Alright! This one almost got me.

I was concerned by the uncanny valley, doll-like cover art and the fact that the synopsis reminded me of "Three Dark Crowns". However, a while back I read "Ash Princess" by Laura Sebastian and though it was worthwhile, so I took a risk on this.

At the beginning, it was merely okay.

Our MCs are three triplet sisters, raised from birth to marry princes of neighboring countries so that their (conniving, power-hungry, sociopathic) queen mother can destroy and conquer those countries. There is a bit of a tell/show gap at the beginning. The narrative insists about all the sisters that "she's fluent in [x] languages, an expert seductress, experienced in all manner of lies and political intrigue, etc." when the sisters insist on acting just like every teenager.

This is always a little annoying, but as the sisters split up into their various roles and start taking action, the gap narrows and we get to see them as the prose intends us to.

Each sister has a love interest, and encounters challenges in her respective country. There are politics and betrayal, but the twists are pretty pedestrian and expected, right up until about the 80% mark. Then I started going... wait... oh shoot.

And then at the 95% mark... wait. Oh SHOOT.

Like I said, it almost got me. I was truly hooked at 80%, which is nice but is way too long to wait for the investment to really hit. I'm very interested in the ending and where everything is going from here, but I'm not sure I trust the next book to keep the momentum going.

God, this was a 400 page book where almost nothing happened until the very end. The characters were all selfish but somehow just questioned their decisions so much that it was annoying.

I adore Laura Sebastian and started with her Ash Princess series. This book is a beautiful new fantasy that I loved!

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.

Laura weaves an excellent fantasy tale, a great first book in a new series that you shouldn't miss! I can't wait to see Laure at YALC this summer!!

I'd like to thank the publisher Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had to DNR this at about 20%. It did not feel like it was delivering on the book blurb, and felt younger than I had anticipated. Just couldn’t get hooked.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to say that I enjoyed the triples in this book and the way they grew from what they begin as. Each of them was very different from the others and that made them special. The description of the world was good. I did not like that their mother was said to be the driving force behind them but is really only appears at the beginning of the book and as well as in their heads as a voice. I am curious to see how the rest of the series plays out.

I enjoyed this book at first. It was cool to follow the three girls as they went off to be married or engaged and then work to undermine the neighboring kingdoms for their mother. The girls were tough and smart and well trained for the job. Then they learned all was not as it seemed and I liked how Sophronia and Daphne started thinking for themselves. It got really dark at the end though, which I was not expecting and I was left with quite the cliffhanger.

I will say only two things more. I do not like the triplet's mother and I though the whole wishing on a star, quite literally was cool. I am kinda afraid to finish the series though I am hooked to see what else might happen or go wrong.

As a mother, going to any lengths for your child seems a no brainer, we would do anything for them. However, training them to be assasins? I am not sure even I would go that far. Castle in their Bones is a phenomenal book filled with strong leads, female determination, family bonds, and the one thing we all strive for, power...er I mean, love. The writing was great, if a little clunky in parts. I came for the concept, but stayed for Daphne, Bea, and Soph.

**4.5-stars**

Castles in their Bones is the start of a YA Fantasy trilogy from beloved author Laura Sebastian. This story follows three princesses, Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz, who have been raised by their mother, the Empress Margaraux, with one goal in mind: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The triplets are now 16-years old and ready to marry. They've had husbands selected for them pretty much since birth, whoever would be most advantageous as far as alliances go. You know how it is to be royalty. What's love got to do with it?

Margaraux has trained her girls in the arts of deception, seduction and violence. For their part, the girls have soaked it in. They know what they are supposed to do. In spite of this, it's going to be difficult. They've never been away from one another. Surviving on their own is something completely foreign to them.

As their adult lives begin, the girls face new challenges and new tests on their loyalties. They discover things as well, about the greater world around them, things they've maybe never taken into consideration before. As you follow the ladies into these positions, you can actually feel their mother's chess pieces moving on the board. The tension builds until you're aren't sure who you can trust. It was cleverly plotted. Well done by Sebastian!

I was really impressed with this. I went in expecting a fairly standard YA Fantasy, but this was anything but. I loved how intricate the scheming and plotting was. Absolutely diabolical!

I really enjoyed all three of the girls. I loved getting to know them and watching each of their journeys as they moved to their future husband's courts. They ended up in vastly different circumstances and watching them navigate through the challenges they faced was so interesting. You could really see how the core of their personalities shaped the decisions they were making.

I found Daphne to be the character I personally connected with the most. I appreciated how she was able to keep her emotions at arms length from her tasks. She knew what she was there to do and she was really quite cunning about her interactions.

While this one started a little slowly, it definitely went out with a bang. I cannot believe how long I am going to have to wait for the continuation of this story. How you play me like that, Laura Sebastian!? The very final portion of this left me absolutely shook. It explained a lot and I am seriously at the edge of my seat with anticipation to get my hands on the next installment.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Bring on the sequel!

