So happy that I had the ARC, because after the cliffhanger from book one, I got to devour this one quickly! (4.5 Stars)

Stardust in Their Veins solidifies the improvements Sebastian has made as a writer between this series and her debut trilogy, Ash Princess (which I was not a fan of). My pet peeve in the fantasy genre is that plot twists about character fatality often end up being reversed (because, of course, magic!). This reversal is cheap, uninspired writing. If you're going to jump off the cliff, you can't go back to the limp.

Thankfully, those who are no longer present STAY no longer present- if you've read book one, you know what I'm talking about. Happy to report that Sebastian avoids this cliché, and the consequences from book one continue to play out in book two.

Violie, Sophronia's maid, is added as a POV in this installment, and she's a welcome addition to the group. At times, though, she could be a little too similar in attitude and disposition to Daphne. As we become more familiar with her in book three, perhaps that may change. Speaking of Daphne, the tension of her plotlines is massively improved in this book. I actually looked forward to her chapters, rather than skimming to get back to Sophronia or Beatriz. She is also probably the most developed character, with the most complex relationships and the most difficult decisions to make. This time around, however, Beatriz had the least interesting story. There isn't enough world-building about Bessemia for me to care what's going on, and we get it, the Empress is evil. Furthermore, Pasquale isn't developed enough as a character for me to be truly invested in his friendship with Beatriz or his relationship with Ambrose. There's no negative traits to him that endear him as a three-dimensional character. Ambrose is even worse- flatter than paper. Especially since Sebastian has added new view points, it may be prudent to include Pasquale's, as he may have an interesting story to tell. I want to care about Pasquale, I really do! I just...don't.
Speaking of half-baked characters- Nigellus. Was I supposed to care? He certainly is not "warm, demanding mentor" that we see often in YA, and that's perfectly fine. If anything, I love a morally gray mentor. However, he just adds absolutely nothing to the story, or to Beatriz. She could have gotten all the information she needed elsewhere, and his conversations with her tended to drag on. He needs to be crueler, or more entertaining, or somewhere in between. He just needs...more. Nicolo belongs in this boring boat, too.

Aside from a slightly lagging middle section, Stardust in Their Veins remains tightly plotted and exciting. I've been entirely absorbed into this world, and I'm sad to leave it until the next book is released.

I am begging Laura Sebastian, BEGGING, for more Gisella in book three! I love me some anti-heroines, and her cunning and self-preservation was delicious. More of her, please! A POV, perhaps?

The most pressing problem of Stardust were those of logic. There were one too many moments of, "how have they not figured this out yet?!" Daphne is denser than rock in some aspects, and she's supposed to be the smartest one. It takes WAY too long for her to realize how treacherous her mother is, and it got tedious watching her justify the Empress' actions for the ten thousandth time.
The Frivian rebellion continues to boil in book two, but their motives are not that clear. Why do they hate King Bartholomew so much? I remember it being referenced in book one, but there's no outward text evidence to support the rebels' hatred of him. Some scenes that demonstrate the pain Bartholomew has caused to Friv would solidify the rebels' actions better. At this point, I don't really care if the rebellion is quelled or not, because I don't really understand what they want anyway. And speaking of Bartholomew, he is a fool, and I'm not sure how the rebels haven't killed him already.
And the tiniest of logic issues- how does Bairre NOT recognize Leopold? They were princes of neighboring countries; I doubt that they have never met each other before.

Another fantastic entry for this series- already foaming at the mouth for book three!

The second installment of the Castles in their Bones trilogy, Sebastian brings us back to the world of Daphne and Beatriz. The princesses are both at loose ends, what with their mother’s scheming and their sister’s death and they must decide where their loyalties lie. Beatriz makes the journey back to her treacherous mother’s court while Daphne tries to figure out if she is her mother’s daughter through and through. Intrigue abounds in this fantastical story. Once again I am amazed by the world building that Sebastian has accomplished and her mastery of continuing the writing from the first book (told in alternating viewpoints of the three sisters) despite the death of one of them! Excellent twist at the end as well. Yet again, desperately awaiting the next in the series!

The author has written other young adult novels that I have enjoyed, so I was very glad to be able to review this one. Although this is the second in the trilogy, I think that this may be Ms. Sebastian's best yet. Excellent world-building, characters I liked (always important), and the idea of destiny - can we change it? Wonderful, captivating writing and original plot gives this novel the depth and ability to pull in any reader. I highly recommend this author and all of her other books I have read have been nothing less than fantastic. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to own this novel in print.

I loved the first book and the second did not disappoint! So engaging and interesting and I cannot wait to read the third book. My new favorite Laura Sebastian series!!

This is an incredible follow up! The same magic grows and the characters develop. I absolutely adore this book and how much it sucked me in. This book really is such a fantastic sophomore book in this series.

A very good middle book for a three part series. I would like to hear more from the Queen's point of view. It is hard to believe she is that evil. Eagerly anticipating the third novel.

I really enjoyed this book and discovering this authors works. The story was full of adventure and twists and turns that I found very engaging. I absolutely loved this story and the journey the characters went through. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.