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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
slow-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
I love the way Claudia Gray writes Leia. This was a quick read (YA book) but held so much about Leia, her family, her coming of age. It's wonderful to see some insights as to how she became the leader we see later in the movies.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I didn't expect this book to be so good, but it was. The ending...wow. So tragic and heartbreaking considering what happens next.
My love for Leia Organa is well documented. And I really enjoyed Bloodline -- I even bought it! (I don't buy that many books anymore, it's library city for me.)
I'm probably not going to buy this one.
I enjoyed reading it, it was definitely a page turner. I liked Keir (until he unwittingly attempted to betray Leia, of course), it was cute to see her first bf. It was great to see some of my fave-star Senators (hello Mon Mothma, and you, Tynnra Pamlo). It was fun to (re)visit Crait and Pamarthe. The world-building on Alderaan was great.
I thought Amilyn Holdo felt like a diet-Luna Lovegood, which wasn't great. Also, Gray made Captain Quarsh Panaka a moff. This felt very contrived. Especially when Panaka seemed to recognize Padmé in Leia and as about to ...tell the Emperor? I guess? before he is assassinated, presumably by Saw Gerrera's insurgents.
But what really didn't ring true for me is the stilted relationship with Leia and her parents - I can't imagine that they wouldn't be preparing her to take on this fight, that the better way to protect her is to train her up, build up her defenses. It was put right by the end, but it would have been more interesting if they had looped her in earlier, and I think Leia would have had more agency.
So yeah, I enjoyed reading it. But I have spent a lot of time in my own headcanons (and my own fanfic) that my take on the Organas seems more real to me than a canon tie-in novel.
Ask me anything.
I'm probably not going to buy this one.
I enjoyed reading it, it was definitely a page turner. I liked Keir (until he unwittingly attempted to betray Leia, of course), it was cute to see her first bf. It was great to see some of my fave-star Senators (hello Mon Mothma, and you, Tynnra Pamlo). It was fun to (re)visit Crait and Pamarthe. The world-building on Alderaan was great.
I thought Amilyn Holdo felt like a diet-Luna Lovegood, which wasn't great. Also, Gray made Captain Quarsh Panaka a moff. This felt very contrived. Especially when Panaka seemed to recognize Padmé in Leia and as about to ...tell the Emperor? I guess? before he is assassinated, presumably by Saw Gerrera's insurgents.
But what really didn't ring true for me is the stilted relationship with Leia and her parents - I can't imagine that they wouldn't be preparing her to take on this fight, that the better way to protect her is to train her up, build up her defenses. It was put right by the end, but it would have been more interesting if they had looped her in earlier, and I think Leia would have had more agency.
So yeah, I enjoyed reading it. But I have spent a lot of time in my own headcanons (and my own fanfic) that my take on the Organas seems more real to me than a canon tie-in novel.
Ask me anything.
I am not a huge star wars person. I have seen all the movies multiple times, but I've never read any of the books. This was a big disappointment as my first.
There were some engaging scenes and times I did care. I enjoyed it the most at the beginning and the further I read, the less I liked it.
My first problem was that it didn't really feel like a Star Wars book. You could change the names and it could literally be any generic ya scifi. I guess I was wanting more of a Star Wars feel, especially from Leia. She felt totally different to me in this, very immature, assuming things about people (like her parents) that made me scratch my head, and very focused on friends and boys.
The focus of the book--friendships and romance--was, I felt, a detraction. I personally would much rather have read about the rebellion and politics more than I did, and could have done without the romance all together. That scene with the braids annoyed me too; it felt like it had no place in this book.
The plot felt wandering. Leia was jumping between her family and her mountain climbing class (??) and the senate apprenticeship and her charity trips. A lot of the plot felt like it held very little purpose and I felt my attention wandering a lot.
The motivations of the character's felt very contrived and flip flopping. This was especially true for Leia's motivations and her parents. It wasn't believable to me.
And that ending. I honestly hated the ending if the romance. Not that I wanted it to end well, but it felt very pointless and kind of in-between (if you are going to have something like this, it would be better for the person to betray totally or not at all, imo). The end also felt very anticlimactic to me, maybe because it's a sequel.
Overall, even without the Star Wars aspect, I don't think this was very well done. It also didn't fit with what I know of the Star Wars movies, either. I wouldn't recommend this.
There were some engaging scenes and times I did care. I enjoyed it the most at the beginning and the further I read, the less I liked it.
My first problem was that it didn't really feel like a Star Wars book. You could change the names and it could literally be any generic ya scifi. I guess I was wanting more of a Star Wars feel, especially from Leia. She felt totally different to me in this, very immature, assuming things about people (like her parents) that made me scratch my head, and very focused on friends and boys.