Thank you NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Laura Sebastian for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I LOVED this book and it’s one of my favorite YA fantasy novels that I’ve read. It follows three sisters - Beatriz, Daphne, and Sophronia - as they’re married off to different kingdoms that they’re meant to destroy from the inside.

I really loved the world-building in this novel and it gave just enough that I was never confused. The three different kingdoms really fascinated me and I honestly liked all three POV’s the same, which is rare for me. My favorite sister was definitely Sophronia though and that ending was so shocking!

This book reminded me a bit of the TV show Reign, with the political intrigue and costumes and such, and I really liked that. I also enjoyed the magic that was involved the the different romances and friendships throughout. Overall, this is a really strong start to a new series with a fantastic ending. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

This was a good read, not too long and keeps you interested. It could have a little more depth to it, but overall the worldbuilding was pretty good and I enjoyed the main characters. I will definitely be waiting to see what comes next!

What I imagined from the description was a bit dark, sexy and clever. It is those, but more geared towards younger YA than I expected. It was still an entertaining read, but I think this will be the end of the trilogy for me.

I am on the fence about this one. It was fun and different but also the same in many ways and a bit recycled. I wouldn't suggest libraries purchase it unless requested as the author isn't very well known and the story isn't vry stand outish.

I wanted more from this book than it gave me. I was expecting it to skew older YA, but instead it seems to hover more on the Middle Grade/YA end of the spectrum. I was hoping for some Goblin Emperor level of political intrigue but instead I got... not that. I think I'd have liked it more if I'd gone into it expecting more The Two Princesses of Bamarre and less Game of Thrones.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Laura Sebastian for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

I absolutely adore Laura Sebastian, so I knew as soon as I saw this book pop up, I knew I had to read it. It definitely didn't quite live up to my expectations, but that's okay- I think it was just meant for a slightly younger audience.

I did enjoy the multiple POV's, but I feel like the storyline wasn't quite there for me. I know this book will be right up a lot of peoples' alley though, so that's good.

3.5 stars rounded up. I actually really enjoyed reading this one, and I love the whole court intrigue vibe. The names in this one are a bit… well let’s just call them whimsical haha.

Anyways, I did expect a bit more upper YA but it reads a bit younger. Once I adjusted my expectations I found it to be quite a fun read. I think fans of her first series and fans of things like The Selection etc. will enjoy this series! I’m looking forward to continuing the story and seeing where it goes.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

3 Stars

When I saw this book pop up on Netgalley, I decided to request it simply because the premise sounded interesting and up my alley. I ended up being somewhat disappointed, but that’s not to say that others will enjoy it.

It just ended up being mediocre, and nothing truly stood out to me. I wanted to give this author another chance to see if she improved since Ash Princess, which she did, but this just wasn’t for me.

Empress Margaraux has raised her daughters – Beatriz, Daphne, and Sophronia – with one purpose in mind: for each of them to become a queen in their own right. More than that, each queen will drive their new realm to the brink of devastation so that the Empress can claim them all as her own, creating one large empire for her to rule. Never have any of them questioned the plan, or the things they’ll have to do to help their mother achieve her goal. Until they each find a home (of sorts) in their new realms, with their new partners, and in new environments. Maybe they don’t want being their mother’s pawn to be their sole role in life. But what life can they build when every moment since birth has been leading to this?

I freaking loved this book. I blew through it, I couldn’t put it down, I had no idea what to expect, and I am APPALLED at the cliffhanger ending and the fact that I’ll have to wait who knows how long to find out what happens next – and if what the author wants me to think happened actually happened because I can’t bear it if it really happened.

Narrated by all three sisters, I was at first worried I’d get confused by the changing POV with their three new kingdoms and their three soon-to-be spouses, but each girl’s perspective and journey is so unique and personal that getting muddled wasn’t even an option. On top of that, there wasn’t one perspective I disliked or honored more than another, they were all very equal – very rare in stories that shift POVs; there’s usually an outlier.

It’s not the most complicated story, and I definitely expected something darker than what I got, but I somehow loved this book all the more for it? The tension, the plots, the scheming, the many layers of betrayal and playing both sides – I felt it all. I was equally invested in each taste of romance and most twists came out of absolutely nowhere, keeping me turning pages with increasing speed as the book went on.

I can’t overstate how much I enjoyed this read and I CANNOT WAIT for the sequel.

Trigger warning: sexual harassment.

Como vocês já sabem, essa resenha é em parceria com a Random House Internacional, de quem recebemos esse eARC (Advance reading copy: algo como “uma cópia de leitura avançada”, ou seja, o livro ainda pode sofrer alterações antes de ser publicado). Também lembrando que essa resenha terá um formato diferente: por ser um ARC, não haverão quotes, já como os livros podem sofrer mudanças em seu texto antes de serem comercializados. Gostaríamos de agradecer profundamente a Editora pela oportunidade de parceria.

