Star Wars Book Club discussion

So sorry this thread is very delayed. I've been so excited about these books that i personally saved them to read as a trilogy once they were all released. Well, i gotta get on it!!! ;)

But here is a thread to talk all things E.K
Johnston's Padme trilogy!!!! 💕

I enjoyed Queen's Shadow a lot despite some problems with plotting and continuity. It really made me see the relationship between Padmé and her handmaidens in a new light (as in fully obsessed with them lol).

On the flip side Queen's Peril fell completely flat for me. So unnecessary and did nothing to expand on any of the characters, then the second half is a poor retelling of Episode 1.

Queen's Hope was somewhere in between. There were enjoyable moments however Padmé wasn't even featured for two thirds of the book and there was disappointingly little on her romance with Anakin even though that's what was promised.

Padmé's characterisation was, without doubt, the most disappointing aspect of the trilogy. She has virtually no personality at all outside of a few scenes. Her dialogue and behaviour are so immature and many of her assets are revealed to in fact be owed to Sabé, her other handmaidens or somebody else. I know her character in the movies and TCW wasn't exactly consistent but little effort is put in to make her more interesting.

I liked Sabé in Queen's Shadow, didn't care for her in Peril and detested her in Hope where she mostly felt like a self-insert for the author to rant about the franchise through. Her relationship with Padmé reaches creepy and obsessive levels - not too different from Anakin's, actually. (view spoiler)[However, unlike him Sabé eventually learns to respect Padmé's boundaries and loves her enough to leave her life. (hide spoiler)]

There are other aspects I'd love to rant about but they involve heavy spoilers so I'll avoid talking about them here.

Tarria!!! You can totally get into it!! This thread can totally be for spoilers!!! GO wild!

i really loved all of the Padme books. they are definitely my favorite star wars books.

Okay so spoilers for Queen's Hope - I was really annoyed with how Anakin and Sabé's relationship was portrayed in this book.

Both of them care deeply for Padmé and there's so much potential to explore their similarities and differences. How do they feel about Padmé keeping a secret from each of them?

Instead we get a random love-triangle-ish subplot out of nowhere and Sabé is jealous of Anakin, who is mistrustful of Sabé for...reasons? Also the fact that she's freeing slaves on Tatooine is never brought up. I'd like to see Anakin's reaction to that and how it affects their dynamic, especially so soon after Shmi's death. (In Brotherhood there's a throwaway line that confirms he knows about it but it's never expanded on).

Also I was irritated by the way Padmé was portrayed, confidently leaving Sabé in her place and not seriously thinking through the consequences of Anakin appearing - which he does. She and Sabé bicker like high schoolers, "you're keeping something from me!" "well, so are you!"

Also, Sabé is a massive hypocrite. Angry at Padmé for not telling her about Anakin, yet she never discusses the nature of her relationship with Tonra. Padmé doesn't seem to know much and never asks about him.