It has been a few years since Merida had her last big adventure and she assumed her life would stay as it is. She loves her family, but she is bored and longs for another adventure. When she runs into Feradach, a being whose job is to get rid of doomed things, she makes an agreement to save DunBroch. Will she get her family to change their ways … within a year? Will DunBroch be saved? What will Merida learn through her newest adventure?

Bravely is a stand-alone fantasy adventure that readers can enjoy even if they never saw or read the original tale. Stiefvater has taken a character that many are familiar with and given her new depths and additional escapades to read about. This book should be geared towards teens, yet it feels as if the author let it also be readable by younger people looking to learn more about Merida. As long as older readers know that the audience is wide, this lower level of complexity can be overlooked. I enjoyed the adventure and couldn’t wait to find out how it would end.

Thank you so much Disney Publishing Worldwide for sending me an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

"Merida thought to herself that Hamish was actually much braver than she was. She did wild things all the time, but she wasn't afraid before she did them. Hamish was terrified to do almost everything, and he did a lot of things anyway."

*3.5 stars, rounded up*

I wanted to love this book so much. I loved Brave when it first came out and Merida was my favorite Disney princess for the longest time. However, between the way the story was told and the elements it lacked, I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I thought I would.

My biggest issue? It read like a middle-grade book. At first, I enjoyed it; it was very readable and refreshing from the constant YA books I read. However, as it's marked as YA, I thought we would get more in-depth Scottish elements, like accents, tartans, folk tales/ legends, etc. However, we got NONE of that, and the overall worldbuilding was just lacking. I never felt fully immersed. This book was definitely written in mind for younger readers because the language was without any pizazz (except for a word here and there).

One thing that DID work for this book was the plot. The build-up to the ending, whether or not DunBroch was destroyed or left alone, was awesome! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! And the whole bargain with the Cailleach and Feradach was really cool! I loved seeing the character arcs of all the characters and it actually being PART of the story.

My other problem with Bravely? THE ENDING. I can't believe Stiefvater RUINED Merida. Merida, in love?!?!? The core part of Merida, her fierce independence (that MADE her my favorite Disney princess), was written out of the story. Literally. I've never been so mad in my life. *end rant*

Overall though, I enjoyed this book. I will probably pick up Stiefvater's other books too.

Book Review: Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater

Bravely is a young adult novel that serves as a sequel to the Disney movie Brave. It features Merida the red-haired Scottish princess trying to live on her own terms as she bargains with a powerful god.
In this continuation of the Disney film Merida is a little older and has traveled around Scotland after avoiding the marriage trap her parents sprung on her in the movie. But on Christmas Eve there is a knock on her door that will change her life forever. On the other side of the door Merida is faced with two ancient Gods. One is Feradach, the god of destruction that uses natural disasters to force change and bring renewal. And the other is an even older God, Cailleach who is the creator. Merida is forced into a deal in which the terms are that she will bring change to herself and the royal family or they will face ruin. Afraid for their lives Merida travels around Scotland learning about her family’s past, their future and ultimately herself. And everywhere she goes Feradach is watching and demonstrates his strange power and the burden he carries.
This is a quiet little story that is appropriate for both middle grade and young adult. There are some dark scenes (involving other towns and kingdoms) and the looming threat of a villain with his eye on Merida’s Kingdom. But the real story is Merida’s inner journey and her family’s gradual shift. There is a lot of food for thought about taking risks, not falling into the trap of apathy and how what appears like utter ruin is often a catalyst for growth. Once I stopped expecting a grand love story or epic battles I was able to settle into this whimsical little tale. I recommend it to audiences of all ages that enjoy stories about loving and complicated families and hard headed Princesses. There is also a sweet slow-burn romance.
4 stars

So going into this book, I really wasn't sure what to expect! I absolutely adored the Disney film, Brave, so when I saw a "sequel" in the form of a book by none other than Maggie Steifvater, I knew I had to sign up for a copy. I was a little worried that it would feel a bit too 'young' for me, and I was terrified that it would ruin the image of Merida and her rambunctious family that I had in my head.... I am SO happy to be able to say that NONE of these things happened. This book was great! I feel like Maggie really had a handle on how to write Merida and stay true to her character while also having her grow up a bit.

I love love love the elements of history and mythology woven expertly into this book. It was fun to explore the Cailleach and Feradach in a tale such as this one. The concept of having to change one's entire family in the span of a year was exciting and thrilling. It was great reading about the small differences in Merida and her family that come with growing a little older - I loved that Maggie was able to give me the family that I came to love in Brave, and make them even more loveable! She really did stay true to the original characters without coming off as a direct movie replica. Cheers to her writing skills for that lol!

