Wonder Woman: Warbringer

Starred review from June 1, 2017
DC Comics opens its new line of media tie-in novels with this Wonder Woman origin story.Bardugo introduces readers to Wonder Woman with two alternating perspectives: Diana, princess of Themyscira, and Alia, a 17-year-old New Yorker. While most Amazons are women warriors rewarded with new lives after death, Diana alone is untested, molded from clay, eager to prove herself worthy. Diana's rescue of Alia from a shipwreck forces the princess into exile in order to prevent a foreordained global catastrophe. Alia wonders if her unusually dressed, oddly naive rescuer is in a cult. Nerdy, orphaned, biracial, and identifying as black, Alia is awkward and mostly friendless despite her family's massive wealth. Rescued from disaster by this bronze-skinned white girl who looks "like a supermodel who moonlighted as a cage fighter," Alia learns her very existence might cause the deaths of millions. With the help of her brother and their two best friends (snarky Brazilian Theo and Indian Nim, who's queer, fat, fashionable, and fabulous), Alia accompanies Diana on a quest to end the cycle of death. This will absolutely satisfy pre-existing fans of Wonder Woman, but it also readily stands alone for non-superhero fans (although with the first live-action Wonder Woman film opening two months before the novel's launch, it's likely to contribute to a new fan base for Diana). Cinematic battles and a race against time keep the excitement high, but the focus on girls looking out for each other is what makes this tie-in shine. Crossed fingers for a sequel. (Superhero fantasy. 12-16)

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July 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, daughter of Hippolyta-and desperate for her mother's approval. When Diana witnesses a shipwreck, she decides she cannot let the sole survivor drown. But when disease begins to afflict Diana's Amazon sisters, and earthquakes shake the island of Themyscira, it becomes clear that Diana's choice to rescue Alia has consequences she never could have imagined. Alia is no ordinary girl-she is a descendant of Helen of Troy, the woman whose face "launched a thousand ships." But it wasn't Helen's beauty that drove men to war-Helen was a Warbringer, a deadly legacy Alia has inherited. Diana, Alia, and a motley crew of New York teenagers must find a way to end Alia's potentially destructive power and prevent global war. But there are both human and mythological forces that stand in their way. This book is cinematic in its presentation-fans of the Wonder Woman movie or comics will be satisfied by the fight sequences and the sidekick characters. And the plot about the world on the brink of war feels timely. This book will also appeal to fans of James Patterson's "Maximum Ride" series. VERDICT Not very nuanced, but full of heart and good fun. A strong choice for collections needing female-powered titles for reluctant readers.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Wonder Woman's backstory is fairly well-knownAmazon princess, isolated island populated only by women, defender of truth and justice, snappy golden lasso, etc.but Bardugo breathes zippy new life into the story with a twisty plot, whip-smart characters, and her trademark masterful writing. Diana is eager to prove her valor to the other Amazons on Themyscira, but her chosen act of heroismrescuing teenage Alia from a shipwreck outside the boundary waters of the islandwreaks havoc on the island's delicate balance. Of course, that's not all: Alia is a warbringer, and her mere existence will spark global war unless Diana can intervene. Seamlessly integrating classic Wonder Woman lore with her own updated take, Bardugo fleshes out Diana's backstory and the mythology of Themyscira, adds in sly commentary on feminism and equality, and leavens the package with wry comedyDiana's dour obliviousness to contemporary culture will make readers guffaw. This will certainly please seasoned fans of Wonder Woman, but with a cinematic plot and a diverse cast of thoughtfully well-rounded characters, don't be surprised if it garners wider appeal, too. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Combine best-selling, acclaimed Bardugo with one of this summer's most hotly anticipated movies, and you've got a recipe for a blockbuster on your hands.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2018
Bardugo taps into the resurgence of Wonder Woman fandom with this DC Icons installment. Amazon Princess Diana saves a mortal girl, Alia, from a shipwreck. But Alia is actually a "Warbringer," descended from Helen of Troy, and together the two must bring humanity back from the brink of war. Cinematic action scenes and strong gender-role messages will satisfy both existing DC fans and readers hungry for stories of girl power.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)