This was a solid ending to what has been a really interesting dive into a character that has been largely brushed aside in the Star Wars canon. Johnston is a great writer who clearly has a remarkable love for, and impressive knowledge of, the Star Wars world. I did feel at times as if the story was restricted, as if Johnston wanted to go further but was maybe being constrained by the powers that be. There were also times when the story seemed to rely too heavily on references to the previous stories, but again, there's a good chance that wasn't Johnston's call. Still, this was an enjoyable read and a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

Queen’s Hope is het derde deel in de Padmé Amidala Naberrie trilogie van E.K. Johnston. Queen’s Shadow (2019) speelde zich af tussen The Phantom Menace en Attack of the Clones. Queen’s Peril (2020) speelde zich af voor en tijdens The Phantom Menace. Queen’s Hope sluit de trilogie af en speelt zich net na Attack of the Clones af.

Het boek begint net voor het einde van de film, Padmé en Anakin zijn na het gevecht op Geonosis – en de start van de Clone Wars – op Naboo, zogezegd om te herstellen van hun wonden en om te mediteren. Maar wij weten natuurlijk dat ze daar zijn voor hun bruiloft en om eventjes samen te zijn voor ze beiden terug moeten keren naar hun eigen werelden. We vergezellen de twee vlak voor de bruiloft nog even op een missie voor de huidige koningin van Naboo, waarna we de bruiloft meemaken en de twee hun eigen weg zien gaan.

Zoals we van deze boeken verwachten spelen ook de (nieuwe) handmaidens weer een flinke rol, en als ik eerlijk ben draait dit boek meer om Sabé dan om Padmé. We zien hoe het zo’n zes jaar later met de missie van Sabé en Tonra, op Tatooine staat. De twee hebben nog steeds het doel om zo veel mogelijk slaven te bevrijden, en hebben eindelijk een flinke stap gezet naar het bereiken van hun doel. Padmé heeft gedurende het boek een eigen missie waarbij ze als beveiliger undercover gaat aan boord van een transportschip dat door twee Wookiees gerund wordt. Deze missie voelt wat leeg en onnodig aan, al zijn de uiteindelijke consequenties wel van groot belang voor de voortgang van de Clone Wars. De missie van Padmé zorgt dat Sabé voor het eerst sinds lange tijd de rol van Padmé Amidala weer op zich moet nemen, wat haar weer in contact brengt met oude bekenden en haar relatie met Padmé deze keer voorgoed zal veranderen.

Queen’s Hope zet de trend die in de eerste twee boeken in de serie gezet is voort. Johnston is een ster in het uitdiepen van personages en de banden die ze onderling hebben, maar de situaties er omheen zijn hoofdzakelijk bijzaak. Sabé was wat mij betreft al de ster van de eerste twee boeken, en ook deze keer steelt zij weer de show en krijgt haar personage nog meer diepgang. Zelfs tot het punt dat ik het tof zou vinden om meer verhalen – in boeken, comics en/of TV – te zien die compleet om haar draaien, zonder dat ze tweede viool speelt voor Padmé. De op dit moment lopende Darth Vader comic reeks – geschreven door Greg Pak – heeft al een flinke rol voor haar weggelegd, en ik ben erg benieuwd waar dat uiteindelijk heen gaat.

Net als we eerder van Johnston zagen strooit ze ook deze keer weer met kleine details die niet alleen de personages, maar ook de wereld om ze heen realistischer, duidelijker en interessanter maken. Zo leren we eindelijk waarom R2-D2 ineens van Padmé’s assistent naar Anakin’s beste maatje gegaan is, en waarom C-3PO R2’s rol in Padmé’s leven overgenomen heeft. Ook leren we dat C-3PO de complete bruiloft voor de twee gepland heeft! Al is het me nog steeds een raadsel hoe 3PO het huwelijk altijd geheim heeft kunnen houden. Het feit dat er in de wasruimtes aan boord van het Wookiee ruimteschip geen handdoeken aanwezig waren, maar in plaats daarvan full-body-föhns, is een stukje info waar ik nooit echt over nagedacht heb maar wat achteraf helemaal logisch lijkt. Dat zijn van die kleine dingen die dit soort boeken voor mij helemaal de moeite waard maken.

De audio versie is ook deze keer weer door Catherine Taber ingesproken, en sluit perfect aan bij de eerdere twee. Taber’s lezing van Padmé en Sabé is nagenoeg identiek aan haar Clone Wars werk. De overige stemmen zijn weer anders genoeg om ze makkelijk uit elkaar te houden en het leestempo en de dynamiek in de intonaties maken het prettig om naar te luisteren. Met 6 uur en 40 minuten vlieg je weer door het boek heen.

Als je van de eerdere twee boeken in de serie genoten hebt zul je ook van dit boek genieten, konden de eerdere twee je niet bekoren, dan zal deze ook niet anders voor je zijn. Hoewel het als een trilogie beschouwd wordt, zijn het drie op zichzelf staande verhalen die je prima los van elkaar kunt lezen. Al draaien ze zoals gezegd vooral om de persoonlijke ontwikkelingen van de personages, met in het bijzonder Padmé en Sabé. Wil je die ontwikkeling goed volgen is het aan te raden de boeken in publicatievolgorde te lezen.

Met alle drie de boeken achter me kan ik met zekerheid zeggen dat Sabé’s verhaal me het meeste aanspreekt, en ik hoop met recht dat we niet al te lang hoeven te wachten op verdere avonturen met haar en haar nieuwe bondgenoten op Tatooine.

Disclaimer: I can’t tell the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek.

So I just had to text someone last night and be like was there only one R2-D2 or does everyone have an R2-D2? I also found out that Padmé and Anakin and Palpatine are part of the larger Star Wars universe and not just part of this book series.

