Princess Academy

I loved reading this when I was younger, and although some of the details are now hazy, I remember being yelled at for not listening when my parents said lights out ! Miri is a great character for young girls to look up to, and this book was an adventure from start to finish.

On the surface, Princess Academy seems a silly tale, a story of a Prince choosing a bride, an obvious read-a-like for Kiera Cass' The Selection. Of course, that is the crux of the story: the prince of Danland is to choose his bride from among the twenty girls of the proper age in Mount Eskel, a small territory town full of quarriers. The girls are required to spend a year in training for the Prince's coming. However, Princess Academy is so much more than that, and you would be a fool to pass it by because of that expectation.

The covers given to Shannon Hale's books market to middle grade readers, which I think is a shame. While middle graders could certainly read this book and enjoy it, so too can teens and adults. There is nothing childish about Hale's writing or the stories she tells. They are, however, free of swearing and sex, which might age them in the eyes of publishers. These books are not just for young folks.

When I saw Shannon Hale in person, she spoke to her motivations in becoming a writer for young people. She talked about how much reading meant to her as a child, and how she loved the stories of journeys. She compared that to all of the literary classics she was made to read in college, beautifully composed, but lacking in plot and story. As an author, she aims to compose books that do both, that can be both quality literature and entirely fun to read, told in a classic story arc. To my mind, she succeeds beautifully.

One of the largest themes of Princess Academy is that of class. Those in Mount Eskel live far from the rest of Danland. They have their own customs and interests. Their sole source of income is from the mining of linder, the best building stone in the land. Only in Mount Eskel can linder be found, and those that live there build their lives around it. They even have their own form of speech for use within the quarry, which is so loud normal conversation cannot be used. Quarry-speech constitutes the only truly fantastical element of Princess Academy. This ability feels magical and wondrous, and I commend Shannon for devising it.

Despite their unique skills, those in Mount Eskel are looked down upon by the lowlanders, the traders that come through town. Seen as stupid blue collar workers, the mountain people get no respect. As such, they have just as little affection for the lowlanders, viewing them solely as hateful people out to mess with hardworking citizens. These tensions can be felt in any society, the gap between the wealthy and the poor.

In the Princess Academy, the possible princesses get an opportunity no Mount Eskel person has ever had before: the chance to obtain a traditional education. In Mount Eskel, the learning always ran to the mining of Linder, and other skills necessary to survive on the mountain. No one in the town knew how to read or much of anything about the history of their country. Princess Academy points to the value in book learning and of language, but also indicates the power and beauty of the work of the miners. Both are important, and learning can improve anyone and any profession.

Miri, our heroine, is a tiny girl, not strong enough to mine linder, who does not really fit in. Perhaps the most important theme of the book is about realizing one's own strengths. While Miri may have no physical strength, her extraordinary cleverness helps her and others through life. Even that, though, might not be her largest contribution. Miri has a wonderful attitude and the ability to make others laugh. She excels in finding common ground with others, in creating friendships. This makes her such a wonderful, touching heroine.

The other girls, too, have real personalities. Unlike The Selection, in which only a couple of girls receive much notice, Shannon manages in this short book, to make sure that we have a good sense for quite a few of the girls. She gives even the most annoying ones a real sense of self, and attributes them with motivations for acting the way they do. In fact, even the evil school marm, who reminds me quite a bit of Umbridge in her disdain for the students and draconian punishments, is not simply a figure of evil. Shannon develops fascinating, lovable, flawed characters.

The romance, which I just have to comment on, is so well done. Shannon does not go for the easiest and most obvious routes. Her books always make me feel and give me butterflies of happiness when the couples finally get together. She manages to make me swoon without even writing in a kissing scene. This, my friends, is true skill.

This was my second read through Princess Academy and I love it every bit as much as I did on my first time through. Shannon is one of my favorite authors for a reason.

Reader reviewed by Jen

This is such a great book! Shannon Hale's writing style is beautiful and lyrical (I'm in love with it) Even though the age group on this book says 8+, I am 14 and I enjoyed so much, even though I am older and I'm not really into fantasy (except for a few exceptions).  If you liked this, read her other books, the Books of Bayern (The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets and Forest Born, but I haven't read the latter because my library doesn't have it. Argghh!)  Such a good writer and a cool story!

