THE definitive sequel to Brave we have been waiting for. Maggie Stiefvater picks up the story several years after the movie and fills us in briskly perfectly, giving us a clear sense of this family and how they've grown, the boring state of the Scottish clan kingdom(that has not grown), and most importantly, Merida herself and her relationship to her parents.
Merida is wonderfully written, it is clear the author understands this character and why she is so beloved in fandom, and with the journey she takes, the challenges she faces, and the frustration she is allowed to possess she is so, important to young readers.
The story itself is very engaging, and while I admire and respect what the author has done with these legacy characters, I did not get as attached to new characters, specifically Leezie and the Cailleach, but overall the author excels at giving you a beautiful story woven with excellent magic and delightful thrills!

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide, for graciously giving me an ARC of this upcoming book.

A heartwarming and adventurous YA sequel to Disney's Brave. Princess Merida (now a teenager) is in a rut, along with her entire family and kingdom. Until one day she meets two Gods: Feradach is the supernatural force of ruin, whose purpose is to root out stagnation. Cailleach is an ancient being of creation. Merida is given an ultimatum: she has one year to change her family or everything as she knows it will be destroyed. She travels to three different kingdoms hoping to challenge and inspire her family, and in the process realizes that maybe she also needs to grow and change. .

I have to admit that I had never seen the Disney movie, Brave, before seeing this book but it was so exciting that the author was able to take the story and create a YA novel based on the Disney movie that I had to watch the movie first. It did not disappoint and neither did the author's telling of Merida's adventure set several years after the movie ends. We meet the same wonderful characters and experience the epic journey that each takes. Merida of DunBroch, who is an adventurous princess, makes a deal with two gods that she can help her family to change their ways within one year's time in order to save her kingdom from ruin. The story takes Merida and members of her family on three different voyages that help to change each character, What a great story that will be loved by those who enjoyed the Disney story of Brave. It is book that stands on its own merit though and will be enjoyed by all. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"What if you had one year to save everything that you love?"

Set several years after the events of "Brave," it's clear that the Clan DunBroch is not what it used to be. Every day is the same, and each family member seems stuck in their ways. Just returned from her travels in time for Christmas and already incredibly bored, Merida hears a peculiar knock at the door. What awaits her is more than she bargained for, though. She encounters Feradach, a god of ruin who has come to DunBroch with the intent to destroy it. The Cailleach, the god of growth and renewal, intervenes just in time and offers Merida and Feradach a deal: if Merida can change the hearts and minds of her people in a year's time, DunBroch will be spared. Merida is ready and willing, but will she be able to change the Clan member who has grown most stagnant of all - herself?

Although this is a continuation of the events of Disney Pixar's "Brave," it is not 'Disneyfied.' Stiefvater is an excellent writer and Celtic mythology and Scottish and Irish history is close to her heart, and it shows on the page. As someone who already loved the characters, seeing them grow and gain new life was a joy. I was impressed with the story and the "historical" details, as well as how the characters tackled growth, introspection, tragedy, and change. I was thoroughly engaged and I personally loved all the "historical" details, although it could make the story seem slow for some. My only qualm was that the ending felt a little rushed, and I would have loved to see more from the final changed character. This will be a great book for young readers who love "Brave" and Celtic mythology. Thank you to Disney Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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.