Hello!!! First of all, apologies for taking forever to upload this – I had an issue with a duplicate post that was blank; I had the post scheduled but it was the wrong one! No worries, it was brought to my attention and now it should be fixed!!☻
Soooo, Castle in their Bones is a book I was really looking forward to read, as I have Ash Princess on my TBR for ages now! I’m happy to report that I will get to it asap (I promise!). Clearly gorgeous looking covers are Laura’s MO! (yes I *do*judge a book by its cover!).
Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian Series: Castles in their Bones #1
Published on February 1, 2022 by Random House Children's Books
Format: ARC provided by Netgalley, TBR&Beyond
Pages: 528
Purchase Links*:
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy & Magic
A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown. Immerse yourself in the first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series.
Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.
Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides--because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal--to bring down monarchies-- and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother's grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.
The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans--and their mother hasn't told them all of hers.
Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can't trust anyone--not even each other?
This book was received for free from Netgalley, TBR&Beyond in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of this review.We'd like to thank the publishers and Netgalley, TBR&Beyond for the review copy.
❧ Bookish Coven Rating
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.❞
Three girls are born to the formidable Empress Margaraux. And she has a plan for them *queues evil laugh*.
-why would she have wished for three girls when a single boy would have been far more helpful?❞
People wondered. But Beatriz, Sophronia and Daphne are not normal girls: they were conceived with magic, as evident by their silver eyes.
The story is told by different points of view, in third person (which I am particularly fond of) and honestly I loved all of the triplets; I found their storylines to be almost equally compelling. The sisters however are only similar in looks:
Daphne is the charming one, Sophronia the brainy one, and Beatriz is the pretty one. ❞
We pick the story with the girls celebrating their sixteenth birthday and right away they split up going to their respective empires: Beatriz south to Cellaria, Sophronia west to Temarin and Daphne north to Friv. They each have different instructions by their mother and they have been trained their whole life for this: bring these empires to war, so that the Empress of Bessemia swoops in and claims all. I must give it to her. That’s a solid plan. Well, at least in theory.
The lore that Laura Sebastian builds is a detailed one and I very much felt immersed in the world she created. The three girls were my favorite part of course, like I already mentioned. I have a certain fondness for the sisterly love trope. So what?
We’re three stars of the same constellation. Distance won’t change that.❞
One year until the girls meet again. One year for the aforementioned plan, what can go wrong? I have so many more quotes I wish I could share, as Laura has beautiful prose, but I don’t want to for fear of spoiling too much!! All I can say is that:
This is a perfect read for people that want an elaborate magic system, plot twists, multiple POVs, sisterly love, detailed world building, interesting side characters, court intrigues and of course: romance!
I can’t wait for the sequel!!!! Laura Sebastian will slowly kill us I tell you, as this, my fellow readers, is yet another trilogy for us to read and silently wait for its conclusion! *sigh* Anyways, final VERDICT: I highly recommend you read Castle in their Bones!
Now excuse me while I go in a corner and cry, waiting for the sequel, which at least according to goodreads will be out this year?! Silver linings people. Silver linings.
Together until we can’t be.❞
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About Laura Sebastian
Laura Sebastian was born and raised in South Florida (the Redlands and Key Largo) and has always loved telling stories–many apologies to her little brother who often got in trouble because of them. She got her BFA in Performing Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design before realizing she preferred the other side of storytelling.
When Laura isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, cooking/baking, or buying more clothes than her overstuffed closet can fit. She currently lives in London with her two dogs, Neville and Circe.
Her New York Times Bestselling series, Ash Princess, is out now from Delacorte (Penguin Random House. Keep an eye out for her debut adult fantasy book, Half Sick Of Shadows, out Summer 2021, and the first book in her new YA series, Castles In Their Bones.
Really looking forward to reading this one!