Member Reviews
I have absolutely loved this twisted tales series and Merida is one of my favorite stories. I absolutely enjoyed this audio and can’t wait for the next installment to be released.
"Fate Be Changed" by Farrah Rochon is a captivating exploration of love and destiny. The characters are beautifully developed, making their journeys both relatable and engaging. Rochon weaves a rich tapestry of emotions, blending romance with elements of magical realism. The pacing is just right, keeping readers hooked from start to finish. Overall, it’s a delightful read that leaves you pondering the power of choice and fate long after the last page.
A great addition to libraries where the other Twisted Tales books are popular, or libraries that have a designated Tween collection. The narrator and story were as expected. Great for readers looking for a light fairy tale retelling.
Another fab twist of a twisted tale. This version has Merida going back in time to when her mom was her age. Seeing what her mom endures gives perspective, understanding, and a bit of guilt. Full of magic and clan history.
I loved this version of Merida. I mean loved it.
I liked the original tale okay enough but loved this telling. It was fresh take that I, and my 13 year old daughter, loved listening to.
I for the life of me can’t understand why she would intentionally eat a spelled cake but love that she did.
Definitely don’t skip this one especially if you didn’t love the original story.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.
This was a great story of how Merida had a change of heart for her mom! Merida had been told time and time again of how her parents met and fell in love, but when she wants a different future she has the chance to change everything. Going through the motions and trying to get her parents back together by changing the past, she is also able to change her future!
"Fate Be Changed" is a reimagining of Merida's story in which she accidentally goes back in time and meets her young mother. Their relationship was very sweet in this story. I liked seeing her learn about her young parents and the importance of politics among the clans. The story showed a lot of great character growth.
This series always has the best what if questions that lead down a new Disney rabbit hole.. and this one is no exception. What if Merida got a different spell from the witch and went back in time - to a time before her parents had met.
Our familiar story starts the same, a rebellious girl fleeing an arranged marriage and a life she doesn't want, a witch who offers a spell to change her fate, some bear-y unexpected twists. The magic cake she procured for her mother to change her fate is eaten by... Merida herself.
This is a delightful story of Merida, her mom, and her dad. Merida finds herself needing to bring her parents together. Can she do it before she meets a grizzly fate herself? Read on to find out!
What I loved most: the narrator for this was wonderful, the writing was whimsical and musical, the idea of being a part of your parents love story, the time travel
Fate Be Changed (Hardcover)
by Farrah Rochon
A wonderful story of Meredith and her mother Elenore with a twist. The question if Meredith had taken the potion to change her mother instead of giving the potion to her. This book has more dynamics and even more intriguing than the original story. Not only is the story lengthen, but the description of the kingdom, and her parents courtship. Showing the story has more dynamics in the combination of magic and storytelling
I normally enjoy Farrah Rochon Twisted Tales books, but this one was super slow. It seemed to drag on forever and it was also kind of predictable. Getting to look at Queen Elinor's life when she was younger was a nice twist, however considering how Elinor's mother treated her you would have thought she would have given Merida understanding and consideration when it came to being forced into marriage for the good of the kingdom. The apple did not fall far from the tree at all.
I just reviewed Fate Be Changed by Farrah Rochon. #FateBeChanged #NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for this ARC.
As we know from Brave, Merida is a wild child who believes she will fight for her own hand in marriage, but when she finds out she is destined to marry no matter what, Merida makes a deal with a witch to change her fate.
First of all I was obsessed with this book. You immediately become immersed into the world of Brave from just the first couple of chapters. It made it so easy to visualize, just like if I was watching the movie. Which, this book should be! I enjoyed seeing the relationship between develop between the younger versions her mother and father with Merida. It was so interesting and entertaining seeing the family history and how things were before Merida was born.
I absolutely loved this installment of the Twisted Tales series. This was the first book I have read by Farrah Rochon but it will not be my last. She completely embodies the spirit of Merida in her writing. The pacing and character building was fantastic. Having Merida go back in time to see her mother in a new light was magical. I look forward to including this book in my classroom collection.
The audiobook narration was fantastic. She truly brought Merida to life. I highly recommend it.
This was a fun adventure filled read! I loved getting to know Merida’s mom Elenor more. We always wonder who are parents are outside of “mom” and “dad” and I feel like we really got a chance to see what makes the queen the way she is. I wish we could all have those moments with out own parents.
Farrah Rochon, Merida, and phenomenal narration from Lucy Rayner! How could this not be amazing? The latest Twisted Tale is yet another winning full of so much to recommend it. A fellow reviewer called this BRAVE meets BACK TO THE FUTURE, and that evokes this charmer perfectly. A magical pageturner with heart & wit that will have waiting eagerly for Rochon’s next entry in this beloved series.
Let me preface with, I love Brave the movie. It is one of my favorites. Also, we have most of the Twisted Tales in our library. I have yet to read any, but they do draw my attention. Any time a student checks one out, I ask them to give me a review. Honestly, most students don't finish them or tell me they are 'okay' or 'meh; - not encouraging me to attempt one.