The focus of the book--friendships and romance--was, I felt, a detraction. I personally would much rather have read about the rebellion and politics more than I did, and could have done without the romance all together. That scene with the braids annoyed me too; it felt like it had no place in this book.
The plot felt wandering. Leia was jumping between her family and her mountain climbing class (??) and the senate apprenticeship and her charity trips. A lot of the plot felt like it held very little purpose and I felt my attention wandering a lot.
The motivations of the character's felt very contrived and flip flopping. This was especially true for Leia's motivations and her parents. It wasn't believable to me.
And that ending. I honestly hated the ending if the romance. Not that I wanted it to end well, but it felt very pointless and kind of in-between (if you are going to have something like this, it would be better for the person to betray totally or not at all, imo). The end also felt very anticlimactic to me, maybe because it's a sequel.
Overall, even without the Star Wars aspect, I don't think this was very well done. It also didn't fit with what I know of the Star Wars movies, either. I wouldn't recommend this.
After the Kenobi series, I really wanted to more Leia, which is why I started this book.
Kenobi was the first time I saw Leia not only as a Princess & Rebel Leader, but also as the daughter of Anakin & Padmé. As these two are among my favorite characters, I really liked how the series pointed out the family resemblance.
The similarities to her parents weren't as explicitly mentioned in Leia, Princess of Alderaan, but still present and I love Leia even more now because of it.
The style of this book is very similar to E.K. Johnston's Star Wars novels. It's quiet and focuses on telling Leia's story instead of just another adventure featuring Leia.
I really enjoyed E.K.'s books, so naturally, I also enjoyed the style if this book.
Over the course of the book, we see Leia struggle to find her place in the galaxy and the Rebellion.
This surprised me, as I always thought if Leia being in the Rebellion as given. Though it does make sense that her parents initially wanted to protect her.
And I really enjoyed reading about the Organa family's struggle if finding this balance.
This is only a minor thing many people probably didn't even notice, but Leia, Princess of Alderaan only has one pov; Leia's.
As much as I like other Star Wars books, sometimes they kinda lose focus by telling too many stories from too many povs.
Leia benefits from ONLY telling Leia's story and not getting distractet by other characters.
Plus, I still prefer single pov books to multiple pov books. I don't know why, but I just feel that way.🤷♀️
Even though the book is told from Leia's pov and she's obviously the main character, there are other important characters.
First off, obviously, her parents Breha & Bail. While we haven't seen much of Breha in canon yet, Bail is a character I always enjoyed.
But in this book we see them from a new perspective, and we see them mess up and make mistakes. This was hard to accept at first, because I always thought of them as great people, but their flaws only make them better and richer characters in the end I think.
Amilyn Holdo also makes an appearance and plays a pretty important role as Leia's friend.
The Last Jedi is my favorite sequel film and I saw it multiple times, but I still had trouble connecting TLJ Amilyn Holdo to Leia Amilyn Holdo.
Don't get me wrong, I liked her character in this book, she was one of my favorites, but I just didn't really see the connection. Maybe I just have to rewatch TLJ...🤷♀️
The last character worth mentioning in this review is Kier Domadi, a boy from Alderaan. His character was well-written and showed an underrepresented pov in this era. The end of his storyline was to be expected, but still very good and dramatic.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is even remotely interested in Leia.
Giving 5 stars NEVER feels quite right to me, because "there could always be something better". Here though, giving 5 stars is the ONLY thing that feels right.
Not even my favorite books get 5 stars from me.
My favorite sw books, Queens Shadow and Brotherhood only have a 4 to 4.5 star rating.
Because even though i love them, they also had (small) things i didn't like.
This book was perfect though.
It absolutely blew me away and I have no complains whatsoever.
Funny enough, I'm still not sure if it's even among my top 3 star wars books.
It complicated😂
Kenobi was the first time I saw Leia not only as a Princess & Rebel Leader, but also as the daughter of Anakin & Padmé. As these two are among my favorite characters, I really liked how the series pointed out the family resemblance.
The similarities to her parents weren't as explicitly mentioned in Leia, Princess of Alderaan, but still present and I love Leia even more now because of it.
The style of this book is very similar to E.K. Johnston's Star Wars novels. It's quiet and focuses on telling Leia's story instead of just another adventure featuring Leia.
I really enjoyed E.K.'s books, so naturally, I also enjoyed the style if this book.
Over the course of the book, we see Leia struggle to find her place in the galaxy and the Rebellion.
