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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Once again proves that Star Wars is best at its most political.
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I recommend if you really like Padme. Otherwise it’s kind of slow.
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was nice to see the social dynamics + the special strong/sisterly bond Padme shares with her loyal hand maidens who are blatantly not the usual ladies in waiting. In addition it was interesting to Padme adapt to the new senator role amidst the gossip and political intrigue going...and shock this could be the start/formation of the rebellion!
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Published at Brick City Blockade: https://www.brickcityblockade.com/2019/05/30/star-wars-queens-shadow-review-taking-a-look-beyond-padme-and-politics/
Confession time: I have a bad track record with Star Wars books.
This wasn’t always the case. Back when The Phantom Menace was released (20 years ago this past month!), I devoured not only the film’s novelization, but also the standalone [b:Star Wars: Rogue Planet|758614|Star Wars Rogue Planet|Greg Bear|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320467624s/758614.jpg|2510169], detailing Anakin’s training three years after the film, as well as the bulk of the Jedi Apprentice series (see [b:The Rising Force|148875|The Rising Force (Star Wars Jedi Apprentice, #1)|Dave Wolverton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375602232s/148875.jpg|3156014]), set during Obi-Wan’s training.
Oh, and let’s not forget the Star Wars Episode I Journal titles, with the events of the film recounted by its protagonists – including none other than my personal hero, Queen Amidala.
Which brings us to [b:Queen's Shadow|40886114|Queen's Shadow (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532125038s/40886114.jpg|63718901]. First, can I just say … THAT COVER. Please go follow the supremely talented Australian illustrator Tara Phillips (@taracphillips) right now, because there is more beautiful work where that came from.
Second, I’m pretty sure every little girl who saw Episode I has wanted a book about Queen Amidala ever since. And I don’t mean Padmé “Anakin, you’re breaking my heart” Naberrie – no, I’m talking Queen “I’m going to save my planet and wear incredible gowns while doing it” Amidala.
And so that’s why, despite no Star Wars book in recent years holding my interest (I’m looking at you, [b:Aftermath|25131600|Aftermath (Star Wars Aftermath, #1)|Chuck Wendig|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426620007s/25131600.jpg|44828548] and [b:Lost Stars|25067046|Lost Stars (Star Wars)|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539015804s/25067046.jpg|44751860]), I decided to give this one a try.
If only it had lived up to its potential.
The story starts in the waning days of Amidala’s reign, as votes are being tallied to determine her successor. Padmé and her handmaidens spend a few fleeting days together at the lakeside retreat as they prepare to go their separate ways – Padmé to become senator on Coruscant, and most of her companions to remain on Naboo.
It’s interesting to get to know the handmaidens better, since at first (and in the movies) they seem indistinguishable. Of course, we know that’s for a good reason, as they’re supposed to both blend in and be able to assume the mantle of Amidala at any moment.
But learning about their passions and plans for life after service – like Rabé and Eirtaé pursuing art and music, Saché following Padme’s footsteps in politics, and Yané dedicating herself to Naboo’s orphaned children – helps to contextualize them and give them each a voice.
However, the true protagonist of all the handmaidens – and the titular “Queen’s Shadow” – is Sabé, Padme’s closest companion and the one who acted as her decoy during the invasion of Naboo. Of all her handmaidens, Sabé alone decides to continue in Padmé’s service after her reign has ended.
This story is really about exploring Padmé and Sabé's relationship – after all, we know Padmé’s story already, but we know next to nothing about Sabé’s.
Which makes it so disappointing that we get so little of it. Just as Sabé’s personality starts to come through, and where it looks like her story is going to get interesting, that plot doesn’t pan out, and she’s instead relegated to the side as we follow Padmé getting settled in to the Senate. Ironically – and in a missed opportunity – instead of breaking out of the queen’s shadow, she only seems to wind up more firmly in it.
One thing I did really like about this book was how it made me consider things I hadn’t previously – like how Padmé and her decoys lower their voice pitch in a conscious effort to assume the role of Amidala, versus using their normal speaking voices in conversation among friends. I also loved how the descriptions brought back memories of not only the gorgeous gowns, but also the scenic vistas of Naboo’s lakes and cities:
However, despite going to the effort of calling a clock a “chronometer,” there were jarring anachronisms like time zones and shoelaces that just didn’t feel like they fit in the Star Wars universe. Never mind an actual use of the phrase “throwing off her groove.”
With as many as five handmaidens and the queen, it’s hard to keep track of whose point of view we’re reading – and it more than once changed mid-chapter without so much as a page break. The point of view even switched at one point from Amidala to Padmé, which was especially mind-boggling – not to mention all the times Padmé talks about Amidala in the third person.
The one romantic pairing felt like it had about zero chemistry. And only in Star Wars can you have someone say about love: “It’s not a reactor leak.”
Ultimately, the plot dragged as it got more laden down with politics. It frequently feels as though nothing is happening or getting done, and I don’t think Padmé ever really makes any progress toward accomplishing her stated goal of eradicating slavery in the galaxy.
There didn’t seem to be any real climax, either – just a lot of side trips that flesh out the galaxy a bit more, but ultimately don’t add to the plot. All the real action takes place in the last 20 percent of the book, and even then, the stakes are low – which begs the question of why we needed all that setup in the first place.
Overall, it just feels bland. Nothing of importance happens, aside from establishing some depth and background to what we see in the movies. But I suppose that's the danger of tie-in novels: They can’t include something too important, or arguably it should've been in the films.
In the end, I just couldn’t help but side with Sabé.
