This cover is beautiful and the story is fun to go with it. I didn't think it was as excellent as some of Maggie Stiefvater's other writing but I did enjoy it. What I actually liked most was the setting and the lore, which is why I would actually recommend this book. So go in with an open mind and you will probably enjoy this one!

4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book! This is my honest review, all views are my own.
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I’ll be honest, I just totally forgot to write a review for this… sorry!! I’m not gonna go too in-depth about it.
Bravely is a continuation of the Disney/Pixar movie Brave… but only kind of. It deals with the same characters, but there’s almost no reference to the movie events. This isn’t to say it’s good or bad! Just can’t be compared too much to its source material.
I enjoyed the story itself very much—Stiefvater’s interpretation of the Celtic gods was interesting, and the story held my interest. It was fun for a continuation of Merida’s story, but I can’t really speak on how faithful Stiefvater’s version of Merida is to the movie. This isn’t because I like/dislike Brave too much, but rather because I’m awful at seeing if a book character is accurate to a movie adaptation. It’s just a bit difficult for me!
This is definitely not my best review, but a lot of the details I was going to include have faded out of my mind since May—this is why I review right away!!! I promise I did actually have fun with this story—the entire concept of Feradach and the bargain was very interesting, and I loved seeing Feradach pop up throughout the book. It’s a solidly ‘good’ read, but not something I’ll come back to for a while. 4 stars.

I’ve always thought it’d be fun to write for Disney and was thrilled to see that the amazing Maggie Stiefvater was teaming up with Disney Publishing to bring us a story about Merida from Pixar’s Brave.⁠
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Bravely (which was released May 3rd!!) has an amazing story that picks up about a year after Brave the film in which Merida has one year to save Dunbroch, or see it destroyed forever. Stiefvater really brought Merida to life on the page, and brings a richness to the story like only her writing can do. Each scene was brought to life, and has me (once again) wanting to book a trip to Scotland.⁠
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Whether you’re a fan of Brave, Disney Princesses, or Maggie Stiefvater, this is definitely a good addition to your TBR.

You cannot go wrong with Maggie Stiefvater's books. She has the remarkable ability to create entirely new stories unlike you've read before. Her knowledge of European mythology is vast and nuanced, which you'll know if you'd read her "Raven Boys" series. With this knowledge, it makes sense that Stiefvater is the perfect vessel for Merida's new story told in "Bravely." An epic, imaginative tale indeed.

This book reminded me of the Twisted Tales series and I really enjoyed it! I hope this author writes more books on the different characters.

The Review

This was a great read. The author excelled at continuously building an atmosphere and tone that reflected both the magic and historic nature of the narrative. The world-building was excellent here, as the author built upon the storied setting of Castle Dunbroch and the kingdom that Disney established in the film Brave and managed to craft enough new narrative to make the world feel even bigger and more alive.

The mythos, history, and imagery are all that really drove this narrative forward and elevated the characters to the heights that they reached. The way Scottish mythology and mythological figures played into the story, as well as the emotional storyline that was brought to life through Merida and her family, made for a brilliant story overall. Yet despite instances of magical action and adventure featuring ancient gods and mythological figures, the real emphasis on history that this story brought to life allowed for a really well-balanced novel that kept readers invested in this world.

The Verdict

Rich in world-building, heartfelt character growth, and entertaining mythology, author Maggie Stiefvater’s “Bravely” is a must-read YA Historical Fiction and Fantasy novel of 2022. The deep dive into Scottish mythology and history blended so well with the established Disney storylines and characters that Brave introduced, and yet the author’s unique twist on the character’s new story and the atmospheric world that the author brought to life through imagery and tone made this one of the year’s best YA reads.

This was flat and uninspired. I guess I thought that a continuation of the story told in the cartoon Brave would be intriguing in the hands of Stiefvater, who wrote The Raven Cycle series, which I love. However, these characters are cardboard, the dialogue stilted, and the story basically a recycle of the cartoon even though everyone has aged up and romance plays a central theme. I wanted an actual novel…I did not get one. Let’s be honest though, I’ll keep this book because that cover is amazing. Sigh.

I loved reading this book! To begin, Brave was always one of my favorite Disney movies so this was something I was already interested in but Stiefvater brought the character to life!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide, and the amazing Maggie Stiefvater for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

This was a wonderful rendition of Merida and I loved Stiefvater's writing in this book. I think it's a great YA novel that would appeal to those on any end of the YA spectrum, it's a great read.