This surprised me, as I always thought if Leia being in the Rebellion as given. Though it does make sense that her parents initially wanted to protect her.
And I really enjoyed reading about the Organa family's struggle if finding this balance.
This is only a minor thing many people probably didn't even notice, but Leia, Princess of Alderaan only has one pov; Leia's.
As much as I like other Star Wars books, sometimes they kinda lose focus by telling too many stories from too many povs.
Leia benefits from ONLY telling Leia's story and not getting distractet by other characters.
Plus, I still prefer single pov books to multiple pov books. I don't know why, but I just feel that way.🤷♀️
Even though the book is told from Leia's pov and she's obviously the main character, there are other important characters.
First off, obviously, her parents Breha & Bail. While we haven't seen much of Breha in canon yet, Bail is a character I always enjoyed.
But in this book we see them from a new perspective, and we see them mess up and make mistakes. This was hard to accept at first, because I always thought of them as great people, but their flaws only make them better and richer characters in the end I think.
Amilyn Holdo also makes an appearance and plays a pretty important role as Leia's friend.
The Last Jedi is my favorite sequel film and I saw it multiple times, but I still had trouble connecting TLJ Amilyn Holdo to Leia Amilyn Holdo.
Don't get me wrong, I liked her character in this book, she was one of my favorites, but I just didn't really see the connection. Maybe I just have to rewatch TLJ...🤷♀️
The last character worth mentioning in this review is Kier Domadi, a boy from Alderaan. His character was well-written and showed an underrepresented pov in this era. The end of his storyline was to be expected, but still very good and dramatic.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is even remotely interested in Leia.
Giving 5 stars NEVER feels quite right to me, because "there could always be something better". Here though, giving 5 stars is the ONLY thing that feels right.
Not even my favorite books get 5 stars from me.
My favorite sw books, Queens Shadow and Brotherhood only have a 4 to 4.5 star rating.
Because even though i love them, they also had (small) things i didn't like.
This book was perfect though.
It absolutely blew me away and I have no complains whatsoever.
Funny enough, I'm still not sure if it's even among my top 3 star wars books.
It complicated😂
Find my full review on my blog: Rebel Princess Reader
It’s no secret that I love everything Claudia Gray writes, especially when it has to do with Star Wars; [b:Star Wars - Bloodline|27209239|Star Wars - Bloodline|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454615589s/27209239.jpg|47250749] and [b:Star Wars - Lost Stars|25067046|Star Wars - Lost Stars|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462731623s/25067046.jpg|44751860] are two of my favorite Star Wars novels to-date. Leia, Princess of Alderaan is no different – I absolutely loved it! I couldn’t put it down!
Through Leia, Princess of Alderaan, we get a new look at Leia as a young adult; we’ve only ever known Leia as an adult and full member of the rebel alliance – first a Princess, then a General. But through Gray’s latest novel, we get a look at her life on Alderaan, her education and early experiences in the Imperial Senate, and her family life with Breha and Bail Organa.
I personally loved seeing this rare young version of Leia, while she is still innocent, naive, and a bit self-centered. Leia does not yet realize the full power of the Empire or the crimes and wrongdoings they are capable of committing. As a result, Leia’s inexperience, naivete, and self-centeredness leads her to play dangerous games, fall into traps, and she often finds herself in moments where she is in over her head, endangering both her own life and the lives of others.
In addition to young Leia, we get a closer look at Breha and Bail Organa, as well as Mon Mothma and the other secret allies in the Senate who form the foundations of the Rebellion. Star Wars buffs will also delight in the many references to all of the movies, with Easter eggs and surprise cameos scattered throughout. And because technically, this novel falls under the umbrella of Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it is safe to assume that there is some foreshadowing related to Leia’s role in the upcoming movie.
In sum: I loved it! Claudia Gray, just go ahead and take all of my money! Especially when it comes to any and all future Star Wars novels! Give me another one! Or better yet, just go ahead and write all of the Star Wars books from here on out!
It’s no secret that I love everything Claudia Gray writes, especially when it has to do with Star Wars; [b:Star Wars - Bloodline|27209239|Star Wars - Bloodline|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454615589s/27209239.jpg|47250749] and [b:Star Wars - Lost Stars|25067046|Star Wars - Lost Stars|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462731623s/25067046.jpg|44751860] are two of my favorite Star Wars novels to-date. Leia, Princess of Alderaan is no different – I absolutely loved it! I couldn’t put it down!
