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cupiscent's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5
I enjoyed this. It's not magnificent literature, but it's solidly fun, quick-moving, with interesting characters, and - somewhat unusually for the recent spate of YA fantasy - a premise that really suits the YA category. Triplet princesses married off in canny political matches, raised to deliver their mother's ambition, step outside their indoctrinated upbringing for the first time and encounter questions of who they really want to be, and what choices they actually want to make now that they can. If I still wish that it was delivered for a more mature audience with greater depth and nuance, rather than rushing ahead and indulging in some poor character choices, that doesn't change that what it is and does is solid. The world isn't wallowed in, but it's intriguing and runs deeply (and sensibly) through the plot and characters. My only slight sadness is that this is very much the first third of the story; it can't stand alone beside all the setting-up it's doing.
qkat's review
2.0
This book just didn’t hook me in. Maybe it was because the triplets were 16 and seducing kings? Also, I was dreading to read this, which isn’t a good sign. I think I am not the right audience for this book.
engene's review
4.0
honestly this was really fun to read but the ending left me squinting..Surely the Circumstances will not remain this way right
zippykay's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
2.0
2/5
I was excited to read this but it quickly went downhill. I wanted to like the plot but with the multiple POVS is was hard to keep track of what was going on.
I was excited to read this but it quickly went downhill. I wanted to like the plot but with the multiple POVS is was hard to keep track of what was going on.
fishky's review
4.0
Damn, I was not expecting the ending, this started off as pure YA golden grahms for breakfast and then tacked on a glass of caffeine-infused Mad Dog (as a little treat).
libreva's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
3.0
phibourjreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.5
annamickreads's review against another edition
4.0
At first, I wasn't certain I was going to like this book - parts of the plot felt reminiscent of a few other books I had read in the recent past (Four Dead Queens, Song of the Forever Rains, Red Queen) and the characters' introduction did a lot more telling than showing.
Quickly, however, the speed of the book kicked into high gear. "Castles in Their Bones" follows triplets from the kingdom of Bessemia who have been trained literally since birth to destroy other kingdoms from within using a combination of espionage and feminine wiles. But when the three daughters are sent off to the kingdoms of their betrothed upon their sixteenth birthday, what they expect will be a cakewalk turns into a messy tale of intrigue and political scheming.
Right away, it was evident that while the sisters had been prepared for their eventual assimilation into the other kingdoms, they weren't as up-to-date on court politics as they might have thought. Beatriz the seductress finds a cruel king and an unwilling prince, clever Daphne's prince dies of sickness while rebellion brews, and kind-hearted Sophronia has been exchanging swoon-worthy letters with her prince ...who essentially lets his mother run the kingdom (into bankruptcy).
I think the pace is perfect especially for a tale of political intrigue, and there's twists and turns that some readers might anticipate while others might not. I can appreciate how each primary love interest for the girls are their foils, revealing different sides to each sister and mostly subverting their expectations.
If you're in a reading slump and are looking for something fast, interesting and tinged in romance, "Castles in Their Bones" will do it for you!
Quickly, however, the speed of the book kicked into high gear. "Castles in Their Bones" follows triplets from the kingdom of Bessemia who have been trained literally since birth to destroy other kingdoms from within using a combination of espionage and feminine wiles. But when the three daughters are sent off to the kingdoms of their betrothed upon their sixteenth birthday, what they expect will be a cakewalk turns into a messy tale of intrigue and political scheming.
Right away, it was evident that while the sisters had been prepared for their eventual assimilation into the other kingdoms, they weren't as up-to-date on court politics as they might have thought. Beatriz the seductress finds a cruel king and an unwilling prince, clever Daphne's prince dies of sickness while rebellion brews, and kind-hearted Sophronia has been exchanging swoon-worthy letters with her prince ...who essentially lets his mother run the kingdom (into bankruptcy).
I think the pace is perfect especially for a tale of political intrigue, and there's twists and turns that some readers might anticipate while others might not. I can appreciate how each primary love interest for the girls are their foils, revealing different sides to each sister and mostly subverting their expectations.
If you're in a reading slump and are looking for something fast, interesting and tinged in romance, "Castles in Their Bones" will do it for you!