*All posts in the Star Wars Canon series contain minor spoilers
20 weeks until Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
“From the outside, she now looked like a woman of action. Inside, her nerves were beginning to get the better of her. It was one thing to want to investigate this potential rebellion against Palpatine’s rule, another to actually walk up to the people responsible and trust them. Even scarier would be asking them to trust her.” –Star Wars: Leia, Princess of Alderaan.
Star Wars: Leia, Princess of Alderaan is about Princess Leia discovering her parents are the start of a rebellion against the Empire and working hard to prove herself worthy of joining such a cause.
Written by: Claudia Gray (author of Master and Apprentice, Lost Stars, From a Certain Point of View short story, and Bloodline)
Published: September 1, 2017
When does Leia, Princess of Alderaan take place?
Between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
Or more specifically: 3 BBY which is sixteen years after the events of Revenge of the Sith.
Synopsis:
The Day of Demand has arrived for sixteen-year-old Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. This is the day she declares her intention to one day serve as ruler of her planet if she is able to complete her tasks of the Body, Mind, and Heart. As the princess completes her three challenges, she discovers her parents, Queen Breha and Senator Bail Organa, are the leaders of a forming rebellion against the Imperial Empire. Leia believes strongly in their cause and sets out to prove herself capable of taking such action against the Empire.
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I love Leia, Princess of Alderaan. It is definitely in the running for my top Star Wars Canon novels! Claudia Gray’s capture of a teenage Princess Leia was well written—a perfect blend of the determination we see in A New Hope and the disappearing innocence of a princess who just turned sixteen.
This book was part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi series (along with Phasma and Canto Bight) and the back cover promises clues about the film. One important part of Leia, Princess of Alderaan that relates to The Last Jedi is the character of Amilyn Holdo. One major criticism of The Last Jedi is how random Admiral Holdo seems to the plotline. She comes out of nowhere and yet Leia trusts her with the entire Resistance. This is set up in Leia, Princess of Alderaan because not only were Leia and Amilyn friends as teenagers, they embark on a high risk mission together, therefore building up a deep sense of trust.
Not only does Leia, Princess of Alderaan have ties to The Last Jedi, it also has ties to the prequel films and Rogue One. And even though Queen’s Shadow was published after, these two books fit well together. I love the connections Leia has to Padme in this book without her even realizing it.
Overall, I love how well Leia, Princess of Alderaan fits into the Star Wars galaxy. It has so many connections to various films and books that I would recommend it to pretty much any Star Wars fan.
Next week: Thrawn
Complete list of Star Wars Canon novels
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