And I was surprised by how much emotion Bardugo packed into it. I was surprised that it was, at times, a funny book. 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 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. And yet, I soon realized that Bardugo was doing something just as important- showing the power of female friendships above all else. 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.

You know, at first, I was a touch disappointed that Bardugo didn't take this opportunity to have a gay romance for Wonder Woman. And apparently Catwoman, Superman and Batman are also being remade by popular YA authors. 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.

Wonder Woman has gotten quite the makeover this year and I must confess: I really like it. “Sister in battle,” murmured Diana, “I am shield and blade to you.” Because if they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war. Tested beyond the bounds of their abilities, Diana and Alia must find a way to unleash hidden strengths and forge an unlikely alliance. Two girls will face an army of enemies-mortal and divine-determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. 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. She doesn’t know she is being hunted by people who think her very existence could spark a world war. Diana will soon learn that she has rescued no ordinary girl, and that with this single brave act, she may have doomed the world.Īlia Keralis just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law-risking exile-to save a mortal. Princess Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters.

Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo