This is an intriguing sequel to 'Castles in Their Bones'. Sophronia is dead after her mother's schemes to control all of the empire. Beatriz and Daphne are uncovering their mother's schemes and realizing how she orchestrated their sister's death. The book became most active towards the end, especially as it ended in a cliffhanger.

This second installment of Castles in Their Bones finds the sisters continuing to discover the multitude of ways they are being manipulated by those who surround them. Daphne and Beatrice each struggle to find their own path and make choices that will help those they love, but betrayal and politics continue to get in the way. Will they be required to pay the ultimate price to save their friends and each other?

A decent middle book to a series. There's plenty of action and quite a few revelations as the story unfolds, leading to a good deal of character growth and discovery. Each character comes more into their own and is easier to identify for the reader, and the twist towards the end of the book definitely sets up the third installment with plenty opportunity for a great ending and climax to the series.

I don't want to say too much to avoid spoilers for the first book but I absolutely loved this one! I didn't think it was possible for the author to top the first book but she did! The stakes were higher and I loved being back in the world with these characters. I'm hoping its a trilogy just because I love the world and want to keep reading more about these characters

Daphne and Beatriz both receive confirmation of Sophronia’s death. Violie, Sophronia’s maid and unbeknownst spy of Empress Margareaux, helps Leopold escape to safety as she promised Sophronia she would. They meet up with Ambrose and Lord Savelle, who Beatriz freed from prison and Ambrose took on his boat to safety. At the wedding ceremony for Daphne and Bairre, an explosion occurs that kills the Empyria helping the king and now Bairre’s mother becomes the new Empyria. Beatriz and Pasquale end up in Empress Margareaux’s palace while Violie and Leopold are spying on Daphne in Bairre’s kingdom. The four work together to stop the Empress from taking over the continent and killing them all. Beatriz is convinced that their mother, Empress Margareaux, planned to kill all three of her daughters the minute she secured the kingdoms they infiltrated and now she’s trying to convince Daphne of their mother’s betrayal. The intrigue twists, turns and never stops, 5 stars!

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the intensity which is stronger than in the first book of this series. The intrigue never ends and it twists and turns as characters change their planned actions. The character variety is entertaining.
Ethnicity: predominantly white
Language: PG-13 for 10 swears, no f-bombs
Mature content: PG for kissing, lgbtq side character
Vilence: PG-13 for bloody stabbings, imprisonment, death by an arrow to the neck, poisoning

It’s simply amazing. The story picked up right after the events on the first book and we get a new character’s pov. I had thought the other book was great but somehow Sebastian made this one even better, the writting and the magic system is more in depth. One thing I really loved was that we got to see the empress more than the previous book which I’m so happy because that was my one complaint about the first book. I would love to have a book just about the empress gives me major Cersei vibes.

I liked being back in this world but didn't care for how drawn out the book felt. I still love the writing but this book wasn't the authors strongest for me.

I started this book right after finishing Castles in the bones and I'm so glad I did, reading them together was a fantastic experience and I can't wait for more.

At the end of Castles we're left with a loss so profound it could change everything, at the end of Stardust we're left with a lie so encompassing it could change the stars.

Through truth and lies, salvation and deceit Beatriz and Daphne have their hands, hearts, and minds full trying to figure out who is on their side, who is trying to kill them, and what they can do to stay alive while somehow saving their kingdoms.

While we're left with one heck of a cliffhanger, all I can think about is what will happen next, and how will it possibly live up to the bar that's been set, of course, that's what I thought after reading Castles in Their Bones and well here we are, me blown away again looking forward to every little tidbit I can get my hands on about what happens next.

Stardust in Their Veins is that book that makes you fall in love with fantasy, where every page draws you further and further into this world where the stars fall from the skies to grant wishes, and poison flows as freely as water.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for providing a copy of this book. I have read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

These books are so twisty and I never know what's going to happen or who will be the next to die. I love reading about the sisters and we've added Viole as a narrator to keep the three points of view. Rotating among them and seeing what the different courts are doing kept things lively and intriguing, plus there are so many side players with their own motivations.

This was a bit long, but there weren't any slow or boring parts, everything felt important and exciting. Our main characters are constantly one step from being killed, while also formulating their own plans to stop the Empress and regain control of their countries. I'm so looking forward to the final book to see how everything comes together and who makes it out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy

Stardust in Their Veins is the follow-up to Castles in Their Bones, the story of three sisters set out (at the behest of their mother) to take over Vesteria. After the shocking loss of their sister, Sophronia, Daphne and Beatriz continue to work toward bringing their mother's plan to fruition. Constantly looking over their shoulders, lest they meet the same fate as their sister, who can Daphne and Beatriz really trust?

