while I love Maggie Stiefvater and read all of her books, sadly don't love all of them and this is one of those, I guess I had high expectations and was waiting for a book with heavily magical elements, don't get me wrong it was a good read just didn't quite get there for me

When I heard Maggie Stiefvater was going to be giving us a young adult novel based on Brave..... I knew we were about to have something good on our hands. Brave wasn't my favorite Disney movie but what I did enjoy was the beautiful atmosphere DunBroch and how that plays a part of the story. And of course, Stiefvater wrote the land just like what I saw on screen plus giving the readers more of the culture and residents.
The story overall had a slow start but I could see the concept playing out while reading and found it very compelling.
The characters were well written, I do wish there was a balance between getting to know all the side characters as it felt some were shown off more than others.
The ending made up for the slow beginning but I just hope readers will stick around for it.

Whilst this book was very poetic and woven with Scottish beauty, my reading genre has greatly changed since I was a tween - my childhood self would have adored it!

I especially enjoyed reading about my favorite Disney princess. Although, she no longer felt like the strong and reckless young girl she was in the movie Brave. Of course, she was in no way meant to be depicted similarly to the movie, but I did figure that she would have remnants of that independent girl.

Other than that, the book itself was woven beautifully. I loved how clear the mythology was, as well as the god of disaster and the goddess of renewal - their witty behavior were characteristics I deeply enjoyed reading about.

Overall, this was a great read! I highly recommend the book itself for middle school readers.

Rating : 3.0

I wanted to read this book because I want to read anything Maggie writes. At first, I was trying too hard to remember and refer back to the events of the Disney movie and trying to fit this story into that one. I put the book down, read a few others, and came back with a new perspective. Once I let go of the Disney movie, I could enjoy this story as a fairytale and coming of age story in its own right. I enjoyed a look at a Scottish "mythology" that I didn't know anything about and a look at the various Scottish villages and customs. I appreciate the "messiness" of the family; they love each other, but it's complicated. Overall, I think readers who like a good fairytale will enjoy this novel even if they are not familiar with Merida's backstory. Thanks, NetGalley, for the opportunity to get a sneak peek at this novel by a favorite author.

Maggie Stiefvater does it again yall! I absolutely LOVED this book, Merida and the movie Brave has been one of my favorites since it came out in 2012 and I was SOOO excited to get an eARC from NetGalley. Plz note this isn’t a retelling or a Disney twist, it’s a sequel to the movie itself!

This book is just PERFECT. Im honestly surprised there wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like. We get to explore more of Merida’s Scotland and explore more of the characters and their lives without straying too far from the original characters we see in the movie. The perfect blend of Disney and mythology! Even the romance (yes I said romance, but bear with me) is flawless. Merida is obviously still the Merida we love and know so don’t judge a book by it’s romance. One of my favorite things is that we get to see more of the triplets and their individual personalities, their own struggles and how they deal with things! Gives them more character than just Merida’s little brothers.

I don’t want to say too much more and spoil it- gotta leave the magic of surprise! But Maggie’s writing, the plot and the characters are just all flawless. If you love anything and everything Disney, you’ll like (maybe even love,) this book!

I’d like to thank Disney Publishing Worldwide for allowing me to read an eArc for this book!

“There are two types of people. There are people who seek the magic, and people the magic seeks.”

I loved this book as a follow-up to the movie. I think that Maggie’s writing style really paired super well with this story. It takes place (I assume) 5+ years after the original movie and includes many of the characters we loved, but also many new faces. I 100% think this book could be a standalone read to anyone that never saw the movie because these characters (especially the triplets) have grown up and you get introduced to them as they are now without leaning on what the movie showed. I think it references the events of the movie maybe once.

I also really enjoyed that, because of Merida growing up, the story also felt more mature and a touch darker. As it explains how the cycle of ruin turns to new growth we do see towns meet fairly gruesome ends. Death is not something that was shied away from in this book.

I was also pleasantly surprised when it came to the “love interest” aspect as that (or lack thereof) was such a pivotal point in the movie. However, Merida has grown as time has passed and still wasn’t interested in ending up with someone she didn’t want to be with. The like ending love confession was a bit odd and I don’t know if the characters really had a lot of chemistry, but it definitely prompted some development from Merida and I appreciate that her values were still put first.

