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Wonder Woman: Warbringer
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.
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.
369 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2017
About the author
Leigh Bardugo
77 books176k followersLeigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University. For information on new releases and appearances, sign up for her newsletter.
She would be delighted if you visited her at LeighBardugo.com and fairly giddy if you liked her selfies on Instagram.
She would be delighted if you visited her at LeighBardugo.com and fairly giddy if you liked her selfies on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,306 reviews
September 2, 2017
“Sister in battle,” murmured Diana, “I am shield and blade to you.”
“And friend.”
“And always your friend.”
Wonder Woman has gotten quite the makeover this year and I must confess: I really like it. From the movie with Gal Gadot, to this wicked little tale of female empowerment, one of my least favourite superheroes is rapidly becoming a new favourite. And apparently Catwoman, Superman and Batman are also being remade by popular YA authors. After this, I'm excited for more.
You know, at first, I was a touch disappointed that Bardugo didn't take this opportunity to have a gay romance for Wonder Woman. When she opened Diana's story by swapping out the arrival of army captain, Steve Trevor, for a Greek/African-American girl called Alia, I was secretly shipping them. And yet, I soon realized that Bardugo was doing something just as important-- showing the power of female friendships above all else.
I expected certain things from this book - action, death, drama, Greek mythology, a hint of romance - and I definitely got them, but I was surprised by several things. I was surprised by the strength of the characters and their relationships, and how well the author used dialogue to create warm, funny and touching dynamics between them. I was surprised that it was, at times, a funny book. And I was surprised by how much emotion Bardugo packed into it.
In this Wonder Woman story, Alia is on board a ship near the island where Diana and her Amazonian sisters live when a bomb detonates. Diana pulls her from the ship, but soon discovers her act of bravery may lead to disaster for both the human world and the Amazons. Alia is a Warbringer, and she unwittingly brings death and war wherever she goes.
Determined to save the world and Alia, Diana sets out to find the last resting place of Helen of Troy, and hopefully put an end to Alia's destiny. They move from Themyscira to New York City to Southern Greece, joined by Alia's brother and their friends, Nim and Theo, along the way. Girls sticking up for one another is a major theme, as is friendship in general.
It was also very refreshing to see an almost entirely non-white/European cast of central characters. Aside from the white Diana, Alia and her brother are Greek/African-American and identify as black, Theo is Brazilian, and Nim is Indian, gay, fat and so very fucking awesome.
What I thought was an interesting choice that somehow worked is that the author kind of makes this Wonder Woman story as much about the other characters as it is about Diana Prince. With superhero stories, I almost always feel like every other character exists in relation to the superhero, revolving around them and having no real individuality. But that's just not the case here. Each character is important and memorable. I cared about Diana Prince in this book, sure, but I cared about the others just as much.
The ending closes this chapter but leaves us with the suggestion that there could be more Wonder Woman books in the future. I can only hope there is.
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August 29, 2017
4.5*
I love Leigh Bardugo SO much and she did such an amazing job with this story. I loved how it showed the power of strong female friendships and just girl power in general. My only complaint is that I felt there wasn't quite enough action for a superhero novel.
Booktalk to come!! I will link it when it's up.
*Thank you to Chapters Indigo for providing me with an ARC!*
I love Leigh Bardugo SO much and she did such an amazing job with this story. I loved how it showed the power of strong female friendships and just girl power in general. My only complaint is that I felt there wasn't quite enough action for a superhero novel.
Booktalk to come!! I will link it when it's up.
*Thank you to Chapters Indigo for providing me with an ARC!*
May 15, 2021
Okay,
maybe
it's just me...but I was expecting
more
Diana, along with everyone she's ever known, lives on a secret island - devoted to the strongest female warriors known to mankind.
Diana is the only one who was born (and raised) on the island. And while she's loved by all...there are a few that question her presence.
When a mysterious, and severely injured, teenager (Alia) washes up on the island, Diana puts all the warriors at risk by allowing her safe haven.
Alia is actually a harbinger of war - where ever she goes, whomever she contacts, essentially any and all things connected to her will bring about a war...that is, unless she is murdered before she comes into her full powers.
Diana understands this, but she refuses to give in. She finds another way...but it comes at a cost.
Will she make it, and prove to her family that she's truly a warrior? Or will she die trying?
Now, don't get me wrong. The story was nice. And that's about it.
Wonder Woman is so flawless as an adult...and she's just about as flawless as a teen. Sure, she's a little clueless but she's so confident and strong, that it's like a 30-year-old hanging out with the kiddies.
I feel like there are so many books that treat race as Race - and wrap the entire story around Race. I'm all for having books about Race but sometimes it's really nice to have books with race as a side-part of the story. (Does that make sense?)
And I'm eternally grateful that this was one of those. It definitely didn't fall into the typical YA trope of white-on-white.
I enjoyed how Leigh Bardugo slips in diversity gently, and matter-of-factly, so that the story always includes race but it's sole purpose isn't to discuss Race.
I also enjoyed how the side-characters outshone the mains - it's nice to have moments where you become entirely invested in subplots and side relations.
Overall - a nice read, but not one that I'll be going back to.
The 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - a book with alliteration in the title
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Diana, along with everyone she's ever known, lives on a secret island - devoted to the strongest female warriors known to mankind.
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.Every warrior has proven herself time, and time again...well, except for Diana.
Diana is the only one who was born (and raised) on the island. And while she's loved by all...there are a few that question her presence.
When a mysterious, and severely injured, teenager (Alia) washes up on the island, Diana puts all the warriors at risk by allowing her safe haven.
Alia is actually a harbinger of war - where ever she goes, whomever she contacts, essentially any and all things connected to her will bring about a war...that is, unless she is murdered before she comes into her full powers.
Diana understands this, but she refuses to give in. She finds another way...but it comes at a cost.
Will she make it, and prove to her family that she's truly a warrior? Or will she die trying?
Now, don't get me wrong. The story was nice. And that's about it.
Wonder Woman is so flawless as an adult...and she's just about as flawless as a teen. Sure, she's a little clueless but she's so confident and strong, that it's like a 30-year-old hanging out with the kiddies.
Because people are always going to look. They’re always going to judge, so you can say nothing or you can at least answer back.I get that we are seeing Diana as we've never seen her before...but did it have to be such a cookie-cutter story? This book felt too much like a cheesy YA lit novel.
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.However, there was something that did make this one stand out - Leigh Bardugo handled race really well in this novel.
I feel like there are so many books that treat race as Race - and wrap the entire story around Race. I'm all for having books about Race but sometimes it's really nice to have books with race as a side-part of the story. (Does that make sense?)
And I'm eternally grateful that this was one of those. It definitely didn't fall into the typical YA trope of white-on-white.
I enjoyed how Leigh Bardugo slips in diversity gently, and matter-of-factly, so that the story always includes race but it's sole purpose isn't to discuss Race.
I also enjoyed how the side-characters outshone the mains - it's nice to have moments where you become entirely invested in subplots and side relations.
Overall - a nice read, but not one that I'll be going back to.
We cannot spend our lives in hiding, wondering what we might accomplish if given the chance. We have to take that chance ourselves.P.s. Lol, who would've expected so many quotes to be product of a soothsayer and an encouraging-kitten-poster-in-the-guidance-office...
The 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - a book with alliteration in the title
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August 31, 2017
One of the shortest reviews to what I thought would be a long review of one of my favorite comic book characters.
Wonder Woman and the Hulk were my favorite characters of all time when I was growing up. I watched and own the shows. I just love them still. Superman followed shortly after and then several more as I got older. Soooooo, I was really disappointed that this book didn't blow me away. I thought it would have all of the stars. I love old school Diana.
All the stars goes to Wonder Woman and I liked Alia well enough but it just didn't hit me the right way. I didn't care for anyone else in the book. Don't get me wrong, I love Leigh Bardugo and her Six of Crows duology but I just didn't love this one.
I don't understand why books have to be changed around to some weird different stuff and I don't even know how to explain what I mean. Lol
I'm glad so many loved it to death because this is the way of the new world. I'm hoping that someone will write a more adult Wonder Woman book down the road and have it more to the real story line then bending to the world all young adult books are taking. I'm glad that Diana wasn't seen as stupid at least. It wasn't great, it wasn't bad, it was okay.
Mel ♥
Wonder Woman and the Hulk were my favorite characters of all time when I was growing up. I watched and own the shows. I just love them still. Superman followed shortly after and then several more as I got older. Soooooo, I was really disappointed that this book didn't blow me away. I thought it would have all of the stars. I love old school Diana.
All the stars goes to Wonder Woman and I liked Alia well enough but it just didn't hit me the right way. I didn't care for anyone else in the book. Don't get me wrong, I love Leigh Bardugo and her Six of Crows duology but I just didn't love this one.
I don't understand why books have to be changed around to some weird different stuff and I don't even know how to explain what I mean. Lol
I'm glad so many loved it to death because this is the way of the new world. I'm hoping that someone will write a more adult Wonder Woman book down the road and have it more to the real story line then bending to the world all young adult books are taking. I'm glad that Diana wasn't seen as stupid at least. It wasn't great, it wasn't bad, it was okay.
Mel ♥
May 29, 2018
“I imagine all wars look the same to those who die in them.”
First off, Leigh Bardugo is honestly the queen of writing and I’m not sure what any of us did to deserve her, but I am forever and always going to count her as a blessing. This story is so beautifully written, and I had to tab so many pages with powerful quotes. Leigh also always writes diverse casts that I fall instantly in love with. Like, when do I get a full book about Nim? Because I need that in my life immediately.
➽Diana – White, Wonder Woman herself, obviously a total badass.
➽Alia – Black, a Warbringer, a confirmed angel in my eyes, Jason’s sister.
➽Jason – Black, Alia’s brother, has helped raise Alia since their parent’s death.
➽Nim – Indian, my queer baby, chubby, my sarcastic queen.
➽Theo – Brazilian, Jason’s best friend, funny, must be protected at all costs.
Beautiful art by Jen Bartel, my celebrity crush. *swoons forever*
So, this book really starts off with a bang *wink*, when a ship explodes near Themyscira, the island where the Amazons live and there is no fear of war or conflict. But on Themyscira, only strong woman, who have proven themselves during their human life, can reside. Well, except Diana, who has been made her from the ground itself by her mother and the queen of the island. Even though Diana’s mother loves her with all her being, a few of the other women are hesitant to accept her, because they feel she hasn’t “proven herself.” And one of the only rules of Themyscira is that no human is ever allowed to step foot on its shores.
But Diana witnesses the ship explosion, and finds a lone survivor that she can’t help but rescue and bring back to Themyscira. But the island feels the human’s presence, and starts to attack itself. Diana then seeks out an Oracle who tells her the options she has, and the paths she can take, to save not only her island, but the world itself.
We are then swept away on a tale that spans from New York City to Greece, from humans to ancient Gods, about powerful girls, unconditional friendships, and the cruelness of men. But the heart of this story is friendship, and how unconditional love from the people you choose to call family is the most powerful force in the world. And the found family in this makes me weep with happiness. I truly love these characters.
“Who tells those stories? Tales of vengeful goddesses who wager in human lives for vanity's sake? Of course men believe a woman's power must lie in the fineness of her features, the shapeliness of her limbs. You know better, Daughter of Earth.”
There is also a wonderful discussion about privilege that is brought up throughout this entire book. And how no amount of money will ever be able to alter how people will see your skin color and/or perceive your culture, how no amount of money will never erase oppression, and how discrimination happens in every single economic level in our society, regardless of what people who can’t see passed their white privilege say. I loved this constantly being brought up, and some of these experiences that were talked about are exactly what marginalized teens need to read, and see, and understand that they are perfect the way they are, but our world is just an ugly place that hopefully won’t be so ugly with their generation.
“It's the people who never learn the word impossible who make history, because they're the ones who keep trying.”
I will also continue on with the series with Batman by Marie Lu! But, sadly and ultimately, I just don’t think superhero books are for me. I totally enjoyed reading this, but something just kept me from loving it, so I’m going to blame it on that. I still think this is a very worthwhile and important read, and I’m so happy that I finally was able to get around to it!
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September 23, 2019
”As I breathe, your enemies will know no sanctuary. While I live, your cause is mine.”
The more I thought about this book, the more I realized that “Wonder Woman” is one of those books you could easily transform into a movie. There were just so many scenes I could picture in a movie and even though this made my entire reading experience very vivid and highly entertaining, it unfortunately also meant that a little bit of my enjoyment went missing.
