E. K. Johnston does it again

Padme Amidala has been my favorite character in the Star Wars universe since I was a little girl in the theater watching the Phantom Menace with my dad. One of my earliest memories of putting on a costume is wearing her red throne room dress for Halloween that year. While continuing the intrigue and politics of the Star Wars universe, which is my favorite aspect of it, Johnston’s book also let me feel closer to my favorite character. Her art for writing style goes above and beyond adequately displaying the presents that the character radiates in the films. Her vivid imagery makes me want to go back through all of the films and all of the Star Wars books that I’ve read And make a list of every costume that Padme has ever worn and then make each one of those. I got chills listening to this book, and I most certainly cried listening to this book. Katherine Taber‘s performance is stunning and I hope that she gets to record more content as Padme. I definitely recommend reading this if you are a Star Wars fan and if you are a prequels fan.

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An excellent transition between episodes 1 and 2

Great narration from Catherine Tabar, Padme's voice actress on Clone Wars. Excellent development and focus for her, Padme, and her staff, and other characters. A great way to bridge the gap between episodes 1 and 2, a nice change of pace from the Disney cannon, adding moreto the prequels cannon. I don't intend to keep it, but, I'd highly recommend it to any Star Wars fans.

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Not what I expected from a SW book

if you like politics, hearing all about padmes clothes, and a book with very little action; this is the one for you.

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A Strong Character-Driven Story

E.K. Johnston is becoming one of my favorite “new” authors in the Star Wars franchise for her ability to evoke the feel of Star Wars and deliver powerful character-driven stories featuring strong female characters. Though this book started a bit slow, it was a great tale of Padmé Amidala’s transition from Queen to Galactic Senator - a worthy story that adds depth to a character that was underserved in the films. Additionally, once it gets going in chapter 2-3, the story feels as fast paced as any Star Wars adventure, while being mostly a tale of political intrigue. It expands the genres bounds and tells a SW story from a different perspective (similar to the Rouge One prequel, Catalyst). Her development of the various handmaidens and other senators was also exemplary, I hope that she writes a Mon Mothma book someday...another hugely important character that has always been relegated to the background.

The voice acting was overall very good - nice that they got Padmés voice actor from CW to do it. My only reservation was that her range was somewhat limited (granted that the cast of characters was HUGE) and at times it was difficult to tell some of them apart (especially characters in the lower ranges). However, she delivered the dialog well and with a lot of emotion, which more than made up for it.

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Surprisingly entertaining and wonderfully detailed

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. Characters like anakin skywalker Are only secondary thoughts that appear once in a while. So refreshing to have a story from this certain point of view with so many details explained about the 1st prequel movies and about the clone wars TV Show. And the narrator is the same actress Who voiced padme in the TV show. Worth every penny and every minute!

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An Ode to an Often Under-appreciated Hero

First of all, I would like to preface this with the fact that I am a HUGE Padmé fan, and second I would like to ask...

HOW ARE YOU NOT? Or at least how are you not just a little bit more appreciative of her character?

Padmé is a strong, clever, intelligent, humble, and charismatic woman, and this novel exudes that perfectly.

Often shackled as Anakin’s wife, the
mother of Luke and Leia, the naive queen, the pretty face with the pretty costumes, or the boring stiff goody two shoes pacifist senator. Padmé’s role in the Star Wars series has always been constantly stifled.

Not only is it incredibly sexist to pigeonhole her as merely a pretty face, wife, and mother. But it completely diminishes who she is and how integral she is to the series. Those ‘pretty costumes’ that everyone likes to give her crap for, actually hold tools, gadgets and weapons, so she was prepared for any occasion. Pretty and deadly, and pretty BADASS. And again sexist, a woman can enjoy feminine things like fashion, exude femininity and still take charge and stand on her own.

Let’s not forget:

At the age of 14, on her first year as queen of a planet, she faced a planet wide invasion. However, through the usefulness of her handmaidens, she was able to preserve her own life, not only for the sake of her people, but as means of having four eyes watching out at all times. Passing off as a basic bystander/handmaiden she could gain important information while simultaneously the ‘queen’ could. She then stood for her planet in front of the Senate, dethroned a Chancellor (mostly due to Palpatine’s lustful influence), headed back to her planet to create a peace treaty between her people and a species that had a long-standing conflict, and entered her own city on the frontline of battle to take back her throne, her planet, and prevent her people from anymore suffering. Meanwhile the attempts on her life continued, so you tell me if you could keep a level head with all of that AT THE AGE OF 14 and beyond.

Oftentimes people criticize her in regards to her handmaidens “oh my gosh, she's so selfish, she's constantly paranoid that she's willing to put these women’s lives’ above hers.” However, (which the novel touches upon), they volunteered and trained under Captain Panaka FOR this position and Padmé always allowed them permission to deny a request or even leave their work if they felt they were not up for it. Her handmaidens CHOSE to lay down their lives for her, she never forced them. And keep in mind they were either her age or younger.

Furthermore, a little off topic but related: Natalie Portman got criticized for the conflicting tones of her character’s voice, and her sometimes wooden acting. However again, the novel touches on how her and her handmaidens trained to find a similar ‘royal ‘voice and similar posture when playing the queen. And in the novel she battles with shedding her ‘Amidala’ persona while creating new ones for the Senate. This is a woman who has had to grow up fast, shed and grow multiple selves, and evolve in an ever-changing political world.

Also Padmé is not a pacifist, and while raised on a pacifist planet like Naboo with a more artistic and creative focus, she is not against conflict. In fact in the novel she gets into an argument with a familiar face, about how sometimes aggression is necessary (speaking of course from her experience with the Trade Federation).

