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The Palace Chronicles #3
Palace of Lies
Desmia discovers the reality of royalty is far from a fairy tale in this third adventure set in the Cinderella-esque world of Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors, from New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix.
Desmia and her twelve sister-princesses are ruling Suala together at last, a united front. The kingdom seems to have finally gotten its happily ever after, but Desmia, trained by a lifetime of palace intrigue, is not so sure. She desperately wants to believe all is well, but she can’t help but see danger around every corner.
And then the unthinkable happens, and Desmia’s worst fears are confirmed. Now, without the support of the sister-princesses she’s grown to rely on or the trappings of royalty that have always convinced people to listen to her, Desmia must find the courage to seek out the truth on her own terms—and to determine the course of two kingdoms.
Desmia and her twelve sister-princesses are ruling Suala together at last, a united front. The kingdom seems to have finally gotten its happily ever after, but Desmia, trained by a lifetime of palace intrigue, is not so sure. She desperately wants to believe all is well, but she can’t help but see danger around every corner.
And then the unthinkable happens, and Desmia’s worst fears are confirmed. Now, without the support of the sister-princesses she’s grown to rely on or the trappings of royalty that have always convinced people to listen to her, Desmia must find the courage to seek out the truth on her own terms—and to determine the course of two kingdoms.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
32 people are currently reading
2709 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Peterson Haddix
122 books6,300 followersMargaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
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March 1, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Palace of Lies by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Book Three of The Palace Chronicles
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Rating: 1 star
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Desmia discovers the reality of royalty is far from a fairy tale in this third adventure set in the Cinderella-esque world of Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors, from New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix.
Desmia and her twelve sister-princesses are ruling Suala together at last, a united front. The kingdom seems to have finally gotten its happily ever after, but Desmia, trained by a lifetime of palace intrigue, is not so sure. She desperately wants to believe all is well, but she can’t help seeing danger around every corner.
And then the unthinkable happens, and Desmia’s worst fears are confirmed. Now, without the support of the sister-princesses she’s grown to rely on or the trappings of royalty that have always convinced people to listen to her, Desmia must find the courage to seek out the truth on her own terms—and to determine the course of two kingdoms.
What I Liked:
SKIP. Sorry not sorry. This book was all kinds of awful. I'm not even going to sit here and write a full review on this one. Not wasting my time.
What I Did Not Like:
First and foremost: Simon & Schuster did an AWFUL job of marketing this book. Let me explain. When I downloaded this book from Edelweiss in June (JUNE. 2014), there wasn't much about this book. No information about a synopsis, no cover, no series information. LOOK at my Stacking the Shelves post - you'll see that I had a placeholder cover up, and I stated, "Not much has been said about this one, but I'm wiling to give it a try!" I had NO idea that this book was a third book in the series. There was NO indication of this on Edelweiss at the time. And on Goodreads, there was barely even a publication year (at the time). You want to know when I realized that this book was a third book? JUST NOW, when I went to input my 1-star rating on Goodreads. I was like, ohh...
I mean, I was giving it 1 star anyway. Regardless of the number in the series, this one wasn't getting more than 1 star. I think this series reads as a companion series - you can read the books in any order, or none at all. The thing is, had I known that this book was part of a series (even if it was a companion series), I wouldn't have picked it up.
Second thing: this is MIDDLE GRADE. Not Young Adult. I've not been able to read Middle Grade in quite some time, and this book is the epitome of why. I couldn't stand the immaturity of the characters in this book. I couldn't wrap my head around the absurdity of the situations of this book. I just could not believe the story, let alone like the story. And I get it - it's fantasy. But something about fourteen- and ten-year-old children taking down grown men doesn't sit well with me. When I say "take down", I mean "outwit". But also, the ten-year-old children are pretty well-versed in killing people. Okay.
I didn't like the protagonist, Desmia. She's fourteen, and gosh does she act her age (or less, really). She's so conceited and selfish, and honestly, her character and personality don't really develop throughout the story. The author likes to TELL us readers that she does, by physically forcing Desmia's thoughts in a certain way, but it's not natural and doesn't flow right at all. I want to be SHOWN that Desmia is maturing. Don't TELL me she is. Don't have HER tell me.
I didn't like the supporting characters, either. They're all so YOUNG, and so immature, and their roles don't seem right at all, for their age. It's like the author was trying to tell a Young Adult story in a Middle Grade type of book... I could not wrap my head around the characters and their age and the things they were doing. Like, they seemed too stupid to be doing some things, and entirely too smart to be able to do other things. If that makes sense.
The whole plot is absurd. Go find the twelve princesses that were probably killed in the fire - oh, but you're seriously injured, so you have to depend on others to take you. Not to mention that these other people will drop their entire lives and money and home and EVERYTHING for you and your problems. Somehow, I just did not believe this plot arc. I wasn't buying it. I was rolling my eyes the entire time, or had an eyebrow cocked, or was staring incredulously at the pages.
Seriously, if you're going to write a Middle Grade book, age your characters as such, and mature (or immature) them as such. Don't make them super-smart, super-strong, super-witty children sent from heaven or something. Literally the entire time I was thinking to myself, these are CHILDREN?!
