Queen's Peril by E. K. Johnston
Queen's Peril, written by E. K. Johnston
Wow and wow!! I cannot believe we now have such a treasure in Star Wars canon. In a time when the world isn't making any sense and when everything around me brings tears to my eyes, this has been the absolute perfect way out of the drowning despair. Queen's Peril is everything I could have ever asked for in a Star Wars book and I cannot say that enough!
The first ~65% of the book is pre-Phantom Menace, complete with angry Maul, plotting Sidious, worried Shmi, and the birth of an incredibly intelligent and brave friend group in Padme and her handmaidens. Then the next ~35% of the book transitions straight into The Phantom Menace!!!! And we see everything happen through the eyes of the handmaidens...it is in a word, brilliant! I absolutely adore this movie and so getting some backstory, along with a From A Certain Point of View style take on during the movie was simply mind-blowing! I never could have expected this and am just so insanely delighted by this gift we have received!
The Prologue gives us a bit of information about Padme pre-queen and shows us the moment when she was told she won the election. I love the following quote from the narrative about her ambitions and motivations: "It wasn't enough to settle for her parents' dreams. She wanted to know that she had gone as high as she could, done as much as she was able. And for a girl on Naboo, that meant being elected queen."
Turns out that much like her daughter Leia's adoptive father would later do, Padme's father had taken her along with him on relief missions to other planets when she was little. This had spurred her on to want to make positive change in the world.
And then of course there's the quintessential Padme art of defense, "Her appearance was her first line of defense, and she planned to muster it as deliberately as possible." Such a cool take on appearance and the power it can hold as a leader!
The Epilogue is a mirror of the Prologue, but about her daughter, Leia. The mirroring is deftly done and you can see how daughter, unbeknownst to her, got a lot of personality from her bold, strong, and independent mama.
A great quote from Padme's mother reveals just how bold, strong, and independent she was at even a young age, "Padme was a force to be reckoned with. [...] To have that potential tapped so early in Padme's life was a gift, and Jobal knew her daughter wouldn't squander it." She most certainly wouldn't!
Palpatine plays a fairly significant side role in this novel as he is actively coming up with difficult and polarizing trade regulations and bills to throw off and anger the Nemoidians into action, making it all the easier for his Sidious persona to push the Nemoidians into doing exactly what he wishes. "He'd added enough matters of substance that the Trade Federation wouldn't be able to swallow to ensure that their allies would vote it down. But it would be another step closer. And he had the next three bills written, in any case." The narrative goes on to reveal his intentions that we all know lay beneath the surface, "Soon enough, he would step into the spotlight and his colleagues would see that blandness drop away, but that would also be an act. No one ever saw his true face, the pure anger that burned in him. But they might, someday." There's also the plotting and scheming in regards to working through his grand plan, "He needed agents who could act independently, but it wasn't time for them yet. There were too many pieces, too many outcomes, to let someone who could think for themselves start messing around." Toward the end of the novel, we get in on his grand vision a bit more, "There was an office that would suit nicely, of course. It was a few floors up, and Palpatine had had his eye on it for a while." Ahhh!! I love this so freaking much, getting to see Palpatine formulate his plan for domination early on in the Skywalker Saga's story is simply wonderful.
As mentioned, we also see Palpatine as Sidious, carrying out his evil plans, "it was far more his style to bring darkness into places where people thought they were beyond its reach. He found the weak point, the cracks where the light got out, and shoved the darkness in. He played a long game, a smart game, and unfortunately, from time to time, that meant dealing with people who failed to understand the grand scope of his vision." I mean it was certainly a complicated and twisted vision, you would definitely need to have some foresight to be able to see how the plans could come to fruition. It is SO interesting reading scenes in which he's Sidious speaking to the Nemoidians and they are railing on about the "Naboo senator" and how he's making things difficult!! Crazy they have no idea that they are the same person! Nute Gunray whines, "'And then that Senator from Naboo insisted on the bypass amendment, and it cost us the entire Delcontrian faction.'" Ha!
As I referenced earlier, we also get a good deal of Maul!!! Which is always awesome. "The apprentice sat in the dark, waiting for his master's call. He'd lingered in the shadows for years now, ever since he had been chosen, and it was starting to grate on his nerves. He knew that was intentional. It made him angry to wait, to be pushed to the side while his master manipulated the galaxy without him. It made him feel unwanted, and worse: unneeded. And, of course, that made him angry, too. Maul had mastered anger a long time ago. He'd wrestled with it in the deep caves of Dathomir as a child, and he'd wrestled so loudly that it had drawn his master's attention. Most would have let the anger burn them up. Most would have flared out in glorious rage, taking untold numbers with them in to the blackness of the void, but not Maul. Maul was made for better things, and his anger was his fuel." I so did not expect a treatise on Maul's feelings and emotions before his big reveal in the movie. To see what motivates and fuels him while he's still under the thumb of Palpatine is fascinating.