“Why is that?” you might ask and I’ll try to give you a proper answer. When I read a book I want my own fantasy to kick in and I don’t only want to imagine those moments but I also want to be surprised. So if I can picture them so easily this ultimately means that I already have a similar scene in my mind and this is never good. *lol*
Don’t get me wrong! I really loved this and it was a lot of fun, the “movie factor” was just too strong for my taste though. XD Especially because I recently saw the movie with Gal Gadot and always thought, I really would have loved to see this book as the movie instead of the actual movie. *lol* Because let’s face it: Leigh’s script was way better than the run of the mill Hollywood screenplay.
Yes, you read right and I stand by it. ;-P Leigh Bardugo is queen and even one of my four star reviews won’t change that. *lol*
On a more personal note: I started this book as a buddy read with my online bestie but about 10% into the book he dropped out of our BR and I had to finish it on my own. It’s sad we couldn’t read the book together but I understand his reasons so yeah, there’s that. >_<
And now onwards to one of my more lengthy reviews. ;-)
The characters:
Here’s your turning point! Either you move on and leave the safety of Themyscira (what a difficult word!!) or you decide to stay on the island and miss the opportunity to be spoiled! It’s up to you, choose wisely my young warrior! ;-P
Alia:
”Warbringer. Procatalysia. Haptandra. They could call it whatever they wanted. It sounded a lot like monster.”
Alia… Mhmm what to say about her? I think in this story she kind of represented the typical heroine. I mean she didn’t want to be a Warbringer and she would have rather preferred to die than to be the reason for the 3rd world war. So her character definitely went along with the characteristical attributes of a martyr and she had that sacrificial victim vibe down to a T. *lol* Unfortunately this also meant that we barely got to know her as a person. I mean yes, we get that she was a brainiac and a shy outsider but that’s about it. Which is very sad, because I really would have liked to see all of her different facets and for an MC this just wasn't enough for me. >_<
Diana:
”We cannot spend our lives in hiding, wondering what we might accomplish if given the chance. We have to take that chance ourselves.”
Come to think of it the same could be said for Diana. She’s one of those super strong and righteous characters that throw around life lessons and quotes like nobody’s business! Haha! I’m not gonna lie, I kinda liked that about her, but it also made her a pretty innocent and bland character to read about. There were no rough edges and I was somehow reminded of Alina in “Shadow and Bone”. I can’t shake the feeling that Diana would have turned out to be a really great character if she would have been given a chance to thrive in a sequel. *lol* As far as I know there doesn’t exist a second book though, so I suppose I’ll just have to accept the fact that her character won’t be fleshed out and that this is everything we'll ever get. XD *sniff* There would have been so much potential...
”We can’t help the way we’re born. We can’t help what we are, only what life we choose to make for ourselves.”
Nim:
”For all my big talk, I’ve never brought a girl home. I’ve never even hinted at that stuff to my parents. I’m afraid if I do, it will all fall apart.”
Boy, could I relate to Nim!!! I loved this girl so much and considering that she was just a side character, she and Theo actually saved the book for me. It’s kind of interesting how the side characters got a chance to shine in “Wonder Woman” and how I ended up thinking that the MCs were nothing special. *lol* But here it is and I accept it. XD Whilst I missed the depth in Diana’s and Alia’s character I got plenty of that with Nim. ;-) She was an amazing sidekick and her comments were priceless! XD You might call it the “Nikolai Lantsov” effect and Nim as well as Theo had plenty of it. *lol*I loved how fierce and independent Nim was and even though she stood on her own feet and was able to defend herself she still had a vulnerable and insecure side that was revealed throughout the course of the book. I really would have loved to read even more about her but unfortunately my wish wasn’t granted, which made me very sad because the world needs more Nim's for sure! T_T
”What’s a supermodel?” Diana asked.
Nim stared at her.
“Uh, Diana’s homeschooled,” said Alia.
“Under a rock?” asked Nim.
”Because the whole world loves to tell us what we can’t do, that we aren’t good enough. The people in your own house should be on your side. It’s the people who never learn the word impossible who make history, because they’re the ones who keep trying.”
”Maybe it feels easier that way, just being invisible instead of always worrying what people think of you.”
Nim’s voice was surprisingly emphatic. “But that’s a choice, too, right? Because people are always going to look. They’re always going to judge, so you can say nothing or you can at least answer back.”
Jason:
”Is that stupid?” he asked. It was the first time she’d seen him look anything less than sure of himself. “To want a chance at greatness?”
Urgh! Jason! You can bet your lovely behind on the fact that I knew he was one of the bad guys the very moment he opened his mouth for the first time. *lol* I wasn’t fooled by him… not even for a second. XD He made a very bad villain though because his motives were really stupid. I mean yes, he wanted to get a chance to shine. So what? You’re going to risk your life in a war that will drag the entire world into mayhem just to get a shot at greatness? Who’s going to remember you when the entire world is descending into chaos? I think there are enough wars already and humanity is doing a great job at killing itself without the additional help of a Warbringer. At some point of the book Alia and Diana tried to tell him too, but of course he didn’t listen. XD Well, in the end he got what he deserved and even though the way it was executed made my eyes roll and sort of reminded me of the ending of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (except of the getting old and crumbling to dust part) it was still kind of fitting for him. *lol*
”Humans can’t hold to peace, Diana,” Jason said. His gaze was steady, certain, and in his words she heard the echo of her mother’s voice. “We’re brutes and have been since our beginning. If we can’t have peace, then at least give us a chance at a beautiful death.”
Theo:
”You mean we’re all going to join hands and sing folk songs?”
“That sounds unpleasant,” said Diana.
“Come on!” said Theo. “Peace, love, the Age of Asparagus.”
“Aquarius,” corrected Nim.
*LOL* Theo, this brilliant little piece of sh**! Haha! I can’t say how much I adored him. Yes, he was a nerd but he was a sexy nerd and I could totally understand that Alia had the hots for him. XD I completely fell in love with him and his pointy shoes as well. *lol* ;-P He provided the easy banter and the funny moments of this story and I can’t understand why Jason wanted to kill him! I mean he was his best friend, he stood by him and even though everyone suspected him of being the villain he took it in stride and proved them wrong! He could have been offended by them suspecting him but instead he tried to understand them and overcame his hurt. =) Plus even though he might have been a skinny son of a gun he had his heart at the right place and managed to be cool when you least expected it. ;-) So yes, I’m a Theo fan now! XD
”Diana,” said Nim. “Kick Jason’s ass.”
She frowned, confused. “Specifically his ass?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Without looking up from the keys, Theo said, “New York tradition.”
The relationships & ships:
Alia & Diana:
”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.”
Haha! The dialogues between those two! <3 They sure as hell made an interesting team, yet they still worked out somehow. *lol* I really liked their strong bond and friendship and I wish they would have gotten a chance to spend more time with each other. After everything that happened the ending felt rather rushed and when I closed the final page of the book I couldn’t help but wish for a little bit more time with those two. I didn’t like that Diana had to go back to her island immediately and to me it felt like they didn’t get a decent chance at closure. I mean Diana would have deserved to be with them, even if it would have been for just a little while. >_<
Alia & Theo:
”I drove,” said Theo. “Once.”
“That was a golf cart,” said Alia.
“So? It had four wheels and went vroom.”
“You crashed it into a tree.”
“I’ll have you know that tree had been drinking.”
Ahhh I loved how well they knew each other and yet they still never went for a romance. *lol* I guess they both might have waited for the right time and as it seems it finally arrived. Thank the gods! Because those two fit together perfectly! XD I knew they’d be awesome the moment Theo was introduced and I longed to read about their first kiss! Which didn’t happen!!! Like OMG!!! WHY LEIGH??!!!! A little kiss never hurt nobody! >_< Guess I’ll just have to picture their happily ever after in my mind. *sighs*
”The night of the party at the Met, how come you complimented everyone but me?”
He grinned. “Because you in that gold dress turned my brain to mush.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right.”
He took a couple of steps, then paused. “Alia?” he called back.
“What, Theo?”
“That night, at the party? You looked like buried treasure.”
Diana & Jason:
”You’re pretty enough, Jason Keralis. But hardly intimidating.”
His eyelids stuttered. “Pretty?”
Pff, I didn’t get to witness my Aleo ship but unfortunately I had to watch the shipwreck of Dison! *lol* This relationship was doomed right from the beginning because I didn’t feel any chemistry between those two! They danced, they laughed, hell, they even spent a night together yet they didn’t even evoke a shred of emotion in me. >_< I guess their impeccable behaviour made it kind of hard to enjoy their relationship. They were both too bland to make a decent couple and I could only roll my eyes whenever they were supposed to have a romantic moment. *sighs deeply* Nope, those two just didn’t work for me. #SorryNotSorry
”I think you’ve grown too used to people saying yes to you.”
“Have I?”
“But you have no idea how much I enjoy saying no.”
Nim & Theo:
”Nim, you look like a delicious confection, a walking, talking – probably poisonous – petit four.”
“In that case,” said Nim, “bite me.”
Now that’s what I call a perfect frenemy relationship. Haha! I wonder if it was just Alia’s Warbringer influence or if they kept up their banter after the happenings at the spring. *lol* I like to believe that they started to like each other and developed some sort of love-hate sibling friendship over the years. XD In the book they were like cat and mouse and their entertainment effect was very high. If it would have been up to me there would have been even more crazy conversations between them but I guess it was perfect the way Leigh decided to handle it. ;-)
”We’re the villains! It’s always cooler to be the villain. You get to wear black and have a lair and brood. Besides, girls can’t resist a bad boy.”
“You are such an idiot,” said Nim.
He tapped his temple. “It’s not my fault you lack the vision.”
Conclusion:
“Wonder Woman – Warbringer” was a highly entertaining book that reminded me a lot of all those modern blockbusters you can watch at the movies. There was plenty of easy banter and a great and diverse cast of MCs and side-characters alike. I loved that a lot of myths and legends weren’t only mentioned but also woven into the story and if there was one thing I didn’t like, then it was the fact that the MCs didn’t really convince me. In my opinion the side characters were more intriguing than the MCs and this in combination with the rather abrupt ending ultimately caused me to rate this book with only four stars. If you’re looking for an easy and funny read this definitely should be able to satisfy your hunger though. ;-)
_____________________________
I recently saw the movie and I already knew about the “DC Icons” series when I happened to find this at one of my libraries. =)
Leigh Bardugo writing the story of Wonder Woman? Count me in! XD
I’m a huge fan of “Batman”, “Catwoman” and “Superman” as well so let’s hope that my library has the rest of the series too. *fingers crossed*
AND
Mr. Babygreys , I know you’re reading this so would you be so kind and go for another buddy read with me? It would be such a pleasure! ;-P *princely bow* There I asked you really nicely! This gotta count for something, right? XD
P.S:If not I’ll ignore all my princely manners and pull your ear instead. *lol*
The more I thought about this book, the more I realized that “Wonder Woman” is one of those books you could easily transform into a movie. There were just so many scenes I could picture in a movie and even though this made my entire reading experience very vivid and highly entertaining, it unfortunately also meant that a little bit of my enjoyment went missing.
“Why is that?” you might ask and I’ll try to give you a proper answer. When I read a book I want my own fantasy to kick in and I don’t only want to imagine those moments but I also want to be surprised. So if I can picture them so easily this ultimately means that I already have a similar scene in my mind and this is never good. *lol*
Don’t get me wrong! I really loved this and it was a lot of fun, the “movie factor” was just too strong for my taste though. XD Especially because I recently saw the movie with Gal Gadot and always thought, I really would have loved to see this book as the movie instead of the actual movie. *lol* Because let’s face it: Leigh’s script was way better than the run of the mill Hollywood screenplay.
Yes, you read right and I stand by it. ;-P Leigh Bardugo is queen and even one of my four star reviews won’t change that. *lol*
On a more personal note: I started this book as a buddy read with my online bestie but about 10% into the book he dropped out of our BR and I had to finish it on my own. It’s sad we couldn’t read the book together but I understand his reasons so yeah, there’s that. >_<
And now onwards to one of my more lengthy reviews. ;-)
The characters:
Here’s your turning point! Either you move on and leave the safety of Themyscira (what a difficult word!!) or you decide to stay on the island and miss the opportunity to be spoiled! It’s up to you, choose wisely my young warrior! ;-P
Alia:
”Warbringer. Procatalysia. Haptandra. They could call it whatever they wanted. It sounded a lot like monster.”
Alia… Mhmm what to say about her? I think in this story she kind of represented the typical heroine. I mean she didn’t want to be a Warbringer and she would have rather preferred to die than to be the reason for the 3rd world war. So her character definitely went along with the characteristical attributes of a martyr and she had that sacrificial victim vibe down to a T. *lol* Unfortunately this also meant that we barely got to know her as a person. I mean yes, we get that she was a brainiac and a shy outsider but that’s about it. Which is very sad, because I really would have liked to see all of her different facets and for an MC this just wasn't enough for me. >_<
Diana:
”We cannot spend our lives in hiding, wondering what we might accomplish if given the chance. We have to take that chance ourselves.”
