"We cannot spend our lives in hiding, wondering what we might accomplish if given the chance. We have to take the chance ourselves." (Diana, Princess of Themiscyra)
I've been a fan of the DC Universe and Wonder Woman ever since I started watching the Justice League animated series when I was 6 years old. 2017 was the year of Wonder Woman. The Wonder Woman movie came out and it was awesome and Wonder Woman: Warbringer, my most anticipated book of 2017, was published afterwards.
The one aspect that I was worried about before reading Wonder Woman: Warbringer was Diana's characterisation. But, I had no reason to worry. Diana is gorgeous, loyal, smart, courageous, brave, stubborn and defiant. Diana is 16 years old in Wonder Woman: Warbringer and there's a part of her that's insecure about who she is and whether she's truly an Amazon. The events that take place in Wonder Woman: Warbringer is a part of Diana's journey that will lead her to becoming the heroic Wonder Woman.
Alia Keralis is a Warbringer - a Daughter of the goddess Nemesis and a descendant of Helen of Troy. While Diana shows more physical strength, Alia's strength is internal. After finding out that Greek mythology is real, that she is a catalyst for wars and apocalypses and that numerous people and gods either want her dead to save the world or alive to destroy it, she still does what she feels is right and doesn't let anyone convince her otherwise.
Wonder Woman is a symbol of feminism and an inspiration to woman and it's so awesome to see girl power in Wonder Woman: Warbringer. There's also strong female friendships, which is rarely seen in YA fiction. It's a breath of fresh air to see women fighting for each other, standing together and supporting each other. It's in the bonds of friendship that are formed between Alia and Diana, the strong friendship between Nim and Alia and the sisterhood of the Amazons.
The secondary characters are diverse and well developed. Jason, Nim and Theo have their own strengths, weaknesses, fears and dreams. I love that we don't only get to see Diana's journey in Wonder Woman: Warbringer but we also see how the people around her develop due to her influence and vice versa.
The plot of Wonder Woman: Warbringer is formulaic. It's basically the hero's quest plot, but I'm a sucker for heroes quests and I was invested in Diana and Alia's journey. I also love the world building and rich descriptions of Themiscyra and the Amazons way of life. However, the one thing that bugs me is that I couldn't believe that Alia, Jason, Nim and Theo have no idea that Diana is an Amazon. If Greek Mythology is real and the Amazon River and the Amazon online store exist, then how can they not figure out what Diana is. My mind would have been screaming, "She's an Amazon!". However, it's kind of explained that Jason knew Diana is an Amazon, but he was pretending not to know. I also guessed the plot twist so I wasn't shocked when it happened. I knew Jason was the bad guy. Aside from the fact that Diana rarely comes out of romances with her heart intact, there was something off about the things that Jason said and the way he acted. Also, he didn't tell anyone about his super strength and enemies were finding Diana and company in the most isolated places.
The first part of Wonder Woman: Warbringer is slow and boring and it's difficult to get into, but after struggling through the first third, the last two thirds are amazing. The last two thirds of Wonder Woman: Warbringer made me bump up my rating from three stars to four stars.
There are plenty things that I can take away from Wonder Woman: Warbringer, but the one message that sticks out for me is that courage and bravery comes in many different shapes and forms.
"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." (Diana, Princess of Themiscyra)