But again, the story seemed ridiculous. I'm not even doing it justice by saying it was "ridiculous". It was so trivial and superfluous - this book was one of those books where I was like, what's the point? This story seemed recycled and retold and booooooring, to be honest. Thank goodness the book was semi-short.
I really wanted almost everyone to end up dead... of course that was not the case. Take that as you may. This book ends so cartoon-like and cookie-cutter perfect. And the villains - literally so cartoon-like! It's like these GROWN men and women are idiots, at the hands of fourteen-year-old children! Really! These children can run a castle better than men and women who have been around a palace for years?! Yes, I believe that, totally...
Overall, I'm not pleased, not amused, and 100% would not recommend. It's Middle Grade, but it's superfluous Middle Grade. It's MIDDLE GRADE - not Young Adult (like it seemed to have been marketed to be). I would never have picked up this one, had I known that it was a book three, as well as Middle Grade. Please, publishers, market your books correctly. I know you like to upload your books super early to Edelweiss, but really, it would help immensely if you had the book's information (like, at the very least, the number in the series).
Would I Recommend It:
NOOOOOO. Maybe if you've read the other two books in the series. But nooooo. Don't do it. It's not worth it.
Rating:
1 star (really, it would be lower than that if possible. Again, sorry not sorry). This was definitely NOT for me. And now I know better than to be interested in an unknown, supposedly YA, non-series fantasy novel. Sad life.
Palace of Lies by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Book Three of The Palace Chronicles
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Rating: 1 star
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Desmia discovers the reality of royalty is far from a fairy tale in this third adventure set in the Cinderella-esque world of Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors, from New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix.
Desmia and her twelve sister-princesses are ruling Suala together at last, a united front. The kingdom seems to have finally gotten its happily ever after, but Desmia, trained by a lifetime of palace intrigue, is not so sure. She desperately wants to believe all is well, but she can’t help seeing danger around every corner.
And then the unthinkable happens, and Desmia’s worst fears are confirmed. Now, without the support of the sister-princesses she’s grown to rely on or the trappings of royalty that have always convinced people to listen to her, Desmia must find the courage to seek out the truth on her own terms—and to determine the course of two kingdoms.
What I Liked:
SKIP. Sorry not sorry. This book was all kinds of awful. I'm not even going to sit here and write a full review on this one. Not wasting my time.
What I Did Not Like:
First and foremost: Simon & Schuster did an AWFUL job of marketing this book. Let me explain. When I downloaded this book from Edelweiss in June (JUNE. 2014), there wasn't much about this book. No information about a synopsis, no cover, no series information. LOOK at my Stacking the Shelves post - you'll see that I had a placeholder cover up, and I stated, "Not much has been said about this one, but I'm wiling to give it a try!" I had NO idea that this book was a third book in the series. There was NO indication of this on Edelweiss at the time. And on Goodreads, there was barely even a publication year (at the time). You want to know when I realized that this book was a third book? JUST NOW, when I went to input my 1-star rating on Goodreads. I was like, ohh...
I mean, I was giving it 1 star anyway. Regardless of the number in the series, this one wasn't getting more than 1 star. I think this series reads as a companion series - you can read the books in any order, or none at all. The thing is, had I known that this book was part of a series (even if it was a companion series), I wouldn't have picked it up.
Second thing: this is MIDDLE GRADE. Not Young Adult. I've not been able to read Middle Grade in quite some time, and this book is the epitome of why. I couldn't stand the immaturity of the characters in this book. I couldn't wrap my head around the absurdity of the situations of this book. I just could not believe the story, let alone like the story. And I get it - it's fantasy. But something about fourteen- and ten-year-old children taking down grown men doesn't sit well with me. When I say "take down", I mean "outwit". But also, the ten-year-old children are pretty well-versed in killing people. Okay.
I didn't like the protagonist, Desmia. She's fourteen, and gosh does she act her age (or less, really). She's so conceited and selfish, and honestly, her character and personality don't really develop throughout the story. The author likes to TELL us readers that she does, by physically forcing Desmia's thoughts in a certain way, but it's not natural and doesn't flow right at all. I want to be SHOWN that Desmia is maturing. Don't TELL me she is. Don't have HER tell me.
I didn't like the supporting characters, either. They're all so YOUNG, and so immature, and their roles don't seem right at all, for their age. It's like the author was trying to tell a Young Adult story in a Middle Grade type of book... I could not wrap my head around the characters and their age and the things they were doing. Like, they seemed too stupid to be doing some things, and entirely too smart to be able to do other things. If that makes sense.
The whole plot is absurd. Go find the twelve princesses that were probably killed in the fire - oh, but you're seriously injured, so you have to depend on others to take you. Not to mention that these other people will drop their entire lives and money and home and EVERYTHING for you and your problems. Somehow, I just did not believe this plot arc. I wasn't buying it. I was rolling my eyes the entire time, or had an eyebrow cocked, or was staring incredulously at the pages.
Seriously, if you're going to write a Middle Grade book, age your characters as such, and mature (or immature) them as such. Don't make them super-smart, super-strong, super-witty children sent from heaven or something. Literally the entire time I was thinking to myself, these are CHILDREN?!