Come to think of it the same could be said for Diana. She’s one of those super strong and righteous characters that throw around life lessons and quotes like nobody’s business! Haha! I’m not gonna lie, I kinda liked that about her, but it also made her a pretty innocent and bland character to read about. There were no rough edges and I was somehow reminded of Alina in “Shadow and Bone”. I can’t shake the feeling that Diana would have turned out to be a really great character if she would have been given a chance to thrive in a sequel. *lol* As far as I know there doesn’t exist a second book though, so I suppose I’ll just have to accept the fact that her character won’t be fleshed out and that this is everything we'll ever get. XD *sniff* There would have been so much potential...
”We can’t help the way we’re born. We can’t help what we are, only what life we choose to make for ourselves.”
Nim:
”For all my big talk, I’ve never brought a girl home. I’ve never even hinted at that stuff to my parents. I’m afraid if I do, it will all fall apart.”
Boy, could I relate to Nim!!! I loved this girl so much and considering that she was just a side character, she and Theo actually saved the book for me. It’s kind of interesting how the side characters got a chance to shine in “Wonder Woman” and how I ended up thinking that the MCs were nothing special. *lol* But here it is and I accept it. XD Whilst I missed the depth in Diana’s and Alia’s character I got plenty of that with Nim. ;-) She was an amazing sidekick and her comments were priceless! XD You might call it the “Nikolai Lantsov” effect and Nim as well as Theo had plenty of it. *lol*I loved how fierce and independent Nim was and even though she stood on her own feet and was able to defend herself she still had a vulnerable and insecure side that was revealed throughout the course of the book. I really would have loved to read even more about her but unfortunately my wish wasn’t granted, which made me very sad because the world needs more Nim's for sure! T_T
”What’s a supermodel?” Diana asked.
Nim stared at her.
“Uh, Diana’s homeschooled,” said Alia.
“Under a rock?” asked Nim.
”Because the whole world loves to tell us what we can’t do, that we aren’t good enough. The people in your own house should be on your side. It’s the people who never learn the word impossible who make history, because they’re the ones who keep trying.”
”Maybe it feels easier that way, just being invisible instead of always worrying what people think of you.”
Nim’s voice was surprisingly emphatic. “But that’s a choice, too, right? Because people are always going to look. They’re always going to judge, so you can say nothing or you can at least answer back.”
Jason:
”Is that stupid?” he asked. It was the first time she’d seen him look anything less than sure of himself. “To want a chance at greatness?”
Urgh! Jason! You can bet your lovely behind on the fact that I knew he was one of the bad guys the very moment he opened his mouth for the first time. *lol* I wasn’t fooled by him… not even for a second. XD He made a very bad villain though because his motives were really stupid. I mean yes, he wanted to get a chance to shine. So what? You’re going to risk your life in a war that will drag the entire world into mayhem just to get a shot at greatness? Who’s going to remember you when the entire world is descending into chaos? I think there are enough wars already and humanity is doing a great job at killing itself without the additional help of a Warbringer. At some point of the book Alia and Diana tried to tell him too, but of course he didn’t listen. XD Well, in the end he got what he deserved and even though the way it was executed made my eyes roll and sort of reminded me of the ending of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (except of the getting old and crumbling to dust part) it was still kind of fitting for him. *lol*
”Humans can’t hold to peace, Diana,” Jason said. His gaze was steady, certain, and in his words she heard the echo of her mother’s voice. “We’re brutes and have been since our beginning. If we can’t have peace, then at least give us a chance at a beautiful death.”
Theo:
”You mean we’re all going to join hands and sing folk songs?”
“That sounds unpleasant,” said Diana.
“Come on!” said Theo. “Peace, love, the Age of Asparagus.”
“Aquarius,” corrected Nim.
*LOL* Theo, this brilliant little piece of sh**! Haha! I can’t say how much I adored him. Yes, he was a nerd but he was a sexy nerd and I could totally understand that Alia had the hots for him. XD I completely fell in love with him and his pointy shoes as well. *lol* ;-P He provided the easy banter and the funny moments of this story and I can’t understand why Jason wanted to kill him! I mean he was his best friend, he stood by him and even though everyone suspected him of being the villain he took it in stride and proved them wrong! He could have been offended by them suspecting him but instead he tried to understand them and overcame his hurt. =) Plus even though he might have been a skinny son of a gun he had his heart at the right place and managed to be cool when you least expected it. ;-) So yes, I’m a Theo fan now! XD
”Diana,” said Nim. “Kick Jason’s ass.”
She frowned, confused. “Specifically his ass?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Without looking up from the keys, Theo said, “New York tradition.”
The relationships & ships:
Alia & Diana:
”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.”
Haha! The dialogues between those two! <3 They sure as hell made an interesting team, yet they still worked out somehow. *lol* I really liked their strong bond and friendship and I wish they would have gotten a chance to spend more time with each other. After everything that happened the ending felt rather rushed and when I closed the final page of the book I couldn’t help but wish for a little bit more time with those two. I didn’t like that Diana had to go back to her island immediately and to me it felt like they didn’t get a decent chance at closure. I mean Diana would have deserved to be with them, even if it would have been for just a little while. >_<
Alia & Theo:
”I drove,” said Theo. “Once.”
“That was a golf cart,” said Alia.
“So? It had four wheels and went vroom.”
“You crashed it into a tree.”
“I’ll have you know that tree had been drinking.”
Ahhh I loved how well they knew each other and yet they still never went for a romance. *lol* I guess they both might have waited for the right time and as it seems it finally arrived. Thank the gods! Because those two fit together perfectly! XD I knew they’d be awesome the moment Theo was introduced and I longed to read about their first kiss! Which didn’t happen!!! Like OMG!!! WHY LEIGH??!!!! A little kiss never hurt nobody! >_< Guess I’ll just have to picture their happily ever after in my mind. *sighs*
”The night of the party at the Met, how come you complimented everyone but me?”
He grinned. “Because you in that gold dress turned my brain to mush.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right.”
He took a couple of steps, then paused. “Alia?” he called back.
“What, Theo?”
“That night, at the party? You looked like buried treasure.”
Diana & Jason:
”You’re pretty enough, Jason Keralis. But hardly intimidating.”
His eyelids stuttered. “Pretty?”
Pff, I didn’t get to witness my Aleo ship but unfortunately I had to watch the shipwreck of Dison! *lol* This relationship was doomed right from the beginning because I didn’t feel any chemistry between those two! They danced, they laughed, hell, they even spent a night together yet they didn’t even evoke a shred of emotion in me. >_< I guess their impeccable behaviour made it kind of hard to enjoy their relationship. They were both too bland to make a decent couple and I could only roll my eyes whenever they were supposed to have a romantic moment. *sighs deeply* Nope, those two just didn’t work for me. #SorryNotSorry
”I think you’ve grown too used to people saying yes to you.”
“Have I?”
“But you have no idea how much I enjoy saying no.”
Nim & Theo:
”Nim, you look like a delicious confection, a walking, talking – probably poisonous – petit four.”
“In that case,” said Nim, “bite me.”
Now that’s what I call a perfect frenemy relationship. Haha! I wonder if it was just Alia’s Warbringer influence or if they kept up their banter after the happenings at the spring. *lol* I like to believe that they started to like each other and developed some sort of love-hate sibling friendship over the years. XD In the book they were like cat and mouse and their entertainment effect was very high. If it would have been up to me there would have been even more crazy conversations between them but I guess it was perfect the way Leigh decided to handle it. ;-)
”We’re the villains! It’s always cooler to be the villain. You get to wear black and have a lair and brood. Besides, girls can’t resist a bad boy.”
“You are such an idiot,” said Nim.
He tapped his temple. “It’s not my fault you lack the vision.”
Conclusion:
“Wonder Woman – Warbringer” was a highly entertaining book that reminded me a lot of all those modern blockbusters you can watch at the movies. There was plenty of easy banter and a great and diverse cast of MCs and side-characters alike. I loved that a lot of myths and legends weren’t only mentioned but also woven into the story and if there was one thing I didn’t like, then it was the fact that the MCs didn’t really convince me. In my opinion the side characters were more intriguing than the MCs and this in combination with the rather abrupt ending ultimately caused me to rate this book with only four stars. If you’re looking for an easy and funny read this definitely should be able to satisfy your hunger though. ;-)
_____________________________
I recently saw the movie and I already knew about the “DC Icons” series when I happened to find this at one of my libraries. =)
Leigh Bardugo writing the story of Wonder Woman? Count me in! XD
I’m a huge fan of “Batman”, “Catwoman” and “Superman” as well so let’s hope that my library has the rest of the series too. *fingers crossed*
AND
Mr. Babygreys , I know you’re reading this so would you be so kind and go for another buddy read with me? It would be such a pleasure! ;-P *princely bow* There I asked you really nicely! This gotta count for something, right? XD
P.S:
May 21, 2023
An ok to good book. I would have liked to give it 3.5 stars. There are parts of the book that are really good but on the whole the book is very slow. I think part of what I had to overcome in this story, was forgetting everything I already knew about Wonder Woman. I think Leigh Bardugo did a great job of Diane, but not quite as great on Wonder Woman. However this is not a bad thing as in this story, Diane is quite a bit younger then previous incarnations of her have been, and has all the inexperience and insecurities of growing up. Therefore she should not by the warrior she is to become yet.
This is a complete remake of the origin story. It is set in the modern world not in World War 2 time. One subtle point I really liked was when Diane and the Amazon’s talk about “man’s world” they don’t just mean men but mortals in general. I liked all the side characters in the book, I think they were written really well except when the Greek “Gods” appeared. I know Wonder Woman’s history is based on Greek mythology, and if they were just mentioned that was fine, but a couple of times they appeared I still do not understand why, and the other I think the story would have been better for Diane to triumph or fail on her own. I would have also liked more fight in the story considering her warrior heritage. Though I did like the final fight, the the one before that sucked.
All in all a good take new take on Diane. I would not mind a continuation of this incarnation of Diane to returns as the true warrior/Wonder Woman, I think there is enough left to warrant that.
This is a complete remake of the origin story. It is set in the modern world not in World War 2 time. One subtle point I really liked was when Diane and the Amazon’s talk about “man’s world” they don’t just mean men but mortals in general. I liked all the side characters in the book, I think they were written really well except when the Greek “Gods” appeared. I know Wonder Woman’s history is based on Greek mythology, and if they were just mentioned that was fine, but a couple of times they appeared I still do not understand why, and the other I think the story would have been better for Diane to triumph or fail on her own. I would have also liked more fight in the story considering her warrior heritage. Though I did like the final fight, the the one before that sucked.
All in all a good take new take on Diane. I would not mind a continuation of this incarnation of Diane to returns as the true warrior/Wonder Woman, I think there is enough left to warrant that.
January 29, 2021
“You dance differently when you know you won't live forever.”
I have seen the film. And this book is better. Fight me.
Full disclosure: I do not care for DC or Marvel. I mean, how many times can an apocalypse be prevented in the last nanosecond until it becomes unrealistic? Until it becomes a cliché? They tell the same story again and again and I am over it. I also do not care for the majority of actors and actresses the companies have hired. I either dislike them or find them boring. Or hate them because I find them boring. That being said, I do care deeply for Diana Prince. She is a cute little nugget and does not need to be protected because she can defend herself perfectly fine.
This book was perfect. Not that I expected anything else from Leigh. It was action-packed, it was diverse, it was unexpected. I enjoyed the connection to Greek mythology and have always found it fascinating. It was also super funny. Diana has never seen the world outside her sheltered home before, which is why her reactions are often stunning and hilarious. I also know for a fact the Leigh giggled to herself when she wrote this particular scene:
One has to love the world wide web.
Anyway, it was an amazing book and I would love to see a sequel or two in the future. There is lots of potential and a few loose ends that could be picked up on.
Find more of my books on Instagram
I have seen the film. And this book is better. Fight me.
Full disclosure: I do not care for DC or Marvel. I mean, how many times can an apocalypse be prevented in the last nanosecond until it becomes unrealistic? Until it becomes a cliché? They tell the same story again and again and I am over it. I also do not care for the majority of actors and actresses the companies have hired. I either dislike them or find them boring. Or hate them because I find them boring. That being said, I do care deeply for Diana Prince. She is a cute little nugget and does not need to be protected because she can defend herself perfectly fine.
This book was perfect. Not that I expected anything else from Leigh. It was action-packed, it was diverse, it was unexpected. I enjoyed the connection to Greek mythology and have always found it fascinating. It was also super funny. Diana has never seen the world outside her sheltered home before, which is why her reactions are often stunning and hilarious. I also know for a fact the Leigh giggled to herself when she wrote this particular scene:
One has to love the world wide web.