But I also googled R2-D2, and I’m sure someone has watched a Star Wars movie even if they didn’t pay attention to it, and I’m fairly sure that R2-D2 is the kind of character that you’d cry for if he died.

So this book is probably going to be a lot better for you if you have some idea about Star Wars or have read the first couple of books in this series specifically. That being said, even if don’t know a lot about this, Star Wars has had a large enough impact on pop culture that you’ll have a friend who can walk you through most things.

This was an interesting book regardless. I love the way you see how Sabé gets slightly resentful of what Padmé is asking her to do. I found it so weird that Padmé and Anakin have kept their marriage such a big secret that there’s no reason for them to officially contact each other; I mean I understand but I’d go insane.

But I liked this! I liked this enough to want to watch Star Wars on the weekend. I’m going to start off with Clone Wars because and ease myself into the rest. I loved Sabé at the end and how she said, my hands are yours. Please don’t ask me for the again. That gave me massive feels!

The prequel era, specifically the Clone Wars era, is my favorite. Always has been, always will be. So any books announced in that time frame, I’m already HYPED. And with Queen’s Hope, it happens to be the first of Johnston’s trilogy that falls right in that sweet spot. The previous two books, Queen’s Shadow and Queen’s Peril, take place a couple years after and during TPM, respectively, and focus on the wonderful, radiant, literal queen Padmé Amidala and her gay best friends. We love the handmaidens, and even though I still have a hard time remembering some of them and what they look like, that’s why we have Wookieepedia. The Padmé episodes of The Clone Wars are some of my favorites, and many parts of the book felt like another one of those fun serialized adventures. But the heart of Queen’s Hope is what adds that extra oomph that Clone Wars episodes often could not. And to me, that heart was Sabé. Though she’s more on the periphery of the story, she’s still a major player and has some of the best scenes of the whole book (More on that in the spoilers section).

These Queen’s books have been a shining LGBTQ light in an otherwise starkly straight era, with perhaps even a majority of the characters gay, bi, nonbinary, or otherwise. Sometimes, seeing so much diversity feels out of place, before I remind myself that the reason it feels that way is because it’s treading new ground. Ground that needs to be tread, and hopefully will continue to be as more and more writers get their hands on prequel stories.

Queen’s Hope is a great read that has lots of fun guest stars, some more unexpected than others. The main plot, like the other books in the trilogy, takes a while to get going. There are a few different plot threads that eventually coalesce. If you’ve enjoyed the other entries in the series, you’ll have no problem getting through to the meat of the story. Everything else I have to say is in the spoiler section. So read at your own (queen’s) peril:

SPOILERS AHEAD

I always appreciate Johnston’s attention to costumes, location descriptions, just the visuals in general. It’s very helpful for me as a visual learner. I especially loved all the new places visited. That was one of my reservations about the past two books in the trilogy; most of the action took place on one planet. In this one, I loved that Padmé was able to spend time in the warzone on a new planet, meeting new clones and Jedi. It made it feel even more like an off-shoot episode of The Clone Wars. As you can probably guess, I’ve been starved for more Clone Wars content since the end of Season 7.

There’s a lot in this book. Not only did it close the chapter on Padmé and her relationship with Sabé and her former handmaidens, it also left the door open for many other interesting plot-threads:

With the whole Trade Federation splinter group, it was quite clear from the minute they were introduced that Sidious would be taking them down. So a bit predictable in that way, but not a glaring issue for me. It’s still an interesting idea that can be further explored in another novel or sourcebook or something. I’m also very intrigued by Beru and her ‘White Suns’, and the promise of more slave-freeing on Tatooine and possibly beyond.

I enjoyed seeing Typho and Padmé spend more time together. I was unexpectedly very touched when, after Padmé is nearly killed in front of Typho, they are both immediately of Cordé and how she died. It makes complete sense that they think about her death all the time, and what they could have done differently. And it’s easy to forget how recently that incident was; only a few weeks earlier.

I wish there was at least some talk of Mina Bonteri and her joining of the Separatists. She was pretty prominent in Queen’s Shadow. A nitpicky thing, but the Separatists are my favorite Star Wars faction and they always seem to draw the short straw on content.

There was a fun scene thrown in there with Barriss Offee. Even then, at the outset of the war, she was very much against it and not afraid to tell strangers as much.

The preludes were a great touch, and some of the most memorable passages from the whole book. With the opening prologue featuring Shmi Skywalker, I was expecting Sabé, but it was a fun twist that made me want to read the passage all over again. The passage about Padmé when she was little, helping the people of Shadda-Bi-Boran was a very nice, if sad, touch. And the ending epilogue with Breha Organa was more removed from the main story than I would have liked, but it was still poignant and moving.

The Anakin/Sabé scene was one of the most fun for sure. Her jealousy, Anakin’s obliviousness. And the way it affects Sabé’s ability to play Padmé afterwards, as she worries she doesn’t know her best friend anymore. Dormé is able to make her feel a bit better, but the feeling lingers and rightfully so. Sabé’s and Padmé’s relationship has been the main link tying this trilogy together, and here that relationship came to a close. And it was thoroughly moving. Padmé has changed since wedding Anakin, and in many ways, her secret marriage is the final straw that finally breaks the two women apart. Their last moments together — that entire scene — was very well done. Johnston knows how to get us emotional with those two.

I really enjoyed how uplifting and light the story is overall, though. The themes of war are always heavy, but Johnston did well balancing it all. A very enjoyable read, and a great closing chapter to Johnston’s love-letter to Padmé: I give Queen’s Hope a rating of 9/10.