But again, the story seemed ridiculous. I'm not even doing it justice by saying it was "ridiculous". It was so trivial and superfluous - this book was one of those books where I was like, what's the point? This story seemed recycled and retold and booooooring, to be honest. Thank goodness the book was semi-short.
I really wanted almost everyone to end up dead... of course that was not the case. Take that as you may. This book ends so cartoon-like and cookie-cutter perfect. And the villains - literally so cartoon-like! It's like these GROWN men and women are idiots, at the hands of fourteen-year-old children! Really! These children can run a castle better than men and women who have been around a palace for years?! Yes, I believe that, totally...
Overall, I'm not pleased, not amused, and 100% would not recommend. It's Middle Grade, but it's superfluous Middle Grade. It's MIDDLE GRADE - not Young Adult (like it seemed to have been marketed to be). I would never have picked up this one, had I known that it was a book three, as well as Middle Grade. Please, publishers, market your books correctly. I know you like to upload your books super early to Edelweiss, but really, it would help immensely if you had the book's information (like, at the very least, the number in the series).
Would I Recommend It:
NOOOOOO. Maybe if you've read the other two books in the series. But nooooo. Don't do it. It's not worth it.
Rating:
1 star (really, it would be lower than that if possible. Again, sorry not sorry). This was definitely NOT for me. And now I know better than to be interested in an unknown, supposedly YA, non-series fantasy novel. Sad life.
March 3, 2018
so down for this to become a movie
January 14, 2019
I was meaning to read this for the Buzzword Readathon but instead I DNF'd it 5 pages in. I can just tell that I'm going to hate every moment of it. Desmia is obnoxious and annoying and has had no growth since the book before which I also didn't like. Her thoughts about the other characters are so rude and stuck up. I can't do it. This'll just give me the time to read books that I'm actually going to like.
April 30, 2021
AAAHHHHHH. That was SO CUTE.
I didn’t expect to finish this book tonight, I only meant to read 50 pages. But 50 turned into 150 because I COULD NOT stop reading. Somehow, these books are not predictable and are so fun and complex despite any (understandable) plot conveniences. It’s written more as a middle grade series though it’s in an older group of YA, and it was SO FUN. I highly recommend this series for light-hearted romps with serious messages and inversions about princess stories. A high 4 stars!
I didn’t expect to finish this book tonight, I only meant to read 50 pages. But 50 turned into 150 because I COULD NOT stop reading. Somehow, these books are not predictable and are so fun and complex despite any (understandable) plot conveniences. It’s written more as a middle grade series though it’s in an older group of YA, and it was SO FUN. I highly recommend this series for light-hearted romps with serious messages and inversions about princess stories. A high 4 stars!
April 15, 2018
So much better than the second book.
November 17, 2017
A fire at the coronation leaves Princess Desmia alone and cast as a criminal by unknown enemies who have accused her of attempting to murder her “sisters,” forcing her to go on the run while seeking her missing sisters - and justice. Having lived in the palace her entire life, Desmia is ill-suited for the sort of rough adventuring required of her, but with the help of an older sister she did not know she had and a pair of charming street urchins she is able to travel from Suala to Fridesia to seek help from her friend Lady Ella, who readers will recognize from the previous books in the series.
The story itself is nothing remarkable, and the characterization leaves much to be desired, but that could simply be a matter of forgetting what has gone before in the series. Having been published so many years after the last book in the series, Palace of Lies will probably not find favor with the same readers who enjoyed Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors, and likely will have outgrown it, but readers who are new to the series will be glad to see their favorite characters once more and find out how everything turns out for everyone.
The story itself is nothing remarkable, and the characterization leaves much to be desired, but that could simply be a matter of forgetting what has gone before in the series. Having been published so many years after the last book in the series, Palace of Lies will probably not find favor with the same readers who enjoyed Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors, and likely will have outgrown it, but readers who are new to the series will be glad to see their favorite characters once more and find out how everything turns out for everyone.
January 1, 2016
A number of years ago I did a year of Cinderella stories with my 4/5 grade class; one of the books we read was Just Ella and the class was divided about it (they liked Ella's resourcefulness, but the method of escaping the palace grossed them out). Where was I when the sequel came out? Who knows. Now I have to track that down. This book, the third in the series, is good both as a stand-alone and as a continuation. We're in a different kingdom, with different problems and different characters, but Ella and Jed make an appearance.
As far as the plot goes, it hits all the right notes: daring escapes, wicked plotters, possibly mistaken identity. There were a few moments when I hoped for something different, but that's because I've been reading these types of books for so long. The target reading group? They'll love this.
ARC provided by publisher.
As far as the plot goes, it hits all the right notes: daring escapes, wicked plotters, possibly mistaken identity. There were a few moments when I hoped for something different, but that's because I've been reading these types of books for so long. The target reading group? They'll love this.
ARC provided by publisher.