Aside from the publisher's dumb decision to change the cover (seriously why), this book suffers from the sophomore slump. I loved Castles in Their Bones, but I had a hard time staying engaged in Stardust. For one it's about 60 pages longer than Castles, and I felt every one of those pages. I feel like this thing could have been pared down a bit. For some reason I didn't love this as much as the first installment and felt a distance from the characters that wasn't in Castles.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. I wish I would have liked this more.

Somehow, and I'm not sure how, I missed the first wave of Laura Sebastian books. While Ash Princess is absolutely the type of book I should have eaten up (and I still might), Castles in Their Bones was my first book by Ms. Sebastian. I can see why folks go mad about her work - it is imminently readable and compelling, with complex political machinations and a sprinkling of romance to go with it.

Three sisters, each with their own strengths and personalities, are split up to marry eligible royals with the end goal of supplanting them and letting their mother reign supreme. They are trained in espionage and a number of other skills (more on that later) to help them pursue this goal.

Things heat up considerably (and are thereby much more interesting) toward the end of the first book, so I was eager to launch into the second. After my obligatory rereads of Castles, I feel confident I had what I needed to enjoy Stardust and I was not disappointed.

This is YA fantasy at its best- approachable, engaging, intriguing, and funny. Yes, the conveniences are still there. Yes, the challenges of second book syndrome are present too- difficult pacing and obvious lead up to the third book abound. But ultimately I would definitely recommend this book for folks who enjoy politics and a dollop of romance.

After everything this author put me through in the first book. she turned around and did it again! I was really hoping for a duology because I didn't want to go through another cliffhanger like that. However, I'm so glad the story is continuing. Daphne, girl, open your eyes. And Beatriz! I love her soul. I'm really shipping Daphne and Barre, and don't care so much about the others.

I loved that we started to see the main players all coming together in person. The character development from the start to now was done really well, too.

I can't wait for a book three! Will they outsmart the Empress and her decades-long plan??

4.5 stars - I loved it! Would re-read.

This was fantastic! Tons of character development and some fascinating reveals. I don't feel like there's a ton of forward movement to the plot here. I feel just as puzzled as before about all of the various schemes and spies. But I loved all of it. Can't wait to get my hands on book 3!

I book tabbed book 1 when I re-read it before diving into this one - and I loved the experience. I can't wait to get my print copy of this so I can tab this on my first re-read.

While I had fun with this, I don't know that it was as strong of a story as the first installment in this series. But, I enjoyed the light court politics, the further exploration of the characters and found all of their POVs rather interesting.

I think the one thing this book suffers from is just that it's a bit too long for what's going on. But overall a decent addition to this series.

Stardust in Their Veins was published on Feb 7, 2023. Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For starters, I'm very disappointed that the cover doesn't match the same style of the first book? Make it match please I want them to match on my shelf 🫠

Anyway, this book picks up right where the first book left off. It has all the fun political intrigue and unique magic from the first book with a *touch* of sadness as the characters deal with the grief of losing Sophie.

This book adds a new POV to the mix Sophronia's maid, Violie. I was nervous about this because Sophie was my favorite character in the first book and worried that a new character wouldn't be as fun to read about, but I was pleasantly surprised. Violie is a tough cookie and makes sure she keeps her promises, no matter how dangerous it gets for her.

Daphne and Beatriz remain mostly the same as they were in the first book, which is good. They definitely develop as the book goes on and discover new goals they want to achieve. The two of them never felt stuck in one spot for too long or boring to read about. I enjoyed their perspectives quite a bit.

In comparison to the first book this one did seem a little slower paced, but I didn't mind that. It delves more into Beatriz learning about her newly discovered magic and Daphne building relationships with the people around her, despite her best efforts not to.

Now if only the third book were already out so I could read it. I hate having to wait. I loved this book very much and highly *highly* recommend this series to any fans of fantasy stories with badass female main characters.

5 stars.

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.

As the news of Sophronia’s death makes its way across Vesteria to her sisters, Beatriz and Daphne, who are in very tricky situations themselves, struggle to figure out the truth and whom they can trust. After the coup in Cellaria, Beatriz is desperate to find a way to get herself and Pasquale, both separately imprisoned, to safety. In Friv, Daphne is still playing a double game with the rebels even as she continues to do their mother’s bidding by furthering their plans. But she soon starts to realize that their mother may not have their best interests in mind, and that she and Beatriz cannot trust anyone – certainly not each other – and they must figure out a way to get ahead of their mother’s plans before they end up sharing Sophronia’s fate.