So let me start by thanking Netgalley and Disney Audiobooks for this copy because now I can at least speak to one of the books.
I gave this book this book 4 stars. I'd give the story 3.5 and the narration 5. I realize one of the challenges is when you love the original, it's hard to watch/listen to it go in a different direction. If there was nothing wrong with the original, why change it? But that is the point isn't it... what if a character made a different decision? At first, I didn't like it - really... that is what you changed? As I listened though, the story grew on me. I like the idea that how one decision can affect so many others specifically stated. I like how you get to see Eleanor from a young age and how Merida realizes the gravity of her mistake - how she might not even be born, on this path.
The narration was great! I liked the voice and pacing. It was easy to understand and I like the accent.
Now I can at least speak to students about this novel. Maybe it will encourage a few more to read it (or any of the other Twisted Tales).
Title: Fate Be Changed
Author: Farrah Rochon
Fate Be Changed is a retelling of Disney's Brave. Imagine if the witch bestowed Merida an entirely different enchantment. Merida, the princess of Clan DunBroch, is pressured to uphold her role and duty by marrying a man she doesn't know. Merida is different from the typical princess and has no interest in being married or abiding by tradition like her mother, Queen Elinor. Merida is desperate to find a way out of her impending future; she finds magical wisps to find a witch to change her fate.
Instead of obtaining a spell for herself, she gets one for her mother, Elinor. Merida takes the spell for herself, which transports her back to when King Fergus and Queen Elinor were not married. Merida could disrupt the delicate balance of the past, preventing Elinor and Fergus from crossing paths, and could reshape her destiny.
Let me say that Brave is one of the most unrated Disney princess movies of all time. Merida is a character that speaks to my soul. She wants more for herself and doesn't want the life chosen for her. Unlike women of her time, she is willing to defy tradition. I am glad that her strong-willed character is not lost in this retelling. Through the story, you get a side of Queen Elinor that you did not see in the movie. There is a mystery woven into the story that Merida must figure out while trying to bring her parents together.
If you love "Back to the Future", you will enjoy this book. It was a great story with humor, friendship, and political intrigue. I loved the witch and relished her comedic element in the story. Even though this is not my typical book genre, it was a delight. It made me think deeply about the lives of women before me and their struggle with societal expectations. We may never genuinely know our mothers' actual experiences. I love that we have another story where women did not need a man to save them. Fate Be Changed is fun and light but full of good messages.
This is my honest review based on an ARC copy of the audiobook from Disney Audio and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.
Merida's royal family rules dictate that she must be matched with a mate(not of her choosing) in order to prepare for her eventual role as queen. Despite her very vocal opinion that she does not want to be married and finds the tradition horribly outdated. But her mother, Queen Elinor, refuses to listen or change her mind.
In what she views to be her only option, Merida visits a local witch to wish that her mother be different. The wish doesn't go quite as planned... Merida ends up being sent back in time to when her mother was Merida's age. And now she must find out how to go back to her own time period and not disrupt the events that led to her parents falling in love.
I listened to the audiobook version of this and highly recommend it. The narrator kept the already interesting book fast paced and imbued emotion into each character's situation. I loved this re-telling of Disney's Brave and the focus on Merida and her mother's relationship.
I was also excited to discover this book is a part of a series called Twisted Tale - all books that spin classic Disney stories to see how things would play out differently under slightly different circumstances.
If you love retellings, stories of brave women, the movie Brave or exciting time travel stories set in Scotland, I recommend this. Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion Reimagined for early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this retelling of Disney’s Brave! I was hesitant to choose this book because I enjoyed the original story so much, but this reimagining was fantastic! It was really fun to experience the story of Merida’s parents when they were younger. It kept the whimsical fantasy of the original story while also maintaining the tension of the spell and possible outcomes. This book would be great for middle grade and YA readers, as well as adults who enjoy this genre.
The narrator was the perfect fit for this book as she read with a Scottish accent, adding the right amount of brogue to characters as required, while also speaking clearly so it was easy to understand.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Disney #BuenaVistaBooksInc. for an audiobook preview version of #FateBeChanged by #FarrahRochon in exchange for honest feedback.
- 5 stars
I love a twisted tale. This is a retelling of Disney’s Merida, in which the witch changes the spell she gave Merida. Now, Merida is changing and has been sent back in time and has to save her kingdom, get her parents to fall in love all before her bear transformation is final. It’s a sweet story of family and love and what if you got the chance to befriend your younger parents and see who they were. If you like twisted tales, this is a great, easy read.
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I'm try to read the entire collection of Twisted Tales alongside my cousin and friend. So, when NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of "Fate Be Changed," the Brave Twisted Tale, I was genuinely thrilled. However, this book only earned a 3-star rating from me, making it my least favorite among the Twisted Tales. Personally, I found myself rather disengaged throughout the narrative and contemplated abandoning it several times. The plot seemed to lack significant developments, predominantly revolving around dialogue. This was disappointing, especially considering Disney's knack for crafting action-packed movies. I eagerly anticipate delving into other reviews to gauge how others perceived the story.