April 19, 2018
Most people are familiar with Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine's feminist retelling of Cinderella, mostly due to the butchered movie version released by Disney/Miramax in 2004. But did you know that around the same time Ella Enchanted became popular, Margaret Peterson Haddix had released another feminist Cinderella adaptation that was every bit as exciting? Just Ella is a thrilling adventure story about Ella trying to escape the castle after the ball to avoid being used as a pawn in a wicked scheme and being forced to marry a prince she didn't love. Years later, Margaret Peterson Haddix turned the series into a trilogy, adding two more books that told equally exciting stories about princesses in the neighboring kingdom of Suala. Palace of Mirrors is a fantastic book about a girl named Cecilia who had been raised to believe that she is the true princess of Suala and journeys to the capital to reclaim her throne from the decoy princess, Desmia, who believes that she is the true princess and knows nothing of the secret plot that went on behind the girls' backs. Palace of Lies, the final book in the trilogy, is told from Desmia's perspective, which is very different from Ella or Cecilia's because unlike them, she was actually raised in the palace. Together, the three books are referred to as "The Palace Chronicles."
Palace of Lies is an adventure story about a sheltered and refined princess who had never been on an adventure being thrust into a daring journey across kingdoms and learning to trust people in the process. Unlike Gail Carson Levine's The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre, which can be enjoyed by someone who has never read its predecessor, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Margaret Peterson Haddix's Palace of Lies is difficult to understand or appreciate without reading Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors first. It takes place shortly after the events of Palace of Mirrors left off and directly correlates to Just Ella. I admit it had been quite a few years since I read Palace of Mirrors and over a decade since I read Just Ella, but I remembered enough to get through the story. Princess Desmia offers a fresh perspective in this book. She was raised by an evil dictator and used as a pawn, making her cynical yet clever. Her metamorphosis into a warmer and more caring person is a pleasure to read. She does not become a completely different person by the end of the story, but she does learn to let others into her life and finally realizes that she does not always have to be alone.
Desmia is used to the finer things in life, such as glittering ballgowns, tiaras, and great feasts served upon her beck and call. However, this book offers none of those things. At the very beginning of the story, the majestic palace is burnt to the ground by an unknown attacker, and Desmia must flee for her life with nothing but the clothes on her back. She quickly realizes that most people in the kingdom do not have the same advantages that she was brought up with and must learn to stop being a spoiled princess. Desmia also discovers a family member that she never knew she had and must let others into her life for the first time, something that is very difficult for her after fourteen years of putting on airs to everyone at the palace. At first, her only ally is Cecilia, who readers know well as the protagonist from Palace of Mirrors, but Desmia quickly loses sight of Cecilia and her other princess sisters during the fire. She decides her only chance at survival is to make the difficult journey to Fidelia and seek help from Ella, the title character from Just Ella. Her palace training proves completely useless for such a journey, forcing her to depend on her newfound allies for help.
The road that lies ahead for Desmia is messy, filled with blood, ragged clothing, and scarce food. She suffers from agoraphobia at first, having never left the palace before. It takes her some time to get used to being outside during the daytime without a sheet to cover her face. Her new allies are good to her, despite how embarrassed she is to be seen in such undignified circumstances. Spending time with them makes her realize how many things she took for granted in the palace and how she had never recognized people as individuals if they were poor. It is an eye-opening experience for a sheltered princess, but it also makes her realize that when push comes to shove, she still wants to be a good person and do the right thing. Though she has trouble accepting that anyone would want to help her without an ulterior motive at first, she later finds herself doing just that.
Palace of Lies is an incredibly fast-paced fairy tale adventure story. It almost feels exhausting to travel so far with Desmia while so many things are happening at once. It's difficult to put the book down at any point for fear of not knowing what will happen next and if the many characters we met throughout the trilogy are still safe. I particularly enjoyed reading a story about a princess who was actually raised to be a princess since most stories are about princesses who marry into privilege or are treated like paupers by cruel guardians. Desmia teaches us that's possible for people to change if they truly want to and that someone who appears to be perfect on the outside might be suffering inwardly, so it's a good idea to be kind to everyone because you never know what they might be hiding from the rest of the world.
Palace of Lies is an adventure story about a sheltered and refined princess who had never been on an adventure being thrust into a daring journey across kingdoms and learning to trust people in the process. Unlike Gail Carson Levine's The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre, which can be enjoyed by someone who has never read its predecessor, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Margaret Peterson Haddix's Palace of Lies is difficult to understand or appreciate without reading Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors first. It takes place shortly after the events of Palace of Mirrors left off and directly correlates to Just Ella. I admit it had been quite a few years since I read Palace of Mirrors and over a decade since I read Just Ella, but I remembered enough to get through the story. Princess Desmia offers a fresh perspective in this book. She was raised by an evil dictator and used as a pawn, making her cynical yet clever. Her metamorphosis into a warmer and more caring person is a pleasure to read. She does not become a completely different person by the end of the story, but she does learn to let others into her life and finally realizes that she does not always have to be alone.
Desmia is used to the finer things in life, such as glittering ballgowns, tiaras, and great feasts served upon her beck and call. However, this book offers none of those things. At the very beginning of the story, the majestic palace is burnt to the ground by an unknown attacker, and Desmia must flee for her life with nothing but the clothes on her back. She quickly realizes that most people in the kingdom do not have the same advantages that she was brought up with and must learn to stop being a spoiled princess. Desmia also discovers a family member that she never knew she had and must let others into her life for the first time, something that is very difficult for her after fourteen years of putting on airs to everyone at the palace. At first, her only ally is Cecilia, who readers know well as the protagonist from Palace of Mirrors, but Desmia quickly loses sight of Cecilia and her other princess sisters during the fire. She decides her only chance at survival is to make the difficult journey to Fidelia and seek help from Ella, the title character from Just Ella. Her palace training proves completely useless for such a journey, forcing her to depend on her newfound allies for help.
