This is a spoiler filled book review. Please be aware that if you keep reading there will be information that you may not want to know if you have not read the book.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars Quotes to Remember:
“Truth is when your mind and your gut agree.”
“What should I say? That I like him so much it hurts?”
“There you go...let it all slide out. Unhappiness can't stick in a person's soul when it's slick with tears.”
“It must be a marvelous thing to feel so sure, to be able to meet someone's eyes and not look away.”
*This is your final spoiler warning*
*Continue with Caution*
My Review:
So I didn't realize that this book was pointed more towards middle readers until I started it. That being said it was a very heartwarming story. I really enjoyed the story as well as the characters. It was a fun plot and with danger, mystery, and a cute love story. I really enjoyed reading about how the girls handled themselves when the bandits attacked as well as how big of a roll they had in the quarry. It was also very interesting to read along as Miri discovered how to use Quarry Speech and learned more and more about her family and her past.
My main issue with this book was that it took me quite a while to get into the story, but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated the way that the female characters were depicted as being as strong as the men if not stronger and smarter than the men. Miri and the other girls handled themselves were able to save the day based purely on their strengths and communication abilities.
The ending was something that I wasn't expecting but loved all the same. Britta ending up with the prince was unexpected and I loved it immensely. I was very conflicted because while I love a good story where the commoner ends up with the prince, I couldn't get over the feeling that Miri really needed to end up with Peder. I think that their story is extremely cute and it happens to be my favorite trope: friends to lovers.
I also really appreciated the ending when they decided to teach the rest of the town the lessons they learned in the academy. All together it was a really fun story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Publisher's Description:
Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.
Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates.
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