Princess Academy

This new title, by Shannon Hale, was good but problematic. I don't know who the audience will be about this semi-fantasy story of a mountain village whose daughters are all trained so that one may marry the prince. I enjoyed it, but my fantasy fans don't want to read about princesses (unless they fight dragons; the only conflict here is a band of thieves who want to hold the girls for ransom) and my princess fans don't really want fantasy. I may get it anyway-- it would be good for my fantasy fans who have read everything else, and I did enjoy it. My only question is: why do so many fantasy stories have that medeival Europe ring to them?