Blog Tour: Castles in Their Bones (Castles in Their Bones #1) by Laura Sebastian: A Book Review

     I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CASTLES IN THEIR BONES by Laura Sebastian Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: CASTLES IN THEIR BONES (Castles in their Bones #1)

Author: Laura Sebastian

Pub. Date: February 1, 2022

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 528

Source: This book was given to me by Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Synopsis: 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?

My Review:

     The triplets, Daphne, Beatriz, and Sophronia are the daughters of Empress Margaraux. They have just turned sixteen and have arranged marriages with princes and kings in neighboring countries. However, they are really spies for their mother. They are sent to ruin their adopted kingdoms so their mother can conquer them without ever having to lift a finger. Once these sisters arrive in their new kingdom, they find that it was not as easy to ruin their new country as they had hoped. They find that their mission is rife with obstacles. Can the three sisters ever accomplish their mission?  More importantly, can the sisters continue to remain loyal to each other?

     I found the sisters to be the most compelling characters in the story. They were given different personalities and characteristics. Daphne is cunning and athletic. Beatriz is fashionable and loves balls. Sophronia is clever and loves books. Even though they were trained to be their mother’s ruthless pawns, they actually had a kind heart. Their kindness was often the conflict in the story. Thus, I loved each of the sisters equally and their storylines were very enthralling.

      Overall, this novel is full of political intrigue and sisterhood. I found all the characters to be realistic and well-developed. This novel reminded me of eighteenth century politics. Empress Margaraux reminds me of Empress Maria Teresa who married her daughters for her own benefit at the cost of her daughters’ personal happinesses. While this was a long novel, I did not want this to end! Castles in Their Bones had many surprising twists and turns that it made hard to put down! Castles in Their Bones was a delicious, delightful, and flawless thriller that truly made it a feast for both fantasy and royalty fans alike! I am so excited for the sequel that I wished it came out now! Castle in Their Bones is an actual must-read for fans of Game of Thrones, The Glittering Court, and Three Dark Crowns!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Reviews:

    "Enchanting...filled with captivating court intrigue and espionage." --Kirkus Reviews

     “A page-turner that brilliantly blends magic, romance, and adventure. A twist ending leaves readers reeling but ready for the second installment in the planned trilogy.” --Booklist

     "Sebastian excels at world building...and a few tantalizing open threads certainly warrant interest in the future two volumes in this trilogy." --The Bulletin

     "An extravagantly built series starter" --Publishers Weekly

 About Laura:

     Laura Sebastian grew up in South Florida and attended Savannah  College of Art and Design. She now lives and writes in London, England, with her two dogs, Neville and Circe. Laura is the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series: Ash Princess, Lady Smoke, and Ember Queen, as well as Half Sick of Shadows, her first novel for adults. To learn more about Laura and her books, follow @sebastian_lk on Twitter.

 

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Giveaway Details:

 

3 winners will receive a finished copy of CASTLES IN THEIR BONES, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/31/2022	YABooksCentral	Interview
1/31/2022	History from a Woman’s Perspective	Review
2/1/2022	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review
2/1/2022	onemused	Review
2/2/2022	Star-Crossed Book Blog	Review
2/2/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
2/3/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/3/2022	Celia's Reads	Review
2/4/2022	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
2/4/2022	@lexijava	Review

Week Two:

2/7/2022	The Caffeinated Reader	Review
2/7/2022	The Reading Devil	Review
2/8/2022	BookBriefs	Review
2/8/2022	Momfluenster	Review
2/9/2022	The Momma Spot	Review
2/9/2022	@drewsim12	Review
2/10/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
2/10/2022	A Bookish Dream	Review
2/11/2022	More Books Please blog	Review
2/11/2022	Nerdophiles	Review