Princess Academy: Palace of Stone

Ah..... Princess Academy came out in 2007. And won the Newberry. It's been too long since I first met Miri and her beloved mountain. I rave about it every chance I get. The content is appropriate for middle grade, but the writing style is delicious at every age. Which is rare. And amazing.

I

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thoroughly enjoyed reading Palace of Stone. The writing is like snuggling down into a huge pile of feathers and getting lost in the softness until you don't know which way's up.

I highlighted all over my Nook copy...
She felt night-blind and afraid, as if walking a path that might lead to sheer cliff and empty air. Pg 13
The lowlander traders always went on as if the ocean were the most wondrous thing in the world and the Eskalites were fools for living so far from its glory. But it was just a flat, lifeless sky. Pg. 18
Miri did not want the moment to end. She felt tall and strong, as if she and this mob would move together like a giant, striking down any obstacles, remaking the whole world. Pg. 97
They both stared. Neither ran.... And Miri understood the impulse to kiss the lips that laughed. Pg. 116
His promises felt as real as paper in her hands, just awaiting the ink strokes of action. Pg. 141
Letter writing was a lot like quarry-speaking - a soundless call from far away. Would Marda have similar enough memories to understand what Miri was trying to say? Pg. 146
She smiled to show he was correct, but it slid off her lips too quickly. Pg 174
She touched the wood. It was not as polished and well oiled as the Mount Eskel chapel doors. And perhaps not as well loved. With so many things to look at in Asland, who cared enough to love these doors? Pg. 203
History was as hard to hold as a wet fish. Pg. 279
Miri shook her head. "An idea is like a fire under ice. You can try to put out the fire, but the melting has already begun."
"Who made up that saying?" Frid asked. "Doter?"
"Um, no," said Miri. "Just me."
"It's pretty good," Frid said, squinting. "But I don't understand why there would be fire under ice. And Doter's sayings are shorter." Pg. 281

Throughout the story, Miri thinks about a painting of a girl pouring milk while looking out a window at a moon. As Miri changes, she sees changes in this girl, and I love this insight into Miri's heart when she doesn't know how she feels. I haven't shared any quotes about this painting, although I love every reference. They would give some of the story away, which I'm not gonna do!

The story is told from Miri's point of view, but there are many characters with depth and they are all so different, so fun. Peder is in town and Miri is shy around him because he hesitates to speak up for her, although she thinks he likes her. Timon is so full of ideas and secrets. He represents possibilities she never knew existed before. Britta has to prove herself all over again and she needs to come out purer than pure, but she's so shy! I love Frid. Like all the Mount Eskal girls, she has mountain dust in her blood. She speaks her mind so refreshingly! Sisela has heart and passion, but what really motivates her revolutionary support? The king and queen seem like awkward decorations at first, but even they reveal reasons behind their blank expressions and harsh responses so that I'm cheering them on by the end. And always, Mount Eskel and its Linder stone permeate everything with such a strong pull I seriously LONG to go see that mountain!!!!

My Rating: 4.5 - Great book!

The romance is hesitant and hopeful. The revolution feels historically close to what a revolution would be like. The details are just quick enough to draw me into the drama, but not bog down in history. The dangers are real and the responses all realistic. The writing is outstanding. Miri is wonderful - and so unique. If I heard her talking in any story anywhere, I would recognize her. I could swear Mount Eskel exists. It's not enough to visit, either... I want to live another life so I can grow up there, please!

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When Britta invites Miri and the other girls from the Princess Academy to the capital city to help prepare for the royal wedding, the girls find that the lessons they learned at the Princess Academy may not be enough to help them fit in to court life. Moreover, revolution is simmering beneath the

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surface, and palace residents -- even poor ones from the mountains -- may find themselves in danger. Miri loves some parts of city life, especially since she is now a scholar at the academy. Plus, romance seems to be just around the corner: a charming young revolutionary acts like he wants to be more than friends -- but what about Miri's feelings for Peder, who is also in the city as a stonemason's apprentice?

I found this sequel just as well-told as its predecessor. It took me a few pages to remember who everyone was, as it's been a few years since I read Princess Academy, but once I did, I found it completely engrossing.

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Note: This review contains unavoidable spoilers for Book One in the Princess Academy series, but no spoilers for this second book.

