A review by cupiscent
Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian

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.