Synopsis

“Princess Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mortal. Diana will soon learn that she has rescued no ordinary girl and that with this single brave act, she may have doomed the world. Alia Keralis just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted by people who think her very existence could spark a world war. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Two girls will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. Tested beyond the bounds of their abilities, Diana and Alia must find a way to unleash hidden strengths and forge an unlikely alliance. Because if they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.” —Goodreads

Review

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo is the first in the young adult DC Icons series that takes a look at Wonder Woman before she was Wonder Woman.

As a long time, comic book fan, novels such as these that take a new look like they are going to mess up the canon already established for years. However, honestly, this was a delightful novel to read that only served to add to the history that is Wonder Woman. Warbringer takes the reader to a time before Diana was Wonder Woman when she was just a teenager still trying to find her way on an island full of warrior women who earned their places there, whereas she was made of clay and given life by the gods, which is in line with Diana’s original storyline. However, because of her origins, she is also an outcast, and she feels it too. Everyone knows Diana as a Warrior Princess, confident in every way, and yet her past is so familiar to any young reader who picks up this novel, and that is what makes it such a good novel.

Tapping into her outsider history, Bardugo uses this to build the history of the novel, to give Diana even more dimension than she already has by making her a compelling individual by highlighting her compassion, her love, and her belief in the idea that every life is worth saving. Those are the essential elements that make Diana such a fantastic character, which makes her a compelling and enigmatic character. Any fan of Wonder Woman is going to love this and is going to respect this author’s integrity and the respect she has for this character who has been a staple in the DC Universe.

Her origin also makes her character so human and relatable, but the story is what makes her worthy of her mantle. Nonetheless, there is also the element of character growth that drives the story, giving it even more depth as it progresses. It is fun how Diana branches out of her comfort area and becomes more than just an Amazon; she becomes a kid, a teenager who is having fun instead of worrying about being accepted. Moreover, she is accepted.

The story presents a fun and thoughtful journey for Diana and fans of Diana. The character dynamics are fantastic and thoughtful as they present the story of who Diana was before she was Wonder Woman, as the story gives readers a stepping stone to that person.

Moreover, there’s an adventure in the novel and a connection to Greek mythology. That connection to Greek mythology is terrific because Bardugo uses just enough mythology to give the story a foundation without overwhelming the story in myths many people are familiar with. Again, Bardugo gives those myths little twists that aren’t unbelievable or that tarnish something that people love; she adds new elements to make the story unique and to give it a solid finish.

All in all, this is such an amazing novel that fans will not be able to put down.