Through Leia, Princess of Alderaan, we get a new look at Leia as a young adult; we’ve only ever known Leia as an adult and full member of the rebel alliance – first a Princess, then a General. But through Gray’s latest novel, we get a look at her life on Alderaan, her education and early experiences in the Imperial Senate, and her family life with Breha and Bail Organa.
I personally loved seeing this rare young version of Leia, while she is still innocent, naive, and a bit self-centered. Leia does not yet realize the full power of the Empire or the crimes and wrongdoings they are capable of committing. As a result, Leia’s inexperience, naivete, and self-centeredness leads her to play dangerous games, fall into traps, and she often finds herself in moments where she is in over her head, endangering both her own life and the lives of others.
In addition to young Leia, we get a closer look at Breha and Bail Organa, as well as Mon Mothma and the other secret allies in the Senate who form the foundations of the Rebellion. Star Wars buffs will also delight in the many references to all of the movies, with Easter eggs and surprise cameos scattered throughout. And because technically, this novel falls under the umbrella of Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it is safe to assume that there is some foreshadowing related to Leia’s role in the upcoming movie.
In sum: I loved it! Claudia Gray, just go ahead and take all of my money! Especially when it comes to any and all future Star Wars novels! Give me another one! Or better yet, just go ahead and write all of the Star Wars books from here on out!
"Great evil can only be fought by the strong. People need spiritual fuel as much as they need food, water, and air. Happiness, love, joy, hope—these are the emotions that give us the strength to do what we need to do."
After my disappointment with "Lost Stars," I am so happy to proclaim that I absolutely loved this novel! This book beautifully explores the struggles Leia and her family faced as the Rebellion took flight. Claudia Gray digs deep into the heart of emotions and explores the many consequences that could arise from even the most noble of actions.
“We hate the Empire’s cruelty and violence. How can we claim to be morally superior when we stoop to violence ourselves?”
Mon Mothma answered him. “There comes a time when refusing to stop violence can no longer be called nonviolence. We cease to be objectors and become bystanders. At some point, morality must be wedded to action, or else it’s no more than mere…vanity.”
Leia's fierce determination and big heart comes across as empathetic strengths for the developing teenager. The plot moves steadily along as we discover secrets both within the Empire and the Rebellion. We also get added depth to familiar characters like Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, discover old/unexplored characters like Breha Organa, and meet a "The Last Jedi" character, Amilyn Holdo. Gray balances these dynamics well and gives excellent insight into the feelings and experiences these characters went through.
I would have liked a little more differentiation with references. For instance, everyone seems to drink tea, but what kind of tea? The constant being-served-tea scenes got a bit bland because (as a tea snob myself) there is so much variety in tea that could give subtle hints at people's characters. This was underutilized. Also, there was one Alderaanian plant that kept being referenced by Leia. Finally, a few terms were a bit too Earthy to be super believable in the Star Wars world, like "spit spot."
Things I loved, though, were the inklings of the Force that Leia felt during moments of intense struggle and fear, which enhances the original movies and beyond. Reading about Leia's force use in a canon novel is so satisfying since "The Force Awakens" disappointed me in this aspect. I also loved Gray fleshing out Alderaan culture. I'm a history nerd, much like Kier, and really enjoyed these details. Gray also carefully weaves in familiar lines, sometimes with a slight twist, that comes across as enhancing the novel instead of being overt, annoying nods that can sometimes happen with poorly-placed references. Kudos, Ms. Gray!
"It feels wrong," Leia finally admitted..."Going out to celebrate, while out there-"
"'Out there' is exactly why you should go to the ball." Leaning across the table, Breha took her daughter's hand in hers. "...We won't always have the chance to dance with the ones we love...So dance now."
Unlike the books preceding "The Force Awakens," I could really feel the movies alive in this book. There are planets you'll recognize from the past along with the next movie and characters we expect to see in the future.
This was a well-drawn expanded-universe story that enriches the characters we love, most particularly after the passing of Carrie Fisher. This book could have been Gray's swan song if done wrong, but instead, Gray has delivered a solid and emotional story that does the original characters credit and is strong in the Force.
After my disappointment with "Lost Stars," I am so happy to proclaim that I absolutely loved this novel! This book beautifully explores the struggles Leia and her family faced as the Rebellion took flight. Claudia Gray digs deep into the heart of emotions and explores the many consequences that could arise from even the most noble of actions.
“We hate the Empire’s cruelty and violence. How can we claim to be morally superior when we stoop to violence ourselves?”
Mon Mothma answered him. “There comes a time when refusing to stop violence can no longer be called nonviolence. We cease to be objectors and become bystanders. At some point, morality must be wedded to action, or else it’s no more than mere…vanity.”
