Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale

Summary 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.


4.5 Stars

Library Book

My Review:
I enjoy Shannon Hale's original fairy tale Princess Academy Series.  She creates a world and characters that I just love.

The books do need to be read in order, Princess Academy, Princess Academy: Palace of Stone, and this third book, Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters.  The first book introduces this fairy tale, the characters, the setting, and the relationships we see throughout the series.  The second book continues the story with the characters facing more mature conflict and seeing their relationships grow.

In this third book, Miri, the main character, evolves even further as she is forced in to a situation that pushes her out of her comfort zone.  As she works through physical, emotional and mental difficulties, she becomes a heroine like she's never been before.  I am impressed with how she cares for others, rises above her fears, faces adventures, solves mysteries and "saves the day".  I do feel at times that the story drags a bit.  I want it to move a little faster at points, but those are few.

I really enjoy seeing the relationships grow in this story.  In the first book we learn about young friendships and growing romance.  Now that the characters are older and have faced life outside their small village, the relationships, both friendship and romantic, grow.  With the introduction of these three "forgotten sisters", we see new friendships grow as well.

I love this series and recommend it.  It is clean, engaging, adventurous, and has a bit of young romance too.

Warnings: None

I would let my 14 and 17 year old daughters read this book and I think they would like it.