Of late, it has become quite a frequent occurrence that I read the first book in a new series, absolutely love it, but by the time I pick up the sequel, I hardly remember what happened in the story. But with this one, I surprised myself with how many details of the first book I recalled quite clearly, which made me doubly excited to finally sit down with this ARC. I must say though, I’m not a fan of the new cover. It doesn’t match the style of the first book and this one just looks kind of strange. As with the first book, there was so much scheming and political intrigue going on that I could barely keep it all straight – and it made this such a fun read! The world building was detailed and complex, and though the focus was more on Friv and Bessemia, the characters did travel to some new places on the map. I did feel at times that with the main and supporting characters travelling all over the map, the timeline seemed a little unrealistic, with people showing up in places far earlier than I would have expected – it’s either that or chapters skipping time without really making it clear how much time has passed. There was also some additional insight into the magic system, and it made more sense this time around. When I initially started reading this book, I was quite startled to see that it was nearly 600 pages long, and though I will admit there wasn’t a single dull moment in those pages, it did feel unnecessarily long. That said, I really enjoy Laura Sebastian’s writing style and she has come a long way from Ash Princess to a novel that I found myself glued to for five hours straight.

Narrated from multiple POVs once more, Violie’s was the new perspective introduced, something I wasn’t too sure about, but it turned out really well. Though she was a secondary character in the story so far, she made for a strong narrator, and her arc was an interesting one to follow. Violie was determined to keep her promise to Sophronia no matter what and does her best to keep Leopold safe.

Beatriz had quite a change in personality. She was quick to figure out her mother’s schemes and the truth behind Sophronia’s death and set to plotting revenge, and I loved her change of direction in her arc. Daphne on the other hand, probably had the most complex arc of the three. Even after learning what really happened to Sophronia, she was much slower to turn against her mother, though as the story progresses, she began to have doubts as she is forced to choose between what is right and what she has always been trained to do. It was quite irritating as it took over half the book for this to even start happening and Daphne came across as quite dumb to not figure it out. Sophronia’s murder by the rebels and the conspiracy surrounding it all was pretty much the first domino to fall. My biggest fear going into this book was that such an important event that was critical for so many other things to happen would somehow be walked back

While this book didn’t have any events as shocking as the first, it has definitely set things up for an epic finale. Without giving away any spoilers, some of what happened towards the end was kind of predictable especially with Violie, given that her resemblance to Sophronia was mentioned over and over, so it had to be for a reason. This was a phenomenal sequel. There wasn’t a single hint of second book syndrome – indeed, I felt it was actually much better than the first book since the introduction and buildup weren’t necessary. I can’t wait for the last book to find out what happens next!

I cannot believe that I have to wait for book 3! This was so well done and connected so many things but still left you wondering what was going to happen. It was so nice to be back in that world again and I loved learning more about the characters.

Stardust In Their Veins jumps us right back in from the end of Castles in Their Bones with Beatriz and Daphne trying to figure out who to trust, I have to say, disappointingly I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first book, it’s still a good strong read and I’ll definitely be reading the next , it just wasn’t as wonderful as the first and seemed to suffer from second book curse. I think if-it had been more condensed and took some if the middle out it would have been much better, but I’ll definitely be back for more

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I was really unsure what to expect from the sequel to castles in their bones, but this one really did not fail me. It filled that gap I had empty after the first book. A worthy successor and does not fall victim to the middle book syndrome. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next.

This series runs about as I would expect for a YA fantasy about 16 year old princesses, who are raised from birth to overthrow empires. One complaint I often have about YA fantasy books is that the teenage characters and their ability to handle responsibility is completely unrealistic. I felt Sebastian kept the perspective of teen girls in mind when writing these characters. In this follow up to Castles in Their Bones, we follow sisters, Daphne and Beatriz, and a gain a new perspective from Viole, who was the maid and hired spy of Sophronia in the previous novel. Each of them shares in the fact that they've been given too much responsibility at a young age. In the months since leaving their mother's side, they've all learned a great deal about the world and come to care of the people they had originally set out to betray. I enjoyed the relationship development between Daphne and Bairre, but other characters lacked depth and connection for me.

I felt this book did little to move the plot along. The author attempted to make it exciting with attempted assassinations, kidnapping, and daring escapes, but it just fell flat for me. I think the level of complication used to describe the espionage is appropriate for young adult audiences to follow.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to read this after the last one ended in a huge cliffhanger. Stardust in Their Veins was not as gripping as Castles in Their Bones; the plot was slower, but the stakes were still high as the story progressed. The sequel was more of a character growth arc for both Beatriz and Daphne as they come to terms with how manipulative and cruel their mother is, especially with Sophronia gone. Beatriz had massive growth compared to Castles in Their Bones and her narrative was my favorite instead of Daphne's. I am interested to see how the third and final book will end now that things were left on another cliffhanger, but this one was minor compared to the one in Castles in Their Bones. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.