As he gears up for the "Duel of the Fates" battle, Maul actively seeks out a battleground of his choosing, artfully noticing the details of his surroundings to create the perfect scenario to knock Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon off balance: "He knew he had a fight coming up; his blood sang with readiness for it. And he was determined to choose the battleground himself. […] What did matter to him was the series of corridors that led from the hangar down to the power generation facilities. There were two Jedi, which meant they had the advantage of attacking him from multiple directions at the same time. He wanted a way to remove some of those directions, and the maze of catwalks and unguarded pathways in the generator area was perfect for that. He would always know where they were coming from. At the back of the facility was a series of force fields that opened and shut on a timer. This place would be his ultimate goal. He had a good chance of separating them if he engaged them here, and he was certain he could handle them long enough to lure them all the way down. […] The room on the other side wasn't perfect for a duel--no room with a hole in the floor that large was ever perfect." That last bit even throws a bit of humor into the situation as we all know holes in the floor during battles in Star Wars are always bad news...
I love the consistent theme of using dress and appearance as weapons! It's such a neat way to take the apparent traditional femininity of Padme's queenliness and turn it on its head. "On the campaign trail, she had always been heavily made up, her face painted with cosmetics that reminded people of the weight of her promises." "she might have been three meters tall for how she carried herself." "She looked absolutely splendid in that dress, like a red-gold comet that was going to go exactly where it wanted." In regards to the handmaidens once they all get together and get to know each other a bit, "Each girl had chosen something that would make them seem completely harmless, yet would also allow them to have additional functions without causing anyone to look twice. Their skills could be brought into play without anyone being the wiser." On a tour of the agricultural provinces, "Eirtae strapped [Padme] into whatever royal regalia Yane declared was particularly important to the region they were passing through." In addition, we get to see the actual planning and creation of several queen's dresses that are modifications of previous traditional gowns but with lighter fabric and more protection. The whole process is simply fascinating.
Very interestingly, background is given on the circumstances Padme is stepping into in regards to Naboo politics, "Queen Sanandrassa had focused on Naboo politics to the extreme of ignoring the rest of the sector, which made the other planets uncomfortable." Padme says, "That's why I wanted to be queen, really. To show that Naboo can be strong in its own traditions and a part of the galactic community." This background is further fleshed out as Padme holds a summit for all the planets of the Chommel sector to discuss their interactions and potential partnerships in regards to trade. She is beautifully successful in her mission and Palpatine is left to think that he will never underestimate Padme again. For more information on the various Chommel sector planets as well as their relationships with Naboo, check out the Trivia section below.
Apparently, Qui-Gon made Obi-Wan read through all the various taxation bills in preparation for something that might happen. Looks like Qui-Gon was right on the money! In the midst of this little side bit about Obi-Wan's Padawan tutelage, we learn that, "Jocasta was friendly to Qui-Gon and didn't seem to mind his odd requests even though she bucked when anyone else asked for her assistance." This absolutely made me laugh out loud!! Even though we learn she's quite the bada** in the 2nd "Darth Vader" comic series, I still always see her as the stuck up, strict, and haughty librarian from Attack of the Clones. But it also makes sense in regards to Qui-Gon since his master, Dooku, required him to spend quite a bit of time scouring the Jedi library. Later in this section, Qui-Gon references Obi-Wan "'kick-start[ing] unlikely romance with the local nobility.'" I'm wondering if he's referring to Satine?!? I want to know that story SO badly!
Even Shmi and Ani's time before the events of the movie are covered! *LOVE* We see Anakin participating in a podrace and crashing his pod for the umpteenth time with Shmi nervously and anxiously looking on, hoping nothing truly bad has happened to her son. She lets him compete in such a dangerous sport because, "He loved it so much, and he had so few things to love." Shmi is such an incredibly kind and compassionate mama. I do love her so.
Mace Windu and Yoda also get a scene!! "Yoda took another moment to not reply. If he waited long enough, they almost always figured it out on their own. It was his favorite method of teaching." Haha!! I love how deeply characteristic of Yoda this is! It's something we see in a number of different mediums including Dooku: Jedi Lost where he flat out ignores Dooku moments after accepting him as his Padawan.
I find it very interesting that Sache and Yane can't stand to be with each other at first! This aversion is never really explained and they do grow on each other...to the point that in Queen's Shadow (which takes place as Padme takes on the role of senator) they are even a couple!
