katemc 's review for:

Stardust in Their Veins by Laura Sebastian
3.5
adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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: Complicated

This is more like a 3.5! Not as strong as the first (less twisty) but I still really enjoyed it and read it quickly. Violie as a POV is sadly no substitute for who she replaces (lol) - while there’s an attempt at giving her backstory and there’s a clear use/need in the story/narrative structure for it I didn’t feel like the emotional connection to her was there. She was a bit detached somehow. Goes back to the evident convenience in some of Sebastian’s choices rather than every element feeling 100% earned. 

I thought Daphne’s arc was by far the most compelling and I’m excited for how her story develops. Beatriz is still engaging but Daphne’s development despite her more moral grayness really stood out to me. I’m excited for book 3!