Despite the perhaps misleading reference to princesses in the title, the girls in the “Princess Academy” series, while fictional, still present some of the best

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role models for young girls you can find in children’s books. These are girls who are determined to made a difference with their lives, and do so!

I loved the first book in this series, Princess Academy. You don’t need to read it to enjoy fully this continuation of the story of the heroine Miri, but the two books are so enjoyable and inspirational you might as well read them both!

Miri comes from Mount Eskel, a village known for its mining of linder, a silvery marble-like stone. This fictional substance conveys a kind of extra-sensory perceptiveness to those who work in the quarries, breathe in its dust, and drink the water from streams that run through the linder mountain. “Lowlanders” in the kingdom of Danland look down upon those from up on Mount Eskel; nevertheless, traders from the Lowlands come three times a year to haul the valuable stone down the mountain, and bring food and other provisions in return.

This time, when the traders come, some of the girls from Mount Eskel will be going back with them to Asland, where the King and Queen live. The year before, royal priests had divined that Mount Eskel was the home of the future Princess. So all eligible girls were required to attend a “Princess Academy” to learn about the subjects they might need to know if selected by Prince Steffan. Although Miri was the top student, the Prince picked Miri’s friend Britta to be his bride. Now Britta has invited Miri to come, along with five other Academy girls, to attend her wedding. Also, she told Miri there was an opening for her at the Queen’s Castle, a university in Asland at which Miri could continue the studies she had grown to love. Britta even arranged for Miri’s crush Peder to get an apprenticeship with a stone carver in the capital. They could all go down to Asland together.

There were some dark notes to this bright opportunity, however. Miri would miss her father and her older sister Marda terribly. Additionally, Katar - one of the girls from the Academy who went to Asland to be a delegate to the royal court – wrote Miri that there was some kind of trouble brewing there.

Miri joins the trader wagons for the trip with mixed feelings, but soon she is caught up in the excitement of a big city and in the wonder of the new subjects she is learning. At first history is a disappointment – there are no books about Mount Eskel! But the whole idea of history suggests something new to her: does it have to be a "dead" subject about static names on a page, or can memories come alive and change the world? What she learns in ethics also stymies her: how do you decide between two equally unpleasant choices? Is there any time when ends justify the means, no matter how repugnant? Does the greater good ever outweigh individual values?

These aren’t just academic questions. The threat of revolution is roiling Asland. Too many people go hungry, and the Nobles and the King take too much in tributes. Miri knows about poverty and injustice from her background on Mount Eskel, and wants to side with the "shoeless." But one of her dearest friends is about to become Princess of the hated establishment! How can she choose between them? How much credence should she give to her head, and how much to her heart?

She even faces choices on the romantic front. Her crush Peder doesn’t pay all that much attention to her, not like Timon, a worldly fellow scholar….

Discussion: Is this book in the category of Middle Grade or Young Adult? It certainly has nothing in it that would be objectionable for younger readers, but neither does it have anything in it that won’t appeal to older readers, including this WAY older reader.

Evaluation: Don’t be put off by the word “princess” in the titles! These books are totally not related to the whole girls-just-want-to-be-princesses trope. On the contrary, Miri and her friends want to make their marks in the world, and they do so with pluck, aplomb, intelligence, and humor. Miri and the other girls are terrific role models, and wonderful characters.

When Shannon Hale is on her game, she is one charming and engaging story teller!

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Shannon Hale always shows such wonderful nuance in her books. Both sides of every coin.

I find it difficult to make a clear judgment about Palace of Stone. Taking it as a story at face value, I feel that the plot is too grand for itself and doesn't really live up to what it could be, that the solutions are all far too easy and the protagonist is too involved with every little element.

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However, it is a book in the Middle Grade demographic, and often with MG books, too-big plots with convenient, too easy solutions are more permissible, and it's much more common for the protagonists to be the ones to solve all the problems, whether directly or not.

So I liked the book, and I appreciate the way it continues many of the themes of Princess Academy about finding one's place in the world and the comfort of home and a small village vs. education and knowing the world and the big city. But I feel like Palace of Stone departs a little too much from those, I guess simpler?, themes and goes headlong into a "French revolution" style plot - one which Miri gets plopped into the middle of and ultimately saves the day (and her royal friends).