Leia's fierce determination and big heart comes across as empathetic strengths for the developing teenager. The plot moves steadily along as we discover secrets both within the Empire and the Rebellion. We also get added depth to familiar characters like Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, discover old/unexplored characters like Breha Organa, and meet a "The Last Jedi" character, Amilyn Holdo. Gray balances these dynamics well and gives excellent insight into the feelings and experiences these characters went through.
I would have liked a little more differentiation with references. For instance, everyone seems to drink tea, but what kind of tea? The constant being-served-tea scenes got a bit bland because (as a tea snob myself) there is so much variety in tea that could give subtle hints at people's characters. This was underutilized. Also, there was one Alderaanian plant that kept being referenced by Leia. Finally, a few terms were a bit too Earthy to be super believable in the Star Wars world, like "spit spot."
Things I loved, though, were the inklings of the Force that Leia felt during moments of intense struggle and fear, which enhances the original movies and beyond. Reading about Leia's force use in a canon novel is so satisfying since "The Force Awakens" disappointed me in this aspect. I also loved Gray fleshing out Alderaan culture. I'm a history nerd, much like Kier, and really enjoyed these details. Gray also carefully weaves in familiar lines, sometimes with a slight twist, that comes across as enhancing the novel instead of being overt, annoying nods that can sometimes happen with poorly-placed references. Kudos, Ms. Gray!
"It feels wrong," Leia finally admitted..."Going out to celebrate, while out there-"
"'Out there' is exactly why you should go to the ball." Leaning across the table, Breha took her daughter's hand in hers. "...We won't always have the chance to dance with the ones we love...So dance now."
Unlike the books preceding "The Force Awakens," I could really feel the movies alive in this book. There are planets you'll recognize from the past along with the next movie and characters we expect to see in the future.
This was a well-drawn expanded-universe story that enriches the characters we love, most particularly after the passing of Carrie Fisher. This book could have been Gray's swan song if done wrong, but instead, Gray has delivered a solid and emotional story that does the original characters credit and is strong in the Force.
This book is amazing, if you like Star Wars you NEED to read it! So much foreshadowing and it presents a great look at leia in her younger years
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
This book was so good! It was my first ever Star Wars book and I am glad I started with this one. I have always liked Leia, but this book adds so much more depth to her and made her one of my favorite characters in the original trilogy. (Luke will always be my favorite lol)
I loved the aspects of her personal journey and growth. Even though she was a bit younger than me, I felt like I could relate to her a lot about growing up and assuming more responsibility. This was an amazing book and it came at just the right time in my life.
I enjoyed seeing familiar faces and new ones alike. The returnees provided a sense of familiarity and grounded the story so that the new cast members and locations could mold the story and give it more potential. I felt like I could focus more on the intricacies of the characters and meanings. This story expanded the Star Wars universe in a meaningful way. I loved the development of the Organa's involvement in the Rebellion, from peacemakers to rebels.
The moral conflicts in this book was rough. Yes, there were a lot of instances where there was a clear cut bad guy and good guy, but most of the time it was bad guys with good intentions and good guys doing bad things. That look at the Imperial Era is so interesting because people in the galaxy are having to choose between self-preservation or greater good. Both options have repercussions, who knows what the right answer is.
TLDR: Loved this book, not just because it's Star Wars, but because it brought up a lot of complicated issues and ideas. Tarkin makes me mad as usual. 4.75/5, would be 5/5 if it weren't for Tarkin lol.
I loved the aspects of her personal journey and growth. Even though she was a bit younger than me, I felt like I could relate to her a lot about growing up and assuming more responsibility. This was an amazing book and it came at just the right time in my life.
I enjoyed seeing familiar faces and new ones alike. The returnees provided a sense of familiarity and grounded the story so that the new cast members and locations could mold the story and give it more potential. I felt like I could focus more on the intricacies of the characters and meanings. This story expanded the Star Wars universe in a meaningful way. I loved the development of the Organa's involvement in the Rebellion, from peacemakers to rebels.
The moral conflicts in this book was rough. Yes, there were a lot of instances where there was a clear cut bad guy and good guy, but most of the time it was bad guys with good intentions and good guys doing bad things. That look at the Imperial Era is so interesting because people in the galaxy are having to choose between self-preservation or greater good. Both options have repercussions, who knows what the right answer is.
TLDR: Loved this book, not just because it's Star Wars, but because it brought up a lot of complicated issues and ideas. Tarkin makes me mad as usual. 4.75/5, would be 5/5 if it weren't for Tarkin lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Blood, Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, War
Minor: Genocide, Blood, Grief, Classism