There is always an ounce of apprehension that goes into beginning the final novel of a trilogy. There is the nagging question of, "Will this book live up to the previous stories?". But E.K Johnston blew every expectation I had out of the water. Not only does this book fill in the gaps of Padme's character, but we get so much more depth to the handmaidens and the other characters around her.
The language is stunning. The way that Johnston incorporates symbolism into her work, while withstanding a strong voice, is utterly incredible. Her words immerse you into the world, giving the reader a unique and meaningful perspective. It was virtually impossible to put the book down once I started. The pacing felt organic and kept me engaged with every word.
I laughed. I cried. I cheered. But most importantly, this book reminded me of the true impact of Padme. Besides her impact of the galaxy, Padme serves as an inspiration for young women everywhere. Johnston reminds us of the compassion, dedication, strength, and grace of Padme through this novel.
Queen's Hope was beyond an honor to read. I will be thinking about Johnston's stories for years to come.

This book is amazing! I loved how it filled in the gap between Episodes II and III and how it highlighted the different journey that Padme takes by marrying Anakin. The prose is terrific, the story exciting, and the cover is divine. Thank you so much for this preview. I can't wait for my paper copy to arrive by mail.!

My review of Queen's Hope for Dork Side of the Force:

The final piece of E.K. Johnston’s Padmé trilogy is finally here, and fans will not be disappointed with the nuance the author brings in Queen’s Hope.

Character studies have been the strongest aspects of each of the Padmé/Queen books – from Queen’s Shadow to Queen’s Peril and now Queen’s Hope. The films and The Clone Wars introduced us to Queen Amidala and Senator Amidala, but Johnston’s books made us fall in love with Padmé.

And along the way, we also fell in love with her handmaidens, the previously unnamed cloaked companions of the queen and the senator who were her shadows, her ears and her hands. That’s especially true for Sabé, the actual queen’s shadow, who donned the elaborate makeup, dresses and headpieces to be the decoy Queen Amidala at key points during Padmé’s reign on Naboo.

Sabé, once again, is the co-star of the story of Queen’s Hope alongside Padmé. We also get updates on Saché and Yané, who are now married and foster children together. And just like in Shadow and Peril, Johnston sprinkles in points of view from other prequel-era characters throughout Queen’s Hope, though a bit more sparingly in this book.

Queen’s Hope is set after the events of Attack of the Clones. So, the book begins after the Battle of Geonosis, which kicked off the Clone Wars, and Padmé and Anakin Skywalker’s admission of love to one another. That’s where we find Padmé, struggling with a massive secret and working to put together her wedding gown for her quickie marriage to Anakin.

The scenes of Padme preparing for her wedding and grappling with the inner turmoil of whether or not to tell her closest friends set the tone for the rest of Queen’s Hope. The book is chiefly about growing up and growing apart, but not losing sight of what and who matter most. It’s also about conflicting loyalties and learning how to find yourself outside the shadow of another who defined much of your young life.

While this book is about Padmé, Sabé takes much of the spotlight. Up until this point, her life has been largely defined by Padmé. Sabé’s love for the queen-turned-senator was unconditional and built on a foundation of hard-won mutual respect and empathy. But now that the two women are in their 20s, they find themselves on different paths.

These deep dives into the intricacies of Padmé’s and Sabé’s psyches and their relationships with others – set against the backdrop of conflict – are the brightest spots in the trilogy. The character development Johnston has done for Padmé is a gift to the Star Wars fandom. Couple that with the character studies of each of her handmaidens, and it’s hard to fathom a world in which we didn’t know about Sabé’s abolitionist efforts on Tatooine or the admirable sacrifices Saché made to protect Naboo during the invasion.

As the conclusion to a trilogy, Queen’s Hope works incredibly well. It gives us even more of that signature Johnston character work we’ve grown to love in the previous two books. Before this trilogy, Padmé’s character was beloved, but the films and TV series didn’t do enough to flesh out why she is the way she is.

Johnston’s novels brought her character to stunning life, making her both real and relatable.

But the drawbacks of Queen’s Hope are similar to the other two novels – the plot is often not strong enough to keep the story going at a steady pace. There are key moments throughout the book that seem to fall flat except for their exposure of more character feelings and motivations. Even the undercover mission Padmé embarks on with Typho feels distracting and like it would be better suited for an episode of The Clone Wars.

And I might be the minority in this one, but I wanted more details about Padmé and Anakin’s weeks on Naboo for their recovery and wedding. Yes, the Clone Wars just erupted, Anakin is about to be Knighted as a Jedi and this is a YA novel. But the transition from the brilliant and bittersweet beginning to the core of the novel – which featured Anakin sparingly and involved some drier political intrigue – felt too abrupt.

Overall, Queen’s Hope provides an excellent ending to the story Queen’s Shadow and Queen’s Peril started. All three books have remained consistent in using the characters and their interrelationships to drive the story forward. We already know how Padmé’s story ends, but Johnston’s trilogy adds nuance and depth to the hope-filled tragedy.

Even before the story of Queen’s Hope begins, Johnston’s dedication set the stage for an emotional, character-driven conclusion to the stories of these extraordinary Star Wars women:

“To all of the queens who are fighting alone,
Baby, you’re not dancin’ on your own…”

Henry Reviews | Star Wars: Queen's Hope
April 6, 2022
Star Wars: Queen’s Hope
Novel by E.K. Johnston
April 2022
Review by Henry Wood


The third book in E.K. Johnston’s Padmé trilogy, Queen’s Hope, is similar to the first two, in both good ways and bad. Also like the first two books, it is as much of a Sabé book, if not more so, as it is a Padmé book, as the trilogy is very much a chronicle of the two women’s relationship as they grow from children into adults. This is where the book truly shines, in its character work.

