“Stardust in their Veins” is a spellbinding continuation of the enthralling fantasy series that began with "Castles in Their Bones." This sequel plunges readers back into a world of political intrigue, magic, and the complex dynamics of power. The story picks up with the three princesses, Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz, each grappling with the intricate webs of deception and duty that define their lives. As they navigate treacherous alliances and hidden agendas, their bonds are tested, and their destinies are intertwined with the fate of their kingdoms.

The author expertly balances the personal struggles of the princesses with the broader political machinations at play, creating a narrative that is both intimate and grand in scope. The magic system and world-building are as compelling as ever, adding depth and texture to the story. "Stardust in their Veins" is a captivating read that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning pages to uncover the secrets and surprises that lie in wait. It is a must-read for fans of the series and anyone who loves a well-crafted fantasy tale brimming with intrigue and adventure.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton Audio, Hodder & Stoughton, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

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I found this to be an amazing and interesting read! And the cover is so lovely!! Looking forward to the author's next story!

A great continuation of the story from the first book. It picks up as it left off and continues with twists and turns along the way. It's important to have read the first book to understand the plot.

Wow, just wow, Laura Sebastian. You have done it again. Stardust in their veins is the second book in the "castle in their bones" trilogy. I was blown away when I read Castles last year, and Stardust did not disappoint me at all. It ended up being not only my most anticipated read but also one of my favourite reads for 2023.


After that crazy, jaw-dropping ending for Castles, we are thrown directly into the action for Stardust, and I really do hope this is a continuous theme in this trilogy because there's something about diving into a book exactly where the last left off and not trying to fabricate something or have a time jump. There really is no time to take a breath, fully take in, or understand what is happening, which creates this really strong rhythm of action.


We see so much more magic than what we were given in Castles, and although as much i loved that we dived deeper into the magic system, I wanted more of it. It needed to weave into the plot, and I really hope that there's more in book three. Or maybe I'm just expecting  too much from the magic system, and it's meant to be simple and in the background.


While this seems to be Beatriz's book, Beatriz as a character has very little develop within this story, yes she becomes braver and more mature than she was in Castles, it seems that this really was Daphne's book to shine in, we go from a girl that plays a role, follows the rules and keeps her emotions to herself to someone that is constantly conflicted and questioning everything around her and you can see this page to page, right up until the point she has to make a very important decision and she just cracks, Daphne's character development in this book is so different to her sisters or even the new character Violie - another character that developed really well in this book- to the point that Daphne is a completely different person to who she was at the start. 


I am looking forward to book 3 so much, and I cannot wait to be able to binge read all three books together! I highly recommend this series.


Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for this e-arc

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

After their sister Sophronia is killed in a coup, Daphne and Beatriz know that they are in danger, and need all the help they can get. Beatriz is lucky to have been only imprisoned by the coup that has taken her throne, and Daphne is dodging attempts on her life at every turn. They don't know who they can trust, and it seems their mother's plots might put them in more danger than they expected. If they can get together, and if they can overcome their past distrust, they might be able to use their star magic to succeed, but the odds are stacked against them.

After the cataclysmic ending to Castles in their Bones, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Stardust in their Veins! Sophy had been my favourite of the sisters, and I was gutted that she was murdered, but thankfully her deaths sparked the drive in her sisters to fight against their mother, and the plots against them. This was a hefty book, and so much happened. We had three PoVs, Beatriz, Daphne, and Violie, and each other's individual stories were epic, but when they had moments together, it was fantastic! I didn't really like Violie or Daphne that much in book 1, but we learn so much more about them in this book, and it makes more sense why they acted that way previously. There's so much growth in this book, both in the three main characters, but also in the secondary characters like Bairre, Pasquale and Leopold. The romance is ramping up too, and though some of the characters make bad choices at times, I can see how their actions will help them in the future. Yet again there's a fiery ending, and book 3 can't come soon enough! My favourite of Laura's books, and I think I'd honestly read anything of hers!!

I read this book not knowing it was book 2 in a series and to be honest it does feel like a standalone and I feel I have been adequately updated on book 1 although I will go back and read it. I loved the characters in the book and although I did miss out on Princess Sophie in book 2 I feel book 1 would give a great insight into the character. The dynamic between the sisters is interesting as they are such contrasting characters led by a ruthless and powerful Empress.
The character development and supporting characters of Bear, Violi, Ambrose and Paz are great and really make the story feeding into the vastly differing sisters personalities. The world building of the differing kingdoms is done so well and the magic adds a great dimension to the story. Absolutely consuming, I really struggled to put this down and as hateful as the Empress is you can't help but admire how cunning she is and how she is always a step ahead of the sisters.

