– Slight Spoiler Review –
What started as a Padmé-focused endeavor grew larger in its second outing, the “Queen Trilogy” ends with a smaller scope in Queen’s Hope, and while it reined in some issues from the second outing and feels more like the first, this trilogy ends with what feels like half of a good novel.
E.K. Johnston’s second novel in this trilogy, Queen’s Peril, went all the way back to Padmé’s first days as Queen and the eventual invasion of Naboo (aka The Phantom Menace), and Queen’s Hope steps past the opening novel, Queen’s Shadow, by taking place a little further into Padmé’s time in the Senate and her relationship with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, picking up right after the end of Attack of the Clones. While Queen’s Shadow was as much a Sabé book as it was Padmé, Peril broadened its focus to middling results, so while Hope reins that back in, and I enjoyed the POV choices for the final installment, when it did or didn’t switch seemed inconsistent for what and who the book focuses on, and overall it weaves a few threads together which leaves an impression of a novel half written. There’s some intriguing plots that unravel but we never see fully play out, be it the conspiracy Padmé uncovers or Sabé’s work, so knowing this is the end of the trilogy, nothing’s planned at the moment as a follow-up (besides maybe Sabé’s appearances in the current Darth Vader comics), and many trilogies end with story left to tell elsewhere, Hope’s threads feel incomplete even here. Most of these developments are just getting started as the book finishes, so getting to the final page felt like running down the trench of the Death Star and finding it drops off unexpectedly. I’m all for leaving room to tell more stories, and as I said these are threads I’d want to see more of, but knowing at least one of them will never fully take off, it seems strange to start them without ever likely having a chance to see them through. Hopefully E.K. Johnston gets a chance to return to some of these things, specifically Sabé despite her time in the current comics.
Whereas Padmé of Shadow and Peril is adjusting to her new lifestyle, be it ruling a planet or navigating galactic politics, Hope finds her comfortable for the most part in her role in the Senate, but now learning how to balance that and her sisterhood with the handmaidens against a change in her personal life: married in secret to Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. I was worried this book would focus too much on how her relationship with Anakin has changed or life, or center it around him, but thankfully it keeps Padmé’s choices, in the relationship and how it carries on, hers to make. However, as I mentioned before, the time the book spends in Anakin’s POV, while delightful and shows Johnston has a good read on the young man dealing with this new situation, often seemed strange it wasn’t in Padmé’s, as while we have the lead-up to their wedding ceremony from her POV for the most part (along with a funny, leaving the planet for a moment, thing that happened on their way to altar), the entire ceremony is from his POV and not from hers at all. This happens a few more times, when it feels like we should be seeing a scene from Padmé’s POV, we don’t, and leaves Hope disconnected partly from its main character (as she’s not even the POV for the ending). Though when she is in focus, I liked the little adventure Padmé goes on, investigating a lead into some mysterious shipments that wasn’t always clear to me even by the end, as she meets an eclectic crew of a merchant ship (run by Wookiees and a Legend species I hadn’t heard but want more of now), starts putting her blaster to work in the war as well, and makes a big deal with a surprise ally (though that last one is the thread that feels like this book abandons in the middle when the book ends). Watching her balance her responsibilities, desires to be with the person she loves, and still be true to herself and her goals makes for a compelling arc for Johnston to tackle in Hope, and it fits well with the other two entries’ hyper-focus on a small slice of these pivotal parts of her life; like those before it, I didn’t even know I wanted or needed these flashpoints in her life fleshed out, but I’m glad they were.