I've read other MG books recently where the protagonist isn't the one to solve everything, and I think I missed that here, where it is through Miri's actions that the revolution gets sparked rather than simmering along, and also through her actions that it gets suppressed and shifted into something less dangerous and scary.

I think some of the warmth and depth to the secondary characters is also lost. One of the things I liked about Princess Academy is the way it takes the very common story of a girl being unhappy in her small town and feeling unappreciated and tied down and puts Miri into that position - except that she loves her small town and wants to do more for it. The traditional character arc is given to secondary characters instead. But with Palace of Stone, we're back to the usual style, complete with a love triangle. (And, boy, am I tired of love triangles!)

So on the whole, Palace of Stone isn't a bad book, especially if you're reading it from an MG perspective. But it could be a lot better, and it has lost a lot of the elements that made Princess Academy so special.

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Unfortunately I have only read one other book by Shannon Hale, and it wasn’t the original Princess Academy novel. (Book of a Thousand Days, actually.) And if I hadn’t been under a deadline, I would have probably gone out and gotten the first novel before reading this one. Having said that, I

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was so completely charmed by this book that I have to go get the first novel the next time I’m out at a bookstore *despite* being spoiled for some of the plot twists. I want more of this story; I want to find out what happened before and what’s going to happen next.

I do really like Miri, she’s exactly the kind of heroine I want in all of m books—headstrong, intelligent, kind but will stand up and show her backbone. I love that she tries to find solutions that will not only support her friend Britta, but will also help the poor of Asland and revolutionize the social structure. Even though the majority of students at Queen’s College and the Aslandian nobles are quick to dismiss Miri as a naïve mountain girl, she very quickly proves them wrong. Also, I adore her relationship with Peder—I guessed that they would end up betrothed by the end, but they’re just too adorable and I love their whole relationship.

But I really adored Miri’s friendships the most. (This is the big reason why I need the first book now.) Even though her interactions with the other girls from Mount Eskel are limited, the moments we got in this book were fantastic and really highlighted how close these girls are. And even though we didn’t get to see everyone interact (to the point where I was confused about who was who; again, see above), it felt natural that these girls wouldn’t have as much time for one another if they’re off working on their skills. But when things begin to escalate, they’re all willing to put their lives on the line for each other.

I also really liked Miri’s uneasiness and being swept up by the sophistication of being at Queen’s College. She’s very naïve to the place of nobility in the lowlands, and I can see why she’s swept up in the idea of revolution—but she also realizes that Britta, despite being a noble, hasn’t had it as easy as people think. This is why Timon really works for me—I hate him, as he refuses to acknowledge the reality of the situation even after Miri explains everything to him and doesn’t consider that “Hey this is a person I want to see dead.” I can see why Miri would be caught up in Timon’s ideals and then ultimately reject him.

The revolution is the strongest part of the whole book. Hale isn’t afraid to address the change, politics and complexities of both and she does so without talking down to her audience or making her points in clear black and white sentiments. Even near after the resolution of having the king listen to his subjects and not the money-grubbing officials, Hale doesn’t have the situation all wrapped neatly in a bow, and it’s hinted that there’s a long way to go before true changes are implanted. But there’s a start, and I loved the very hopeful tone at the end of the book. The only real complaint I have about the revolution are Lady Sisela’s and Liana’s roles in supporting it, which essentially boil down to “Well, the king/prince didn’t choose me, so the queen/Britta should die!” I felt the revolutionaries like Timon—the newly rich members of the middle class—were more genuine and realistic.

Despite going into this completely blind and very limited exposure to Hale’s work (which is going to be rectified, trust me), I was enchanted right from the beginning and desperately need to read more now. (If there’s a book three, make about Frid! I loved her.) It’s a very intelligent read that manages to be absolutely delightful and doesn’t stoop to stereotypes or expectations of the intended audience. (And y’know, go read the first book if you haven’t already.)

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This was a great sequel and a wonderful finish to the series. The book was filled with suspense, adventure, romance, sadness, betrayal and ended with a happy ending

I did not get far into this book. Although I loved the first one, this one did not grasp my imagination. Perhaps at another time it will. I just found that it was slow getting started (I stopped reading at page 72) and I found myself uninterested in what was going to happen to the characters.