I wasn't necessarily totally in love with book one in this trilogy, and yet I found myself keenly awaiting the second book.

I found this entry better than the first - perhaps I was more used to the style and what I was getting. The plot is pretty straightforward and not as intricate as I at first suspected.

The ending of book one showed that there will be consequences in the story - and I think this is a good turn for the series to take.

The audio narration is once again solid. I do wish we had different narrators for the different characters but this narrator does a decent job of differentiating between characters and there are some accents etc thrown in.

I found book two on par with book one or perhaps even better - we learn some more about star magic and things are set up well for a final showdown in book three.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

OMG I absolutely loved this. I loved being back in this world, with these characters, but I also loved meeting the new characters (or even just learning more about them). It was so good having Voila's POV and her involvement with everything.
The writing was just as good as book 1, and the storyline its self was soooo good.
I read/listened to audio (a combination) and it was such a good audiobook too. The narrator really brought the characters alive.

Sebastian has written a fantastic novel yet again and I cannot wait for book 3!!

This was a great read, it kept me engaged and didn't have the usual trouble middle books have of being a bit of a filler book. Really enjoyable read.

STARDUST IN THEIR VEINS is a tense, intricate second entry into this series about schemes to destabilise countries. It's full of twisting plans, betrayals, and other such goodness, and was a delight to tear through. I had a hard time putting this book down as it's such a tangle of danger and hope and intrigue that I had to know what came next.

The book starts with Beatriz turned against her mother but Daphne still on her side, leading to a disconnect between the sisters, made painful by Beatriz's hope that Daphne will see sense. It also means that Beatriz et al have to be extra careful (particularly when her allies reach Daphne) lest Daphne betray them all.

I am very glad the big shocker at the end of the previous books was allowed to stand and Sophronia was not somehow miraculously returned to life by escaping in some improbable way. It gives the books a real sense of cost and danger. One of the POVs has already died, and gives you the feeling that no one is safe, upping the tension and stakes, particularly as more of Margaraux (their mother)'s plans are revealled.

There is a new POV to replace Sophronia - Violie, Sophronia's maid and spy sent by Margaraux who's trying to save Leopold. She's a commoner, unlike the Princess, but just as resourceful and fun to read about (she got a lot of training as a spy.)

I really liked how the POVs interwove and interacted in person more this book. Daphne and Violie spend a lot of the book in the same place, skipping around each other and affecting each other's plans. It's something I really appreciate in multi-POV books as it makes it feel tighter and more like one story rather than separate ones.

One book to go! While this ending is not quite as horrifically shocking as the ending of CASTLES IN THEIR BONES, it's not exactly left everyone in stable positions, and Margaraux definitely has yet more plans up her sleeves.

This was one of my most anticipated books of this year, and I was delighted to be given the chance to review an early copy! Castles was an unexpected surprise for me last year, I loved it a lot and way more than I was expecting to, and I had high hopes for its sequel. Given the way that Castles ends, Stardust had a lot to live up to.

Even though Sophronia was my favourite of the three sisters, I’m glad that her death stuck. It wasn’t a trick and there are no resurrections. Sophie is dead, and a lot of the emotional weight of this book stems from the people she’s left behind having to come to terms with that. Grief can be messy and it can look different for everyone, and I think this book managed to reflect that well. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this is a book about grief, but the grief is very present throughout.

Daphne was my least favourite of the sisters in the first book, but with this one I’m pretty sure she’s nudged her way into second place. She was always the most loyal of the three to their mother, and that loyalty is still sticking in this book even despite the building evidence that their mother may have had a hand in Sophie’s death. The thing with an upbringing like the sisters had is that unquestioning loyalty as a survival mechanism isn’t an unrealistic outcome, and it’s inevitably going to take a long time for that loyalty to break down. Daphne’s arc over the course of this book is slow as she deals with her grief and her suspicions and her denial and her mother’s new shocking orders that might just be a step too far, and it can be a little frustrating as a reader, but I strongly suspect that that’s the point. It all just serves to make her actions nearer the end hit all that much better. The build up most definitely pays off.

