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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
‘“You said it yourself–if Sophie and her sisters hatch a plan, the stars themselves can’t stand in their way. Where, exactly, do you think they learned that from?”’ - Leopold, from Stardust in Their Veins
I’m not in the habit of highlighting many lines in my first read-throughs of books. I want to enjoy the ride, you know? But I somehow knew this line wasn’t some throwaway line, and it ended up being the only line I notated so I could put it in my review because to me, this line sums up not only what went wrong in the first book, but it’s also what forges the bridge between the first and second book and it will be the through line from the second book and into the third and final book, but with a malicious and vengeful twist.
I know a lot of people were very upset with how the first book, Castles in Their Bones, ended, but I saw it as an inevitability, consistent with Sophronia’s character, and I knew both Daphne and Beatriz would need a strong catalyst to throw the rest of the story into motion. So I’m going to leave that issue there, because I want to talk about this book and not rehash the previous book.
Since we’re missing Sophronia from this book but these books are meant to be told from three POVs, this book is told from Daphne, Beatriz, and Violie’s (Sophronia’s maid and former spy for her mother in the previous book) POVs. Exactly why Violie was chosen isn’t truly vitally important until very late in the book, but it was still a wise choice, because Violie is truly a trained spy who knows how to play every role in a castle, from a lowly scullery maid to a princess. She was trained in much the same ways the princesses were, even though she came from a totally different way of life. That makes her indispensable to both Daphne and Beatriz, along with the importance of her keeping the vow she gave to Sophronia to keep Leopold safe.
Now, all told, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first book, but that’s not unusual with me and second books in trilogies. It’s a thing with me. There was a lot of ground to cover in this book. There were a lot of new characters to introduce and some characters who needed to exit stage left. There were plot lines to wrap up, plot lines to hustle along, and plot lines to introduce. There were matters that needed to be cleared up, matters that needed to be muddied, and matters that needed to be eliminated. It’s not easy to write a second book in a trilogy, because you’re in the middle of a chess game. And that’s especially true with this trilogy, where the Queen and the Princesses are all expert players. It doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything but plot, plot, and more plot, so worldbuilding, charm, magic, and any sort of romance seems to take a huge step back. In the first book, Sophronia and Beatriz got any and all of those things. In this book, Daphne has finally let her shell crack enough to let some people in to find a little friendship and romance in, and she’s starting to come to love and respect Friv and its people. Granted, she’s still a prickly pear, but once she lets the loss of Sophronia finally hit her and she has some important conversations she comes to realize that her mother may be wrong, and it kind of spins her world around.
The thing I love about Laura Sebastian–and have always loved about her–is her ability to write redemptive characters of all shapes and sizes. Yeah, your maid may have been a spy for your mother, but once she realizes your mom is wrong and explains herself, they aren’t stuck in purgatory. They can work for forgiveness. They may have planned to once kill you, but they decided not to, and they’re sorry and that’s what’s important. Are there people unworthy or redemption in Sebastian’s books? Yes, but there are also completely innocent people who are proud to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Sebastian’s books are all about balance. 256 shades of grey, and Laura Sebastian has a shade for every single character.
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world, and Laura Sebastian wrote it. And I gladly read it. And you should read it too.
I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley and the author. All views and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
File Under: YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance/Fantasy Series/Coming of Age/Young Adult/Fantasy/Fantasy Romance
I’m not in the habit of highlighting many lines in my first read-throughs of books. I want to enjoy the ride, you know? But I somehow knew this line wasn’t some throwaway line, and it ended up being the only line I notated so I could put it in my review because to me, this line sums up not only what went wrong in the first book, but it’s also what forges the bridge between the first and second book and it will be the through line from the second book and into the third and final book, but with a malicious and vengeful twist.
I know a lot of people were very upset with how the first book, Castles in Their Bones, ended, but I saw it as an inevitability, consistent with Sophronia’s character, and I knew both Daphne and Beatriz would need a strong catalyst to throw the rest of the story into motion. So I’m going to leave that issue there, because I want to talk about this book and not rehash the previous book.
