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A review by dinipandareads
Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian
5.0
Second read (2024): I re-read this to refresh my memory before continuing with the series to complete it. I'm so glad that I did because there was a lot that I forgot and on re-read I noticed big hints about what was to come by the end of the book. I'm happy to say I loved this as much as I did the first time. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking or necessarily new about the plot, world-building or tropes but this is one of those fantasies that sucks you in and fully immerses you in the action and lives of the characters. I loved it and I'm not someone who tends to enjoy or gravitate to political/courtly/royal dramas!
In this fantasy world, the magic revolves around the stars. I found this aspect particularly delightful because I don't think I've read a book where not only the magic system is based on understanding the constellations and wishing on stars but so is the religion. With four nations to learn about—Bessemia, Friv, Temarin, and Cellaria—I'm happy to say that the world-building wasn't too much too fast. There is a wide cast of characters to remember but with the way the author write's the three sister's perpsectives, it's surprisingly easy to recall who's who and what's what. Even if you're a newbie to the fantasy genre, I don't think you'll be overwhelmed because the world isn't much different to ours (only the addition of magic). The author also gave enough about each country to set them apart although I think only one country stood out the least and that's ironically (or not) the seat of the Empress: Bessemia.
The plot is a fairly standard for the royal + fantasy plots. Three princesses are raised to help their mother overthrow everyone so she could become the all-powerful ruler of Vesteria. What sets these princesses apart is that they're star-kissed triplets believed to have been born from quite literally wishing upon a star. This makes them a little bit mysterious. I loved following all three perspectives although one sister tried me more than the others and between the first and second time I read this, Daphne still managed to successfully irritate me.
In this fantasy world, the magic revolves around the stars. I found this aspect particularly delightful because I don't think I've read a book where not only the magic system is based on understanding the constellations and wishing on stars but so is the religion. With four nations to learn about—Bessemia, Friv, Temarin, and Cellaria—I'm happy to say that the world-building wasn't too much too fast. There is a wide cast of characters to remember but with the way the author write's the three sister's perpsectives, it's surprisingly easy to recall who's who and what's what. Even if you're a newbie to the fantasy genre, I don't think you'll be overwhelmed because the world isn't much different to ours (only the addition of magic). The author also gave enough about each country to set them apart although I think only one country stood out the least and that's ironically (or not) the seat of the Empress: Bessemia.
The plot is a fairly standard for the royal + fantasy plots. Three princesses are raised to help their mother overthrow everyone so she could become the all-powerful ruler of Vesteria. What sets these princesses apart is that they're star-kissed triplets believed to have been born from quite literally wishing upon a star. This makes them a little bit mysterious. I loved following all three perspectives although one sister tried me more than the others and between the first and second time I read this, Daphne still managed to successfully irritate me.