As the book transitions to during The Phantom Menace, we first get a prelude to the movie in the Trade Federation offering a ridiculously overbearing treaty to the Naboo, which Padme, of course, will not sign. Padme contacts Palpatine and he's coy as ever, "I was afraid something like this would happen. But never in my wildest dreams did I think it actually would! Your Highness, the Trade Federation is behind a conspiracy in the Senate to shift the tax on trade routes, and Naboo is right in the middle of their proposed operation." Uh-huh...you sly dog.
And we get Jar Jar's take on all the craziness he undergoes as soon as he meets the Jedi as well as right before their encounter, "The accident was definitely his fault. Usually the mayhem he caused was more a case of inadvertent bad luck, but this time he had really messed up. Forced to leave Otoh Gunga and too afraid to stay in the deep water by himself, Jar Jar made what he thought was a pretty clever move. He'd gone up to the surface. He'd scrabble out a living there, he decided, until Boss Nass's temper had cooled, and then he'd try going back. It was nothing a little time wouldn't fix. He'd just stay out of the way for a while. He was not expecting his first week in above-water Naboo to include a fleet of ships descending to the planet's surface." Poor guy!! And I love this bit!!, "He'd heard stories about how uncivilized the Naboo were all his life, but the buildings he saw indicated that they must be at least reasonably intelligent." It really shows how distant and separated the two species of Naboo are. It's a miracle the Gungans agreed to help the Naboo at all!! Then we get, "The Jedi leapt down to attack the droids, and Jar Jar Binks followed them, straight into the arms of his destiny." Awwww!!!! So freaking sweet.
Much of the rest of the book is from the points of view of Sache and Yane as they remain on Naboo while Padme and the Jedi head off to Coruscant to incite the Senate into action. The two handmaidens grow very close throughout their ordeal in the internment camp and we indirectly see the torture that Sache endures at the hands of the battle droids that is referenced in Queen's Shadow.
There are very brief cut scenes of Anakin that make my heart giddy with love and joy. Including, "On a dusty world with two bright suns, a little boy looked up from his work and saw an angel." and "Anakin Skywalker liked flying." Just little short tidbits that show his very young point of view of events and it's all so innocent and sweet. *sigh*
As Padme is dealing with the realities of Tatooine, she thinks (in a manner very appropriate to current events), "She'd always known the galaxy was a complicated place, but seeing it, smelling it, living it made her understand how foolish and privileged she had been. She had her own problems right now, and they were massive--much bigger than herself. She couldn't afford to be distracted by a planet that wasn't even her own. And yet, her heart ached for this good woman and for her selfless son. and she knew that it always would." And we see this desire to help Shmi grow into action in Queen's Shadow as she goes looking for the woman to free her. As for the quote, it really is amazing what getting out and immersing yourself in the realities of the world can do to a person. It can be extremely scary and anxiety-causing but allows you to gain empathy with your fellow people.
When Bibble says over the holoprojector, "The death toll is catastrophic," it turns out that "toll" is a code word amongst the handmaidens that means everything is okay! No wonder Padme didn't budge one bit.
A wonderful, and slightly funny because of the implications, bit of foreshadowing is, Sabe telling Anakin her name and then her thinking, "There was no reason to keep it a secret. He would leave and she would probably never hear of him again."...yeah...
That's all I want to cover from the main thrust of the novel. Needless to say, there is so much more in this book and everything combined elevates it to a place of must-read!
Next, I'd like to break down the interludes that detail how each of the handmaidens first came into contact with Panaka during his recruitment and provide some information on each of the handmaidens in turn. In regards to their name changes, Rabe makes a fantastically intelligent and super funny (from a fan standpoint) remark, "I guarantee you that most people will hear that many ehs in a row and literally never be able to remember how many of us there are, let alone who is who." Haha!
Strength - Sabe (Tsabin)
Attended the Theed Conservatory as a hallikset player. No matter how hard she tried, she was always second best. She had started to become comfortable with this and knew it would be beneficial if she were to be handmaiden to the queen.
Cunning - Rabe (Rabene Tonsort)
Attended a prestigious school and focused on art in a variety of media, but had a side business selling forgeries of famous works to off-worlders. She takes on the job of wardrobe mistress a.k.a. intelligence officer.
Distraction - Eirtae (Eirtama Ballory)
Attended a theatre workshop where she preferred set design over being on stage. She built a hoverpod for the performance of a notable opera and despite reminding the director multiple times that it could only hold so much weight, was ignored and the hoverpod all but exploded. Regardless, her talents as a scientist and engineer are very clear. She takes on the job of communications, responsible for tech.
Bravery - Yane (Suyan Higin)
A talented seamstress and maker, she weaves blankets for charity in the marketplace before becoming a handmaiden. She takes on the job of "liaising with the palace staff and droids."
Determination - Sache (Sashah Adova)
Attended the same theatre workshop as Eirtae and is so small and unnoticeable that she gets overlooked for a part in the cast and the crew. She takes on the job of page, and as the smallest one of the five, she'd be hardly noticeable at all.