It had a great medieval feel to it throughout, and I loved the growth of the characters. Would definitely recommend this read to all YA readers.

Merida of DunBroch has just returned home for the Christmas holidays after traveling about the kingdom and surrounding lands—meeting new people and learning new things. She returns to find everything just as she left it and the only changes are those of accumulating more wear and tear. She hasn't been home that long but she's already restless.

Then on Christmas Eve, three knocks on the door that leads from the kitchen to the outside, and what she sees when she opens that door sets her on an adventure that she fears she will lose. By the end of one year, she must prove to Feradach that DunBroch and all its people are worthy of continuing otherwise he will destroy the people, the castle, and the land.

A quest. She did it once before. Could she do it again? Without the intervention of Cailleach, Feradach would already have acted, she has one year, four seasons, to prove that her family--mother, father, three brothers, and the people of the kingdom--can change, move forward, and look forward instead of standing still.

It's not going to be easy. She plans to travel with members of her family and hopefully open them up to change. But nothing goes as she plans. It seems people have their own ideas of what to do with their lives. She also learns she doesn't know her family members as well as she thought she did.

It's a glorious, dangerous, exciting series of adventures with each one teaching Merida something about her family and herself. She also has to change herself as well as the others and that is a much more difficult task than she ever expected or thought it would be.

A delightful, exciting, frustrating, and horrifying tale of adventure and growth. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Anyone who enjoyed these characters from the movie, Brave is sure to enjoy Bravely.

A very fun YA adventure that can appeal to the younger and older side of YA. I wasn't sure about it at first, but my enjoyment grew as I continued. I would recommend this to many teens especially for those teens who want to start reading YA.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Bravely, the story of how Princess Merida of Disney fame, grew up is set years after our introduction to Merida in the film Brave. Merida of DunBroch has been traveling around Scotland to get to know other parts of the country. Upon her return home, she encounters magic in the form of Feradach, a god whose role is to speed up rot and ruin. Cailleach, the god of renewal steps in and a bargain is made. Feradach won't destroy Merida's home of DunBroch and her family if she can instigate positive change in the place and people dearest to her.

Merida travels again to help her brothers learn about the kingdom and to learn how to make improvements in the lot of her family's life. While she loves her parents and brothers, even Merida has to admit that they have all let things slide. The castle is in disrepair. Her brothers are indolent, and her father hasn't been reigning as a proper king.

This book is recommended for readers of all ages who enjoyed the movie, enjoy medieval history, and/or enjoy fantasy. Stiefvater has created a complex, but full world for the inhabitants of DunBroch.

Merida is one of my favorite disney princesses! I enjoyed this book. The story was well paced, the plot definitely kept me hooked. And the plot was enticing. I read shiver years ago and I wasnt really a fan, but this one pulled me back to the author's fan list. I cant wait to read more by them.

I thought it was very well done. I wanted a little bit more but I felt like Merida's reaction to the kiss at the end was in keeping with the fans who identify her as aromantic or asexual. It was fun to see her relationship with her brothers as well.

Here we follow Merida after the events we know from Brave. She is tasked with trying to save her her kingdom in a year while trying to shake things up in herself and her family.

I honestly didn't enjoy the book as a whole. I found it difficult to pay attention and care about all the journeys and things happening to the middle of the book. I had a firm grasp on the beginning which did make me look forward to what would happen, and then I liked the ending.

Thank you so much @NetGalley and @disneybooks for gifting me a copy of Bravely in exchange for an honest review.

🏹 Mini Review 👩🏻‍🦰
I seriously love anything that @maggie_stiefvater writes. So when I saw she was writing Bravely I freaked. 🤣 I started reading this last month, but because I have a baby who doesn’t sleep well, I hardly got any reading done. So I decided to audiobook it. I highly recommend the audiobook!! @fionaspeaks is spot on with the accents.

If you haven’t seen the movie Brave then you def should. This book takes place pretty close to the end of the movie and includes all of our fave characters.

Merida loves her family but is getting bored with the boringness of their lives. She wants a change, which is coming, but not in the way she thinks. Merida ends up getting tangled up with 2 gods. The Feradach, who is the god of rot. He is drawn to rot and destroys it. Merida meets the Feradach because he is drawn to the rot of DunBroch and is has to destroy it. The second god she meets is Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation. Cailleach gives Merida a year to try to change her family’s hearts, but once that year is up if they haven’t changed Feradach has the ok to destroy DunBroch. Merida learns so much about herself, her family, and DunBroch while trying to save it. But will it all work?

I loved this book so much! I really loved Merida and her want to save her family. I loved seeing how much she has matured since the movie and how her family has grown. I have to say that the Feradach was prob my favorite character 🙈 I really hope there is a second one because I need to know what happens to everyone!!!

If you were a fan of the movie Brave I definitely recommend this book to you. I gave it ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫.

I have come to the conclusion that this author just isn’t for me. I did not like Maggie Stiefvater’s other books and this one, unfortunately, was not the exception. I was bored and hoping for an anvil to fall on my head and put me out of my misery.

Sweet story that follows Merida in the best way. Merida was as I excepted her to be written following the move Brave. She was just as feisty and just as strong willed which is one of the more compelling characteristics she has as a Disney princess.
The author brought a nice twist to her story. Perfect for fans of Seraphina books from Disney,

I’ve always been a lover of the Disney/Pixar movie Brave. This novel by Maggie Stiefvater follows Merida’s journey home from abroad after the events of the movie.
Merida returns to Dunbroch to find that nothing much has changed about her home. The people, the comfortable wear and tear, the broken down parts and pieces that all have stories with no resolution. The only thing that has seemed to be an actual change is her. Little does she know that she’s not alone in noticing that Castle Dunbroch and its occupants have resisted the flow of time.
Late one night in the dead of winter, Merida is in the kitchen when she hears three distinct knocks on the door. She sees a figure in the courtyard that shouldn’t be there and she decides to give chase, only to discover it is Feradach, a lesser god of destruction and renewal who has his hand set on destroying Dunbroch. Luckily for Merida, the ancient goddess of creation, Cailleach, has a special interest in Dunbroch and interferes on its behalf. The princess and the god decide to strike a bargain: in one year, if Dunbroch has not experienced a significant change, he will set forth and do his work. The Cailleach requires the two of them to check in on one another’s work throughout the year, an extra task that neither wants to partake in. How are the god of destruction and the princess of Dunbroch to make this work?
Feradach is not the only one who wishes to see change at Castle Dunbroch, and a third player also makes themselves known, a slowly encroaching warrior King who is bent on Dunbroch bending the knee. Merida and her family also make a bargain with him to make inroads toward uniting Dunbroch and the surrounding lands. Merida also makes the deal to take three journeys to neighboring castles in allyship and must complete her tasks in this within the next year as well.
As Merida sets off to create change amongst her family and the castle, with Feradach showing up as both a warden to her tasks and a thorn in her side, she pushes to find ways to enact change in her family. But is Merida ready for change? And is Feradach the enemy she wishes to make of him, or is there a greater enemy that will intertwine their fates like they never thought possible?
I honestly adored this entire novel. Merida is just as tough as a woman in her twenties as she was in her teens. A hugely enjoyable part of the book is getting to explore her character’s depths and to watching her grow into a new form of herself as she in turn watches the things around her change, whether it’s in ways she hoped or not. It’s an interesting exploration into life and becoming who we are meant to be. There is also a chaste and sweet growing of hearts that wasn’t the main plot, but was well-placed and heartfelt.
There are so many lessons to be learned and taught through this book. I think it would be an excellent book club read for young adults and older adults alike.
Thank you Netgalley and Disney Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for this fair and honest review.

I love just about everything Disney, and it's been fun reading more of the YA books they've been coming out with.

I enjoyed Brave when it came out, especially since it broke the norm of having a romance at the center of the story. So I was excited to check out Bravely because I assumed it would continue with that. While the book does mostly focus on Merida embracing the changes her family makes as they grow up (especially her brothers), it threw in the curveball of a romance at the end. I don't think the book needed that, and honestly it felt like it moved away from who Merida is. Not that she doesn't ever want to fall in love, but that falling in love wouldn't happen so suddenly. Also, this book doesn't really have a happy ending per say, which again is fine to great that Disney norm. But I just honestly wanted Merida to end up at least a little happy and not just heartbroken or feeling left behind as everyone else grows and changes.

Thank you Disney Press and Netgalley for the review copy!