Reviewing - The Princess Academy Series by Shannon Hale

Hello again! It feels good to get back to some book reviews! The series I am discussing today is a new favorite of mine: The Princess Academy series by Shannon Hale.

I read the first book, simply called The Princess Academy, several years ago when it was first published, but recently reread it and read the rest of the series as well. It is definitely a girl book and series, since the main character is a girl and most of the other characters are as well. It is such an imaginative and original story. The main character, Miri, lives in a remote mountain village where the people quarry a special white stone from the mountain. She and the girls of her village are chosen to attend a special "Princess Academy". They are educated and trained in etiquette so that in a years time the Prince of their country can choose a bride. The story is about growing in confidence, learning to communicate and trust others, the importance of community and family and also has a bit of magic in it, but not your typical magic. The stones the villagers quarry are very special and can transmit images and feelings for the villagers. This is especially important to the girls and comes into play several times. It doesn't have any language in it, though it does have a bit of violence towards the end, though nothing at all graphic. I would recommend it for ages 8 and up.

The second book, The Palace of Stone, was a nice follow up to the first book. I think I liked it even better than the first in some ways. Miri and the girls of the Princess Academy go to the capital of their country to help the new princess get ready for her wedding. Miri also gets to go to a special school so she can be a teacher. This book has a lot more political intrigue and Miri is faced with some ethical conundrums as a result of being friends with the princess, yet also seeing the need for change in the city. There is a lot of poverty and there is talk of revolution in this book. Miri's loyalties are tested and theres a little bit of a love triangle, but in a very innocent way. Quarry speech, which is discovered by Miri and her friends in the first book, has a big part in this book as well. The conclusion is quite dramatic! Each of these books have more serious themes than you might expect of anything with the word "princess" in them. Themes of friendship, loyalty, learning to discern between right and wrong, etc. Age 8 and up, though this particular book is a bit deeper than the first one, so some things may go over your child's head.

I am always leery of the final book in a series. They so often disappoint. This book started off very abruptly and I didn't feel like the author's voice, which was so clear in the other two books, was as strong in the beginning of this one. However, after a few chapters, the real story started coming alive and the tone of the book became familiar again and the rest of the book was satisfying. It is probably my least favorite of the three, but I still enjoyed it and found it a nice conclusion for the whole series. And it also made me cry, something that didn't happen with the other two. Miri finds herself sent to a swamp to teach and train three girls related to the King of the land. She must try and prepare one of them to become a bride for a neighboring King who is threatening war. But Miri must learn to survive in a very rural environment (reminds me of the swamps of Louisiana) and learns quite a lot from the girls she is teaching. There's a bit of mystery involved with this one, more than with the other two. There's more violence as well, since the environment their in is pretty hostile and there's war on the horizon, and thus enemy soldiers make an appearance. I would still recommend this for 8 and up, but Miri is growing up in the stories, and facing harder and harder challenges as the series progresses, so the themes and storyline become a little more mature as the series continues.

Overall this series was excellent, and if you're a mom who likes princess-y stories with a heroine who has a little more depth to her and a lot of moral courage, then I would definitely recommend this for you and your daughter! Happy reading!

Shelby