Trivia:
- Citizens of Naboo may vote at the age of 14.
- The queen before Padme was Sanandrassa and the queen before her was Reillata (both of whom served only one term).
- Padme's father is Ruwee Naberrie and her mother is Jobal Naberrie.
- Governor Sio Bibble has a background in argumentative philosophy.
- Panaka and Palpatine have a close professional relationship--explains why the security guard takes the title of Moff once Palpatine becomes Emperor!
- It is mentioned that Panaka had an undisclosed favorite in the election, but it isn't said who and his feelings over Amidala being elected are left vague...I'm super curious what his true feelings are on the matter!
- Padme as queen had 16 guards on rotation.
- The Delcontrian faction originally aligned with the Trade Federation.
- Malastare, the Tellonites, the Delcontrian faction, and the Caladarians were all pawns as Palpatine played senatorial chess with taxation bills.
- Arbovellum is real paper.
- Graf Zapalo is the agricultural advisor of Naboo.
- Horace Vancil is the economic advisor of Naboo.
- Karlinus and Jafan are the two planets in the Chommell sector most renowned for agricultural output.
- Karlinus has been focusing mostly on tea and silk in recent years. Governor Kelma is its female leader. "Karlinus was a good place for artists to make money working the silk and tea harvests, and Naboo was a good place to set up a studio once an artist had acquired a bit of a nest egg."
- Harli Jafan is the daughter of the planetary director of Jafan. She is humanoid with "light blue skin and delicately webbed fingers." A serious mutual crush develops between Harli and Sabe!! As we know from Queen's Shadow, Sabe is bisexual. Many Jafani citizens had migrated to Naboo over the years causing Harli to say, "We are bleeding culture." Their artwork was highly integrated with the surrounding natural environment as evidenced by, "Padme remembered something about chalk scrapings on hillsides and vast rock structures that could be seen from low orbit. Landowners could commission the work, and the Jafani artists would incorporate the landscape to make dramatic statement pieces."
- Tobruna is the son of the woman who runs the Kreeling refineries and thus effectively rules the planet which is a mining colony. Something in the Kreelingi atmosphere has a permanent effect on human vision. This planet is tasked with the production of a key raw material. Tobruna says, "An outdated treaty requires us to sell to Naboo and the other planets in the sector first at a fixed price, which means they always get the highest-quality ores at below-market prices. By the time our merchants are able to go out into the galaxy, they only have inferior material left."
- Behpour (ruled by Olan Carrus, has quite a small population), Chommell Minor (ruled by Nitsa Tulan), and Enarc are all planets in the Chommell sector which has more than thirty planets and several thousand settled dependencies
- Chancellor Valorum "harbored a vague distaste for senators who represented corporations, not planets" a.k.a. Trade Federation, Intergalactic Banking Clan, Commerce Guild...
- The Wookiee delegate to the senate during the Naboo crisis was Yarua.
- Even menstruation is covered a few times in this book!! The realities of being female are actually made canon in the Star Wars galaxy--so cool. There are suppressant shots women can take to alleviate "symptoms."
- BTS trivia: Neurotransmitter Affection is a Naboo band named after My Chemical Romance! Love this, too funny.
- Glitter-lits are the name for glowsticks.
- Yonta Prime produces works of art made from a substance that absorbs light better than almost any other in the galaxy.
- Usan Ollin is the female Nemoidian in charge of the camp where Sache and Yane are being held on Naboo.
- Gallo Mountain University is a college on Naboo.
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Check out my reviews linked below on printed media that covers more Padme:
~"Age of Republic: Padme Amidala: Bridge" written by Jody Houser, illustrated by Cory Smith, Wilton Santos, Walden Wong, Marc Deering, and Java Tartaglia - a standalone comic issue
~Forces of Destiny Comic Collection: "Ahsoka & Padme" written by Beth Revis, illustrated by Valentina Pinto
~Forces of Destiny: Tales of Hope and Courage (as told by Maz Kanata) written by Elizabeth Schaefer, illustrated by Adam Devaney - a young reader collection of stories
Also by E. K. Johnston:
~"By Whatever Sun" - a short story in the From A Certain Point of View anthology. Co-written by Ashley Eckstein.
~Queen's Shadow - a young adult novel
~Ahsoka - a young adult novel
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In summary, this was a brilliant book with a premise that I wasn't expecting one bit! I didn't realize Padme had been queen such a short time before the Nemoidians blockaded the planet. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to get one of my favorite movies from other points of view!! I highly recommend this book to any Padme fan, prequel fan, Palpatine fan...I could really go on because there's just so much in this to love! But honestly, if you live and breathe backstory like I do, then this is 100% the book for you!!! Don't worry about it being a young adult novel or about the fact that it's mostly about a group of 14 year old girls, because it doesn't come off this way at all. It is deftly written and showcases aspects of the prequel story that are truly fascinating. Definitely gets high marks in my book!!
