Merida longs for adventure and change. Feradach shows up and plans on destroying DunBrach, but Cailleach intervenes and Merida is given a year to convince her family to change. It is set after the Disney movie. I was super excited to see Cailleach. I have seen so many stories about her and I love her role as Queen of Winter. It was nice to see her included. I am not familiar with Feradach except as a long lost king of Ireland, but the book does address that also. You can tell that Maggie Stiefvater is familiar with Celtic Mythology.

At the beginning I planned to write about how the story was predictable, but still very enjoyable. But I got to the end of the book and predictability went out the window. I did not see that coming and I read thousands of books every year. I highly recommend this book to both Disney fans, but also lovers of mythology or Celtic culture. It will definitely be a book I visit again and again!

5 stars

Bravely, by Maggie Stiefvater, is a follow-up YA novel to the 2012 Pixar movie Brave. It follows Merida, who discovers that Feradach, a god of destruction tasked with rooting out stagnation, is planning on destroying her home kingdom. She bargains for a year to get her family to change to try and avoid this death sentence. Meanwhile, the family is trying to avoid conscription or attack by a human warlord-type person. The remainder of the book is divided into a series of trips in which Merida is hypothetically serving as an ambassador for her kingdom, but is really trying to bring about character growth in whichever of her family members is accompanying her.

It was okay. I liked Brave well enough, but it was never my favorite Disney Princess movie, so I wasn't terribly invested going in. Stiefvater's writing is usually pretty hit-or-miss for me, so I knew there was a chance I would be disappointed, and indeed I was.

I will say that the characters are all wonderful. Stiefvater does a really good job giving each of Merida's family members distinct personalities and individual struggles. The triplets all get to be separate characters, which was interesting to see, and I particularly enjoyed Elinor's backstory, as well as the introduction of Leezie, a head-in-the-clouds servant who has become a part of Merida's family to the extent that she calls her her sister.

I'm not sure how I feel about the world-building. On the one hand, I had absolutely no idea what was going on with the human wars at any point in the book. There was absolutely not enough background for me to understand it, and it also felt like a completely unnecessary plot=line regardless; I don't think it added to the story. On the other hand, it's a very atmospheric book, and I really enjoyed the setting in medieval Scotland, the different distinct kingdoms that Merida visits, and the overall treatment of magic in the story.

I think my main issue with this was the plot structure. It almost felt like a short story collection more than a single novel, since it was basically divided into three disconnected journeys. It just didn't feel lie a cohesive book, and there wasn't enough of a continuous storyline to make me feel that invested. This is especially disappointing because Maggie Stiefvater is usually so good a plot, but this part of the book just really was not working for me.

One thing I will say is that I think the outrage surrounding Merida having some semblance of a romance in this book is absolutely absurd. I'm demisexual, and I do get very attached to ace-coded characters, but I have never considered Merida to be one of those characters. Like, not wanting to get married in your mid-teens to one of three very bad options is absolutely not the same thing as ace-aro-coding, so acting like Merida is a canonically acearo character that Maggie Stiefvater is desecrating is completely absurd.

Overall, Bravely was fairly enjoyable. If you're a Maggie Stiefvater superfan or a fan of the movie, then definitely give it a shot. If you like Brave, you'll like this; I just don't think I was enough of a fan of the movie to get invested enough in the book to overlook the plot structure issues. I'm giving Bravely 3.5/5 stars.

4/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

When I first heard the announcement about this book, my mind was blown. Brave, a Disney movie I love, was getting a sequel in book form by an author, Maggie Stiefvater, whose books I love? I knew I needed a copy of this!

I was so curious how Stiefvater would continue Merida's story. Not only did she write an amazing book, but I think she captured Merida in a way that made her feel even more relatable and realistic than before.

This story picks up a few years after Brave took place. Merida ends up making a bargain with two gods in order to save her family. On top of this, dangerous people come to DunBroch with bad intentions. Merida, spurred by her family's inaction, decides to go on three journeys to save her family from ruin.

This was a delight to read! My favorite thing about it was Merida's relationship with her family. Her love for them drives the story, and it was nice to learn more about the family members without much of a role in the movie. I especially liked the scenes with the triplets!

I also loved the lore, the setting, and following along with Merida on her journeys! I fell in love with DunBroch by the end of it all!

There were a few times when the book felt a little slow, but it was still an amazing story! If I could give the ending alone a rating, it would definitely get 5 stars! I was so attached to all of the characters by the end.

I would recommend this to fans of the original movie! I kinda wish Maggie would write another book for the DunBroch family to follow this one!

