I really wanted to like this one. I love the YA book companions Disney Books has been putting out to go with the movies and Brave was such a good movie! Also, Maggie Stiefvater is such a writing force! I had such high hopes.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this one. The romance was clunky and awkward, the plot was a bit confusing, and also dull. And, I felt that the names and concepts were far too dense for a stand alone book.

I also HATED the ending. Absolutely hated it.

I thought this was ok. I wouldn't read it again, and I wouldn't recommend it to fans of Brave. I think as it's own story, it's not the worst, but it didn't do the original movie justice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow! Wow! Wow! I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had never read a book based on a Disney movie before, and I LOVED this one. The writing was so good, and the story really kept me engaged. The characters were so true to the movie while bringing so much more to the table. A must read if you are a Disney or Brave! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unlike other recent Disney books, Bravely is not a retelling of Meridas story from a different angle . This is a sequel to Brave, a what happens next to Merida but also most importantly, her parents, her triplet brothers and the castle DunBroch. It was a magical tale of learning to embrace change, growing up and becoming your own person and learning to love who you are. It is a grown up tale with legends and magic and family. A good story with strong messages and a mix of love and heartbreak.

I’m a big big big Maggie Stiefvater fan so I was thrilled to get a digital ARC of this! Not to mention Merida is one of my favorites. Steifvater does a fantastic job of recreating the world from the film, and using its magic and real life history of Scotland to expand and color the newest adventure of an older Merida.
What’s not to love about this book??? Merida’s fierceness and independence shines during this new adventure.

The story touches upon the challenges of growing up and staying safe, doing what you know and changing, really growing that can be uncomfortable and scary. I loved her journey. I like how the Merida from the beginning is significantly different than the one we leave at the end, but how she still retains all the things that make her Merida. She is incredibly loyal to her home and her family, but also can see how things need to change. Sure, it takes a god of destruction to draw attention to it, but once she sees it, she can’t unsee it, making her journey very organic and human filled with vulnerable moments and doubt but also intention.

I love the triplets! OMG, they’re grown! I love how the three of them each have their own personalities and goals, making Merida’s job in the book complicated. She has to negotiate how she sees them with who they really are and their needs. It was such a great storyline and a very common and poignant moment in growing up.

And of course, there’s a god of destruction. I really liked him as a character. Feradach can’t help what/who he is, what he does. He is a needed balance, and the reader and Merida can sympathize with his journey. There are so many fun and creative little things in the story and I don’t want to give it away. But of course, Merida’s nemesis would be a god of destruction. Because she is THAT bad ass.

Overall, I loved Bravely. I think it’s the perfect perfect perfect sequel to Merida’s journey. Stiefvater did such a great job in research and really harnessing all of the best things about Brave and incorporating and then expanding them into this story.

Fun to revisit Merida and her world! Stiegvater works her magic to bring Merida’s story forward. The mythology and Scottish history, along with the familiarity of the main character, make this a good recommendation for Rick Riordan fans as well as fans of Rick Riordan Presents.

Have been unable to review due to illness. Review coming soon! This novel looks fantastic and I highly recommend this author to everyone! Can't wait to read this one!

I love Brave and Maggie did a fantastic job making you feel you were immersed in the world. I did feel like the release date did not fit the story as this felt more like a winter holiday read. Also with the tie in of the holidays seemed to me to read a little more like a novella. I wanted to feel a little more flushed out in the world and characters. I enjoyed the growth of Merida and her siblings but I just wanted a little more. Still a wonderful read for Brave fans.

This story continues Merida’s story from the Disney movie “Brave”. It definitely falls into the relatively new category of retellings and continuations of beloved stories. Personally, I found it to be quite repetitive and not as adventurous as I expected. The twist at the very very end seemed a bit forced and out of character for the Merida that we love from the movie. This novel may be better suited for readers who have a stronger relationship with the movie Brave than I do.
Thanks to @netgalley @Disneybooks and @maggie_stievater for the Audio and E-book ARCs.

Merida is the spit fire girl who refused to bend to an old rule that would have her marry instead of rule. Now she is is tasked with one of the hardest tasks, to change her family. Ever since Brave, the family has fallen to complacency and now have stopped changing and progressing. The book is infused with magic and grit but it lacked the spark that Merida first brought to Brave. The intriguing plot and theme of change being a good thing was prevalent, it seemed everything that had happened in Brave never occurred. Which made this book feel strained against who the original Merida was. The triplets where the most developed characters and it was interesting to read how they differed in characteristics and personality. Merida's parents on the other hand seem less developed and not as fleshed out.

Loved Bravely so much! I had enjoyed Disney's Merida so was looking forward to this sequel in book format and had to request it the minute I saw it. Here's a list of what I loved about this book:

- Maggie Stiefvater wrote it!!
- Amazing cover
- Magic and bets and tricksters
- The book is divided per season
- There are myths and history imbedded into the story
- Bad guy who is more misunderstood than bad

Really hoping they'll make a second movie out of this!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a book in exchange for a review.