Anyway, it was an amazing book and I would love to see a sequel or two in the future. There is lots of potential and a few loose ends that could be picked up on.
Find more of my books on Instagram
July 3, 2018
Wonder Woman can crush me between her thighs and I'd probably be all heart eyes while she does it. 🤷 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
i don't think you guys understand how badly i want to live on the island of Themyscira!!! where everything is pure and magical with beautiful, bad ass ladies around every corner!!!
anyways, this book is about Wonder Women aka Diana who was made of clay and bought to life by the gods themselves. on an island where every Amazon has proved themselves worthy to live on in peace, Diana feels unworthy and has to prove that she is a worthy warrior. during one of their races, Diana is determined to shut them up for good and show what she's made of!!! but she gets distracted by a human dying and instead of continuing on with the race, she saves a mortal which is very ""illegal"" and can result in exile.
the mortal she saves is Alia, a Warbringer, whose very existence is a magnet for war and fights. but tbh, Alia is a total sweetheart and honestly you won't even be able to bring yourself to hurt a hair on her head, she's so pure!!! the people who want to kill her can choke lnjlsdvsdfkjefj.
→Diana is such a pure, innocent and strong character, i love her so fucking much y'all akbjkvbds. she beats down sexist and gross men, can jump onto airplanes hundreds of feet in the air, while being such an ignorant dork akhcdf. she genuinely made me Laugh Out Loud.
despite the fact that she can easily crush us with her bare hands, she's so kind and has infinite love for mortals, y'all what did we ever do to deserve her?
→Alia is half greek/half black and the purestTM and softestTM person. thinking about Alia's character is like hugging a really soft dog 😍. just because people want to kill each other while they're around her, doesn't mean Alia is a horrible person. it's not her fault she's a magnet for bloodshed and war!!! she just wants to pursue her dreams and live her life without her overprotective brother in every step of her way. she's also so kind, lovely, supporting and loving towards her friends.
→Nim is a chubby, queer and Indian cinnamon roll who i'd die for in a heartbeat. she's the type of person who pushes you to do your best and would always be there for you no matter what, and she's also so funny??? askflsknvI JUST LOVE HER SO MUCH??? THANKS.
→Theo is one of Alia's friends, also a POC (I think he's black). he loves playing video games and is a computer genius. don't mess with him,he can easily hack into all your social media and easily ruin your life (though i doubt he'll do that because he's too good of a person.) he's constantly frowned by his father because he's "not doing anything with his life/wasting his life playing video games instead of pursuing a career" and that shit sucks. he doesn't deserve that shit 😤😤.
and can we talk about how he got so excited to be the villains and almost dying? me.
ALIAxTHEO
these two are SO FUCKIGN CUTE SLFKJDBVFAL;KNQBDSBNSDKLGBSO and shy around each other, MY HEART.
Diana, Nim and Alia also have such a healthy friendship. there is no girl hate in this house, bitchez. they always push each other to do their best, ALWAYS support each other and they got each others backs!!! you know, the best type of friends are the ones who you can call your family. and this whole squad is a family. i love them.
these characters go through so much shit that only makes them grow into better people. it's some very good character development.
my only complaints with this book (because HA Sana always has problems with everything) is that it was wayyy too slow. there's a lot of plot build up and the exciting things happen towards the end of the novel. it also read a lotttt like middle grade for me?? and i'm not a big fan of middle grade!!
i was hoping to read more about the island and the Amazons, but sadly, there wasn't much of that.
ALSO, THAT PLOT TWIST HAD ME SO FUCKING SHOOK, i'm still recovering!!!!!!!!
overall, this is one heck of a book and you should read it.
----
i had to watch the movie Wonder Woman before reading this one and let me tell you that i'm so excited for my eyes to lick every word in this book!!!!!! (and definitely for Batman 😍)
i don't think you guys understand how badly i want to live on the island of Themyscira!!! where everything is pure and magical with beautiful, bad ass ladies around every corner!!!
anyways, this book is about Wonder Women aka Diana who was made of clay and bought to life by the gods themselves. on an island where every Amazon has proved themselves worthy to live on in peace, Diana feels unworthy and has to prove that she is a worthy warrior. during one of their races, Diana is determined to shut them up for good and show what she's made of!!! but she gets distracted by a human dying and instead of continuing on with the race, she saves a mortal which is very ""illegal"" and can result in exile.
the mortal she saves is Alia, a Warbringer, whose very existence is a magnet for war and fights. but tbh, Alia is a total sweetheart and honestly you won't even be able to bring yourself to hurt a hair on her head, she's so pure!!! the people who want to kill her can choke lnjlsdvsdfkjefj.
characters!!!
→Diana is such a pure, innocent and strong character, i love her so fucking much y'all akbjkvbds. she beats down sexist and gross men, can jump onto airplanes hundreds of feet in the air, while being such an ignorant dork akhcdf. she genuinely made me Laugh Out Loud.
"What's a supermodel?"
"What makes these models super?" inquired Diana, still curious. "Do they have powers?"
despite the fact that she can easily crush us with her bare hands, she's so kind and has infinite love for mortals, y'all what did we ever do to deserve her?
→Alia is half greek/half black and the purestTM and softestTM person. thinking about Alia's character is like hugging a really soft dog 😍. just because people want to kill each other while they're around her, doesn't mean Alia is a horrible person. it's not her fault she's a magnet for bloodshed and war!!! she just wants to pursue her dreams and live her life without her overprotective brother in every step of her way. she's also so kind, lovely, supporting and loving towards her friends.
→Nim is a chubby, queer and Indian cinnamon roll who i'd die for in a heartbeat. she's the type of person who pushes you to do your best and would always be there for you no matter what, and she's also so funny??? askflsknvI JUST LOVE HER SO MUCH??? THANKS.
→Theo is one of Alia's friends, also a POC (I think he's black). he loves playing video games and is a computer genius. don't mess with him,he can easily hack into all your social media and easily ruin your life (though i doubt he'll do that because he's too good of a person.) he's constantly frowned by his father because he's "not doing anything with his life/wasting his life playing video games instead of pursuing a career" and that shit sucks. he doesn't deserve that shit 😤😤.
and can we talk about how he got so excited to be the villains and almost dying? me.
ALIAxTHEO
these two are SO FUCKIGN CUTE SLFKJDBVFAL;KNQBDSBNSDKLGBSO and shy around each other, MY HEART.
Diana, Nim and Alia also have such a healthy friendship. there is no girl hate in this house, bitchez. they always push each other to do their best, ALWAYS support each other and they got each others backs!!! you know, the best type of friends are the ones who you can call your family. and this whole squad is a family. i love them.
these characters go through so much shit that only makes them grow into better people. it's some very good character development.
my only complaints with this book (because HA Sana always has problems with everything) is that it was wayyy too slow. there's a lot of plot build up and the exciting things happen towards the end of the novel. it also read a lotttt like middle grade for me?? and i'm not a big fan of middle grade!!
i was hoping to read more about the island and the Amazons, but sadly, there wasn't much of that.
ALSO, THAT PLOT TWIST HAD ME SO FUCKING SHOOK, i'm still recovering!!!!!!!!
overall, this is one heck of a book and you should read it.
----
i had to watch the movie Wonder Woman before reading this one and let me tell you that i'm so excited for my eyes to lick every word in this book!!!!!! (and definitely for Batman 😍)
August 1, 2017
Written by my favourite author - TICK
About my favourite DC Hero - TICK
Incredile Dialouge - TICK
Action on point - TICK
Diverse, relatable & fabulous characters - TICK
This is why LEIGH IS THE
About my favourite DC Hero - TICK
Incredile Dialouge - TICK
Action on point - TICK
Diverse, relatable & fabulous characters - TICK
This is why LEIGH IS THE
October 21, 2017
There was once a time when I would write reviews that wee NOT lists but those times are over folks, I genuinely forgot how to write paragraphs in my attempts of being an edgy teenager so im back with another list-review, my fav
Reasons why You Will Love this Book
- Leigh the queen Bardugo wrote it
- Wonder woman fictional tale??? Sign me the heck up
- Sisterhood and some heartfelt stuff are featured
- No girl hate, rejoice my friends
- The characters are unique and multi-dimensional
- Diana’s encounters with the modern world will have you spitting out your tea in laughter (bc she’s hilariously naïve)
- Lots of kicka*s moments
- Lots of fem power
- There’s a plot twist at the end that is SOOOOOOOOOOO leigh bardugo it pains me
- It was good tho, got me gooooood
- Mythology that made sense to me bc I read percy Jackson before :’) im proud
Reasons why You MIGHT NOT Love this Book
- While the plot in theory is epic, almost 70% of the story was plot building
- I mean the characters are great and kick butt and all but meh???
- Its really good but definitely NOT six of crows level
- The romance is kinda forced like I just didn’t feel it soz, like I NEVER don’t ship but for some reason i was like uhhhhh, you like each other ??? since when ???
- The beginning took me a while to get into
Anwyays that’s my take
“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.”
4 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybelline attempting this book, take two
br with my weirdos, idk whos reading this, idk whos not.
Reasons why You Will Love this Book
- Leigh the queen Bardugo wrote it
- Wonder woman fictional tale??? Sign me the heck up
- Sisterhood and some heartfelt stuff are featured
- No girl hate, rejoice my friends
- The characters are unique and multi-dimensional
- Diana’s encounters with the modern world will have you spitting out your tea in laughter (bc she’s hilariously naïve)
- Lots of kicka*s moments
- Lots of fem power
- There’s a plot twist at the end that is SOOOOOOOOOOO leigh bardugo it pains me
- It was good tho, got me gooooood
- Mythology that made sense to me bc I read percy Jackson before :’) im proud
Reasons why You MIGHT NOT Love this Book
- While the plot in theory is epic, almost 70% of the story was plot building
- I mean the characters are great and kick butt and all but meh???
- Its really good but definitely NOT six of crows level
- The romance is kinda forced like I just didn’t feel it soz, like I NEVER don’t ship but for some reason i was like uhhhhh, you like each other ??? since when ???
- The beginning took me a while to get into
Anwyays that’s my take
“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.”
4 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybelline attempting this book, take two
br with my weirdos, idk whos reading this, idk whos not.
August 29, 2017
“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.”
I’m sitting here right now, trying to write a review for this book and I literally just can’t think of a fitting first sentence because I’m still so overwhelmed by how amazing this book was. ‘Wonder Woman: Warbringer’ is one of the books you pretty much fly through, that absolutely absorbs you right from the beginning and then leaves you sitting there at the end of it, staring at the last page because you can’t believe that it’s already over. It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year so far and my high expectations for it were definitely not disappointed.
‘Wonder Woman: Warbringer’ is a very gripping read and there wasn’t a single scene in this novel that bored me. It was full of plot twists that absolutely took me by surprise and left me sitting there with my mouth agape. The book was also very well written though that shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s read at least one of Leigh Bardugo’s novels prior to picking up this little masterpiece.
I absolutely adore her writing style and she’s slowly but surely becoming one of my all-time favorite authors. She’s just amazing at writing fighting scenes that are realistic and varied so that you won’t feel like you’re reading the same thing over and over again even if there are several action-packed scenes in her books. Another thing she’s really good at is slipping in funny moments when you don’t expect anything like that to happen and my book is once again full of green sticky notes that I use to highlight funny things.
But one of the best things about ‘Wonder Woman: Warbringer’ were definitely the amazing characters Leigh Bardugo has created. Especially, the strong female characters were amazing and kicked butt which I absolutely loved.
All in all, ‘Wonder Woman: Warbringer’ is a book that definitely deserves 5 out of 5 stars. I absolutely loved it and I’m probably going to guard it like gold. It’s a novel I would recommend to pretty much everyone and I absolutely can’t wait for Marie Lu’s book because I just love the idea of this entire series.
I’m sitting here right now, trying to write a review for this book and I literally just can’t think of a fitting first sentence because I’m still so overwhelmed by how amazing this book was. ‘Wonder Woman: Warbringer’ is one of the books you pretty much fly through, that absolutely absorbs you right from the beginning and then leaves you sitting there at the end of it, staring at the last page because you can’t believe that it’s already over. It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year so far and my high expectations for it were definitely not disappointed.
‘Wonder Woman: Warbringer’ is a very gripping read and there wasn’t a single scene in this novel that bored me. It was full of plot twists that absolutely took me by surprise and left me sitting there with my mouth agape. The book was also very well written though that shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s read at least one of Leigh Bardugo’s novels prior to picking up this little masterpiece.
