Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
"We are brave, your highness."
I first fell in love with Star Wars seven years ago, and the moment I watched The Phantom Menace, I decided that I loved Padmé. She was both strong and soft, brave and beautiful. Even now, she and Kylo Ren are tied for my favourite Star Wars character—which, as it turns out, is precisely the problem. I was over the moon when I found out that Padmé would be getting a novel of her own, but that excitement was significantly dampened when I learned that the author had posted some disheartening things on Twitter about Kylo Ren, his fans, and the Rey/Kylo pairing. It left a really sour taste in my mouth, and for a while, I thought I'd simply give this book a miss, but I loved Padmé too much.
From somebody who's never been interested in the Boba Fetts or Poe Damerons of Star Wars and instead has been known to mutter "but where is my Padmé/Nabooian queens/handmaiden content", Queen's Shadow quenched my thirst a decent amount. I liked all the tidbits on Naboo culture that we were given throughout the novel, and there are even some glimpses of Alderaan, which I appreciated. I've always been interested in Padmé's wardrobe (I even own a replica of her rainbow lake dress for cosplay) and so I did like the copious amounts of descriptions of dresses and hairstyles and the practical elements of each. I was also glad to learn more about the handmaidens, and that we got to know the character of Sabé and her friendship with Padmé.
There are, however, a couple of areas where Queen's Shadow falls short.
My first quibble is with the editing and not the actual story itself, though it was sufficient to jar me. "Elaborate" was spelled wrongly as "elabourate" each time it appeared, as was "Chancellor Valorum" as "Chancellor Valourum". This irked me until I realised that Padmé was calling her mother "mum" and "realise" was used instead of the US-standard "realize", and I supposed that those errors must have just been wrongly Britpicked. "Onerous" is also spelled incorrectly as "onerus", and while these are minor and I'm just picky, I did expect better from a published text that would have had a team of editors going over it with a fine-toothed comb. I had the same issue with my copy of The Last Jedi, where a paragraph is written and then repeated on the next page.
I also feel like this novel was devoid of any real emotional depth or tension. I accept that Padmé's survival is guaranteed due to this book taking place before Attack of the Clones, but in my opinion, every time there was about to be a tense situation, the narrative diverted away.
On the whole, rather than being in Padmé's (or Sabé's or Saché's) head, I felt like we were being held at arm's length. We're told how she feels, but we aren't shown. Perhaps that might just be Johnston's writing style, which I found to be rather distant and... stilted, I suppose?
All of that said, I'm so happy that we're getting more and more content about the ladies of Star Wars! Claudia Gray's Leia-focused novels are very good, and I've heard similarly good things about Johnston's Ahsoka, which I'll hopefully enjoy more.
I first fell in love with Star Wars seven years ago, and the moment I watched The Phantom Menace, I decided that I loved Padmé. She was both strong and soft, brave and beautiful. Even now, she and Kylo Ren are tied for my favourite Star Wars character—which, as it turns out, is precisely the problem. I was over the moon when I found out that Padmé would be getting a novel of her own, but that excitement was significantly dampened when I learned that the author had posted some disheartening things on Twitter about Kylo Ren, his fans, and the Rey/Kylo pairing. It left a really sour taste in my mouth, and for a while, I thought I'd simply give this book a miss, but I loved Padmé too much.
From somebody who's never been interested in the Boba Fetts or Poe Damerons of Star Wars and instead has been known to mutter "but where is my Padmé/Nabooian queens/handmaiden content", Queen's Shadow quenched my thirst a decent amount. I liked all the tidbits on Naboo culture that we were given throughout the novel, and there are even some glimpses of Alderaan, which I appreciated. I've always been interested in Padmé's wardrobe (I even own a replica of her rainbow lake dress for cosplay) and so I did like the copious amounts of descriptions of dresses and hairstyles and the practical elements of each. I was also glad to learn more about the handmaidens, and that we got to know the character of Sabé and her friendship with Padmé.
Spoiler
I do wonder about that epilogue, though? I'm very glad that Sabé doesn't believe that Padmé would just die like that, especially since I've always believed that Palpatine was draining Padmé's life force to bring Anakin back as Vader. Died of a broken heart, really?There are, however, a couple of areas where Queen's Shadow falls short.
My first quibble is with the editing and not the actual story itself, though it was sufficient to jar me. "Elaborate" was spelled wrongly as "elabourate" each time it appeared, as was "Chancellor Valorum" as "Chancellor Valourum". This irked me until I realised that Padmé was calling her mother "mum" and "realise" was used instead of the US-standard "realize", and I supposed that those errors must have just been wrongly Britpicked. "Onerous" is also spelled incorrectly as "onerus", and while these are minor and I'm just picky, I did expect better from a published text that would have had a team of editors going over it with a fine-toothed comb. I had the same issue with my copy of The Last Jedi, where a paragraph is written and then repeated on the next page.
I also feel like this novel was devoid of any real emotional depth or tension. I accept that Padmé's survival is guaranteed due to this book taking place before Attack of the Clones, but in my opinion, every time there was about to be a tense situation, the narrative diverted away.
