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<p>I've always been a fan of the handmaidens of Naboo. A group of kick-ass teenage girls charged with protecting the young queen of a sovereign nation will <em>always </em>be one of my favorite tropes to read, and I had high hopes for my first venture into the Disney <em>Star Wars</em> extended universe. Ultimately, while I wish certain plot threads could've been changed from the original Lucas films, this was still an enjoyable introduction to Star Wars novelizations, and I'm looking forward to reading more of E.K. Johnston's work in this universe.</p>
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<p>The highlight of the story is, of course, the relationship between Padmé and her handmaidens. While some of the girls blurred together due to the lack of time spent developing their personalities, I found that the most essential relationship between Padmé and Sabé, her chief decoy, was compelling and thoughtful. I wish we could've spent more time developing their bond, but I suppose, due to the shortness of this novel and the constraints placed on Johnston by the original canon, I can't expect too much in the way of worldbuilding. That being said, I did like that we got more of a glimpse into the goings-on of the palace, even if it did mean that some of the events felt rote and dull compared to what could've been a much more intrigue-filled look at the goings-on of the Naboo court.</p>
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<p>In the end, this is a fun book. Is it one of my favorites, or one I'll be returning to? No. But I don't think every book needs to be the best book I've ever read to be enjoyable on its own merit. I'd recommend this one to any other Padmé Amidala stans out there, or anyone looking for a fun and light-hearted adventure in our favorite galaxy far, far away.</p>
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Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of E.K. Johnston and Queen's Shadow, however this one missed the mark a little. It had some very strong moments but there was definitely some weak points.

Queen's Peril takes place at the beginning of the reign of Padme Amidala and in flashbacks, the selection and early life of her handmaidens. These were the strongest chapters- how she crafted her persona, the talents of each of the handmaidens, and the political brilliance of Padme. However it falls a part when it runs into the events of the Phantom Menace. The issue was less the story and more the pacing, it went very quickly from event to event with not a lot of transition and main characters were briefly mentioned. There is a lot of opportunity here - the story told from Padme and her handmaidens perspective is a great idea and when it was given time to develop, it really worked. I think a longer book or one broken up into two books - one before Phantom Menace and one a retelling of Phantom Menace from different perspectives would have been a better choice.


Received copy from NetGalley, Thank you!

**4.5-stars**

Queen's Peril, when it releases on June 2, 2020, will be the newest addition to the Disney Star Wars Canon.

The events in this novel take place after the events of Master and Apprentice and just before the film, The Phantom Menace. In fact, to my surprise, the last quarter of the book runs parallel to The Phantom Menace. It is not a novelization of the events in the movie, it's more of an expansion.

With that bit of timeline info out of the way, let's get into this story, shall we?

At just 14-years old, Padme Naberrie is elected Queen of Naboo. Her parents exposed her early to civic duty and the idea that she could one day be Queen never felt far-fetched to her.

After her election, the Head of Security Forces for Naboo, Quarsh Panaka devises a plan to select special handmaidens for the Queen. These handmaidens will be a lot more than meets they eye. They will actually serve as body doubles and protection. Each one, chosen with care by Panaka himself, brings a different skill to the table. Together they make quite a team.

A large portion of the story is learning about the girls and how they contribute to the function of the Queen's reign. It was interesting to follow as these girls go from being strangers, to companions and ultimately, to friends.

As Naboo becomes threatened by the Trade Federation, maneuverings take place to secure the Queen and gain help for Naboo. Once the events begin to align with those of The Phantom Menace, we get more insights into what was going on behind the scenes during Padme's flight from Naboo.

E.K. Johnston writes with such care and skill within the Star Wars universe. You can tell that she knows the ins-and-outs of this world, complex as it is, and that she is equally passionate about it as we are as readers.

I loved the subtle feel of the narrative. It's a character driven story, although the action does pick up towards the end, and I feel like I learned a lot. Some of the highlights for me were learning about each of the handmaidens, why they were chosen and what their specific skills were. I also liked the little cameos of beloved characters popping up throughout, including Yoda, Anakin, Qui Gon and Jar Jar Binks.

Senator Palpatine is also explored in greater depth here which I loved. The duality of his character is so freaking interesting and the way Johnston wrote from his perspective was perfection!

Overall, this book is a joy to read and for Padme fans, an absolute gift!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Lucasfilm Press and NetGalley, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I had already preordered my copy prior to receiving my ARC and was beyond the moon excited to be able to get my hands on it early!

nless you are a big Star Wars fan, Star Wars: Queen’s Peril probably won’t excite you.

I, unfortunately, was wholly disappointed. After reading and enjoying Queen’s Shadow last week, I had high hopes that the prequel would be even better.

It wasn’t.

Most of the book is slow and uneventful. Captain Panaka’s recruitment of Amidala’s handmaidens peaks some interest, but it is largely addressed in a handful of pages. I was excited to explore rich backstories of, and interactions between, Eirtaé, Saché, Yané, Rabé, Sabé and Padmé, but their introductions are dealt with swiftly and loosely. Instead, the book drones on with mundane political exchanges and a random outing to a night club that adds little to the story’s progression.

The pace does not pick up until well after the halfway point. It then speeds through some of the events of The Phantom Menace with hodge-podge detail and befuddled storytelling. It requires the reader to have clear recall of the invasion of Naboo orchestrated by the Trade Federation and the role and positioning of key characters during that time.

For example, one subsection of a later chapter comprises only of one sentence without any written context: “Anakin Skywalker liked flying.” Another reads: “Anakin Skywalker really liked flying.” Unless you remember specifically what the heck is happening at this point in the film, you won’t be sure where this information came from or what to do with it.

Ultimately, Queen’s Peril does not do enough to develop the front end of the story and tries to pepper in too much towards the back end. Sure, we don’t want a retelling of The Phantom Menace, but we do want new perspective.

The story idea behind Queen’s Peril had great potential but this book is unfortunately a half-baked and humdrum read.

I loved this book. It’s from Padmé’s Election Day to the end of The Phantom Menace, my favourite Prequel. And it’s a prequel to Queen’s Shadow. I enjoyed that one but this was several degrees better. I enjoyed getting more insight about Padmé and her handmaidens especially Keira Knightley’s Sabé. It also has some surprising scenes from other characters that blew me away. The Roger Roger B1 droids are actually menacing. I’m looking forward to the audio version by Padmé actress Cat Taber. The end got me teary eyed at 3 in the morning. I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to the possibility of a fourth Star Wars novel from EK Johnston.

What an unexpected surprise!!
This was the book that I was waiting for!!
I wasn’t a huge fan of The Queen’s Shadow. I liked it but it didn’t blow me away- partially because I’m not the biggest fan of Padme.
Saying that, this book has completely changed my mind.
Set just as Padme becomes Queen, this is a thrilling and detailed journey into how Padme got her handmaidens, the first few months of her royal duties, the wonderful bonds she creates with her handmaidens, and takes you right through the battle of Naboo but from the respective of Padme and the people of Naboo.
It’s much faster paced than TQS, with some tasty little morsels of prequel information that helps you tie in your timelines tightly.
I particularly loved the character development of each of the handmaidens, the little reminders that ultimately they were a bunch of teenage girls (albeit with immense responsibility) and I could almost see Panama’s hair going grey..

There were a couple of cameo appearances that I felt weren’t entirely necessary, and didn’t add any real value or weight to the story (the “did you feel something or nothing” scene in particular.


Overall, this book did not disappoint, I really enjoyed it!!

What makes a handmaiden? Queen's Peril sums it up in five words: Strength, Cunning, Distraction, Bravery, and Determination. A prequel to E. K. Johnston's 2019 novel Queen's Shadow, Queen's Peril is one of those rare Star Wars stories without lasers and 'sabers. It's also one of the few Star Wars stories to actually pass the Bechdel test, and it's the first to fully acknowledge and normalize adolescence.

Queen's Peril begins with 14-year-old Padmé's election to become Queen of Naboo. (Yes, Star Wars is Star Wars. Deal with it.) The novel is equal parts "prequel to Queen's Shadow" and "companion to The Phantom Menace," and it features brief moments with characters from the film. Many of these moments are fantastic—I'm particularly amused by one involving Palpatine and some interior decorating—but to some degree, the novel becomes a play-by-play of events we've already seen. Johnston's writing is careful to provide new perspectives, but it's not always successful. Nonetheless, it's still a good read.

All in all, Queen's Peril is a worthwhile, if uneven, coming-of-age story, and it completes Johnston's first Star Wars hat-trick.

(Side note: I always forget that Keira Knightley, Sofia Coppola, and Richard Armitage are in a Star Wars. Super cool stuff.)

I thought most of this book would be about The Phantom Menace and was curious about how that would happen without it being just a repeat of the movie. I was happy to see that most of this book is actually about Padme adjusting to becoming Amidala as well as her interactions with the handmaidens. I especially loved seeing how each handmaiden brought a special skill (that of course could be underestimated because they're teenage girls!) to aid Padme as Amidala. It was upgrading tradition while still being respectful of the core of it, and I loved seeing how Padme had to adjust to a very adult role while still being a teenage girl. That made the book feel very original! There are scenes from The Phantom Menace throughout, but it's not the focus and are more snippets than anything.

This story was just so fun, I could tell that Johnston was having a blast writing about powerful teenage girls. If you are a Padme fan, I definitely recommend this one!

She wants to be queen. She's young and up to the challenge. Soon the election results will be in and quarsh tells her to be ready.the theed conservatory attracks students from all over.tsabin had hated the school. Quarsh of the royal guard appears before tsabin. She is thirteen and amidalas twin,the candidate for queen.quarshs wife mariek works in the palace. I loved all the names

3.5 stars. This is the second EK Johnston story I've read in the Star Wars sandbox, and I've read both because Padme is my favorite character. I was hoping that this one would work more for me than the first, but unfortunately, I just don't know if my perspectives on the SW universe or this character in particular really mesh with hers. She makes some character and story decisions in this one that just feel totally at odds with the Star Wars ethos. Still, Johnston has such a knack for world-building, though, that it's certainly worth a read if you love Star Wars!