Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale ISBN-13: 9781599908731 Hardcover: 323 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Released: August 21, 2012

Source: Bought through Half.com..

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Miri and her princess academy friends have been brought to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding. There, Miri also has a chance to attend school at the Queen's Castle. As Miri befriends students who seem sophisticated and exciting, she also learns that they have some frightening plans. 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, Miri looks to find her own way in this new place.


My Review:
Palace of Stone is a young adult fantasy novel. It's the second book in a trilogy. You can understand this story without reading the previous novel. However, this story does spoil the ending of the previous novel. That story is also a good read, so I'd recommend starting with "Princess Academy" and then read this one.

The characters were engaging, varied, and acted realistically. I like how the author presents her characters with situations with no easy answers. Miri is determined enough that she doesn't settle for the either-or choice that others insist that she make. Both are good things, and choosing one would mean losing the other. There's always another path, even if it's risky, and Miri has the courage to look for those answers and learn from past mistakes.

There was no sex or bad language. I'd highly recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.