Received this as an ARC to review for work as well as to supplement an interview with the author. Enjoyed this more than other Star Wars books I've tried in the past!

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Publishing for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I really enjoyed this book as a look into Padme's life that we really don't get with the movies! It's really fun to watch her as she tries to navigate their secret marriage and see how she takes the events of the Clone Wars, especially since she is on the political side of it.

I also really liked the kind of cameo POVs we get from characters like Yoda and Palpatine. It just reminds you of everything going on behind the scenes and of all the webs that are being woven as Padme navigates her personal life as well.

This book is full of amazing representation as well, such as a character who uses neopronouns and a trans clone trooper! This was wonderful to see in a series that's traditionally not included this!

If you're a Star Wars fan, definitely check out Padme's trilogy!

I loved when this novel took place! It was so cool to see the early days of Padmé and Anakin's marriage, and how they balanced the secret with their day to day lives. As always, I love seeing the former handmaidens and what they're getting up to, and it was especially interesting this time with Sabe. This was another great look into Padmé and what an awesome woman she was.

I really loved the first book in this series, Queen’s Peril, partly because it took place during the events of The Phantom Menace so there was a huge nostalgia factor for me. I then somehow missed that there was another book in between these (I think it actually came out before Queen’s Peril, which is probably why), and while I was still able to follow and enjoy this one, I think it would have been more satisfying if I’d read the other one. Events are referenced and relationships have evolved, and at times I found myself a bit… not confused, but just not as emotionally invested as I could have been.

That said, this was a thoroughly enjoyable entry into the “Padme and her handmaidens” series. These movies were such a part of my childhood that I’ll always have fun reading about the characters, though I’m not sure how much this one will stick with me in the long run.

Also I don’t know if it’s because I read a lot of books with romance, but I kept wanting more development in the Anakin/Padme relationship. I KNOW this is a book more focused on the handmaidens, I just wanted a little more of the forbidden love aspect! I wouldn't have been mad if this was more of a romance novel, haha.

Thank you to Disney Lucasfilm Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

'Star Wars: Queen's Hope' is another great read that adds to the elaborate pantheon of a galaxy far, far away. Those who love Padme will certainly enjoy this book which focuses on her and her handmaidens. It is a fitting end to the queen's trilogy, I only wish it wasn't the end.

This is the third novel in the series that focuses on Padme and her handmaidens. I thought that this book did not have as much action as the First two novels. The story was very simplistic. The characters were mostly flat. I believe this story would have been much more enjoyable in audiobook format. As a book, this was a very unoriginal take of the Star Wars prequels.

These books can do no wrong, in my opinion. I was so excited to see we were getting another one and tore through this. It was great to see more of Padme and Sabe and the rest of our crew. EK Johnston is such a great choice for these books.

I loved this series so much and this was a great ending for the series. I love the way these books took a character that was hardly explored on the screen and they developed her into a well-rounded character.

I didn't realize this was a sequel when I downloaded it but I still really enjoyed it. Padme is a great character and I love Johnston's writing.

Loved the storyline and the writing. However I didn't like spending all that time in Padmé head as I don't think she was a well written character to begin with. To me she's the weakest character in the whole Star Wars Saga. I still don't see how she's the mother who gave us Leia and Luke. I'm convinced Leia's adopted parents made her who she become .

Thank you Disney Publishing for the physical ARC copy!

I adore this trilogy. Although Queen’s Shadow maintains my favorite spot, this was an awesome wrap up of a great series. EK Johnston is fantastic at blending the missing segments of canon and piecing it all together, giving us the bigger picture. Padmé is a wonderful character who deserved to have her story more thoughtfully told, and this book series does just that! I love the movies, but love embracing more of her perspective.

My favorite part of these books will forever be Sabé, the keeper of my heart. Highly recommend for readers who love Star Wars!

Queen’s Hope is a novel with which I have a love/hate relationship with. While things such as the characters, themes, and placement within the Star Wars timeline are something that I really enjoyed. I found a hard time becoming invested in the story itself. Queen's Hope's uniqueness rests in the depth it gives to old characters and relationships. It's a remarkable feat to be able to develop a character like Sabé who is now not just recognized but also adored after only a few minutes onscreen.
Despite the fact that the first few chapters of the novel focus on Padmé's wedding with Anakin Skywalker, the plot swiftly deviates to the grim reality of the Clone Wars. While the story itself is engaging and left me intrigued, I found myself more interested in Sabe’s story than Padme’s. Unfortunately, Queen's Hope lacks the cinematic flair and victory that some of the preceding scenes in Shadow and Peril have. Instead, concentrating on the Clone Wars' political aspects. And, while I appreciate that aspect of storytelling, the conflict does not appear to be as huge as it could be.
E.K. Johnston is a natural at writing characters and making them feel real. As this serves as the last novel in a Padme-centric trilogy it's great to see characters from the other novels return. However, it is sad to see that they take a backseat here. In their place come some amazingly well-written characters like Anakin Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine. I will admit I was scared of Johnston’s characterization of Anakin after hearing her speak about his character. But thankfully I was pleasantly surprised.
Overall I enjoyed what this novel provided, however, I wished there was a little more to it. It serves as a good conclusion to the handmaiden story, which continues in the current Darth Vader comic run, fortunately. But in the end, Queen’s Hope gives more depth to Padme’s character which is something that I always enjoy delving into. The story feels like a small arc from the Clone Wars. So if you enjoy that or want to learn more about Padme and her handmaidens I would recommend reading this novel, however, it is certainly not a must-read unless you want to know more about Padme’s life during the Clone Wars.

