The book is told in dual perspectives which is similar to the previous book, and I found both stories to be as interesting as the other.

Livio’s story is a bit more slow paced and focuses more on magic and world building whilst Beatrice’s chapters are more exciting and detail her role as a mask maker but also her personal struggle with not fitting in with her role and how she is different from her sisters. I liked both characters and their unique voices, I also liked the balance between the action and the emotional parts of the story and their struggles.

I really enjoyed the writing style of the book and loved how everything was paced. Not much happens in terms of plot/action because the book does develop on a lot of points so is not focused on action however, I did like this as it helped me connect to the story and characters.

Everything was so well paced however I was conscious that the story was near ending and there was not a climax/resolve which I felt was rushed and disappointing. The reveal was predictable and there was such a build up to the main villain who ends up being defeated way to easily. I was also disappointed by the romance in the story, only Livio has a romance subplot and his love interest was in the story for such a brief time at the start and then again near the ending and then it ends so abruptly.

4/5

R E V I E W. We Are Bound By Stars by @kesialupoauthor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - thanks so much to @bloomsburyya and @netgalley for this advanced copy to review.

Posting this one a couple of days early today because Thursday is not just the publication day for Kesia’s second book, We Are Bound But Stars, but my second book, One Pan Pescatarian too - please, please do pre-order them both!

I loved her first book, We Are Blood And Thunder earlier this year and loved the addictive writing and fascinating new world of magic temples. This book is set in the same world as We Are Blood And Thunder but on a new island, and while a whole new cast of characters.

Beatrice, my favourite character is the middle sister of the latest in a line of triplets who are kept hidden, making magical masks that enhance a mage’s power in service of a faceless god. When one sister dies, all three die and the next generation of triplets step up to take their place. However, she’s always dreamed of a different life, a life of her choice where she is allowed to see something of the world outside of their house.

Livio - the grandson of the Contessa who rules over the island - lives a secret double life, sneaking out into the city at night and shying away from his family duty training at the temple. However, when a horrific series of events cuts him off from his other life, and turns everything Beatrice thought she knew about herself and her life on its head it becomes up to them both to save the lives they know, and create the futures they want for themselves - the futures that they had never thought possible.

A compelling, fast paced YA fantasy novel perfect for people into complex world building and magic systems, and strong characters who have to choose between what is right and their own happiness. The only reason I’ve given this 4 stars rather than the 5 I gave We Are Blood And Thunder is I saw the twist coming a mile off this time, whilst the one in the first book took me totally by surprise!

Thank you to nets galley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

This is a companion sequel to We Are Blood And Thunder which I read last year and loved!

This one I didn't love as much but still really enjoyed it. The world building is great and the writing style is such an easy one to read that I devoured the second half of this book.

However, it took me to about 30% to fully get into the book which resulted in me deducting a star - I love the characters and the diversity in this book and all the twists and intricacies that I didn't predict

We Are Bound by Stars is the follow on to We Are Blood And Thunder, the story follows Livio, who is destined for great things. He is destined for a life he has worked so hard to stay away from, but it is time for him to inherit the family legacy. The story also follows Beatrice, who is one of three sisters, who are all mask-makers. It isn’t until an assassin cause great problems for both Beatrice and Livio, that the two finally meet. There is a great tragedy in both of their lives, but can they stop what caused it?

So firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me to read the ARC for the above book.

The story has the same kind of feels for me as the last one, although this is a sequel, I think that it can be read without having read We Are Blood and Thunder. I don’t feel as though there is really a link at all between the two, apart from the relations between Constance & Livio. So it isn’t entirely necessary to read the first beforehand, but it does make sense when the character Constance is mentioned.

Again I feel like a lot lacking in the book, there wasn’t much suspense, and I felt like it was also a bit of a chore to finish and it’s not the kind of feeling anyone wants to have with a book. It just didn’t grasp my attention as much as I would have hoped, and it wasn’t a particularly fast-paced book either. But also, like the last, I felt like the end is incredibly rushed when it could have perhaps been delved into a little more.

I did like the relationship Beatrice has with her sisters in the book, it’s a very love-hate kind of relationship, which I can completely relate to, being the oldest of my siblings, we can definitely have that in our household! And also how Beatrice was kind of the ‘black sheep’ out of the three, she wanted freedom, whereas her sisters would much rather prefer to have the easy life they currently had. The life that was chosen for them.

I also liked Livio as a character, where at the beginning of the book he is someone else to the world, but at home, he is almost royalty and now destined to take over with the death of his cousin coming to light.

Both characters long for freedom but neither can have it, as their futures were already determined long before either was born, and I think that’s the most grasping part of the story for both characters, alongside the tragedy within Beatrice’s life as the book goes on.

It may be because it is a YA/Fantasy that I didn’t particularly enjoy it as much as I would have hoped, therefore I would probably recommend this to anyone below the age of perhaps 16? It’s definitely a book that I would have perhaps been more invested in maybe five or so years ago! I know a lot of my readers enjoy a lot of YA – so perhaps I’m even growing out of it now! Who knows? – I personally hope I haven’t!!!