As Britta's wedding approaches, Miri is called to go down into the lowlands away from her beloved mountains to brave politics and a world beyond what she knows.

I picked this up on a whim because I knew it'd be a fairly easy read and I had pretty good memories of the first book. Ultimately this was

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an okay book. I am not terribly disappointed, but that's mostly because I didn't have high expectations anyway.

The book opens with an unbelievable scenario when Miri uses Diplomacy to change Peder's father's mind. Um no, a couple of diplomatic sentences would not cause a grown man to reverse his decision that he's already made publicly because men are proud. That's the theme in this book: characters feel unnatural and forced into decisions because it advances the plot.

It's just an unbelievable book. That the delegates would even flaunt their humiliating gifts to the king. Are you kidding me? The king has the army behind him. He could flog each of them and then take their lands as tribute. No way in politics would something that overt happen. If there was true dissent, it would not happen publicly.

That Miri could join a revolutionary group and become the pinnacle of the people.

That the mountains would never receive books. Surely the traders would realize the lack of knowledge and bring a couple.

It's just so deus ex machina with the linder and the royal family as well.

I am just too blase about all of this because I didn't care enough. It was unbelievable and the characters were so-so, but I wasn't invested.

Two stars. I can see how it's an okay sequel to the last book. I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but if you're hungering for a continuation of the girls, knock yourself out.

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My biggest problem with this was the way these kids were expected to just handle things. Katar is...what, 17? 18? at most - and she's the Delegate, all by herself. And then she expects 14- or 15-year-old Miri to sniff out a rebellion and make the decision as to what side the mountain folk should be

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on. Where are the adults? Besides busy lying to and attacking our heroic kids, or being totally oblivious to everything. Sheesh.
OK, aside from that (a perennial complaint, whenever Miri (or Katar) ran into something that was not reasonably handleable by someone with as little experience with life, and politics, and so on, as they have), I found it interesting. What I'm remembering is mostly complaints (Miri has to have two guys going for her? Really?), but there were several interesting stories there. The uses and limitations of rebellion, strange allies and friendly enemies, some very convenient happy endings (why _were_ the king and his family so oblivious? Oh, that's why). Interesting "powers" developed, too. I'd have spent hours in the library searching for any and every mention of linder, after that first book. Though I find Esa amusing on a similar subject...amusing, but she does have a point. The story of why the mountain was settled explains a lot, too. And the customs and rules are interesting, and interestingly developed.
It is a YA, and goes to considerable effort to portray the protagonists as just normal girls (and boy) in a very abnormal situation. Thus the two guys, and the girls being left on their own to manage all these problems, and quite a few of Miri's Realizations of the complications of life beyond the extended family that the mountain folk make up. I think it stretches things beyond reasonable belief a few times, but it does tell a good story.

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Which is worse - acting in the wrong or not acting at all? Page 196

The continuing adventures of Miri and the graduates of the Princess Academy is filled with the looming threat of revolution. As typical YA fare goes, the story has its share of love interests, triangles and such, but thankfully it

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is not the focus of the book and by no means heavy handed. The bulk of the story is focused on the ethical questions of rulership, class disparity, government representation, and the rights of the people versus the rule of a monarchy. A charming story that is accessible to both a younger audience, but can also be appreciated by adults as well.

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I quite liked Miri in Princess Academy. She was smart and brave and likable. Going to the lowlands doesn't change any of that about her, but Miri is faced with much bigger challenges. This was a great follow up story.

Not re-reading Princess Academy first was a mistake, but still, this was so fantastic.

Now that Britta is to be a princess, she invites her companions from the Princess Academy to come stay with her and learn the lowlanders' ways. Miri is particularly excited, because she's been invited to learn at Queen's School. But when the mountain girls come to the shining capital, they find

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that the monarchy is not so secure as they'd thought, nor the lowlanders all so rich.

The story is a little young for an adult reader--the revolution in particular reads a bit simplistic. But I liked it overall, and I thought the book dealt more with class than nearly any YA fantasy book I've read.

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[‎Saturday, ‎October ‎20, ‎2012] OMG!!! I really wanted book 2 of this series!! Can't wait to get my copy!!

