About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is starting to grapple with the difference between friendship and peer pressure, or when they are beginning to notice social inequities in the world. As Miri moves from her rural mountain home to the sophisticated capital city, she is caught between her loyalty to the future princess and her new friends who want to overthrow the monarchy. It is a nuanced exploration of how 'good' people can disagree on how to solve 'bad' problems. While it features a magical world and royal balls, the heart of the story is about the courage required to think for yourself. It is perfect for readers aged 8 to 13 who are ready for more complex themes of social justice and the weight of making difficult choices.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
There is a scene involving a public execution/hanging attempt that is thwarted, which may be intense for younger readers. The book also depicts civil unrest, including a riot where characters are in physical danger and property is destroyed. Parents should be prepared to discuss the concept of a revolution and why people might feel forced to use drastic measures to seek justice or change a government.
Ideal Reader
A middle schooler who enjoys stories about royalty but is starting to ask deeper questions about fairness, class differences, and how to stay true to yourself when your friends disagree.
Parent Prep
It is helpful to be familiar with the first book, though not strictly necessary. Reviewing the basics of what a revolution is can help provide context for the political subplots. A child expressing that they feel 'stuck' between two different groups of friends or feeling guilty for liking someone that their other friends dislike.
Age Experience
Younger readers (8-10) will focus on the friendships and the 'fish out of water' elements of Miri in the city. Older readers (11-13) will likely connect more with the romantic tension and the heavy ethical dilemmas regarding government and social class.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many fantasy sequels that simply repeat the first book's formula, Palace of Stone matures with its protagonist, trading the 'magical school' trope for a sophisticated look at political philosophy and social change.
Read plot summary
Picking up after the events of Princess Academy, Miri and her classmates travel to the capital city of Asland for the wedding of their friend Britta to Prince Steffan. While there, Miri enrolls in the Queen's Castle school and is exposed to radical new ideas about democracy and the ethics of monarchy. She befriends a group of students who are plotting a revolution, forcing her to choose between her personal affection for the royal family and her growing understanding of the systemic poverty and injustice facing the citizens.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Miri feels torn between her love for Britta and her belief that the common people deserve more rights. Can you love a person but disagree with the system they represent?
2
The students at the Queen's Castle are very different from Miri's friends at home. How does Miri handle the pressure to change who she is to fit in with the 'sophisticated' city kids?
3
Miri discovers that even people with good intentions can make dangerous choices. When do you think the students went too far in their quest for justice?
4
How does Miri's ability to 'quarry-speak' change the way she communicates with others in this book compared to the first one?
5
If you were Miri, would you have stayed in the city to continue your education or returned to the mountain? Why?
