As a huge Stiefvater fan, I was super excited to get this book… and then not entirely sure about it when I started it. It admittedly took me a little bit longer to find the rhythm of this story, with a different voice and style — but one appropriate to Merida! However, once I found the rhythm of the story, about 25% in, I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what would happen next, how people would change, how Merida would change, and what it would all mean. I ended up with a bit of a book hangover at the end, which is the highest compliment t there is. The relationships make this story — and that is Stiefvater, entirely.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Since this book is not technically published yet I am keeping this review as spoiler free as humanly possible.

First of all, let me say how honored I was to be able to get an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley! Merida is one of my favorite princesses, and the aesthetic and culture behind "Brave" has always appealed to me as someone who has done lots of research about Scottish and Celtic lore. So when I heard that this book was the sequel to Brave, I leapt at the chance to get an advanced copy! I have yet to read "The Raven Boys" but all of my friends highly recommend it and Maggie Steifvater as an author I would love, so I started this book with pretty high expectations. It certainly did not disappoint. While some plot points were a bit fuzzy, I can forgive it somewhat because this is technically an unfinished copy. I thought that Merida aged up was very believable and on point -- Steifvater really nailed her character dialogue and mannerisms. The brothers personalities were also very believable when compared to how they behaved in "Brave", and Steifvater really had freedom to shape the triplets characters since they too were aged up. I also really loved how much "historically" accurate information was included as far as lore and Scottish culture. Feradach as a character definitely had me swooning! He was such a soft boy, my heart melted at several scenes in this book due to him. I wasn't really a fan of Leezie as a character, she mostly annoyed me until the very end of the book! I am giving 4/5 stars only because this work is unfinished and some of the plot was a bit rushed. There were also missing bits of language so it was hard to tell what was happening in some areas. I will definitely be purchasing the finished book and re-reading to see if anything changes.

It was definitely one fun and an easy read. I really liked the whole set up and the message it was trying to give. However, I find the pacing a little bit slow and the ending a little rushed. So, overall, it’s a 3.5 star read for me.

While this book might be ideal for anyone who loves the storyline and lore behind Brave, this book wasn't for me. While the messaging is clear and definitely aligns with the source material, the setting and story didn't grip me. It was slow from the outset and I had a difficult time staying interested.

Having a free-spirited, strong-willed daughter of my own, I have always related to the story told in the movie, "Brave", so I was thrilled to see this story continued by Maggie Stiefvater in "Bravely". I appreciated the way that lore and historical elements were woven through this story, and I also loved the message of change being a necessary part of life. The story conveyed this message without being overly preachy or self-important, and the characters were endearing and lovable, drawing the reader into their lives and grabbing us by the heartstrings. This is the sort of story that sticks with you for a while afterwards in the best sort of way. My only piece of criticism is that after all the build up throughout the novel, the end felt a little rushed. However, I loved the story overall and would gladly recommend this one to others.

A great book for Disney lovers! Follow Merida as she tries to save her family and learn that sometimes change is necessary.

The publisher provided me with a digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm of mixed minds about this story. On the one hand, it really does fit nicely in the world that Disney created -- the magic has the same feel as the magic in the original story, and Stiefvater does a good job of capturing Merida's voice. There's plenty of well-researched history and detail to bring this world to life as well. But the marketing summary really makes this story sound a lot bigger than it is -- I would never call the three journeys Merida makes "epic." A lot of this novel, I thought, was very quiet -- much quieter than I expected, honestly. For Stiefvater fans, there is a lot here that you will recognize, in terms of craft; for Disney purists, this feels like a continuation of the Disney story. I was left dissatisfied with the ending of the story in terms of the changes that Merida experienced throughout this year-long bargain with the gods; one part in particular felt like it was just glossed over and only very briefly mentioned.

This was an easy and fun read.

I enjoyed the depth it added to Merida and her family - especially Elinor and the triplets! Seeing the characters come into their own was great. The idea that change is necessary is good. The characters were fun and quirky.

