Palace of Stone (Princess Academy, #2)

by Shannon Hale

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Palace of Stone begins unremarkably. It is a story about a revolution and it has the potential to be “just another one.” Shannon Hale, of course, works her magic and turns it into a beautiful, wise, and outstanding story about a revolution, with all the charm that made readers fall in love with Princess Academy.

Although this story takes place in the capital, Miri and Mount Eskel are at the heart of it, and they are what makes it great. Because the king’s wing of the palace is made of linder, Miri knows there is always something of home about, and she uses it to her advantage. Mount Eskel might have no official history in the records of the kingdom, but it has played a strong and important part. A lot of secrets are unveiled that are truly surprising and which reaffirm Miri’s belief that Eskel deserves respect and love.

In addition to the princess academy girls, whom it is delightful to encounter again, and whose characters shine all the more clearly now that they are thrust into new and unfamiliar situations, some fantastic new characters are introduced. For one, there is the scholarly yet zealous Timon (a potential rival for Miri’s hand!), but a few others will have some surprisingly great moments. There is more than one scene in this book that would inspire some dramatic and uplifting background music if they ever make their way into a movie.

Palace of Stone is at times thoughtful, exciting, and heartwarming. It is an immensely worthy sequel to Princess Academy, which had before seemed perfect as a standalone.

This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.