Castles in their Bones – dinipandareads

Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones #1)
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pub Date: 1 February 2022
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

_{(4.5 pandas)}

📖 SYNOPSIS

The plot: overthrow a kingdom. The goal: world domination. The plan: marriage.

Trained for from birth in espionage and seduction, the triplet princesses of Bessemia must travel to three distant lands to marry three princes and enact their Queen mother’s plan to rule from sea to sea. But when they arrive, each sister discovers her task is not so simple, and their mother’s motives may not be what they seem.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Classism, sexual harassment, paedophilia mentioned, alcohol consumption, murder, poisoning, riots, filicide, assassination attempts, brief imprisonment, mild violence

I first read this book in 2023 but didn’t manage to write a proper review so I’m writing it now on re-read and kind of mashing up my first and second read thoughts. Sorry if it’s a mess! 🤭

TL;DR: I loved this more than I thought I would! With three perspectives to contend with, I was worried that I’d find certain perspectives more boring than others but I ended up feeling incredibly invested in all three sisters, their tasks and their romances too. There is plenty of courtly political drama, expected and unexpected betrayals, tenuous romantic bonds, and fragile friendships but through it all, it’s always about family and loyalty. After that absolutely WILD ending, I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series ASAP. 💜