I felt this was too descriptive in some segments (like all the details about the bread in the first chapter) and that other segments were lacking in depth. We got paragraphs of descriptions about foods but I feel not much time was spent on the rest of the world. I also felt like the romance aspect was unnecessary and the ending was a little too neat.

I liked it!

“Change isn’t about getting taller or changing the roof over your head. Change happens in your heart, in your way of thinking, of moving in the world.“

Change is the heart of this story. Merida, princess of DunBroch, has one year to enact change in the people she loves in order to save them. All the while, Feradach, god of destruction, tries to show her how ruin is necessary as a catalyst for change. Without change their is merely stagnation. Where there is stagnation, there is rot.

Dear reader, this is one of those books with magic inside its pages. Magic, magic, magic, that will take you on an adventure through Scotland with one girl and two gods, but more so, magic that will make you look at your own heart and assess the balance.

For me, this was the perfect book to read before the new year… to look inwardly and see what needs to change to restore the balance. I cannot recommend enough to grab this story when you can 🖤

Bravely is a wonderful adventure set after the movie Brave. I loved how the character Merida was portrayed - she was true to the character in the film but was full of so many rich details. I loved how Merida grew throughout the challenges she progressed through. I also loved the magical touches that really brought the story to life.

I was drawn to Bravely because of Maggie Stiefvater's prior works, of which both myself and my students are fans. I had never seen the movie Brave, for which this draws its main heroine--and one doesn't need to in order to enjoy this book. I did not know Merida the way some of my students or other readers might, but it did not keep me from enjoying her character or that of her rambunctious family.

The novel is a fast-paced read with adventure, growth, and of course magic. Bravely is, at its core, a book about the challenge of change and the courage to face those changes. It is about knowing what we want and recognizing that it may not necessarily be what we need. Maggie has always been talented with the craft of character and making them feel real, human. She manages to do that with a host of characters--and when one manages to make even the gods seem human and relatable, well, it is a job well done.

I did feel that the number of characters in the ensemble cast made it feel a bit busy at times but working with an existing IP and its cast often limits what can be done to mitigate that. Overall, it was enjoyable, easy to follow, and (in true Stiefvater fashion) had an ending and epilogue that has us longing for more of that Scotland highlands and the magic they hold.

One of the things I love about Maggie Stiefvater is her ability to change the feel of the story. The mastery of her skill means that there isn't a Maggie Stiefvater style of writing, there's just good writing. This is true of "Bravely" - the voice and tone are unlike any of her other books, which makes this a really great fairly tale in it's own right.

I didn't realize before I read this book that it's a sequel to a Pixar movie (Brave), and it really didn't matter. The story held up on it's own without my having seen the prior film.

"Bravely" is a fun read, is well written, and makes you love Merida and learn to feel compassion for Feradach. I love the message that destruction in the natural order of things allows for rebirth and positive outcomes.

Maggie Steifvater has obviously done a ton of research on Scottish history, lore, and mythology, and that really shows. This wasn't a knock it out of the park for me--I don't know that I loved the ending all that much, honestly, it felt like it wrapped up too quickly or not quickly enough, something felt off. But this definitely felt and read like a fairy tale.

Oh I really loved this book! This book is funny, sweet, and heartbreaking all at once. I loved how Stiefvater took the character of Merida, matured her, and grew her into a powerful force! Merida is on another adventure- but no one gets turned into a bear this time. I really fell in love with her while I read this book.... and I want to visit her again! Thank you to NetGalley and to Disney Hyperion for the ARC!

I'm a huge Maggie Stiefvater fan, but I wasn't sure what to expect from a Disney adaptation from her. I genuinely loved it! If I didn't know about Brave, I would have just thought this was another imaginative story beautifully told by the author. But being familiar with Brave and Merida's story only enriched the experience for me. Merida's character rang true for me as a natural progression from where she was in Brave. Her evolving relationship with Feradach, the god of destruction is complex and compelling and gave me Vasya and Morozko (Bear and the Nightingale) vibes in a good way. I think anyone who enjoyed Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy or Naomi Novik's Uprooted and Spinning Silver will love this book.