The first ~65% of the book is pre-Phantom Menace, complete with angry Maul, plotting Sidious, worried Shmi, and the birth of an incredibly intelligent and brave friend group in Padme and her handmaidens. Then the next ~35% of the book transitions straight into The Phantom Menace!!!! And we see everything happen through the eyes of the handmaidens...it is in a word, brilliant! I absolutely adore this movie and so getting some backstory, along with a From A Certain Point of View style take on during the movie was simply mind-blowing! I never could have expected this and am just so insanely delighted by this gift we have received!
The Prologue gives us a bit of information about Padme pre-queen and shows us the moment when she was told she won the election. I love the following quote from the narrative about her ambitions and motivations: "It wasn't enough to settle for her parents' dreams. She wanted to know that she had gone as high as she could, done as much as she was able. And for a girl on Naboo, that meant being elected queen."
Turns out that much like her daughter Leia's adoptive father would later do, Padme's father had taken her along with him on relief missions to other planets when she was little. This had spurred her on to want to make positive change in the world.
And then of course there's the quintessential Padme art of defense, "Her appearance was her first line of defense, and she planned to muster it as deliberately as possible." Such a cool take on appearance and the power it can hold as a leader!
The Epilogue is a mirror of the Prologue, but about her daughter, Leia. The mirroring is deftly done and you can see how daughter, unbeknownst to her, got a lot of personality from her bold, strong, and independent mama.
A great quote from Padme's mother reveals just how bold, strong, and independent she was at even a young age, "Padme was a force to be reckoned with. [...] To have that potential tapped so early in Padme's life was a gift, and Jobal knew her daughter wouldn't squander it." She most certainly wouldn't!
Palpatine plays a fairly significant side role in this novel as he is actively coming up with difficult and polarizing trade regulations and bills to throw off and anger the Nemoidians into action, making it all the easier for his Sidious persona to push the Nemoidians into doing exactly what he wishes. "He'd added enough matters of substance that the Trade Federation wouldn't be able to swallow to ensure that their allies would vote it down. But it would be another step closer. And he had the next three bills written, in any case." The narrative goes on to reveal his intentions that we all know lay beneath the surface, "Soon enough, he would step into the spotlight and his colleagues would see that blandness drop away, but that would also be an act. No one ever saw his true face, the pure anger that burned in him. But they might, someday." There's also the plotting and scheming in regards to working through his grand plan, "He needed agents who could act independently, but it wasn't time for them yet. There were too many pieces, too many outcomes, to let someone who could think for themselves start messing around." Toward the end of the novel, we get in on his grand vision a bit more, "There was an office that would suit nicely, of course. It was a few floors up, and Palpatine had had his eye on it for a while." Ahhh!! I love this so freaking much, getting to see Palpatine formulate his plan for domination early on in the Skywalker Saga's story is simply wonderful.
As mentioned, we also see Palpatine as Sidious, carrying out his evil plans, "it was far more his style to bring darkness into places where people thought they were beyond its reach. He found the weak point, the cracks where the light got out, and shoved the darkness in. He played a long game, a smart game, and unfortunately, from time to time, that meant dealing with people who failed to understand the grand scope of his vision." I mean it was certainly a complicated and twisted vision, you would definitely need to have some foresight to be able to see how the plans could come to fruition. It is SO interesting reading scenes in which he's Sidious speaking to the Nemoidians and they are railing on about the "Naboo senator" and how he's making things difficult!! Crazy they have no idea that they are the same person! Nute Gunray whines, "'And then that Senator from Naboo insisted on the bypass amendment, and it cost us the entire Delcontrian faction.'" Ha!
As I referenced earlier, we also get a good deal of Maul!!! Which is always awesome. "The apprentice sat in the dark, waiting for his master's call. He'd lingered in the shadows for years now, ever since he had been chosen, and it was starting to grate on his nerves. He knew that was intentional. It made him angry to wait, to be pushed to the side while his master manipulated the galaxy without him. It made him feel unwanted, and worse: unneeded. And, of course, that made him angry, too. Maul had mastered anger a long time ago. He'd wrestled with it in the deep caves of Dathomir as a child, and he'd wrestled so loudly that it had drawn his master's attention. Most would have let the anger burn them up. Most would have flared out in glorious rage, taking untold numbers with them in to the blackness of the void, but not Maul. Maul was made for better things, and his anger was his fuel." I so did not expect a treatise on Maul's feelings and emotions before his big reveal in the movie. To see what motivates and fuels him while he's still under the thumb of Palpatine is fascinating.
