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A review by tjphair
Queen's Peril by E.K. Johnston
3.0
The premise is fantastic and the story it is based around is one of my favorites. This book didn't quite do it justice. Because it is taking place at the same time as the Phantom Menace, but from the point of view of other characters, none of the action as seen in the movie is included. At best, it is alluded to or mentioned in asides ranging from clever to distracting. This means that a lot of the best material for the story of these characters is not included because it is assumed the reader has already seen it. I have, but that doesn't mean the story wouldn't have benefited from it's inclusion. Without these scenes, the story feels choppy and the climax is a little anticlimactic.
I loved the idea of the handmaidens. It was genuinely so cool. And the further background on the culture of Naboo was really good as well. Other than the issue of the missing scenes, some of the characters felt underdeveloped or unclear in their motivations.
As additional information about the Phantom Menace, it works great! As a story that holds up on its own, it's missing too much in terms of action and character development.
I loved the idea of the handmaidens. It was genuinely so cool. And the further background on the culture of Naboo was really good as well. Other than the issue of the missing scenes, some of the characters felt underdeveloped or unclear in their motivations.
As additional information about the Phantom Menace, it works great! As a story that holds up on its own, it's missing too much in terms of action and character development.