Amazing in a quite different way than the first. So much to process here, so much to think about. The political intrigue, the reactions of all the mountain girl's to court & city life, the role of royalty, the system of education... not to mention Miri's coming-of-age and the romance.

For example,

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think about her varying reactions to the painting of the maid pouring milk at the school. It's true that great art is partly a reflection of our self, and subject to individual interpretation. And between hints like those, and the letters home (journal by proxy), we do see the inner Miri, beyond the persona she presents and beyond the behaviors and beliefs she admits to in public.

Think about Lady Sisela, and what we learn about her, and how our feelings about her change. Hale could have shared more of her story with us, to help us, but there's enough to ponder despite how little of her we actually see.

(Gummonth, otoh, remains to me a complete mystery. Not happy with that.)

Try to think about Peder and Britta, and why they both seem so immature and, actually, under-developed. Ok, this one is harder for me. I'm not sure if Hale sketched them the way she did on purpose, to make a point, or if it's a weakness of the book that they are annoyingly shallow. Until I figure it out, this remains a four-star book, not five.

I think my favorite theme is that of Truth. Please, would you mention in the comments the quote from Doter (?) as I've lost the marker for it and can't find the exact words (something about gut and something else agreeing)? We can compare that to ideas we know about Truth from outside the book, like History is written by the winners" and other quotes we could find right on this website. We can also ponder what Miri learns from her research: "What other truths would one day be revealed about old stories? History was as hard to hold as a wet fish."

Well, to sum. this would have been a five star book if it were longer - if characters were more developed, and political strategies more thoroughly described, and there were more little episodes and events to support all the excitement and themes.

But anything that includes all I've described above, plus the principles of Rhetoric and Ethics and Diplomacy, and the Mountain Girls telling the story of Bandit Attack, and the metaphor of the shoeless princess, so beautifully told, deserves no less than four stars.

You know what I just realized? If this would encourage more girls to go into politics and international relations, we might have a rosier future. More estrogen and relatively less testosterone at treaty tables would be a Good Thing."

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I loved this return the to world of Princess Academy. We learn more about the Kingdom overall and develop our characters further. There is romance and political intrigue with the characters we already love. Miri and her Princess Academy friends come out of the mountain for the first time , to the

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capital city for the Royal Wedding. But things off the mountain are not as perfect as the history books made it seem to Miri. Peder even gets a little competition for Miri's affections. Can't wait to read the third.

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3.25 stars

In this sequel to The Princess Academy, Miri is called to the palace in the city to help her friend Britta prepare for her wedding to the prince. While there, Miri is allowed to attend school, where she becomes involved with other students who want a revolution, as they feel the nobility

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should no longer exist. Miri gets caught up in it before she realizes that it may put Britta in danger.

It was ok. I’m giving the story 3 stars, but upping it by ¼ star for the well-done audio. There are multiple cast members for the audio, there are songs that are sung (I was picturing the lyrics to the songs being written out in the book, but they are performed in the audio), and I liked the way letters, thoughts and “quarry-speech” are done for the audio, as well. Despite all this, my mind did still wander somewhat while listening, so I’m attributing that to the story, which is why the slightly lower rating. I rated the first book “good” (3.5 stars) and it appears there is a third book in the series, so I will plan to read it, as well.

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I really love the Princess Academy. So I was surprised and happy to know that it has a sequel. As I started to read Palace of Stone, I felt giddy but I got disappointed--only at first.

I love Peder and he was one of the reasons why I've grown to love Peeta of the Hunger Games. I see them a bit the

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same. And as I read this book, I saw some resemblances: 1) Miri was like Katniss, 2)Peder was like Peeta, 3) Timon was like Gale, 4) the dystopian setting, 5) the shoeless were the citizens of the districts, & 6) they give tributes.

So I researched about these series. Princess Academy was the first but the Hunger Games came before the Palace of Stone. I was disappointed because I thought Hale was influenced by the hype of Collins but I found out what's wrong, it's me! I associated it with Hunger Games because I didn't read enough dystopian stories yet. lol. But the half of it was very different & I like how the author ended it. :)

I will reccommend Timon to sing I know I loved you.
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
BAHAHAHA

It's because of this: “I learned of you long before I met you. Traders who worked with my father talked of changes on Mount Eskel, led by the academy girls. Your academy’s tutor spoke with other scholars about one girl in particular. I used to imagine giving you books and a house in Asland, and sailing beside you to see the world. Then we met and everything I had dreamed seemed possible. I believed I would see your face every day for the rest of my life.”

