Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Castles in their Bones

Triplet princesses who are trained from birth to marry into other royal families and take over so their mother, the Empress, can rule all of them.

That sounds incredibly interesting and it was for the most part, but I wasn't really wowed by the book. It was a fine read and if you like court fantasies then this is probably a book you would like. I'm interested enough to continue the series but I don't know, I was kind of underwhelmed.

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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

3.25

The premise of this book centers around political intrigue told in multiple POV.

While I'm not a big fan of multiple POV, especially when it's more than two, I did enjoy this book.

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frantically's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

me, talking about margaraux:
"'i could fix her' yeah? well i could accept her as she is. you don't like the murder? grow up. the atrocities are part of her and ive decided they're funny"

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this_momma_is_booked's review against another edition

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adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book is a perfect example of how you can love something and still be critical of it. I thought the writing was beautiful, the characters were fleshed out so well, and the interweaving POVs and plotlines kept it interesting. I appreciated how it tried to dismantle patriarchal norms in putting all the focus on the women and girls in this book, basically painting the men as helpless. It was a nice change of pace!

However, I would be remiss to not mention the glaring lack of diversity in this book. Every single character was either obviously white or described in vague terms, such as "dark-haired" or "tan." We should expect more from our fantasy books. I find it incredibly lazy when authors who are creating a whole new world where they make up the rules choose to create one in which there is zero diversity. So you're telling me that you were able to create different customs, languages, countries, but didn't think anyone in that world could be anything other than white or straight? We get one LGBTQIA+ character in the book (Pasquale), but then he's not allowed to flesh out that part of his identity, explore, live in that happiness.

Another gripe I had with the book is the author's use of virginity. The three MCs are literally born to deceive and take over other kingdoms; that is their purpose. And yet we, as readers, are supposed to believe that not one of them consummated their marriage? I understand that this book is YA and I am not recommending that we include sex scenes or that they even need to be mentioned - but actively mentioning virginity and how none of the marriages were consummated MULTIPLE TIMES makes it clear that teenage sex was very much on the author's mind and she chose to villainize it rather than use this as a learning opportunity.

All in all, I really enjoyed the fantasy world built, the strength of the characters, the twists and turns (that ending!), but I do wish more was done to make this a well-rounded book.

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kenziewol's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was so good!! I really enjoyed the unique world/magic system & the plot — it’s full of deception, betrayals, complicated relationships and political intrigue. I loved each of the sisters and really liked the multiple pov aspect so you followed each sisters story! I need the next book ASAP!!

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allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Three femme fatale princesses are sent by their mother into political marriages with a lifetime of training towards starting a war. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz have all been given specific tasks to match their carefully crafted skillsets. If each completes her part of the plan, their mother will arrive in the aftermath of her neighbors' conflicts just in time to sweep over the whole continent and rule with impunity.

I was well entertained by this trilogy starter and for over 500 pages, too. The smooth storytelling shifts gears between the three sisters, keeping up a constant pressure with the tense situations entangling our protagonists. I was fully absorbed watching the girls decide if and how to fulfill their roles once off on their own, knowing the Empress is always watching and has the means to get the result she wants at any cost. No sister is safe in her new home, nobody has all the information about her role in the plan, and there are other forces and intrigues at play that none of them foresaw. And don't even get me started on the pesky intrusions of feelings and moral compasses messing with the plan.

All the sisters have potential romantic relationships (mostly instalove vibes bleh), but it's the platonic bonds they form after a lifetime of being isolated by their mother that I found most layered and compelling. The sisterhood is also complex, built on unconditional love but also differences of personality and opinion that run deep, causing fractures and divergences even as they complement one another. I am curious to see if and how these connections may grow as the series continues. The book ends on a mighty twist, not entirely shocking but still illuminating connections and undercurrents to the plots at hand. I was left with a lot of questions about where the story will go next, curious about how our characters will develop now that some truths are out in the open, others still waiting in the wings to strike.

My ultimate feeling is that this was a fun and easy to follow political fantasy. It's not a terribly deep or genre-altering tale, but I want to see where the series goes next and how the protagonists grow. Thanks to Delacorte for my copy to read and review!

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