Content: clean, some violence

3.5/5⭐️ to Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater. Thanks to Disney Books for an egalley to review! If you love Disney and light fantasy, particularly for teen/pre-teen readers I'd definitely recommend this one! This follows Merida a couple of years after the ending of the movie Brave as she goes on a magical quest to save her family & kingdom from ruin. Although not particularly unique in and of itself, I liked the spin this book took on the magical quest genre - both with Merida being our protagonist and with the introduction of Feradach and Cailleach as the inciting characters and the reason for Merida's journey. There were two main aspects I really liked about this book beyond the characters, who were all great: the variety of places & people Merida visits over the story, and the focus on character change. I did find the book a bit slow at times, but when Merida would spend time in different towns my interest was peaked and it demonstrated how there are negatives and positives to living in different places. When I talk about character change in the book, in order to save her family Merida needs to prove she & the rest of her family are capable of change (for the better). Not only was it interesting to see various characters work on themselves or discover new things about themselves, but I just liked the overall message about not becoming stagnant in your own life and to consider how you could improve yourself. Was this the best book I've read so far this year? No? But is it worth reading for younger fantasy and Disney fans? I think so!!

I am going to be honest and say that I didn't like Brave. I know, I know. You can tell me I suck, but I just thought that movie was going to be something different not...bears. Lame.
Well, with that in mind, it took me a while to get into this. However, I requested it via NetGalley because Maggie wrote it. She is so good and I trusted her. Ultimately, this story is what I thought Brave was going to be AND it was a re-telling of Sir Gwain and the Green Knight AND the audio version is read by the incomparable and flawless Fiona Hardingham, so by the time I made it past the midway point, it rolled downhill and it was really good.
In Maggie I trust.
Now. Disney, she's written this book for you, isn't it time you make the Scorpio Races film?

3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Disney Press for an early copy. All opinions are my own.

Brave has always been one of my favorite Disney movies. When I heard that Maggie Stiefvater was coming out with a sequel to the movie, I was super excited to read it. Let me start off by saying I did enjoy the book. The whimsical-ness of the first book was certainly still there. I loved the magic and how everyone kind of changed. What I didn’t like was Merida’s characterization. It seems like she went on this huge journey and then all of that was forgotten by the end because she still didn’t change. Maybe that’s just me.

I do really enjoy Maggie’s writing, so I’ll definitely be reading more of her books in the future. I do think younger YA readers would really enjoy Bravely more so than older YA readers.

Following the storyline of the movie Brave, our dear princess Merida decides to go on a trip to help expand her horizons. When she returns home to DunBroch, she is met with the same old, dreary lifestyle and day-to-day longing for more adventure. Merida isn't the only one who has noticed this stagnation in DunBroch. Feradach, a god that is meant to seek out and destroy stagnation, ends up crossing paths with Merida and strikes a deal to hold off destroying DunBroch for one year...on one condition; that Merida gets the inhabitants of DunBroch to noticeably change.

I was a huge fan of the Brave movie, so when I heard about this book I knew I had to read it.

It definitely lived up to many of my expectations. Merida was the same fiery girl that we loved in the movie and is still hell-bent on doing things her way. But she was slightly more matured too, which was really nice to see. The two gods in the book were also an amazing addition to the story. I had been expecting them to just be present once or twice, but both had fully realized positions in the story.
I know this is technically classified as a YA and it definitely has those elements. But parts of it read almost NA sometimes, so it is definitely a book that many people will enjoy.
This was a story that was full of the lore and culture of Scotland, which was written so beautifully. It also focused on all the things that can come about with change: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The one thing I didn't like, which seems to be common between reviewers, is how open ended the ending was. I felt like it could have been drawn a bit tighter and still left a bit for people to imagine. Another issue I had was the pacing. I found myself picking this book up very periodically and for short amounts of time because between spikes in adventure/action there was very low and slow lulls. I like a more consistent pace with my books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This installation of the Brave Story takes place 10 years in the future where Merida is now 20 and has come to peace with her mother and siblings. The triplets are still terrors but somewhat under control. That is until Federdach, the god of ruin wants to grow again, and to grow, he must destroy. So Merida must get her family to change so they can grow. This is a wonderfully written story done in only a way Stiefvator can do it. It reminds me a bit of the moody Shiver series and how atmospheric and full of depth that was.

The story is so descriptive that you can see and feel the fabric of a dress and smell the aroma of the food. I normally prefer dialogue to description, but this one nails it in both places. This is an excellent retelling - well, not exactly a retelling, but an expansion of the Brave story.

