Princess Academy had little parts that made each of the girls feel individual, interesting, and unique, there isn’t anything here like that and I really miss it. Every one of the girls who made such a huge impression in the first book, Katar, Gerti, Esa, Frid, Liana, and Bena, they all felt like they're here in name only. And that's one of my problems, Miri isn't Cosette, the way she goes around the city and things she does here just felt completely alien to her character from the first book, like she's swept up and deposited in a story that's not her own.Īnd for a sequel, I'm disappointed by all the returning characters except Britta. I have the feeling Hale took a lot of inspiration from Les Miserables for this sequel, from the discontented masses of urban poor on the streets of Asland to the whispers of plans to overthrow the king in salons around the city, it all makes Palace of Stone a very different book from Princess Academy, a far more mature book. Some of them are good, like Miri finding Asland not to be the shining city by the sea she's always dreamed of from poor, isolated Mount Eskel, but some not so much, like the massive amount of politics that's thrown into the story.
A good book but without what made the original great.Īccording to Shannon Hale, the keyword here is revolution so I expected a lot of changes in the wind. Part of the charm of the original Princess Academy is the innocence of the characters, these simple mountain girls being exposed to the extravagance of royalty and court life for the first time yet finding inner strength in their own simplicity, and while Miri does grow as a character here, it's just not the same. Miri and Princess Academy grow up in this sequel, and I'm not sure I really like it. Can Miri find her way in this new place, or will she be considered a traitor? The fate of the kingdom is at stake. Will she choose loyalty to the princess, or reform for the people?Īs Miri struggles to resolve this dilemma in her own mind, her heart is suffering: an old love comforts her a new crush consumes her she yearns for her homeland. When Miri discovers a secret plot against the royal court - which is motivated by good - she feels torn. But helping Britta prepare for her future is not an easy task. Her best friend, Britta, has been chosen by the Prince of Asland to be his bride, and the royal wedding is fast approaching.
With a chance to study at the university and live at the Queen's Castle, Miri leaves village life and is thrust into the bustling chaos of the city. A rich and compelling fantasy about one girl's journey to discover where her home and heart truly belong in a divided world is reminiscent of the best writing by authors like Eva Ibbotson and Cornelia Funke. This long-awaited follow-up to Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy hit the New York Times bestseller list in the first week of US publication.
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