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A review by a_chickletz
Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray
5.0
This review is gonna be pretty emotional and spoiler heavy (in regards to the book and the future movie, The Last Jedi) so read when you have finished and if you feel that you are down for some musings.
I was so excited for my Force Friday purchases to get this book and start reading it after I finished my non-Star Wars read. I mean, last time, Lost Stars was my read after Force Friday purchases and it not only introduced me to Claudia Gray (and forever solidified anything she wrote in the new EU was beauty untouched) but that the new EU can give me something promising to look forward to.
With this book, Leia: Princess of Alderaan I not only got to relive my excitement and joy of getting another Claudia Gray book (where she focuses on young Leia, after she has already focused on older Leia) but seeing what was in store in terms of The Last Jedi brings me goosebumps and so much joy that I need to share with everyone. Guess what: I'm gonna bring up all three trilogies!
This book, as I said, brings all three trilogies into play. Claudia has proven to me that if we're gonna write about Leia, we gotta bring her past and her future into this. So she has.
What we know about Leia is that her parents were Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. In their own rights, both courageous and instrumental in the focus of the Rebellion and, sadly, The Empire. Leia was adopted by the Organa family after Bail expressed that his wife wanted a child and was unable to give birth.
This book shows that the Organas raised Leia as if she was their own daughter. Leia knows she is adopted, it is not a secret, but she does not know who her parents are. This does not bother Leia one bit. However, it did warm my heart to know that she was told that her parents were great people and died in the Clone Wars - on the side of good. I will also say that there are inklings of The Force being present through Leia's life. During harrowing lessons and trials she must face as part of her three challenges before accepting the title of heir to the throne of Alderaan, The Force is there to allow her to think clearly and find her inner strength. I love how Claudia wrote Brea and Bail, and it pains me that we see very little of Brea in any of the films and for her being involved with orchestrating/carrying out what Leia's birth mother started brings warmth to my heart.
We also see an appearance from Panaka (remember, Padme's old bodyguard?). Apparently he serves Palpatine but against his code and ethics. There is a part in which Leia must travel to Naboo and a needed encounter brings her to see the man who served alongside her mother. He is stunned, shaken, to see that his former queen is standing before him (and dressed in a dress similiar to that of her gown during the parade ceremony in TPM). Yet, to the Queen's surprise, he vows as best as he can to try to keep Naboo protected from Palpatines/The Empires involvements. Leia has no idea who this man is and why he is so interested in knowing if she knew her birth parents, but it does put a seed of doubt for the future that this is something that needs further investigation.
Mon Mothma is so awesome that to see her in this, and Rogue One, make me respect her role in RotJ. She is a much needed 'Aunt' to Leia and is willing to involve her and coach her in the first steps to leading the Rebellion.
Leia also finds love in this book. I rather liked the boy that she friended/had a bit of a relationship with and in no way did it feel as if his romantics with her side-lined the story. The twist at the end was one of those I *did not* see coming, and it was heartbreaking for Leia. I did chuckle when her mother said that she wished her daughter's first boyfriend was a scoundrel.
So, what is linked to The Last Jedi? A couple things actually. One is that Crait is used as a location for the Organas/The Rebellion. The Empire never finds out about this, because the link is deleted from any Rebellion sympathizer involvement. So, based on what one knows about the new film from the trailers, and that the Rebellion is being forced into fleeing... they end up on Crait, because Leia remembered that her family once had an outpost there. Boom.
Remember Laura Dern's character, Amilyn Holdo? She's in here. She is introduced as a Luna Lovegood type character. Very in touch with expression, not caring what others think, willing to help, and always changing her hair color. There are rumors that based on what she says in this book that she may be within the LGBTQ spectrum or just an ally. Either or, I am down. She becomes a friend of Leia's and someone that Leia trusts. She is not bad, as far as I know, but someone that Leia's going to look to for guidance and help. ... Guys, this is amazing. Princess Leia has a friend who she knew and who she can confide in (since her brother is missing, and her husband is gone). Some of the Lego leaks has her with a gun in her hand. YAS. (Knowing that Laura kicked ass in Jurassic Park 1 & 3, I have no doubt she'll kick ass again). So, by reading this book, you will get to see how Leia appreciated her as a teen.
This book is about seeing/reading Leia morph into the crafting, cool headed, caring diplomat that we know her to be from the original trilogy and the new trilogy. I think that having Claudia Gray write for Leia is a must. It will be hard to see someone writing for her, though I am welcome to it. Just that with Claudia Gray you can't go wrong. I praise it for handling her relationship with her adoptive family, her role as a leader in the Rebellion to be, and lastly, for being true to Leia's character.