Johnston’s prose can be dense and dry, but she nails these characters and the dialogue between them. It’s what keeps the reader in the book. This is especially important because, like Johnston’s previous work in Star Wars, the narrative does not truly pick up until about halfway through the novel, when the narrative finally starts to come together.


The book starts right at the end of Attack of the Clones, right before Anakin and Padmé’s wedding. Johnston provides an extra few scenes between the end of the Battle of Geonosis and the wedding, where Anakin and Padmé have to undertake a rescue mission to save some artists from Naboo on a planet that is about to be invaded by Separatists. To be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure what value this scene provides to the narrative. It gives us a good background and does some galactic worldbuilding that gives us an angle on the galaxy we don’t see often. But other than that, it does not feel like it advances the narrative of the story.


While all of this is happening, Sabé and Tonra have returned to Tatooine to restart their mission of freeing the enslaved peoples of Tatooine. This time they go through a longer process to join a local organization that is dedicated to the same task. What they do not know is that the organization is headed by Beru Whitesun (A.K.A. Padmé’s sister in-law, A.K.A. Luke’s Aunt), who has learned from her experience with Shmi Skywalker. Sabé is dedicated to this mission, as any kind and caring person would be. However, while she is still getting settled and she and Tonra are still proving their trustworthiness to this organization, Padmé calls Sabé away.


Sabé is sad to leave, and does not want to, but she feels she is still attached to Padmé the way she was when Padmé was Queen Amidala, so she accepts. Padmé, in turn, wants to tell her friend about Anakin, but chickens out deciding the time is not yet right. Padmé has a mission that she needs to undertake, but her absence from the senate would be noticed, so she needs Sabé to be her double. Sabé would be helped by Senators Bail Organa and Mon Mothma. So Sabé is left on Coruscant to play the role of Amidala, not Padmé, while Padmé goes undercover to investigate a suspicious trading company.


Sabé’s plotline is much more interesting as she is immediately faced with the realization that Padmé is not the person she once knew, and is in for a rude awakening when Anakin, whom Padmé did not tell of her plot, shows up late at night to her residence. Sabé has always been in love with Padmé, but has long since realized it would never happen with the two of them. But discovering that Padmé has found someone, especially not hearing it from Padmé herself, hurts Sabé, and Anakin does not exactly help matters by threatening Sabé and demanding to know where Padmé is.


Sabé, disguised as Padmé, is briefed on the war by Jedi Master Depa Billaba and Padawan Barriss Offee. This scene actually gives a lot of depth to Barriss’ feelings on the Jedi and the war, and provides some much needed seeds for her fall to the Dark Side. Sabé even notes that Barriss seems to need some help, but that Depa Billaba seems to almost ignore it. It shows a lot for a scene that’s little more than a page or two, and showcases what Johnston is best at: character work.


Sabé also has multiple run-ins with Chancellor Palpatine, and while this may be a hot take, I think E.K. Johnston has some of the best canon writing from Darth Sidious’ perspective. We get so few chances to see things from his point of view, especially prequel era Darth Sidious and seeing how he manipulates people and how he views Count Dooku gives us a lot of insight into who he is. He is also forced to react to some unexpected obstacles to his plans.

The main unexpected obstacle is a character named Oje N’deeb, who is a mid level bureaucrat with the Trade Federation. He, unlike many of his fellows, views what the Trade Federation is doing as wrong, and has even gone out of his way to free enslaved peoples in the Outer Rim. He is the one behind the suspicious shipping company that Padmé has been tasked with investigating.



Padmé and Captain Typho have gone undercover to investigate this company by signing up as security guards for a ship called the Namrelllew, run by two wookiees, Naijoh and Rayyne, a husband and wife duo of captains. They are tasked with delivering supplies, including Karlini tea, a tea from the planet Karlinus, in Naboo’s sector, to the planet of Hebekrr Minor. Padmé and Typho deliver the goods to the Republic outpost, as the planet is under Separatist siege. They meet Clone Commander Sticks and his Jedi General Vidal. Padmé wants to see the war up close, so they volunteer to help rescue the Magistrate’s family from Separatist captivity. This brings back memories for Padmé of the Trade Federation’s occupation of Naboo. The book does a decent, but not great job of making this connection, and the emotion of it falls slightly flat.


On the way back to Coruscant, Padmé is proffered by N’deeb, who seeks to take Lott Dod’s seat in the senate. Padmé takes some time to think about it, but eventually accepts. Padmé has to decide whether she wants to work with a Neimoidian, the same species who illegally occupied her planet. The problem with this is that we don’t actually experience Padmé thinking this over for very long, and because of that it’s only ever said explicitly in the text and we never truly feel it. Padmé accepts the deal and relays it back to Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, while Palpatine is in the room, so Sidious learns of the plot. The book does not continue N’deeb’s, though it obviously fails because Lott Dod is still the Trade Federation Senator for the entirety of the Clone Wars, so there is definitely room for a potential fourth book exploring that.


Because of the lack of emotional depth to Padmé’s experiences in her plotline, it feels like it just sort of happens; we never really experience or feel it. However, the opposite is true for Sabé. It is very clear the love that Johnston feels for this character, and I don’t blame her.


Throughout the entire trilogy, Johnston does a very good job of hammering home the theme of Sabé being second best, and it comes to a head in this book when she has to face Anakin. And you feel the final rejection coming, you feel the sorrow and hurt that Sabé is experiencing. You understand why Sabé tells Padmé that she’s done helping her. She returns to Tatooine, to continue working with Tonra. Together, they join the White Suns. Similarly, there is room for another book that covers the White Suns.


