2019 5 Star Review #7 - Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters

The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale
Princess Academy, book three
Published Feb 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Format Read: Print book from Personal Library

Description from Goodreads:
After a year at the king's palace, Miri has learned all about being a proper princess. But the tables turn when the student must become the teacher!

Instead of returning to her beloved Mount Eskel, Miri is ordered to journey to a distant swamp and start a princess academy for three sisters, cousins of the royal family. Unfortunately, Astrid, Felissa, and Sus are more interested in hunting and fishing than becoming princesses.

As Miri spends more time with the sisters, she realizes the king and queen's interest in them hides a long-buried secret. She must rely on her own strength and intelligence to unravel the mystery, protect the girls, complete her assignment, and finally make her way home.

My Review: 

It had been so long since I'd read book two in this series, The Palace of Stone, that I was worried I wouldn't be able to fall into this world easily again.  On the contrary, I almost think the extra time between books enhanced my experience. It reintroduced me to Miri, Peder, and some of the other characters, while also drawing me into a new part of the world as Miri travels to Lesser Alva to meet three "cousins" of the royal family.  

Readers get to see smart, resilient Miri turn from student to teacher, and yet still learn some lessons along her way to the final ending.  I loved that these books demonstrate how much we can learn from one another and how we interact with and treat other people.  Friends, family, strangers, each are important and each touch and color our life experience.  I especially loved how Miri passes on things she knows to the sisters, but internalizes the things she can learn from them, as well.  And the fact that she, again, finds the solution to a MAJOR problem in the kingdom... we need to keep recognizing and valuing girls like Miri in real life.  

This book was definitely a shade darker than the first two, but as the characters had matured, it seemed only fitting.  I think these books tackle more than readers expect by looking at the covers and I cannot wait to pass them on to my niece when she's old enough. 

Recommended to readers ten and above looking for a smart, kind heroine in a neat fantasy setting.  But, start with Princess Academy so you can take Miri's journey along with her! 

February Challenge Wrap Up Post

2019* Books I Already Own Challenge

Hello Readers! For one of the shortest months of the year, I actually got a ton of reading done in February! How did you do?  I was amazed at how many audiobooks I managed to fit in between things.  And in the cold and snow, there's nothing I love more than snuggling up with a good book, a cozy blanket, my dog, and a good read. 

Though my February reads didn't rank quite as high as my January ones did on my one to five star scale, a lot of them were solidly in the middle, so that's not too bad.  I started hosting a group read of The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare on instagram, so we read book one in February and we'll be reading books two and three in March and April.  I also read a lot of romance, as I was trying out Audible's Romance package, which I ended up canceling after my free trial month.  I hope you read some good books this past month. 

Here's what I read in February:

Audiobooks I Own
Mikhail by Lauren Smith
Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck by Molly Harper - novella
Peachy Flippin' Keen by Molly Harper - novella
Rurik by Lauren Smith
How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper
Love and Other Wild Things by Molly Harper
Illusion Town by Jayne Castle
First World by Jaymin Eve

Physical Books I Own 
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne *5 star*
The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale *5 star*
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare  - group read
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer *5 star*

eBooks I Own 
Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill
Lera of Lunos by Alex Lidell

Required Reading
(for work) Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum

Borrowed from the Library
An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

Did you read anything amazing in February?
Are you also working on reading from your own collections at home?

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone

by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy, book two

 



Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city is a thrill to Miri. She 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. But 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. (description from Amazon.com)

I am so happy that this follow-up to The Princess Academy finally came out. The first book is one of my all time favorites!  Miri is a fabulous character: loyal, smart, ambitious (but in the best way...) and true blue to the end... I was so happy to see her back.

Shannon Hale does a FABULOUS job shifting Miri into life in the royal city.  This book still features friendship, romance, and learning, plus it delves into political intrigue, danger, and above all figuring out exactly who you are as a person and where you want your life to take you. Miri finds herself embroiled in a battle for power with divided loyalties - the worst possible place.  It takes months and real life-threatening danger for her to determine exactly what the truest course is...and of course, for her to lead the charge.

Full of wisdom, wit, and heartwarming relationships, Hale has followed up a beautifully written book with a bang up sequel. I adored every minute of it!

Full disclosure: ARC received at BEA 2012/eARC received from NetGalley

OMG! YAY!

I am beyond delighted to report that Bloomsbury is coming out with a sequel to the much beloved Princess Academy by one of my favorite authors, Shannon Hale!!!

At the moment, they are just calling it Princess Academy 2, but it sounds amazing. From Shannon Hale's blog post announcement:

The new novel picks up where the 2006 Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy left off. Miri and a few of the academy girls travel to the capital city of Asland to help the princess-to-be. But while continuing her studies, Miri befriends some other students who seek to overthrow the crown. Torn between her friendship with the princess and her belief in her new friends’ daring ideas, as well as an old love and a new crush, Miri struggles to find her place in the larger world.

I am SOOOO excited for this and will be anxiously hoping to pick up an ARC at BEA this summer before it's official release in August 2012.