The road that lies ahead for Desmia is messy, filled with blood, ragged clothing, and scarce food. She suffers from agoraphobia at first, having never left the palace before. It takes her some time to get used to being outside during the daytime without a sheet to cover her face. Her new allies are good to her, despite how embarrassed she is to be seen in such undignified circumstances. Spending time with them makes her realize how many things she took for granted in the palace and how she had never recognized people as individuals if they were poor. It is an eye-opening experience for a sheltered princess, but it also makes her realize that when push comes to shove, she still wants to be a good person and do the right thing. Though she has trouble accepting that anyone would want to help her without an ulterior motive at first, she later finds herself doing just that.
Palace of Lies is an incredibly fast-paced fairy tale adventure story. It almost feels exhausting to travel so far with Desmia while so many things are happening at once. It's difficult to put the book down at any point for fear of not knowing what will happen next and if the many characters we met throughout the trilogy are still safe. I particularly enjoyed reading a story about a princess who was actually raised to be a princess since most stories are about princesses who marry into privilege or are treated like paupers by cruel guardians. Desmia teaches us that's possible for people to change if they truly want to and that someone who appears to be perfect on the outside might be suffering inwardly, so it's a good idea to be kind to everyone because you never know what they might be hiding from the rest of the world.
September 15, 2024
Excellent story that ties the trilogy all together! This is especially impressive considering the time between each book's release dates. This series is fantastic and I love all the characters ❤️
May 10, 2025
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!!! THE ENDING!!! 10/10!!!!!!! WE NEED A SEQUL! 10000/10!!! Thank you for this masterpiece!!! I'm obsessed!
April 8, 2015
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!! I meet Mrs Haddix at a book signing yesterday for this book, got home to start reading,and didn't put it down until I had finished the book! I was very surprised by the end, but loved it! A must-read!
January 17, 2017
The books just got better and better!
March 12, 2025
Reread 3/12/2025:
The way this is still everything I want in a princess adventure book yayyyy
Original:
Am a sucker for princess books, this was a MS fave.
The way this is still everything I want in a princess adventure book yayyyy
Original:
Am a sucker for princess books, this was a MS fave.
December 27, 2021
I liked this book better than the second in the series, but not as much as the first. It was a surprisingly good depiction of PTSD for a middle-grade fairy tale, and I enjoyed getting to see more of one of the side characters from the second book.
May 7, 2018
I liked Palace of Mirrors better—and how in the world does a palace made of stone burn to the ground?!?—but still, lots of political intrigue+Margaret Peterson Haddix=awesome.
December 8, 2021
This book was not as good as the other two books in my opinion, but it still had a satisfying resolution for the end of the trilogy, and I do not regret adding it to my collection.
May 12, 2022
Okay so I had loved this book when I read it. It's 2022 now that I'm writing this review. Lol. I don't remember the plot nor the characters. But I did read it like 5 or 6 years ago so I guess it would be impressive if I remembered it. Anyhow it was good. Read other, better reviews for it.
June 16, 2019
2.5 stars - The majority of this book is comprised of traveling, and I found those sections so incredibly boring. Not much happens while the characters are traveling, so instead the story is moved along by the main character's internal dialogue. That felt more "tell than show", which I don't enjoy. That is probably a preference thing, but I prefer the first two books in the series to this one by far.
August 28, 2022
Just as disappointing as the previous sequel, Palace of Mirrors, both of which fall very short of the first in the series, Just Ella, which is a particular favourite.
The premise of this one: at the the last book, the 13 princesses agreed to rule together as equals (because letting the equivalent of a high school English class of teenage girls rule a country together can’t possibly go wrong and was most definitely what the dead queen intended to happen).
In the first chapter, a terrible fire occurs and kills all the princesses except for Desmia and - perhaps - Cecilia (it’s unclear to Desmia at that point whether Cecilia made it out in time or not, so I won’t spoil it either way). Obviously, chaos and some Nancy Drew-ing ensues.
Was I the only one cheering that the horde of princesses got wiped out? If I had to sit through another book with 13 bickering, entitled, “I’m the true princess!”-screaming teenagers, I would have cracked. Whittling it down to one or two can only improve the situation in my opinion.
It was, however, tedious to sit through Desmia’s utterly disproportionate grief over a bunch of girls she met like, a few weeks ago, and still can barely tell apart (her knowledge of them appears limited to one trait per person - Porfinia likes fashion; Florencia is good at math). You’re seriously spending this much time weeping and tearing your hair out over a pack of girls you hardly know and don't seem to particularly like?
Annoyingly,
Why are these heroines (Cecilia in Book 2, Desmia now in Book 3) so unlikeable? Especially compared to Ella in Just Ella, who is the most likable heroin you could ask for.
The storyline is just off-the-rails ridiculous, too. Get this: in one scene, 12 servant girls pretend to be 12 hired actresses, who themselves were pretending to be the 12 “real” princesses, who of course are only pretending to be real princesses and are actually just 12 random girls taken from an orphanage as infants. Like, what? Who approved this plotline?
