Leia, Princess of Alderaan is a young-adult novel written by Claudia Gray. It was published as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi publishing initiative, and it was originally released on September 1, 2017. It chronicles the teen years of Princess Leia before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope.
Publisher’s Summary: Sixteen-year-old Princess Leia Organa faces the most challenging task of her life so far: proving herself in the areas of body, mind, and heart to be formally named heir to the throne of Alderaan. She’s taking rigorous survival courses, practicing politics, and spearheading relief missions to worlds under Imperial control. But Leia has worries beyond her claim to the crown. Her parents, Breha and Bail, aren’t acting like themselves lately; they are distant and preoccupied, seemingly more concerned with throwing dinner parties for their allies in the Senate than they are with their own daughter. Determined to uncover her parents’ secrets, Leia starts down an increasingly dangerous path that puts her right under the watchful eye of the Empire. And when Leia discovers what her parents and their allies are planning behind closed doors, she finds herself facing what seems like an impossible choice: dedicate herself to the people of Alderaan (including the man she loves) or to the galaxy at large, which is in desperate need of a rebel hero…
Review: Claudia Gray is my favorite Star Wars author. Lost Stars is amazing, Bloodline blew me away, and with this book, once again, Gray hits it out of the park. Leia, Princess of Alderaan is a fantastic book that details our favorite princess as a sixteen-year-old who is making the transition from child to adult in the midst of a growing rebellion, and I cannot imagine it being written any better than Gray has here.
There are lovely tie-ins to the rest of the Star Wars universe, especially as this is in the leadup to Episode IV. We spend a lot of time on Alderaan in this story, and because of that, I will never look at the scene in Episode IV when the Empire destroys Alderaan the same way again. Alderaan is described as a beautiful, vibrant place and the idea of it being destroyed so soon after the events of this book makes me so sad to think about.
We also spend a good bit of time with Leia’s parents, Breha Organa, Queen of Alderaan, and Bail Organa, Senator and Viceroy of Alderaan. I was particularly happy to spend time with Breha because she is not often depicted in other canon materials, only mentioned. Breha is a wonderful character with a great love for her daughter and a loving relationship with her husband, though that relationship is put to the test by the growing rebellion. Bail is shown to be struggling with what the rebellion must become, not wanting to go to war and refusing to admit that it was the only way. The conflict is played out in such a natural and organic way that it didn’t feel forced, and Leia’s part in the growing rebellion and Bail’s reactions to it made perfect sense to me. The way that Bail and Breha try so desperately to keep Leia from becoming a part of the rebellion showed a great deal of love for their daughter, even if I felt as much frustration at their latest block of her offer to help as I’m sure Leia did.
Leia also meets a group of people around her age during a pathfinding class that her mother arranges for her. One of those people is Amilyn Holdo, a human female from Gatalenta and member of Apprentice Legislature, who at first Leia finds a bit odd but eventually becomes a good friend. (Holdo was portrayed by Laura Dern in Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.) Leia also meets Kier Domadi, a fellow Alderaanian, and a member of the Apprentice Legislature, who becomes the man in Leia’s first relationship. The relationship plays out slowly and naturally, never forced, and you believe every second of it, right till the very end of the novel. I really enjoyed that portion of the story, and once again, Gray nails a romance in one of these books set in the Star Wars universe, just like she did in Lost Stars.
There is so much more I want to say, but I don’t want to spoil anything beyond what I might have already. It’s just a phenomenally written book by a fantastic author who you can tell loves Star Wars so much. Every page is seeped in the universe and sometimes the tie-ins are so subtle yet make you so happy once you read them.
Additional Thoughts: If you’re a Star Wars fan, if you love Princess Leia, you should really pick up this book. I had both read the hardcover and listened to the audiobook. Star Wars audiobooks are always fantastic because they are like radio plays with sound effects and music. But whatever medium you choose, this is a fast, fun, easy read. I finished it in a day. It really is fantastic and I hope that you give it a chance.
