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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Such a fun dive in to the different cultures and worlds of Star Wars. Leia is always close to my heart, and this novel does her Justice in showing how she arrives to be the person we see in A New Hope. It adds more depth to the movies and tries to salvage the sequels by adding more history. I don’t mind it, to be honest. I respect that this novel felt unique and true, rather than forced despite it working within such a large framework. The language used was effortlessly lovely, and had such great flow.
Breha and Bail, my beloveds, I’m so glad you got your due.
Breha and Bail, my beloveds, I’m so glad you got your due.
My only review is: Bail Organa is the best fictional father ever and I’ll die on that hill.
tw: mention of torture, mention of slavery, death.
tw: mention of torture, mention of slavery, death.
Predictable, but cute. A touching and traditional (and standard Star Wars) story about Princess Leia's coming of age and how she becomes involved in her parents' rebellion. Claudia Gray successfully captures Leia's spirit on the page, and this certainly feels like a Star Wars story. It was nice to have a more complete picture of the lost world of Alderaan and those who inhabited it. There is an element of dramatic irony while reading since we know the fate of Leia's home planet and the price she is destined to pay for her cause. Leia's relationship with Kier throughout the novel is representative of her internal struggle and all she will lose on her path of resistance against the Empire. Overall, a well thought out story which will resonate with many adolescents advocating for change in their world.
Still... I was left feeling like I wanted more from this book. I'm not sure if that's the author's fault or if it's an issue I have with Star Wars as a whole at the time of this review, especially after the (for me) underwhelming conclusion of episodes 7-9. I feel the same way about this as I feel about Solo: it scratches the Star Wars itch, and there's nothing inherently wrong with the narrative, but it doesn't wow me.
Still... I was left feeling like I wanted more from this book. I'm not sure if that's the author's fault or if it's an issue I have with Star Wars as a whole at the time of this review, especially after the (for me) underwhelming conclusion of episodes 7-9. I feel the same way about this as I feel about Solo: it scratches the Star Wars itch, and there's nothing inherently wrong with the narrative, but it doesn't wow me.
I’d been looking forward to this book ever since it was announced because no matter what, I can’t help wanting to read about Leia. I was wary of being burned by it because, as with “Bloodline”, it could be good but also have things related to Disney canon that would make me sad and angry. I’ve decided a while ago that I’m not taking anything that isn’t the OT movies as canon, and that includes this brilliant book that for the most part I loved.
I really like Claudia Gray’s Leia voice. It feels right and in character—but also “in age”, considering this is 16 year old Leia. It’s mature as Leia is, but also teenage-like, and with a pre-war ingenuity that feels real. Her parents have been drifting away from her for some months and that’s one of the hardest things to read, precisely because here and there Leia remembers how happy her childhood was, how close her family has always been, how much she loves and admires her parents and how much they love her and are proud of her in return. Still, it was wonderful to read about Leia interacting with Bail and Breha when you consider how much Breha is generally ignored in favour of Leia&Bail. The strain in their relationship with Leia (and with each other, at points) was heartbreaking, but still, I thought that they were fleshed out wonderfully, as individuals, parents, and couple, and I promise things get resolved and you get it. I just really loved reading about the Organas and how they were as close and loving as my favourite headcanons have them be. Also, Breha has a major role in this, she’s not swept up in Bail’s rebellion or whatever people imagined, so that was really awesome.
The plot of the story was very entertaining to me: it had YA book elements, but with adventures in the pre-galactic civil war GFFA, so it was also a serious thing. I really liked seeing what teenage Leia was up to, and you also get a glimpse at the beginnings of the rebellion and how she becomes involved with it (can we throw that “Bail manipulated her to join the rebellion” meta into the garbage where it belongs now?). I loved all the cameos, including Mon Mothma, whose relationship with Leia here I loved.
I was worried about the romance because Disney has given me enough reasons to. Leia’s first love is the opposite from Han. That’s not exactly reassuring, because Leia and Kier get along really well for the most part, but I really believe he’s not someone she would have remained with even if the book didn’t end their relationship the way it does. Tbh I liked to see Leia with friends and in this young relationship. I did. But due to *spoilers* I see how it can be a sore point for some Han/Leia shippers. To me, it wasn’t; I even appreciated that this was part of Leia’s story when so often she’s put into this highest place of virtue and being. Maybe that’s her place in the movies and the mythos, but the extended material is supposed to offer more, which is why I read it.
All in all, while there are (exactly two) things that I didn’t like much, it was a fun, touching, adorable, interesting, coming-of-age story and I definitely recommend it to Leia fans. I give it 4/5 stars only for two reasons.