Padmé is also one of the few Star Wars characters that has the most true and pure intentions. Understandably it can make her come off somewhat naive, but often people are annoyed by that maybe, it’s because they find the morally gray characters more interesting. And I can understand that. But let's not forget that it is these well-intentioned people, like her, that fought for the Republic, for the betterment of their people and the galaxy. That tried effortlessly for conflict to end between the Separatists, and even more so resisted the foundation of the Empire and laid the seeds for the Rebel Alliance. She wasn’t alone, but Padmé DID THAT.

The novel is exceptionally narrated by Catherine Taber. Of course being biased I would have loved to have Natalie Portman narrate, but some luxuries you just can't afford or get.

The novel does an incredible job of expanding upon the relationships between the handmaidens and Padmé and also individualizing them, given their names are very similar (again explained as a decision they chose to do for Padmé’s safety).

The story was overall great and what you would expect with some really interesting insight, twists, and plot points. I don't know why people are criticizing this novel for being boring or not having as much action, like did you honestly expect there would be a Jedi fight in this novel? It's about Padmé, she’s a senator, not a Jedi like Ahsoka. She's not unwilling to get her hands dirty, but she does it her own way. First with words, later with a blaster. If you're expecting lightsaber battles, why would you think that reading this you would find that? I think that that criticism is entirely unfair. And the novel lacking it didn’t bother me, with how much we see of Jedi and Sith, it was nice to have a change of story direction.

I also think this book does a very good job of introducing characters that we have seen before, especially if you've seen the extended lore like the Clone Wars series. It is really fun to see those characters and it did not feel forced for the sake of continuity or canon. In actuality it felt really necessary because it laid groundwork for how she knew these people and had built relationships with them.

I think if I had one complaint it would be that the novel has slower parts, but I was never bored. And I would have maybe liked less focus on Sabé although her story heavily ties in with Padmé’s I can just never get enough Padmé time. Though it was interesting learning about their dynamic and I think it shed some light on the their swapping as queen in The Phantom Menace.

If you're into learning more about the politics of Star Wars, which I've always found interesting because I think they’re so integral to the series (because we get see how the Empire rises) even though people gripe about it, you would like this novel.

Also if you're into political intrigue, incognito dinner parties, and espionage you'd really like this novel.

Of course being a Padmé fan was my initial draw to it, but it also important to read in understanding more about the Clone Wars, and what happened during those years between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. The novel explains a lot of her growth during that time and I think it explains a lot of what Natalie Portman and Padmé’s character got unfairly criticized for. It makes a lot more sense to her actions and her words.

Now, I'm always going to argue that Padmé deserves more justice than she gets. And like I've always said, I think she's one of the most underappreciated, underrated characters for how she got pigeonholed. And part of that is due to the writing of George Lucas I get that, but I think this novel does a great job of giving Padmé and her fans what they’ve waited for and deserve. And I think if people are willing to give it a chance, and look past what they think they know of Padmé, they might come to appreciate her more.

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Solid, if you’re interested.

If you are a fan of the prequels, Clone Wars, or Padmé in general, this book is definitely worth reading. There is a ton of insight into Padmé’s journey from queen to senator, her Amidala persona, the handmaidens, and her budding relationships with Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, among others. Seeing recurring clone wars characters like Mina Bonteri and Rush Clovis is also a treat, and helps to contextualize her as a character and informs her decisions in Ep. 2-3.

That being said, if you aren’t a major fan of Clone Wars and Padmé and the prequels going in... there isn’t much for you here. There is precious little in the way of plot, and in its place is mostly meandering internal monologues from various handmaidens and drawn out conversations where Johnston focuses more on HOW characters are speaking rather than having them say anything of importance.

I don’t think Johnston is the greatest of the Star Wars writers; this and Ahsoka are lower on my list, despite the titular characters being some of my favorites. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely enjoyed the look into Padmé and I’m totally excited about the new information I get to reflect on, but don’t go in expecting a life altering experience.

As far as the narration goes, there are highs and lows. Taber did the voice of Padmé in the Clone Wars and does a fantastic job with the character. I think she embodies Natalie Portman without doing an impression. That being said, she is not very good with accents. A large portion of the book focusses on Padmé switching between her own voice and the Amidala persona, which she does a fair enough job of differentiating, but it borders on cockney at times. Characters like Palpatine are totally cockney, satire level British while others like the handmaiden Sabé, (played by Kierra Knightly in Ep I) speak plain American English throughout. But that’s a small gripe.

Overall, good book and easy to listen to narration. I’m a massive fan, so this book was totally worth it for me. If you’re a casual Star Wars fan, or someone who prefers a different era, perhaps something else is more up your alley.

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Answers your questions about Padme and Organa

This book was great because it answers so many important questions:
1. How did Padme become senator?
2. How did Bail Organa and Padmes relationship start?
3. What happened to Naboo after the trade federations occupation?
4. What happened to Nute Gunray?
and many more

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I love this book!

I’m relatively new to listening to stories and this book has really gotten me into the wonderful world of audiobooks! This story really pulled me in and captured my imagination! I had a great time listening and Catherine Taber did a wonderful job on narrating the story! I felt like I was listening to a movie! Charming book! And I highly recommend giving it a listen! 10/10!

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A good Story setting up Attack of the Clones

It is a good story putting you in the head of young Padme who is figuring out her role from Queen to Senator. The book also provides background into Naboo customs, the handmaidens, and the complexities of the Republic Senate.

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