Eu estou sofrendo (e não estou brincando, hein). Quem conversou comigo em qualquer lugar sabe que eu sou fã de carteirinha da trilogia “Princesa das Cinzas” da autora Laura Sebastian (Você pode ler minha resenha dos livros da trilogia separadamente clicando AQUI) justamente pela dor que a protagonista (Theo maravilhosa) passa, então eu fui confiante pra ler “Castles in Their Bones”, o 1º livro da nova trilogia da autora, esperando muito sofrimento no livro. Já conhecia a escrita da autora, gosto do ritmo da leitura e sei que ela não teve pena de seus personagens em sua trilogia prévia, mas eu confesso que NÃO esperei o que esse livro iria aprontar comigo não. Já fazem dias que eu terminei de ler e quanto mais eu penso, mais dolorida eu fico porque – óbvio que não vou falar os motivos, mas vou te falar que eu realmente não esperava. Não mesmo.

Mas ok, parando de falar sobre minha grande impressão do livro, vamos do começo: Anos atrás houve uma guerra e o continente de Vesteria agora está dividido em 4 nações: Bessemia é o lar das 3 princesas principais do livro e governado pela Imperatriz Margaraux, que teve 3 filhas trigêmeas, e para selar a paz entre os países, deu a mão de cada filha a cada um dos príncipes herdeiros das outras 3 nações do continente: Beatriz vai para o sul, para Cellaria, se casar com o príncipe Pasquale; Sophronia se casaria com o príncipe Leopold, da nação de Temarin e Daphne deveria se casar com o príncipe Cillian, indo para o norte, em Friv. Essa foi a pior parte do livro para mim: assimilar que as personagens principais iriam para núcleos diferentes e com personagens diferentes com diversos nomess para decorar, mas acho que eu já resumi bastante para quem for se jogar na trama.

A trama começa na festa de 16 anos das irmãs que partirão no dia seguinte para encontrarem seus pares e se casarem, assumindo seus lugares como Rainhas e, principalmente, começar a colocar o plano de sua mãe em ação porque não, a Imperatriz Margaraux não prometeu as filhas para estreitar relações com as nações fronteiriças: ela prometeu as filhas para que elas enfraqueçam seus maridos das mais diversas formas para que possa invadir os outros países, reunificando o continente em um único e grande país sob seu comando, claro. A Imperatriz criou as filhas de uma forma quase militar: elas lutam, elas sabem falar as línguas dos países nos quais irão morar, elas sabem finanças, elas aprenderam a seduzir, a mentir, a enganar e a roubar, tudo em um plano que tem realmente tudo pra dar certo – mas as garotas têm personalidade distintas e claro que isso afetará no andamento do plano.

Beatriz é a irmã que nasceu com o dom da beleza, porque apesar das 3 serem trigêmeas, é a beleza dela que realmente se destaca e a única que responde a mãe de uma forma quase desafiadora. Sophronia é a a irmã doce, romântica, que tenta fazer o certo (e, confesso, minha favorita), enquanto Daphne tem algo a mais que faz se tornar a favorita da Imperatriz e acredita que um dia reinará ao lado da mãe por toda Vesteria, sendo a irmã mais dúbia (e acho que vai se tornar a favorita de quem ler porque ela tem muito, muito apelo).

Essa confusão de fixar na mente durante a leitura para onde cada uma das irmãs iam e seus núcleos foi, de longe, o pior ponto do livro (já falei isso, mas repito). Eu entendo totalmente que era necessário porque é mesmo o enredo da sinopse, mas foi difícil, confesso, e o que ajuda é um pequeno mapa (também com a localização dos países) quanto uma pequena árvore das famílias logo no começo do livro, os quais consultei bastante.

Logo cada uma estava em sua nação e então as tramas individuais começam: assim que chega Friv, Daphne tem uma grande mudança em seu plano já como o príncipe Cillian, que estava notoriamente doente, faleceu. Agora ela terá de se casar com o bastardo do Rei, chamado simplesmente de Bairre. Bastante dúbia, a personagem começa a se enveredar pelo gelado país de Friv com a desconfiança de seu agora noivo, mas sua inteligência é realmente sua aliada, a salvando diversas vezes do que poderia lhe acontecer.

