DIANA AND THE ISLAND OF NO RETURN

Princess Diana of Themyscira sets off on a middle-grade adventure.

Twelve-year-old Diana loves her island home and her Amazon community dearly, but she longs for one thing: permission to train in the art of combat with her fellow warriors. Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta, has long told Diana that the battlefield is no place for her, but Diana hopes this might be the year she can finally convince her mother to let her train. In the meantime, eagerly awaited guests are arriving on the island: The best and brightest women in the world have been invited to Themyscira for a festival of ideas, food, and culture. Among these visitors is Sakina, Diana’s best friend, and a mysterious stranger warning Diana of a threat not just to Themyscira, but to the entire world. The author does an admirable job creating an adventure for young Diana to embark upon without breaking the established canon of the Wonder Woman mythos. Diana’s characterization lines up with her comic counterpart’s, but Sakina’s character seems a bit thin by comparison. The book’s real Achilles heel is the ending, a boilerplate tee up for a future installment that promises resolution and answers to the story that readers are entitled to now, particularly after 250 pages. Diversity is suggested through names and cultural references.

Frustrating ending aside, a solid start to a promising middle-grade series.