Tuesday, 23 January 2024 08:40 pm
Book Review: Princess Academy
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deckardcanineWow, three separate book reviews in one month. That may be a first for me. Perhaps I was never so eager to make space on my shelves. Anyway, Shannon Hale's first book in the series is about the same length and reading level as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
In the kingdom of Danland, the prevailing religion has priests determine where the prince is destined to find his fiancée. To everyone's surprise, they announce the backwater territory of Mt. Eskel. Since its residents are not full citizens, much less nobles, the king orders all girls ages 12-18 to attend a somewhat nearby academy to learn skills befitting a princess. The student with the best grades is deemed "academy princess," tho the choice of literal princess is ultimately up to the prince.
The constant focal character is Miri, a small 14-year-old whose father won't let her help in the quarry. At first she thinks of skipping school, partly because her family would have to make do without her for months, partly because she's been brought up to have a low opinion of haughty lowlanders, and partly because she has a local crush. Yet half the time, the promise of leaving the mountain and living in luxury calls to her. She applies herself more than most students, becoming one of the likeliest candidates, but I kept wondering how it would end.
It's certainly not all fun and games. Tutor Olana is extraordinarily harsh, has a questionable sense of fairness, and makes no effort to mask her contempt for bumpkins. Miri sometimes feels completely unpopular, whether because she's serious competition or because she inadvertently gets others in trouble. Only some of the subjects interest her, particularly those that could benefit her community; the rest seem mere fripperies. Still, she finds ways to make the best of the situation. Sure enough, the one transferring lowlander soon becomes her closest friend.
In light of the back cover, I might as well tell you that actual physical danger does come to the academy in the third act. It doesn't last all that long. Hale is not an action writer. That's not a complaint; I just want you to know going in.
Fictitious geography aside, the only fantasy premise is the mineral linder, Mt. Esker's sole export. Although lowlanders value it heavily, they remain unaware of its unique power to enable limited telepathy, which comes in handy amid the noise of a busy quarry. Specifically, "quarry-speech" involves surfacing shared memories in the recipients and hoping they deduce an analogous message. I find it moderately intriguing. Of course, it's rarely used outside of utter necessity.
No, most of the joy in this reading pertains to elements that can be found in other genres: culture clash, wisecracks, overcoming assumptions, discovering the importance of information, improving communication, and working out an identity for oneself. If I were still a teen, I might want to go straight to the sequel. As it is, I could take or leave the rest of the series. PA is quaint, neither dull nor big on evoking strong emotions. It paints only so much of a picture. A decent way to fill my reading quota for two weeks.
Now I've started The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. This is one female author who doesn't mind focusing on male characters.
In the kingdom of Danland, the prevailing religion has priests determine where the prince is destined to find his fiancée. To everyone's surprise, they announce the backwater territory of Mt. Eskel. Since its residents are not full citizens, much less nobles, the king orders all girls ages 12-18 to attend a somewhat nearby academy to learn skills befitting a princess. The student with the best grades is deemed "academy princess," tho the choice of literal princess is ultimately up to the prince.
The constant focal character is Miri, a small 14-year-old whose father won't let her help in the quarry. At first she thinks of skipping school, partly because her family would have to make do without her for months, partly because she's been brought up to have a low opinion of haughty lowlanders, and partly because she has a local crush. Yet half the time, the promise of leaving the mountain and living in luxury calls to her. She applies herself more than most students, becoming one of the likeliest candidates, but I kept wondering how it would end.
It's certainly not all fun and games. Tutor Olana is extraordinarily harsh, has a questionable sense of fairness, and makes no effort to mask her contempt for bumpkins. Miri sometimes feels completely unpopular, whether because she's serious competition or because she inadvertently gets others in trouble. Only some of the subjects interest her, particularly those that could benefit her community; the rest seem mere fripperies. Still, she finds ways to make the best of the situation. Sure enough, the one transferring lowlander soon becomes her closest friend.
In light of the back cover, I might as well tell you that actual physical danger does come to the academy in the third act. It doesn't last all that long. Hale is not an action writer. That's not a complaint; I just want you to know going in.
Fictitious geography aside, the only fantasy premise is the mineral linder, Mt. Esker's sole export. Although lowlanders value it heavily, they remain unaware of its unique power to enable limited telepathy, which comes in handy amid the noise of a busy quarry. Specifically, "quarry-speech" involves surfacing shared memories in the recipients and hoping they deduce an analogous message. I find it moderately intriguing. Of course, it's rarely used outside of utter necessity.
No, most of the joy in this reading pertains to elements that can be found in other genres: culture clash, wisecracks, overcoming assumptions, discovering the importance of information, improving communication, and working out an identity for oneself. If I were still a teen, I might want to go straight to the sequel. As it is, I could take or leave the rest of the series. PA is quaint, neither dull nor big on evoking strong emotions. It paints only so much of a picture. A decent way to fill my reading quota for two weeks.
Now I've started The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. This is one female author who doesn't mind focusing on male characters.