And the new characters were equally as fantastic in their own ways. I liked watching them contribute to the story, yet remain interesting themselves rather than just interesting in relation to the DunBroch's.

I think the beginning and end were both amazing - they were fast-paced and really kept me captivated. Some parts in between were a bit on the slow side. But change takes time, and I think the author did a good job of showing that. It's just worth noting however.

Overall, I think the writing style in this book is great, I loved reading more about Merida and her story. I loved the ending, though I secretly hoped for more about a particular character. I think Maggie did a wonderful job with this, unsurprisingly, and I look forward to seeing where her writing takes us next!

Merida has been galivanting around and recently returned home. All is as it always has been, minus her mother's insistence that Merida wed. Magic is afoot again and only Merida knows that doom lays in the future if she can't make changes.
I adore the film and will randomly turn it on (sometimes against my family's will). The transition of the characters from movie to book is fairly seamless and pulls a great deal of characterization and ambience. The setting is rich and reminiscent of Disney's Brave (of course!) and Merida is still sassy and independent, determined to beat the magic. It's a fun adventure that forces Merida to question what to hold dear and what to let go.
Thank you to Disney Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Ever wanted to know what happens after the credits roll on the movie Brave? You're in luck!

I'm a longtime fan of Merida and I was thrilled to get more adventures staring the redheaded, arrow-slinging, strong-willed powerhouse. She lives a sleepy life in her kingdom until she must meet a new challenge head-on, and save everything she loves under the pressure of a ticking clock. I loved the characters and their stirring dialogue. The Scottish history and lore were magical and charming. I can't recommend this enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC audiobook and a regular ARC.

Description from NetGalley:

What if you had one year to save everything you loved?

ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family—jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets— and her peaceful kingdom. But she’s frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love.

TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences.

THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all – herself?

FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH – OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.

I am a huge Disney/Pixar fan, so I’m extremely excited that I got an advanced ebook and audiobook for Bravely. This felt like a natural extension of Merida’s story from the movie. I really enjoyed the writing and character development.

Overall: 4/5

A great sequel the the film and a great story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I wasn't the target audience for this book. I have seen Brave, but it is not a movie that I revisited. I found the first third of this book to be unnecessarily slow. Once the story started, the plot picked up, but I never cared about the character the way I usually do in a Stiefvater book. I found the book to be disappointing compared to the author's other books, and I don't think I would want to revisit this world.

When I saw this cover I immediately clicked on it! I absolutely loved Brave and Merida is one of my favorite heroines and tales.  This cover is gorgeous and this is the YA sequel to the movie Brave taking place 4-5 years later.

Merida has a new difficult situation to save her family from in this story. Between two gods and a neighboring clan she must change every member of her family and to find a clan to become a part of per their agreement within a year or bad things will happen.

As they journey to the other lands and Merida doesn't fit there, each of her family members she brings does learn something valuable and helps them make a change. But will they all make the necessary change in time to save Dunbroch?

This book was very atmospheric and full of magic. It was fun getting to see how her brothers had grown and their personalities too! 

Thank you disneybooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This was a real treat - and any fan of the film, or anyone looking for anything surrounding a fantastical concept, will enjoy this work by Stiefvater. It was enjoyable from start to finish, and a really fun read.

This book left me wanting more from it, but overall I did like it. I thought that the interactions between Merida and Ferandach were good and I enjoyed how they both learned from each other and shared their experiences, but I thought that this book had a lot of untapped potential. There was a lot of allusions to Merida’s past, which is the story that we know, but if you weren’t familiar with the Disney adaptation then it would’ve been very confusing as it is never specified wha Merida’s run-ins with magic in the past were. I also thought that there was a lot of build-up to action but then the action never actually happened; the tension seemed to diffuse without anything really happening, and then Merida was planning something new. I did really like Harris’ character arc and how Merida’s mother’s past was revealed and how her character arc progressed. I had high expectations of this book, but I did not find it was as good as I was hoping even though I liked the style it was written in and the character arcs — it felt like there was just something missing that would make it a more compelling read.

ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family―jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets― and her peaceful kingdom. But she’s frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love.

TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences.

I was super excited for this book! Merida is one of my favorite Disney princesses with such bravery:) and bold behavior! This book did not disappoint! I had never read the Raven Boys which is one of the author’s most well-known works, but I loved the book so much I definitely need to check it out! I gave it four stars. I didn’t think the book stayed too true to the plot of the movie which I really appreciated reading a new take on Merida’s story!

I loved Brave, the movie and I also love Maggie Stiefvater so combining the two had to be good, right?! So right! When I first started reading the book I was a little unsure of my mood which could potentially be a problem being a mood reader. But I didn’t need to worry about that… I was almost instantly sucked into the story.

