Palace of Lies

Grades 4-8. Of the 13 sister princesses who jointly rule Suala, Desmia believes that she alone wears the true crown. She knows that Lord Throckmorton cannot be trusted, but would he intentionally set the palace on fire? In the third book in the Palace Chronicles series, Haddix focuses this saga with urgency and suspicion; cunning schemes and switched identities; a spirited adventure with a nod to Cinderella (yes, there is a prince, and his name is Charming); and sundry tales. Desmia is indeed a commoner, but she has been raised as royalty and leads her princess sisters and willing impostors to help to right wrongs and save the bond between their land of Suala and neighboring Fridesia. While Haddix seemingly complicates Desmia’s determination with vague memories, a meeting with Janelia, a genuine sister, illuminates her visions and provides a compass for her bold and strategic calculations. Readers enchanted with princesses and palace life will enjoy a hearty dish of royal conspiracy with a healthy side of sibling loyalty that should keep them satisfied until the next installment.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Haddix is no stranger to best-seller lists, and she has another hit on her hands with the Palace Chronicles. Buy multiple copies, and expect eager, advance requests for them.

Copyright 2015 Booklist, LLC Used with permission.

Haddix continues the series that began with the alternate "Cinderella" Just Ella (1999) with a story about a different princess.Princess Desmia, raised as the true princess of Suala, now rules with 12 other princesses, each raised similarly and separately. When a fire destroys their palace, apparently killing most of the other princesses, Desmia finds herself in the clutches of the evil Madame Bisset. Escaping, she finds her true sister, Janelia, along with a troupe of ragged boys who look to Janelia as their Mam. Desmia decides she must somehow travel to neighboring Fridesia to find friends Ella and Jeb, so with Janelia and two boys, Herk and Tog, she sets out surreptitiously across an open landscape that terrifies the sheltered young woman. Desmia strives to conquer her fears and to quell the princess training that constantly tells her she's superior, gradually coming to see her new friends as equals. Finally arriving at the Fridesian palace, she meets the terminally handsome but reputedly stupid Prince Charming, whom she must convince of the truth of her tale. Haddix keeps the plot suspenseful even as she delves into Desmia's new insights, providing plenty of entertainment along with some advice for life. Readers who enjoyed the earlier books will find plenty to like here, as the book even adds a hint of romance for Desmia. A welcome return to the Just Ella universe.

Copyright 2015 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission.

When her twelve sister-princesses (Palace of Mirrors) are presumed dead in a palace fire, Desmia escapes a coup attempt with help from some beggar children and travels to neighboring Fridesia in hopes of finding at least one sister-princess alive. Though the princess-disguised-as-a-beggar-on-a-journey plot is pedestrian, readers will cheer Desmia's new realizations as well as her hearteningly happy ending.

Copyright 2015 Hornbook, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 4-7--Desmia was raised to be the one true princess. She soon discovers that 12 other girls were raised to believe the same. Just as she's coming to care for her sister-princesses, a fire destroys everything. The pampered former royal finds herself on the run without the luxuries she's come to know. Though this title can stand alone independent of the previous two novels, only die-hard fans will clamor for it. An additional purchase.