Wonder Woman: Warbringer Brought It On!

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Penguin Books UK (Aug 31, 2017)
Series: DC Icons #1

Blurb:
She will become a legend but first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning...

Diana is desperate to prove herself to her warrior sisters. But when the opportunity comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law to save a mere mortal, Alia Keralis. With this single heroic act, Diana may have just doomed the world.

Alia is a Warbringer - a descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies, mortal and divine, determined to destroy or possess the Warbringer.

To save the world, they must stand side by side against the tide of war.

I'd like to thank Penguin Random House UK for sending me a copy of Wonder Woman: Warbringer for review.

Rating: 5/5

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When Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, Marie Lu and Matt de la Pena announced on Twitter that they will be writing novels of DC characters, I was stoked.

Even more so when I found out that queens supreme Leigh and Sarah were both going to write Wonder Woman and Catwoman respectively! I swear to God, a part of me shone like the brightest star in the entire galaxy and these books were the reason I lived.

So, you could probably imagine what an insanely excited mushroom cooked in butter I was, when I received a copy of Warbringer from Penguin UK!

How do I begin with explaining how much I enjoyed Warbringer without spoiling anything for you, my dear panda cupcakes?

“Sisters in battle, I am shield and blade to you. As I breathe, your enemies will know no sanctuary. While I live, your cause is mine.”

OK, first of all, I thought Leigh Bardugo aka queen supreme and master of writing twists really outdid herself in Wonder Woman: Warbringer.

The reason I am saying this is because she’s taken such a beloved character and gave us a fresh new take on Diana Prince’s origins.

I have to admit though, I don’t follow Wonder Woman’s comics but I do have some knowledge about her backstory, such as how she was made by clay and brought to life by Zeus and she lives on a mythical island inhabited by Amazonian warriors.

In Wonder Woman: Warbringer, instead of a dashingly handsome pilot who crash lands into the ocean nearby Themyscira, it’s Alia, a descendant of Helen of Troy who is a Warbringer. What is a warbringer?, you might ask. Well, the name suggests someone who brings war and that’s all you need to know for now. Until you pick up Wonder Woman: Warbringer!

I loved how Leigh Bardugo introduced a fresh take on Diana Prince and the story of her triumphs before becoming Wonder Woman, all the while staying true to her actual backstory.

I thought Leigh Bardugo did an excellent job in capturing Diana’s wide-eyed innocence and naivete, especially when it came to doing the right thing, even if that put her in a conflicted position—which was saving Alia and the world from the inevitable wrath of the warbringer.

“I am done being careful. I am done being quiet. Let them see me angry. Let them hear me wail at the top of my lungs.”

We know Wonder Woman as the independent, strong-willed superheroine from DC Comics, but in Wonder Woman: Warbringer, she’s still a young lady and the world outside of Themyscira is a great unknown to her but driven by the will to do the right thing, she embarks on a journey that would make or break her.

[caption id="attachment_5625" align="alignnone" width="1136"] Look how adorable Diana is as a Funko Pop![/caption]

Aside from Diana, the book is told in alternating chapters that focus on Alia, the warbringer and I thought it was great to read a story that centres on two strong-willed and badass female characters. I liked that Alia is a character that I could relate to, especially her selflessness and that feisty nature!

So, did Wonder Woman: Warbringer live up to my expectations?

Yes, it did. And so much more. I knew I would enjoy it a lot but I was pleasantly surprised that I actually loved it after reading it. The writing is solid and sublime—exactly what you can expect from a prolific writer like Leigh Bardugo, and the construction and progression of the plot is brilliant and so well-written.

The inclusion of Greek mythology and the story of the warbringer, which is incredibly well-woven into the story really enriched and added depth to Diana’s coming-of-age tale.

Action-packed, highly entertaining and filled with moments where you can’t help but raise your fist and shout “Yassssss, queen!” triumphantly, I adored Wonder Woman: Warbringer. You definitely do not want to miss this thrilling story of a young Amazonian who finds her mark in the world as Diana, Princess of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta and all-around badass queen.