Spoiler
Early on, Padmé's NON-3 droid malfunctions and sends her into a demolition site; the only hint the reader gets of this is that the corridors are dark and empty, and then Bail Organa appears to warn her and send her away. Sabé has a slave liberation storyline on Tatooine in which she frees twenty-five slaves, but we don't see this unfold. We catch up with her in the aftermath, in the form of several conversations. Later, there's a space battle that Padmé's ship interrupts and then joins in on; this, too, lacked narrative tension. Rush Clovis, who appears in The Clone Wars as an old flame, makes Padmé's skin crawl throughout the novel, but it didn't seem to me like we were given any real reason to dislike him other than a few minor niggles until he, without warning, kisses Padmé without her consent. We don't see Padmé really deal with this, either.On the whole, rather than being in Padmé's (or Sabé's or Saché's) head, I felt like we were being held at arm's length. We're told how she feels, but we aren't shown. Perhaps that might just be Johnston's writing style, which I found to be rather distant and... stilted, I suppose?
All of that said, I'm so happy that we're getting more and more content about the ladies of Star Wars! Claudia Gray's Leia-focused novels are very good, and I've heard similarly good things about Johnston's Ahsoka, which I'll hopefully enjoy more.
This is the book I really wanted of the intelligent, clever, canny, caring and generally awesome Padmé Amidala and her equally amazing handmaidens. The woman presented within these pages is everything I knew she must have been, rather than the weepy, increasingly dimwitted creature whose brains leaked out her ears once she got together with Mannequin, and became only worse once pregnant (as if a pregnant woman can't function or think!) But then, movie Padme really just existed to support Mannequin's whingey, whiny and generally totally annoying self.
E.K. Johnston gives us a well-rounded woman in Padmé, who has deeply caring and respectful relationships with her handmaidens, who are actually incredibly competent and kind of scary young women in their own rights. Why could we not see this incredible team of women onscreen??
The story shows us how committed Padmé is to public service, and how she takes her initially naïve approach to the Galactic Senate and her new job as Senator and turns it into a powerful tool to accomplish her goals. (All the while, we also see the dastardly Palpatine slowly setting his plots in motion.) Padmé could not have been as successful without the diligence and quick thinking of her handmaidens, who we discover are not just there to apply Padmé's makeup, but have a variety of security, analysis, political savvy and espionage skills, and yes, even needlework, as nothing Padme wears is ill-thought out, and serves multiple purposes.
We also get a picture of Sabé, Padme's most frequent decoy during their planet's invasion by the Trade Federation. Sabé is a complex and really smart woman, and it was great seeing her in action by herself, too.
Though this book is light on action, I was thrilled with E.K. Johnston's characterizations of a powerful woman and her brilliant aides.
E.K. Johnston gives us a well-rounded woman in Padmé, who has deeply caring and respectful relationships with her handmaidens, who are actually incredibly competent and kind of scary young women in their own rights. Why could we not see this incredible team of women onscreen??
The story shows us how committed Padmé is to public service, and how she takes her initially naïve approach to the Galactic Senate and her new job as Senator and turns it into a powerful tool to accomplish her goals. (All the while, we also see the dastardly Palpatine slowly setting his plots in motion.) Padmé could not have been as successful without the diligence and quick thinking of her handmaidens, who we discover are not just there to apply Padmé's makeup, but have a variety of security, analysis, political savvy and espionage skills, and yes, even needlework, as nothing Padme wears is ill-thought out, and serves multiple purposes.
We also get a picture of Sabé, Padme's most frequent decoy during their planet's invasion by the Trade Federation. Sabé is a complex and really smart woman, and it was great seeing her in action by herself, too.
Though this book is light on action, I was thrilled with E.K. Johnston's characterizations of a powerful woman and her brilliant aides.
The reviews of this almost prevented me from buying it, but the prequels are where my heart most truly lies, so I had to try it. I'm glad I did! So glad in fact, that I read it in practically one sitting. The characters were interesting, and I enjoyed the glimpse between the movies. This resonated much more with me than the Leia book did, even though it was shorter and didn't have an explosive plot. I was happy to be on the journey, no matter how short, and I'm glad I read it. I'm not used to enjoying Star Wars books so much I read them in one sitting, but if they continue to make prequel books I may be become more accustomed to the idea.
Written by the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Ahsoka! When Padmé Naberrie, "Queen Amidala" of Naboo, steps down from her position, she is asked by the newly-elected queen to become Naboo's representative in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about taking on the new role, but cannot turn down the request to serve her people. Together with her most loyal handmaidens, Padmé must figure out how to navigate the treacherous waters of politics and forge a new identity beyond the queen's shadow.
It’s official. Sabé is the greatest character in the Star Wars universe. And that is the hill I will die on.
This is a series about Padme, if you are looking for blasters, light Saber duels, and starship battles this isn't for you. These novels are about the personal. Who you are in the public eye, vs in private. It's about presentation. It's about long discussions. It is about relationships. In short, these are novels are the political and the personal, I deeply enjoy them, and I enjoy the deep dive into a private sphere made up almost entirely of intelligent women, and women's "things". It's a really good series, and I look forward to picking up the third and final book soon.
I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. A quick, easy, relatively light read that allows us to see Padme as a more badass, fleshed-out character than the movies allowed. When this book was gifted to me, i feared it would be all about Padme pining for Anakin and i was so relieved that while major plot events were influenced by him, his name wasn't mentioned until the epilogue. Great to see Padme and her handmaidens stand on their own, with their own personhood and agency. I look forward to the next installment.
While I would have preferred to see Claudia Gray handle the character of Padmé, Johnston still delivered a fairly competent character study. It neatly ties in with Princess of Alderaan. The actual plot is perhaps a tad too dull.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No