The book claims to be about Padmé, but when push comes to shove, the best parts and the most impactful parts all center around Sabé. Sabé is the one who goes through an emotional journey and comes out at the other ending severing her ties with Padmé, even though she still feels an intense loyalty to her (see Darth Vader (2020) by Greg Pak and Rafaelle Ienco). It does not feel like Padmé goes through any type of emotional journey, it feels like she is already the person we see in the Clone Wars.


I want to be clear that while I criticize certain aspects of the book, I did really enjoy the book, and I think that if you liked either of the first two books in this series, you will greatly enjoy Queen’s Hope as well, and while if you did not enjoy those books, you probably won’t like this book much.



Additional Thoughts: Re: Sister

So, there is a scene in the book that introduces Sister, a trans Clone Trooper in the 212th Legion. I wanted to address it but could not find a place where it felt natural, so I’m putting it at the end. I also will not address whether it was done well or not (i.e. good representation) as there are others who are much more qualified than I to do so, but I do want to rationalize why it makes sense within the canon lore why it is possible that there is at least one trans Clone Trooper.


Clone Troopers are all different people, they all have different personalities, we see this throughout the Clone Wars. There is even a line in the season three episode “Clone Cadets” of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where Lama Su says “you know there is no one way to make a clone.” What she is saying is that clones are all different, even biologically, it explains why Echo and Hevy are such different people even though they are both clones who have not seen real combat.


Additionally, we see Clones deviate from their ‘programming’ throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars, such as Cut Laquane or Skip. Even Rex is somewhat successful in resisting the Order 66 programming. What I am trying to say is that Clones are very different people, and therefore it makes perfect sense that a trans Clone Trooper exists.


Sister is real. She is valid. She is Canon.

Queen’s Hope is the conclusion to the trilogy around Padme Amadala. This book centers around the Clone Wars era and is a perfect supplement to other Star Wars cannon. It richly builds on relationships previously established in the trilogy.

The complex relationship between Padme and her handmaidens is really explored and the struggle that some have with identity vs. duty is very well done. I wish there would have been more scenes with Padme and Anakin, given they just got married in the beginning of the book. But they spend most of the book separately pulled away by their own missions and duties, unfortunately. Along these lines, this book did feel a bit choppy and jumped between various characters a lot, which made it lack cohesion without a main focus on Padme in my opinion.

The pacing was fast-paced and the atmosphere was absolutely incredible! It is obvious that E.K . Johnston loves and understands the Star Wars universe and I don’t think that these books could have been written better by anyone else. I hope there is more Star Wars from her in the future.

Thank you to Disney Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Star Wars: Queen’s Hope is the third in E.K. Johnson’s series focused on Padme Amidala. Johnson developed layered characters in Padme and her handmaidens over the series. Each of the titles provides Padme space to develop dialog worthy of a Queen. Queen’s Hope begins at the end of Attack of the Clones and covers the time period at the start of the Clone Wars. Johnson’s work has provided significant additions to characters limited in Lucas’ movies. Star Wars: Queen’s Hope is an essential read for fans of Padme and those that want deeper characters than in the movie scripts.

Johnson treats readers to diverse characters, many of which had little development in visual Star Wars media. Sabe and Pame both struggle with their own identity while trying to make a difference in the world. The themes of identity are echoed through the diverse representation of people, species, and droids. Johnson imbues each of her characters with care and humanity.

As someone familiar with Star Wars canon, Johnson fills the book with small nods and an awareness of the greater mythos. Fortunately, Johnson never loses sight of the emotional and narrative core of the series. Padme and Sabe’s emotional and character growth in Queen’s Hope and across the series is what their characters deserved. While fans know how Padme’s story ends, E.K. Johnson’s work gave life to the character. Sabe has already made appearances in the Darth Vader comic series, but Johnson creates a launching point for future adventures during the Empire’s reign.

The third and final book in E.K Johnston's Queen trilogy is, after quite a sizable delay, finally here and fans of the first two books will not be disappointed. Set mostly just after the events of Attack of the Clones this book tells the story of Padmè, a now more settled and established galactic senator, as she comes to terms with being a pacifist in the face of a burgeoning war and her secret marriage to Anakin Skywalker. Meanwhile former handmaiden Sabè is back on Tatooine, clandestinely trying to undermine the oppressive slave trade by integrating herself in the local community and building trust with the anti-slavery factions.

In the acknowledgements for Queen's Shadow Johnston conveys her excitement that this story is finally being told and that she is the one to write it. The story I feel she is referring to isn't a story of Sith Lords and Jedi Knights nor one of bounty hunters and crime lords. It's the see story of who Padmè is and how she went from being the girl queen that unseated a Galactic Chancellor to the senator that acts as one of the few beacons of hope during a time of war. It's all about character and Queen's Hope is the well earned culmination of the previous two books stellar character development. Padmè always deserved better than what she got from the movies. Her character was thin at best, a caricature of a love interest in Anakin's story. Her characterisation was inconsistent - a fierce protector of life marries a man shortly after he massacres an entire village of mostly innocents - and while The Clone Wars tried to broaden her character and fill in the gaps these books truly suceed in making Padmè a real and compelling character.