The second thing that bothered me was the scraping of Breha's miscarriages to replace it with an accident that gave her glowy artificial organs. Sure, the story on its own works. But it's practically fandom history that Breha suffered many miscarriages, which is a very real suffering for a lot of women. To change that and replace it with something that is visible makes it seems as if someone's pain must leave visible scars for people to respect them and feel sympathy for them. Breha was already a badass to many people for who she was, and that's brought into even sharper relief with the way this book shows how involved with the rebellion she was, what a respected and loved leader she was. The pulmonodes were unnecessary for that purpose and added nothing, imo, except for that last exchange between mother and daughter (which could have been delivered anyway without them).
I really like Claudia Gray’s Leia voice. It feels right and in character—but also “in age”, considering this is 16 year old Leia. It’s mature as Leia is, but also teenage-like, and with a pre-war ingenuity that feels real. Her parents have been drifting away from her for some months and that’s one of the hardest things to read, precisely because here and there Leia remembers how happy her childhood was, how close her family has always been, how much she loves and admires her parents and how much they love her and are proud of her in return. Still, it was wonderful to read about Leia interacting with Bail and Breha when you consider how much Breha is generally ignored in favour of Leia&Bail. The strain in their relationship with Leia (and with each other, at points) was heartbreaking, but still, I thought that they were fleshed out wonderfully, as individuals, parents, and couple, and I promise things get resolved and you get it. I just really loved reading about the Organas and how they were as close and loving as my favourite headcanons have them be. Also, Breha has a major role in this, she’s not swept up in Bail’s rebellion or whatever people imagined, so that was really awesome.
The plot of the story was very entertaining to me: it had YA book elements, but with adventures in the pre-galactic civil war GFFA, so it was also a serious thing. I really liked seeing what teenage Leia was up to, and you also get a glimpse at the beginnings of the rebellion and how she becomes involved with it (can we throw that “Bail manipulated her to join the rebellion” meta into the garbage where it belongs now?). I loved all the cameos, including Mon Mothma, whose relationship with Leia here I loved.
I was worried about the romance because Disney has given me enough reasons to. Leia’s first love is the opposite from Han. That’s not exactly reassuring, because Leia and Kier get along really well for the most part, but I really believe he’s not someone she would have remained with even if the book didn’t end their relationship the way it does. Tbh I liked to see Leia with friends and in this young relationship. I did. But due to *spoilers* I see how it can be a sore point for some Han/Leia shippers. To me, it wasn’t; I even appreciated that this was part of Leia’s story when so often she’s put into this highest place of virtue and being. Maybe that’s her place in the movies and the mythos, but the extended material is supposed to offer more, which is why I read it.
All in all, while there are (exactly two) things that I didn’t like much, it was a fun, touching, adorable, interesting, coming-of-age story and I definitely recommend it to Leia fans. I give it 4/5 stars only for two reasons.
Spoiler
First, I think killing off Kier was an easy way to end their relationship. It gives me a feeling of "How else would she choose Han when she has this guy?" which is wrong. He could have survived and they could have ended things because of their ideological differences or something. And it keeps on heaping grief onto Leia... come on, isn't it a bit much?The second thing that bothered me was the scraping of Breha's miscarriages to replace it with an accident that gave her glowy artificial organs. Sure, the story on its own works. But it's practically fandom history that Breha suffered many miscarriages, which is a very real suffering for a lot of women. To change that and replace it with something that is visible makes it seems as if someone's pain must leave visible scars for people to respect them and feel sympathy for them. Breha was already a badass to many people for who she was, and that's brought into even sharper relief with the way this book shows how involved with the rebellion she was, what a respected and loved leader she was. The pulmonodes were unnecessary for that purpose and added nothing, imo, except for that last exchange between mother and daughter (which could have been delivered anyway without them).
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Leia is claiming her role as Princess of Alderaan by doing a series of traditional challenges. While completing these challenges she is also investigating why her parents aren’t as present in her life as they used to be, uncovering the evil of the empire, and making friends along the way. I’ve never read a Star Wars book before, but I wanted to read more of Claudia Gray after The Murder of Mr. Wickham. This one was really good! There was a nice balance between character and plot. There was some teenage angst, but it always got interrupted by a fun adventure. The audiobook was lots of fun, with background sound effects throughout the story. You’ll like this if you enjoy sci-fi without the gore, political machinations, a bit of romance, and a teenage coming-of-age story with truly hard decisions to make.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The last two lines of the book were absolutely uncalled for.