A few months ago, Sebastian posted on Instagram to say that where Castles is Sophronia’s book, Stardust is Beatriz’s. The book’s dedication reinforces this, as it’s dedicated to ‘all the difficult girls’, a description which is lobbied at Beatriz near the book’s end. But do I think this is truly Beatriz’s book? No I do not. Beatriz’s pov was largely dedicated to her exploring her newfound magical abilities and the limits of the magic system. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad for this exploration. I thought it was interesting and it answered some questions I’d had about it from the first book while also investigating some other questions I hadn’t thought of. But Beatriz as a character didn’t develop alongside this. Daphne and Violie grow by leaps and bounds over the course of this book, with the people they are by its end being far from the people they are at its start. Beatriz doesn’t change. Beatriz from the end of the book is very much the same girl she was at the start. The moment that I’d probably describe as The Emotional Climax of the book happens to Daphne, not Beatriz. I enjoyed this book, and I enjoyed Beatriz’s chapters, and this is basically my only complaint about it. It hasn’t affected my star rating because it’s technically not something that came from within the book itself. As the most typical YA protagonist of the bunch it’s not wholly surprising that her arc would be the least intricate, but if this was supposed to be Beatriz’s book then Beatriz is simply not getting a book.

I did really love the level of ride-or-die Beatriz and Pasquale are at for each other though. Beatriz has found a best friend in the most unlikely of places and I hope they never let each other go.

Violie my beloved. Sophronia’s maid, and Margaraux’s spy, from Castles is a point of view character alongside Daphne and Beatriz here, and oh does she shine. It’s about the grief and the regret and the trying to make it right in whatever way you can while knowing that no matter what you do it will never, ever be enough to make up for what you did. I love her. I also enjoyed watching her relationship with Leopold go from her barely being able to tolerate him to a genuine friendship that has outgrown her original promise to keep him safe. Maybe saying this is jinxing it, but I hope their friendship doesn’t turn into a romance in the next book. I’m enjoying their friendship as it is. Not everyone needs to be coupled up.

Where Castles felt very much like three books in one, with each narrator having their own separate plots with very little crossover, the same doesn’t hold true here. Beatriz and Daphne are still separated, but Violie is under no such restrictions. As a result these three girls’ actions have a much bigger impact on each other than the previous trio’s did.

I listened to an audio copy, and Roisin Rankin did a good job narrating! She was engaging and her use of differing accents where appropriate helped make the wide world of Vesteria feel more realistic. There were one or two lines here and there where the pauses in a sentence felt a little unnatural, but in the grand scheme of things it didn’t make much of a difference. If you were looking to give the audiobook a go I’d thoroughly recommend it.

If you liked the first book then this follow up won’t let you down! If you want a series with fairytale vibes, star based magic, politics and plots, and princesses who are nowhere near as helpless as it benefits them to pretend to be, then I encourage giving this series a try!

Stardust in their Veins is the second book in a trilogy, coming after Castles in their bones.
We pick the story up where we left off, (no spoilers) which was on a slight cliffhanger...
We keep following the sisters as they try to figure out if they want to help ther mums or work against her. And if they can still trust eachother.
Fair warning, it's getting pretty high on political intrigue.
I liked i a bit less than the first book, because of all the political intrigue, but I'm waiting to see what the final installment will bring.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder &Stoughton for the access to the book in exchange for an honest review.*

Stardust in Their Veins is a sequel from Castles in Their Bone I adore so much. Following triplets princess whom tangled with slow burn political and court intrique for support their mother grand scheme plans.

The pace and plots kinda slower than the first one. I found some parts are repetitive and dragging. But I totally enjoyed the deeper development in characters part. I saw how their allergies switching at each layer facts and secrets betrayals revealed. Daphne and Beatriz are morally grey, they are ruthless and manipulative but I am happy saw they growing consent. The writing is clear and easy to follow, the author tackle political intrigue become issue we easy to chewed.

This Fantasy YA have unique low magic based on stardust and stars constellation, and that's intriguing. I wish the magic more dominant in the plot. I enjoyed different style from the storyline than it is fellow YA book storyline. I can't wait for big action for conclusions in the last book.

I am lucky enough to enjoyed this book in 2 formats. Both complimented each other and switched between them is precious experience. The audio make the plot feel faster and help me to get the right pronounced for all the characters names. But I can't separate between pov because all women and the narrator gave similar voice for all characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for provided my copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the book just as much is the first, if not more! The narrator was great and I really enjoyed her voice. I really love the interesting world building and how this book takes place in multiple different countries, each so different with their own laws and political issues that effect everything Daphne and Beatriz do. It was well paced and had me on the edge of my seat at times never know what was going to come next. I am glad Daphne finally chose the right side in the end. After that ending, I can’t wait for the next book!