Queen's Hope is ultimately about growing up and accepting that change is a part of life. Sabè's role in this story is to highlight exactly that. For over ten years she has been Padmè's hands and her role as liberator, originally given to her by her queen years before, has made her value direct action and filled her life with so much direct light (two sun's worth in fact!) that she's finding it increasingly difficult to be someone else's shadow. The liberator has become the liberated. This is the central throughline of the narrative and it builds to a satisying and heartbreaking emotional climax that couldn't have been achieved without the previous two books. As a trilogy it works. As a standalone book it acts as its biggest negative. As stated previously the character work is excellent but the actual driving plot is incredibly weak. Whereas Peril took pleasure in the story of young girls building something strong and meaningful, whilst ultimately still being young teenage girls and everything that comes with that, and Shadow gave an insight into Padmè's transition to Senator and the murky world of Coruscanti politics, the narrative here serves merely to put people where they need to be for the character beats to hit. It's a criticism that was unfairly levelled at Johnston's "Ahsoka" but I'd argue that book was underrated in it's depiction of Imperial domestic oppression. Here unfortunately it's true and there's a section of this book, where Padmè and Typho go undercover on a ship captained by Wookies, that really slowed things down and detracted from the point of the story. Luckily the parallel Sabè story at that point was one of the strongest parts of the book or I would have struggled to make it through.

Anakin is used sparingly and effectively. Johnston has wonderfully captured his voice and the scenes between the two newly weds feel like an epilogue to Attack of the Clones in the best way. The Anakin we have here is definitely that of the movies and not the Anakin of The Clone Wars. You can picture Hayden Christensen and hear his particular drawl. Prequel fans and Anakin and Padmè shippers will be in absolute heaven with this book.

Negatives aside it's nice to spend time with these characters and and the book works best when it feels like a slice of life. A look behind the curtain on these galaxy shaping characters inbetween the tentpole events that define them.

Queen's Hope is the third young adult book about Padmé Amidala in as many years, and if it was up to me E.K. Johnston would keep going for the foreseeable future. She may be quickly approaching the end of Padmé's life, but she's created such an interesting supporting cast in Sabé--who's really more of a co-lead at this point--and the other handmaidens, senators and freedom fighters in her orbit that I would be just as happy to follow them in one configuration or another past Revenge of the Sith and into the later years of the Empire.

I'll admit to finding Johnston's first Star Wars book, Ahsoka, underwhelming--there's something about Johnston's action scenes that always feels understated by Star Wars standards, and for a Force-powered protagonist like Ahsoka that was enough to drag down the parts of the book I liked more. In Padmé, though, I think Johnston's found a perfect match to her strengths; there are still moments of fighting and mortal peril and all that, but in a way that's almost unique among Star Wars content, they're the seasoning rather than the main course.

While she’s always willing to shoot a guy, Padmé is first and foremost a politician, and a young woman, and I find it very refreshing that this series has been given the freedom to focus on what Johnston does best--the interpersonal evolutions and upheavals of a group of close friends during a time of extreme political change--rather than try to stretch Padmé’s life to fit all four corners of a mainstream Star Wars story. That may or may not limit their audience compared to the other books (given how quickly we got these two follow-ups to Queen's Shadow I suspect not) but with literally hundreds of Star Wars books in print I think the best possible thing the line can do to stay fresh is branch out. Star Wars has proven to be an excellent sheen on all sorts of genres and the less the books try to mimic the feeling of the movies, the more exciting I tend to find them.

With that said, Queen's Hope in particular distinguishes itself mostly in its promise for future storytelling--the outbreak of the Clone Wars triggers a new phase of both Padmé and Sabé's lives, in a similar way to how Queen's Shadow documented Padmé's transition from queen to senator, and while the book was a fun and breezy read it felt less like the conclusion of a trilogy and more like the beginning of a new story, one that could easily unfold in the background of what we've already seen without bumping up against it. It's satisfying enough as the last book in a trilogy, if indeed that's what it turns out to be, but I expect my lasting impression in that case will be disappointment at all the things we have yet to see, with or without Padmé as the star.

My coverage on Eleven-ThirtyEight will go live tomorrow, and expand further on the potential for this series to continue beyond three books.

As the war begins, Padmé is torn between her duty, her ideals, her friends, her secrets, and her heart.

E. K. Johnston finishes out her Padmé trilogy with some of her happiest days and some of her saddest. This bittersweet finale aches for most of us who know where all this ends…

Johnston gifts us with a beautiful Padmé sendoff. Along with Queen’s Shadow and Queen’s Peril, this book takes from everything we know of Padmé and fills in the world. Her confidants, allies, enemies, and ideals. It brings the story full circle to lead into the days we will soon see her in as The Clone Wars rages on. The book is definitely the saddest in Johnston’s trilogy but not in the way one might expect. For one of the most important underserved characters in Star Wars, these books are everything.

This is a must-read for Padmé fans who are ready to dive into her world and see all of the things we never got on screen.

Sal P.

“You’re going to have to start looking at the big picture in this war, Padmé. There are going to be losses.”

“And I will fight every one.”

Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala

Star Wars: Queens Hope by E.K Johnston
“She will be our queen,” they said. “She has given us her heart and the very air she breathes.”
~~~~~
💥💥💥💥: Four blaster shots
Another amazing book about Padmé and this went in depth about Sabé. I love when the handmaidens are involved in the stories. We don’t see them much so it’s a nice refresher. Absolutely adored the plot, brought back amazing memories with the characters. Padmé has always been a badass in the Star Wars franchise, and this book and all the other ones by Johnston; just gives another example to that. If you are a Star Wars freak you gotta put this book on your list. Thank you, E.K Johnston, Disney Publishing, and Netgalley for the Digital ARC.

Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker are married! How does a former Queen turned Senator deal with such intense life changes – especially when they come at the onset of a brand new war? Read my review of Queen’s Hope!


One of the inevitable victims of COVID delays, Queen’s Hope, the final young adult novel in the “Queen” trilogy finally hits store shelves. The first two books tackled somewhat unexplored times in the canon: first, Queen’s Shadow covered the years between Naboo and Geonosis as the young Padmé Amidala transitioned from Queen of Naboo into the Senator of Naboo. Second, Queen’s Peril went back in time, covering Padmé’s ascension to the throne into the invasion of Naboo. I thought that both of these timelines opened up new avenues for stories of untold parts of Padmé’s life, giving us a chance to take a unique look into her character. Unfortunately, neither of the books landed with me very well.

At first glance, you’d think that Queen’s Hope had too much going against it. For one, as I said before, the first two books were in somewhat unique and new spots in the timeline. This novel takes place in the incredibly explored Clone War. Second, the first two novels did not work too well for me, so I was worried that the third would not land very well, either. Thankfully, neither of these turned into problems like I had anxiously expected them to. Instead, the book left me with contradictory feelings on a lot of aspects, but ended up as a mostly enjoyable read.

Let’s see if we can work through these contradictions.

Queen's Hope Full CoverFirst, everything that I was worried about not working with regards to the timeline didn’t come to pass. Instead, the timeline worked in bringing out some new elements of the story. Taking place in the literal opening days of the Clone War, we see Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala wondering what life looks like now as a married couple. Having a few days, the two think that they will be able to spend some romantic time together. Instead, they are pulled straight into a rescue mission, and later into their respective battle grounds dealing with the War. This thankfully gives us a few pages to see what these two look like as lovers instead of fighters. Bringing in Anakin should have been a great chance to see a new angle on Padmé, and for the most part, we do see her differently. She is the only one who can handle the brash young man, and the only one whom he listens to when she gently suggests ways that he can change.

Second, though, I’m not sure the timing of the story was used to its fullest extent. I do wish looking into the early days of their relationship had gone a little farther, though. While I enjoyed the chance to see what these two look like on a mission together, especially rescuing people that don’t share their ideologies, this was ground that has been covered a lot. Quite a few episodes of The Clone Wars introduce adventures for the couple, on or off the battlefield, and this book mostly adds to the number rather than introducing new elements or new twists to their dynamic. The adventures almost feel like they were put in by necessity rather than desire, leaving them feeling a bit emptier and like they were taking away from the real meat of the story: their relationship. Key events of Attack of the Clones are left unremarked on, or only faintly discussed, but are quickly dismissed as the book moves on.

Third, I felt like the plot was tighter as a whole, even though it didn’t spend as much time as maybe I would have liked to on certain events or characters. The past two books simply had too many characters for me to keep up with and invest in fully, whereas this book trims that down to about two major stories and a few places where we check in with other characters. I felt like this helped me invest more in the characters whom we focused on (Padmé, Anakin, and Sabé), but it did come at the expense of other characters. Some were given a few pages, but these pages felt more like a cursory check-in rather than conclusions to the stories developed in the first two books. Maybe the rest of the handmaidens could have been pulled more fully into the main plot, giving them more space to grow rather than working from the sideline. The handmaidens felt like they were part and parcel the heart of the first two books (“We are brave, your highness” taking on whole new layers and dimensions of meaning after the books!), so their exclusion from the majority of the plot felt like an unwelcome change in the final stretch. The book is extremely short: I felt like the page count could have been increased without hampering much of the plotting of the book if it meant bringing in a few more people.

Fourth, I found that the interludes (both explicit and implicit) were a bit distracting from the tighter plot, and felt those pages could have served the main story better. As in the previous books, we do have interludes that bounce us around time and space to look at different women in the galaxy. Since these are short, I felt like they were good reads and I liked seeing the focus on one character in general. I do wish it was used to more immediate use in the main plot of the story simply because of how nice it was. (I wish I could say more – this is worth reading in the book.) The previous book skipped around to too many people and too many perspectives. There are also some elements in the main plot that felt like they could have been expanded on in the interludes but were not. Instead, characters and events are introduced in the main plot in a way that feels like an interlude, under serving some really interesting people and characters.

Fifth, for as much as the plot had been tightened, but still felt a bit under served at times, I was surprised to read a book that felt like….set up for a full trilogy. Without giving away main elements of the plot, I finished the book feeling like this was the first of a Clone Wars era Padmé trilogy, not the finale of a Padmé trilogy. So many stories and character elements were introduced toward the end that were actually pretty interesting and engaging, only to be cut short in the short page count. This makes me wonder if we’ll see more Padmé YA novels as time goes on, or if these stories were introduced to be picked up in other mediums?

In the end, Johnston’s third installment in the Padmé trilogy offers a nice look into the early married life of Anakin and Padmé, tightening the plot (at the expense of some characters), but leaving too much on the table without much hope to see some of the plot threads followed up on.

E.K. Johnston has written a beautiful final instalment to her already fantastic Padmé Amidala trilogy. Unlike other Star Wars storytelling, Queen's Hope focuses less on the fanfare and grandeur of the Clone Wars opting instead to simply follow the day to day life of one of the pivotal players at the centre of it. In a quickly changing galaxy, and as her role in it continues to shift, Padmé must reconcile her identities as Queen, Senator, and now as a wife. We find her longing for the past and relationships that once existed while looking brightly towards the future and the new relationships it holds. This novel is both heartbreaking and uplifting and is a story about accepting change and moving forward.