As he gears up for the "Duel of the Fates" battle, Maul actively seeks out a battleground of his choosing, artfully noticing the details of his surroundings to create the perfect scenario to knock Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon off balance: "He knew he had a fight coming up; his blood sang with readiness for it. And he was determined to choose the battleground himself. […] What did matter to him was the series of corridors that led from the hangar down to the power generation facilities. There were two Jedi, which meant they had the advantage of attacking him from multiple directions at the same time. He wanted a way to remove some of those directions, and the maze of catwalks and unguarded pathways in the generator area was perfect for that. He would always know where they were coming from. At the back of the facility was a series of force fields that opened and shut on a timer. This place would be his ultimate goal. He had a good chance of separating them if he engaged them here, and he was certain he could handle them long enough to lure them all the way down. […] The room on the other side wasn't perfect for a duel--no room with a hole in the floor that large was ever perfect." That last bit even throws a bit of humor into the situation as we all know holes in the floor during battles in Star Wars are always bad news...
I love the consistent theme of using dress and appearance as weapons! It's such a neat way to take the apparent traditional femininity of Padme's queenliness and turn it on its head. "On the campaign trail, she had always been heavily made up, her face painted with cosmetics that reminded people of the weight of her promises." "she might have been three meters tall for how she carried herself." "She looked absolutely splendid in that dress, like a red-gold comet that was going to go exactly where it wanted." In regards to the handmaidens once they all get together and get to know each other a bit, "Each girl had chosen something that would make them seem completely harmless, yet would also allow them to have additional functions without causing anyone to look twice. Their skills could be brought into play without anyone being the wiser." On a tour of the agricultural provinces, "Eirtae strapped [Padme] into whatever royal regalia Yane declared was particularly important to the region they were passing through." In addition, we get to see the actual planning and creation of several queen's dresses that are modifications of previous traditional gowns but with lighter fabric and more protection. The whole process is simply fascinating.
Very interestingly, background is given on the circumstances Padme is stepping into in regards to Naboo politics, "Queen Sanandrassa had focused on Naboo politics to the extreme of ignoring the rest of the sector, which made the other planets uncomfortable." Padme says, "That's why I wanted to be queen, really. To show that Naboo can be strong in its own traditions and a part of the galactic community." This background is further fleshed out as Padme holds a summit for all the planets of the Chommel sector to discuss their interactions and potential partnerships in regards to trade. She is beautifully successful in her mission and Palpatine is left to think that he will never underestimate Padme again. For more information on the various Chommel sector planets as well as their relationships with Naboo, check out the Trivia section below.
Apparently, Qui-Gon made Obi-Wan read through all the various taxation bills in preparation for something that might happen. Looks like Qui-Gon was right on the money! In the midst of this little side bit about Obi-Wan's Padawan tutelage, we learn that, "Jocasta was friendly to Qui-Gon and didn't seem to mind his odd requests even though she bucked when anyone else asked for her assistance." This absolutely made me laugh out loud!! Even though we learn she's quite the bada** in the 2nd "Darth Vader" comic series, I still always see her as the stuck up, strict, and haughty librarian from Attack of the Clones. But it also makes sense in regards to Qui-Gon since his master, Dooku, required him to spend quite a bit of time scouring the Jedi library. Later in this section, Qui-Gon references Obi-Wan "'kick-start[ing] unlikely romance with the local nobility.'" I'm wondering if he's referring to Satine?!? I want to know that story SO badly!
Even Shmi and Ani's time before the events of the movie are covered! *LOVE* We see Anakin participating in a podrace and crashing his pod for the umpteenth time with Shmi nervously and anxiously looking on, hoping nothing truly bad has happened to her son. She lets him compete in such a dangerous sport because, "He loved it so much, and he had so few things to love." Shmi is such an incredibly kind and compassionate mama. I do love her so.
Mace Windu and Yoda also get a scene!! "Yoda took another moment to not reply. If he waited long enough, they almost always figured it out on their own. It was his favorite method of teaching." Haha!! I love how deeply characteristic of Yoda this is! It's something we see in a number of different mediums including Dooku: Jedi Lost where he flat out ignores Dooku moments after accepting him as his Padawan.
I find it very interesting that Sache and Yane can't stand to be with each other at first! This aversion is never really explained and they do grow on each other...to the point that in Queen's Shadow (which takes place as Padme takes on the role of senator) they are even a couple!
As the book transitions to during The Phantom Menace, we first get a prelude to the movie in the Trade Federation offering a ridiculously overbearing treaty to the Naboo, which Padme, of course, will not sign. Padme contacts Palpatine and he's coy as ever, "I was afraid something like this would happen. But never in my wildest dreams did I think it actually would! Your Highness, the Trade Federation is behind a conspiracy in the Senate to shift the tax on trade routes, and Naboo is right in the middle of their proposed operation." Uh-huh...you sly dog.