Were these two sequels ghostwritten? They meander aimlessly and randomly like a dream that doesn’t make sense, or like the kind of books a child would write. Margaret Peterson Haddix simply doesn't write like this. The voice is utterly unfamiliar as a MPH book. It has to be ghostwritten, right?
There's some continuity errors too that I don't think MPH would be guilty of. For one, in Just Ella, Ella's stepsister is described as having a dress with a large print of "cabbage roses" on it; in this book, the stepsister is reduced to having a cabinet with actual cabbages on them. Clearly, the ghostwriter doesn't understand that cabbage roses are an actual flower.
Furthermore, the character of Prince Charming (Ella's would-be fiancee in Just Ella) is a completely different person, and it stretches credulity. When asked about the change, he basically says “Yes I was stupid before but now I’m not because… things have changed.” When it comes up again he just kind of waves his hand and says “... because reasons.”
WHAT? What reasons changed a vapid, evil man who had never had an original thought and who physically tied up a teenage girl because she didn’t want to marry him, and who killed a man in front of the same girl to show his “love”? It’s only been like, six months! Now supposedly that same man is BFFs with that teenage girl and her fiance? Gives the girl’s fiance a hug? No, sorry, I don’t believe that for a second - and the author doesn't even try to give me any reasons why I should believe it.
The premise of this one: at the the last book, the 13 princesses agreed to rule together as equals (because letting the equivalent of a high school English class of teenage girls rule a country together can’t possibly go wrong and was most definitely what the dead queen intended to happen).
In the first chapter, a terrible fire occurs and kills all the princesses except for Desmia and - perhaps - Cecilia (it’s unclear to Desmia at that point whether Cecilia made it out in time or not, so I won’t spoil it either way). Obviously, chaos and some Nancy Drew-ing ensues.
Was I the only one cheering that the horde of princesses got wiped out? If I had to sit through another book with 13 bickering, entitled, “I’m the true princess!”-screaming teenagers, I would have cracked. Whittling it down to one or two can only improve the situation in my opinion.
It was, however, tedious to sit through Desmia’s utterly disproportionate grief over a bunch of girls she met like, a few weeks ago, and still can barely tell apart (her knowledge of them appears limited to one trait per person - Porfinia likes fashion; Florencia is good at math). You’re seriously spending this much time weeping and tearing your hair out over a pack of girls you hardly know and don't seem to particularly like?
Annoyingly,
Why are these heroines (Cecilia in Book 2, Desmia now in Book 3) so unlikeable? Especially compared to Ella in Just Ella, who is the most likable heroin you could ask for.
The storyline is just off-the-rails ridiculous, too. Get this: in one scene, 12 servant girls pretend to be 12 hired actresses, who themselves were pretending to be the 12 “real” princesses, who of course are only pretending to be real princesses and are actually just 12 random girls taken from an orphanage as infants. Like, what? Who approved this plotline?
Were these two sequels ghostwritten? They meander aimlessly and randomly like a dream that doesn’t make sense, or like the kind of books a child would write. Margaret Peterson Haddix simply doesn't write like this. The voice is utterly unfamiliar as a MPH book. It has to be ghostwritten, right?
There's some continuity errors too that I don't think MPH would be guilty of. For one, in Just Ella, Ella's stepsister is described as having a dress with a large print of "cabbage roses" on it; in this book, the stepsister is reduced to having a cabinet with actual cabbages on them. Clearly, the ghostwriter doesn't understand that cabbage roses are an actual flower.
Furthermore, the character of Prince Charming (Ella's would-be fiancee in Just Ella) is a completely different person, and it stretches credulity. When asked about the change, he basically says “Yes I was stupid before but now I’m not because… things have changed.” When it comes up again he just kind of waves his hand and says “... because reasons.”
WHAT? What reasons changed a vapid, evil man who had never had an original thought and who physically tied up a teenage girl because she didn’t want to marry him, and who killed a man in front of the same girl to show his “love”? It’s only been like, six months! Now supposedly that same man is BFFs with that teenage girl and her fiance? Gives the girl’s fiance a hug? No, sorry, I don’t believe that for a second - and the author doesn't even try to give me any reasons why I should believe it.
September 17, 2015
Firstly, I LOVE HADDIX! Secondly, this book was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed returning to this world. I was very pleased to see characters return from BOTH previous novels and the new characters were simply enchanting. The tale was absolutely intriguing and positively riveting. I couldn't put it down. Haddix has mastered the art of storytelling, but I think we already knew that. This is simply the latest testament to her wonderworking powers! I wish she would do another!
May 17, 2015
An overly obnoxious protagonist does not a good book make.
December 17, 2015
This is my favorite book! I hope any one who reads this book enjoys it as much as I did.
November 23, 2015
4.5
i really loved the story so much ,, but the romance part i thougt there is something more :)
i really loved the story so much ,, but the romance part i thougt there is something more :)
May 15, 2017
This was really good but I felt the ending was a little rushed.
December 21, 2017
The main character was so stuck up at first but got better. Happy ending except for the poor prince. Actually felt bad for him.
