Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone (MG)

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone. Shannon Hale. 2012. Bloomsbury.  336 pages.

Miri woke to the insistent bleat of a goat. She squeaked open one eye. Pale yellow sky slipped through the cracks in the shutters.

Miri and the other graduates of the Princess Academy are preparing to go to capital city to attend the princess-to-be, Britta. Miri will even have the privilege of attending Queen's Castle--a university. Peder, Miri's best friend, will be heading to the capital as well, as an apprentice to a stone carver. But the months leading up to Britta and Steffen will be anything but boring...

Katar, the delegate from Mount Eskel, confides in Miri that there is talk of revolution. The "shoeless" are conspiring against the aristocracy. And she's hoping that Miri can get to the bottom of it, discover who is plotting and why...and determine which side is in the right. And attending Queen's Castle, Miri does in fact discover how unhappy, restless, and angry people are with the royal family, with the way things are done in the kingdom. Miri listens quite sympathetically and decides that change does need to happen, that the people have a right to fight against injustice....so what does this mean for her relationship with Britta and the other royals?

Most of Palace of Stone focuses on Miri and her new friends and acquaintances. (Peder has some competition as well.) Politics definitely play a big role in this one! As does education and literacy.

I really loved it. I certainly couldn't put it down! The writing was great. Hale does have a way with words. I would definitely recommend both books.

Read Palace of Stone
  • If you're a fan of Shannon Hale
  • If you're a fan of Princess Academy
  • If you like a blend of fantasy and politics--think Megan Whalen Turner.
  • If you like fantasy with light romance

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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