And we get Jar Jar's take on all the craziness he undergoes as soon as he meets the Jedi as well as right before their encounter, "The accident was definitely his fault. Usually the mayhem he caused was more a case of inadvertent bad luck, but this time he had really messed up. Forced to leave Otoh Gunga and too afraid to stay in the deep water by himself, Jar Jar made what he thought was a pretty clever move. He'd gone up to the surface. He'd scrabble out a living there, he decided, until Boss Nass's temper had cooled, and then he'd try going back. It was nothing a little time wouldn't fix. He'd just stay out of the way for a while. He was not expecting his first week in above-water Naboo to include a fleet of ships descending to the planet's surface." Poor guy!! And I love this bit!!, "He'd heard stories about how uncivilized the Naboo were all his life, but the buildings he saw indicated that they must be at least reasonably intelligent." It really shows how distant and separated the two species of Naboo are. It's a miracle the Gungans agreed to help the Naboo at all!! Then we get, "The Jedi leapt down to attack the droids, and Jar Jar Binks followed them, straight into the arms of his destiny." Awwww!!!! So freaking sweet.
Much of the rest of the book is from the points of view of Sache and Yane as they remain on Naboo while Padme and the Jedi head off to Coruscant to incite the Senate into action. The two handmaidens grow very close throughout their ordeal in the internment camp and we indirectly see the torture that Sache endures at the hands of the battle droids that is referenced in Queen's Shadow.
There are very brief cut scenes of Anakin that make my heart giddy with love and joy. Including, "On a dusty world with two bright suns, a little boy looked up from his work and saw an angel." and "Anakin Skywalker liked flying." Just little short tidbits that show his very young point of view of events and it's all so innocent and sweet. *sigh*
As Padme is dealing with the realities of Tatooine, she thinks (in a manner very appropriate to current events), "She'd always known the galaxy was a complicated place, but seeing it, smelling it, living it made her understand how foolish and privileged she had been. She had her own problems right now, and they were massive--much bigger than herself. She couldn't afford to be distracted by a planet that wasn't even her own. And yet, her heart ached for this good woman and for her selfless son. and she knew that it always would." And we see this desire to help Shmi grow into action in Queen's Shadow as she goes looking for the woman to free her. As for the quote, it really is amazing what getting out and immersing yourself in the realities of the world can do to a person. It can be extremely scary and anxiety-causing but allows you to gain empathy with your fellow people.
When Bibble says over the holoprojector, "The death toll is catastrophic," it turns out that "toll" is a code word amongst the handmaidens that means everything is okay! No wonder Padme didn't budge one bit.
A wonderful, and slightly funny because of the implications, bit of foreshadowing is, Sabe telling Anakin her name and then her thinking, "There was no reason to keep it a secret. He would leave and she would probably never hear of him again."...yeah...
That's all I want to cover from the main thrust of the novel. Needless to say, there is so much more in this book and everything combined elevates it to a place of must-read!
Next, I'd like to break down the interludes that detail how each of the handmaidens first came into contact with Panaka during his recruitment and provide some information on each of the handmaidens in turn. In regards to their name changes, Rabe makes a fantastically intelligent and super funny (from a fan standpoint) remark, "I guarantee you that most people will hear that many ehs in a row and literally never be able to remember how many of us there are, let alone who is who." Haha!
Strength - Sabe (Tsabin)
Attended the Theed Conservatory as a hallikset player. No matter how hard she tried, she was always second best. She had started to become comfortable with this and knew it would be beneficial if she were to be handmaiden to the queen.
Cunning - Rabe (Rabene Tonsort)
Attended a prestigious school and focused on art in a variety of media, but had a side business selling forgeries of famous works to off-worlders. She takes on the job of wardrobe mistress a.k.a. intelligence officer.
Distraction - Eirtae (Eirtama Ballory)
Attended a theatre workshop where she preferred set design over being on stage. She built a hoverpod for the performance of a notable opera and despite reminding the director multiple times that it could only hold so much weight, was ignored and the hoverpod all but exploded. Regardless, her talents as a scientist and engineer are very clear. She takes on the job of communications, responsible for tech.
Bravery - Yane (Suyan Higin)
A talented seamstress and maker, she weaves blankets for charity in the marketplace before becoming a handmaiden. She takes on the job of "liaising with the palace staff and droids."
Determination - Sache (Sashah Adova)
Attended the same theatre workshop as Eirtae and is so small and unnoticeable that she gets overlooked for a part in the cast and the crew. She takes on the job of page, and as the smallest one of the five, she'd be hardly noticeable at all.
Trivia:
- Citizens of Naboo may vote at the age of 14.
- The queen before Padme was Sanandrassa and the queen before her was Reillata (both of whom served only one term).
