Wow! I did not expect that ending at all. I enjoyed this different take on court life and how their mother prepared them for her manipulation of the surrounding kingdoms. I am excited to continue to read the series.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Really great book I have had so much reading this and getting to know these lovable characters will definitely continue to read books by this author

Castles in Their Bones has many positive elements. However, it ultimately didn't leave much of an impression on me.

I honestly had a hard time separating each of the sisters storylines. They didn't seem all that distinguished from each other and so I didn't find myself being attached to anyone or their plotline.

I did love the friendship that developed between Beatriz and Pasquale, and the book's ending was wild, but that's about the extent of what I enjoyed from this read.

I would maybe be interested in picking up the second book, and I think this series' trajectory is setting up for a strong sequel, but I'm not overly eager to get my hands on it right away.

I have read several of Laura Sebastian's other books, and I am definitely a fan of hers. This one was just a miss for me!

“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.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content warnings: death, sexual harassment (including pedophilia), violence/blood/war/murder, emotional and physical abuse, alcoholism, confinement, classism, homophobia

I first discovered Laura Sebastian when I saw Ash Princess in the library half a decade ago and thought the cover was beautiful. I still have not managed to get to Ash Princess in all this time, but I did read an ARC of Half Sick of Shadows, which was okay. My main complaint was that it was slow, so I almost didn't request Castles in Their Bones because it was over 500 pages!!! I thought I'd spend months reading it, but Delacorte Press is one of my favorite imprints, and the cover and synopsis were so intriguing I caved. Wow, am I glad I did!!! I finished this book in 10 days!

Castles in Their Bones follows a set of triplet princesses, all sent off to their assigned betrothed prince by their mother. The Empress has been scheming since before they were born and plans to use each of them and their specific talents to sow chaos and discord in the three kingdoms until she can sweep in and claim the entire continent. Can Sophronia convince her boy king husband to go to war, can Beatriz seduce a foreign diplomat into adultery, and Daphne use her skills with poisons without anyone catching them?

The characters in this book were so interesting! From the start, I could already rather easily tell apart the triplets in each of their POVs. I really enjoyed learning about their princes and the other members of each court as well. It felt like a YA Game of Thrones getting to see the perspective of so many warring kingdoms and factions at once. I'm excited to learn more about worldbuilding in the future and will keep thinking about this trilogy for some time. The plot ends on... not a cliffhanger per say, but immediately after a large event. It felt like an incredibly dramatic season finale. Normally, I like to wait a month as the bare minimum before continuing a series, but I would pick up the next one immediately if my TBR allowed it!

My intrigue for this book was so high that I essentially stopped reading all my other books for this one! The audiobook narrator was enjoyable and had me not wanting to pause this story. I'm not sure if Half Sick of Shadows was just a miss for me or if Sebastian's writing just improved so vastly in a short amount of time, but I eagerly await Stardust in Their Veins!

I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy court intrigue, arranged marriages, high fantasy with subtle magic lore that grows as the book/series progresses, and interesting relationship dynamics!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I loved Sebastian’s debut trilogy and was so excited for this new series. While the twist and the end was rather shocking and unexpected, I found I didn’t care for any of the sisters. The story dragged at times and I really didn’t look forward to anyone’s chapters in particular. It just didn’t grab my attention unfortunately and I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this series.

Castles in Their Bones has an intriguing premise. One that I couldn't wait to dive into. Triplets who were conditioned to be the perfect brides so they could take down the monarchies and reign over the entire continent. I was prepared for drama and so much politic jumpery and yet, this all fell flat for me.

Each sister had their own POV and I was consistently struggling with knowing which sister I was reading about. They all sounded the same and had the same thoughts and seemed to be going through the same struggles. There was very little to tell the sisters apart and figure out which was which besides looking at the header and a few other things which as the book dragged on, the header became the only thing for me.

For three different courts and royalty, I was prepared for so much drama and struggle as the sisters met bumps in the road that they were expecting, but there really wasn't anything like that. Nothing that made me gasp and eagerly await what would happen next. I felt this story struggled to find it's footing and drama, relying on the romances and the sisters relationship with their mother when there could have been so much more that would have really brought this world to life.

I think Castles in Their Bones could have been wonderful. It could have been amazing even, but it fell flat. I struggled to figure out which POV I was reading without looking at the header. As it went on, it only got harder as all the POVs blended together even more. Beyond that, the plot wasn't enough to keep me intrigued and eager to pick up the neck book (even after that ending).

This is the tale of 3 daughters born to an Empress and raised/trained to accomplish their mother's goal of getting all the land under her rule. They are betrothed to princes from 3 countries and sent out to marry and make sure they do whatever is needed to get their respective countries back under their mother's rule. Daphne arrives to find out her prince (who'd been ill) had died, but the king decides to make his bastard son his heir and she is betrothed to him in the meantime. Sophronia is betrothed to Leopold, and his father had died and he is actually already King with his mother by his side. Beatriz is betrothed to Pascual and his father is a man who has tempers and likes drink and young girls...if you deny him he will have you executed. As they get to know their new homes and new people some of their mother's plans go off the rails. Oh yeah, and they are rumored to be the result of "stardust"...or they are the result of magic.

I really enjoyed this story, although for a little while it was hard to keep everyone straight and already have book 2 on request from the library!

Such a lovely book. This author is always wonderful to read. I'm hoping to reread this in audiobook form so I can finally read the second book(even though I hate the new covers).

First off, this cover is gorgeous. Like something I need to buy asap so I can just stare at a physical copy in my library.