Merida had been away from home for awhile traveling. Not long after she returned she was thrown into a mess between two gods. A bargain was struck and for the next year, Merida was to try her hardest to make changes to the stagnation that had fallen upon her home and family. If she could not prove enough change, Feradach would be forced to bring ruination to her home and family. Of course with Merida being very headstrong, she was bound to have some issues with Feradach and getting her family to change themselves without being able to tell anyone about the bargain that had been struck. I really enjoyed the banter between Merida and Feradach. There were a few things I didn’t really like about this book. It felt like a very young YA, almost bordering on middle grade. And although I knew that Maggie Stiefvater wrote it, it didn’t really feel like it. The writing was rather basic and not what I have come to love and expect from her. Overall I enjoyed this book but would have enjoyed it a bit more were it not for those two issues I had with it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited for this new book by Maggie Stiefvater as I have adored Stiefvater's writing in the past, specifically with The Raven Cycle series, however, I was admittedly tepid. The beginning was a little slow for me, though, I completely know why as it took quite a bit of world-building and lore to catch the reader up to speed. But after the beginning 10%, I literally read the rest in one sitting, I was enamored with the folklore, the expansion of familiar characters, and the introduction of new ones and the story! oh my goodness, the story, was incredible. I was a puddle of tears by the end of the book and though I am an emotional person who pretty much cries at everything, I can count on my hands the books that have made me cry. Something about Stiefvater's writing is so captivating, Stiefvater does an excellent job at making every character relatable and I found myself admiring every single one in this story. I especially loved the year countdown and the fickle nature of magic in this story just as we had seen in Brave.

I will admit, I am not very adept at Scottish folklore so I can't make a comment on the accuracy. However, at the end of the story, I did love Maggie's encouragement to look into the folklore mentioned within Bravely. I think Maggie did an excellent job weaving the story we saw unfold on the screens for Brave into a new story and I absolutely can't recommend this story enough. .

Merida has always been my favorite, there aren't many redhead princesses and I adore all the Scottish culture. I loved this book! Diving deeper into the culture and folklore. I'm not usually one for books with Gods involved but this one was very well done. I need this to be a movie, Merida needs more love! It did get slow towards the middle but it was still very easy to get through. The author really brought Merida to life and it felt like her from the movie.

As a fan of the Disney movie Brave AND a Maggie Stiefvater fan, Bravely was one of my most anticipated books of 2022. I knew Maggie Stiefvater was going to be the perfect author for this project and she did not disappoint!

Bravely was a great extension of Brave, one of my favorite Disney movies. Stiefvater captured what I loved best about the movie, the medieval Scotland setting, the loveable characters, and the fairytale feel.

I loved getting to revisit the kingdom of DunBroch and this amazing clan of characters. Stiefvater’s portrayal of Merida and the rest of Clan DunBroch felt very authentic. Each character that we fell in love with in the movie Brave felt well represented.

The plotline kept me interested from start to finish, Merida forming a bargain with gods, journeying to nearby kingdoms, and doing her best to save her kingdom and family. In true Maggie Stiefvater fashion, Bravely is a very atmospheric and otherworldly read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fairytales or fairytale retellings.

My only criticism of Bravely would be that I felt some parts of the story were a bit rushed and could have been more developed. For example, Merida’s travels throughout the story visiting neighboring kingdoms.

I really enjoyed how the story ended, bittersweet and open-ended to give us a glimpse of hope.

*Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review*

An excellent addition to the Brave universe, Maggie Stiefvater expertly balances magic and history to bring Merida's family—and life—to the reader in a new and intriguing way.

Brave is one of my all time favorite Disney movies. She reminds me so much of myself, hair included. I was thrilled to be able to get an arc of this. I was not disappointed. I love the continuation of where Brave left off (a few years later). I was sucked right back into the Kingdom of DunBroch. I thought the story was perfect. I loved every minute of it but knew I would since it was Maggie Steifvater. Definitely recommend!

Finished this book just in time! While plenty of Maggie's books are on my shelf thanks to my sister, this is the first one I've read myself (but certainly not the last). Brave is one of my all time favorite animated films. Merida is one of my favorite heroines and Maggie did not disappoint with this book. While there were several points in the story that seemed a little slow and boring to me, it was overall a very enjoyable read. A little too YA for me, but that may just be my preferences moving to NA and adult fantasy books now. Overall, I love how Maggie stayed true to the film character while developing her further. I loved being able to explore more of Dunbroch. Maggie's writing is incredibly lush and really pulls you into the world. The story did get a bit slow sometimes which is what made me give it 3.75 stars, but overall I did enjoy this story and can't wait to own a copy!