Reader reviewed by AB

Princess Academy was about a group of girls in line for beciming the nezt princess.
The price in their village needed a wife so they academy rounded up a group of girls to be trained for the next princess in waiting.
This book left me in suspense and i just could not put it down!
 Its full of suspense, kidnapping, romance, and drama!
One of the cutest books!  I highly recommend this book!

Reader reviewed by Stacey @ book:thirty

Im in loooooooove. Thats all I can figure. Why else would I have stayed up until 2am to finish this book, tossed and turned, unable to sleep, feverish thoughts of if only I had enough money to buy the school 10 copies and give one to everyone I know! in my over-tired head? Why else would I have dreamed (when I was finally able to sleep) of the different characters in this book, longing to be the main character, Miri? I am dopey-eyed, slack-jawed, gimme more gimme more gimme more in loooooooove with this book!

Princess Academy can most easily be described as a take on the princess tale, wherein it is possible for a common young woman to marry the prince. But its so much more than that. Young Miri is the diminutive heroine of the story, living a small, quiet life with her family and villagers atop Mount Eskel. The village mines the mountain quarries for blocks of linder, a valuable commodity for building in their country of Danland. A representative from the royal court - located in the lowlands - comes to tell the village that it has been determined the princes bride shall come from their tiny village. Since none of the young women can read or write or engage in things like Conversation, Poise, and Diplomacy, the court creates a Princess Academy, where the girls can study for one year and potentially catch the eye (and hand) of the Prince at the year-end ball.

The year at the Academy changes everyone, especially Miri (named after the miri flower that grows in the linder-filled mountains). She comes to the academy with fear and hope lodged in her heart. She has always felt useless in her village - too small to work the quarry, too small to be of any consequence. Could the Academy offer her a chance to be important? What if she were chosen as the princess? Ultimately Miri discovers in herself hidden talents and abilities, and with a generous spirit goes about helping others to do the same. Throughout the year at the school, all the girls grow strong, intelligent, independent. They examine their relationships with each other, with their families, with the mountain itself.

Author Hale leans on Scandinavian roots to create her community in the book. The look, the feel of the village is Scandinavian, even down to the use of names like Doter and Peder and Britta. There are some incredibly poignant scenes, one which made me tear up. There is humor and action and suspense. There is a sweet love story, with touches of passion and fluttering hearts. The mountain is a character as real as any human in this story. This isnt really just a princess tale. Its a tale of friendship and love, loyalty, courage, individual gifts, the value of education. Id hate for anyone to look at the title and dismiss it as a fairy tale. I was thinking if I had chosen the title, it might be Miri Blooms. This book has certainly planted something very warm and whole in my own heart. Yes, I think Im in love!

Reader reviewed by Mary

This would be my second Shannon Hale book, the first being The Book of a Thousand Days. And I have to say that I adored it.



Miri lives in a small village where the villagers lives revolve around mining stones. Miri's father refuses to let Miri work in the mine, forcing Miri to feel useless and weak. Then, Miri is offered a chance to prove herself. The prince is seeking a bride and tradition dictates that it must be chosen from her town. A Princess Academy is set up so all the eligible children can be suitable for marriage. Miri knows this is her chance to prove that's she's useful...


Not a shallow book as the title suggests, this novel is a journey of a young girl being true to herself. Shannon Hale's beautiful prose shines throughout the book. I loved this book.

Reader reviewed by Mary

This wonderful story is about a girl who lives on a mountain with her older sister and father. She is very different than all the other girls because her father is very protective about her and won't let her do certain things. One day, they find out the prince is getting married and the girls of Mount Eskel are to go to the academy. This is very exciting and all girls that are old (and young) enough go. This brings so much adventure into the story. But this is not all. There is a hint of love in this story, and I loved this book, so I believe you will, too!

Reader reviewed by Alanna

I tend to think of this as a pretty girly book, but if my brother, the one who plays nothing but war games, could like the movie Aquamarine, some of you guys out there might like this book. It's about Miri Larendaughter of Mount Eskel. When it is foretold that the prince's bride will come from Mount Eskel, Miri and her peers are shipped of to a princess academy where competition is thick, and Miri must find out how to win over the strict headmistress, Olana.

Reader reviewed by nelka35

The basic plot is this: the priests say that the prince has to choose a bride for the girls of a mountain village. Therefore the girls are sent to an academy to learn the things they need to know. The story itself is told beautifully - I was completely involved in it, and had to come back to reality when I finished the book. It has interesting twists, some quite unexpected, and is a well-developed, detailed, and balanced, tale. I highly recommend it - a real joy to read!