Definitely check it out if you love Brave and/or the writing style of Maggie Stiefvater.

Oh what a delightful continuation of the movie Brave. Maggie Stiefvater is an excellent writer and she captured the spirit of Merida perfectly and added depth to the triplets letting each be his own individual self. Well worth the read.

Bravely is a sequel to the movie Brave, and I enjoyed the premise. I thought the writing style was lush and lovely. The Celtic folklore was interesting, and I enjoyed those elements.

The pacing could be better. Some things were rushed while some things dragged on. The dialogue could be a bit choppy sometimes and I found myself skimming conversations. New characters galore! Some of them were meh, some were great! I enjoyed seeing the differences in the triplets as they got older. I especially loved the expansion on Elinor's character.

I liked Merida's ending and I thought it was very fitting for her character.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I will review this on my bookstagram account! Bravely is a retelling of Disney’s Brave. I loved this take on Merida and how it’s a much darker story than the Disneyfied version !!

Ruin and renewal, two gods, a bargain, a family at stake, and possible romance all come together in this beautiful story. The story follows Merida of DunBroch, princess and protagonist of the movie Brave, except now she’s older and this all happens a few years after the movie. Merida finds herself between two gods, Feradach, a god of ruin and Cailleach, a god of creation. Merida must prove to the gods that she can change her family in a year or they will all be ruined. Now we will follow Merida through the four seasons as she travels to three different kingdoms to witness the good and bad and help her family change while also uncovering change within herself. We are given more insight into her family, especially her mother and father’s past as well as more characterization of her triplet brothers. I loved the whole “ruin and renewal” lesson of the book, how we sometimes need to destroy something to pave way for something new. Also the very soft romance that just leaves off on an unresolved note?? Please I need a second book or a bonus epilogue or something, you’ve completely shattered me with that unresolved ending Maggie Stiefvater. HONESTLY WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO NOW? I NEED ANSWERS SO BADLY. I did enjoy reading this book but that ending just kind of broke my heart. I want more, I would honestly love a sequel to go on with this story and get some resolution cuz oh god do I need it.

*Thank you Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide, Disney Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Several years after the events of Brave, our favorite red headed archer princess is back! Merida once again gets herself tangled up in another adventure, this one with even higher stakes than her first adventure. Maggie Stiefvater has expanded the world of Brave far beyond what Disney did with their film, adding more detail and world building that extends far past the borders of Dunbroch.

Let’s start with the things I liked first. Oh man did I MISS MERIDA. I missed Brave and DunBroch and the triplets. As soon as she started describing Dunbroch and Merida’s day to day life, I was hit with nostalgic. I had never read anything by Maggie Stiefvater before this and I picked up how talented of a writer she is within the first couple pages. The way that she describes Dunbroch clearly displays her poetic way of writing and literary talent.

“Now, there are three DunBrochs: the castle DunBroch, gazing watchfully over the wooded hillsides. The kingdom DunBroch, with its lochs and burns, its lowland fields and highland shielings, its coven of white-haired mountains and sliver of black-tongued sea. And the Clan DunBroch: King Fergus, Queen Elinor, Princess Merida, and three triplet princes, Hubert, Harris, and Hamish.“

Maggie also captured Merida’s personality really well, and she’s such as fiery and impulsive as she was in the film. Like the movie, she has a lot of heart as well.

I also loved the family dynamic. Reading about how bustling, full, and happy DunBroch was made me feel like I was celebrating Christmas in a house full of family members. Reading about the triplets, Merida, her parents, and their beloved staff on their daily adventures just felt so warm and comforting, like how you’d feel if you had the hustle and bustle of living with a big family.