What i always live about a story written by Maggie Stiefvater is that it makes you slow down, it makes you take the journey with it instead of rushing through. Bravely was an excellent example of this. A well-placed, thoughtful, and thought-provoking fairy tale set in a world I was more than happy to revisit.

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater is a story that wraps around the reader, drawing him or her in to a world of hulking Scottish castles, marauding warloards, and the real, messy, lovely interactions of a family who makes mistakes and gets lazy but loves with their whole hearts. Merida of DunBroch is a princess who chooses archery and horses and rambles across the Scottish countryside over marriage prospects or royal deportment. When she learns that her family is slated to be wiped out by the magic of Feradach, the god of destruction, she makes a deal with him and the Cailleach, the goddess of recreation and newness. She is granted one year to change her home and every member in it or Feredach will win and destroy them all. Thus begins her adventure, but at the same time, the DunBrochs face a more tangible threat: the warlord called the Dasachtach plans to destroy DunBroch unless King Fergus and Queen Elinor acknowledge him as their master and give their children to him as a peace offering. Through travel and hardship, compassion and danger, Merida does her best to prod her family into the changes that will save them, but the ominous Dasachtach and the wily Feradach pose obstacles that seem insurmountable. As Merida faces the looming destruction of everything she knows, she learns more about herself and her family, but the knowledge may come too late.

As a history teacher, I love facts. Recorded histories, primary documents, artifacts and proof and evidence. Historical fantasies full of magical beings and supernatural events have never interested me, but Bravely snared my interest, held me fast, and turned me out at the end wishing there was more. Maggie Stiefvater mixes historical detail with her fantasy in a brilliant way. The setting and the characters feel real and genuine, representing Scotland's history and culture so clearly, Readers feel the history while the fantasy plays out in the plot. Even the magical elements of her story, Feradach and the Cailleach, feel credible and convincing. They are flawed and multi-faceted, like all good characters, and their human-ness made me love them and accept them, even as a lukewarm fan of fantasy. Stiefvater's characterization is deep and effective, her setting is vibrant and sensory, and her plot is tightly knit and perfectly paced, surprising readers with events that were almost (but not quite) predictable.

Most of all, though, I loved the themes Stiefvater wove throughout Bravely. The value of family can be seen in Elinor and Fergus, in Merida and Leezie, in the triplets, and in the residents of Eilean Glan. The value of change and the good that can come from heartbreak are important themes for people of all ages, but maybe even more important for young and new adult readers. And most importantly, Merida shows the power of investing in yourself and those around you, in helping others to become everything they can, in persevering, even when all seems stacked against you. Incredibly, Bravely captures the readers and maintains their interest without violence or gore, without sex or drugs, without the trauma that features in so many contemporary works. Stiefvatet pulls us into history and teaches us about people, all people, through authentic characters and their strengths.

When I found out it was a continuation of brave, I knew I had to read it. It hooked me right away. There were surprises around every corner. I couldn’t put it down.

I loved this retelling! Stiefvater's writing was incredibly engaging and I really enjoyed how she incorporated myths. I loved Merida.

I really loved the animated film Brave and when I heard on social media Maggie Stiefvater was given the opportunity to write the sequel to Merida's story, I was elated.

My enthusiasm was well-met with Bravely, a story about growth and change, something people always seem to have a problem accepting or realizing the necessity of.

Steeped in Celtic mythology, beautifully and poignantly written, Stiefvater fills out the dimensions of all characters within Merida's world, creating empathy and understanding where animosity would threaten to take over. The magical elements of the story make sense in the way that the mysterious does, and the ending steers clear of cliche and is entirely, complexly, and unexpectedly satisfying.

I have already spread the word about this new story to my students, who I think will love it as much as I do, and plan on using it as a book club feature book perhaps as early as next semester.