Diana, princess of the Amazons, has lived her whole life on the island of Themyscira, the only child in a community of female warriors. She yearns to be just as skilled a fighter as her Aunt Antiope, who secretly helps train her against Queen Hippolyta's wishes. One day, years later, that training becomes vital when a plane crashes near Themyscira and Diana saves its pilot.

The bulk of the story takes place during World War I, and Steve Trevor, the pilot Diana rescues, is an American spy desperately trying to take information back to the British. The Germans have developed a deadly new gas that could wipe out whole cities and towns and that can't be defended against. The more Diana hears about the war, the more convinced she is that the god Ares is behind it all. She decides to leave behind the only life she's ever known in order to join Steve, who she believes can lead her to Ares, and save humanity from the God of War's influence.

The last time I saw this movie was when it came out in theaters. I enjoyed it enough to buy the novelization when I saw it in stores, but I found that I didn't want to read it so soon after seeing the movie. It's now several years later, and my memories of the movie are fuzzy: a good time to finally read this book.

Unfortunately, my time would probably have been better spent rewatching the movie. This novelization offered nothing that wasn't conveyed as well or better in the movie, and it certainly didn't offer anything extra. The action scenes weren't as good, the story was occasionally confusing, and I found myself more likely to notice things that didn't quite make sense or were overly convenient.

I realize that novelizations have lots of constraints, and this was technically okay for what it was. Still, it could have been better. It didn't enhance my appreciation of any of the characters and scenes, I don't think it included any new scenes, and it didn't really work for me as a novel.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

Well-written enough, but does not add anything to the backstory of the characters. ( )