But enough of Timon! *Z ghetto snap!* I'm with Peder all the way!!!
Hale could make another one, she can show Miri and Peder's wedding! :)

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So good. I liked how everything worked out.

Originally posted on A Reader of Fictions.

Last week, I reread Princess Academy in preparation for finally getting to the long-awaited sequel. Since Princess Academy ranks amongst my favorite books and since I always thought Princess Academy was a standalone, I embarked on Palace of Stone with

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trepidation. Often, much-belated, perhaps unintended, sequels disappoint, coming nowhere near the power of the original book, which would have been much better off left as a single, complete unit. Admittedly, Palace of Stone does not rise to the heights of its predecessor, I am still glad to have it and am excited that at least one more book of Miri's adventures will be coming.

As ever, Shannon Hale's writing is a treat. Writing style, of course, is such a subjective qualification. Hale's writing has a sort of weighted simplicity that I really admire. I can sort of sense how much thought she put into her word choices, into the compositions of the snatches of song, to make them just right. While most of the sentences are not especially complex, they are not at all haphazardly thrown together.

Shannon said that this book can be read independently of Princess Academy. That's true, I suppose, but I really would recommend that course of action. For one thing, Princess Academy is amazing, and why would you read the slightly less awesome second book in the series and not the book that started it at all. That would be silly, and not just because reading books out of series order offends my sensibilities.

Based on this statement that Palace of Stone can stand alone, I really expected this book to follow a different Mount Eskel girl, though I didn't really have a plan in mind as to which of them it would be (obviously, I didn't read the description at all). However, that is not the case at all. Miri is again our intrepid heroine. She remains clever, determined and full of good humor, and the best choice for a heroine. She spends more time in Palace of Stone downhearted, though, less sure of herself than she was in Princess Academy.

In this book, Shannon introduces a love triangle, which serves as a metaphor for Miri's concerns about her future. Peder represents Mount Eskel, solid, reliable and comfortable; Timon, a fellow student, represents a possible future in Asland, studying and adventuring. I saw the love triangle less as being about the boys themselves than about her indecision about what she wants her life to be. Does she want to stay in the city or to return to Mount Eskel? Hale handled this rather deftly, although I thought the final conclusion of it a bit oversimplified and too black and white.

What I found frustrating about Palace of Stone that lowered my rating was that I felt that Hale got a bit too lecture-y. As she mentions in the book, rhetoric dictates that it is better to tell a story to teach than to lecture. That, obviously, is what she's trying to do, but the lesson underneath is too apparent. The plot of Palace of Stone deals with the impending revolution. As such, there are many discussions of ethics and monarchy and such. They all just seemed a bit over the top and forced. They could have been worked in more naturally, shown more rather than told.

Part of that stems from the fact that the driving force of the plot is Katar's request that Miri help her figure out which side Mount Eskel should back in this political minefield. Should they side with King Bjorn and the nobles or with the 'shoeless,' the commoners? Katar presents this as something crucial that needs to be resolved immediately. Miri duly agrees to go sniff around and learn what she can, and gets involved with a revolutionary group. Through all of this, she never reports back with anything at all substantial to Katar. Thought it was imperative that Mount Eskel choose a side posthaste, Miri doesn't give Katar a plan until almost a year later. Hale's attempt to establish a sense of urgency and Miri's reaction made me seriously frustrated, and that diminished my liking for Miri a bit.

I realize that got a bit ranty. I still quite enjoyed Palace of Stone, but I just didn't feel like it lived up to Princess Academy. If you enjoyed PA, though, I recommend reading this one anyway. If you haven't read PA, go do that.

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The first half really dragged. I enjoyed the characters, as with Princess Academy, but the story was just a bit too much Hunger Games and a bit too much Les Mis, and the revolution was slow in coming. It felt very predictable. However, the second half made up for it and I'm sad that it's over.