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater is the Brave sequel we've all be waiting for, and we're lucky enough to get it in the form of a YA novel!
This book follows Princess Merida of Dunbroch several years after the events of the movie. She's just come home from a year of traveling, when she discovers a deity outside the castle, preparing to bring ruin to her home and family. The god of ruin states that her family is not changing, and therefore, they're a source of rot that must be removed for the sake of new growth. Determined to stop him, Merida makes a deal: give her one year to change her family. If she succeeds, the god of ruin will spare them; if she fails, they'll all suffer the natural consequences. But the god of ruin requires that she must see his work of ruin--it's purpose and results--during that year too.
With a whole year, Merida sets about changing her family: her stubborn mother, her relaxed father, and each of her triplet brothers. As she does so, she's not sure what worries her more: that she might not be able to save her family, or that she might not like change as much as she thought she did.

This story is full of magic, lore, and culture that mix together to create a delightful novel. The settings are lush and beautiful, and the characterization of Merida is spot on. As a fan of this character, I was happy to see her well-represented but also given a chance to grow and experiences new things as she grows and matures. I also love that the author gave the triplets their own unique, differentiating personalities. We also see a bit of a backstory for Queen Elinor that opens our eyes--and Merida's--to why she is the way she is, and it also adds to the story and world-building in a way that feels natural.
I also loved that as I read this story so focused on growth, rot, and change, that I actually became self-reflective and began to ask myself about the way I may be changing or not changing, and what steps, like Merida, I might take to continue to grow rather than stagnate. The story did this is a way that was quiet and imperceptible, and not preachy in any way.
The only part I didn't like was the open-ended, ambiguous last-page, but to avoid spoilers, I won't go into detail.
If you love Princess Merida, are a fan of Maggie Stiefvater, or are just looking for a fun new read, give Bravely a try!

*Arc provided by Disney Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."

When I found out Maggie Stiefvater was writing a Merida book I knew I had to read it. Merida was the first Disney Princess I could relate to and getting to find out about her life post curse wasn't something I was going to pass up.

The premise of this book is Merida has one year to change the fate of her entire family and Donbroch or see everything destroyed by the God Feradach. She must venture to 3 other kingdoms in order to assist her family in the change it needs to save itself. Along the way Merida learns more about each of her family members and herself. It's a great story about growing up, and how sometimes we think we know people, but we really have no idea. It's a story of how sometimes the smallest thing can change a person's way of thinking.

If you loved the movie I think you'll enjoy this book as it stays very true as everyone's personalities stay true to their movie counterparts.

I am a redhead who loved Disney (90s baby) so this was always going to be a must have for my personal shelf and the library. It is lovely when books live up to expectations. Anyone who loved the movie will love this! High rec for all libraries!

Bravely was so much fun to read. It brought me back to my one of my favorite Disney princesses. I always did wonder what happened to her after her mother turned into a bear. I was surprised to find out that not everything was changed in fact. If this was made into a movie, I would for sure go see it.

"Some storms make a lot of noise but move no rooftops."

Brave was never really my favorite Disney movie (it's good and all, but it doesn't have a ton of rewatch value for me personally), but as soon as I saw Maggie Stiefvater's name attached to this, I knew I was going to need it. She just has a way of writing that draws you in so deeply, that feels so magical and fantastic and still so down to Earth and real somehow, that she's easily one of my favorite authors.

And this book truly did not disappoint.

Merida is back after her travels that we saw in the movie, but life has fallen pretty stagnant upon her return. Then late one night, she hears a quiet, persistent knock - but when she opens the door, nobody is there. Or so it seems. Enter two gods: one who wants to lay ruin to the area and one who is the only person that can intervene and maybe save them all instead.

Now she has to embark on a year long journey to try and bring life back into her family, her friends, her kingdom - all on her own. The catch is that she can tell nobody, get no outside help.

The story that progresses from there is such a comforting read. Which might sound a bit weird, given that a god wants to possibly kill her family, but over the year Merida learns so much about who every member of her family truly is, what they want, and even more importantly, what they need. Which is the whole moral of this book in the end: that often what you want as a person is not what you truly need to grow.

I don't want to give away the twist at the end, but Maggie manages to pull of this beautifully cyclical moment that makes you want to dive right back in and read the entire thing over again, or makes you ache and wish that we could have a sequel to this book to see what will happen next. I'm pretty sure, unfortunately, that this is meant to be a standalone, but... as someone who went into this book not incredibly drawn in by Merida's story, for it to have left me aching for more says a lot.

