E.K. Johnston to complete her trilogy of books about Padmé Amidala, this one set during the Clone Wars

So much of Star Wars is about trilogies, and that is certainly true of E.K. Johnston’s novels about Padmé Amidala.

It was announced yesterday that Johnston is returning to write the beloved character in the book Queen’s Hope, which will release on November 2, 2021. This will complete her Padmé trilogy, coming after Queen’s Shadow and Queen’s Peril. The first was set during Padmé’s early years as a Galactic Senator, and the second jumped back in time to explore her time as the Queen of Naboo. Queen’s Hope, then, will jump forward in time to the Clone Wars, when Padmé is not only a Senator but is the secret wife of Jedi Anakin Skywalker and a prominent figure in the war.

Here’s the description given by StarWars.com about the novel:

It is a time of conflict and Padmé Amidala finds herself cast in new roles as a wartime senator, a wife, and a rebellious woman on a mission.

But still, there is hope.

In her new book, Queen’s Hope author E.K. Johnston will complete her trilogy exploring Padmé’s life during her early years on the senate floor, on the throne of Naboo, and ultimately entangled with Anakin Skywalker, Jedi General, during a dark time in the galaxy’s history. While Anakin excels at leading the clone soldiers on battlefronts across the galaxy, Padmé is horrified by the repercussions left behind on war-torn planets. Although the peace-loving senator is still an active member of the Galactic Republic’s lawmakers, she employs her loyal handmaiden, Sabé, when duty calls her to a secret mission that forces her double to serve the senate for an extended period, witnessing the war from the political arena.

And, of course, Chancellor Palpatine plays his part, manipulating all sides of the conflict for his own evil plan to give rise to the Empire.

I’m really glad to see another novel about Padmé, who is such a fascinating character, and I’m intrigued about a story exploring her during the Clone Wars. She was obviously a major character in The Clone Wars animated series, and in the prequel trilogy, so we’ve seen quite a bit of her during the War – but we haven’t really seen a ton of stories that focus on Padmé, seeing things from her point of view, and seeing how she handles her responsibilities during a War she disagrees with and in a marriage no one is allowed to know about. This opens up tons of possibilities to explore.

I honestly haven’t been the biggest fan of Johnston’s first two Padmé novels, but they’ve been good. And I’m very much still excited for this book, that’s for sure!