Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
Series: DC Icons #1
Rating: 5 stars
Published: August 28th 2017
Goodreads Synopsis:
Daughter of immortals.
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.
Daughter of death.
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.
Together.
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.
Leigh Bardugo's books are auto-buys for me, and though this isn't Grisha-related, Wonder Woman proved to be nevertheless a great read. Plus the movie was also (two thumbs up)
Bardugo's book places Diana as a teenager in the modern day. Living on the isle of Themiscrya, she and the other Amazons are isolated from society, until one girl crashes through the border. Turns out, Alia Keralis descends from Helen, and is thus known as a Warbringer, who brings destruction and strife wherever she goes. In order to cleanse this power from her, the two girls set out to Greece, but are met with many obstacles along the way.
Though I do not know much of the DC-verse lore, I'd say Diana in Warbringer proved to be as strong, fierce, and independent as her predecessors. She's willing to stand her ground in what she believes in.
"Maybe they'll move the finish line for the next race," said Otrera.
"Why not?" Thyra replied. "There are different rules when you're royalty.
That was a direct slight to her mother, but Diana grinned as if nothing in the world could bother her. "Amazing how some people never tire of the same song, isn't it" she said as she strolled toward the steps that led to the royal loge. "You only learn one dance, I guess you have to keep doing it."
Some of the onlookers nodded approvingly. They wanted a princess who didn't flinch at easy barbs, who stood her ground, who cold spar with words instead of fists.
And the additions Bardugo made to the canon were pleasant to read about, such as the workings of the Amazonian culture. I also enjoyed having them briefly come to NYC and go through things such as the subway.
Alia and Diana's dynamic worked well. Alia's got a lot of the modern-day common sense that Diana does not have yet, and it's really funny when they converse.
"Your expedition wasn't attacked because of your parents' work. You are being hunted."
"Hunted," Alia said flatly. "For my silky pelt?"
"Because you are haptandra."
"Say again?"
"A Warbringer."
"I'm not into gaming."
"You've really never seen a man before?"
"Only in books and from a great distance."
"Well, what do you think?"
Diana watched a man in glasses pass. "Well they're a bit disappointing. From my mother's descriptions I thought they would be much larger and more aggressive."
Having Alia's friends come along was a great addition to the story. There was a good balance of Wonder Woman's character and story being expanded on and Theo, Nim, Jason, and Alia's stories being developed.
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