June 15, 2015
VERY VERY GOOD, but kind of predictable
July 17, 2019
I love a good fantasy journey. Staying off the roads to avoid bandits? walking all day? someone has a slingshot and is killing squirrels for dinner? pass the water skin? everyone takes a watch during the night? the whole plot comes to a standstill until we meet the Great Unknown at the end of the journey, for now all we have time for is character development? A great night is one where we find a rocky outcropping for shelter? we are operating off a barely-remembered map or possibly just a rumor? we have at least 1 run-in with unfriendly villagers or bandits? someone has to ford a stream?
I FREAKING LOVE THIS STUFF
SIGN ME UP
THAT'S MY SHIT
hook it up to my veeeeeiiiiiinnnnnns
And I always forget how much I love it and then I'm well into one and it's just like ~~~ Yesssss this is the good stuff *starts floating*
Palace of Lies was a wonderful sequel to Palace of Mirrors , especially since it was rather unexpected and I'd never considered Palace of Mirrors to leave much opening for a sequel. (I do consider PoL to be a sequel to PoM, and then PoM & Just Ella to be companion novels, because I don't think they function really as a trilogy.) I was surprised again and again at the plot and the world building unfolding in such a way as to always be working with seeds planted in the previous books in the timeline, yet forging new and interesting ground as well. It was really quite good. Desmia turned out to be an exceptionally good protagonist, and even the seemingly over-the-top paranoia of the first section was soon smoothed into a more nuanced take on someone who's upbringing was truly horrible and toxic and devoid of love, but who is able to rise past the paranoia, the repressed memories, the panic attacks, the learned suspicion and toxicity, to trust and to operate on ideals that will make the world better. It was a really wonderful treatment of this stuff in a fantasy setting (social/political fantasy, I don't think there were any dragons or magic in this universe). I also appreciate that, in the same vein as Palace of Mirrors, and even running with the same somewhat heavy-handed concept of Just Ella (the execution is wonderful, just the set-up is obvious), is that Haddix is interested here in interfacing with the idea of princesses as not just well-behaved visual icons, but as rulers in their own right. You send the fairy tale, the romance to the back seat, (which is deftly done in one fell swoop when your protagonists are 15), and you fill that narrative with civics and leadership and budgeting and justice and history and all that good stuff. And then with Desmia, she unlearns all the bad parts of what it means to be in power and among those with power. It was so good.
I just
LOVE ME A FREAKING
PRINCESS NOVEL
I FREAKING LOVE THIS STUFF
SIGN ME UP
THAT'S MY SHIT
hook it up to my veeeeeiiiiiinnnnnns
And I always forget how much I love it and then I'm well into one and it's just like ~~~ Yesssss this is the good stuff *starts floating*
Palace of Lies was a wonderful sequel to Palace of Mirrors , especially since it was rather unexpected and I'd never considered Palace of Mirrors to leave much opening for a sequel. (I do consider PoL to be a sequel to PoM, and then PoM & Just Ella to be companion novels, because I don't think they function really as a trilogy.) I was surprised again and again at the plot and the world building unfolding in such a way as to always be working with seeds planted in the previous books in the timeline, yet forging new and interesting ground as well. It was really quite good. Desmia turned out to be an exceptionally good protagonist, and even the seemingly over-the-top paranoia of the first section was soon smoothed into a more nuanced take on someone who's upbringing was truly horrible and toxic and devoid of love, but who is able to rise past the paranoia, the repressed memories, the panic attacks, the learned suspicion and toxicity, to trust and to operate on ideals that will make the world better. It was a really wonderful treatment of this stuff in a fantasy setting (social/political fantasy, I don't think there were any dragons or magic in this universe). I also appreciate that, in the same vein as Palace of Mirrors, and even running with the same somewhat heavy-handed concept of Just Ella (the execution is wonderful, just the set-up is obvious), is that Haddix is interested here in interfacing with the idea of princesses as not just well-behaved visual icons, but as rulers in their own right. You send the fairy tale, the romance to the back seat, (which is deftly done in one fell swoop when your protagonists are 15), and you fill that narrative with civics and leadership and budgeting and justice and history and all that good stuff. And then with Desmia, she unlearns all the bad parts of what it means to be in power and among those with power. It was so good.
I just
LOVE ME A FREAKING
PRINCESS NOVEL
February 22, 2025
This book switches to Desmia's POV, which I love. It's quite fun to see how she views everything versus how she acts--especially in the beginning.
It does not take long for the plot to get moving at all, and, while there is a lot of unknowns and some intrigue, the true story is Desmia's character arc and her growing as a person. Sometimes her limited POV could be frustrating, but the story would have much less tension if it switched to Cecelia or even Ella. Most of the tension was literally just Desmia's lack of knowledge.
However, as I said, the true story is Desmia's character arc, and it's not like the prior books ever switched POV.
It also seemed kind of odd that Desmia went off on her journey over a rumor that felt quite random, without trying to dig into anything any deeper. Also, the rumor involving her should have added a ton of tension to the story, but it was hardly addressed. It wasn't really needed considering she already didn't trust anyone/didn't want to get help from the wrong person.
