Queen's Shadow

Queen's Shadow is a canon young-adult novel written by E. K. Johnston. It was published by Disney–Lucasfilm Press on March 5, 2019. Set four years after the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Queen's Shadow focuses on Padmé Amidala and her transition from queen to senator.
==Publisher's summary==
The end of her reign is just the beginning....
When Padmé Amidala steps down from her position as Queen of Naboo, she is ready to set aside her title and return to life out of the spotlight. But to her surprise, the new queen asks Padmé to continue serving their people—this time in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about the new role but cannot turn down the request, especially since, thanks to her dearest friend—and decoy—Sabé, she can be in two places at once. So while Padmé plunges into politics, Sabé sets off on a mission dear to Padmé's heart.
On the glistening capital planet Coruscant, Padmé's new Senate colleagues regard her with curiosity—and with suspicion for her role in ousting the previous chancellor. Posing as a merchant on Tatooine, Sabé has fewer resources than she thought and fewer options than she needs.
Together with Padmé's loyal handmaidens, Padmé and Sabé must navigate treacherous politics, adapt to constantly changing landscapes, and forge a new identity beyond the queen's shadow.
==Plot summary==
===Transition of roles===
On the day of the election to decide Padmé Amidala's successor as queen, the outgoing monarch and her handmaidens, along with their guards, are in seclusion at Varykino, as is traditional. Relations between Padmé and Captain Quarsh Panaka have been strained for some time due to disagreements over the ion pulse being installed for planetary defense, and she thinks his impending retirement from the Royal Naboo Security Forces is a good thing for him. A surprise visit from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, come home to vote in the election, has the handmaidens scrambling to make Padmé presentable with the resources they have on hand. After Palpatine's departure, Rabé, skilled in lip-reading and trained to read body language, tells Padmé that he was concerned about something, but she couldn't tell what. Padmé discusses her desire to free the slaves on Tatooine, and Sabé vows to stand by her no matter what.
When Sergeant Tonra arrives with the election results, it turns out that Saché's bid for a seat in the legislative assembly has been successful. The new queen is Réillata, a former monarch who had initially chosen to step down after one term, before declaring her intent to run again this year. Padmé privately would have preferred that candidate Jamillia win. The handmaidens discuss their plans for their future: Rabé is attending Theed's most prestigious music academy, Yané wants to care for children and orphans, and Eirtaé has managed to arrange to study in Otoh Gunga.
The Day of Ascendancy comes, and Réillata is crowned Queen of Naboo for the second time. At the inaugural government meeting afterwards, the new Queen surprises Padmé by making an unexpected request of her: Senator Oshadam intends to step down from the Galactic Senate, and Réillata thinks that Padmé is the perfect replacement. Padmé needs time to think about the offer, and after discussing it with her handmaidens that evening, she decides to accept. Sabé offers to go to Tatooine, doing what Padmé had originally planned to do. Discussing things with newly-promoted Captain Mariek Panaka, she offers to guard Padmé along with her nephew, Sergeant Gregar Typho. Tonra, now a captain as well, will go to help Sabé. It is also decided that Padmé will need new handmaidens. Mariek suggests her niece Versaat, Rabé suggests a girl named Cordyn who could serve as a body double, and Typho suggests a former classmate of his named Dorra. Padmé's final task of the night is calling her parents, Ruwee and Jobal, who offer their blessing and advice for her new role.
===Novice Senator===
By the end of her mandatory six-week Senate orientation, Senator Amidala has had enough. Padmé, always a fast learner, is frustrated by the slow pace of things and the unwieldy traditions, taking it out on the Senate-issued protocol droid, NON-3. However, the orientation has given her the time to get to know her new handmaidens, now Cordé, Dormé and Versé. An attempt by NON-3 to take Padmé on a scheduled private tour of the Senate Building's lower levels sets off alarm bells with the Senator and her staff, who decide to take the opportunity to test Cordé's impersonation of Amidala. The droid takes Padmé and the disguised Cordé to an area of the building that, as Alderaanian Senator Bail Organa informs "Amidala" when he unexpectedly appears, is scheduled for demolition. After returning home, Padmé and her inner circle wonder who was behind the assassination attempt, and why Organa was even there.
===First senate session===
By the next morning Padmé's incident with NON-3 has been reported by several holonews articles presenting Padmé as young and incompetent. Versé was running a text analysis on the articles to attempt to find a singular author but couldn't find anything and as NON-3 had yet to be returned to her she had to make her own way from her office to the Naboo pod.
Padmé's first general senate session begins with the representative from Ithor discussing dissemination of hyperspace lane mapping who was then joined by the Trade Federation delegate and a human male from the Urce sector who were both against sharing the maps because they, separately, felt that they owned the rights to them. After five minutes of 'squabbling' Palpatine calls a vote. The route through the Lesser Plooriod Cluster had been particularly mapped out by the Trade Federation but for the most part the Ithorians had done most of the work and the Urce sector only had claim to the portion of the trade route in their own space but combined with the Trade Federations claim they could potentially block the Ithorians into a corner something that Padmé could relate to.