Enquanto isso, em Cellaria, Beatriz conhece o príncipe Pasquale e fica claro que o casamento entre eles não irá dar certo (sem grandes spoilers aqui, já falei!), mas o relacionamento entre os dois vai se intensificando e ficando mais e mais forte, enquanto ela é apresentada aos primos do noivo, Nicolo e Gisella. As coisas nesta corte parecem mais complexas e mais dadas a tramas palacianas, coisa que eu simplesmente amo, prendendo bastante minha atenção já como era o tempo inteiro um querendo trair o outro, incrível de se ler (mas um pesadelo de se imaginar passando por toda aquela trama sem fim), principalmente da parte do Rei, um ser bastante asqueroso – o pai de Pasquale, o Rei Cesare, é irmão da Rainha Eugenia, mãe de Leopold…

… Que é justamente o último núcleo de trama: Sophronia se torna a Rainha de Temarin, se casando com Leopold, com quem trocou inúmeras cartas ao longo dos anos e que a deixa confusa já como ele parece ser uma boa pessoa nas páginas, mas, para o povo do seu país, nem tanto: com taxas exorbitantes e execuções pública, Temarin parece ser a nação mais a deriva, tudo pela falta de experiência de Leopold que subiu ao trono logo após a morte do seu pai, o Rei Carlisle. Leopold é bastante apegado a sua mãe, a Rainha Eugenia, que tem forte controle sobre o filho mas que parece ser bastante gentil com a recém-chegada nora – mas será real? Acho que vocês já entenderam que aqui é trama em cima de trama, então só lendo para descobrir, mas confesso que foi o núcleo que mais me apeguei e sofri por.

Além disso tudo, há magia. Sim, há magia no universo de “Castles in Their Bones” e astronomia. Eu confesso que fiquei encantada com toda parte que as estrelas tem na trama. Para vocês terem ideias, nos votos de casamento, eles pedem a proteção das Estrelas (e isso é tão lindo que não sei explicar) e ainda temos o fator Stardust (pó de estrelas, literalmente) que é capaz de produzir magia e de mudar a coloração dos olhos de quem o consome, deixando de um tom prateado. E claro que há também em trama em cima disso, já como Cellaria não aceita nenhum tipo de magia em suas terras e também é claro que as irmãs aproveitam tudo que podem para conseguir alcançar seus objetivos – até entenderem que não sabem de todos os planos ao redor delas, levando a narrativa em direção a um final que me tirou o fôlego.

E aqui quero fazer um parênteses: eu adorei o livro, mas, pela confusão que passei no começo e por termos bastante momentos que parecia que a trama não estava avançado, eu estava crente que o livro merecia uma sólida nota 4. Então chegou os 2 capítulos finais e o prólogo e eu confesso que tomei um choque real porque eu JAMAIS esperei que a Laura Sebastian fosse fazer o que ela fez, e quando acontece essa “coisa”, você não pode dizer que está fora do que foi apresentado na trama porque era óbvio que quem provocou tal coisa definitivamente faria isso e até mesmo deu dicas durante a trama. A autora me tirou de minha zona de conforto em acreditar que iria ler uma fantasia na qual as garotas seriam badass e tudo iria dar certo, e eu ainda estou sem saber como colocar aqui nessa resenha o que eu senti porque realmente não esperei. Ah, o prazer de ser surpreendida.

Por enquanto não temos qualquer informação sobre essa trilogia no Brasil, mas como a trilogia “Princesa das Cinzas” foi publicada pela Editora Arqueiro, vamos manter as esperanças que esse livro chegue oor aqui. Não estou brincando quando eu digo que a trama é complicada, requer atenção no começo, mas o impacto que você tem com essas personagens não é pouco, o que me leva a realmente prestar atenção na autora Laura Sebastian para seus futuros trabalhos. Já o segundo universo que ela constrói muito, muito bem, que deixa o leitor curioso para entender como tudo funciona. Mas, como este livro terminou em uma nota tão alta para mim, eu estou preocupada com o que vem pela frente e a decepção que pode vir dai (aguardemos). Mas também estou curiosa, claro, até porque os outro 2 volumes da série não tem previsão de publicação e nem títulos divulgados, então só nos resta apelar às estrelas que nos ajudem para que os livros cheguem o mais rápido possível – tanto em inglês, quanto aqui no Brasil.

Three princess "built" to destroy the kingdoms they were sent to marry into and then one day have all the kingdoms rule under one, their own home kingdom. Sounds greats right?

Well.... The story is told from all the sisters POV, which I think should have either been longer. Some just seem to send so quickly when more could have been said.

Of all the sisters, only one was told she would rule everything when their mother died and the other two don't know about it. So right now, it's pop the champagne and enjoy their last night together before they set off to their new homes and get married and being their plans to rule everything.

Currently, I'm not sure if I'm loving this series, BUT I don't hate it. The start of the plans seems to being meh. One is married off the bat, one is waiting and the other just isn't marrying the prince she was supposed to. So okay, not bad and then BAM we are down to two sisters which is a twist I was certainly surprised to see. So I'm hoping the second book will really hook me in.