Maggie Stiefvater can do no wrong, I swear. This was so beautifully written, full of so, so much Celtic lore and culture. Disney could not have trusted a book about Merida and DunBroch to a better author, I swear. With her History major focusing on Scottish history, Maggie was born to write a book like this, and her true passion and knowledge shines through on every page.

BRAVELY is an imaginative and enthralling YA fantasy that takes place several years after the end of Brave. Merida has completed her travels and returned home for the holidays, when she uncovers something dangerous - DunBroch is being threatened by the gods, specifically by Feradach, a being particularly concerned with balance and ready to destroy everything Merida holds dear due its stagnation.

Merida uses a little luck to enter into a bargain with Feradach - she now has a year to prove that DunBroch can change. As she sets out to accomplish what seems like the impossible, she journeys to three other kingdoms to experience their lives. The journeys are sure to change DunBroch - and hopefully the plans of a god.

What I loved: This was a really enthralling story, and I loved the way the gods were presented and crafted, as well as the way that Merida fiercely cares for her family. There are some intriguing themes around change and the power and importance of change that are conveyed throughout the story. Change is really inevitable, and the story embraces it as something to be lauded.

Merida and her family are all really well characterized here with tidbits fans will know and love, but expanded into full characters. Merida's brothers particularly begin to develop in the story, and it was great getting to know them better. Merida herself is still figuring out her life, protecting her family, and forging ahead, bravely.

The world-building and mythology were really fantastic, and it was great to get to experience the other kingdoms with Merida. The story unfolds well through Merida's journey, and it was easy to get caught up in it all.

What left me wanting more: I really just wanted more, as the ending was a bit open. I still loved it, but I just want a sequel to see what happens next (this is a standalone though, but I can dream!).

Final verdict: Enthralling and imaginative, BRAVELY features compelling characters and fantastic world-building to craft a great sequel to the movie, Brave.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

super good book!
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an e-arc. in exchange for an honest review!

Sadly, this is a DNF for me. Nothing is really standing out for me with the characters or plot and I am bored out of my mind. I am very appreciative for the ARC though

I received a digital arc from the publisher via Netgalley though all thoughts are my own.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint.

The setting is some years after the events that took place in the movie adaptation and I loved being back in this world with all of the characters that I grew to love.

Merida has recently returned from a journey just in time for Christmas though she is feeling restless and saddened that her heart sister Leezie is about the tie the knot and leave the house. When she hears a knock at the door late at night, she decides to answer it and has no idea just how much her world is about to change.

She finds herself making a bargain with two Gods that she will change her loved ones to be able to save them as well as her home or have to accept that if there's no change, destruction will happen. It will take a lot of determination with some help along the way to hopefully make enough changes to satisfy the bargain and save her loved ones from ruin.

Full of adventure, a dash of humor, danger, the lure of the Highlands and a touch of magic, it was such an enchanting read and I loved it from beginning to end. Her brothers were quite the handful and yet some of the most loyal people you would want on your side and full of surprises.

I highly recommend checking out this book and would happily read another book set in this world!

Trigger warnings: mentions of destruction, death

(Review written by my 11-year-old daughter.)

4.5 stars

***MINISCULE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST CHAPTERISH***

Bravely is an overall good book. There was really good character development, and at the start when it introduced the two gods, I understood.

This book made me feel like I was in the book with all of the characters (and I guess stalking Merida?)

CHARACTERS I LIKED

Merida - 9/10. She wasn't my favourite character, but I didn't see any flaws. I liked how she had something special with each of her brothers, and when she recalled memories I felt like I had experienced it too. But at the start when she chases Feredach through the forest, I thought that she should have been more careful, but at the same time thankful that she chased him, or else DunBroch probably would have been destroyed.

Leezie/Lezzie - 10/10. I LOVED LEZZIE!!!!!!! She was so funny, and I loved where she was trying to use apple peels or something to find her future husband. If I had to deal with Lezzie in real life and maintain her though, that might have been a different story. Good as a friend though, always supporting Merida and helping her. And Lezzie's magic stuff where she just kept doing random weird things that were supposedly "magic" or "foretold the future", that was great too.

Fergus - 6/10. He wasn't really annoying, but I thought that his name could have been less like Feredach's, because at first I kept mistaking Fergus for Feredach. I don't really have any comments about him, besides that he wasn't my favourite but I didn't hate him either.

Elinor - 6/10. She was good for Merida to argue with and so on as the book went on, but same with Fergus, I didn't really have any opinions on her.