I was so excited for my Force Friday purchases to get this book and start reading it after I finished my non-Star Wars read. I mean, last time, Lost Stars was my read after Force Friday purchases and it not only introduced me to Claudia Gray (and forever solidified anything she wrote in the new EU was beauty untouched) but that the new EU can give me something promising to look forward to.
With this book, Leia: Princess of Alderaan I not only got to relive my excitement and joy of getting another Claudia Gray book (where she focuses on young Leia, after she has already focused on older Leia) but seeing what was in store in terms of The Last Jedi brings me goosebumps and so much joy that I need to share with everyone. Guess what: I'm gonna bring up all three trilogies!
What we know about Leia is that her parents were Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. In their own rights, both courageous and instrumental in the focus of the Rebellion and, sadly, The Empire. Leia was adopted by the Organa family after Bail expressed that his wife wanted a child and was unable to give birth.
This book shows that the Organas raised Leia as if she was their own daughter. Leia knows she is adopted, it is not a secret, but she does not know who her parents are. This does not bother Leia one bit. However, it did warm my heart to know that she was told that her parents were great people and died in the Clone Wars - on the side of good. I will also say that there are inklings of The Force being present through Leia's life. During harrowing lessons and trials she must face as part of her three challenges before accepting the title of heir to the throne of Alderaan, The Force is there to allow her to think clearly and find her inner strength. I love how Claudia wrote Brea and Bail, and it pains me that we see very little of Brea in any of the films and for her being involved with orchestrating/carrying out what Leia's birth mother started brings warmth to my heart.
We also see an appearance from Panaka (remember, Padme's old bodyguard?). Apparently he serves Palpatine but against his code and ethics. There is a part in which Leia must travel to Naboo and a needed encounter brings her to see the man who served alongside her mother. He is stunned, shaken, to see that his former queen is standing before him (and dressed in a dress similiar to that of her gown during the parade ceremony in TPM). Yet, to the Queen's surprise, he vows as best as he can to try to keep Naboo protected from Palpatines/The Empires involvements. Leia has no idea who this man is and why he is so interested in knowing if she knew her birth parents, but it does put a seed of doubt for the future that this is something that needs further investigation.
Mon Mothma is so awesome that to see her in this, and Rogue One, make me respect her role in RotJ. She is a much needed 'Aunt' to Leia and is willing to involve her and coach her in the first steps to leading the Rebellion.
Leia also finds love in this book. I rather liked the boy that she friended/had a bit of a relationship with and in no way did it feel as if his romantics with her side-lined the story. The twist at the end was one of those I *did not* see coming, and it was heartbreaking for Leia. I did chuckle when her mother said that she wished her daughter's first boyfriend was a scoundrel.
So, what is linked to The Last Jedi? A couple things actually. One is that Crait is used as a location for the Organas/The Rebellion. The Empire never finds out about this, because the link is deleted from any Rebellion sympathizer involvement. So, based on what one knows about the new film from the trailers, and that the Rebellion is being forced into fleeing... they end up on Crait, because Leia remembered that her family once had an outpost there. Boom.
Remember Laura Dern's character, Amilyn Holdo? She's in here. She is introduced as a Luna Lovegood type character. Very in touch with expression, not caring what others think, willing to help, and always changing her hair color. There are rumors that based on what she says in this book that she may be within the LGBTQ spectrum or just an ally. Either or, I am down. She becomes a friend of Leia's and someone that Leia trusts. She is not bad, as far as I know, but someone that Leia's going to look to for guidance and help. ... Guys, this is amazing. Princess Leia has a friend who she knew and who she can confide in (since her brother is missing, and her husband is gone). Some of the Lego leaks has her with a gun in her hand. YAS. (Knowing that Laura kicked ass in Jurassic Park 1 & 3, I have no doubt she'll kick ass again). So, by reading this book, you will get to see how Leia appreciated her as a teen.
This book is about seeing/reading Leia morph into the crafting, cool headed, caring diplomat that we know her to be from the original trilogy and the new trilogy. I think that having Claudia Gray write for Leia is a must. It will be hard to see someone writing for her, though I am welcome to it. Just that with Claudia Gray you can't go wrong. I praise it for handling her relationship with her adoptive family, her role as a leader in the Rebellion to be, and lastly, for being true to Leia's character.