Reviews with content warning for Torture - Queen's Shadow

Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Queen's Shadow by E.K. Johnston

7 reviews

cartwheelapple's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Such a good book!! It gives so much more insight in padmé and her handmaidens lives. It's so cool to get star wars content where the women get complicated personal stories. Something that was lacking in the writing of the movies. Getting more of padmé's story and learning more about sabé and the other handmaidens makes padme's story so much more impactfull. In this book you get to know padme as who she is, not just as a way to move anakins plot along. Padmé has a story of her own. It's complicated and filled with deep personal connections to her family, hee friends and her work in politics, its amazing to read about that!!

at the end of the acknowledgements the author said "every girl who ever asked for more from star wars. You're my spark" This book showed that sentiment very well.

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jenny_librarian's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

Listen, I love Padmé. She’s one of my favourite Star Wars characters. A book about her should be my jam… this wasn’t. It wasn’t all bad, but it did not hold what I thought it would.

The story itself is a little boring. I read Queen’s Peril first, since it comes before in chronological order, and it had a lot more action going on. Even as a queen, there was stuff happening. I don’t mind a political book, but even the political stuff in this was swept under the rug to make room for paragraphs of outfit and hairdo details. Where is the characterization and budding friendship Padmé struck with senators Organa and Mon Mothma? How did Mina Bonterri go from friendly to downright cold to a Separatist whom Padmé was still in good terms with? Who wants to kill Padmé? It had so much potential, and it doesn’t answer any question about Star Wars as a whole.

The characterization of Padmé is fine, but she doesn’t sound like the woman who fell in love with Anakin. I don’t care if the author isn’t an Anidala fan. Padmé Amidala Naberrie was in love with Anakin Skywalker, and their respective characters need to reflect what we know of them in canon. There are multiple instances in this book where Padmé’s characterization is directly in conflict with what we see afterward in the movies and in Clone Wars, including the fact that she not once even mention his name. Qui-Gon is named multiple time, but neither Obi-Wan nor Anakin even appear in her thoughts when she thinks of the Naboo invasion. It just doesn’t make sense, and it makes me believe the author tried to retcon Padmé to fill this headcanon QPR with Sabé at the risk of contradicting the actual canon.

Talking about Sabé, she’s the only handmaiden with a “voice”. All the others chirp in here and there (and those who appear in Queen’s Peril are better developed then), but none is as fully realized as Sabé. And I firmly believe this is because the author wants a damn romance between her and Padmé so much. Saché and Yané live together and seem to be in some kind of romantic relationship, but we hear nothing of them except for a brief mention at the beginning and midway through. Sabé, though, has entire chapters dedicated to her when… nothing really happens?! Like she helps slaves escape Tatooine in the beginning and… that’s it? The rest is just this kind of weird love triangle developing with Tonra. And while it could have been interesting, it didn’t pull me in at all.

I am quite disappointed in the lack of contribution to the greater Star Wars canon this book provides. I hate that I’m still going to read the last book because I’m starved for Anidala stuff and would read anything that explores the little time they had together, even if it leaves me wanting.

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purplesaturday's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I enjoy the Star Wars novels but I have to be in the right headspace for them. This one follows Padme Amadala during her tenure as a Senator. It was quick and engaging, but a little YA-ish for me.

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