Same, girl. Same.
Confession time: I have a bad track record with Star Wars books.
This wasn’t always the case. Back when The Phantom Menace was released (20 years ago this past month!), I devoured not only the film’s novelization, but also the standalone [b:Star Wars: Rogue Planet|758614|Star Wars Rogue Planet|Greg Bear|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320467624s/758614.jpg|2510169], detailing Anakin’s training three years after the film, as well as the bulk of the Jedi Apprentice series (see [b:The Rising Force|148875|The Rising Force (Star Wars Jedi Apprentice, #1)|Dave Wolverton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375602232s/148875.jpg|3156014]), set during Obi-Wan’s training.
Oh, and let’s not forget the Star Wars Episode I Journal titles, with the events of the film recounted by its protagonists – including none other than my personal hero, Queen Amidala.
Which brings us to [b:Queen's Shadow|40886114|Queen's Shadow (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532125038s/40886114.jpg|63718901]. First, can I just say … THAT COVER. Please go follow the supremely talented Australian illustrator Tara Phillips (@taracphillips) right now, because there is more beautiful work where that came from.
Second, I’m pretty sure every little girl who saw Episode I has wanted a book about Queen Amidala ever since. And I don’t mean Padmé “Anakin, you’re breaking my heart” Naberrie – no, I’m talking Queen “I’m going to save my planet and wear incredible gowns while doing it” Amidala.
And so that’s why, despite no Star Wars book in recent years holding my interest (I’m looking at you, [b:Aftermath|25131600|Aftermath (Star Wars Aftermath, #1)|Chuck Wendig|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426620007s/25131600.jpg|44828548] and [b:Lost Stars|25067046|Lost Stars (Star Wars)|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539015804s/25067046.jpg|44751860]), I decided to give this one a try.
If only it had lived up to its potential.
The story starts in the waning days of Amidala’s reign, as votes are being tallied to determine her successor. Padmé and her handmaidens spend a few fleeting days together at the lakeside retreat as they prepare to go their separate ways – Padmé to become senator on Coruscant, and most of her companions to remain on Naboo.
It’s interesting to get to know the handmaidens better, since at first (and in the movies) they seem indistinguishable. Of course, we know that’s for a good reason, as they’re supposed to both blend in and be able to assume the mantle of Amidala at any moment.
But learning about their passions and plans for life after service – like Rabé and Eirtaé pursuing art and music, Saché following Padme’s footsteps in politics, and Yané dedicating herself to Naboo’s orphaned children – helps to contextualize them and give them each a voice.
However, the true protagonist of all the handmaidens – and the titular “Queen’s Shadow” – is Sabé, Padme’s closest companion and the one who acted as her decoy during the invasion of Naboo. Of all her handmaidens, Sabé alone decides to continue in Padmé’s service after her reign has ended.
This story is really about exploring Padmé and Sabé's relationship – after all, we know Padmé’s story already, but we know next to nothing about Sabé’s.
Which makes it so disappointing that we get so little of it. Just as Sabé’s personality starts to come through, and where it looks like her story is going to get interesting, that plot doesn’t pan out, and she’s instead relegated to the side as we follow Padmé getting settled in to the Senate. Ironically – and in a missed opportunity – instead of breaking out of the queen’s shadow, she only seems to wind up more firmly in it.
One thing I did really like about this book was how it made me consider things I hadn’t previously – like how Padmé and her decoys lower their voice pitch in a conscious effort to assume the role of Amidala, versus using their normal speaking voices in conversation among friends. I also loved how the descriptions brought back memories of not only the gorgeous gowns, but also the scenic vistas of Naboo’s lakes and cities:
It was quiet on Naboo in a way that Coruscant could never be. … Padmé had loved Theed’s waterfalls since the first time she had laid eyes on them, and being away from the planet had only made her fondness grow stronger. She stood still, leaning out over the city that her heart loved best, listening to the far-off sound of rushing water.
However, despite going to the effort of calling a clock a “chronometer,” there were jarring anachronisms like time zones and shoelaces that just didn’t feel like they fit in the Star Wars universe. Never mind an actual use of the phrase “throwing off her groove.”
With as many as five handmaidens and the queen, it’s hard to keep track of whose point of view we’re reading – and it more than once changed mid-chapter without so much as a page break. The point of view even switched at one point from Amidala to Padmé, which was especially mind-boggling – not to mention all the times Padmé talks about Amidala in the third person.
The one romantic pairing felt like it had about zero chemistry. And only in Star Wars can you have someone say about love: “It’s not a reactor leak.”
Ultimately, the plot dragged as it got more laden down with politics. It frequently feels as though nothing is happening or getting done, and I don’t think Padmé ever really makes any progress toward accomplishing her stated goal of eradicating slavery in the galaxy.
There didn’t seem to be any real climax, either – just a lot of side trips that flesh out the galaxy a bit more, but ultimately don’t add to the plot. All the real action takes place in the last 20 percent of the book, and even then, the stakes are low – which begs the question of why we needed all that setup in the first place.
Overall, it just feels bland. Nothing of importance happens, aside from establishing some depth and background to what we see in the movies. But I suppose that's the danger of tie-in novels: They can’t include something too important, or arguably it should've been in the films.
In the end, I just couldn’t help but side with Sabé.
“Politics makes me tired,” Sabé admitted. “It never used to, but it does now.”
Same, girl. Same.
I really liked learning more about Padme and her handmaidens. However I just thought this book wasn’t interesting. I loved Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston so I thought I would love this one but I really didn’t. I probably won’t read the other two books.