Queen’s Peril by E.K. Johnston is a YA Star Wars novel that follows Padmé during her time serving as the Queen of Naboo.
Follow Padmé as she learns how to be a leader and problem solver as Queen of Naboo. Queen Amidala presents herself as a stern yet lovable leader with the help of her handmaidens who all present as the Queen to keep Amidala’s personal identity private.
I thought this was a great introduction to Padmé as a character. It was very fun to see her origin story as well as parts of Episode I from her point of view. It was interesting to learn more about each of the handmaidens, learn their origins, and how they interact with each other and with Padmé. As I read, I felt myself wishing that Padmé could have a much bigger role in the Star Wars Saga. The scene where she wakes up at night and has a short but important conversation with Anakin’s mom absolutely broke my heart.
After getting to know her through this book it now feels even more tragic knowing her ultimate fate and that she could have been and done so much more.
I would definitely recommend this book to someone who wants another look into the Star Wars saga. This would be a great book to read just before watching The Phandom Menace, especially since we actually see scenes from the movie in the book.