"It is said that the stars shine brighter on the princesses’ birthday, but the princesses themselves think that is balderdash. The stars look the same as they always do, and this year, on the night before the three of them leave their home and one another for the first time in their lives, everything—the stars included—seems far darker" There is just something about star quotes in fantasy novels that I just absolutely adore.

I absolutely adored everything about this book. I think the pacing, the story telling the complexity of the characters and their relationships was absolutely perfect. If I had to critique anything it would be that because of the amount of added letters in the names it made it a little like scrabble for my dyslexic brain, but that is obviously a personal thing and not a real criticism lol.

Overall I just really liked this authors writing and overall story, and I cant wait to read more by her.

I really enjoyed this. Yes, it took awhile to get into and despite being long I'm still not convinced I fully understand the magical system or each country, but once I got into it I really got into it. Definitely has shades of Three Dark Crowns which, hey, I'm not mad at more books about morally grey ladies. I'm excited to read the next one and see where it goes.

Due to some health issues, I was unable to get this book read and reviewed in a timely manner. I apologize.

This book had great characterization, excellent story telling, and made me want to keep reading. I will continue to read from this author and look out for their new releases.

Triplet sisters touched by the stars, raised to be queens….but really raised so their mother can rule all of the lands.

I liked the sisters and the men they fell for or were betrothed to. The empress always seemed evil and out for her own gains, nothing good for anyone else.

Leopold’s mother was a horrid queen and her brother was a horrid king. So basically all of the adults in the story were awful and the teenagers did a better job of running things.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me access to this digital advanced copy to read and review.

Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz were always destined for great things. It's the main reason Empress Margaraux never lamented her lack of sons. After years of training in languages, politics, seduction, and espionage, the girls are finally ready to serve their purpose upon their sixteenth birthday when they will each be married.

Working from within their new homes, each girl is part of a carefully honed plan that will bring the continent under Margaraux's control. Daphne has always known she would be the only daughter to become her mother's heir and she brings that committment with her to Friv where her plans are upended almost immediately thanks to a brewing rebellion. Rebellious Beatriz travels to Cellaria where magic is outlawed and she begins to wonder if she may be more than star-touched as she demonstrates a propensity for summoning stardust. Sophronia has always been the softest of the triplets, but she doesn't find the happy ending she hoped for with her bethrothed in Temarin where mismanagement threatens to topple the kingdom before Margaraux ever can.

As the triplets settle into their new roles, each girl knows her purpose. But with treachery at every turn each sister has to decide if following their mother is the best course of action or the worst mistake they can make in Castles in Their Bones (2022) by Lauren Sebastian.

Castles in Their Bones is the first book in a new trilogy. The story alternates between close third person narratives following the Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz. All main characters--and most of the continent--are cued as white.

With numerous twists and plenty of betrayal, Castles in Their Bones is filled with drama and action as secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested. With very different personalities and goals in their new lives, the three sisters offer interesting perspectives on how to move through the world and claim what agency is available to them. Although dense with world building, Sebastian's writing is fast-paced with short chapters and a cliff hanger ending that will drop more than a few jaws.

Castles in Their Bones is the start of a series that promises to deliver drama and action with plenty of backstabbing along the way.

Possible Pairings: The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad, Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, Rule by Ellen Goodlett, This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi, The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

Castles in Their Bones is a well woven fantasy novel. I found the triple perspective of the triplets both interesting and distracting so I’m a bit ambivalent about it but it was well written just a bit hard to follow. The mystery and political intrigue was fascinating and I love the fact that despite the differences between the sisters is intense they all are strong willed women with their own unique personalities and agendas. Despite being born and raised for the roles their mother intended they find their own footing in a high stake long game. If you like a well woven tail of love, despair, political power and savage rivalries this is the book for you.

What a stunning book! Once I got a handle on the different names of the princesses and the countries, I was set. That was truly my only challenge. In all fairness, it was a lot to learn initially.

Castles in Their Bones is the story of three princesses - - triplets - - raised by their mother (an empress) with the knowledge that when they all turn sixteen, they'll each be married to a prince of another country and will eventually become queen. They have each been raised for a purpose. Their mother is ruthless in her goals and the girls have always known that their futures were preordained.

Of course, their mother didn't take free will into consideration when she was calculating her plans. Each of her daughters does have a mind and conscience of her own. Will they each be able to follow through with their portion of the "plan?"

The atmospheric world and multi-dimensional characters created by Ms. Sebastian were well-done. This book was quite an enjoyable read with a storyline that keeps the reader enthralled. There are also a few well placed twists in the plot to keep things interesting. I was a bit surprised by the ending of this book and look forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

In the imaginary continent of Vesteria, three princesses celebrate their sixteenth birthday together and mourn their time together. They will be sent off to other kingdoms to marry princes. Each princess will go to a different kingdom and marry the ruler; Sophronia is marrying King Leopold, who treats her kindly along with his family and court; Beatriz is marrying Prince Pasquale and seems unwanted by him but she's meant to sway Lord Savelle, as her mother instructed; Daphne is marrying Cillian, who dies before she arrives, so the second heir, Bairre, takes his place in marriage. Each princess struggles with who to trust and in completing their set missions for their mother and her ultimate goals. They’re in more danger than they realize and start to see that they can’t rely on their mother for help or love.

Likes/dislikes: I had a difficult time keeping the three princesses and their corresponding kingdoms straight. I like the premise of villainous deception and seeing the changes that took place within the princesses. I enjoyed the side characters of each prince and the diversity amongst the kingdoms.

Mature Content: PG-13 for kissing and drinking wine.
Language: PG-13 for 19 swears and no f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 for a beheading.
Ethnicity: predominantly white.