Castles in Their Bones (Castles in Their Bones, #1)

What I liked:
Castle in their bones is told in alternating points of view of 3 triplets created with the help of stardust, raised from birth to help their mother rule the world. The author has created an exciting magic system centered around the stars, and those powerful enough to pull leads from the sky are called Empryeas. The three sisters and their future husbands make for some fascinating reading. Each one has been paired since birth, but one is gay, one has to take the place of his brother who died, and the other is not well-liked. The plot of this story you think you know where it is going, but there are some plot twists I did not even see coming, and wow, the ending. This author has always delivered a good story, which is no exception.
Final Verdict:
Castles in their Bones is the perfect story for fans of House of Dragons, To Kill a Kingdom, and Shadow Between us. It keeps you guessing; the political intrigue, the lengths the mother goes to, and the betrayals are so shocking. The romance is done sweet and slow and not over the top. I can not wait for the next installment of this series. You might be up all night finishing this one.

CASTLES IN THEIR BONES is a riveting and slow-building YA fantasy that follows triplets. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz have just turned 16, princesses to the large kingdom of Bessemia, ruled by their mother, the Empress. Since birth, they have been trained in all the arts - military, political, seductive, and so on. All to take their places as the brides of the heirs to the three surrounding countries. Their mother's plot has consumed their lives, and they each have a role to play in what is to come - hopefully being reunited in Bessemia in a year, with more kingdoms under their mother's domain.

As they each head to their separate kingdoms, they know what is expected of them. However, nothing seems as simple or straight-forward as they had expected. Told in alternating perspectives, each of the sister's stories will sweep the reader away to this world of intrigue, danger, and magic with plenty of shocking twists along the way.

What I loved: This is a story that is best entered unassuming and without a lot of knowledge of the plots. There are so many unexpected twists and turns that this book takes the reader for quite the ride. Each of the three sisters has a distinct voice and disparate experiences in a way that sets each of the points-of-view apart. It does take a while to remember the key players and kingdoms apart, but the map and family trees at the beginning of the book do help a lot. Before long, the riveting stories pull the reader in and get the pages turning quickly. As it switches between the three sisters, it does feel like it moves slowly in places, but I do feel like the additional character growth and depth made the beginning slow pace fully worth it.

Themes around family, power, politics, desires/wishes, romantic love, betrayal, and secrets/lies make this a really thought-provoking and intriguing read. Each of the sisters was compelling and distinct in their own ways, and their perspectives introduced complex secondary characters, some of whom the reader will come to love or despise - this story becomes very emotionally evocative. As a warning, there is a major character death in this book, and it's shocking - the book takes a lot of twists and turns, particularly towards the end. This is a spellbinding read that I am absolutely eager to continue.

Final verdict: An enchanting and evocative read, CASTLES IN THEIR BONES is the first book in a riveting YA fantasy series with shocking reveals and compelling characters. Highly recommend for fans of THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US, THE WINTER DUKE, and TO KILL A KINGDOM.