The only thing that I didn’t like about Brave was the added addition of Celtic mythology as a plot device. Honestly, it felt random to tie in Merida’s world with mythology. Personally, I didn’t like it and I thought that it didn’t fit with Merida’s story or the world that was established in Brave. It felt super random to me and I was surprised to see that Maggie had chosen to go that route for a sequel to Brave. For that reason, Bravely doesn’t feel like a true continuation of the original movie. An alternate reality version, maybe. But this veered too much into foreign territory for me to consider this canon. It went from a movie with a magical story about witches and will o wisps, to delving into Celtic mythology? It just felt so random and left field.

Yes, this book is technically a fairytale, but it felt less so of a fairytale than the original film did. The mythology concept just made it feel too separate from the original film. I’d recommend Bravely to celtic mythology fans rather than fairytale lovers. However, fans of the original film will enjoy seeing Merida and DunBroch again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

3 stars, this is a book I so desperately wish I could give a higher rating to. But unfortunately the pacing was just not there for me. There were scenes I found myself skimming because they just went on when they didn't have to, while the book seemed to rush through scenes I would have loved to see more of.

I feel this book spent a lot of time trying to stay true to its Brave roots, instead of honouring it's new story.

At the very end it got quite exciting, with loads of action. But again, it rushed through it.

I also would have LOVED to see more of the revealed relationship. Unfortunately, the book ended there. :(

Okay, so I haven't gotten on the re-telling/twisted tales/price tales/etc. train - so this was my first foray into that sphere (it was the call of Stiefvater, what can I say), but when I tell you that this book was lush with Scottish folklore, beautiful setting, and giving nuance and depth to characters we already know. I absolutely adored this one. If you've read The Scorpio Races, you know that Stiefvater has gorgeous literary ties to fictionalized Scotland/Ireland. This brought all of the signature beauty, prose, and dialogue that Stiefvater is known for and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I really appreciate getting the chance to read a copy of this book early, however upon starting it I really couldn't get into the book at all. I feel like it would take a while to truly be immersed in the story, and I'm trying harder to not read books that take me so long to get into them anymore. I'm sure this book will be a crowd-pleaser, the story and the characters sound amazing and everyone loves Merida! It just wasn't for me and that was clear from the get go, unfortunately.

It was great to visit Dunbroch again, to see Merida and her family grow and change. Beautifully written in Stiefvater style, this is a great story.

I was a Maggie Stiefvater fan going into this one and that has not changed! This book has the charm and enchantment of a Disney tale combined with the unique voice that Maggie Stiefvater brings to all her books. With heroic adventures, troublesome siblings and meddling gods this book will keep readers gripped until the last page!

There is no entry point for those that don't know much about the Scottish history (even though Stiefvater explains at the end that it's "historical" with quotes, the Disney princess Merida and the Disney movie, or the folklore surrounding Scotland for non-Scottish people.

What I did have was an interest knowing it was a fantasy fairytale with a killer cover written by the fantastic Stiefvater. But without any solid foundation or reference point I was confused almost from the get-go and never had solid footing in what adventures I was taking with Merida, why and wherefore and it wasn't interwoven into a story enough to follow the fantastical elements nor atmosphere enough placed in its setting the encapsulate me in the time period. I scrambled much of the time to follow what I was reading so it was a bit of a trudge.

This sequel novel to the movie "Brave" continues Merida's story as she grows into a young woman and seeks to bring about change in her world. The story is threaded with Celtic mythology as Merida enters into a bargain with two gods. The character development was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

I wasn't surprised by liking Bravely. I picked it up to read it because Maggie Stiefvater is such a magnificent writer. However I approached it with some trepidation because it continues the story of a Disney princess which is not my "thing." I needed not fear, this is an exciting tale of a courageous young woman who refuses to do what she is ordered by countering the demand with a proposal to undertake a quest which will lead to the final desired result. The Celtic lore and family relationships were enjoyable and a strong, motivated heroine always hits the target for me. It actually made me think about watching the movie Brave.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was an interesting read with characters we already know for the beloved movie Brave. I feel like Maggie Stiefvater captured their personalities well. My favorite aspect of the book was seeing the triplets each get their own distinct personality. I think my only complaint would be the middle of the book was slow in some parts and then rushed in others. By the end, the pacing was on point and the ending left me wanting more! I truly hope there is a second book in the near future.

I received an advance copy of this book for my unbiased review.