Queen's Hope is also a novel about the subtle power of women. Women who in their day to day lives choose to fight for the light and justice in every action they undertake. In a franchise dominated by classic male action heroes, Johnston has given us some much needed development of female characters who were previously overlooked. This novel celebrates women and the impact they can have in the world they live in if they choose to be brave.

At its core, Queen's Hope is about the importance of choice. The choice to forgive, the choice to be who one is authentically, and the choice to use one's power, wherever one finds themselves to make the galaxy a brighter place for all beings.

Thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwide/Del Rey for the electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my review. As usual this review is spoiler-free.

Padmé Amidala is front and center once again in the finale of E.K. Johnston’s trilogy, Queen’s Hope. The narrative jumping off point is Padmé and Anakin’s marriage on Naboo (where that infamous meme was born) and revolves around how life has changed for everyone, including her cadre of handmaidens, as the galaxy enters the Clone Wars. Now a Republic Senator and wife, Padmé must balance her professional responsibilities with her relationships, both romantic and otherwise. As the galaxy heads towards certain change, Padmé must make some tough decisions regarding what and who is most important in her life.

Admittedly, E.K. Johnston’s Padmé novels, while conceptually cool, have not struck a chord with me as a reader. I live by the motto that all Star Wars is good Star Wars, and while I believe these books deserve a place in canon, I’m ok with them not being for me. Knowing this I went into Queen’s Hope giving it a fair chance, and I was excited knowing that her relationship with Anakin was as part of the storyline. While Padmé and Anakin’s relationship is the strongest narrative thread in the novel, it’s not front and center enough to have kept me interested for 300+ pages. I think my main critique of Queen’s Hope is that there isn’t one narrative thread that ties the whole novel together. Johnston is wrapping up story threads with characters introduced in previous novels, so if you’ve been a fan of Sabé, Eirtaé, Saché, Yané (plus a few new ones), there is plenty to keep you entertained.

I’m all for stories about and revolving around strong young women, but the group of handmaidens that have been featured for three novels are simply too indistinct from each other for me to truly care about them. Johnston has done a fine job of giving them each their own personalities, passions, and plotlines but I think the fact that their main jobs have been to be Padmé clones (plus those names are just too darn similar!) creates a barrier that’s too hard to overcome to enjoy for multiple books.

An element which I thoroughly enjoyed were the themes of change and choice that Johnston wove throughout Queen’s Hope. Setting the novel after the events on Geonosis and at the start of the Clone Wars definitely raises the stakes in terms of how this group of characters choose to live the rest of their lives. How will the handmaiden’s relationships with Padmé change now that she’s a senator and a wife? As they each find their place in the galaxy and begin stepping into adulthood, they must choose between other loves in their lives be it occupational or relational. Johnston does a great job of showing how these changes and choices are hard but necessary, and it’s heartbreaking to know that the events of Padmé’s future definitely do not include these women anymore.

Queen’s Hope occupies a unique place in Star Wars canon, wrapping up the story of how a group of young women made a big impact on the galaxy and no matter what their futures hold, they’ll always have love for each other. The fact that a Star Wars story like this even exists is reason enough to check it our for yourself.

Queen’s Hope is a satisfying conclusion to the surprising Padmé trilogy I didn’t know I needed. While smaller in scale galactically, the events in the novel play out life-altering changes for our favorite senator and her friends. If you’re a fan of The Clone Wars era, this one's for you. E.K. Johnston has changed the way I read and watch Star Wars for the better, and I’m very happy she was able to provide some closure for this chapter of these characters’ lives.

I LOVED IT. A NEW COMFORT BOOK. I HAVE TEARS IN MY EYES. THIS WAS EVERYTHING. I CAN’T. MY HEART. I CAN’T STOP CRYING.

And now for a calm review:

This is by far my favorite of the Padmé novels. I could not put this book down. I never wanted it to end. I was consumed by this story the moment I opened the book. This book is set exactly during the time I always wished we had information for of Padmé. In Queen’s Hope, we are following Padmé as she adjusts to life as a Senator and a newlywed at the beginning of The Clone Wars.

Queen’s Hope had a perfect balance between Padmé’s life as Senator Amidala and her personal life of relations with the handmaidens and Anakin. This point in time defined the moment that Padmé realized her life will never be like it was. With a war raging on and her marriage to Anakin, she begins to figure out how to be a Senator during a time of unrest and keep the happiest part of her life a secret.

E.K. Johnston beautifully gave us scenes of Anidala before and after their wedding, with a little adventure in between it all. I can’t get enough of the moments given to us of Padmé and Anakin in their thoughts before the wedding. Their time at the lake house post the wedding was pure joy reading. It was everything to see Anidala in a moment of peace and nothing, but their love. The quote from ROTS: “Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo. So long ago when there was nothing but our love. No politics, no plotting, no war.” that Padmé said to Anakin now has so much more meaning. The last chapter is pure peak comfort and I will never stop thanking E.K. Johnston for that wonderful Amidala moment.

Padmé’s relationship to her former handmaidens is portrayed so wonderful in Queen’s Hope. Padmé and Sabé’s goodbye had me in tears. It was a beautifully done scene. I loved watching Sabé coming to realize that her time dedicated to Padmé has officially come to an end. Her finding herself and new life on Tatooine is beautiful.

I can’t express enough in words how well E.K. Johnston understands Padmé as a character. She had given us extensions and fillers to parts of Padmé’s life that help increase my love for her so much.

I first wanted to thank Net Galley/ Disney Publishing Worldwide for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance!

Queens Hope is an amazing conclusion to the Padmè trilogy. EK Johnston did an amazing job tying together Queens Peril, Queens Shadow, the Clone Wars TV show and the Prequel Trilogy. This book especially does a great job building the relationships between Padmè, Anakin and her handmaidens. EK Johnston once again does an incredible job at characterizing all of Padmè's handmaidens. Sabè goes on a self-discovering emotional journey as she represents Padme's past life as queen, Sachè represents Padmè's political ideals and helps build back naboo, and Eirtaè represents Padmè's life prior to being queen. Queen Hope also does an exceptional job representing the LGBTQ+ community, by creating LGBTQ+ characters in this book. I would recommend this book to any fan of Padmè Amidala. This is one of my favorite books that Disney Publishing has released!