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I fell a little behind on E. K. Johnston’s trilogy about Padmé and her handmaidens! The trilogy doesn’t seem to have an official name, although I’ve seen THE QUEEN’S HANDS offered up by the author on Twitter, which fits really well!

Looking back on my review for QUEEN’S SHADOW, and taking into account QUEEN’S PERIL, I think what strikes me most about

E. K. Johnston’s books is how they actively do not adhere to any kind of Star Wars book formula. I remember being really surprised by the near-total lack of action in QUEEN’S SHADOW. Not because I need all my books to have action scenes, but just because every single other Star Wars book I’ve read has more than a few.

QUEEN’S PERIL takes place prior to QUEEN’S SHADOW, and we catch up with Padmé just as she’s been elected Queen of Naboo. The book also intersects with THE PHANTOM MENACE in some surprising & extremely delightful ways!

The process of selecting her handmaidens (and even the reason for choosing to do so) is at the heart of this story, and it puts such an interesting spin on these characters. It’s actually Captain Panaka who is primarily responsible for vetting the possible candidates, and we see all these interactions as little vignettes scattered throughout the book.

I think the thing to keep in mind here (and I’m seeing plenty of Goodreads reviews where people are clearly not keeping this in mind) is these are teenage girls. There’s a scene where they all sneak out and go clubbing! Padmé is only fourteen when she becomes queen. And while she’s incredibly poised and mature…she’s fourteen. And so much of this book is an exploration of what it is to be that age, surrounded by a close-knit group of friends/advisers, and you know, be the Queen of a whole actual planet.

Meanwhile our pal Palpatine is there, doing what he does best: scheme. Oh, and he’s also preparing his young apprentice from Dathomir for what’s to come.

I can’t really even explain how much this book fucking delighted me. I think what authors like E. K. Johnston & Daniel José Older & Justina Ireland are doing to make Star Wars books so inclusive is just really important.

QUEEN’S PERIL is a quiet Star Wars novel. Much like QUEEN’S SHADOW, if you are looking for epic space battles and lightsaber duels, you’re gonna have a bad time. While Padmé and her handmaidens are more than capable of handling themselves in some dicey situations, it’s clear that Johnston’s interest is in crafting an incredibly unique & character driven Star Wars trilogy.

This book is honestly a treasure. It’s queer & has some awkwardly swoony romance, and it perfectly captures how even the best of friends can struggle to communicate. The friendship between Padmé and Sabé is the one we focus on most, and it’s really special to finally see how these two met, and to watch their relationship grow from there.

Also, without doing a whole ton of research, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess this is likely the first Star Wars book to feature menstruation as a minor plot point. Padmé and some of the handmaidens all have to contend with their periods at some point, and I just think it’s very cool of E. K. Johnston to include that in the story!

I loved this so much & cannot wait to get into QUEEN’S HOPE!

May the Force be with you!