones explores a number of themes I enjoyed. The series is definitely Saying Something, which I always appreciate.

Also, I have no idea what the title means.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This is the first ebook I've made it all the way through, as I am typically an audio and analog consumer, but the cover pulled me in immediately and I HAD to read it and the ebook was the only option. I read it in two days. I loved the world building (there are four distinct kingdoms represented) and the well-developed characters. The story follows a set of triplets, who are princesses in their own right, who at the age of 16 are sent to the kingdoms where their prospective grooms, all princes or kings in their own right, reside. The sisters are tasked with facilitating the machinations of their mother, who has prepared them for these marriages and to subsequently deliver these kingdoms into her hands. Each sister undergoes her own set of challenges, all of which involve schemes, betrayals, and questions of loyalties but are otherwise unique. The ending was quite a shock and a pretty solid cliff-hanger, so while I was glad to see this is the first of a series when I investigated on GoodReads I wish I didn't have to wait so long for the next installment. . There were so many plot twists at the end, I was left reeling a bit! The story was very fast paced and exciting, though, and I plan to read the rest of the series when available. I have not read any other Laura Sebastian novels, so I'm not sure how this one compares to her previous series, but I am thoroughly and completely rivited!.

I hope there are maps and other illustrations in the final version (this review is of an ARC). Despite the fact that four different kingdoms were significant locations, I think an opportunity for racial diversity was missed and there were only 2 queer characters. YA audiences expect more diversity than is offered here.

Castles in Their Bones is a is a wonderful and incredibly rich fantasy novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters.

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building/plot never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind. I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!

As an introduction to the world of the former Bessemian empire, Castles In Their Bones is intriguing and fast-paced. The differences between the three princesses - Beatriz, Daphne, and Sophronia - are as clear as the divide between the lands and families they are expected to marry into.

The choice of third person narrative for this novel is an interesting one, and I wonder what led Sebastian to choose it over a first person narrative with alternating points of view between the three princesses. Perhaps this was a deliberate choice to enhance the ending of this first installment.

I found myself turning back to Castles In Their Bones every free moment I had, finishing it in three days and immediately wanting more. Character-wise, I felt the most for Beatriz and especially Sophronia. Daphne is a more elusive character - I respect her and admire her, certainly, and I must say her “romantic” track is one I look forward to seeing unfold more. However, as an individual, I am not sure I “like” her as a person nearly as much as I do Beatriz or Sophie - which is perhaps the point.

I would have liked to see more development of the princes; they are not “flat” but all have their own stories that I would have enjoyed learning more about. Hopefully, we will see more of them in the next installments of the series.

On a personal level, I felt devastated by the ending. I was not surprised by the true villain of the story, but by the bold choice Sebastian made regarding the three princesses. While I grudgingly accept it may have been an inevitable choice, I find myself wondering how this will impact the dynamics of the relationships in the next installments.

Overall, I would strongly recommend Castles In Their Bones to any reader interested in starting a new and thrilling YA fantasy series.

I enjoyed this read. It kept my attention and I really found myself connecting with the characters. Make sure you read this one!

I was a little skeptical about this one since I didn't really care for Ash Princess, but wow, Castles in Their Bones was amazing. I liked the idea behind marrying three sisters to three different kingdoms all so their mother could swoop in and rule. Daphne and Sophronia were my favorite sisters and I liked them much more than Beatriz. Despite Beatriz being labeled as the strongest sister, she made horrible decisions, trusted too easily, and was always drunk. Then again, at the end she redeemed herself by standing by her decisions. As for the ending, it was a complete shock that I didn't see coming and I'm curious how it will play out in the next two books.

I was not sure what to expect when I opened this book and began what would become an incredible journey. I was intrigued by the premise and, let me just say, I was certainly blown away with what I found once inside. Three sisters (triplets!) are at the heart of this fascinating tale and, as you follow each on their journey, you become so interested in not only each character, but in the overall plot, that time seems to melt away. I found myself itching to read more yet slowing down so that I could savor every delightful twist and turn. This is an excellent, knock-it-out-of-the-park story that is sure to be a hit! Highly recommend to the fullest!

Yes, yes, yes!! Castles in Their Bones is fantastic and now I am in a serious book hangover with a LONG wait for the sequel.

I was excited to read this novel because of the premise; three sisters brought into the world by magic, are sent to three different countries to marry into the royal family, complete predetermined tasks and bring down the monarchy. They weren’t scared and powerless females at the mercy of others. They were raised from birth to hold their own. Trained in self-defense, archery, poisons, code breaking, palace intrigue, seduction, etc. I was so ready for them to outmaneuver their adversaries! Go get it, girls! But then, they didn’t.