I absolutely adore her writing style and she’s slowly but surely becoming one of my all-time favorite authors. She’s just amazing at writing fighting scenes that are realistic and varied so that you won’t feel like you’re reading the same thing over and over again even if there are several action-packed scenes in her books. Another thing she’s really good at is slipping in funny moments when you don’t expect anything like that to happen and my book is once again full of green sticky notes that I use to highlight funny things.
But one of the best things about ‘Wonder Woman: Warbringer’ were definitely the amazing characters Leigh Bardugo has created. Especially, the strong female characters were amazing and kicked butt which I absolutely loved.
All in all, ‘Wonder Woman: Warbringer’ is a book that definitely deserves 5 out of 5 stars. I absolutely loved it and I’m probably going to guard it like gold. It’s a novel I would recommend to pretty much everyone and I absolutely can’t wait for Marie Lu’s book because I just love the idea of this entire series.
June 23, 2018
“We can’t help the way we’re born. We can’t help what we are, only what life we choose to make for ourselves.”
I’ve never been a Wonder Woman fan in my past (I was always more of a Batman type), so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, or whether or not I would enjoy it very much, but it came highly recommended by one of my best friends, and it’s Leigh Bardugo, which meant, if nothing else, I knew I’d like the writing in it. The beginning started off rather slow for me and I felt like I was trudging through the first 80-100 pages, which is why this was a 4-star read instead of 5. That said, the entire second half or so of this book was so much fun, and the ending won me over to Diana so much that now I feel like I urgently need a sequel to her story.
Amazon. Born of war, destined to be ruled by no one but herself.
→ Diana ←
Diana and I got off to a rocky start, honestly. In the first few chapters, she was such an inherently good person that she fell victim to the “so good they’re boring” trope, and I was starting to wonder what her appeal was. Thankfully, once they left Themyscira, Diana really came into her own as this unbelievably fiery, passionate, badass warrior, and I adored her from that moment on.
Their lives were violent, precarious, fragile, but they fought for them anyway, and held to the hope that their brief stay on this earth might count for something.
Despite being an immortal, Diana cares so strongly for the humans that she makes incredible sacrifices to help them along the way. I loved her protective nature and the ends she was willing to go to. Not only that, but her entire thought process and narrative throughout the story is just so enjoyable to read; you get such an inside view of her motivations, how pure her intentions are, and how much she wants to make the world a better place.
“I’m a daughter of Nemesis,” she said, “the goddess of divine retribution. You may want to think about how well I can hold a grudge.”
→ Alia ←
Alia, on the other hand, I loved from the beginning. She is sassy and incredibly bright, and the humor in her narrative is fantastic and genuine. She feels like a real person I could (and would) be friends with, despite being a Warbringer, and Leigh portrays her emotions beautifully: when Alia was proud, I was proud with her. When her heart ached, mine did, too. Through it all, I adored the fact that, despite being the mortal of the pair, she manages to somehow hold her own just as well as Diana does, in her own ways, and it never felt like she was being put in Diana’s shadow.
“Sister 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.”
My favorite thing about both of these young women, though, is how much they grow to love one another. I adored their friendship so much, whether it was in their banter, or their promises to one another, or how passionately they both wanted to help the other succeed in their common goal. I know this book is about Wonder Woman, but really, it’s about Alia, just as much.
She’d chosen her soldiers. It was time to go to war.
→ war ←
Much like I would expect from a book about a superhero, this is, more than anything, an action book. While books with a lot of action aren’t always my cup of tea (as we all know, I’m a bigger fan of world- and character-building), WW:W reminded me that Leigh writes battle scenes beautifully. Many authors say that writing a fight scene is one of the toughest things to do well, and I would believe it, because I rarely see them executed as flawlessly as Leigh’s. These scenes are fluid, easy to follow, and descriptive enough that I found myself feeling like I was watching them all play out right before my eyes.
A different kind of knight, one who’d chosen to protect the girl the world wanted to destroy; one born to slay dragons, but maybe to befriend them, too.
→ mythology ←
Of course, this story isn’t all action – there’s a tremendous amount of lore and mythology woven into the story and the characters, especially when nearing the end of the book. I don’t remember all the details, but as a child, I used to love staying up long past my bedtime, poring through my aunt’s illustrated mythology books, reading the stories over and over again. Seeing the cameos of so many of those classic beings, and being reminded of their origin stories, was such a wonderful experience that I didn’t expect to be granted so much of in this book, and it made me love Leigh even more for taking the time to be so inclusive.
When had she stopped being a child? The first time a guy had whistled at her out of a car window when she was walking to school?
→ representation & feminism ←
Finally, more than anything else in this story, I loved how feminist its values were, and how inclusive the cast was. We had Diana’s stories of how the Amazon women ranged from heterosexual, to bisexual, to lesbian, to asexual, and anything in between. We had Alia’s best friend, Nim, who was the perfect little Indian, plus-size bi girl (and who I loved to bits). There’s Alia and her brother, these beautiful biracial black/Greek siblings, and their friend Theo, a Brazilian teen who’s downright hysterical (if not slightly obnoxious at times). It felt like this book was positively teeming with normalized diversity and feminism, and I loved that so, so much.
“If you cannot bear our pain, you are not fit to carry our strength.”
→ final thoughts ←
All in all, this book wasn’t perfect for me – it had some pacing issues and a slow start, which is why I dropped it down to 4 stars. That said, it was still vastly enjoyable and I would recommend it if you like fantasy novels with a lot of action elements, or if you’re a mythology geek, or if you just like superheroes and/or Leigh Bardugo’s impeccable writing style.
Want to read
July 6, 2017Am I psyched for this because it's about Wonder Women? Or because it was written by my queen, Leigh Bardugo?
Yes.
Yes.
April 8, 2017
You weren't expecting a rating below 5 stars, were you? xD
Read my full review of Wonder Woman: Warbringer!
Holy crap on a cracker, this book was freaking amazing! I am utterly speechless, floored, stupefied, and every other possible synonymous adjective. But am I surprised to be feeling this way after finishing this book? Of course not! I'm talking about Leigh freaking Bardugo here. My idol, my inspiration, and in my humble (and totally unbiased) opinion—the most awe-inspiring and talented author of our time.
I also should mention that I have been a long-time Batman fan (so of course, I'm dying for Marie Lu's installment in this series), but . . . I never got into Wonder Woman. Then this book happened. Bardugo truly brings the fierce Amazon to life, and not only that! She also empowers the other female characters by highlighting all of their different forms of strength that they possess, while also emphasizing that none of those strengths are any less valuable or important than the brute physical strength Diana was born with. As a whole, Wonder Woman: Warbringer is a lesson in feminism, sisterhood, love, loss, and holy hell—it's a damn masterpiece.
I will never be skilled enough to find the adequate words to describe what Bardugo's writing does to my soul, though I will keep endeavoring to try. However to Leigh herself, I can only say thank you. You continue to raise the bar higher and higher, and it's truly special.
Honestly, there is no other author that can move me the way Leigh does. She absolutely never ceases to impress. Definitely as soon as you are able—but especially if you are a Wonder Woman fan—you must get your hands on this outstanding book!
Read my full review of Wonder Woman: Warbringer!
Holy crap on a cracker, this book was freaking amazing! I am utterly speechless, floored, stupefied, and every other possible synonymous adjective. But am I surprised to be feeling this way after finishing this book? Of course not! I'm talking about Leigh freaking Bardugo here. My idol, my inspiration, and in my humble (and totally unbiased) opinion—the most awe-inspiring and talented author of our time.
I also should mention that I have been a long-time Batman fan (so of course, I'm dying for Marie Lu's installment in this series), but . . . I never got into Wonder Woman. Then this book happened. Bardugo truly brings the fierce Amazon to life, and not only that! She also empowers the other female characters by highlighting all of their different forms of strength that they possess, while also emphasizing that none of those strengths are any less valuable or important than the brute physical strength Diana was born with. As a whole, Wonder Woman: Warbringer is a lesson in feminism, sisterhood, love, loss, and holy hell—it's a damn masterpiece.
I will never be skilled enough to find the adequate words to describe what Bardugo's writing does to my soul, though I will keep endeavoring to try. However to Leigh herself, I can only say thank you. You continue to raise the bar higher and higher, and it's truly special.
Honestly, there is no other author that can move me the way Leigh does. She absolutely never ceases to impress. Definitely as soon as you are able—but especially if you are a Wonder Woman fan—you must get your hands on this outstanding book!
January 28, 2022
In Wonder Woman: Warbringer, we follow, Diana, better known as Wonder Woman, as she navigates a journey of self-discovery from the isolated island of the Amazons, to modern-day New York City and Greece.
Along the way Diana learns a lot about herself, life, friendship, love, loyalty and most importantly, ass-kicking.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I felt it had just the right amount of action, turmoil and humor. This is actually the first book I have ever read by Leigh Bardugo.
I know, I know. I have been slacking in life. We know this about me.
Regardless, I was really impressed with her writing style. The flow and pace are spot on for my tastes and I think she did a fabulous job of creating an original story of a well-loved action figure.
I did listen to the audiobook for this one and thought the narration was excellent. I definitely plan to check out the rest of the books in the DC Icons series!
Along the way Diana learns a lot about herself, life, friendship, love, loyalty and most importantly, ass-kicking.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I felt it had just the right amount of action, turmoil and humor. This is actually the first book I have ever read by Leigh Bardugo.
I know, I know. I have been slacking in life. We know this about me.
Regardless, I was really impressed with her writing style. The flow and pace are spot on for my tastes and I think she did a fabulous job of creating an original story of a well-loved action figure.
I did listen to the audiobook for this one and thought the narration was excellent. I definitely plan to check out the rest of the books in the DC Icons series!
August 30, 2017
“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.”
Maaaan, Leigh Bardugo just became my queen and I'll read anything she writes from now on. I absolutely adore her writing style, she surely knows how to write a gripping story about friendship and with perfect amount of jokes and action.
*****
21/08/2017
MY COPY JUST ARRIVED!
I AM SCREAMING!
December 6, 2017
DNF @ 280
REVIEW TO COME TOMORROW.
THE REVIEW IS POSTED
me : if this is a dream, please wake me up from the this nightmare that I did not finish the book I anticipated in 2017.
me : *closes my eyes and pinches my arm*
me : *opens my eyes*
me : well, fuck. this isn't a dream.
*sighs* I am so disappointed right now. The book that I anticipated and had high expecations failed me. I am not a fan of superheroes, ( I'm more of a person who loves watching wizards or witches or magical creatures ) but I like watching them and few months ago, I watched Wonder Woman at the cinema and I enjoyed it so much. God, the movie was brilliant.
Before I tell you more about why I did not finish this book, I would like to tell you all that maybe it's just me ? or maybe the book is boring but this kind of thing also happened to me with Six of Crows, I finished that book but that book was just fine to me, like nothing was spectaculer or something. So maybe Bardugo's books are just not my cup of tea. Maybe.
The Reasons I Did Not Finish It
The Plot
I read this book for 18 days and I did not even finish it. Every time, I tried reading it I always got distracted or I fell asleep or I just had to sleep but most of the time, it's because I fell asleep. look, I had never done that since ... I don't exactly know when but it's a pretty long time ago!
The plot was so freaking boring and I just could not connect with it. The first day I read it, I was so excited and I had these so high expectations towards the book and the more I read it, the more I realized that the book was not like what I expected, not like what I thought and not like what I hoped for.
Before I read the book, I thought it would left me like this :
or at least, enjoyed the book but I feel like this instead :
that gif is representing my feeling right now. I am indeed still in shock. In shock of how bad this book turned out to be. In shock that I did not finish the book I anticipated for freaking months. I still remembered how I talked to my best friend about this book, how impatient I was to get my hands on it, how excited I was when I finally got the book. But then it failed me. So just imagine how shocked I am right now.
I am the kind of person who sleeps late at night because most of the time, I don't really feel sleepy ( because I already nap in the afternoon ) and maybe this book can help me to fall asleep! because that what happened most of the time while I read this book. One moment I was reading it and in the next moment, I was already asleep.
Diana
I swear, Diana was so freaking boring. I could not connected with her. She was so plain and boring and I'm so sure that if Nim were not in this book, I would already abandon this book since weeks ago. Nim is one of the characters in this book and OH MY GOD, she's really awesome and funny. If only she were real, I would be so happy to have a friend like her! Nim is so precious!
oh and Alia, she's also funny and the way she thought, it was quite funny, sometimes. However, I prefer Nim than her, if I got to choose between them to become my friend in real life. I'm not saying that I don't like Alia. I like Alia but I like Nim more. she's just so awesome! But I still could not continue reading the book, even though I liked Nim.
In conclusion, I might don't like this book but keep in mind that if you want to read this book, go ahead, read the book. Do not let my review stop you because maybe you will like it, who knows, right?