Padmé only has a few minutes to decide and sides with the Ithorians. The motion fails however and they move on to the next topic with the red-haired human woman from Chandrila beginning to speak. Padmé doesn't has time to dwell on the failed vote as she has to move onto the next one. For what feels like hours several motions were raised and passed to various committees or were voted on and several bills that Padmé thought were sound failed and even more were bounced back to the bargaining table before the chime sounds again and and Palpatine calls an end to deliberations.
After Padmé is approached by Senator Rush Clovis, who Padmé recognises as one of the other eight senators in the orientation group, who tells her about a reception being hosted by Palpatine for the new senators and some guests. The other senators were informed via their NONs.
The two walk togther to Palpatine's office. Padmé talks with Palpatine who introduces her to other senators which makes her feel like she was being shown at the annual midsummer livestock fair in Theed. Padmé is then introduced to Senator Mina Bonteri who reassures her she did well in the senate and tells her that she needs to make allies and that the newsnets were after Padmé because she's an easy story which she can combat by doing her job and by trying not to give them anything to sensationalize. Padmé briefly speaks with Organa and the senator from Targappia.
Upon returning to the senatorial residence Padmé discusses the editorials from TriNebulon News and her new role as senator with her staff.
==Continuity==
The novel establishes that the Monarch of Naboo could only reign for two terms, with two years per term. However, the 2016 reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations previously stated that King Ars Veruna of Naboo reigned for thirteen years.Star Wars: Complete Locations
In one instance, Gregar Typho's first name is misspelled as "Gregor." When Padmé talks to Sabé on Alderaan about what her life could have been like if she had not become a handmaiden, the musical instrument hallikset is misspelled as "halliket."
The novel claims there is a stain glass window in the Theed Palace showing the handmaidens holding a canopy which isn't mentioned in any other materials however there is a painting matching this description shown in Star Wars Battlefront II meaning Johnston may have misidentified the piece of art.
The novel depicts Padmé Amidala's relationships with Senators Rush Clovis and Mina Bonteri in a manner which contradicts the information given by Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where the two characters originated. In particular, the depictions in the novel are far more adversarial than what was mentioned in the show:
Clovis was introduced in "Senate Spy" a close friend of Amidala, with their friendship being public knowledge to the degree that it is the reason the Jedi High Council asks her to spy on him when he is suspected of being a Separatist. In the novel, Amidala does not have a relationship with Clovis, instead completely breaking off their friendship after the events on Bromlarch after he pushes himself onto her and forcefully kisses her.
Bonteri, introduced in "Heroes on Both Sides," was a former mentor of Amidala's, with the two depicted as missing each other greatly and respecting each other's counsel. Although the television series implied that Amidala knew Bonteri prior to becoming a Senator, as she states that Bonteri was her mentor while she was growing up on Naboo, the novel depicts them as first meeting afterwards. Amidala is initially friendly with Bonteri, but the Onderonian Senator becomes frostier to her after Amidala begins to ally herself with Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, who believe more strongly in the Republic than she does. "Heroes on Both Sides" also depicts Bonteri as unwittingly admiring of Separatist leader Count Dooku, to the degree of being apparently totally unaware of his true nature as a Sith Lord and like many members of the Separatist Parliament was directly stated by Amidala to be more than Dooku's pawns. Conversely, in the novel Amidala catches Bonteri speaking with a man who is implied to be Dooku on two occasions, whom she is outright fearful of and acts intimidated by.
Amidala and Clovis' proposal to save Bromlarch's planetary aqueduct system was first mentioned in the Clone Wars episode "The Rise of Clovis."
==Development==
Johnston paid homage to Natalie Portman's Judaism with the inclusion of a mezuzah-like object on the doorpost of the Naberrie home.
==Media==
===Editions===
*; March 5, 2019; Disney–Lucasfilm Press; US hardcover
*; March 5, 2019; Disney–Lucasfilm Press; US eBook
*; May 2, 2019; Egmont UK Ltd; UK paperback
===Cover gallery===
File:Queens_Shadow.jpg|Solicitation cover
File:QueensShadow.png|US hardcover
File:QS-SWCC-cover.jpg|Celebration Chicago Exclusive Edition
File:QueensShadowPaperback.jpg|US paperback
File:Queens_Shadow_SWCC_Exclusive_Cover_by_Tony_Foti.png|Celebration Chicago Exclusive Edition and paperback cover art by Tony Foti
File:QueensShadow-UK.jpg|UK paperback
File:QueensShadow-Czech.png|Czech cover - Královnin stín
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
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Category:Canon young-adult novels