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Leia: Princess of Alderaan
by Claudia Gray
Three years before the events of the original Star Wars film, Leia Organa begins a months-long process where she will prove herself worthy of being officially invested as the crown princess of Alderaan and heir to her mother's throne. As part of this undertaking, she joins the Apprentice Legislator, a stepping stone for the politically well-connected and minded towards a seat in the Imperial Senate. For the first time in her life, Leia begins to make friends and even finds herself falling in love with fellow Alderaanian legislator Kier Domadi. But she's also feeling a certain distance and coldness from her parents as of late and she wants to know why. When it becomes clear that her mother and father are involved in the dangerous and clandestine dealings of what will soon become the Rebel Alliance, Leia vows to do whatever she can to prove herself worthy of joining the cause and helping to bring down the Galactic Empire.
Leia was a great ride, but it didn't quite grab me the way that [b:Lost Stars|25067046|Lost Stars (Star Wars)|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462731623s/25067046.jpg|44751860] did. The plot, as explained above, is jumbled and weak, and the flow between chapters is often choppy and disjointed. For all the potential in the interesting premise of having Leia complete specific challenges to prove her worthiness I thought everything played out too predictably, especially the rushed ending.
What I loved though, and what I think Gray excels at when working in this galaxy, was the expert character development and story arcs. Leia's childhood stories in the Legends universe were always some of my absolute favorites and though those events have been primarily wiped from the slate in the new established canon, the spirit of Leia remains and is fleshed out to an even greater, more satisfying, and more deserved degree here in this novel. The jumpiness of the plot is mirrored in the frenzied nature of Leia's character in this story. Leia plays a constant ping-pong game with herself tackling the odd and hurtful behavior of her parents, the morality behind keeping secrets that could place others in danger, and the ethical and human dilemma surrounding the question of how, when, and in what manner to fight back against the Empire. It's a very real and nuanced look into the mind of this sixteen-year-old hero in the making transforming from naive idealist to bonafide rebel badass.
There's equally great development and interesting things done with most of the supporting players as well, particularly Leia's adopted parents, Bail and Breha Organa, Viceroy/Senator and Queen of Alderaan, respectively. Their struggle to be both parent and confidant, protector and power player, makes for some compelling emotional drama and tense scenes. It's particularly fun when we see them fearful of Leia discovering her true parental identity, and subsequently of the Empire doing the same. There's lots of great nods to the larger series, both past events and winks at the future of Leia's story, and Easter eggs for the eagle-eyed fan to swoop up. We also have the introduction of Amilyn Holdo, a character who will make her screen debut in The Last Jedi, and our first glimpse of the planet Crait, though at times it felt like these were only elements of the story because Disney told Gray they had to be elements of the story. Kier was also very cookie-cutter and a plot device more than a character, which was frustrating given the importance he comes to have to Leia.
Overall, I loved this deep-dive into a young Leia's psychology as she struggles to find her place in her family, on Alderaan, and in the galaxy at large. We get to see her come to comprehend the larger, complex mechanics of the political game she will play for many years to come as well as reconcile how this game will effect her friends, family, and home world. The moments where Leia connects to the Force without realizing her own abilities are poignant and clever; we can see how these guide her to later resolutions. I just wish the plot had been a little tighter and more honed, and a few other characters teased out more so they didn't pale so much in comparison to Leia's skillfully development.
Leia was a great ride, but it didn't quite grab me the way that [b:Lost Stars|25067046|Lost Stars (Star Wars)|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462731623s/25067046.jpg|44751860] did. The plot, as explained above, is jumbled and weak, and the flow between chapters is often choppy and disjointed. For all the potential in the interesting premise of having Leia complete specific challenges to prove her worthiness I thought everything played out too predictably, especially the rushed ending.
What I loved though, and what I think Gray excels at when working in this galaxy, was the expert character development and story arcs. Leia's childhood stories in the Legends universe were always some of my absolute favorites and though those events have been primarily wiped from the slate in the new established canon, the spirit of Leia remains and is fleshed out to an even greater, more satisfying, and more deserved degree here in this novel. The jumpiness of the plot is mirrored in the frenzied nature of Leia's character in this story. Leia plays a constant ping-pong game with herself tackling the odd and hurtful behavior of her parents, the morality behind keeping secrets that could place others in danger, and the ethical and human dilemma surrounding the question of how, when, and in what manner to fight back against the Empire. It's a very real and nuanced look into the mind of this sixteen-year-old hero in the making transforming from naive idealist to bonafide rebel badass.
There's equally great development and interesting things done with most of the supporting players as well, particularly Leia's adopted parents, Bail and Breha Organa, Viceroy/Senator and Queen of Alderaan, respectively. Their struggle to be both parent and confidant, protector and power player, makes for some compelling emotional drama and tense scenes. It's particularly fun when we see them fearful of Leia discovering her true parental identity, and subsequently of the Empire doing the same. There's lots of great nods to the larger series, both past events and winks at the future of Leia's story, and Easter eggs for the eagle-eyed fan to swoop up. We also have the introduction of Amilyn Holdo, a character who will make her screen debut in The Last Jedi, and our first glimpse of the planet Crait, though at times it felt like these were only elements of the story because Disney told Gray they had to be elements of the story. Kier was also very cookie-cutter and a plot device more than a character, which was frustrating given the importance he comes to have to Leia.
Overall, I loved this deep-dive into a young Leia's psychology as she struggles to find her place in her family, on Alderaan, and in the galaxy at large. We get to see her come to comprehend the larger, complex mechanics of the political game she will play for many years to come as well as reconcile how this game will effect her friends, family, and home world. The moments where Leia connects to the Force without realizing her own abilities are poignant and clever; we can see how these guide her to later resolutions. I just wish the plot had been a little tighter and more honed, and a few other characters teased out more so they didn't pale so much in comparison to Leia's skillfully development.