With Queen’s Shadow, Sabé was elevated as a character in exciting and meaningful ways, as Johnston deeply developed the relationship and kinship it takes to be the shadow a queen turned senator, but also looking for something for herself. Peril took us back to show how such a lasting bond was created and forged between Sabé and Padmé, while Hope finds Sabé able to do something she hasn’t for over a decade: find herself. In Shadow, Padmé sends Sabé and Captain Tonra to Tatooine to try and free slaves there in her stead, as she tries for a larger push in the Senate itself, but their initial attempts result in failure, but in Hope the pair tries again. Together, the rumblings of a relationship between helping them build their married couple cover, they find satisfaction and fulfillment in their work on Tatooine, causing Sabé to look to her own future as Padmé seems to grow more distant. Sabé’s pulled back to cover for Padmé as she goes on the secret mission and she struggles like never before being her friend, their time apart changing them in small and large ways neither could predict, but for Sabé it means deducing her friend’s biggest secret and the wedge it drives between them. It’s fertile ground to cover and the book does it well, allowing us to see Anakin in two different lenses, the two sides inside him, and how Padmé makes peace with both. There’s a little manipulation by Chancellor Palpatine, once again having a few POV parts, but I’m glad it was minor and not the main reason Sabé and Padmé clash over the lives they now live. It leads to an emotional ending for the pair but it doesn’t change Sabé’s obviously lasting commitment, as seen in the current Darth Vader comic run. She’s starred in its opening arc, where she and the remaining handmaidens tried to kill Vader since they think he killed Anakin and Padmé (in a way, yes he did), and she only recently returned and finally learned Luke Skywalker is Padmé’s child with Anakin, so her story is far from over at the moment but such information definitely puts a target on her back. I do hope we can explore more of her work on Tatooine with Tonra and the White Sun group, I don’t think that’ll happen in the comic, since it’s the other thread that gets really interesting before the novel has to chance to really explore their work in detail.
Hope delves into friendships/partnerships that grow apart due to various circumstances as two people separate and find their own personal joys and futures. It’s relatable for many, as it’s not often we keep the same people in our lives, as while I have my core group from grade school to this day, most of my friends since than have come and gone over the years and I’ve only recently added new long-term friends thanks to my wife. The falling out with the others was often due to finding different passions or simply not being in vicinity with one another, and while Sabé and Padmé’s reasons are complex in some ways, it does boil down to those simple differences that can make even the tightest of bonds wilt away, which made it relatable to read and helped add an additional emotional punch to their final scene seeing as many can feel a similar change in friendship’s past. As much as I relished how well Johnston wrote their gradual differences, it reads too neatly tied by the end, especially due to the book’s brevity.
Whereas Peril went overboard with a lot of POV switches towards its end, covering lots of characters tied into the events of The Phantom Menace, Hope pulls back and its restraint is well appreciated, with only a handful of interludes that focus on various women of the galaxy. Most aren’t surprises, mind you, but the little snippets are delightful and enlightening, from the first to the last, while one with a certain figure in Luke’s young life promises more for the character and I hope we’ll get to see that story as well, as it’s long overdue she gets her chance in the spotlight. Alongside these female-led interludes, Chancellor Palpatine’s few moments are delightfully sinister, and I’ve liked his added thoughts on the situation, showing his tendrils are far and wide, but often I wondered why we had to have his scenes instead of more Padmé, Sabé, or anyone else.
Here are a few other things:
- With the Trans Day of Visibility on 3/31, only a few days before this book’s release, it was awesome to see the first confirmed trans clone, Sister, here in a one-off appearance! She’s well written and the way her brothers so easily accept her is a delightful way to help trans fans have a chance to see themselves in Star Wars. Johnston even had a commission from the stellar artist Uzuri, so you can see Sister in all her glory! May we see more of her soon! Then also, hopefully The Bad Batch doesn’t shy away from confirming Omega is trans, instead of some weird science-y explanation that avoids saying so about her.
- The inclusion of a genderfluid handmaiden was a nice touch, especially as complete similarities to Padmé aren’t the biggest need for a handmaiden now. The conversation where zhey explain themselves and zheir feelings was an excellent addition as well.
E.K. Johnston’s Queen’s Hope concludes the “Queen Trilogy” closer to where it started, with a tighter focus and more intriguing moments between two very close friends, but it’s short to the point it feels like half a novel for how many threads are left hanging in the middle and the POV choices seem oddly placed for certain moments.
+ Padmé and Sabé growing apart
+ Sabé finding purpose in herself
+ Seeing the early days of the Amidala/Skywalker marriage
– Big, important threads left hanging in the middle
– POV choices confuse at times
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of this book, through NetGalley, from the publisher at no charge in order to provide an early review. However, this did not affect the overall review content. All opinions are my own.
ALSO BY E.K. JOHNSTON:
Queen’s Peril (Novel) | Queen’s Shadow (Novel) | Ahsoka (Novel) | “By Whatever Sun” – From a Certain Point of View (Novel)