"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."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm currently reading it! Sometimes, I still can't believe the fact that I'm reading it now after waiting and wanting this book for months
THE REVIEW IS POSTED
She would not fail. And she would not
let fear choose her path.
me : if this is a dream, please wake me up from the this nightmare that I did not finish the book I anticipated in 2017.
me : *closes my eyes and pinches my arm*
me : *opens my eyes*
me : well, fuck. this isn't a dream.
*sighs* I am so disappointed right now. The book that I anticipated and had high expecations failed me. I am not a fan of superheroes, ( I'm more of a person who loves watching wizards or witches or magical creatures ) but I like watching them and few months ago, I watched Wonder Woman at the cinema and I enjoyed it so much. God, the movie was brilliant.
Before I tell you more about why I did not finish this book, I would like to tell you all that maybe it's just me ? or maybe the book is boring but this kind of thing also happened to me with Six of Crows, I finished that book but that book was just fine to me, like nothing was spectaculer or something. So maybe Bardugo's books are just not my cup of tea. Maybe.
The Reasons I Did Not Finish It
The Plot
I read this book for 18 days and I did not even finish it. Every time, I tried reading it I always got distracted or I fell asleep or I just had to sleep but most of the time, it's because I fell asleep. look, I had never done that since ... I don't exactly know when but it's a pretty long time ago!
The plot was so freaking boring and I just could not connect with it. The first day I read it, I was so excited and I had these so high expectations towards the book and the more I read it, the more I realized that the book was not like what I expected, not like what I thought and not like what I hoped for.
Before I read the book, I thought it would left me like this :
or at least, enjoyed the book but I feel like this instead :
that gif is representing my feeling right now. I am indeed still in shock. In shock of how bad this book turned out to be. In shock that I did not finish the book I anticipated for freaking months. I still remembered how I talked to my best friend about this book, how impatient I was to get my hands on it, how excited I was when I finally got the book. But then it failed me. So just imagine how shocked I am right now.
I am the kind of person who sleeps late at night because most of the time, I don't really feel sleepy ( because I already nap in the afternoon ) and maybe this book can help me to fall asleep! because that what happened most of the time while I read this book. One moment I was reading it and in the next moment, I was already asleep.
Diana
I swear, Diana was so freaking boring. I could not connected with her. She was so plain and boring and I'm so sure that if Nim were not in this book, I would already abandon this book since weeks ago. Nim is one of the characters in this book and OH MY GOD, she's really awesome and funny. If only she were real, I would be so happy to have a friend like her! Nim is so precious!
oh and Alia, she's also funny and the way she thought, it was quite funny, sometimes. However, I prefer Nim than her, if I got to choose between them to become my friend in real life. I'm not saying that I don't like Alia. I like Alia but I like Nim more. she's just so awesome! But I still could not continue reading the book, even though I liked Nim.
In conclusion, I might don't like this book but keep in mind that if you want to read this book, go ahead, read the book. Do not let my review stop you because maybe you will like it, who knows, right?
"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."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 13, 2019
that plot twist was the biggest power move ever so thank u for that miss bardugo
November 20, 2017
"Because the whole world loves to tell us what we can't do, that we aren't good enough. The people in your own house should be on your side. It's the people who never learn the word impossible who make history, because they're the ones who keep trying.
I can't even with how much I loved this book.
It's a different spin on the Wonder Woman story and it's honestly one of my favorites. Diana doesn't find a man on the beach and get all googly eyed over a dude. She rescues a female..AND IT BEGINS!
Sister 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..
This book shows that women don't have to have a boyfriend to make an amazing book. These women are strong and it makes me wonder...WHY THE HECK IS THIS BOOK NOT SELLING ALL THE COPIES? This is what I want in not just young adult. I want this ALL the time.
I loved every single second in the reading of this book and I wish I still had my Wonder Woman Under-Roos (and that they fit)...because I would have those suckers on and I would be beating off the bad-guys!
ALL THE STARS!
Booksource: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for review.
I can't even with how much I loved this book.
It's a different spin on the Wonder Woman story and it's honestly one of my favorites. Diana doesn't find a man on the beach and get all googly eyed over a dude. She rescues a female..AND IT BEGINS!
Sister 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..
This book shows that women don't have to have a boyfriend to make an amazing book. These women are strong and it makes me wonder...WHY THE HECK IS THIS BOOK NOT SELLING ALL THE COPIES? This is what I want in not just young adult. I want this ALL the time.
I loved every single second in the reading of this book and I wish I still had my Wonder Woman Under-Roos (and that they fit)...because I would have those suckers on and I would be beating off the bad-guys!
ALL THE STARS!
Booksource: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for review.
December 1, 2020
Before I start this review, I think you might want to know 2 things:
1) I’ve only ever read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. It was fun but nothing impressive.
2) I’m not a DC fan. Not that I hate it, but rather that I don’t know much about it. I haven’t read any of the comics and I’ve only watched a movie or 2. So my knowledge about Wonder Woman is very limited.
That’s why I won’t compare this book to any of Bardugo’s other works. I can’t tell you if this book is good or bad compared to her other work. I can’t tell you if WW:W is faithful to the original story or if it’s a good superhero story. However, what I can tell you is whether or not this story was a good read, just by evaluating this book as I would any other, regardless of who the author or the MC is. For those who don't know much about this superhero, don't worry, you won't feel confused or anything.
OK. Let’s start!
Wonder Woman: Warbringer was on everyone’s most anticipated books list for 2017. I was looking forward to reading it because, maybe, it’ll make me want to watch DC related movies and works. The good news is I’m definitely going to watch some… but that’s only because of my friends and certainly not this book. Was it a disappointment? Oh, yes.
Summary:
When Diana saves a girl from a drowning ship, she soon discovers that this girl, Alia, is a Warbringer. If her sisters were to discover what she had done, she would probably be exiled. Wanting to prove herself as a true Amazon and refusing to leave Alia to die, Diana leaves the island to take Alia to Helen’s tomb in Greece to be purified and, thus, prevent an upcoming war.
The Characters:
I’ll start with the characters because they were my main problem.
It’s always easier to get attached to a book when you connect with the character, and I liked Diana quite a lot. She always tries to do her best. She’s ready to make sacrifices for others and she’s badass. She also seems quite fascinated with the mortal world, her remarks were funny. I wish the book was more focused on her but I think that's why we have Warbringer in the title.
Anddd… that’s it. She’s the only character I could stand in this book.
✘ Alia: She’s okay. The story is told from her pov (3rd person) and Diana's. She tried to be her best self after discovering so suddenly what she is. However, while I didn’t hate her, I didn’t like her much, either. Not my kind of MC. I just couldn’t relate to her. Sometimes nothing is wrong with a character, but you simply can’t feel a bond. There was some character development by the end, and I did finish the book with a slightly higher opinion of her. Still, I didn’t sympathize with Alia much and even though the point of this book is female friendship - something I admire Leigh for doing here - it didn’t feel natural at all to me. I think it might be because I liked one of the two girls a lot, while the other as “meh”.
✘ Jason: I don’t like the name Jason. I’m always suspicious of characters named Jason. Not Jayson or Jaison or other variation of the name. Just Jason. Many here might relate to this, to having a name you just can’t stand; maybe it reminds you of some you dislike or maybe you just don’t like it… for whatever reason. So you might say I was prejudiced against this character from the start, just from the name. But the more I read about him and saw what he did, the less of a fan I became. He is so rigid, so dull, and so controlling. He is just so annoying. No, you should not do that. No, you should not say that. No, no, no. Everything about him is a “no”. Nothing was interesting about him.
✘ Theo and Nim: Like Alia, I wouldn’t say I hate them, but I’m not a fan either. But I would say I like them the best after Diana. Still, they aren’t anything memorable. They aren’t funny, either. Their sense of humor is silly and ridiculous. Also, what’s with jokes in dangerous situations? It’s so not cool. Get serious, would you!
✘ The Amazon Sisters: They played an interesting part in the first few chapters of the book. This made me want to know more about these kickass women. Sadly, my curiosity wasn’t satisfied, as Diana spent very little time with them, and later left the island.
The Story:
In some books, even when you don’t care much about the characters, the plot itself is sometimes gripping enough that you can’t stop reading. Wonder Woman: Warbringer isn’t one of these. I didn’t enjoy the story and was bored most of the time. I couldn’t care about what happened next. I forced myself to continue reading even during action scenes. Things got a bit better after “the plot twist”, which was poor, in my opinion (chapter 25 out of 33). However, I lost interest and had to push myself to finish it. The book was trying so hard to look badass, but it was just really boring. Again, my opinion. It felt like a Contemporary with a touch of Fantasy. The dialogues were a bit stiff and dry more often than not. Like please give some action and stop talking.
What’s more, this book focused a lot on how the Warbringer is a cause for war. Yes, it was mentioned that it’s only a catalyst, yet what was shown was that it’s more dangerous than the greed of men. The war tension and the dangers of one were somehow lacking.
However, I should say that Leigh Bardugo did a great job describing Themyscira. She successfully showed how magical and beautiful the island is - makes me want to live there, forever!
The Romance:
I hated the romance between Diana and Jason. She’s so naïve because, obviously, she has never had any interaction with men; so, I don’t blame her. However, their thing made me cringe. The dialogue didn’t feel natural, it felt forced. I just hated it so bad.
While I understand that Diana should have some romance - and I’m not against that - I just wish it was with someone that is not Jason. Or maybe a better version of him. Maybe a cooler, more understanding, and a smarter one. But if giving him a better personality is out of the question, then no romance at all would’ve been better.
Alia and Theo’s relationship, on the other hand, was OK. It was acceptable because it was almost non-existent. They make a good match.
The Verdict:
I did not enjoy reading this book. Apart from Diana, I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters. I was bored most of the time and just wanted to finish the book – which I read in less than a day just to be done with it and not because I couldn’t stop reading. I really wanted to like the story, but, sadly, I couldn’t find anything interesting about it. Obviously, I’m in one of the minority here. Everyone said the story was exciting, which made me feel like I haven’t read the same book. I’m still looking forward to reading Batman, mainly because I like Marie Lu’s novels. While the ending was wrapped up, the book could have a sequel. But I really hope it doesn’t. You might end up liking this book better than I did, so please don’t let my review keep you from reading it. However, don’t expect anything mind-blowing.
PS: I’ve only seen the movie trailer, but I can tell you, this book is nothing like it.
1) I’ve only ever read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. It was fun but nothing impressive.
2) I’m not a DC fan. Not that I hate it, but rather that I don’t know much about it. I haven’t read any of the comics and I’ve only watched a movie or 2. So my knowledge about Wonder Woman is very limited.
That’s why I won’t compare this book to any of Bardugo’s other works. I can’t tell you if this book is good or bad compared to her other work. I can’t tell you if WW:W is faithful to the original story or if it’s a good superhero story. However, what I can tell you is whether or not this story was a good read, just by evaluating this book as I would any other, regardless of who the author or the MC is. For those who don't know much about this superhero, don't worry, you won't feel confused or anything.
OK. Let’s start!
Wonder Woman: Warbringer was on everyone’s most anticipated books list for 2017. I was looking forward to reading it because, maybe, it’ll make me want to watch DC related movies and works. The good news is I’m definitely going to watch some… but that’s only because of my friends and certainly not this book. Was it a disappointment? Oh, yes.
Summary:
When Diana saves a girl from a drowning ship, she soon discovers that this girl, Alia, is a Warbringer. If her sisters were to discover what she had done, she would probably be exiled. Wanting to prove herself as a true Amazon and refusing to leave Alia to die, Diana leaves the island to take Alia to Helen’s tomb in Greece to be purified and, thus, prevent an upcoming war.
The Characters:
I’ll start with the characters because they were my main problem.
It’s always easier to get attached to a book when you connect with the character, and I liked Diana quite a lot. She always tries to do her best. She’s ready to make sacrifices for others and she’s badass. She also seems quite fascinated with the mortal world, her remarks were funny. I wish the book was more focused on her but I think that's why we have Warbringer in the title.
Anddd… that’s it. She’s the only character I could stand in this book.
✘ Alia: She’s okay. The story is told from her pov (3rd person) and Diana's. She tried to be her best self after discovering so suddenly what she is. However, while I didn’t hate her, I didn’t like her much, either. Not my kind of MC. I just couldn’t relate to her. Sometimes nothing is wrong with a character, but you simply can’t feel a bond. There was some character development by the end, and I did finish the book with a slightly higher opinion of her. Still, I didn’t sympathize with Alia much and even though the point of this book is female friendship - something I admire Leigh for doing here - it didn’t feel natural at all to me. I think it might be because I liked one of the two girls a lot, while the other as “meh”.