Small things in the plot didn’t make sense. These new teenage brides are sent off to other countries all by themselves. No maids or guards, even though their mother is an empress. They know their mother has spies everywhere, but they don’t know who any of the spies are. They start making some foolish decisions and it becomes evident they are out of their league. On one hand, they’re sixteen year old kids thrust into adult machinations. On the other hand, I thought they were raised from birth to overthrow other nations. The reader keeps being told how clever and competent they are, but a lot of their actions don’t show those traits. I was disappointed and ready to put this on my “don’t bother” list. But then……

It all started getting much more interesting. Some of the twists I saw coming from a mile away, and others were different levels of surprising. Several of the earlier “plot holes” turned out not to be plot holes at all. Now, this is no Game of Thrones; it’s meant for a different audience. But for someone looking for a much lighter take, this ended up being entertaining. The magic element is unique, and I wasn’t bothered by the princes being rather useless. I expect them to grow in the next installment and be slightly less useless. The three sisters are the stars of this story. I’m looking forward to the sequel and finding out where all of this is going.

I received this ARC free in exchange for an honest review.

Laura Sebastian has done it again. She has written another book that has captivated my attentions and left me on the edge of my seat for the next book in the series!!! This book has so many twists and turns and you will devour it in just a few days!

I love the characters- the sisters have such growth in this book. There were also tears shed and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

It had me from the title. Three princesses raised to destroy three kingdoms and recreate the empire that their Empress mother rules now only in name. Lots of palace intrigue—in three palaces!—and really pretty dark for YA, including some major character death.

This was a fantastic novel! Three Princess are raised to destroy three kingdoms, ripening them for their mother’s takeover. Exquisite writing, I was immersed as a reader and invested because the author did a great job with tying me to each character.

This new series by Sebastian (Ash Princess) releases at the beginning of 2022. This book took me too long to read-because I was so busy not because it was not good. I loved the first book in the series and in Sebastian fashion the ending is a cliffhanger with events occurring that the reader did not expect or prepare for.

The book is about three triplet sisters who were raised to be queens. The girls are the daughters of an empress whose plan was to send her daughters to three different foreign countries as brides-then to bring those countries down—so the Empress can essentially take over all of the lands.

I love how Sebastian did not have to do a lot of background info to set up her new world and just dove into the plot. This series is going to be an instant success.

Glittering and sumptuous— this book beguiled me!

I absolutely adored the premise of the book! Triplets! Court intrigued! Star magic! I loved it all!

I was in a pretty deep reading slump and this was just the type of book to break it!

3 princesses raised to be deadly usurpers? A magic system based on stars? A touch of enemies to lovers?
Yes! Yes! and Yes!

As this is a multiple POV, I was happy to see that each sister had a unique voice. I leaned more towards Daphne's chapters for her straightforward attitude and the tension with Bairre. I thought that Leopold and Pasquale were fairly bland characters who started to grow up a bit towards the end. They fit their roles of oblivious princes well but I hope for more depth from both in the next installment.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and couldn't put it down. I found the sister's personalities and internal conflict to be intriguing. I will say that I am confused by some of the character's motives. The ending was a shock! I felt it building up but was still surprised. Excited to see what book 2 does, a lot of left uncertain and I'm invested in finding out how the story ends.

Final note: The magic system based on stars drew me in! I'm hoping to see more of it throughout the series, especially considering a certain reveal.

Enjoyed this book. The plot and characters were well thought out and vivid. I would recommend this book to others and can't wait to read what the author does next.

A twisty fantasy, Castles in their Bones follows the triplet daughters of a Queen, born and bred to destroy. Daphne, Beatriz, and Sophronia are star-blessed, conceived using the magic of the stars. Their mother betrothed them all to the heirs of neighboring kingdoms when they were very young. Daphne to Friv, a cold northern kingdom of rival clans only recently united under one King. Sophronia to Temarin, a kingdom ruled by a young king and beset with unrest. Beatriz to Cellaria, who has outlawed the magic that conceived Beatriz and is ruled by a paranoid and violent king. All three have trained their entire lives to destroy these kingdoms so that their mother can sweep in and conquer them. However, once on their own for the first time in their lives and away from their controlling mother, it is only a matter of time until their plans begin crumbling.

I'll start with the one thing I didn't care for about this book- the multiple POVs. The book is told in the POV of each of the sisters, and I had a hard time differentiating their voices. For a while, I couldn't remember which sister was which. That being said, my enjoyment of this book quickly overshadowed any negatives. The book was so twisty, with characters with their own motivations. Nothing is ever as it seemed. I also particularly enjoyed the relationships between the sisters and their various princes/kingdoms. It very much felt like a flip on the typical noble prince saves the hapless princess, and I was HERE FOR IT. Hapless princes may be my new favorite royal character.

I'm really, REALLY, hoping that this is the start of the series. I need to find out what happens after the end of this book, because that end was crazy. I am definitely adding the sequel to my TBR.