I loved the Disney movie Brave and when this book was available on NetGalley I knew that I had to read BraveIy. I loved reading this book, it took me a while because I was reading it on my kindle but I loved reading this book. I loved seeing Merida and her family in this book and reading about the development of Merida was amazing and I loved the story. The plot was well-paced and the prose was beautifully written and easy to read. This book kept me wanting to read more with its fast pace and entertaining plot. and the ending was good but bittersweet and left me wanting more from the story but it is also a solid standalone book.

Overall I would recommend this book to fans of Disney Movies, the Twisted Tales series, and fairy tale retellings. I will be buying this book to reread in the future. This was one of the most interesting reads this year.

What a fun continuation of Merida’s story! I loved the story of Merida and watching Brave so when I saw this book I was excited to read it. Thankfully, it was as entertaining as I hoped it would be.

While the description says it takes place several years after the Brave took place, it feels like it’s been quite a while as the triplets are nearly grown and Merida has spent a lot of time traveling before returning home, where she meets Feradach and Cailleach. The two Gods have an ongoing battle between destruction and creation and Merida finds herself, and everyone she loves, stuck in the middle. In the movie, the twins couldn’t be told apart but within this story they all had very different personalities which I liked. The dynamics between Merida and her parents felt true to their previous interactions but they didn’t feel like a central part of the story. I also liked the addition of Merida’s adopted sister, Leezie. The stakes felt higher and I was all in with this journey. There were a few unexpected twists and overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable read.

~Bravely Review~
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3/5
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I love maggie stiefvater and brave so i thought this would a fun one to read! thanks netgalley for giving me early access!
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Pros:
+love the idea of cailleach and feradach
+classic chaos of a bargain
+archery<3
+learning more about the triplets
+i think feradach and their power is super cool
+”the stolen village” chapter was super interesting
+change is a good thing
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Cons:
-i think this is supposed to be after the movie? not sure when this takes place
-don’t think i’m the target audience for this book tbh
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i didn’t hâte or love this book. i think people younger than me would enjoy it a lot more.

This one took me a while to get into, but I liked it by the end. I was surprised by how violent it was in parts, considering it's a Disney book, but I appreciated how it didn't shy away from showing how violence begets violence and how war has such negative effects. In all honesty, I think I would have liked the book more if it were a standalone story rather than one tied to Brave, because I kept comparing the book and movie, particularly how characters behaved in each. Overall, it was a good read, but I probably would not pick it up again.

I tried reading this book twice. First on my kindle when I got it as an e-ARC and later on as an audiobook. I got over half way through and realized that I am just not interested. For some reason, the premise of the plot did not grab me. The initial bargain that is struck in the beginning of the book was not very clear to me (or the heroine for that matter). I honestly could not stay focused on the story and finally lost interest. It is a DNF for me at this point. I am not sure what age this book is billed for, but it reads very young, more middle grade than YA. The cover however is stunning. Very disappointed.

A good book for younger readers, however I was irked by poor kindle formatting in this edition and wasn't a fan of the omniscient type storyteller writing. I do usually love Stiefvater's YA books, but this one wasn't for me.

I cannot imagine a better choice for an author to continue Merida’s story than the brilliant Maggie Stiefvater. Hilarious at points, edge-of-your-seat suspense at others, this whimsical fairytale-like adventure is everything I hoped it would be. All in all, a definite recommend. 4.5 rounded down.

A fun twist to the Brave story as we see the after effects of what happened in the movie! Merida is still brave and true but there's more at stake than her mother being turned into a bear this time! Can she overcome the giant task ahead of her in time to save her home?

I love the movie Brave and this book takes place about a year after. I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing and enjoyed her spin on Merida and the Brave world. Merida is approached by a God and challenged to help save Dunbroch by making changes and keeping it from disaster. I listened to the audiobook and the accents were fabulous and kept me engrossed in the story. I felt I was part of the story and in Scotland along with Merida trying to save Dunbroch and her family.

Really enjoyed this one! Bravely continues the story of my favorite Disney Princess and is set several years after the events in Brave. After Merida goes on a grand adventure she returns home but soon learns that her entirely family is in danger from a God who seeks to destroy places where growth has stagnated and unfortunately for Merida and her family, DunBroch is in his sights. Merida makes a deal between herself, Ferradach (the God of Destruction) and the Cailleach (God of Creation) that if she can prove in a year that her family has changed her beloved home will be spared. I felt like the author perfectly captured Merida's spirit here and the folklore aspect was really interesting. There were a few slow spots but there was also adventure and unexpected romance but not the mushy gushy but the more nuanced kind which is great because Merida is kick ass and I'm betting most people want her to remain so. Nothing grinds my gears more than a heroine whose entire personality changes because of a love interest. Glad that didn't happen here. Anyway, I think Brave fans will like.