But, some awkward rumor setup aside, I loved this book. I loved getting to know the true Desmia, her thoughts behind her actions, how she viewed the world, and all that. This story also delves into more of the setup behind the thirteen sister-princesses, especially that of Desmia's past. I can't say I had a strong attachment to Janelia, but I still enjoyed what she brought to the story.
As for the last act of the book, I really loved that. It's nice to see some character development for someone who seemed a villain earlier in the series. Vague for spoilers, but I think that's one of my favorite bits in the entire trilogy.
There is some romance in this book, which I wasn't expecting (not sure why, as both other books have their romance). I will say, it's the only romance I didn't really care for, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it.
Lastly, the epilogue. This book waits until the epilogue to solve one of the big problems. It's an interesting choice, as that feels more like a final chapter thing, but it also isn't given a ton of attention/explanation. Just enough to give you all you need, though it left me wanting a bit of their own stories.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved getting to learn more about Desmia, and to see her grow and change as a character. The rumor setup for her journey felt a little awkward, but I enjoyed every minute of reading this book. I love that this book fully connects back to the first book in this series, and it feels like a true ending for the series as a whole.
Also, I love that the cover art to this edition matches the cover art of the prior book. It keeps a fairy tale look while fitting the novel perfectly.
It does not take long for the plot to get moving at all, and, while there is a lot of unknowns and some intrigue, the true story is Desmia's character arc and her growing as a person. Sometimes her limited POV could be frustrating, but the story would have much less tension if it switched to Cecelia or even Ella. Most of the tension was literally just Desmia's lack of knowledge.
However, as I said, the true story is Desmia's character arc, and it's not like the prior books ever switched POV.
It also seemed kind of odd that Desmia went off on her journey over a rumor that felt quite random, without trying to dig into anything any deeper. Also, the rumor involving her should have added a ton of tension to the story, but it was hardly addressed. It wasn't really needed considering she already didn't trust anyone/didn't want to get help from the wrong person.
But, some awkward rumor setup aside, I loved this book. I loved getting to know the true Desmia, her thoughts behind her actions, how she viewed the world, and all that. This story also delves into more of the setup behind the thirteen sister-princesses, especially that of Desmia's past. I can't say I had a strong attachment to Janelia, but I still enjoyed what she brought to the story.
As for the last act of the book, I really loved that. It's nice to see some character development for someone who seemed a villain earlier in the series. Vague for spoilers, but I think that's one of my favorite bits in the entire trilogy.
There is some romance in this book, which I wasn't expecting (not sure why, as both other books have their romance). I will say, it's the only romance I didn't really care for, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it.
Lastly, the epilogue. This book waits until the epilogue to solve one of the big problems. It's an interesting choice, as that feels more like a final chapter thing, but it also isn't given a ton of attention/explanation. Just enough to give you all you need, though it left me wanting a bit of their own stories.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved getting to learn more about Desmia, and to see her grow and change as a character. The rumor setup for her journey felt a little awkward, but I enjoyed every minute of reading this book. I love that this book fully connects back to the first book in this series, and it feels like a true ending for the series as a whole.
Also, I love that the cover art to this edition matches the cover art of the prior book. It keeps a fairy tale look while fitting the novel perfectly.
October 26, 2022
I am a little conflicted with this series. I really enjoyed it, but it does seem a little cliche? And a lot of the characters / books seem to run together? I guess that helps in terms of continuity, but I wish that there was a little bit more depth and distinguishing features. The romance is also a little… reused? All of the couples throughout the three books seem to start off as friends, then the female realizes she has a crush, and it’s that awkward first love kind of climax. Not terrible, but predictable after the first time. Handled some more adult topics of trauma and terror and torture in age-appropriate ways. I also don’t get why there were 12 other princesses, when 11 of them were hardly more than pawns? We don’t learn much about them or hear much from them and they are most often referenced to in a group. I wonder if this started as another retelling of a fairy tale … but I don’t see any other evidence that would suggest that.
May 31, 2021
2.5 ⭐️
Just kind of ... meh. I really enjoyed the first two books of the series, but I just don’t love Desmia as a protagonist. I like her character arc as she is able to see past her sheltered, privileged life to the plight of the poor and the horrors of war, but in general, she just was unlikable. Her weak character and general annoyingness was partly due to years of abuse and gaslighting, but I didn’t feel overly sympathetic to her ... just vaguely annoyed. The romance seemed like it came out of nowhere and was very shallow (as opposed to the romances in the previous two books). Also, Desmia’s extreme phobia of the sky was pretty unbelievable and eye-rolling. However, it was an easy read and entertaining in parts. I liked Janelia, Tog and Herz more than Desmia.
Just kind of ... meh. I really enjoyed the first two books of the series, but I just don’t love Desmia as a protagonist. I like her character arc as she is able to see past her sheltered, privileged life to the plight of the poor and the horrors of war, but in general, she just was unlikable. Her weak character and general annoyingness was partly due to years of abuse and gaslighting, but I didn’t feel overly sympathetic to her ... just vaguely annoyed. The romance seemed like it came out of nowhere and was very shallow (as opposed to the romances in the previous two books). Also, Desmia’s extreme phobia of the sky was pretty unbelievable and eye-rolling. However, it was an easy read and entertaining in parts. I liked Janelia, Tog and Herz more than Desmia.
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