Quotes
“Readers of Hale’s Newbery Honor–winning Princess Academy will welcome this
reunion with Miri and her schoolmates…This is a fine follow-up to a novel that
already felt complete.”
Publishers Weekly
“[In] this sequel…Hale has written a worthy and
complex continuation of Miri’s story, and her strong and vibrant character will
be familiar and welcome to readers of the first book, despite the length
between publications. A literary and engaging coming-of-age story, the elements
of class tension, home, family, friendship, and self-discovery ring true…This
is an essential purchase for school and public libraries.”
VOYA
“This sequel to The Princess Academy finds a more mature Miri facing more difficult
and not always black-and-white decisions. It is clear that the path to social
justice is not smooth and that true change evolves over time. The sights,
sounds, and smells of the city, the royal court, and faraway Mount Eskel are
vividly created. This is a worthy sequel that will be eagerly greeted by loyal
fans.”
Children’s Literature
“The rebellion plotline acts as a primer on
why change and social improvement are so difficult and how resorting to
violence can backfire…In Palace of Stone
[Miri] proves once again that, with quick wits and brave words, one person
really can change the world.”
School Library Journal
“Miri leaves her mountain of linder stone for
another year of study and finds ethics and rhetoric to be powerful tools in the
making of a revolution…The politics echo the French Revolution (Hale notes this
in the acknowledgments), but Miri’s clear voice keeps the story hers and her
people’s. There’s lovely texture to clothing and architectural descriptions and
vivid warmth to Miri’s friendships, her longing for home, and her thirst to
learn more and more. Not one but two boys help her find all the feelings kisses
can engender. Miri’s story comes to a satisfying end; readers who have been
waiting since 2005 will find their patience well rewarded.”
Kirkus Reviews