The Warbringer
Word of advice, do not watch the Wonder Woman movie and read this book immediately afterwards. Otherwise, your expectations will fall from the moon to the abyss of the Pacific Ocean.
I was introduced to Wonder Woman by my mother through the Linda Charter TV series that aired when my mother was a child. I’ll admit the show is cheesy and hasn’t aged the best, but it’s still an enjoyable watch. This book on the other hand, sapped all enjoyment for me before I was even half way through.
The story opens with Diana preparing for a race on her home island of Themyscira. While running, she notices a ship wreak and decides to throw the race and help. This is where our other protagonist, Alia, is introduced. Diana learns that Alia is a descendent of Helen of Troy making her a warbringer. In short wherever Alia goes trouble follows. There are people out to kill Alia lest a global conflict emerges. However, Dianna is determined to find a way to end the warbringer line without Alia’s premature death.
The time Dianna and Alia spend on Themyscira is my favorite part of the book. Detail is given to each Amazon, and there is plenty of world building focused on the Amazonian culture. I loved Alia’s bewilderment of the world she literally washed up on, and her reaction to learning she was a warbringer. However, after the duo departs into the outside world, is where the plot begins to fray.
Following the escape from Themyscira, Dianna and Alia arrive in New York City. They meet up with Alia’s brother, Jason, in a hotel, a humorous scene where I laughed quite a bit. Jason takes Alia home where he announces Alia has to attend some gala he’s hosting for his business. Alia then has her best friend over and a chapter is spent on getting dressed up for the gala. This is where I knew I wasn’t going to like this book nearly as much as I expected to. The gala felt very misplaced in a book like this. I thought this novel was supposed to be a superhero adventure, not a chick-flick. I want to Wonder Woman deflecting bullets with her bracelets, not styling her hair for prom. I hoped the plot would develop more after the dance, but I was still unimpressed.
Most of the book follows Dianna and co’ on their journey to Greece so they can end the warbringer line once and for all. There are people who want to kill Alia, there is a deadline to reach the spring, and apparently there is a war on the way. We don’t actually get to see the war though. Jason shows Alia some news feeds and they see soldiers walking around New York City, but that’s the only hint we get that there is any international conflict.
At the very beginning of the book, Dianna decides to leave Themyscira, the threat feels very real to her because her sisters and best friend are all falling ill. We know that if Dianna takes, Alia, the outsider she brought onto the island, away from it, her sisters should recover. However, the larger threat of WWIII doesn’t feel nearly as urgent as the sick Amazons. I believe this is the results of the war not directly affecting the main cast. This problem could have been fixed. Alia could’ve witness protest that turn violent while in NYC. The group could’ve met up with refugees. The characters could’ve been aware with sudden tensions between nations.
When I first opened this book, I assumed I was going to love it. It’s a novel about Wonder Woman. Why wouldn’t I? However, the annoying side characters, sloppy development of the titular Warbringer, and the unnecessary chick-flick scenes greatly disappointed me.
