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!