Triplets - 5/10. They were fine, but not my favourite. I never could remember who was who and who had which personality, though.

Caililagtch or something - 6/10. I don't really have any opinions on her. She existed. I did find her one eye weird though.

Feredach - 8/10. I liked him, but I don't think he was the best. Don't really have any strong opinions on him. I liked his lines, though.

That's all. Here's a few notes: I liked how the triplet's names were so simaliar, but then I didn't at the same time because I never knew who was who. There were a few errors that were just words used wrong, and one sentence (that I can't remember now) I had to read about 10 times to figure it out even though it had no grammar errors.

I liked this book, and I think everyone should read it, though maybe watch the Brave movie first!

Thank you to NetGalley, Maggie Stiefvater, and my mom for letting me read this book for free in exchange for an honest review! #Bravely #NetGalley

Absolutely loved this continuation of Merida’s story! Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater isn’t a retelling of Disney’s Brave, but a continuation, picking up a few years after the events of the movie. Merida is stuck, not changing, and so is the rest of Castle Dunbroch. They are comfortable in their routines, living their lives in a bubble, ignoring the outside world around them. Then the god of ruin comes to bring change, but a timely knock on the kitchen door sends Merida out in time to stop him. Striking a deal to save her family and home, the story follows Merida’s journey over the course of a year.

Merida is exactly as I remembered. Feisty, stubborn, and refusing to marry. Can’t say I blame her, she is still young and wants to marry for love as her parents did, not for alliance. Merida’s journey over the year is born of desperation and that leaks out and adds urgency to the plot. Merida has to show the god of ruin that her and her family, that Dunbroch itself, can change. That they all still matter to the world. The stories and legends surrounding what the god of ruin can do haunt her dreams and urge her on her journeys.

I loved her interactions with each of the triplets. Merida has traveled before, learning different customs and things along the way, but has always left her brothers behind. This time, she encourages her family to allow her to visit three different kingdoms ad take a different brother to each. It was interesting seeing how the brothers adapted to different situations. I loved Merida’s relationship with her family in the movie, and it comes out in the story strong.

But her family and kingdom aren’t the only ones that need to change. Merida herself must as well. I loved taking this journey with her. Just as Merida must prove herself to the god of ruin, their bargain says he needs to show her his magic as well. I loved this addition to the story. Seeing him through Merida’s eyes, she believes he is a monster at first, but gradually sees what ruin brings. The dynamic between them is interesting, and I loved the snippets we get from the god of ruin’s POV.

Overall, if you can’t tell, I loved Bravely. It’s an exciting adventure. The desperation to stop the god of ruin drives Merida, but it is all she learns throughout the year about her family and her home that truly makes this story great. If you enjoy fairy tales, historical fiction, and of course Merida herself, I highly recommend it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Review based on the final copy. All opinions are my own.
While Brave is one of the Disney/Pixar films I’m less familiar with and have watched fewer times than others (I am intrigued to do a rewatch!), Merida nonetheless stands out as a fierce heroine among her Disney Princess peers, without being too “not like other girls.” So, I was intrigued at what Maggie Stiefvater would do with this spin-off/sequel novel, Bravely. And while I had little concept for what it would be about, I ended up really liking the results.
The focus on Merida’s relationships with her family is something that has always stood out in the film, but her relationship with her mother was the dominant one. So it’s only natural for other media to step in to do more work in this world. Merida and Elinor’s bond gets more layers, but I liked seeing more of the other members of her family, as each of them are part of the quest she must undertake. I particularly liked the fleshing-out of her triplet younger brothers and giving them individual issues to navigate, as they felt like such a one-dimensional unit in the film, primarily for the sake of comic relief.
And while I’ve never read Maggie Stiefvater before (she’s one of those authors whose books I fleetingly considered, but never heard much from friends and trusted reviewers to motivate me to pick them up), but her writing is great. She conveys the sense of Scottish culture, folklore, and magic that was so unique about Brave, but on a deeper, textual level. From the world building for the various kingdoms Merida travels to, to the conveying of the magic and the gods, it’s a beautifully rendered story that gives you similar vibes to those I vaguely remember from the film.
Pacing wise, it does feel a bit uneven. The inciting incident happens fairly quickly, and Merida’s varied adventures provide excitement for the most part. It does slow down at certain points, but it ultimately feels worth it.
This book is a treat for anyone who is even a casual fan of Disney/Pixar and Brave. It’s a worthy sequel from a writer who is in tune with the canon narrative and the reasons for fans’ connection with it.