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grav_ityHearken ye back, good people, to 2010, when Emma told me to read a book called "The Princess Academy", and I gave her the gchat equivalent of a side-eye, and she said something like "Stop being an idiot and read the damn book".
And it was AWESOME, of course. Because it's a great story about girls learning to be princesses: how to walk and talk and dance, but also how to do sums and read history and argue logic. And then there's a really great THING (because: prophecy), and BASICALLY IT'S THE BEST.
And then there were two more books.
The second one (Palace of Stone) is also really excellent, but I think I might actually like the third one best. I mean, it can't stand without the world from TPA, but...man, Shannon Hale is ultimate Career Goals, really.
Anyway, I enjoyed it immensely. What Hale does is write SUPER feminist books that aren't smarmy or smug about it, and she does it in such a way that literally all the middle grade readers don't notice, because they're too busy loving the story.
(It reminded me of the time someone called OWEN "insidious" because kids would read it and accept the "lesbian narrative', and I was all "...thanks?" Kids read Hale's books, accept that girls are people, and then become adults. It's great!)
I loved this series profoundly as a grown up (which cannot be said of other hallmark feminist fantasy, I have to say), but I truly, truly think it's a Middle Grade story done perfectly, and as such, can be read by literally anyone on the planet.
And it was AWESOME, of course. Because it's a great story about girls learning to be princesses: how to walk and talk and dance, but also how to do sums and read history and argue logic. And then there's a really great THING (because: prophecy), and BASICALLY IT'S THE BEST.
And then there were two more books.
The second one (Palace of Stone) is also really excellent, but I think I might actually like the third one best. I mean, it can't stand without the world from TPA, but...man, Shannon Hale is ultimate Career Goals, really.
Anyway, I enjoyed it immensely. What Hale does is write SUPER feminist books that aren't smarmy or smug about it, and she does it in such a way that literally all the middle grade readers don't notice, because they're too busy loving the story.
(It reminded me of the time someone called OWEN "insidious" because kids would read it and accept the "lesbian narrative', and I was all "...thanks?" Kids read Hale's books, accept that girls are people, and then become adults. It's great!)
I loved this series profoundly as a grown up (which cannot be said of other hallmark feminist fantasy, I have to say), but I truly, truly think it's a Middle Grade story done perfectly, and as such, can be read by literally anyone on the planet.
