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A review by jsabrina
Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray
5.0
The book opens with sixteen year-old Princess Leia underoing the "Day of Demand" ritual, in which the heir presumptive to the throne of Alderaan publicly demands that her parents recognize her as crown princess. Their response is to require her to undergo the three traditional challenges of Mind, Heart, and Body, to prove her worthiness. Completing these three challenges provides the throughline for this novel and the incidents which slowly but surely bring her into full participation in the Rebellion. The challenges, and what Leia does to prepare for them, also serve to explain how a very young princess and senator came to have the skills which Leia reveals during the original trilogy movies.
As I have written before, I think Claudia Gray writes the best version of Princess Leia: a woman of intelligence and vulnerability as well as action-hero courage. As a teenager, this Leia still has a great deal to learn, but is already a person of both passion and substance. Gray also does a good job in capturing the paradox of principled royalty: being born into both extrordinary privilege and extrordinary obligation.
As I have written before, I think Claudia Gray writes the best version of Princess Leia: a woman of intelligence and vulnerability as well as action-hero courage. As a teenager, this Leia still has a great deal to learn, but is already a person of both passion and substance. Gray also does a good job in capturing the paradox of principled royalty: being born into both extrordinary privilege and extrordinary obligation.