Squeetus summer book club: Princess Academy, chapter 24

Chapter 24

Second to last chapter. In the homestretch! Have any of you been reading along with us, only a chapter/day? I think I'd probably read ahead. Just a chapter each day would be too hard for me.

I mentioned before that the song in this chapter was inspired by "The Hosting of the Sidhe" by W.B. Yeats. Here's Yeat's poem (the lines in bold are the ones that I echo in my song):

The host is riding from Knocknarea
And over the grave of Clooth-na-Bare;
Caoilte tossing his burning hair,
And Niamh calling Away, come away:
Empty your heart of its mortal dream.
The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round,
Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound,
Our breasts are heaving our eyes are agleam,
Our arms are waving our lips are apart;
And if any gaze on our rushing band,
We come between him and the deed of his hand,
We come between him and the hope of his heart.
The host is rushing 'twixt night and day,
And where is there hope or deed as fair?
Caoilte tossing his burning hair,
And Niamh calling Away, come away.

Here's my song from Chapter 24:

Night is calling, Away, come away!  
Empty your mind of troubles and dreams
Empty your heart of all daylight things         
Night is calling, Forget! But the day
Will not wait, not long now, won’t delay

And here's a song I wrote for Palace of Stone that was inspired by the previous. Different rhyme scheme, but I feel like they're sister songs.

Bury the embers, extinguish the spark
We plunge ourselves in the well of the dark
Far from voices that trouble and chatter
Down deep down where worries don’t matter
Our minds all teem with the unseen thing
But night is a blink, and sleep but a dream
Wake, wake, see things as they seem

pg 281: With her head, Miri doesn't believe Mount Eskel is anything but a mountain, but with her heart she wonders if the mountain did hear their need and sent the snow. What do you think?

By the end of this chapter, Miri still doesn't know what she wants. What do you want for her at this point? What do you think will happen?

QueenEnna asks, "The ending of this chapter always worries me. How could Miri's father have been sure that the mallet wouldn't hit her instead of Dan?" Think of Pa as Thor. Would Thor miss? Pa doesn't know much, my friend, but he knows the business end of a mallet!

Allerednic asks, "You mentioned that you switched some of Peder's actions in this chapter to Miri's pa. How did you decide what to have Miri's pa do, and which actions to keep for Peder?" Originally when Miri was hanging from a tree root, Dan holding her ankle, Peder dropped a rock on Dan's head. I switched to Pa with his mallet (nice little symbolism there). As I reworked the chapter and the whole book, that action of Pa's resonated and other things changed too.

H.P. asks, "You're the AUTHOR, if you're not the Sole Voice of Authority, who is?" You are. The reader. My work is done with the final draft. The reader's work begins when you open the book. I don't like authors interfering with that, trying to insist on The True Meaning of Things. That's the reader's perogative.

H.P. also asks, "Why are you using the new cover of Princess Academy? Why not one of the two old ones?" I don't know, I usually use the most recent cover of any book, and that one's the most recent. I think if you go into a bookstore now, that's the most likely cover you'd find.

Kaitlin asks, "How do you start a book after you've had an idea? Do you plan out the plot and subplots or just start writing?" I've done both. I've never done what might be seen as a formal outline, but by the time I start writing I usually do have pages and pages of notes, pieces of scenes and dialog, and ideas that I use as an outline. Though I have just started writing a couple of my books without any kind of an outline. That's fun! I wish I could do that all the time, but my brain doesn't always work that way. Usually the story is revealed to me slowly, bit by bit.

Comments

[Perri]

I tried to read a chapter a day, but on the third day I gave up and finished the book. PA is to exciting for me to only read one chapter a day! It's been really great to follow your thoughts on each chapter! Thanks for doing this!

[Heather]

I've read the chapter (or two) a day along with you. It's been hard, but I've forced myself to stick to it. Not reading the very last chapter last night after reading this one was the hardest! My mom, however, reached about halfway through and finished it. She couldn't wait. Maybe that's because it was her first time reading it while I read it once before.

I think you could say the mountain did indeed send the snow (and stop it) when needed. "The mountain" could be replaced with nature, God, the universe, or whatever you believe controls the snow. It was a blessing for them.

I definitely, without a doubt, want Miri and Peder to end up together. At this point the first time I read it I thought the prince would return and pick Miri. I was torn between whether Miri would accept or reject his offer.

[Alyshkalia]

I've somehow managed to stick to just reading a chapter a day too--but it was a challenge!

[Averie]

Even though it practically killed me, I did in fact read it a chapter a day!! The weekends were horrible!!! ;)

[Alysa (Ruby Diamond)]

I jumped in with you in the middle, since I forgot my copy when I went on vacation. I had to do 2 chapters when the bandits were here, but otherwise I've stayed with you! It helps that I've read the book before.

Question for you: If I bring my copy of Scapegoat to a Palace of Stone signing, will you sign it? ;)

[McKenna]

I hadn't been reading along when you first started the book club, but I rented it at the library a few days ago, got so excited to be reading Princess Academy again, and read the whole thing in 2 days!!! The last time I read it, it took me over a month, I know. (I was 11 at the time. I'm 15 now.)

[H.P.]

It is disappointing when you think one thing, and then the author writes a sequel and your hopes/thoughts are dashed... Reading a chapter a day is horrifying when I'm reading a book I like, I always read ahead without knowing it.

[H.P.]

I forgot to include this in my last comment: I always wanted Miri to end up with Peder, and I knew from the moment (sentence?) that Britta was mentioned that he'd pick her. For Palace of Stone, I'm hoping Peder and Miri get engaged, and she spends a few months in the palace every year, and the rest of the time on Mount Eskel. The library in the palace sounds divine...

[Rebekah]

I know you don't talk about anything that's not in the book but every time I read this chapter I can't help wondering what Marda is doing while the whole confrontation between the villagers and the bandits is occurring. You never mention that she is there with the villagers and I think Pa would not have let her come anyway. She must be worried out of her mind sitting at home wondering what's happening. Or, I wonder, was she even woken up when the rest of the villagers left?

By the way I am loving this book club. I've been trying to do a chapter a day but I've been so busy that I've had to do three or four some days to catch up!

[Savanna]

I had actually just finished the rereading the book when I discovered you were doing these posts, so perfect timing! Do you prefer handwritten notes and drafts or working on the computer better? And what are your thoughts on choosing titles for your books? Thanks for being awesome!! :)

[LilyA]

I am impressed by everyone who managed to stick to reading one chapter a day! I agree that it would probably be more possible for second+ time readers, but I couldnt do it. Not enough patience in me!

[Courtney]

Strange that there should be a new cover almost identical to the last one, but with a different girl. I prefer the other, because she looks younger and more like Miri, but it's still nice. I also love the artwork of the third cover.

[Corinne]

I just read Princess Academy for the first time and found your reading group for the upcoming book. I really liked the visuals you were able to produce of the mountain village. I loved the way everyone in the village is naturally singing. I spent some time in a mountain village in Switzerland and the entire town had a natural sing song quality to their speech. I couldn't help but be reminded of that place from your book. I love that Mt Eskel is an actual character in the book, helping the towns people keep her safe from harm. And the conversation Britta and Miri have about Mt Eskel needing an academy not necessarily a princess resonated. Sometimes we need to know what the character feels about what has gone on. I liked it.

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