- Padme's father is Ruwee Naberrie and her mother is Jobal Naberrie.
- Governor Sio Bibble has a background in argumentative philosophy.
- Panaka and Palpatine have a close professional relationship--explains why the security guard takes the title of Moff once Palpatine becomes Emperor!
- It is mentioned that Panaka had an undisclosed favorite in the election, but it isn't said who and his feelings over Amidala being elected are left vague...I'm super curious what his true feelings are on the matter!
- Padme as queen had 16 guards on rotation.
- The Delcontrian faction originally aligned with the Trade Federation.
- Malastare, the Tellonites, the Delcontrian faction, and the Caladarians were all pawns as Palpatine played senatorial chess with taxation bills.
- Arbovellum is real paper.
- Graf Zapalo is the agricultural advisor of Naboo.
- Horace Vancil is the economic advisor of Naboo.
- Karlinus and Jafan are the two planets in the Chommell sector most renowned for agricultural output.
- Karlinus has been focusing mostly on tea and silk in recent years. Governor Kelma is its female leader. "Karlinus was a good place for artists to make money working the silk and tea harvests, and Naboo was a good place to set up a studio once an artist had acquired a bit of a nest egg."
- Harli Jafan is the daughter of the planetary director of Jafan. She is humanoid with "light blue skin and delicately webbed fingers." A serious mutual crush develops between Harli and Sabe!! As we know from Queen's Shadow, Sabe is bisexual. Many Jafani citizens had migrated to Naboo over the years causing Harli to say, "We are bleeding culture." Their artwork was highly integrated with the surrounding natural environment as evidenced by, "Padme remembered something about chalk scrapings on hillsides and vast rock structures that could be seen from low orbit. Landowners could commission the work, and the Jafani artists would incorporate the landscape to make dramatic statement pieces."
- Tobruna is the son of the woman who runs the Kreeling refineries and thus effectively rules the planet which is a mining colony. Something in the Kreelingi atmosphere has a permanent effect on human vision. This planet is tasked with the production of a key raw material. Tobruna says, "An outdated treaty requires us to sell to Naboo and the other planets in the sector first at a fixed price, which means they always get the highest-quality ores at below-market prices. By the time our merchants are able to go out into the galaxy, they only have inferior material left."
- Behpour (ruled by Olan Carrus, has quite a small population), Chommell Minor (ruled by Nitsa Tulan), and Enarc are all planets in the Chommell sector which has more than thirty planets and several thousand settled dependencies
- Chancellor Valorum "harbored a vague distaste for senators who represented corporations, not planets" a.k.a. Trade Federation, Intergalactic Banking Clan, Commerce Guild...
- The Wookiee delegate to the senate during the Naboo crisis was Yarua.
- Even menstruation is covered a few times in this book!! The realities of being female are actually made canon in the Star Wars galaxy--so cool. There are suppressant shots women can take to alleviate "symptoms."
- BTS trivia: Neurotransmitter Affection is a Naboo band named after My Chemical Romance! Love this, too funny.
- Glitter-lits are the name for glowsticks.
- Yonta Prime produces works of art made from a substance that absorbs light better than almost any other in the galaxy.
- Usan Ollin is the female Nemoidian in charge of the camp where Sache and Yane are being held on Naboo.
- Gallo Mountain University is a college on Naboo.
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Check out my reviews linked below on printed media that covers more Padme:
~"Age of Republic: Padme Amidala: Bridge" written by Jody Houser, illustrated by Cory Smith, Wilton Santos, Walden Wong, Marc Deering, and Java Tartaglia - a standalone comic issue
~Forces of Destiny Comic Collection: "Ahsoka & Padme" written by Beth Revis, illustrated by Valentina Pinto
~Forces of Destiny: Tales of Hope and Courage (as told by Maz Kanata) written by Elizabeth Schaefer, illustrated by Adam Devaney - a young reader collection of stories
Also by E. K. Johnston:
~"By Whatever Sun" - a short story in the From A Certain Point of View anthology. Co-written by Ashley Eckstein.
~Queen's Shadow - a young adult novel
~Ahsoka - a young adult novel
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In summary, this was a brilliant book with a premise that I wasn't expecting one bit! I didn't realize Padme had been queen such a short time before the Nemoidians blockaded the planet. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to get one of my favorite movies from other points of view!! I highly recommend this book to any Padme fan, prequel fan, Palpatine fan...I could really go on because there's just so much in this to love! But honestly, if you live and breathe backstory like I do, then this is 100% the book for you!!! Don't worry about it being a young adult novel or about the fact that it's mostly about a group of 14 year old girls, because it doesn't come off this way at all. It is deftly written and showcases aspects of the prequel story that are truly fascinating. Definitely gets high marks in my book!!
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