Book Review: Star Wars- Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

  Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker is set to release in December of this year. As a fan of the galaxy far, far away, I am always looking for new canon books to fuel my knowledge and excitement. With Princess Leia I have discovered that she has a lot of stories that have yet to be told. In my Galaxy File analysis of Princess Leia I began to add elements from this novel, as well as other resources. Please feel free to check it out after reading this review.

    Leia: Princess of Alderaan is written by Claudia Gray and was released as part of the "Journey to the Last Jedi" campaign before that film's release. It is published by Disney-Lucasfilm Press, an imprint of Disney Books. In this middle-grade adventure we are introduced to a sixteen year old Leia Organa. She is approaching her Day of Demand, where she will claim her right as heir to the Throne of Alderaan. She is enlisted in the junior legislator program on Coruscant, as well as a pathfinder group that teaches survival skills. She also engages in many humanitarian missions to other worlds in the name of Alderaan. Her parents Bail and Breha are never around and seem to have lost interest in their daughter. Leia finds friendships within her pathfinder group and fellow junior senators to fill the gap left from the Organas frequent absences. But Leia realizes that a growing resistance to the Empire has begun to show itself to the galaxy. Even her friends are openly speaking out against Emperor Palpatine. Soon Leia is caught up in the rebellion as she learns of her parent's real reason for being so removed lately....they are part of the Rebellion. With knowledge Leia treads lightly as she continues to see the Empire's terrible grip on the galaxy.

  Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is suspicious of the Organa family and he has taken an interest in Leia. As well as old ally of Senator Padme' Amidala, who may have discovered Leia's true parentage. As the Rebellion amasses its fleet in preparation for war, Saw Gerrera's Partisans group is taking actions that are not approved by the Rebellion. Actions that could get the leaders of the cause caught and executed. As war begins to emerge in the galaxy, one of the greatest future champions of the Rebellion is thrust into war whether she likes it or not. And it will be the upcoming challenges that will mold Leia into the General she would later become.

  Claudia Gray has once again taken her own fandom and crafted a superb novel filled with nostalgia and adventure. Her take on Leia Organa is a new and bold direction that gives us a Leia that is unsure, but determined. Gray introduced us to the beginnings of Leia's long-time friendship with Amilyn Holdo. Holdo's outrageous style and almost naive optimism is a great contrast to Leia's more reality-grounded thinking. Leia uses the Force in this novel, though she is unsure what is occurring at that moment in time. It would be the first of many times that she would unintentionally harness this ability. Her budding romance with fellow junior legislator, Kier Domadi, gives a us an ironic line from Breha about nice boys and falling for scoundrels. Many planets are mentioned in this novel, including Wobani. When Leia visits the world it has yet to become the prison work camp that is seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. And there is also a cameo from Director Orson Krennic. The story glides along quite smoothly with fun dialogue and many moments of peril for Leia. The finale is exciting and heartbreaking, with a direct connection to Gray's novel Bloodline that I thought was a clever addition.

  I read Leia: Princess of Alderaan in part with the narration of actress, Saskia Maarleveld. Her even tone and expressive reading of the narrative was excellently done. I loved her reading of Amilyn Holdo, whose bright and quirky personality was a bright spot in the novel. Excellent work.

  I gave Leia: Princess of Alderaan a four out of five stars. It was a fun adventure that took place at the beginning of the Rebellion. I appreciated the nostalgia and Easter eggs that Claudia Gray gave the reader. I will definitely re-read Bloodline soon to snap together the puzzle pieces left at the end of this book.          



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