Since we’re missing Sophronia from this book but these books are meant to be told from three POVs, this book is told from Daphne, Beatriz, and Violie’s (Sophronia’s maid and former spy for her mother in the previous book) POVs. Exactly why Violie was chosen isn’t truly vitally important until very late in the book, but it was still a wise choice, because Violie is truly a trained spy who knows how to play every role in a castle, from a lowly scullery maid to a princess. She was trained in much the same ways the princesses were, even though she came from a totally different way of life. That makes her indispensable to both Daphne and Beatriz, along with the importance of her keeping the vow she gave to Sophronia to keep Leopold safe.
Now, all told, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first book, but that’s not unusual with me and second books in trilogies. It’s a thing with me. There was a lot of ground to cover in this book. There were a lot of new characters to introduce and some characters who needed to exit stage left. There were plot lines to wrap up, plot lines to hustle along, and plot lines to introduce. There were matters that needed to be cleared up, matters that needed to be muddied, and matters that needed to be eliminated. It’s not easy to write a second book in a trilogy, because you’re in the middle of a chess game. And that’s especially true with this trilogy, where the Queen and the Princesses are all expert players. It doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything but plot, plot, and more plot, so worldbuilding, charm, magic, and any sort of romance seems to take a huge step back. In the first book, Sophronia and Beatriz got any and all of those things. In this book, Daphne has finally let her shell crack enough to let some people in to find a little friendship and romance in, and she’s starting to come to love and respect Friv and its people. Granted, she’s still a prickly pear, but once she lets the loss of Sophronia finally hit her and she has some important conversations she comes to realize that her mother may be wrong, and it kind of spins her world around.
The thing I love about Laura Sebastian–and have always loved about her–is her ability to write redemptive characters of all shapes and sizes. Yeah, your maid may have been a spy for your mother, but once she realizes your mom is wrong and explains herself, they aren’t stuck in purgatory. They can work for forgiveness. They may have planned to once kill you, but they decided not to, and they’re sorry and that’s what’s important. Are there people unworthy or redemption in Sebastian’s books? Yes, but there are also completely innocent people who are proud to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Sebastian’s books are all about balance. 256 shades of grey, and Laura Sebastian has a shade for every single character.
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world, and Laura Sebastian wrote it. And I gladly read it. And you should read it too.
I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley and the author. All views and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
File Under: YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance/Fantasy Series/Coming of Age/Young Adult/Fantasy/Fantasy Romance
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
Well that ending had my blood boiling. So, when’s the next one coming?
Not my predictions being dead wrong at the end of my last review
3.5 starsI think, since it was slow in the middle so I took a few months off it - but I flew through the second half in a couple days! Excellent audiobook narrator, as before. I'm excited to see the end to the trilogy.
I like the addition of Violie's narration, and different characters interacting when they were separated by countries in the first book.
Everybody's always poisoning each other, huh?
I like the addition of Violie's narration, and different characters interacting when they were separated by countries in the first book.
Everybody's always poisoning each other, huh?
adventurous
mysterious
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
I struggled with the first 1/4 of the book. I think killing off Sophie was a mistake as she was the most interesting perspective and Violie wasn't as fun to read.
I enjoyed the focus more on the politics and manoeuvring between their mother and the 2 princesses a lot more.
Not as good as the first book but still a fun read.
I enjoyed the focus more on the politics and manoeuvring between their mother and the 2 princesses a lot more.
Not as good as the first book but still a fun read.
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.
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Murder
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book feels like it was trying to race through its plot points at break neck speed. It feels like Laura Sebastian knew where she wanted to bring the characters but she never gave them any time to just be and think and breath. The plot points are never given enough time to marinate and sit with the characters before we’re thrown into the next plot point. I wish Laura would give us more time to see the characters interact as people instead of chess pieces being moved around a chess board.