Queen’s Hope by E.K. Johnston is the third and final novel in the Star Wars Padme Amidala trilogy. After two books following the heartwarming and attentive relationships between Padme and her fellow handmaidens, this book concludes the final years that Padme had with her loving friends. It is a bittersweet ending to the series that opened a new door for conversation and perspective on Padme Amidala’s character and the women who so strongly supported her in her life.

Adjacent to Padme, the character Sabe really shined in this book. She is the epitome of a supportive friend while also having agency over her own life and narrative. This book is at its core about sisterhood—something that is so essential to the Star Wars universe, yet so rarely represented well.

Queen's hope is a fun, emotional, and heartwarming (also slightly heartbreaking) read and is essential for Padme fans to read!

Star Wars: Queen's Hope was the perfectly conclusion for a trilogy that, much like the author, I waited 20 years to read. This trilogy expanded my understanding of the Star Wars galaxy by leaps and bounds, and also truly deepened my love for Padme, as well as my empathy toward Anakin. Queen's Hope picks up a few years after Queen's Shadow and almost immediately after the events of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Reading as Padme attempted to balance her life between senate duty, secret love, and the heartache over the loss of her closest handmaidens, I felt for her at every turn. This book takes all my favorite things about Padme as a leader and as a person, and amplifies them to show the good she was achieving during the Clone Wars. I could not recommend this book enough to fans of Star Wars and fans of stories which celebrate the strength and skills of women.

Full review included in the linkbelow, but this book was somewhere around 3.5 stars for me. Great character work with Padmé and Sabé, and you can tell that Johnston loves the characters. I do wish the plot was a bit more engaging though. The books leans to the uneventful side and lost my attention a few times. Overall, it was a good character piece but not the best of the Padmé trilogy.

I really enjoyed this! I have been systematically reading through all the Star Wars books that have been published, and the quality varies widely, as expected. This was definitely one of the better installments, and I would recommend it to my Star Wars-loving friends.

Not quite as good as Queen’s Shadow yet better than Queen’s Peril, Queen’s Hope rounds off a trilogy that feels very much like it wasn’t really ever planned to be a trilogy. It’s a fun book and, like its predecessors, gives some very welcome insights into the relationships that Padme shares with her handmaidens. But, also like its predecessors, I think it somewhat lacks focus. It often skips over to points of view that are interesting and provide wonderful context for the Star Wars canon as a whole but have little at all to do with the story at hand. I really liked these books, I just wish I had liked them more.

I really enjoyed this book! I went back and reread Queen’s Shadow and Queen’s Peril, and I saw Johnson had just done a great job with keeping her characters consistent, showing growth, and expanding the Star Wars cannon in a way that makes sense and adds depth to the movies and the shows.

Queen’s Shadow takes place at the end of Episode 2, but it doesn’t spend too much time on romance. I appreciated the book’s focus on Padme and Sabe as strong women capable of helping make the galaxy a better place. I also liked Johnston’s theme that while one cannot fix all the problems, it’s still worth it to just take the next step, help the next person, and do the right thing. The specter of Palpatine does hang over the book, undermining the efforts of our heroines, but it does help me to know where the story ends up in Episode 6.

One element I particularly love about Johnston’s style with these books is her flashbacks in italics, giving insight not only to Padme’s past and influences but also shedding light on all the handmaidens. The handmaidens themselves are distinct characters, and I enjoyed seeing what Sabe in particular was up to at this point in the story.

Overall, Johnston has crafted an excellent trilogy highlighting great characters who just don’t get enough screen time in the movies or even the animated shows. I’m so glad to have these books!

A young adult addition to the Star Wars shelf! Overall, a politics story, rather than a Jedi battle-filled book. This is an interesting point-of-view for casual Star Wars fans, but will pull teens toward Padme's (and her handmaiden, Sabe's) story. The story did flesh out some of the events that are only glossed over in the movies. Recommended for libraries serving tweens and teens who want to explore more of the Star Wars Universe.

This book is incredibly successful in what it is building to. Looking back at it, it's less a conclusion and more of a prelude to Padme's life in the Clone Wars show and Ep. III. I don't think folks going into this hoping for everything to feel like the last book in a trilogy will feel fulfillment. Instead, I think if folks go in thinking about this as setting the stage for what comes next in cannon, they might feel more fulfillment. If you wanna feel some Leia feels, this is for you.

The book ends on a hopeful note, despite all this. Again, I don't think folks going into this wanting joy will be happy. I don't think any book that takes up two characters recovering from capture and battle, and in the midst of a war, will be able to tactfully weave a story that leaves readers with joy. I think it did what it needed to to bridge Padmé between AOTC and ROTS. And I think in that, it was successful. We know where all the players are on the table, and most readers know where they're going after this.