✘ Jason: I don’t like the name Jason. I’m always suspicious of characters named Jason. Not Jayson or Jaison or other variation of the name. Just Jason. Many here might relate to this, to having a name you just can’t stand; maybe it reminds you of some you dislike or maybe you just don’t like it… for whatever reason. So you might say I was prejudiced against this character from the start, just from the name. But the more I read about him and saw what he did, the less of a fan I became. He is so rigid, so dull, and so controlling. He is just so annoying. No, you should not do that. No, you should not say that. No, no, no. Everything about him is a “no”. Nothing was interesting about him.
✘ Theo and Nim: Like Alia, I wouldn’t say I hate them, but I’m not a fan either. But I would say I like them the best after Diana. Still, they aren’t anything memorable. They aren’t funny, either. Their sense of humor is silly and ridiculous. Also, what’s with jokes in dangerous situations? It’s so not cool. Get serious, would you!
✘ The Amazon Sisters: They played an interesting part in the first few chapters of the book. This made me want to know more about these kickass women. Sadly, my curiosity wasn’t satisfied, as Diana spent very little time with them, and later left the island.
The Story:
In some books, even when you don’t care much about the characters, the plot itself is sometimes gripping enough that you can’t stop reading. Wonder Woman: Warbringer isn’t one of these. I didn’t enjoy the story and was bored most of the time. I couldn’t care about what happened next. I forced myself to continue reading even during action scenes. Things got a bit better after “the plot twist”, which was poor, in my opinion (chapter 25 out of 33). However, I lost interest and had to push myself to finish it. The book was trying so hard to look badass, but it was just really boring. Again, my opinion. It felt like a Contemporary with a touch of Fantasy. The dialogues were a bit stiff and dry more often than not. Like please give some action and stop talking.
What’s more, this book focused a lot on how the Warbringer is a cause for war. Yes, it was mentioned that it’s only a catalyst, yet what was shown was that it’s more dangerous than the greed of men. The war tension and the dangers of one were somehow lacking.
However, I should say that Leigh Bardugo did a great job describing Themyscira. She successfully showed how magical and beautiful the island is - makes me want to live there, forever!
The Romance:
I hated the romance between Diana and Jason. She’s so naïve because, obviously, she has never had any interaction with men; so, I don’t blame her. However, their thing made me cringe. The dialogue didn’t feel natural, it felt forced. I just hated it so bad.
While I understand that Diana should have some romance - and I’m not against that - I just wish it was with someone that is not Jason. Or maybe a better version of him. Maybe a cooler, more understanding, and a smarter one. But if giving him a better personality is out of the question, then no romance at all would’ve been better.
Alia and Theo’s relationship, on the other hand, was OK. It was acceptable because it was almost non-existent. They make a good match.
The Verdict:
I did not enjoy reading this book. Apart from Diana, I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters. I was bored most of the time and just wanted to finish the book – which I read in less than a day just to be done with it and not because I couldn’t stop reading. I really wanted to like the story, but, sadly, I couldn’t find anything interesting about it. Obviously, I’m in one of the minority here. Everyone said the story was exciting, which made me feel like I haven’t read the same book. I’m still looking forward to reading Batman, mainly because I like Marie Lu’s novels. While the ending was wrapped up, the book could have a sequel. But I really hope it doesn’t. You might end up liking this book better than I did, so please don’t let my review keep you from reading it. However, don’t expect anything mind-blowing.
PS: I’ve only seen the movie trailer, but I can tell you, this book is nothing like it.
March 14, 2021
I’ve always being a fan of wonder woman, the idea of a strong female not a damsel in distress appeals to my feminism. I’ve read comic books about wonder woman, watched animations and the movie and I love them all, when I found out about this book and that Leigh was going to write I just could not contain my excitement.
This book is everything I thought it'll be and more. The world building is so explicit and the setting perfectly depicted, I have a perfect picture of Themyscira and the Amazons in my head. I love the plot, despite this been a retelling there is still a lot of originality in this, Teenage wonder woman and a co female protagonist, what could be more perfect than that. Things about Diana like how she felt out of place among the Amazons cause she is not a warrior like them and her desperation to prove herself is all in this book.
Alia nodded, and Diana placed her fist over her heart. “Sister 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.”
I love the characters in this book, their banter and crazy conversations, trust Leigh to incorporate that when their lives are in danger.
“That’s perfect,” said Theo, sitting up.
Jason crossed his arms. “How’s that exactly?”
“We’re the villains! It’s always cooler to be the villain. You get to wear black and have a lair and brood. Besides, girls can’t resist a bad boy.”
“You are such an idiot,” said Nim.
I really love this car part.
“Wait a minute,” said Jason. “Can any of us even drive?”
“I drove,” said Theo. “Once.”
“That was a golf cart,” said Alia.
“So? It had four wheels and went vroom.”
“You crashed it into a tree.”
“I’ll have you know that tree had been drinking.”
“Everybody, relax,” said Nim. “I can drive.”
Plot
Diana rescued a girl from the river and a few hours later, sickness like a plague broke out and Amazons that have never been sick fell sick, afterward earthquakes followed. Diana sort out the Oracle to find out whether it was the girl she saved and stashed in a cave on the Island that is causing everything.
The Oracle told her that the girl is a Warbringer and a descendent of Helen of Troy (apparently it wasn’t just her beauty that caused the war, she just tend to bring war and discourse wherever she goes). The Oracle gave her three options either the girl die, Diana do nothing or Diana saved the girl and stop the curse from ever passing on to someone else.
Diana decided to help Alia the Warbringer break the curse, more to prove herself than it being about Alia. They both set out to Greece but the magical teleportation thingy took them to NY instead all because Alia wanted to go home. They met Jason, Alia's control freak of an elder brother. Alia was still in denial of her being a warbringer till her brother clarified that it is true and their parents were aware. He agreed to help them get to Greece if only Alia attends their fundraiser galaTheir parents had a multi-million dollar foundation before they died, now Jason is kind of in charge.
They were attacked by some assassins that are aware of what a warbringer can do, they want to kill Alia to end the war but Diana saved the day that scene was so cool!. They escaped and went to Greece with lots of difficulties. They manage to get to the spring that was when shit went to hell.
As expected Diana saved the day and went back to themyscira.
This book is everything I thought it'll be and more. The world building is so explicit and the setting perfectly depicted, I have a perfect picture of Themyscira and the Amazons in my head. I love the plot, despite this been a retelling there is still a lot of originality in this, Teenage wonder woman and a co female protagonist, what could be more perfect than that. Things about Diana like how she felt out of place among the Amazons cause she is not a warrior like them and her desperation to prove herself is all in this book.
Alia nodded, and Diana placed her fist over her heart. “Sister 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.”
I love the characters in this book, their banter and crazy conversations, trust Leigh to incorporate that when their lives are in danger.
“That’s perfect,” said Theo, sitting up.
Jason crossed his arms. “How’s that exactly?”
“We’re the villains! It’s always cooler to be the villain. You get to wear black and have a lair and brood. Besides, girls can’t resist a bad boy.”
“You are such an idiot,” said Nim.
I really love this car part.
“Wait a minute,” said Jason. “Can any of us even drive?”
“I drove,” said Theo. “Once.”
“That was a golf cart,” said Alia.
“So? It had four wheels and went vroom.”
“You crashed it into a tree.”
“I’ll have you know that tree had been drinking.”
“Everybody, relax,” said Nim. “I can drive.”
Plot
Diana rescued a girl from the river and a few hours later, sickness like a plague broke out and Amazons that have never been sick fell sick, afterward earthquakes followed. Diana sort out the Oracle to find out whether it was the girl she saved and stashed in a cave on the Island that is causing everything.
The Oracle told her that the girl is a Warbringer and a descendent of Helen of Troy (apparently it wasn’t just her beauty that caused the war, she just tend to bring war and discourse wherever she goes). The Oracle gave her three options either the girl die, Diana do nothing or Diana saved the girl and stop the curse from ever passing on to someone else.
Diana decided to help Alia the Warbringer break the curse, more to prove herself than it being about Alia. They both set out to Greece but the magical teleportation thingy took them to NY instead all because Alia wanted to go home. They met Jason, Alia's control freak of an elder brother. Alia was still in denial of her being a warbringer till her brother clarified that it is true and their parents were aware. He agreed to help them get to Greece if only Alia attends their fundraiser gala
They were attacked by some assassins that are aware of what a warbringer can do, they want to kill Alia to end the war but Diana saved the day
As expected Diana saved the day and went back to themyscira.
May 8, 2018
I probably look like a snotty frog right now and I’m honestly okay with it.
THIS BOOK IS OUT OF THE WORLD.
Here’s the run through:
•Diana is the strongest badass supermodel. Also, she’s clueless about this whole human world which is btw THE SMARTEST WAY TO ADD HUMOUR. Pat on the back to you Bardugo
haha I just love laughing at characters who are supposedly smart and great and strong immortal yet placed in another world, they instantly become simply a fish on land
:)
Anyways, besides the whole glory of her legs, I feel you gurl...*sniff* I try to make my momma proud too. So cut the crap about feeling guilty for wanting to be noticed.
You, my dear, have become one of your sisters.
•Alia, Alia, Alia....honestly, I thought she was so whiny, and blind to everything that’s going on but who can blame her when she had a freaking brute as her brother
bodyguard?
I only wish you had run away as a child. (Jk jk this story wouldn’t happen then)
•and heerrreee is the one and only, (a freaking blue eyed boy again) JASON *grits teeth at his unoriginal name*
This f*cking pig deserves to be sent to the deepest parts of hell, and live an eternity hearing and seeing all of the horrors of earth that he is just FUCKING OBLIVIOUS TO.
JUST STAB HIMSELF WITH HIS OWN SYRINGE OF SUPERNATURAL DEATH.
Then he’ll get a taste of his own medicine, the little shit.
•Nim....yet again, another friend that I most surely need to meet before I die
YOU ROCK YOUR HERITAGE GIRL. YOU ROCK YOUR BODY. YOU ROCK YOUR FUTURE CAREER OF BEING A DESIGNER.
XOXO
•Theo.
You carried a sword for a solid ten seconds...
*sniff* your shit of a father might not care for that but I do.
Speaking of sword, clap if you believe that Queen Bardugo has brought yet another brilliant war for the ending.
_______________________________________________
*a moment for silence as I wait for you to end clapping*
_______________________________________________
When that time came where everyone died just so Bardugo could take a moment to rip out our hearts....
I would’ve kicked her ass.
because of course, not only is it New York tradition, but killing off basically every character I hold dear to heart is an approach that I thought Bardugo would’ve never taken.
Mostly because: EVERY AUTHOR WANTS TO GO THAT WAY.
Like, is it just me??
It’s somehow an unspoken rule between the authors: SOMEONE MUST DIE BEFORE YOU END YOUR BOOK.
However, never fear, my reader, you fellow fangirl still wholly loved and worshipped the ending because dude...who cannot not like the ending when they see Jason sobbing on the ground?
IT’S LEGIT TIME TO SING KUMBAYA.
And as the song ends and friends separate *cue sobbing..again*
I realized.....
Why the hell can’t there be a sequel?
I’m sending out a wish to you Bardugo, for my next birthday about 11 months away from now: I’d like you to grant me a second book of Warbringer.
Thank you.
THIS BOOK IS OUT OF THE WORLD.
Here’s the run through:
•Diana is the strongest badass supermodel. Also, she’s clueless about this whole human world which is btw THE SMARTEST WAY TO ADD HUMOUR. Pat on the back to you Bardugo
haha I just love laughing at characters who are supposedly smart and great and strong immortal yet placed in another world, they instantly become simply a fish on land
:)
Anyways, besides the whole glory of her legs, I feel you gurl...*sniff* I try to make my momma proud too. So cut the crap about feeling guilty for wanting to be noticed.
You, my dear, have become one of your sisters.
•Alia, Alia, Alia....honestly, I thought she was so whiny, and blind to everything that’s going on but who can blame her when she had a freaking brute as her brother
bodyguard?
I only wish you had run away as a child. (Jk jk this story wouldn’t happen then)
•and heerrreee is the one and only, (a freaking blue eyed boy again) JASON *grits teeth at his unoriginal name*
This f*cking pig deserves to be sent to the deepest parts of hell, and live an eternity hearing and seeing all of the horrors of earth that he is just FUCKING OBLIVIOUS TO.
JUST STAB HIMSELF WITH HIS OWN SYRINGE OF SUPERNATURAL DEATH.
Then he’ll get a taste of his own medicine, the little shit.
•Nim....yet again, another friend that I most surely need to meet before I die
YOU ROCK YOUR HERITAGE GIRL. YOU ROCK YOUR BODY. YOU ROCK YOUR FUTURE CAREER OF BEING A DESIGNER.