It's

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been years since I read Princess Academy, but I remember thinking it was delightful and clever. In this book, Miri seems a bit too perfect; everyone is simply enthralled with her and she accomplishes what no other could, yet doesn't have the quirks and faults to be a three-dimensional character. I also found most of the Mount Eskel girls to be interchangeable.

Nonetheless, the ending is hopeful and inspiring and I certainly know many thoughtful 10-12 year olds who will enjoy the romance and intrigue, and for whom revolution is still a relatively new concept. They will adore this book.

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This is just one of those novels that makes me so sad; I will never be able to write as well as Shannon Hale, because this book was AWESOME!
So incredibly awesome.
I love it!
The depth of Miri is so amazing. This author has gotten to know the ins and outs of her character. We truly see into Miri's

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soul. She is such a deep individual. Makes me feel shallow. But Miri enjoys all the beauty of the world. She sees it in layers. One of my most favorite things in this series is how the author can describe a scene or the character's mood with one simple, beautifully crafted sentence, and then she moves on with the story.
So deeply beautiful.
I love the quarry-speech. It's the magical element of the novel and we learn a few more things about it this time. Just magical. So simple in all this. This folktale felt as if, in another time, it could have actually happened.
I'm a believer.
Well done.
This is a clean read. A read-aloud family read.
And there are few moments of sweet romance, but nothing that would make it PG-13.

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{Second of 3; Princess Academy series. Fantasy, children’s, YA} (2012)
Re-read

Following on some months after the end of Princess Academy a couple of the Academy girls have gone to Asland, the capital of Danland. Prince Steffan is to marry his chosen bride next spring and she has invited her Mount

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Eskel friends from the Academy to help her get ready for her wedding. There is a place for Miri at the Queen's Castle, the foremost institution of learning in Danland, and Peder, Miri's childhood friend, is set to accompany them to Asland to learn more about carving linder. However Marda, Miri's sister, stays behind so Miri can only write letters to her and collect them to be sent with the next trading caravan which will travel up to Mount Eskel in the spring. This is not an epistolary but letters do play a large part in the story.

At the beginning of the book Miri receives two letters; one from Katar

Addressing Miri Larensdaughter, Lady of the Princess,
Mount Eskel

Miri,

This is a letter. A letter is like talking to someone who is far away. Do not show the others in case I am doing it wrong.

and one from Britta

Miri Larensdaughter, Mount Eskel

Dearest Miri,

I am delighted to write to you! Though I would rather talk to you in person and sit in the shade of the princess academy, watching the hawks glide. At least I have good news to share.

I love the contrast between the two styles, which encapsulates the personalities of the senders perfectly.

This was a gentle story and was easy to re-read although it hadn't been very long since I read it the first time. It has a similar feel to Johanna Spyri's Heidi (which I read several times as a child). It emphasises family and friendship; the story revolves around the different types of friendships Miri shares with those around her and her quest to find a non-violent way to balance them all. I like the way, for instance, that Katar's and Miri's relationship has developed from competitiveness in the first book through grudging respect to teasing friendship.

'So ... did she just agree to sponsor the charter?' asked Katar.
'I thinks so,' Miri whispered.
'You think so?' Katar grabbed the paper from Miri. 'If I present this in session and {she} doesn't offer her sponsorship, "I think so" isn't going to save my head.'
'Your head will be fine,' said Miri. 'It's your neck you should worry about.'
'Miri!'

As well as personal friendship the story addresses the love of country and the determination to do the best for it - although different people have different ideas as to the best ways that can be achieved and so there are serious rumblings of revolution which brings danger to Miri and her friends. The first time I read this I felt some forebodings of doom - but Hale does my kind of happy ever afters. We learn incidentally about some of the history of Danland, some royal secrets and more secrets about linder - the stone quarried on Mount Eskel - are revealed.

And it's not just about the differences that Miri finds between the capital and her home on Mount Eskel; I like the way a lot of the girls from the Academy end up finding new life-paths that suit them, that they're passionate about and that they plan to use to benefit their community on Mount Eskel.

Although there is some romance in the story (after all Miri is 'of an age to be betrothed'), it is not a focus and (almost) all the attachments are grounded in friendship and genuine affection.

This one tugs at the heartstrings and there were a few moments when I was cheering on a person who had seemed to be a background character until then. You go girl!

4.5 stars

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