“She could be a princess’s lady and be betrothed to Peder — a stone carver. She could be a citizen of Asland but a girl from Mount Eskel. She did not have to choose anymore.”
In this sequel to The Princess Academy , the author sketches the journey that the protagonist undertakes from her home in Mount Eskel to the foothills, a thrill she’d only imagined of before. Miri has plans to help her best friend, Britta who is to wed the Prince, and to enrol herself in a prominent university in the capital.
But to her dismay, things are not as she had imagined. She realises that the city is on the verge of witnessing a massive revolution and that her own friends at the university are conniving against the monarchy. Once they confide in Miri, she is wrenched between her loyalty towards Britta and the royal family, and her mates. She is also torn between her feelings for Peder and her new-found love.
At times, she feels like leaving it all and returning to the comfort of her home. But in the end, Miri realises that a person can always be more than one thing.
Reading between the lines The story celebrates all that we desire but forget to cherish — love, romance, friendship and fairytale endings. Even though Princess Academy did well as a solo novel, the sequel is an interesting continuation to the story of Miri and her life.
Miri is the embodiment of every teenage girl, who is at the crossroads, caught between her fear of the unknown and her desire to realise her dreams. It is not difficult to start adoring her composed demeanour from the very beginning.
The author, Shannon Hale easily transports the reader into a medieval era and effortlessly leads into a fairytale world. She connects with every teenage girl and is able to warm the cockles of their hearts with her story of Miri.
She also uses simple language to convey picturesque scenes. The poem blurbs at the beginning of each chapter are interesting. One can easily relate to the dialogues in the book.
It is undeniable that it’s a feel-good book that appeals to and connects with youngsters. However, the plot, being simple, is unable to deliver that definitive unforgettable twist — one which would have caused an adrenalin rush in its readers.
For every girl out there, who is a princess in her own right, this is a must read.
Title: Princess Academy: Palace of Stone
Writer: Shannon Hale
Publication: Bloomsbury
Price: Rs. 299
