Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo (DC Icons book 1)

“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.” - taken from Goodreads.com

First of all, if you have seen the movie, expect something completely different and for me that was great. A teenage Diana rescues a teenage girl when the ship she is on explodes. Once she brings Alia ashore on Themyscira, things for everyone go disastrously. Knowing she has broken the cardinal rule, Diana consults the Oracle about what she must do to rectify the situation. Alia is the Warbringer, a descendant of Helen of Troy. A Warbringer carries the death of the world. To save everyone, Diana must take Alia to the spring at Therapne to be purified and end the line of all Warbringers. If not, Armageddon will reign over the Earth.

Knowing what she must do to save everyone, Diana begins her hero's quest to the spring but Alai has other ideas and the two girls end of in modern day New York City.  For me, this is where the action and humor picked up for me. I adored the ending and cannot wait for Batman: Nightwalker.

Book two in the DC Icons series is Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu out January 2, 2018.

Visit Leigh Bardugo’s website.

Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor (Into the Dim book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Into the Dim, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“For the first time in her life, Hope Walton has friends . . . and a (maybe) boyfriend. She’s a Viator, a member of a long line of time-traveling ancestors. When the Viators learn of a plan to steal a dangerous device from the inventor Nikola Tesla, only a race into the past can save the natural timeline from utter destruction. Navigating the glitterati of The Gilded Age in 1895 New York City, Hope and her crew will discover that high society can be as deadly as it is beautiful.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I read the first book in this series 18 months ago and I’ll admit, it took me awhile to get back into Hope’s world. I remembered the gist of the story but there were some details I didn’t recall until they were mentioned in the book and sometimes I still was a bit lost. I love the historical time-traveling plot but wasn’t sure what aspects of 1895 the author would touch on. Let’s just say that I was literally on the edge of my seat for about 100 pages for Hope’s escape from a situation she was forced into. The ending is a bit heartbreaking but I cannot wait to see what time period the Viators are thrust into for what seems to be a thrilling conclusion to this story.

Publication date and title of book three are unknown at this time.

Visit Janet B. Taylor’s website.

Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne (Rosemarked book 1)

“To take on an empire, you must have nothing to lose.”

“A healer who cannot be healed . . .

When Zivah falls prey to the deadly rose plague, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she fully succumbs. Now she’s destined to live her last days in isolation, cut off from her people and unable to practice her art—until a threat to her village creates a need that only she can fill.

A soldier shattered by war . . .

Broken by torture at the hands of the Amparan Empire, Dineas thirsts for revenge against his captors. Now escaped and reunited with his tribe, he’ll do anything to free them from Amparan rule—even if it means undertaking a plan that risks not only his life but his very self.

Thrust together on a high-stakes mission to spy on the capital, the two couldn’t be more different: Zivah, deeply committed to her vow of healing, and Dineas, yearning for vengeance. But as they grow closer, they must find common ground to protect those they love. And amidst the constant fear of discovery, the two grapple with a mutual attraction that could break both of their carefully guarded hearts.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Ok, this book did take me a bit to get into. It wasn’t until Zivah and Dineas begin to interact did the story draw me in. These two are not friends and only begrudgingly agree to work together. As their relationship progresses and they begin to infiltrate their respective areas in the capital city, the action picks up. Told in alternating viewpoints, readers find out what exactly happened to cause the plague outbreak and why. Readers are left with a cliffhanger ending that sets up the upcoming battle.

Umbertouched will conclude the story in 2018.

Visit Livia Blackburne’s website.