Well, this was definitely better than the first one! I loved this - all the way to the stars.

In the sequel to Castles Beneath their Bones, Daphne and Beatriz have to face the aftermath of the events of the first book, as well as the death of their older sister. After having their throne usurped, Beatriz and Pasquale are imprisoned in convents. Daphne is still grappling for control in Friv, with the rebels breathing down her neck. Meanwhile, after narrowly escaping being executed, Leopold and Violie are on the run and the Empress has taken over Temarin.

This only had middle book syndrome in the sense that a large part of the book is getting the characters to where they need to be for the conclusion. Still, I found the character development to be far better compared to the first book. All the characters have to deal with Sophie's sacrifice in the first book which tied the different POVs together nicely.

While Beatriz mourns her sister openly and is looking to find out more about her empyrea power, Daphne is still her mother's creature and in denial about Sophronia's death. I found that arc for the sisters quite interesting and effective. Both of them are also more ruthless and morally grey compared to the first book, which was one of my major complaints prior to reading this. Their respective romances were again very minimal here, which I was thankful for since neither left much of an impression on me from the first book.

We also had the added POV of Violie, which might have just been my favorite. Seeing her trying to honor Sophie by protecting Leopold was heartwarming. Their friendship was one of the great strengths of the book. Violie's character in general was a standout, with her quiet strength and resilience. Her being a commoner also added a different perspective to the political intrigue. Instead of being this ominous threat in the background, Empress Margeraux is present in this book, but I sadly found her to be a very one-note cartoonish villain.

Through Beatriz' arc, we learned a lot more about the magic system, which is still the best part about the series for me. Here, we see the consequences of wishing on stars and how it affects things such as astronomy and astrology. Beatriz and Nigellus had somewhat of a forced, exasperated mentor-student relationship, which was honestly very funny. Politics wise, this book had less intrigue than the first book, but still enough back-stabbing and conniving to make me happy.

I listened to the audiobook version while having read the first book as an eBook. The narrator's performance was fine, although I would have liked more difference between Beatriz and Daphne's voice. What really threw me though, were the accents. In the book, it was often stated there were distinct accents in Friv, Bessemia and Temerin, yet there were no consistent accents in the audiobook format. That honestly bummed me a bit and I'm very confused by that choice.

Overall, Stardust in their Veins was a solid entry in the series and I'm curious to see how the trilogy concludes. 4/5 stars.

I truly enjoyed reading the first book, it was just fun times but I felt that this book suffered slightly from the second book syndrome. The audiobook was quite good though and made my reading experience somewhat better.

As far as the plot goes, this book mainly aimed towards setting the chess pieces for the final book. There were a lot of political maneuvering, characters travelling from one place to another and changing of their alliances etc. which didn't amount much in this book but I am sure will be played out in the final book.

As for the characters, I think my main problem with the characters is that all of them feels too young, especially considering the brutal nature of the storyline. Idk, but a lot of times, the characters just feels like they are all play-acting in their own story, and the villian is powerful just because all the rest of them are totally out of their depths. However, I did enjoy some of the relationship development that we got in in this book. One of the sisters pov was a bit frustrating at the beginning but progressively got better by the end. I also think that that the magic in this world is quite unique and could have been explored better.

Even though, this one didn't meet my expectations, I am still considering reading the final book just to see how things wrap up.

This writer has a really lovely way of creating sentences that just flows through your brain as you read it creating a stream of consciousness of the story rather than simply words on the page. Sadly though the story isn’t quite for me so this is why I have given it three stars but I would not discourage people who I like the sound of this book from reading it if you think it is truly your style.

For me it is the lower end of young adult and has a whimsical tone to it with royalty and a subtle heroin being the main features.

A fantastic read. I love Laura Sebastian's writing style. As powerful, dark and intriguing as the first book in the series. I would highly recommend this series.

I went into this blind having no idea it was the second book in a series. Can confirm that this made absolutely no difference to my enjoyment of the book.

I really enjoyed the story and multiple POV in this. It has definitely sparked my interest and I’m going to make a point of going back to read book one.

A fantastic sequel to one of my top reads of last year! LS has woven an intricate tale of the love between sisters and the extent that some will go to for power. Empress Margareux is terrifying but somewhat fascinating as the villain of this series, and I'm a little scared as to what she's going to do in the next instalment. I loved the introduction of Violie's POV and found her to be an interesting character. Bring on the next book!