Star Wars: Queen's Shadow

by E. K. Johnston

Overview

Written by the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Ahsoka! When Padmé Naberrie, "Queen Amidala" of Naboo, steps down from her position, she is asked by the newly-elected queen to become Naboo's representative in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about taking on the new role, but cannot turn down the request to serve her people. Together with her most loyal handmaidens, Padmé must figure out how to navigate the treacherous waters of politics and forge a new identity beyond the queen's shadow.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368024259
Publisher:	Disney Press
Publication date:	03/05/2019
Series:	Star Wars
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

E.K. Johnston had several jobs and one vocation before she became a published writer. If she's learned anything, it's that things turn out weird sometimes, and there's not a lot you can do about it. Well, that and how to muscle through awkward fanfic because it's about a pairing she likes.

You can follow Kate on Twitter (@ek_johnston) to learn more about Alderaanian political theory than you really need to know, on Tumblr (ekjohnston) if you're just here for the pretty pictures, or online at ekjohnston.ca.

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2019

Gr 6–10—Johnston offers readers a plot-driven science fiction tale chronicling Padmé Amidala Naberrie's transformation from the Queen of Naboo to its representative in the Republic. Set after the events of Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, this title follows Padmé as she takes on her role as Senator while navigating the perilous reality of politics in the glistening cosmopolitan capital of Coruscant. After an attempt is made on her life, she works together with her royal handmaiden, Sabé, to discover the culprit while being thrust into the spotlight during the start of her senatorial duties. Through diplomacy and courage, Padmé forges a new identity as a heroine beyond the queen's shadow. Young adults will find an iconic "Star Wars" novel that follows Padmé's rise within the Galactic Senate. Padmé discovers through wit and cunning that she can grapple with everyday responsibilities while overcoming personal and professional obstacles. Though the ending is a bit too convenient, this volume bridges the characters and elements of the prequels in a well-written adventure that fans of Johnston's previous titles will applaud. VERDICT A fascinating perspective into the backstory of a beloved and well-known character within the "Star Wars" universe, this is a must-have for reluctant readers or for fans of the franchise.—Angelina Bair, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

2019-01-08

A former queen plays politics to guide the galaxy's future in this Star Wars novel.

After four years as Naboo's Queen Amidala, Padmé Amidala Naberrie retires…to become a senator of the galactic Republic. Accompanied by new handmaidens—bodyguards/body doubles—to Coruscant, she tries to fight slavery (and find young Anakin Skywalker), avoid assassination, restore her public image, and retain her idealism. Tasked with reviving a main character from the often critically and popularly reviled prequels, Johnston (That Inevitable Victorian Thing, 2017, etc.) explores the diverse settings, delights in the alien cultures, and even expands the romantic possibilities to include same-sex relationships. Padmé and her handmaidens are assumed white; other humanoids' races are only noted when not white. The various species of Star Wars appear here but only as background characters. Readers without encyclopedic Star Wars knowledge receive name-dropping and cross-referencing rather than character development, while critics of Episodes I through III may still reject this interlude's earnest explanations for the cinematic sources' flaws, which are reproduced here—too much politicking, not enough passion. Padmé is a potent symbol but remains a flat character, restricted by her political role, her ornate, excessively described costuming, and her circumscribed cinematic fate. Sabé, her former but steadfast handmaid, has more depth but regrettably fewer chapters.

Less a bold rebellion, more a boring bureaucracy, albeit with a strong, doomed female protagonist. (Science fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

"A fascinating perspective into the backstory of a beloved and well-known character within the Star Wars universe, this is a must-have for reluctant readers or for fans of the franchise."—School Library Journal

"The Star Wars universe...is all the brighter for a thoughtful and sentimental story about the women of Naboo that never-unlike Chancellor Palpatine-underestimates them."—The Mary Sue

"Nearly 20 years after the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace, we're finally getting a story worthy of Padm and her handmaidens."—The Daily Dot

From the Publisher

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