I have a confession to make…I’m a total geek. I love comic books as well as books, so I was excited to discover that some of my all-time favorite comic book heroines are recently represented in their own books.
From Wonder Woman to Captain Marvel, below are my top three picks for those who adore geek culture, comic books and intriguing female characters. Enjoy!
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
From the author and creator of the famous Grishaverse comes this novel filled with non-stop action. In the book 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.
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.
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.
If you love this amazing DC Comics superhero, you will adore this novel.
Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster by Liza Palmer
Fresh off the movie’s box office win, this novel follows Carol Danvers as she kicks off her U.S. Air Force career with her first year at flight school, where she’ll be tested in ways she never thought possible-and make a lifelong friend, Maria Rambeau, in the process.
Focusing on Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau as they wend their way through a space that was still very much a “boys’ club” in the 80s, the important social-cultural themes explored in this novel are sure to draw in not only fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but readers of social issue-focused YA who gravitate toward relatable protagonists learning to navigate the world around them, and to succeed in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity.
This novel is a wonderful prelude to the film and will have you wanting to see it again!
Harley Quinn: Mad Love by Paul Dini and Pat Cadigan
This new-adult novel is the definitive story of Harley Quinn by her co-creator, Paul Dini, and Pat Cadigan, revealing the secrets of her history even as she seeks to kill Batman.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel grew up in an abusive household with a criminal and became a psychologist to deal with her own broken family. At Arkham Asylum, she attempted to treat the Joker and instead fell hopelessly in love with him, helping him escape and becoming a member of his organization. Quinzel became Harley Quinn, a bizarre contradiction of violence and mercy. She blames Batman for her inability to maintain a stable relationship with the arch-villain, and that causes her to have an abiding hatred for the hero, who she seeks to kill. Upon capture she becomes a violent inmate at Belle Reve Penitentiary, and is assigned to the group of government-maintained super villains known as the Suicide Squad.
If you love Harley, then this is the book for you to immerse yourself in her back story.
What comic books are your favorites and who are your favorite comic book characters? Share with me at @AuroraMiami and with us at @OnFrolic.
