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amyapple's review
3.0
I wanted to give up at 50% but I got through it and was glad I did.
No more world building happens in this book as such and continues to be character driven. What is jarring however is that some of the characters seem to merge and there were times I would flip back to check I was reading the right POV and not another.
I was hoping Soph was some twist as I liked her but the fact she’s stayed gone worked and made the story different from the usual predictable.
The book was really teased out with filler and so much unnecessary dialogue so the book would have gotten a better reception from me if it was.
Decent cliffhanger for the next book.
No more world building happens in this book as such and continues to be character driven. What is jarring however is that some of the characters seem to merge and there were times I would flip back to check I was reading the right POV and not another.
I was hoping Soph was some twist as I liked her but the fact she’s stayed gone worked and made the story different from the usual predictable.
The book was really teased out with filler and so much unnecessary dialogue so the book would have gotten a better reception from me if it was.
Decent cliffhanger for the next book.
readingwithkirstyn's review against another edition
3.0
I was really unsure what to expect from the sequel to castles in their bones, but this one really did not fail me. It filled that gap I had empty after the first book. A worthy successor and does not fall victim to the middle book syndrome. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next.
kristipinkman's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mayaet's review
4.0
Again a freaking amazing novel, I’m obsessed with this series. Most of my comments for this book are similar to the 1st novel in this series, the plot is crazy and all the characters are so well developed and even the settings feel so real. I managed to read a bit of this book every night and morning during the first few weeks of uni, I was super happy to have maintained reading as a habit and a huge credit to this maintenance was how easy yet magnificent this novel was.
I can’t believe Sophie actually died, I’m still not over it. However, I do think Sebastian was able to use Violie as a "replacement" character, it was interesting to read the POV of a non-royal. I wish we got more out of Nigellus, in terms of his character and his dynamics with Empress Margareux. Also I would love more of the Empress' POVs !
My favorite character is hands down Beatriz, I love how wild and passionate she is, all I can say is I need her to be with someone, I need to see that dynamic! (even if it's Nicolo)
I can’t believe Sophie actually died, I’m still not over it. However, I do think Sebastian was able to use Violie as a "replacement" character, it was interesting to read the POV of a non-royal. I wish we got more out of Nigellus, in terms of his character and his dynamics with Empress Margareux. Also I would love more of the Empress' POVs !
My favorite character is hands down Beatriz, I love how wild and passionate she is, all I can say is I need her to be with someone, I need to see that dynamic! (even if it's Nicolo)
micksgotkicks's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
thisbookishbee's review against another edition
5.0
I was given this arc in exchange for an honest review - thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for inviting me to read this arc through netgalley.
I loved this book. I needed to know what happened after the events of the last book and I wasn't let down. We were treated to the POV's of Beatriz, Daphne and Violie, who took up Sophronia's POV's after the events of Castles in their Bones.
Out of everyone I think I enjoyed Beatriz and Violie's POV's more than Daphne's, but she grew on me more as the story went on and it was believable too. Who wants to believe that their mother is capable of such horrible things?
I'm excited to see where things go in the third installment, and whether the girls will succeed in their efforts to stop their mother's plans of world domination, because that is exactly what she wants. To rule over everyone.
I loved this book. I needed to know what happened after the events of the last book and I wasn't let down. We were treated to the POV's of Beatriz, Daphne and Violie, who took up Sophronia's POV's after the events of Castles in their Bones.
Out of everyone I think I enjoyed Beatriz and Violie's POV's more than Daphne's, but she grew on me more as the story went on and it was believable too. Who wants to believe that their mother is capable of such horrible things?
I'm excited to see where things go in the third installment, and whether the girls will succeed in their efforts to stop their mother's plans of world domination, because that is exactly what she wants. To rule over everyone.
katrinaisabella_'s review against another edition
4.0
Wow, just wow, Laura Sebastian. You have done it again. Stardust in their veins is the second book in the "castle in their bones" trilogy. I was blown away when I read Castles last year, and Stardust did not disappoint me at all. It ended up being not only my most anticipated read but also one of my favourite reads for 2023.
After that crazy, jaw-dropping ending for Castles, we are thrown directly into the action for Stardust, and I really do hope this is a continuous theme in this trilogy because there's something about diving into a book exactly where the last left off and not trying to fabricate something or have a time jump. There really is no time to take a breath, fully take in, or understand what is happening, which creates this really strong rhythm of action.
We see so much more magic than what we were given in Castles, and although as much i loved that we dived deeper into the magic system, I wanted more of it. It needed to weave into the plot, and I really hope that there's more in book three. Or maybe I'm just expecting too much from the magic system, and it's meant to be simple and in the background.
While this seems to be Beatriz's book, Beatriz as a character has very little develop within this story, yes she becomes braver and more mature than she was in Castles, it seems that this really was Daphne's book to shine in, we go from a girl that plays a role, follows the rules and keeps her emotions to herself to someone that is constantly conflicted and questioning everything around her and you can see this page to page, right up until the point she has to make a very important decision and she just cracks, Daphne's character development in this book is so different to her sisters or even the new character Violie - another character that developed really well in this book- to the point that Daphne is a completely different person to who she was at the start.
I am looking forward to book 3 so much, and I cannot wait to be able to binge read all three books together! I highly recommend this series.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for this e-arc
After that crazy, jaw-dropping ending for Castles, we are thrown directly into the action for Stardust, and I really do hope this is a continuous theme in this trilogy because there's something about diving into a book exactly where the last left off and not trying to fabricate something or have a time jump. There really is no time to take a breath, fully take in, or understand what is happening, which creates this really strong rhythm of action.
We see so much more magic than what we were given in Castles, and although as much i loved that we dived deeper into the magic system, I wanted more of it. It needed to weave into the plot, and I really hope that there's more in book three. Or maybe I'm just expecting too much from the magic system, and it's meant to be simple and in the background.
While this seems to be Beatriz's book, Beatriz as a character has very little develop within this story, yes she becomes braver and more mature than she was in Castles, it seems that this really was Daphne's book to shine in, we go from a girl that plays a role, follows the rules and keeps her emotions to herself to someone that is constantly conflicted and questioning everything around her and you can see this page to page, right up until the point she has to make a very important decision and she just cracks, Daphne's character development in this book is so different to her sisters or even the new character Violie - another character that developed really well in this book- to the point that Daphne is a completely different person to who she was at the start.
I am looking forward to book 3 so much, and I cannot wait to be able to binge read all three books together! I highly recommend this series.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for this e-arc
serinde4books's review against another edition
5.0
I was so excited to continue this series, and i wasn’t disappointed. I do admit the first quarter or slow was a little slow, probably because i had to re-immerse myself into story. The characters remained who they were, but with some growth. The intrigue got murkier and the plot more dangerous. I loved it.
*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
aneges's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is definitely not a perfect book but I was invested in the characters in a way it rarely happens to me.
I loved the way they were flawed but also grew so much throughout the story.
One of my favourite things was definitely the relationship between Beatriz and Pasquale, it’s rare to see such a good partnership not based on romance and I’m so glad they bonded and stuck with each other.
I also liked Daphne and Bairre obviously, the fact that they both had secrets but clearly still cared for each other and the fact that she might be more “evil” than him is an added bonus.
In the end I also got attached to Violie even though I was skeptic at first, she turned out to be a great character with a good redemption arc. Not a super fan of the hints about him and Leo and I hope it doesn’t go in that direction for Sophie’s sake or at least that it evolves slowly.
There were some parts that were a bit predictable and some things were too convenient for the main characters but in the end I still enjoyed it a lot and I am sad that I can’t start right away the sequel.
I loved the way they were flawed but also grew so much throughout the story.
One of my favourite things was definitely the relationship between Beatriz and Pasquale, it’s rare to see such a good partnership not based on romance and I’m so glad they bonded and stuck with each other.
I also liked Daphne and Bairre obviously, the fact that they both had secrets but clearly still cared for each other and the fact that she might be more “evil” than him is an added bonus.
In the end I also got attached to Violie even though I was skeptic at first, she turned out to be a great character with a good redemption arc. Not a super fan of the hints about him and Leo and I hope it doesn’t go in that direction for Sophie’s sake or at least that it evolves slowly.
There were some parts that were a bit predictable and some things were too convenient for the main characters but in the end I still enjoyed it a lot and I am sad that I can’t start right away the sequel.