XOXO
•Theo.
You carried a sword for a solid ten seconds...
*sniff* your shit of a father might not care for that but I do.
Speaking of sword, clap if you believe that Queen Bardugo has brought yet another brilliant war for the ending.
_______________________________________________
*a moment for silence as I wait for you to end clapping*
_______________________________________________
When that time came where everyone died just so Bardugo could take a moment to rip out our hearts....
I would’ve kicked her ass.
because of course, not only is it New York tradition, but killing off basically every character I hold dear to heart is an approach that I thought Bardugo would’ve never taken.
Mostly because: EVERY AUTHOR WANTS TO GO THAT WAY.
Like, is it just me??
It’s somehow an unspoken rule between the authors: SOMEONE MUST DIE BEFORE YOU END YOUR BOOK.
However, never fear, my reader, you fellow fangirl still wholly loved and worshipped the ending because dude...who cannot not like the ending when they see Jason sobbing on the ground?
IT’S LEGIT TIME TO SING KUMBAYA.
And as the song ends and friends separate *cue sobbing..again*
I realized.....
Why the hell can’t there be a sequel?
I’m sending out a wish to you Bardugo, for my next birthday about 11 months away from now: I’d like you to grant me a second book of Warbringer.
Thank you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2017
A hymn to feminism, girls supporting girls, friendship and bravery!
Thank you Sankta Leigh Bardugo, for giving us such a precious sunbeam called Diana.
*
Well, now more than ever these kind of books are important, for what they stand, for their values. Go Leigh!
Thank you Sankta Leigh Bardugo, for giving us such a precious sunbeam called Diana.
*
Well, now more than ever these kind of books are important, for what they stand, for their values. Go Leigh!
September 17, 2020
This book was marvelous.
Bardugo took a legend and made an empowering, feminist book that will help women come into their own. Like I want to go stand on top of a building and look down at the world. Swing down and punch some misogynist in the face and show them how great women are.
I might be channeling my inner Spiderman with that last comment... wrong comic company. Let’s get back on track.
*puts on the wonder woman costume that I haven’t owned for five years that hasn’t been in the back of my closet waiting for a time like this*
This poster (that if you submitted your receipt for preordering the book) is beautiful. You can see that the race representation has shifted towards People of Color. People of Color Representation has been something that book readers and movie watchers and people in general have been screaming for, and Bardugo delivered.
The book even touches on the prejudice still lingering in our country when it comes to skin color. It’s not the focal point, but she does touch on it.
Characters:
Diana: Our Wonder Woman who never is actually never called Wonder Woman because this is kind of an origins story. Her journey isn’t really the main journey, which has disappointed some people, but I like the idea that we see her from other people’s perspective and then her own.
And yes,
She can lift a car over her head.
Alia: This is our Warbringer. Basically, what a Warbringer is, without spoiling how they came to be and what not, is that she makes people angry and sometimes she can help a war happen. She doesn’t know that is what she is until she meets Diana. She doesn’t want to live if she can’t undo being a Warbringer (which is the journey throughout the book is finding out if they can “cure” her in a sense).
Jason: Jason is Alia’s brother. His whole life has been trying to keep Alia safe. He buts heads a lot with Diana and he isn’t sure if he can trust her (because he obviously doesn’t know that she is, like, the most amazing woman ever), but he also can see that she is adamant on protecting his sister.
Nim: I absolutely loved this girl. Alia’s best friend is a plump fashionista who doesn’t know why to keep her mouth shut. She’s also into women, but that doesn’t even become a big deal in the book which I absolutely loved. It was just a part of her and not something hated or glorified. It was a normal thing.
Theo: Theo is kind of thrown into this group, and he feels it throughout the book that he needs to contribute more to this entourage. He fights with Nim a lot, but that’s not really their faults.
There isn’t that much romance in this, for you romantic junkies out there. There is a touch of it here and there, but it isn’t even close to being the focal point. To me, that’s totally fine. I do know that some people must have some romance in order to enjoy a book though.
But I can tell you there is a huge twist in the end and it makes you give the side eye to everyone you know because NO ONE CAN BE TRUSTED.
I did feel like the story was a little rushed, and I think that is because Bardugo is used to writing series not standalones. It was still an amazing ride and I cherish this book and can’t wait for Batman!
Bardugo took a legend and made an empowering, feminist book that will help women come into their own. Like I want to go stand on top of a building and look down at the world. Swing down and punch some misogynist in the face and show them how great women are.
I might be channeling my inner Spiderman with that last comment... wrong comic company. Let’s get back on track.
*puts on the wonder woman costume that I haven’t owned for five years that hasn’t been in the back of my closet waiting for a time like this*
This poster (that if you submitted your receipt for preordering the book) is beautiful. You can see that the race representation has shifted towards People of Color. People of Color Representation has been something that book readers and movie watchers and people in general have been screaming for, and Bardugo delivered.
The book even touches on the prejudice still lingering in our country when it comes to skin color. It’s not the focal point, but she does touch on it.
Characters:
Diana: Our Wonder Woman who never is actually never called Wonder Woman because this is kind of an origins story. Her journey isn’t really the main journey, which has disappointed some people, but I like the idea that we see her from other people’s perspective and then her own.
And yes,
She can lift a car over her head.
Alia: This is our Warbringer. Basically, what a Warbringer is, without spoiling how they came to be and what not, is that she makes people angry and sometimes she can help a war happen. She doesn’t know that is what she is until she meets Diana. She doesn’t want to live if she can’t undo being a Warbringer (which is the journey throughout the book is finding out if they can “cure” her in a sense).
Jason: Jason is Alia’s brother. His whole life has been trying to keep Alia safe. He buts heads a lot with Diana and he isn’t sure if he can trust her (because he obviously doesn’t know that she is, like, the most amazing woman ever), but he also can see that she is adamant on protecting his sister.
Nim: I absolutely loved this girl. Alia’s best friend is a plump fashionista who doesn’t know why to keep her mouth shut. She’s also into women, but that doesn’t even become a big deal in the book which I absolutely loved. It was just a part of her and not something hated or glorified. It was a normal thing.
Theo: Theo is kind of thrown into this group, and he feels it throughout the book that he needs to contribute more to this entourage. He fights with Nim a lot, but that’s not really their faults.
There isn’t that much romance in this, for you romantic junkies out there. There is a touch of it here and there, but it isn’t even close to being the focal point. To me, that’s totally fine. I do know that some people must have some romance in order to enjoy a book though.
But I can tell you there is a huge twist in the end and it makes you give the side eye to everyone you know because NO ONE CAN BE TRUSTED.
I did feel like the story was a little rushed, and I think that is because Bardugo is used to writing series not standalones. It was still an amazing ride and I cherish this book and can’t wait for Batman!
Shelved as 'anxiously-waiting'
May 11, 2017After seeing the new trailer today, my hope is so high but I know Leigh won't let me down.
Diana is a strong and independent female character.
I don't even have words for this.
EPIC. ABSOLUTELY EPIC.
Diana is a strong and independent female character.
I don't even have words for this.
EPIC. ABSOLUTELY EPIC.
August 31, 2017
Oh. My. God. That was absolutely fantastic. All the stars in the world to this super fierce, action-packed and kickass masterpiece of a book. Kudos to the queen aka Leigh Bardugo <3
I miss my babies already omg I loved all these characters so much?????? Theo is my precious cinnamon roll that needs to be protected at all costs! And the female friendships in this book were so beautiful, I'm tearing up <333 AND all the characters are POC (except Diana) and it's just fabulous!!! I need to reread this book ASAP.
Full review is now up on my blog: https://toomuchofabooknerd.wordpress.... (spoiler: I AM LOSING MY SHIT)
oh, and thank you to Penguin Random House UK for sending me an early copy of this book I OWE YOU FOREVER AND EVER <333
I miss my babies already omg I loved all these characters so much?????? Theo is my precious cinnamon roll that needs to be protected at all costs! And the female friendships in this book were so beautiful, I'm tearing up <333 AND all the characters are POC (except Diana) and it's just fabulous!!! I need to reread this book ASAP.
Full review is now up on my blog: https://toomuchofabooknerd.wordpress.... (spoiler: I AM LOSING MY SHIT)
oh, and thank you to Penguin Random House UK for sending me an early copy of this book I OWE YOU FOREVER AND EVER <333
February 7, 2018
“Sister 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.”
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amazons don’t have many rules - but they have one important one. Don’t save the humans on the over side of the border.
Don’t bring them to the shore, don’t get them in the island.
Sadly, our handsome wonderful wonderwoman Diana has a big heart and can’t really stick with that rule.
So when she saves Alia she doesn’t realize what damage she does to her island and to her Amazon sisters.
When she seeks help from the Oracle it gives her three paths that she can enter.
1. Let the girl die and wait for the catastrophe to pass.
2. Save the girl and let all humanity and the Amazon’s die in a horrible world war
3. Save the girl and get her to Greece, because she is a Warbringer and needs to take a bath in a Greek pool.
Again, Diana is way to kindhearted to really let someone die, so she takes the girl and goes on an adventure to save humanity and her home.
First things first: I loved the movie so much. It was brilliant and I probably watched It 72628282 times, because after it I always had the feeling I could easily conquer the world and be the best version of myself.
When I started this book I had the feeling that the beginning was pretty week. I didn’t feel it. But the more I read the more I loved the story. We get to laugh, cry, fear and cringe with the characters and sometimes I was smiling or laughing so hard I read the page again and again, only because it made me so happy.
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Leigh Bardugo made a great job at writing Diana.
Diana - Wonder Woman - was always my favorite hero (but that’s no surprise).
I loved her in the movies like crazy. Her strong feeling for justice, the wish to help people those can’t help themselves -
All these things made her so lovable.
I will forever imagine her like this:
“I Imagine all wars look the same to those who die in them.”
I liked the other characters - Alia, Jason, Nim and Theo after reading ca. Half of the book. It took some time, but in the end I was interested in their personality and how their story ended. And that’s always a good sign!
Relationships ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The most important relationship in this story is probably the one between Alia and Diana, even though there were a lot of other that took an important role - the one between brother and sister, between friends.
The whole story shows that as friends we should support and protect each other.
We should always believe and never give up on the other. But also we need to see them as separate humans, we don’t make decisions for them. We only make it easier to decide and to do what is need to be done.
Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In the beginning, as I said in the “story” part, I wasn’t really sure if I could stick to the story. But the more I read the more I fell in love with Leigh Bardugos writing. Again.
I should never doubt the talent of our queen Leigh Bardugo! 👑 (Sounds like she’s a goddess... maybe she is 🤷🏻♀️)
I fell in love with the funny, sad and action filled parts of the story.
If you love the movie Wonderwoman you should definitely consider reading this book. It definitely is entertaining, even though it takes some time.
„You can build a thousand soldiers, and not one will have a hero’s heart.“
Want to read
September 12, 2017YAYYYYYY!
November 7, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, Wonder Woman is one of my favorite superheroes (I've seen the movie too). Even if I didn't already know about Wonder Woman I would pick this book up, come on Leigh Bardugo wrote it! The main plot of the book which is the Warbringer concept is well written. The book has this feminism aspect running through the background which was amazing.
Diana is the Amazon princess who ends up saving Alia a Warbringer from an accident that was most likely not an accident, risking exile. Diana leaves the sanctuary of the magical island of Themyscira and goes on a mission to save Alia who has no idea of who she is.
Overall this book gets 4.5 stars from me.
I feel like I have to mention this :
The first few chapters of this book move pretty slowly but once I got past the 6th chapter I could not put the book down. I felt like most of the fighting and plot happen over the last 4-5 chapters, but the rest of the book helps in building up to the previously mentioned chapters. So if any of you feel like putting the book down please wait till you get half way and keep in mind the last chapters are Wonderful.
P.S: Even though Diana is a badass Amazon and Alia is a Warbringer-a descendent of The Helen of Troy I liked Theo and Nim's personality more.
Diana is the Amazon princess who ends up saving Alia a Warbringer from an accident that was most likely not an accident, risking exile. Diana leaves the sanctuary of the magical island of Themyscira and goes on a mission to save Alia who has no idea of who she is.
Overall this book gets 4.5 stars from me.
I feel like I have to mention this :
The first few chapters of this book move pretty slowly but once I got past the 6th chapter I could not put the book down. I felt like most of the fighting and plot happen over the last 4-5 chapters, but the rest of the book helps in building up to the previously mentioned chapters. So if any of you feel like putting the book down please wait till you get half way and keep in mind the last chapters are Wonderful.
P.S: Even though Diana is a badass Amazon and Alia is a Warbringer-a descendent of The Helen of Troy I liked Theo and Nim's personality more.
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