Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale (Princess Academy #2)

Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city seems a thrill beyond imagining. When Miri and her friends from Mount Eskel set off to help the future princess Britta prepare for her royal wedding, she is happy about her chance to attend school in the capital city. There, Miri befriends students who seem so sophisticated and exciting . . . until she learns that they have some frightening plans. They think that Miri will help them, that she "should "help them. Soon Miri finds herself torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city. Picking up where "Princess Academy "left off, this incredible stand-alone story celebrates the joys of friendship, the delight of romance, and the fate of a beloved fairy tale kingdom.

First line:
"Miri woke to the insistent bleat of a goat."

AH! Another book from Shannon Hale!
Smart, clever, classy, intriguing and I could go on.
Revolution! The hot word in Miri's new world. Miri gets caught up in her new life and loses sight of who she is and where she's come from. She feels the pressure of bettering herself so she can return home and better her village. In the meantime, she is being used to promote a revolution that could hurt the people she loves. How will Miri and her smarts get her out of trouble?
Peder and many other girls from Mount Eskel also went with Miri. Peder wants to learn to be a sculptor. Miri wonders if he will ever like her. Timon, a city boy, catches her eye and they are drawn to each other. Until he betrays her (like I knew he would! User!).
Miri has to rally those around her to make a change for the better before her village is sent into poverty again. Can she do it before more lives are lost?
And where does she really want to leave? Mount Eskel or the castle? Can she be both people?
Good, clean read. Loved this book! THANK YOU SHANNON HALE!


RATING: PG
V: Fighting
L: No
S: A couple of kisses

Liked:
Everything!

Disliked:
Nothing

5 STARS

Thanks, Netgalley!

Princess Academy Sequel! Squee!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLOOMSBURY CHILDREN'S BOOKS TO PUBLISH THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED SEQUEL TO THE NEWBERY HONOR WINNER AND BESTSELLING NOVEL PRINCESS ACADEMY
To be published August 2012

"Shannon Hale's books blow me away. When I read them I get lost in the magic—her stories are magic."
—Stephenie Meyer

Ever since the publication of Princess Academy in 2005, fans and booksellers have been clamoring for a sequel. Now, Bloomsbury is delighted to announce the Fall 2012 publication of the as-yet-untitled second Princess Academy book.

The new novel picks up where the 2006 Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy left off. Miri and a few of the academy girls travel to the capital city of Asland to help the princess-to-be. But while continuing her studies, Miri befriends some other students who seek to overthrow the crown. Torn between her friendship with the princess and her belief in her new friends' daring ideas, as well as an old love and a new crush, Miri struggles to find her place in the larger world.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

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Miri lives on a mountain where for generations her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and ...Miri lives on a mountain where for generations her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.
Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates.

My daughter and I read this book as part of a mother/daughter book club. We both read it before and enjoyed it the second time as well. I think we learned more this time as well. Princess Academy is worth reading again and again. I LOVED Miri, the main character, how she grew and learned and became stronger and wiser.

Rating: G
S: None
L: None
V: None

Page 69 test:
"...to warm her on her pallet at the far end of the room, and she shivered and wished for something to hope for. She closed her eyes and saw the folds of the silver dress twist and shimmer beneath her lids. Her dreams of becoming academy princess wrapped around her and eased the chill."