A fast paced and exciting story filled with the twists and turns we come to hope for from Kesia Lupo. Told from two perspectives, Beatrice and Livio, their stories become intertwined and it is a fascinating dual narrative.
Both characters are well written and believable, though Beatrice feels the stronger of the two towards the end.

Though a sequel, it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone book. I will go back to the first at some point again and am hopeful for more to come from this new talent in YA!

This was an enthralling and brilliant book- kept me reading late into the night before I could bare to be parted from it.

We Are Bound by Stars by Kesia Lupo. The book starts with map and some information about the world building which was interesting and helpful but I feel this would have been better in the text as part of the story but that's just personal preference maybe.

We follow two points of view, Beatrice and Livio. At first I preferred Livio's chapters but I did enjoy Beatrice's chapters later on. The characters are likeable and engaging, I found them a little naive at times but they are young and it was interesting to see how their stories intertwined. I enjoyed the magic system and the lore, however I would have liked a little more detail about how the magic works, a bit more description maybe.

The story was fast paced, exciting and kept me interested as I read this fairly quickly. Overall a fun fantasy story that I enjoyed a lot.

We Are Bound by Stars is a phenomenally crafted world of fantasy.

A rich tapestry of the world's history unfolds through the story, focused though the central characters, Livio and Beatrice. This character driven storytelling moves the narrative along without holding it up for too much exposition to describe the world and the magics it holds.

The relationships throughout the book are deep, with a focus on family and responsibilities and those relationships are explored well.

A couple of plot points, one in particular, was quite obvious to me but that didn't detract from the story and in fact made it more enjoyable for me to read. Other parts of the story were not so predictable and that makes the book stand out from others in this genre that tend to follow a similar narrative.

I haven't read Kesia Lupo's previous book, We Are Blood and Thunder, which is also set in this same fantasy world. This book, however, isn't a direct sequel, so not having read the first book didn't detract from this in any way, and I will certainly be reading We Are Blood and Thunder to.enjoy more of this rich world of magic.

We Are Bound By Stars is a bit of a slow build, with fantastically lyrical world building. I hadn't read the other book in this series, but I still found it quite easy to follow. The magic system was incredibly detailed and not something I've seen before!

The characters were vibrant and distinct, although I think Livio got a little lost later in the book because Beatrice felt like the stronger personality.

I found this book to be a completely immersive fantasy with a good cast and thrilling twists!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

It was lovely going back into the world Kesia has created.
There is a link to the first book in this series, but this can be read as a stand alone.
The alternating of chapters between the two main characters, Livio and Beatrice, made it easy to follow for me. Even when their paths finally merged, their voices/POV were distinct and keep the flow well. Beatrice was my favourite of the two and I would like to read more of her story.
As the story progressed, I did see a few things coming, but that didn't detract from the telling of it at all.
It is well written and well worth a read.

I really hope there is more from this world. Maybe some stories set around the time the nine gods took control of the magic. But I feel (and hope) there is a lot that can be done!

I'm going to start off by saying I have not read the first book for this series, so I came into this book completely blind. That did not affect my reading experience at all though. We Are Bound By Stars is an amazing book that could be enjoyed as a stand-alone; but I will definitely be picking up the first book when I get the chance.

The details that go into the start of the book really helps with the world-building, with the descriptions of all of the gods being really useful to flick back to if you wanted to have a look at which god was being talked about in a certain scene. The mythology within the book is really interesting, with the main focus in this book being around the god Mythris and those who worship him, as well as mask-makers, who create masks that give whoever wears them certain powers. I love the fact we get dual POV's for this story, and I fell in love with Livio and Beatrice almost immediately, the way both of their stories played out was amazing; and every chapter of theirs left you needing more, making it almost impossible to put the book down.

This story is so well written, and the plot captivating, I don't want to go into the details of the plot too much as there are some twists and turns throughout that I wouldn't want to spoil! Some of them were completely unexpected, and some a bit more predictable - but either way I still loved the story

The book starts quite slow, though the characters are sweet enough that you want to read more. I found myself far more invested in Bea's story than Livio's, though my heart went out to the poor fella. Kesia Lupo crafts a complex world of magic. I hadn't read her first story (which is apparently set in the same world) and so had no frame of reference whatsoever to the events. This meant that at first it was a little disorientating, but after a few chapters I could understand what was happening.

I found the big chunk of world building information/glossary at the front of the book a little off-putting, but as a reader I'm someone who prefers all the world building to happen in-text - I'm not a fan of cast lists either in epic fantasies, so this is just a personal preference, not a comment on the author/book itself.

Overall, the plotting was good and well paced. Although at first I wasn't completely convinced by the story, there were plenty of twists and turns that drew me further into the story. I gasped a few times, and it was in those moments that I grew to like this book more. Overall, a fun little fantasy with interesting mythology and lore. The characters are well-rounded, though I preferred Bea way more than Livio, simply because she seemed to have more tension and a sense of urgency about her. It didn't really translate as well in Livio.

