ARC Review | Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Wonder Woman: Warbringer
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Pages: 384 pages
Release Date: August 29th, 2017
Source: ARC
Genre: Young Adult, Superhero
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .

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 mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. 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, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.


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By now, we all know that Leigh Bardugo is a master at writing stories from multiple points of view as well as being able to write characters like it’s nobody’s business. Wonder Woman: Warbringer is yet another example of her incredible talents as an author. The multiple POVs will keep you on your toes and constantly second guessing until the very last page. And in true Leigh Bardugo fashion, there is never a dull moment in the story, where we (as the readers) can relax, take a breath, and feel that our beloved characters are safe. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

While we all know Wonder Woman from her role in the comics, in the DC movies, and in the media, we do not know Diana Prince- Princess of Themyscira, Daughter of Hippolyta, underestimated by her fellow Amazonian sisters, and (soon-to-be) hero of mankind. In Leigh Bardugo’s version of Wonder Woman’s backstory, Diana discovers Alia—the young Warbringer—trapped in a shipwreck explosion. Though both are still oblivious to Alia’s fate when they first meet, they quickly discover why everyone is after Alia, and what Alia’s survival could mean for the future of mankind.

“You do not enter a race to lose.”

As I mentioned before, this book hooked me in pretty quickly. From that very first sentence to the very last word, I held my breath, never knowing what to expect next. Surely, by now, I shouldn’t be surprised by how much I cry, laugh, and yell, at any Leigh Bardugo book I read, right?

It was also a pleasantly nice surprise to find how different this version of Diana’s story is from the Wonder Woman movie that was released a few weeks ago. Without getting into spoilers, Warbringer and Wonder Woman (2017) share very few similarities, besides both being epic portrayals of Wonder Woman’s backstory as an Amazonian warrior. While the movie took place in Europe in the 1940s, Warbringer takes place in modern day New York City. One of the key similarities in both the movie and Warbringer is that Diana leaves Themyscira to prove herself as an Amazon. If you enjoyed watching the movie (like 99% of us) then I highly recommend picking up Warbringer as well (if it’s not already on your TBR)!

Like Leigh Bardugo’s past works, Warbringer is told with rich imagery, description, and flawed characters. I loved the diverse portrayal of a majority colored cast of main characters. I loved the female friendships and the sisterhood bond that exists between Diana, Alia, and Nim. I loved that though there was slight romance, the romance didn’t take away from the plot, but rather, added to the story, and made the story all the more enjoyable. I loved that Leigh Bardugo noted and brought awareness to the racism that still exists today, regardless of a person’s social status. And perhaps my favorite part, is Leigh Bardugo’s fierce portrayal of women in Warbringer. This is a story that inspires the males to look up to the females.

In short, Wonder Woman: Warbringer has already scored a spot in my favorite books of 2017. It is an action-packed, page-turning, chills-inducing, fierce read of how the beloved Wonder Woman came to be the protector of mankind. Warbringer has all the classic elements of a Leigh Bardugo story mixed with pieces of classic Greek mythologies, for the perfect blend of a story you don’t want to miss out on.


“I am shield and blade to you. As I breathe, your enemies will know no sanctuary. While I live, your cause is mine.” – The Oath of an Amazon







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2 comments

  1. Okay this book is already added to my TBR list after reading your review. The way you rave about it and the way your words made my palms itch to hold it, I NEED it. Cant't wait to read this!!

    Kathlyn | Kathlyn's Korner

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YYAYYYY!! I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did, and I've been ACHING to talk about it!

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