Full review to come on blog nearer the publication date.

The sequel to We are Blood and Thunder kicks the worldbuilding and the themes up a gear resulting in an even pacier more absorbing second book. Livio and Beatrice are about to find out that destiny is not going to fall out as they expected. This was a great book about choices and consequences that was even better than the first one.

Firstly, I have to say that I love the cover for this book and it was certainly love at first sight. Now, though I think it is the perfect reflection of the story itself. This was an intriguing read, and a fantastic sequel to the first book, taking that world and in my opinion taking the worldbuilding up a notch. The world was beautifully realised in this book, full of detail and intrigue, and it expanded on so much that was only hinted on in book one. The writing itself was brilliant, and the story hooked me in and wouldn't let up and I read this book in one sitting because I couldn't look away, and not just because of the world - although that was my favourite part - but because the characters, Livio and Beatrice that we followed were developed so well throughout the story and we learnt so much about them that you needed to find out what happened to them next.

On an island where the very earth holds magic, masked assassins infest the city and creatures rise from the desert. Livio, a young man who questions his destiny and Beatrice Who desire to escape her life of servitude. Circumstances lead to them crossing paths and uniting against common enemy.

A tale of choices and finding one’s true destiny in a world which is nothing like Livo and Beatrice thought.

Thrilling adventure with great characters and plot full of surprises!

I absolutely loved it!

I absolutely devoured this book. The world in which the story takes place, is so rich and yet dark. I was captivated and drawn to the whole concept of how everyone is like a puppet to the gods they worship.

I fell in love with Livio and Beatrice, whose stories we follow throughout. It’s definitely a page turner, that sucks you in from the start.

I just wish we explored more of the world and seen a bit more magic.

I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️‘S

Synopsis

On a mysterious island where the very earth holds magic, masked assassins plague the city and strange creatures rise from the desert. Livio has riled against his destiny his whole life. Beatrice longs to escape her life of servitude. But when a twist of fate unites them, it is up to them to stop a deadly revolution.
Are they just puppets in someone else's game? Will they have to accept the hands they have been dealt or can either change their fortunes?


Thank you to Kesia Lupo and Netgalley for an ARC copy of We are bound by stars for an honest review.

A tantalising follow up to We are Blood & Thunder! I think Kesia Lupo is earning her reputation as YA author to watch. We are bound by stars is beautiful storytelling with characters that truly capture your heart and imagination.

The world-building was just as lush and interesting, and I enjoyed seeing a different part of the world to Duke’s Forest and getting focus on an aspect of the magical religion that we didn’t experience much in Blood and Thunder. The masked god, Mythris, was barely talked about in the first book due to the setting and plot focus but in this book the whole island worship them. It was fascinating. The mask-makers in particular was a particularly cool piece of mythology, even if the idea of triplets being fated to die together is tragic, and I loved the idea of Bestial, Grotesque and Ornamental masks giving chosen wearers particular powers. The other magical powers we got to see (I’m being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers, but they’re so interesting) and the sandwolves were so cool and really added to the depth and beauty of this universe.

I loved Livio and Beatrice, both were strongly characterised and I liked the way that they contrasted with each other. It was easy to get invested in both, because their motivations made sense and I felt for them both as the story developed and the masked assassins seemed set on ruining both of their lives. Even the side-characters were delightful, and I loved all of them. Particularly their attitudes to fate and destiny, and the way those things were woven into their whole lives.

The plot was as incredible as I’ve come to expect from Kesia Lupo. It took me a little while to get hooked (though faster than We are Blood and Thunder) but once I was into it, there was no way I was putting it down. I read about 70% of this in a blur because I couldn’t look away. I don’t want to go into the plot much, because I loved the way it unfolded and think it’s definitely more satisfying to experience it with no idea what’s happening, but it’s just as intoxicating and twisty as We are Blood and Thunder and had plenty of gasping out loud moments.

WE ARE BOUND BY STARS is a fun sequel, full of action and secrets.

Unlike the first book, the dual POVs in this sequel are written in first person, so the characters felt much more real and I could more readily sympathise with them more. I really liked the switch, as it helped distinguish the characters. Plus the characters' feelings of being trapped came across well, lending their world an almost claustraphobic feel at times.

The world is well fleshed out, particularly the magic system. It's explored far more in this book, and I enjoyed seeing how the lives of mortals and gods intertwine. The idea of fate and destiny is always a hit with me, particularly characters trying to rebel against it.

I loved the Venetian feel to the world - maybe I'm wrong, but the masks and words used to describe Scarossa conjured up images of Venice despite the lack of canals. There are lots of cool details sprinkled within the story too - particularly in the mask making.

There are a lot of well set-up twists. I could tell, when elements were dropped into the story as either old tales or asides, that they were there to seed the ground for later use. However, I mostly couldn't predict the twists, but the fact I could see the elements leading to them made the eventual reveals feel deserved.